I believe chemistry has undergraduate accreditation requirements from acs.
Stuart --- Stuart Borrett http://people.UNCW.edu/borretts On May 28, 2012, at 12:24 AM, "Jane Shevtsov" <jane....@gmail.com> wrote: > What disciplines other than engineering have departmental > accreditation at the undergraduate level? > > Jane > > On Sun, May 27, 2012 at 2:47 PM, malcolm McCallum > <malcolm.mccal...@herpconbio.org> wrote: >> The problem with biology education today is that there are: >> 1) no standards for what the major is >> 2) no accreditation governing what a department should comprise >> >> Europe now has accreditation for the discipline and if the US does not >> follow suit you can watch rapidly as we not only fall behind in >> biology, but basically fall like a rock in stature. >> >> Too many departments just wing it at the whim of the administrations' folly. >> Accreditation provides the departments with significant support and >> legitimacy in the face of those administrations that generally care a >> lot about money and little about quality or students. >> >> There are more of those than we care to admit. >> >> Look, we can't even agree whether biodiversity concepts belong in an >> intro to bio class. >> I find this not only disheartening but also frightening. Where else >> they going to learn it, English? >> Most schools don't have an EVS course, and many never will. >> >> Malcolm >> >> On Sun, May 27, 2012 at 12:09 PM, Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH) >> <resea...@hiltonpond.org> wrote: >>> With sincere respect to all of you in the fields of microbiology, genetics, >>> and other laboratory-based disciplines of the life sciences, I contend the >>> "Campbell Essential Biology" approach is exactly what is wrong with biology >>> education today. >>> >>> Nearly all undergraduate and high school introductory biology courses are >>> written as if EVERY student is going on to med school, nursing, or a career >>> in a lab-based science. I agree it's important for an undergrad course to >>> make mention of cytology, DNA, photosynthesis, etc., but I question the >>> real value to students of any non-major textbook in which 12 chapters deal >>> with cell-DNA and ecology, ecosystems, and the biosphere are relegated to >>> the last three chapters. >>> >>> My guess is that 95% or more of non-majors will never have any really >>> practical use for information about cell-DNA. It's complicated stuff that >>> their physicians and pharmacists need to know, but what would be of >>> infinitely greater value is for everyone to be familiar with basic >>> principles of ecology, plant-animal interactions, pollination biology, and >>> the like. Knowing about these things will enable students in general to >>> understand how humans fit into and affect the world around them, and such >>> understanding will help them make informed decisions about such things as >>> overfishing, watersheds and wetlands, use of household pesticides and >>> fertilizers--to say nothing of current controversial topics like global >>> climate change, fracking, etc. >>> >>> We all teach what we know, of course, and the vast majority of high school >>> biology teachers know what they learned in an undergrad biology courses >>> taught from the "pre-med" perspective. I know from 25-plus years in the >>> classroom and lab that for kids not going off to med-school the "pre-med" >>> approach is often a turn-off to science, while a course that emphasizes >>> ecology, the environment, field work, etc., is a turn-on. I also taught >>> undergrad biology and know such is the case with many college students. >>> >>> Cheers, >>> >>> BILL >>> >>> >>> On May 27, 2012, at 10:48 AM, Helena Puche wrote: >>> >>>> David, >>>> >>>> I used "Campbell Essential Biology" by E.J. Simon, J.B.Reece and J.L. >>>> Dickey. It is a book for non-biology majors that has 20 chapters, all of >>>> them with a focus on evolution and examples, and nice drawings and >>>> pictures. Twelve of the 20 chapters are geared toward cell-DNA, then three >>>> chapters on taxonomy and systematics. The last three include populations & >>>> ecology, communities & ecosystems, and the biosphere. Therefore, you will >>>> have to add extra material to recreate those last topics. >>>> >>>> I created several evolution labs using beans or the web pages below, >>>> designed a ppt to introduce Darwin's liand thoughts, and added many lab >>>> activities to learn about mark-recapture techniques, estimating population >>>> growth rate & size, population growth models, climate change, and >>>> identifying biomes. >>>> >>>> Evolution links to check are: >>>> http://video.pbs.org/video/1300397304/ >>>> http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/devitt_02 >>>> >>>> I used those as base for the lab activities. >>>> >>>> Hope this helps. >>>> >>>> Helena >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Helena Puche, Ph. D. >>>> >>>> Adjunct Assistant Professor >>>> >>>> University of Illinois at Chicago >>>> >>>> >>>> Biological Sciences, 3464 SES, MC >>>> 066 >>>> >>>> 845 West Taylor Street >>>> >>>> Chicago, IL 60607hpu...@uic.edu >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> --- On Fri, 5/25/12, Johnson, David R <drjohns...@utep.edu> wrote: >>>> >>>> From: Johnson, David R <drjohns...@utep.edu> >>>> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Non-Majors Biology >>>> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU >>>> Date: Friday, May 25, 2012, 2:49 PM >>>> >>>> Greetings, >>>> >>>> I am teaching a "contemporary biology" course for non-science majors in >>>> the fall and for the first time I am fortunate to be able to organize the >>>> course at my discretion. Effectively, I can present any material I wish as >>>> long as I hit broad themes such as Cell Theory and Evolution. While this >>>> is certainly doable, I am struggling deciding exactly what content to >>>> present. The course is meant to present the science of contemporary issues >>>> that may be important and/or interesting to the non-science student rather >>>> than a broad survey course encompassing all of biology. There is another >>>> such survey course with a set syllabus that I am not teaching, and there >>>> are two other sections of contemporary biology that are focusing on >>>> genetics. I would like to focus on the many ecological issues that both >>>> affect and are affected by humans. My struggle involves the fact that this >>>> may be the only (or last) biology these students get before we cast them >>>> out into the world. >>>> So I want to be sure and cover all my bases. >>>> >>>> I am writing Ecolog with two questions. First, what is the relative merit >>>> of including as much biology as possible as opposed to focusing on fewer >>>> but perhaps more directly relevant ecological topics? These students will >>>> most likely not become scientists, and certainly won't need to memorize >>>> the structure of all the amino acids, for example. On the other hand, >>>> would I be cheating them somehow by not providing enough information to >>>> them for making informed decisions on topics outside of my direct area of >>>> expertise, such as developmental biology and stem cells? >>>> >>>> The other question I have involves textbooks. Is anyone aware of a text >>>> (or perhaps pop-science books) designed for the non-science major that >>>> focuses on ecology, in particular the involvement of humans in ecological >>>> systems? I haven't been able to find something I like and am looking for >>>> recommendations. >>>> >>>> Thanks and I'll circulate a summary response if/when the discussion runs >>>> its course. >>>> >>>> Cheers, >>>> >>>> David >>>> >>>> David R. Johnson PhD. >>>> Postdoctoral Research Associate >>>> Systems Ecology Lab >>>> University of Texas at El Paso >>>> drjohns...@utep.edu >>> >>> P.S. Please "Like" our new Facebook page at >>> http://www.facebook.com/HiltonPond for timely updates on nature topics. >>> >>> ========= >>> >>> RESEARCH PROGRAM >>> c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director >>> Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History >>> 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA >>> office & cell (803) 684-5852 >>> fax (803) 684-0255 >>> >>> Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): >>> Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org >>> "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org >>> >>> ================== >> >> >> >> -- >> Malcolm L. McCallum >> Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry >> School of Biological Sciences >> University of Missouri at Kansas City >> >> Managing Editor, >> Herpetological Conservation and Biology >> >> "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - >> Allan Nation >> >> 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert >> 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, >> and pollution. >> 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction >> MAY help restore populations. >> 2022: Soylent Green is People! >> >> The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) >> Wealth w/o work >> Pleasure w/o conscience >> Knowledge w/o character >> Commerce w/o morality >> Science w/o humanity >> Worship w/o sacrifice >> Politics w/o principle >> >> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any >> attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may >> contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized >> review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not >> the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and >> destroy all copies of the original message. > > > > -- > ------------- > Jane Shevtsov, Ph.D. > Mathematical Biology Curriculum Writer, UCLA > co-founder, www.worldbeyondborders.org > > "In the long run, education intended to produce a molecular > geneticist, a systems ecologist, or an immunologist is inferior, both > for the individual and for society, than that intended to produce a > broadly educated person who has also written a dissertation." --John > Janovy, Jr., "On Becoming a Biologist"
