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Iowa Lakeside Laboratory

Iowa Lakeside Laboratory is a field station run cooperatively by The University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa. Iowa Lakeside Laboratory courses can be taken for credit through all consortium member schools. Students should check with their advisors to determine whether Iowa Lakeside Laboratory courses can be used to satisfy requirements of their academic majors or minors, or college or university general education requirements.

The laboratory was established in 1909 for the conservation and study of the rich flora and fauna of northwest Iowa, especially the numerous lakes, wetlands, and prairies of the Iowa Great Lakes region. The campus is located on approximately 140 acres of restored prairie, wetland, and gallery forest along the west shore of West Okoboji Lake. Lakeside's mission is to provide undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity for hands-on experience in a variety of natural and human environments through its field-oriented summer courses, and to provide research facilities and support for graduate students and faculty members working on research projects in northwestern Iowa.

Each summer Iowa Lakeside Laboratory offers students a unique educational experience--small, full-immersion, field-oriented courses in the natural sciences (archaeology, ecology, environmental science, evolution, geology, hydrology, soils, taxonomy). Courses are taught at the undergraduate level (sophomore and junior) and the senior/graduate level. Most courses meet all day Monday through Friday, last four weeks, and are limited to eight to ten students. Students usually earn 1 s.h. for each week (40 hours) in class. One- and two-week courses also are available, including courses designed especially for teachers.

Weather permitting, students normally spend at least part of each day doing fieldwork, either as part of their class work or for individual or group projects.

Some courses are offered alternate summers; see http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/lakesidelab/ustudents/courses.html or the University of Iowa's summer course offerings on ISIS (Iowa Student Information Services) to learn which courses will be offered in a particular summer session.

Research projects by undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty members can be completed either on the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory campus or at many nearby natural areas. Undergraduate and graduate students are strongly encouraged to do independent projects at the laboratory, and graduate students are welcome to use Lakeside as a base for their thesis and dissertation research. Laboratory space and other facilities are available for long-term or short-term research projects.

Teaching and research facilities include eight laboratory buildings, a library, and a lecture hall. Living accommodations include cottages, motel-style units, and a large mess hall. All students are encouraged to stay at Lakeside while they are taking courses to derive full advantage of its educational, professional, and social life.

Registration

Students can enroll in Iowa Lakeside Laboratory courses only by submitting an Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Registration and Scholarship Form and the Lakeside housing form to the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Administrative Office. Forms and information on registration and current courses are available on the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory web site.

Early registration is advisable. Because enrollment in Lakeside courses is limited, students should register before May 1 for the following summer session. Housing is limited at Lakeside. When students register for courses, they must either apply for housing or state that they plan to live off campus.

Financial Support

Iowa Lakeside Laboratory scholarships are available to undergraduates and graduate students. Scholarships cover basic room and board; in some cases, they help reduce the cost of tuition. For information about how to apply for Iowa Lakeside Laboratory scholarships, see the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory web site. For information about other scholarships, work-study, and loan programs, consult the Office of Student Financial Aid.

The University of Iowa provides Thomas H. Macbride Scholarships in Natural Science for qualified graduate students attending Lakeside. The scholarships cover Iowa Lakeside Laboratory tuition costs. Application deadline is April 1.