The Center for Advanced Undergraduate Studies and Experience (CAUSE) is a unique center that supports the educational mission of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, providing special services, courses, and facilities that are not available at the departmental level. A goal of the center is to promote undergraduate research and study abroad/study away. CAUSE-sponsored courses provide “real world experiences” for students – a chance to leave the classroom behind and spend time tackling a topic of contemporary importance in the field.
About CAUSE
CAUSE was created in the early 1990s to promote interdisciplinary, problem-based learning opportunities for undergraduates. CAUSE experiences vary from year to year and range from a multi-semester seminar course that allows students to do theme-based research both in the classroom and out in the field with a Maymester of summer travel component or one semester courses with an embedded travel component. CAUSE courses focus on the political, economic, and physical environment of a selected country or area. CAUSE courses are open to all majors in the college and every effort is made to keep costs affordable to make the experience accessible to a greater number of students. Recent CAUSE experiences have focused on both international and U.S. locations.
CAUSE 2025 (cancelled for this semester - will be offered spring 2026)
CAUSE 2025: Decolonizing the Academic Museum: Cascading Impacts of Colonization on Science Museums (DAC)
Spring 2025- EMSC 470W (3 credits)
Summer 2025- EMSC 497 (.25 credits)
Fall 2025- EMSC 470W (3 credits)
Current decolonization efforts in Europe, including the UK, are breaking new ground by looking at how original collecting practices impacted the cultures and landscapes. In this multi-semester experience students will look at university science collections and data collection practices in field science, current decolonization efforts, and how university museums can move forward. Students will analyze those processes to formulate their own views and or solutions to break these cycles in their future work.