Avalanche Science Program Identified Program Outcomes with Competencies :

1. Core Knowledge and Skills: Students will demonstrate college-level knowledge emphasizing communication, math, science, and critical thinking as well as basic mechanical skills and tool use.

   1. College-level computer literacy

   2. College-level math literacy

   3. Basic exposure to and understanding of statistics

   4. Communication skills: effective oral, written, and listening skills with peers, students, employers, and public

   5. Scientific Method: parts and principles

   6. Evaluate scientific papers/articles

   7. Recordkeeping, recording, and data management

   8. Familiarity with common snow and weather instrumentation and tools

   9. Understanding and use of common language and terminology

   10. Basic mechanical skills and use of tools

2. Field Observations: Students will be able to produce high-quality, field-based observations of snow, weather, and avalanches.

   1. Snow study plot observations

   2. Snow profile observations

   3. Weather observations

   4. Avalanche observations

3. Safe Travel: Students will be able to evaluate and employ safe, efficient winter travel and travel in avalanche terrain

   1. Understand the impact of physical limitations and skill level on backcountry travel

   2. Winter survival

   3. Travel safely in avalanche terrain

   4. Efficient backcountry travel including equipment and technique

   5. Use, operation, and maintenance of commonly used over-the-snow vehicles

4. Rescue and First Aid: Students will be able to model efficient small-group avalanche rescue including victim care and transport. Additionally, they will be able to explain the organization of a large team rescue.

   1. Be able to perform a fast and efficient small-group rescue

   2. Understand incident command system as it relates to avalanche rescue

   3. Be able to participate in an organized avalanche rescue effort

   4. Know current best practices in avalanche victim resuscitation

   5. Demonstrate basic care and transport for patients in winter rescue

   6. Rescuer safety

   7. Understanding of state-of-the-art avalanche rescue tools and equipment

5. Leadership: Students will employ a range of leadership skills and abilities such as self-reliance, anticipation of ‘human factor’ effects, expedition behavior, and professionalism.

   1. Develop critical and reflective thinking abilities

   2. Exhibit responsible decision-making and personal accountability

   3. Exhibit the ability to work effectively as an individual or as part of a group

   4. Develop leadership skills and abilities

   5. Understand human factors and biases as related to group travel and safety

   6. Understand the value of the life-long learning process and its importance in snow, weather, and avalanche work

   7. Ethics as related to profession

   8. Be able to educate others about snow, weather, and avalanches and describe the societal impact of snow work

6. Snow Science: Students will be able to describe fundamental snow, weather, and avalanche principles and processes.

   1. Mountain weather and climate

   2. Formation of snow/precipitation

   3. Snowpack formation and evolution

   4. Avalanche formation and release

7. Forecasting: Students will be able to employ an elementary weather and avalanche forecasting process for a range of contexts.

   1. Describe the forecasting process

   2. Define a operational forecast problem

   3. Evaluate the strength, weight, and uncertainty of information

   4. Determine relevance of data

   5. Create and communicate a weather/avalanche forecast

   6. Understand the effect of temporal and spatial scales

   7. Perform an objective assessment of a weather/avalanche forecast

8. Operations: Students will be able to describe and evaluate a range of operational avalanche planning and mitigation activities.

   1. Understand and evaluate an avalanche safety plan

   2. Understand the similarities and differences of various snow, weather, and avalanche operations (recreational, transportation corridors, research, etc…)

   3. Be familiar with avalanche terrain mapping

   4. Understand automated environmental remote sensing

   5. Coordination with other operational units

9. Risk Management: Students will be able to describe and model a range of risk management concepts and techniques including risk identification, assessment, management, mitigation, and communication.

   1. Understand the risk management process and application

   2. Understand and evaluate a risk management plan

   3. Familiarity with relevant laws and liability

   4. Familiarity with ISO 31000 (International Standards Organization - Risk Management)