With the retirement of Goodison in 1891, significant changes in content and personnel occurred. However, Geography remained identified with Drawing : hence "Drawing and Geography" continued as Goodison's legacy into the next century. In 1897-98 the School was renamed Michigan State Normal College (MSNC) and the Department of Drawing and Geography became the formal name of the unit.

In 1892-93 William H. Sherzer succeeded Lucy Osband as head of Natural Science and Charles McFarlane replaced Goodison, who had recently died. Sherzer's program included courses entitled Lithological Geology and Mineralogy, Dynamical Geology and Structural Geology, and Historical Geology and Paleontology (MSNS, 1893, p. 59-60). Rock, mineral and fossil collections were improved and a set of coast and river charts were acquired from the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey.

Sherzer, Osband and Edwin Strong (chemistry) were the Normal's representatives to the first meeting of the Michigan Academy of Science in Ann Arbor. They were Charter Members of the Academy. Under McFarlane offerings and staffing were expanded: Maps and Models(1893-94) (MSNS, 1895, 103-104); Handling of Geographical Material and lectures on Universal Geography(i.e. geography and its interrelationships to other subjects). The faculty was expanded from McFarlane and an assistant (Helga Lodeman) to a staff of five (McFarlane, Hull, Calkins, Stuckney, Morse) at the close of the century.

Regional courses were offered in 1900-01 ("Geography of Europe" and "Geography of the United States") which added diversity to the traditional Physical Geography component (MSNS, 1901, p. 53). The increased interest in regional geography may have inspired McFarlane's demand that the Normal library obtain the Geographical Journal, Petermann's Mitteilungen, Journal of School Geography, National Geographic Magazine and the Scottish Geograrfical Journal.

McFarlane was an energetic teacher and his courses proved to be popular with students at the Normal and to teachers attending institutes (Martin, 1968, p. 78). While attending a teacher program in St. Clair County, Isaiah Bowman heard an enthusiastic presentation by McFarlane which encouraged Bowman to pursue geography. He attended Ferris College for a year at the advice of his mentor, transferred to Ypsilanti, graduated in 1901, and joined the staff in 1904. He was disappointed that McFarlane retired before his arrival, but was guardedly pleased with Jefferson, who arrived in 1902. (Martin, 1980). H. H. Barrows, R. D Calkins and D. H. Davis were other students influenced by McFarlane who became department heads (at University of Chicago, Central Michigan College and University of Minnesota respectively )(Martin, 1968, 78). At this time (1897) no other Michigan institution of higher learning offered geography and only eight departments, nationally, offered the subject