2008 Woodie Awards
Curriculum Changes Bring Greater Flexibilty, Diversity to Biology Majors
Miriam Merzel
Issue date: 5/13/08 Section: Science and Health
At the recent open forum with SCW Dean Karen Bacon, plans were revealed for curriculum changes throughout the college, some of which impact the school's science departments.
While several adjustments will be implemented in the coming year, the final modifications will become effective in the fall of 2009.
Both science and non-science majors will be affected by changes to the science departments, which are intended to give students more diversity in the courses they can take, more flexibility in scheduling, and more relief from some of the stress of large laboratory classes.
The modifications concerning the science requirements for non-majors will include a revised requirement for current students as well as newly drafted requirements for incoming students. Currently, every student at SCW is required to take a full-year science course with its corresponding laboratory. From now on, as a temporary measure until the final curriculum changes are in place, students who choose to fulfill this requirement by taking the class "Biology Essentials" will only be required to take one semester of lab, as opposed to two. This is part of the shift to the new curriculum where, explained Associate Dean Ethel Orlian, "Students will be required to take a one-semester interdisciplinary science lecture course dealing with an issue which they will explore from many perspectives and a one-semester lecture/lab course in a specific science."
Biology Department Chair Dr. Harvey Babich provided more detailed information regarding such interdisciplinary science courses. "For the latter, the biology, chemistry/biochemistry, and physics departments are developing suitable 4-credit courses for the non-science majors," he explained.
The Biology Department has plans to develop classes such as "Biology of Women," "Protecting Your Body," "Genes and You," "Interface of Technology and Health," "Understanding the Environment," "How the Body Works," "Biodiversity: the Human Impact," and "C.S.I.-the Biology of Forensics."
While several adjustments will be implemented in the coming year, the final modifications will become effective in the fall of 2009.
Both science and non-science majors will be affected by changes to the science departments, which are intended to give students more diversity in the courses they can take, more flexibility in scheduling, and more relief from some of the stress of large laboratory classes.
The modifications concerning the science requirements for non-majors will include a revised requirement for current students as well as newly drafted requirements for incoming students. Currently, every student at SCW is required to take a full-year science course with its corresponding laboratory. From now on, as a temporary measure until the final curriculum changes are in place, students who choose to fulfill this requirement by taking the class "Biology Essentials" will only be required to take one semester of lab, as opposed to two. This is part of the shift to the new curriculum where, explained Associate Dean Ethel Orlian, "Students will be required to take a one-semester interdisciplinary science lecture course dealing with an issue which they will explore from many perspectives and a one-semester lecture/lab course in a specific science."
Biology Department Chair Dr. Harvey Babich provided more detailed information regarding such interdisciplinary science courses. "For the latter, the biology, chemistry/biochemistry, and physics departments are developing suitable 4-credit courses for the non-science majors," he explained.
The Biology Department has plans to develop classes such as "Biology of Women," "Protecting Your Body," "Genes and You," "Interface of Technology and Health," "Understanding the Environment," "How the Body Works," "Biodiversity: the Human Impact," and "C.S.I.-the Biology of Forensics."
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