CURRICULUM PROPOSAL FORM #2
UNIVERSITY OF
WISCONSIN-WHITEWATER
CHANGE IN A DEGREE,
MAJOR, OR SUBMAJOR
Check Exactly One:
Change
In: Degree
Major X Submajor
Deletion
of Major Submajor
Total
Number of Credits in Program (if change in):
__22 Before
Change 23 After Change
Program Title: Biology Education
Emphasis
Sponsor(s):
Lance Urven and Virginia Epps
Department(s): Biological Sciences; Curriculum and
Instruction
College(s):
Letters and Sciences;
Education
Other Programs
Affected: Chemistry
Effective
Term: Spring, 2001
1. Add 640-102 Introductory Chemistry, 630-251 Introduction
to Genetics, and 630-446 Organic Evolution to the list of required courses.
2. Remove the requirement for the deleted course, 630-360,
Human Anatomy and Physiology.
3. Remove language for disallowed courses, since no
electives would be required to complete this minor under the proposed changes.
From:
1. BIOL 630-141 General
Botany AND 630-142 General Zoology
2. BIOL 630-257
Introduction to Ecology
3. SELECT 4 CRED FROM
COURSE BIOL 630-360
4. SELECT 5 ELECTIVE
CREDITS FROM BIOLOGY IN CONSULTATION WITH ADVISER. THE FOLLOWING COURSES DO NOT
APPLY FOR CREDIT TOWARD THE MINOR: 630-120, 630-214 AND 630-300.
To:
1. BIOL 630-141 General
Botany AND 630-142 General Zoology
2. BIOL 630-257
Introduction to Ecology
3. CHEM 640-102
Introductory Chemistry
4. BIOL 630-251
Introduction to Genetics AND 630-446 Organic Evolution
II. Relationship to mission and strategic plan of
institution, and/or College/Department goals and objectives.
Revision of this minor
is in keeping with Biological Sciences’ Goal #2 in the 1999 Annual Report,
“Review departmental course offerings and our emphases in order to strengthen
our program” and the UWW Strategic Plan Goal 2.1 Strategy c, “conduct periodic
reviews of the curriculum to ensure efficacy and efficiency in achieving
program goals and objectives”.
III. Rationale
One
of the requirements for this minor, Human Anatomy and Physiology, 630-360 has
been deleted from the curriculum and replaced with a two semester sequence
providing the impetus to re-examine the program at this time.
The Biology Education
Emphasis is specifically for elementary/middle level education majors who will
be teaching any of the sciences at the elementary school level and a sequence
of sciences at the middle school level. Renaming the minor makes its purpose
clearer for students and advisers.
The
revised program continues to require ecology, since it is topical and critical
to an informed citizenship and serves as a departure point for common concerns
about sustainable development and conservation in both urban and rural
communities.
The
Biological Sciences Department identifies genetics as a cornerstone of all
areas of modern biology. Absence of a
requirement in genetics substantially devalues a biology minor.
Evolution
continues to be a point of contention in popular culture, but is not among
informed biologists, physicists, astronomers, or geologists. It is a central organizing concept for all
these fields, but most especially biology, building on fundamental laws in both
genetics and ecology. Science educators
must be well-informed in evolution to clearly explain it and its importance to
students and to the community if it becomes an issue for their school district
curricula.
The
new requirements incorporate enough chemistry to meet prerequisites for the
Introduction to Genetics and the Organic Evolution courses without making it a
unique requirement. Including chemistry
as a unique requirement, as the Biology minor does, would discourage Elementary
Education students from enrolling in the program.
IV.
Cost implications
None – all required courses are offered at least annually, and the small student population (two currently) seeking this program can be accommodated within the number of sections already offered.