The area surrounding the lab is rich in plant and wildlife habitat and natural resources for students to study. They take one course at a time, completely dedicated to one subject, spend as much time in the field as possible. So this is a very different educational experience from what they get back at their home campuses and one that is very much appreciated by the students. Perhaps because of the almost recreational nature of the course work at the lab, only one credit is given to students for each intensive week of study. Most courses last for three weeks.
Students live communally on lab grounds while they take classes.
The lab also provides support for graduate student research. So we have a very long and distinguished history in research. Since 1994, the lab has undergone considerable reorganization under the direction of van der Valk, and more changes are expected. And as a result of that exercise, we have basically completely restructured this facility and tried to make it a much more relevant facility both to the students that we are here to serve and also to the Iowa Great Lakes community. He said one of the failings of the lab in the past has been its lack of integration into the local community.