... On another note, I guess higher education has really changed. I noticed the professor is a professor of "outdoor studies." He only has a bachelor's degree, and is current a graduate student in "northern studies." I'm not saying these areas of inquiry cannot be rigorous, challenging, and even intellectually stimulating. But this is quite a far cry from higher education was meant to be.
http://www.uas.alaska.edu/dir/fjwagner.html

The certificate in Outdoor Skills and Leadership is an intensive nine-month humanities program that offers students the opportunity to better understand their relation to the natural world and to develop skills and characteristics that are essential to success as an individual, a group member, and a leader in outdoor and adventure settings. The program incorporates outdoor risk management, leadership skills, specific outdoor activity skills, and academic work. The combination of outdoor and academic courses is designed to develop not only knowledge but also personal traits such as self-reliance and good judgment. Students working to become outdoor professionals, wanting to achieve more general goals related to personal development and leadership, or wanting to better understand the natural world will benefit from the program.