College Committee - BIO

Details

Date
2007-11-26
Time
Location
Agenda
10-11:30am Jennings 251

1. HE 113 & 114 (Newark)
2. Discussion of Stat 218
http://artsandsciences.osu.edu/currofc/tracking.cfm?TrackingID=1063

3. Discussion of Chem 251-55 course change proposals
http://artsandsciences.osu.edu/currofc/tracking.cfm?TrackingID=1008
http://artsandsciences.osu.edu/currofc/tracking.cfm?TrackingID=1007

 
Notes
Unapproved Minutes:

BIO CC Minutes

11-26-07

 

1. Minutes from 10-29-07 approved.

 

2. Discussion of Changes to Chem 251-25 credits and content

-Credits would increase from 3-5 per course

-Content changes: mass spec and NMR are moved into 252, which not everyone requires

Carbocylic acids and amines are moved to 253

 

-Movement in conflict with attempts to lower graduation credits

-Advisors (Ralph Boerner) thinking of lowering credit reqs for EE major anyway (if it is kept and/or combined)

-Bio and toxicology need full organic chem. sequence

-No biochem in first two courses; almost all biochem is in 253, making it a nice course for those who don’t take 511, and is appropriate for any biologist.  Requirements can’t really change, making it optional is a possibility but not yet discussed with curriculum committee in dept.

-EEOB: unlikely that sts would take 253, more likely 511.

-Mass spec and NMR in context of organic chem. makes more sense, which sts do not get now in 251-2, but some sts would be worse off for not having content that has moved to 253.  Chris Hadad (Chem Chair) says that some of those topics are covered in chs 2&3 of the series.  Not much of this info is covered in 511; it gives only a cursory review.  The content shift does not necessarily prep sts better for 511

-Hadad response to Pfister e-mail: Chem 231 is condensed version (BA version) of organic chem. series, which would serve as a pre-req for 511 so that may be a possibility for some sts, esp for EEOB

-Ask Hadad to send a 231 syllabus

-511 teachers perceive 252 sts as pretty well prepared – get a reaction from current 511 teachers?  If 231 is sufficient that might be an option for EEOB and Biochem 511, but maybe not an option for Plant Biology

- Pre-med sts have to take full year but credit hours not as much of a concern for them, and the number of credit hours is basically not a concern for sts since the majority of sts would favor receiving 5 credits for those chem. classes anyway due to the heavy workload and contact hours

-3 quarters might be too onerous for Biochem sts?  Yes, but ideally they would like to see them take all 3 anyway.

-Bio majors: 2 qtrs plus 2 labs now, pre-meds take all 3; Bio would now no longer technically have an elective; under new major Biochem 511 would no longer be required (replaced by 401-402)

-Biochem and MG need specific feedback on the changes

-If EE were to combine to a single major, how would this change affect sts?

- Can sts take 2 courses and be ready to be organic and bio chemists, ready for 511?  Can 251 contain more relevant curriculum if they lose it from changes?  Perhaps sts could take 251 or 252 or 253 or a combination thereof? They are sequenced, so a 215 & 253 combination, for example, would not be possible.

-Delay discussion to bring back to departmental curriculum committees for further discussion

-Caroline to send proposal to chairs with request to look at which courses have any of the Chem courses as pre-reqs and if/how it would impact majors

 

3. Stats 218 discussion: not a requirement for non-EE bio majors, strongly recommended elective; Committee approves

 

4. HE 113-114 

 

-Honors comm. looks for embedded levels of extra rigor in HE courses

-no formal presentation component, just blogging as enhanced experience

-114-115 has independent experiments on crickets and plant genetics followed by discussion via blog and tests are more in-depth

-Not a large enough pop to have a stand alone course at these branches, therefore HE option

-What is rel. of this proposal to sub for 115-116?  Does it matter if this substitutes for them?  H115 & H116 have more writing and more higher-level experiments (thought experiments) but are not true substitutes for 113 & 114 and CB wishes to avoid any equivalency language to that effect.  Our H115 & H116 are our versions of 113 & 114 content-wise, but more rigorous and with more writing.

-Transfers: Will HE113 & HE 114 in Newark transfer well?  How many students does this affect?  Maybe 6

-Rigor seems appropriate in the proposal for HE courses

-Most sts will be transferring to main campus.  Will they be prepared?  It is similar in rigor and content to other similar branch offerings. It’s an Honors experience, different textbook

-113 & 114 are part of TAGs and are supposed to be consistent among all state universities

 

Committee approves of HE proposal with contingency:

 p.1 line 2 of proposal change “honors experience equivalent to” to “experience that can substitute for Honors Biology 115”

 

 

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