AAG West Lakes Newsletter
2000 Annual Regional Meeting Set for 
October 19-21, Oxford OH
Geographers from across both the West Lakes and East Lakes divisions 
of the Association of American Geographers will meet at Miami University, 
Oxford, Ohio, in October 2000. Of course, there will paper sessions 
within which scholars from across the region will present their research 
on a wide range of topics. This promises to be a well attended event 
since Miami University of Ohio is hosting a joint West Lakes - East 
Lakes meeting. Plan to be there! 

AAG President Reginald G. Golledge Welcomes Newsletter
Schwenderman's Directory gives evidence of an ongoing decline of 
geography students and faculty generally in the West Lakes area 
(1989: 547,405 enrolled students; 1999: 520,611 enrolled students; 
1989: 586 schools offering geography; 1999 561 schools offering 
geography; 1989: 2,685 faculty; 1999: 2,313 faculty (provided by 
Bill Dando)).  While this parallels a nationwide drop in geography 
students and a decline in AAG membership (1995: AAG 7381 members; 
1998: AAG, 6910 members), the West Lakes area decline appears to 
be too large (WLD AAG: 1995: 1,018; 1998: 877) thus contributing 
141 of the 471 members lost at the national level.  I take it that 
the Region is cognizant of this decline and is taking positive steps 
to counteract it.  Information is a key concept today, and the 
development of this Newsletter seems timely and pro-active.  It 
will serve to increase information flow among WLDAAG members, and 
by so doing, may give positive evidence that a new spirit is infusing 
the region.  This spirit should help marshal WLDAAG members from all 
regional institutions (including the major Ph.D. granting institutions) 
to support efforts to reverse the downtrend in students generally, and 
regional membership in particular.

My best wishes to WLDAAG in this new venture.  I sincerely hope 
you achieve the goals you have set by initiating this publication.

Reginald G. Golledge

AAG West Lakes Newsletter
In 1984 one issue of a West Lakes newsletter was published.  The
division has once again begun to publish a newsletter with a
series that began in Fall 1999.  Volume 2, Number 1 was published
in February 2000.
E-mail: Newsletter Info

West Lakes Officers
Chairperson - David Changnon
Recording Secretary - John Schroeder
Liaison Secretary - Dan Knudson
Regional Councillor - Bill Dando
Treasurer - Mehmet Aritan