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Appendix --Biology Program

Summary The interdepartmental Biology Program is jointly administered by the Dept. of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology and the Dept. of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology. A major focus of the program is to provide basic biology courses for several thousand students each year. Each year, more than 1/8 of ISU students take at least one biology course. The Biology Program is also the home of the Biology major, one of the largest majors at ISU, with 759 students in Fall 2013. Thus, the program has a central role in life sciences education at ISU. The curriculum for the Biology major requires a set of six “core courses” (including four with labs) and 21 credits of advanced biology courses selected from an array of nearly 200 courses offered by the Biology Program and other life science programs. Students can create highly individualized programs of study within the major; the hallmark of the major is its breadth and flexibility. Numerous, diverse experiential learning opportunities (e.g., research, internships, field trips, teaching, Biological Sciences Club, etc.) are offered by the program, and the number of students participating in these has increased sharply over the last 5 years. Total number of students in basic biology and core courses has increased substantially in the last 5 years, largely limited by the availability of space and instructors. Number of students in upper-level biology courses has increased at an even faster rate. Roughly ¼ of recent graduates move on to medical/health sciences school, roughly ¼ go to graduate or other school, and just under ½ are employed with a B.S. degree. Increasing enrollment at ISU is predicted to create continued strong demand for biology courses from several thousand students across ISU, while the number of students majoring in Biology could approach 1000 in 5 years. A presently planned building expansion will eventually resolve most space issues, but staffing of courses will likely become an even larger issue. Accommodating increased enrollment, review of the overall curriculum, enhancement of the student experience, tracking student outcomes, and increasing faculty involvement are primary goals and challenges for the future. Contents I. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 2 II. Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 3 III. Administrative organization .................................................................................................. 4 IV. Program activities and changes ............................................................................................. 6 V. Curriculum ............................................................................................................................ 8 VI. Enrollment and course trends ................................................................................................ 9 VII. Student experiences ............................................................................................................ 14 VIII. Outcomes ............................................................................................................................ 18 IX. Vision for the future ............................................................................................................ 19 Biology Appendix A: Biology Degree Requirements .................................................................. 21

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I. Introduction The Biology Program is an intercollege, interdepartmental program that offers one major with one degree, the Bachelor of Science in Biology. In addition to offering the undergraduate Biology major, the Biology Program plays a large role in basic biology education for students from all parts of Iowa State University. The Biology Program serves three, diverse groups of students; these include “non-life science majors” from across the university, students from other life science majors, and Biology majors. Students in the “non-life science majors” group typically take one or two biology courses, to satisfy general education requirements or as an elective. The Biology Program offers several courses specifically designed for this group, as described below, that account for about 1/3 of the total credit hours taught through Biology. Students in life science majors other than biology typically take some of the same courses as students in the Biology major, particularly the first-year courses and some intermediate-level courses. This group includes several thousand students each year and accounts for about 9/10 of the credit hours taught in the first-year biology sequence, while biology majors account for the remainder. The third group, students majoring in Biology, now includes nearly 800 students, making it one of the largest majors in the university. Thus, even while most faculty tend to think of the Biology Program as being synonymous with the Biology major, most of the students in Biology courses are not Biology majors, and a significant responsibility of the Program is providing courses for students not in the major. The Biology major was established as an interdepartmental major in 1969 and has been maintained on an interdepartmental basis since then, even as the participating departments and colleges and administrative structure of the Biology Program have changed over time. The current administrative arrangement, described below, dates from 2004, when the Botany and Zoology & Genetics departments were restructured into the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology (EEOB) and the Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology (GDCB). Although many students entering the Biology major are interested in eventual careers in health and medicine, the major is devoted to educating students with a wide spectrum of interests ranging from molecular biology to global ecosystems and biodiversity. Breadth and flexibility are keystone principles for organization of the major, achieved through a common core plus student selection of courses, as described below. This is a rather different approach compared to many biology majors at other universities, which are often essentially "pre-health sciences" programs, but we believe it gives the program strength and appeal. Other life science majors at ISU include Agronomy, Animal Ecology, Animal Science, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Dairy Science, Environmental Science, Entomology, Forestry, Genetics, Horticulture, Kinesiology, and Microbiology. In addition to the Biology major, EEOB also participates in the Environmental Science and Genetics majors, while GDCB participates in the Genetics and Bioinformatics majors. Of the majors offered by EEOB and GDCB, Biology and Genetics have the greatest overlap, in that a student could duplicate the genetics curriculum within the biology major; the Genetics major dates back decades to when ISU had a department of genetics and has since been maintained for a variety of reasons. The Environmental Science major has a substantial emphasis on physical science tied to biological processes and thus is more distinct from Biology. Bioinformatics is a very highly specialized, low-enrollment major that has relatively little overlap with the Biology major.

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II. Objectives Non-life science majors--The Biology Program offers a range of introductory courses to allow students pursuing degrees in diverse, non-biological disciplines to gain an understanding of the nature of science and the complexity of the biological world and to appreciate the role biology has in society. These courses satisfy general education requirements or are taken as electives. Realistically, the service role of these courses generally means they are given lower priority, in terms of consistent staffing. Life sciences majors--The Biology Program provides a two-semester introductory biology sequence that gives students exposure to fundamental biological principles across a wide range of biological topics. These courses strive to provide adequate background for more advanced biology courses and for advanced courses in the students' own life science majors. Thus, the first-year biology courses in particular must meet the needs of both biology majors and life sciences majors in general. While many of these students also take other biology courses, there is less pressure on advanced biology courses to accommodate such a diverse clientele, i.e., upper-level biology courses usually are devoted to a specific topic and are directed toward biology majors, with other students welcome but not the primary concern. Biology major--The Biology Program strives to stimulate student growth, development, and career preparation by providing a diverse, current, and academically rigorous undergraduate baccalaureate degree program in biology encompassing the breadth of the biological sciences. The Biology Program’s goals for the major are to ensure that its curriculum, degree requirements, courses, and educational experiences collectively provide students the knowledge and tools required for success in further post-graduate degree programs, careers in research or teaching, or other employment such as health sciences, conservation, etc. The wide range of student interests encompassed by the Biology major was recently recognized by the establishment of informal areas of specialization within the major. Students also can develop individualized programs to fit their unique interests. The interest areas reflect the broad scope of modern biology, from molecules to the biosphere. They further reflect the diversity of opportunities and careers available to Biology majors. Even with the areas of specialization, it is a hallmark of the major that students can develop a highly individualized program of study by selecting advanced biology credits from an array of nearly 200 different courses (from biology and other programs). However, the program maintains a common set of objectives and goals for all its students. More specifically, all biology students should have:

knowledge of the nature of science knowledge of basic biological phenomena and processes an understanding of the vocabulary and language of biology ability to reason, pose questions, use information resources, and solve problems effective communication skills ability to apply scientific and biological principles to human society and to creation of a sustainable

human-Earth system ability to integrate biological principles with ethical aspects of life

Our graduates should be educated, well-rounded individuals who can live meaningful, productive lives while continuing to learn and to contribute to the well-being of humankind and the Earth as a whole. The Biology major requires all students to take a program of six “core” biology courses (22 credits) and 21 credits of advanced biology courses, plus a program of supporting courses in math, chemistry, physics, etc. The Biology Program also provides opportunities for students to enhance their education outside of traditional coursework, via experiential learning opportunities, biology club activities, learning communities, research experiences, and other avenues. The program strives to maintain a modern curriculum, courses, and pedagogy consistent with national trends and goals such as

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those expressed by AAAS in its “Vision and Change” publication while also incorporating unique strengths of its faculty. III. Administrative organization Administration and College Affiliations--The Biology Program is administered jointly by the department chairs of the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology (EEOB) and the Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology (GDCB) (Figure 1). The two departments in turn are jointly administered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). The Biology Program thus is an interdepartmental, intercollege program. The Chairs of EEOB (Jonathan Wendel) and GDCB (Jo Anne Powell-Coffman) are responsible for providing resources for the Biology Program, including financial support and staffing of Biology courses.

Figure 1. Administrative structure and resource flow to the Biology Program

Biology Program Director (PD) and Associate Director (APD)—The PD (Jim Colbert, assisted by the APD, Clark Coffman) is the primary contact between the program, EEOB, and GDCB and LAS and CALS for matters regarding curriculum, outcomes assessment, recruitment, retention, advising, scholarships, etc. (Figure 1). The PD also serves as the faculty member in charge of routine issues such as student appeals, waivers, and exceptions. The PD reviews enrollments and evaluates course offering needs, communicating these to the Department Chairs to facilitate staffing assignments. The PD also works closely with the Coordinator of Undergraduate Student Services (Jim Holtz) to supervise the functions of the Student Services Office (Figures 1, 2). The PD leads ongoing efforts to encourage integration among, and use of effective pedagogy in, the Biology core courses. Other responsibilities of the PD vary with Program needs and ongoing curricular and administrative initiatives. Student Services Office—This office provides administrative and initial student advising support for the Biology Program, the Genetics Program, and the Environmental Science Program. Staff members in the office also have a lead role in advertising and recruitment, first-year experiences and learning community activities, courses introducing new students to ISU and opportunities in biology, and a multitude of other non-course activities. All new students are advised by staff members until their sophomore year (or

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later), at which point they are assigned to faculty for advising. The department chairs decide which faculty are assigned advisees and how many advisees each has. Although the departments follow a general principle that all faculty should be involved in advising, there is variability in the number of advisees assigned based on the department chairs’ assessments of situations of individual faculty.

Figure 2. Administrative structure of the Student Services Office, 103 Bessey Students--Students are admitted to the Biology Program through either LAS or CALS and are subject to the requirements of that college (Figure 3). (A proposal to have uniform college requirements for Biology majors is currently being developed—see below.) About 2/3 of entering students are from high school, while about 1/3 are transfers from outside or inside the university.

Figure 3. Control of the Biology Program curriculum

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Biology Faculty--The Biology Faculty is defined as the voting faculty members within the departments of EEOB and GDCB. Responsibilities of the Biology Faculty include participating in the program’s governance, teaching courses, advising, providing research opportunities, and participating in educational enrichment activities supporting its curriculum. The Biology Faculty is responsible for the program curriculum and makes decisions on proposed curricular changes, modifications of degree requirements, and Biology Program governance issues (Figure 3). The Biology Faculty also votes to approve and/or endorse appointments of leadership positions for the Program made by department chairs. Biology Program Committee (BPC)—The BPC has three members each from EEOB and GDCB. EEOB members are Tom Jurik (Chair of the BPC), Jim Colbert, and Rob Wallace; GDCB members are Clark Coffman, Eric Henderson, and Steve Howell; and Jim Holtz of the Student Services Office is an ex officio member. As the agent of the Biology Faculty (Figure 3), the BPC acts to oversee, manage, and continually evaluate the Biology curriculum including all biology courses to provide an academically diverse and rigorous program in Biology. The BPC deals with day-to-day curricular issues and, in practice, plays the lead role in guiding the Biology Program curriculum, since the Biology Faculty is large (60+) and meets only infrequently (usually once per year). IV. Program activities Biology Program Committee activities—In the last five years, the Biology Program Committee has been quite active in reviewing various aspects of the program and implementing changes. Major events in the last few years are briefly reviewed here. Governance--Through most of its existence, the Biology Program did not have any formal document describing its governance and organizational structure. This was remedied in 2011 with preparation and adoption of a formal governance document for the program. The Biology Faculty, defined as the voting faculty of EEOB and GDCB, has ultimate control over the curriculum. In practice, this has proven to be a somewhat cumbersome, albeit workable, arrangement, since it is difficult to justify frequent meetings of such a large group; however, no suitable alternative for governance is obvious. Courses--Rather than eliminating specialized, advanced courses with low enrollment, the BPC has encouraged dual-listing with graduate versions of such courses and/or changes so that such courses are offered in alternate years. This has allowed persistence of several courses that otherwise might not be justified, with respect to enrollment. We also created additional courses in human anatomy and physiology to aid preparation of students headed to medical and human health professional schools. Also, the BPC has helped create courses in other departments directed toward Biology and life science majors. We proposed a one-semester physics course (Phys 115/115L) for the life sciences; this course was implemented by the Physics department and has been successfully taught for several semesters. We also proposed a biochemistry course (BBMB 316) that would emphasize biochemistry pertinent to our students with whole-organism and environmental interests, although in practice this course, taught by the Dept. of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology, has not met our expectations. Along with changes in courses, we altered our supporting course requirements to provide greater flexibility in the tracks available to students. Students now can take statistics in lieu of calculus, if desired. We reduced the total number of hours of chemistry required while also adding biochemistry as a requirement; students can now take several different chemistry tracks. With the implementation of Phys 115/L, students can now take either the one-semester course or the traditional two-semester sequence of physics.

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We reviewed the times (semesters and times of day) at which biology courses are offered, with the goal of discovering conflicts and roadblocks to student progress. A few changes were suggested, and the review also provided guidelines for times when new courses might best be offered. Several courses with integrated labs (Biol 457, 458, 459, taught jointly with the Dept. of Natural Resource Ecology & Management [NREM]) have recently been split into separate lab and lecture courses, since the laboratory portion of the courses were creating severe limits on enrollment in the courses. Students can now take the lecture only, if space in the laboratory part of the course is not available or the lab is not needed. We have tried to implement the same split for 365, but NREM has declined to proceed with that. We have revised the organization of Biol 490, 491, 494, 495, and 499, our “experiential” courses dealing with independent study, internships, seminars, and research experience. The research experience course was split from the independent study course, and guidelines and contract forms for all the courses and a method for better record keeping in the Student Services Office have been implemented in an effort to increase student participation in these opportunities. Areas of specialization--The BPC guided the faculty through the process of identifying areas of specialization in the major and then implemented these as advising aids. These areas of specialization are informal guidelines that students and advisors can use to guide student choices of courses in preparation for various future career paths. The Pre-Veterinary area and the Pre-Medical and Human Health Sciences area are intended to prepare students for veterinary/medical/professional school studies after ISU. The Molecular and Cellular Biology, Evolution and Biodiversity, and Ecology and Conservation Biology areas are designed to prepare students for graduate school in those areas or for related careers. The areas of specialization are meant to be informative guidelines, and they are not part of the formal degree system. Rather than making them formal “options” within the major, we wished to create them and evaluate interest in them before going through the administrative hurdles required to make them formal options. However, they do illustrate the breadth of opportunities within the Biology major, they have been utilized frequently by students and advisors as guides, and they have considerable utility in advertising the biology program. Core courses document—The Biology major has traditionally used a model of all students taking a “core” set of courses followed by student selection of a minimum number of credits from a list of approved courses from biology and other life science departments. In 1993, there was a major revision of the core sequence. A first-year, two-semester sequence of courses (211, 212) was created to replace an existing one-semester general biology course and one-semester courses in botany and in zoology. Additionally, in 1993 four other courses were designated to be part of the core sequence. Existing courses in Ecology (312), Genetics (313), and Biological Evolution (315) were largely incorporated into the core sequence in their then-existing forms, with a few tweaks in content. A new course in Molecular Cell Biology (314) was developed and added to the core. Since 1993, no document describing objectives of the core sequence or the relationship of the core courses to one another and to other, upper-division courses has existed. In 2013, we attempted to remedy this by creating a document that assembled the existing syllabi and objectives of each course, in their current form, in addition to a statement of objectives for the core as a whole. This document was the first written statement that allowed instructors of all biology courses to know what was presently being done in each core course. It also clarified the principle that the Biology Program, not the specific instructors of the courses, control the overall content and direction of courses in the core. While this document clarified what is presently done in the core courses, it did not take the next step of evaluating the content of the courses in any detail and ensuring appropriate coverage of topics—that issue is an ongoing challenge.

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On-going activities—The BPC is reviewing the overall array of courses offered in biology, looking for duplication and gaps. With increasing enrollment, efficient use of faculty instructional time is increasingly important, such that duplicate courses or courses of peripheral interest may need to be eliminated. Even so, there seem to be some areas or types of courses that may be lacking. For example, while we have Vertebrate Biology and Invertebrate Biology (and Microbiology) courses that serve as bridges between our introductory courses and upper-division, advanced courses, there is no such plant biology course. And, despite taking courses in math, statistics, physics, and chemistry, many of our students are weak in appropriate quantitative skills; a quantitative skills course incorporating elements from those disciplines as well as biology-specific techniques such genomic analysis, phylogenetic analysis, and ecological techniques is being proposed. The BPC is also exploring, with the CALS and LAS college curriculum committees, the concept of a uniform set of college-level general education requirements for all students majoring in biology. Currently, students are subject to the requirements of the college through which they were admitted to the major. Students in different colleges that take identical courses in biology have separate (but unequal) general education requirements. The result is that there is no clear image of what having a biology degree from ISU actually means, with respect to general background outside of biology. This situation also means that the registrar has to maintain dual sets of catalog entries, dual sets of degree audits, etc., and there is considerable confusion in prospective students and even among existing students and advisors as to degree requirements. While there would initially be some extra work involved in converting to a uniform set of requirements, we believe it is the logical, most efficient pathway over time. V. Curriculum Specific curriculum requirements of the Biology major are shown in Biology Appendix I. Students in the Biology major must satisfy general education requirements of the university and of their college (CALS or LAS). Within the major, all students must take the core sequence (22 credits) of Biol 211/L (Principles of Biology I), 212/L (Principles of Biology II), 312 (Ecology; includes lab), 313/L (Principles of Genetics), 314 (Molecular Cell Biology), and 315 (Biological Evolution). Students must take an additional 21 credits of advanced courses selected from an approved list, including at least two courses with laboratory or field components. Students may choose to follow suggestions for advanced courses from a designated area of specialization or may create a completely individualized program of study via appropriate selection of advanced courses. Supporting courses in math/statistics, chemistry, biochemistry, and physics are also required. At a minimum, 24 credits of supporting courses are required, although many students will take additional chemistry, depending on their long-term goals. Within each area, multiple tracks are available. For example, students may take two semesters of math, two of statistics, or one of each, to satisfy the math requirement. Similarly, some students take two semesters of general chemistry and two of organic chemistry, rather than one semester of each. Alternative courses for physics and biochemistry are also available. This approach allows students to tailor a program of study to specific interests, while still insuring a minimum level of competency in all areas. As part of the 21 credits of advanced courses, students are encouraged to take “experiential courses” such as Biol 490 (Independent Study), 491 (Undergraduate Teaching Experience), 494 (Biology Internship), Biol 495 (Undergraduate Seminar), Biol 499 (Undergraduate Research Experience), Biol 393 (North American Field Trips in Biology), and Biol 394 (International Field Trips in Biology). Although not a curricular requirement, students are also encouraged to participate in other activities such as the Biological Sciences Club, BEST learning community, Skunk River Navy, and other enrichment activities (see below).

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Undergraduate curriculum development is an on-going activity that involves the efforts of many of the faculty members in both GDCB and EEOB, as well as the BPC. For example, almost a decade ago, Biol 312 (Ecology) was among the first courses at ISU (and in the country) to implement a laboratory with exercises based completely on student inquiry methods. More recently, Biol 423L (Developmental Biology lab) has switched to an entirely student-research format. For the past four years ISU has been the recipient of an HHMI grant (recently renewed) that focuses on improving science education in introductory courses. Faculty associated with Biology 211/L and Biology 212/L have been directly involved in this effort. Notable accomplishments include development of faculty learning communities in both 211 and 212, incorporation of more active learning pedagogy with undergraduate learning assistants in 212, development of a newsletter focused on improving communication between Bio 211 sections and Bio 211L lab sections, and assessment of a revised approach to learning about biological diversity in Bio 211L. And, in numerous other biology courses, faculty members have implemented a variety of active learning and participatory techniques. One other trend of note is that the number of faculty providing laboratory research opportunities for students (usually in the form of Biol 499, Undergraduate Research Experience) has increased substantially over the years, and the number of students taking advantage of this type of experience has increased, both in absolute numbers and as a fraction of total majors. VI. Enrollment and course trends About 64% of students in the Biology major are female, in contrast to ISU’s overall 43% female enrollment (Fig. 4). The percentages of Biology majors from Iowa and from the US are similar to those of ISU overall, although Biology has relatively fewer international students (Fig. 4). Definitive data for minority students are not available, but experience suggests that biology reflects ISU’s overall trend of rather low minority student enrollment. These trends have been consistent over the last five years (data not shown), except that % females in Biology has risen from 60% in 2009 to 64% in 2014.

Figure 4. Demographic trends for students in the Biology major (Fall 2013).

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The number of students in the biology major (Fig. 5) has increased by 70% since 2004, when the administrative structure was reorganized. In the last 5 years, enrollment has increased by 38.5%. The major now includes 2.74% of the total ISU undergraduate enrollment and is among the 6-7 largest majors on campus.

Figure 5. Number of Biology majors in the fall semester. Enrollment in courses for non-life sciences majors offered by Biology is generally strong, with most of the sections offered filled or nearly so. Total enrollment is largely limited by the number of lecture sections offered. Examples for two of the largest courses, Biol 101 (Introductory Biology) and Biol 255 (Fundamentals of Human Anatomy), are shown in Figures 6 and 7. Biol 101 typically has 1000-1200 students per year (Fig. 6).

Figure 6. Enrollment in the Biol 101 “Introductory Biology” course for non-life science majors from fall 2009 through spring 2014.

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Biol 255 had 400-550 students per year, until another lecture section was added in Fall 2013, at which time enrollment increased (Fig. 7). Given current trends in ISU enrollment, it is likely that enrollment in these and other “nonmajors” courses will increase in the future if additional lecture sections are provided.

Figure 7. Enrollment in the Biol 255 “Introduction to Human Anatomy” course for non-life science majors from fall 2009 through spring 2014.

Biol 211/L and 212/L are courses designed for life science majors and Biology majors. These are the first courses in the Biology core course sequence. Enrollment in 211/L is somewhat greater than in 212/L, although general trends in enrollment over the last five years are similar. Enrollment in 211/L has increased by ~50% over the last five years (Figure 8). This has required expansion of lecture sections (in # and size) and expansion of number of lab sections, such that labs are offered from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The planned addition to Bessey Hall will eventually provide sufficient lab space to accommodate more reasonable hours, but providing sufficient instructors for labs is an ongoing challenge. Enrollment is likely to continue to increase, largely in proportion to ISU enrollment, since Biology majors account for only ~10% of enrollment in these courses.

Figure 8. Enrollment in Biol 211 and 211L “Principles of Biology I” course for life science majors and Biology majors from fall 2009 through spring 2014. Biology majors constitute about 1/10 of the enrollment.

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Enrollment in Biology core courses (312, 313, 314, 315) taken after Biol 211-212 is consistently strong and has been increasing. Biol 313 (Principles of Genetics) is the largest of these courses because it is required for students in several majors outside Biology. Enrollment in 313 has typically been 500-600 students in the last several years (Fig. 9). Enrollment is anticipated to increase roughly in proportion to overall ISU enrollment.

Figure 9. Enrollment in the Biol 313 “Principles of Genetics” course for life science majors from fall 2009 through spring 2014.

The other core courses have somewhat lower enrollment than Biol 313, since they are taken primarily by Biology majors. For example, Biol 315 (Biological Evolution) has had enrollment near 200 students per year, although this number increased appreciably in fall 2014 (Fig. 10). For these core courses, enrollment will increase as number of Biology majors increases (and, to a lesser extent, as overall ISU enrollment increases).

Figure 10. Enrollment in the Biol 315 “Biological Evolution” course for life science majors from fall 2009 through spring 2014.

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Total enrollment in Biol 300- and 400- level courses (not including the 312-315 core courses) has increased substantially (by 82%) over the last five years (Fig. 11). While this reflects growth in enrollment of Biology majors and of ISU overall, it also is due to increased number of Biology majors taking courses labeled Biol, rather than taking advanced courses in other departments. This is due both to more courses being offered in Biol and to an effort to expand the size of sections of Biol courses, so as to provide more opportunities to take specialized courses. We anticipate continued increase in overall enrollment, although growth is not likely to be quite as rapid as in the last few years.

Figure 11. Total enrollment in 300- and 400- level Biology courses (not including the 312-315 core courses) from fall 2009 through spring 2014.

In the last 5 years, the Biology Program has made a strong effort to increase the opportunities for students to take “experiential” courses outside the traditional course format. Biol 490 (Independent Study), Biol 491 (Undergraduate Teaching Experience), Biol 494 (Biology Internship), and Biol 499 (Research Experience) in total have had a very large (233%) increase in participation over the last five years (Fig.12). This type of experience is a valuable part a Biology Major’s educational development, and we hope to continue to increase participation. However, due to the individualized nature of these experiences, it will be an ongoing challenge to supply sufficient opportunities for students.

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Figure 12. Total enrollment in “experiential” Biology courses (490, 491, 494, and 499) from fall 2009 through spring 2014.

Some specialized, upper-level courses will continue to have relatively low enrollments (data not shown) simply because of their specialization; careful evaluation of which of these courses should continue to be taught, in view of other teaching responsibilities of the departments, is an ongoing need. Overall, however, enrollment is strong in most Biology courses and likely will continue to increase. Given a relatively fixed number of faculty available to teach courses, the Biology Program will continue to face challenges in providing sufficient staffing to meet the large, increasing demand for student seats in courses. VII. Student experiences The Biology Program offers several opportunities designed to enhance the “student experience” in biology. Biol 110 (Introduction to Biology, 1 cr), Biol 111 (Opportunities in Biology, 0.5 cr), and Biol 112 (Transfer Student Orientation, R cr) are required courses designed to introduce new students to opportunities at ISU and potential careers in biology. Additionally students are encouraged to participate in field trips, “experiential” courses, and other activities, as described below. “Voyage of the Biologists” Students who graduate from the Biology major enter in one of two ways: 1) directly from high school (with or without college credits) or 2) as transfer students (either from other institutions or from other majors within ISU). Based on exit surveys, approximately 50% of our graduates fall into each category, although students who transferred to Iowa State University from another institution make up only about 20% of our graduates. Since more than 700 students major in Biology, it is not possible to describe the path taken through the major by each of these students, but some generalizations can be made about direct-from-high school students and about transfer students. Direct-from-high school students—These students have their initial interactions with the program during summer orientation (typically in June). At that time the students (and their parents) begin to learn about the opportunities provided by the Biology Program and register for fall semester classes, including Biol

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110. At the beginning of fall semester, students have several opportunities to become engaged in the Biology major. Biol 110 introduces them to various opportunities (e.g., research, study abroad, etc.) and services (advising, Student Success Center, etc.) available to them. Biol 110 is also the integrating center for our learning community (Biology Education Success Teams [BEST]).

BEST began in 1995 as one of the first learning communities at Iowa State University and has been a leader in the nationally recognized ISU Learning Communities Program. The intent was to help students in a relatively large major (about 350-400 students at that time) get to know each other and persist as undergraduate students. Fall 2014 is the 20th consecutive year of the award-winning BEST learning community. The structure of the learning community has changed through the years, but the overall intent is the same as in 1995 – community and retention. The current structure of BEST is that all students entering from high school as Biology majors are automatically in BEST. This results in their being concurrently enrolled in Biol 110 and in the “majors” section of Biol 211, which provides further opportunities to get to know other students who are majoring in Biology and may have similar career interests. All the other learning community activities, though highly encouraged as part of Biol 110, are voluntary. As part of passing Biol 110, students are required to participate in four outside-of-class activities. Some of these are BEST-sponsored activities, e.g., a BEST social event or the Skunk River Navy (SRN). Other possibilities include attending Supplemental Instruction meetings or research seminars sponsored by the EEOB or GDCB departments. Another possibility is attending a Biological Sciences Club meeting. Our goal with all of these is to provide students with encouragement to get involved, in various ways, with their education in biology. BEST peer mentors, upper level students majoring in Biology, participate in Biol 110, help organize the social activities, and commonly participate in the SRN.

In the first portion of the fall semester, several social activities are sponsored by BEST. During

fall 2013, for example, these included a welcome picnic the evening before the start of classes, an evening game of “campus sardines”, a Sunday afternoon game of “capture the flag”, a pumpkin and pet rock painting activity, and a “scary” movie night. Students find these experiences to be important in acclimating to the Biology major as demonstrated by these student comments from the fall 2013 First Year Experience Survey:

“For being a first-year biology major, these socials are great gateways to meeting other biology majors, peer mentors, graduate students, and professors.” “It was really great to see the professor and peer mentors in an "out of the classroom" environment. It made them more personable and easier to talk to. I learned more about them.” “The peer mentors and the professor make me feel like I am back home with my thirty-six kids in my graduating class. I feel at home and like they care about how I am doing and what I am doing. “ “As the activity progressed, my goals were met. I met several new people that were in my group and we talked about where we lived, where we were from and what we wanted to do with our majors.”

BEST also provides Biology majors with a long-running “service-learning” opportunity, the

Skunk River Navy (SRN). The SRN focuses on biological monitoring (of benthic macro-invertebrates) – a direct connection with the biodiversity theme of Biol 211 - and trash pick-up in local streams. Volunteering with the SRN requires the commitment of an entire Saturday of hard work in wet, muddy, and hot (or cold) conditions. Over the past 16 years (1998-2013) approximately 2,000 student volunteers

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have removed ~71 tons of trash from about 30 miles of local streams. In Biol 110 students have the opportunity to volunteer to participate in the SRN. Exit surveys given to graduates in 2013 and 2014 indicate that 44% of our graduates participated in the SRN during their undergraduate program. Based on student comments, the SRN is a very memorable and impactful experience:

“There is A LOT of huge, heavy, weird trash in the river. I learned that when people team up like we did, a lot gets done, and it helps a lot more than we think.” “I learned that even in Iowa there's a lot of diversity. I didn't expect that much in the middle of nowhere.” “I learned that biology can be fun and that I have so much more in common than just biology with biology majors. I met so many great people and learned that biology can be accomplished anywhere.” “Now when the professor says this organism is aquatic we can connect in our minds that we just need to flip over a rock in the Skunk River to find one. It made Biology more real.”

After their first semester, students continue into Biol 212 and 212L and also take Biol 111 to help them begin to think more deeply about their career goals. After completing the Principles of Biology courses, these students begin taking the upper-level core courses (Biology 312, 313/L, 314, and 315). Students can take these upper-level core courses in any order (i.e., none is a prerequisite for any others), allowing students to move from upper-level core courses to advanced courses in biology in their area of interest more quickly. This approach supports the overall theme of the Biology curriculum: “breadth with flexibility”. Beyond the core these students choose at least 21 credits, based on their interests, from over 150 courses in Biology, EEOB, GDCB, and 15 other programs, allowing students to tailor their programs of study to their interests and career aspirations. These advanced course credits can include a range of experiential learning courses, e.g., research experiences, internship experiences, study abroad, and/or biology field trip courses. Exit survey data from 2013 and 2014 indicate that about 44% of our graduates have had a research experience, about 25% have completed an internship, about 35% have served as an undergraduate teaching assistant, about 49% of our graduates have had a study abroad or National Student Exchange experience, and about 21% of our graduates have had a biology field trip course experience (Biology 393 or 394). Though not tracked in our exit survey, some students participate in several of these experiential learning opportunities.

After a student’s first semester the Biological Sciences Club (BSC) becomes the best way for students to remain engaged with the Biology Program. The club meets every other Wednesday evening during the academic year. Attendance at BSC meetings is commonly between 50 and 100 students, most of whom are Biology majors. Exit survey data indicate that 43% of our graduates participate in BSC during their career. The meetings typically consist of EEOB or GDCB faculty members describing aspects of their research programs--and include pizza. This provides BSC members with an improved opportunity to get to know members of the Biology faculty in an informal setting. BSC also provides other opportunities such as field trips and information about research and internship opportunities. Typically, there are one or two weekend day field trips each semester; they include activities such as travel to a local zoo, removal of woody plants in a wetland reconstruction project, a canoe trip down a local river, and the long-running tradition of the “winter weenie roast and hike” typically held in late January or early February. In addition, BSC provides numerous personal and professional development opportunities for students. Each semester there are 12 to 15 students serving as either elected officers (e.g., President, Treasurer, Secretary) or appointed officers (e.g., Social Committee, Recycling

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Committee, etc.). BSC can provide an important sense of community as evidenced by these comments from first year students:

“It was really cool to see the huge turnout and all of the people coming together in their passion for biology… What I learned tonight is that the best place to see a species or to learn about a species, isn't in a textbook or on the T.V. The real place to learn is out there, in the wild where they actually live. I'll admit that at first I wasn't sure if I would stick with biology as a major but now I am excited as I ever have been to learn what lives in the world around me.” “I didnt (sic) really know what to expect going into the meeting, but what i (sic) saw was awesome. I saw a whole group of people who are really passionate about Biology and the Sciences. It's great to be surrounded by a lot of people who are interested in the exact same thing as me. I really want to continue to make as many meetings as possible for the free food AND to learn more about this wonderful subject.” “I did not expect so many people to show up. There weren't even any seats left when I got there, crazy. I was also suprised (sic) by how many people asked questions. Sometimes when you go to seminars or meetings like this everyone just sits there.”

Transfer students--In comparison to direct-from-high school students, transfer students are a much more heterogeneous group. Some of these students are joining the Biology Program from other institutions (e.g., a community college), whereas others are transferring from various other majors at ISU. Some of the transfer students already have credit in Biol 211/L and Biol 212/L, while others do not. None of the transfer students participates in Biol 110 or BEST. Because these students miss out on information and engagement opportunities provided by Biol 110 and BEST, and because they frequently have less time with us prior to their graduation, we provide Biol 112 (Transfer Student Orientation), a four-week-long course designed to help transfer students become aware of the many opportunities available to them as Biology majors. The transfer students are invited to participate in some of the BEST activities, e.g., the new student welcome picnic and the SRN. The Bio 112 class is scheduled in the same room as, and immediately before, BSC meetings, making it easy for transfer students to experience a BSC meeting and decide whether that is something they would find valuable during their ISU Biology experience. Comments from student course evaluations of Bio 112 indicate that transfer students find this experience to be of value:

“I liked how it was required for Biology transfer students. If it wasn't I wouldn't have learned how to get involved in the Biology program and also what types of groups/clubs/activities were offered.” “It helped me discover all the opportunities available at isu (sic) for biology. Without it I would feel lost.” “What I liked most about this course is that it showed me many of the things that the college has to offer me as I move through my major. Many of the things that we introduced in the class I am doing now and may not have known about them without it.”

Transfer students also take Biol 111 (Opportunities in Biology), either concurrently or after Biology 112, to aid them in refining their career goals. The path through the Biology curriculum is less predictable for transfer students, though many take at least some of the upper-level core courses and most experience the flexibility provided by the wide range of advanced biology courses and experiential learning opportunities.

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VIII. Outcomes From 2009 to 2012, an average of 118 students graduated from the Biology Major each academic year. In the 2013-14 academic year, 135 students graduated. Given the rapid increase in Biology major enrollment between 2011 and 2013, we expect the number of graduates per year to increase in the near future. Based on exit surveys from 2013 and 2014, 46% of our graduates “strongly agree” and 48% of our graduates “agree” (total = 94%) that: “The opportunities available in the Biology major allowed me to greatly increase my understanding of biology”. Clearly, these self-reported data are quite encouraging, but quantitative measurements of how much students have actually learned about biology in the interval between matriculation and graduation are very difficult to attain. Consequently, we have focused our attention on the “outcome” of what students are able to do next, upon graduating from the Biology major. Based on career placement data from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 535 students graduated with a B.S. in Biology during the 2009-2013 time frame. Of these, 430 students provided information on what they were doing post-graduation. A summary of these data is presented in Table 1. Table 1. Career directions of biology graduates within six months of graduation, based on 430 responses

from 535 graduates from 2009 to 2013. % of total Medical school 6.1 Allied health schools 14.0 26.8 in health sciences school Veterinary school 6.7 Graduate school in biology 19.3 In school for another degree 5.5 28.5 in graduate or other school In school for teaching certification 3.7 Teaching, counseling, etc. 2.3 Employment related to biology 32.6 44.7 employed with B.S. Employment not related to biology 9.8 These data show that the breadth and flexibility of the Biology major is well suited to the diversity of interests and career directions of our students. Careers in human health, for example, are pursued by only about 20% of our graduates, while this is often a majority fraction of students in biology majors at other institutions. Although only about 6% of our graduates attend medical school (at least within 6 months of graduation), it is worth noting that, for all ISU graduates entering medical school during fall 2013, the largest number (7) were graduates from the Biology major. The percent of Biology applicants admitted to medical school (58%; 7/12) exceeded the national average (~ 45%) and the ISU average (42%). It also exceeded all other majors at Iowa State University with graduates applying to medical school, with the exception of one major (Music) in which a total of two students applied and both were accepted. Finally, the largest single category of our graduates (~ 33%) is those students who have found employment at the B.S. level within the broad area of biology. It is encouraging to see that our graduates are being successful at finding such employment within a short time after graduation.

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IX. Vision for the future

Improvements in our understanding of biology are essential to advances in human and other animal health, agriculture, and protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services as human society moves forward into an uncertain future. We expect, therefore, that the Biology major will continue to be among the largest majors on campus and the primary undergraduate education effort of the EEOB and GDCB departments. Maintaining and improving the current quality of the Biology major will require on-going attention to a number of issues. Enrollment—ISU’s undergraduate enrollment is likely to increase by another 5000 students over the next 5 years. At a minimum, we should strive to maintain our present fraction (759/27659 = 2.74 %) of the total university undergraduate enrollment, which would result in an additional 130 biology majors. Given that enrollment of freshmen in biology has recently increased faster than university enrollment of freshmen has increased (e.g., in fall 2013 University enrollment increased by 7%, while Biology enrollment increased by 14%), an increase of 150 to 175 students over the next 5 years seems probable. Furthermore, since we of course believe that biology should be the first choice of any student interested in the life sciences, improved marketing of the program and improved retention of existing students in the major could perhaps lead to an increase of 250-300 students (when combined with overall enrollment effects). Thus, it would not be unrealistic to set a goal of 1000 students in the major 5 years from now. The question arises as to whether that number of students can be accommodated, assuming modest changes in number of faculty, space available, and total resources. The building addition planned for Bessey Hall presumably would provide sufficient space. Our upper-division courses generally can handle more students, although faculty will in some cases have to alter their pedagogy to accommodate larger class sizes. Our core courses will perhaps face the greatest challenges, in accommodating a possible ~40% increase in biology majors. Additional instructors and teaching assistants will be required, but presumably would be available in proportion to increases in enrollment. Assuming little change in total number of biology faculty and a relatively fixed number of advisees handled by the Student Services Office staff, the number of advisees per faculty advisor would need to be approximately doubled. This is feasible, but will require some reallocation of faculty time and effort. Curriculum—We will continue to serve our three major groups of students (“non-life science majors”, students in other life science majors, and biology majors. The first two groups provide the vast majority of credit hours taught and thus are very important in terms of acquiring resources, but beyond that, improvement in the quality of instruction and education for them should be a major goal. While our present program for them is not necessarily deficient, it should be reviewed. In particular, the experience of students in non-life sciences majors courses should be considered from the perspective of whether a single course is appropriately preparing them be a “well-informed member of the general public” with respect to biological issues. With respect to biology majors, the overall goal of the biology major to provide breadth of biological perspective while also being flexible and highly adaptable to interests of individual students will be maintained. However, it has been two decades since the present core course sequence was assembled, partly de novo and partly from existing courses. A comprehensive evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the core sequence and possible restructuring of it should be undertaken in the near future. The array of advanced biology courses should continue to be evaluated and possibly restructured to ensure that critical needs are met, in addition to reflecting interests of the faculty. The student experience—We will continue to enhance the “student experience” of biology majors by providing more avenues for participation and personal growth outside the traditional classroom. This will include club activities, field trips, and greater participation in our “experiential” courses (490, 491, 494, 499—independent study, undergraduate teaching assistant, biology internship, undergraduate research). Greater involvement of faculty in providing such opportunities will be key to success. For example, we

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likely should offer four or five sections of Biol 495 (Undergraduate seminar) each semester, for each Biology major to take it just once. On average, this means each Biology Faculty member needs to teach the course once every 6-7 years—certainly not an onerous commitment, but one that has not yet been achieved. Outcomes—Better, more complete information on what students with a degree in biology do after graduation is needed. While the Student Services Office can devote a bit more effort to this, it is largely beyond our present capabilities to keep track of graduates, and a coordinated effort with university/college-level offices more specifically devoted to this task is needed. Faculty involvement—There are many EEOB and GDCB faculty dedicated to teaching undergraduates. However, there are many competing demands for faculty members’ time and effort, and the existing rewards structure of the university system makes it difficult for them to emphasize undergraduate education. We will continue to clarify pathways and mechanisms for greater faculty involvement, in the hope that making faculty more aware of opportunities and needs for the program will lead to greater participation.

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Approved: October 2013

Biology Appendix A Biology Degree Requirements 2013-14 Iowa State University Catalog

www.biology.iastate.edu Information in this document is subject to change. See your advisor or the Student Services Office (103 Bessey) for the most current version.

• Biology majors are required to complete 120 credits to graduate. • A minimum of 32 ISU credits is required to graduate from ISU. • The final 32 credits must be taken at ISU or approved by the college. • Students must have a 2.0 minimum GPA to graduate and be in good standing at the university. • Students are ultimately responsible for all issues concerning the satisfactory completion of degree requirements. • Courses taken at other institutions may be equivalent to ISU courses or may be substituted to fulfill requirements. • Many professions require specific courses; investigate specific schools of interest for admission requirements. • Students are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities available in undergraduate research, internships,

field trip courses, seminars, summer field study, and study abroad. University Requirements: ENGL 150 *Minimum grade of C 3 credits ENGL 250 *Minimum grade of C 3 credits LIB 160 1 credits U.S. Diversity 3 credits International Perspective 3 credits

International Perspective and US Diversity courses may also apply to Arts & Humanities or Social Science requirements. Lists are available at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~registrar/courses/div-ip-guide.html College Requirements: Students may major in Biology through the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences or the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences.The LAS College also requires 45 credits of 300+ level course work from a 4 year college. LAS requirement AgLS requirement Foreign Language 4-8 cr or 3 years H.S. --- Communication *Minimum grade of C ENGL 302-316 or SP CM 212 SP CM 212 Math *Met by Biology Requirements Math and/or Statistics Math and Statistics Science *Met by Biology Requirements Natural Sciences Biological and Physical Sciences Arts and Humanities 12 credits 3 credits Social Sciences 9 credits 3 credits Ethics --- 3 credits

Biology Major Requirements: Students must have a minimum 2.0 GPA in the major (Biology Core + Biology Advanced Coursework) with all grades C- or above. Transfer students (both from other universities and from other majors at ISU) are required to complete Biol 112 and Biol 111. New freshmen students are required to complete Biol 110 and Biol 111. A typical 4 year plan is available on the Biology Program web site. Biology Core: BIOL 110 (or 112 R cr for transfers) Introduction to the Biology Major 1 credit (Rcr) BIOL 111 Opportunities in Biology .5 credit BIOL 211 and 211L Principles of Biology I 4 credits BIOL 212 and 212L Principles of Biology II 4 credits BIOL 312 Ecology 4 credits BIOL 313 and 313L Principles of Genetics 4 credits BIOL 314 Principles of Molecular Cell Biology 3 credits BIOL 315 Biological Evolution 3 credits

Biology Advanced Coursework: Select 21 credits worth of coursework from approved list. (see below) Students must also complete a minimum of 9 credits in BIOL and have credit for 2 laboratory experiences in BIOL to fulfill the advanced area requirement.

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Approved: October 2013

Biology Supporting Requirements: Chemistry Two possible sequences: General Chemistry Organic Chemistry Biochemistry -Minimum: 12 credits CHEM 163 and 163L CHEM 231 and 231L BBMB 316 - Pre-Prof/grad school: 20 credits [Chem 332&L not required for biology]

CHEM 177 and 177L; CHEM 178 and 178L

CHEM 331 and 331L [CHEM 332 and 332L]

BBMB 316 (or 404 or 420)

The minimum course requirement for Biology is one semester of general chemistry and lab, one semester of organic chemistry and lab and one semester of biochemistry. Several sub-disciplinary areas of biology can be met with the minimum; however, certain career paths may suggest or require more than the minimum. Consult an advisor for information. Physics 5-10 cr

-General Physics I and II (Algebra-based): PHYS 111 &112

Or Physics for Life Sciences: PHYS 115X & 115L

One semester of physics is required for biology. Some career paths may require a year of physics or specific physics course requirements. Math/Statistics

Four possible sequences: Calculus Statistics -Typical for LAS, Required of AgLS MATH 160 or 165 or 181 and STAT 101 or 104 -General Calculus only: 8 credits (LAS) MATH 165 and 166 --- -Calculus for the Life Sciences only: 8 credits (LAS) MATH 181 and 182 --- -Statistics only: 7-8 credits (LAS) --- STAT 101 or 104 and 301

Students in AgLS are required to have a math course and a statistics course. This can be accomplished in several ways; however, the Biology math/stat requirements are one calculus course and one statistics course, or a year of calculus, or a year of statistics. If two semesters of statistics are completed, an AgLS student may take any acceptable math course as outlined by the AgLS College; see Biology Office for details.

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Approved: October 2013

Approved Biology Advanced Course Lists: Semester offerings change; for specific semesters check the Schedule of Classes: http://classes.iastate.edu/ Check 103 Bessey for most recent list. *Students may apply a maximum of 7 credits of the following: BIOL 480, 481, 490 (2 cr max), 491(2 cr max), 494, and 499 toward advanced biology requirements. Advanced course lists developed for specialty areas (Pre-Medical and Human Health Sciences, Pre-Veterinary, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Ecology and Conservation Biology, and Evolution and Biodiversity) are available online (http://www.biology.iastate.edu/biolspecializations.html) or in 103 Bessey. BIOL Courses (including EEOB and GDCB Courses open to undergraduates by prerequisite or permission) -minimum of 9 credits to be selected including 2 laboratory courses denoted by ♦ - Some EEOB and GDCB courses may also meet lab requirements

BIOL 306 Metabolic Physiology of Mammals 3 cr BIOL 328 Cell Physiology of Human Disease 3 cr BIOL 330 Plant Physiology 3 cr BIOL 330L ♦ Plant Physiology Laboratory 1 cr BIOL 335 ♦ Princ. of Human & Other Animal Phys. 4 cr BIOL 336 Ecological & Evolutionary Animal Phys. 3 cr BIOL 349X The Genome Perspective in Biology 2 cr BIOL 350 Comprehensive Human Anatomy 3 cr BIOL 351 ♦ Comparative Chordate Anatomy 5 cr BIOL 352 ♦ Vertebrate Histology 4 cr BIOL 353 ♦ Introductory Parasitology 4 cr BIOL 354 Animal Behavior 3 cr BIOL 354L ♦ Laboratory in Animal Behavior 1 cr BIOL 355 Plants and People 3 cr BIOL 356 ♦ Dendrology 4 cr BIOL 364 Invertebrate Biology 3-4 cr BIOL 365 ♦ Vertebrate Biology 4 cr BIOL 366 ♦ Plant Systematics 4 cr BIOL 370X ♦ GIS for Ecology and Environmental Sci. 1-6 cr BIOL 371 ♦ Ecological Methods 3 cr BIOL 381 ♦ Environmental Systems I 3 cr BIOL 382 ♦ Environmental Systems II 3 cr BIOL 393 ♦ North American Field Trips in Biology 1-4 cr BIOL 394 ♦ International Field Trips in Biology 1-4 cr BIOL 402X Introduction to Pathology 3 cr BIOL 423 Developmental Biology 3 cr BIOL 423L ♦ Developmental Biology Laboratory 1 cr BIOL 428 Topics in Cell Biology 3 cr BIOL 434 Endocrinology 3 cr BIOL 436 Neurobiology 3 cr BIOL 444 Introduction to Bioinformatics 4 cr BIOL 451X ♦ Plant Evolution and Phylogeny 4 cr

BIOL 454 ♦ Plant Anatomy 4 cr BIOL 455 ♦ Bryophyte and Lichen Biodiversity 3 cr BIOL 456 ♦ Principles of Mycology 3 cr BIOL 457 Herpetology 2 cr BIOL 457L ♦ Herpetology Laboratory 1 cr BIOL 458 Ornithology 2 cr BIOL 458L ♦ Ornithology Laboratory 1 cr BIOL 459 Mammology 2 cr BIOL 459L ♦ Mammalogy Laboratory 1 cr BIOL 462 Evolutionary Genetics 3 cr BIOL 465 ♦ Morphometric Analysis 4 cr BIOL 471 Introduction to Conservation Biology 3 cr BIOL 472 ♦ Community Ecology 3 cr BIOL 474 Plant Ecology 3 cr BIOL 476 Functional Ecology 3 cr BIOL 480 ♦ Studies in Marine Biology 1-8 cr BIOL 481 ♦ Summer Field Studies 1-8 cr BIOL 482 ♦ Tropical Biology 1-4 cr BIOL 484 Ecosystem Ecology 3 cr BIOL 486 Aquatic Ecology 3 cr BIOL 486L ♦ Aquatic Ecology Lab 1 cr BIOL 487 Microbial Ecology 3 cr BIOL 488 ♦ Identification of Aquatic Organisms 1 cr BIOL 489 ♦ Population Ecology 3 cr BIOL 490 ♦ Independent Study 1 cr BIOL 491 ♦ Laboratory Teaching Experience 1 cr BIOL 494 ♦ Biology Internship 1-2 cr BIOL 495 Undergraduate Seminar (various topics) 1-3 cr BIOL 498 Cooperative Education R cr BIOL 499 Undergraduate Research Experience 1-6 cr

EEOB and GDCB Courses open to undergraduates by prerequisite or permission (will count toward minimum 9 credits of BIOL) EEOB 507 Advanced Animal Behavior 3 cr EEOB 514 Evolutionary Ecology 3 cr EEOB 531 Conservation Biology 3 cr EEOB 534 General & Compar. Endocrinology Var. EEOB 535 Restoration Ecology 3 cr EEOB 537 Plant Stress Biology 3 cr EEOB 539 Environmental Physiology Var. EEOB 542 Intro to Molec Biol Techniques 1 cr EEOB 551 Plant Evolution and Phylogeny 4 cr EEOB 553 Agrostology 3 cr EEOB 555 Bryophyte and Lichen Biodiversity 3 cr EEOB 557 Herpetology 3 cr EEOB 558 Ornithology 3 cr EEOB 559 Mammalogy 3 cr EEOB 560 Resource Ecology 3 cr EEOB 561 Plant Diversity and Evolution 4 cr EEOB 562 Evolutionary Genetics 3 cr EEOB 563 Molecular Phylogenetics 3 cr EEOB 564 Wetland Ecology 3 cr EEOB 564I Wetland Ecology 4 cr EEOB 565 Morphometric Analysis 4 cr EEOB 566 Molecular Evolution 3 cr EEOB 567 Empirical Population Genetics 3 cr EEOB 568 Advanced Systematics 3 cr EEOB 569 Biogeography 3 cr EEOB 570 Landscape Ecology 3 cr EEOB 573 Techniques for Biology Teaching Var. EEOB 575 Field Mycology 4 cr EEOB 575I Field Mycology 4 cr EEOB 576 Functional Ecology 3 cr EEOB 580I Ecology and Systematics of Diatoms 4 cr EEOB 581 Environmental Systems : Intro to 4 cr

EEOB 584 Ecosystem Ecology 3 cr EEOB 585 Advanced Community Ecology 3 cr EEOB 586 Aquatic Ecology 3 cr EEOB 586L Aquatic Ecology Lab 1 cr EEOB 587 Microbial Ecology 3 cr EEOB 589 Population Ecology 3 cr EEOB 590 Special Topics Var. EEOB 596 Ecology and Society 3 cr EEOB 599 Creative Component Var. GDCB 508 Biotech in Ag, Food, & Human Health 3 cr GDCB 510 Transmission Genetics 3 cr GDCB 511 Molecular Genetics 3 cr GDCB 512 Plant Growth and Development 2 cr GDCB 513 Plant Metabolism 2 cr GDCB 520 Genetic Engineering 3 cr GDCB 528 Cellular Growth and Regulation 3 cr GDCB 529 Plant Cell Biology 2 cr GDCB 533 Principles of Developmental Biology 3 cr GDCB 536 Statistics for Population Genetics 3 cr GDCB 537 Statistics for Molecular Genetics 3 cr GDCB 538 Computational Genomics & Evolution 3 cr GDCB 539 Statist. Methods Computational Bio 3 cr GDCB 542 Intro to Molecular Biol Techniques 1 cr GDCB 544 Intro to Bioinformatics 4 cr GDCB 545 Plant Molecular Biology 3 cr GDCB 556 Cell, Molec, & Develop Neuroscience Var. GDCB 557 Advance Neuroscience Techniques 2 cr GDCB 568 Bioinformatics II 3 cr GDCB 570 Bioinformatics IV 3 cr GDCB 590 Special Topics Var. GDCB 596 Genomic Data Processing 3 cr

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Approved: October 2013

Approved Advanced LIFE SCIENCE Courses from other ISU Departments (courses may have pre-requisites not included in the list and that do not meet advanced course requirements)

Agronomy AGRON 317 Principles of Weed Science 3 cr AGRON 354 Soils and Plant Growth 3 cr AGRON 354L Soils and Plant Growth Lab 1 cr AGRON 417 Evolutionary Ecology of Weeds 3 cr AGRON 421 Introduction to Plant Breeding 3 cr AGRON 485 Soil Microbiology Ecology 3 cr Animal Science AN S 319 Animal Nutrition 3 cr AN S 331 Domestic Animal Reproduction 3 cr AN S 332 Lab Methods in Animal Reproduction 2 cr AN S 333 Embryo Transfer and Related Technology 2 cr AN S 334 Embryo Transfer Laboratory 1 cr AN S 337 Lactation 2 cr AN S 345 Growth & Devel. of Domestic Animals 3 cr AN S 352 Genetic Improvement of Domestic Animals 3 cr AN S 419 Advanced Animal Nutrition 2 cr

Anthropology ANTHR 307 Biological Anthropology 3 cr ANTHR 319 Skeletal Biology 3 cr ANTHR 350 Primate Behavior 3 cr ANTHR 424 Forensic Anthropology 3 cr ANTHR 438 Primate Evolutionary Ecology and Behavior 3 cr Biochemistry BBMB 403 Microbial Biochemistry and Biotechnology 3 cr BBMB 405 Biochemistry II 3 cr BBMB 411 Techniques in Biochemical Research 3 cr BBMB 420 Physiological Chemistry 3 cr BBMB 430 Procaryotic Diversity and Ecology 3 cr BBMB 440 Microbial Phys., Diversity, & Genetics Lab 3 cr BBMB 451 Physical Biochemistry 2 cr Biomedical Studies B M S 329 Anatomy & Physiology of Domestic Animals 3 cr B M S 401 Intro Aquatic Animal Health & Medicine 1 cr B M S 415 Anatomy of Laboratory Animals 2 cr B M S 416 Avian Anatomy 2 cr Community and Regional Planning C R P 451 Intro to GIS 3 cr Entomology ENT 370 Insect Biology 3 cr ENT 374 Insects and Our Health 3 cr ENT 410 Insect-Virus Interactions 3 cr ENT 425 Aquatic Insects 3 cr ENT 471 Insect Ecology 3 cr ENT 478

Molecular Biology of Protozoa 3 cr

Food Science and Human Nutrition FS HN 360 Adv. Human Nutrition and Metabolism 4 cr FS HN 361 Nutrition and Health Assessment 3 cr FS HN 364 Nutrition and Prevention of Chronic Disease 3 cr FS HN 461 Medical Nutrition and Disease I 3 cr FS HN 464 Medical Nutrition and Disease II 3 cr 3 cr Horticulture 2 cr HORT 321 Horticulture Physiology 3 cr HORT 322 Plant Propagation 3 cr Genetics GEN 340 Human Genetics 3 cr GEN 409 Molecular Genetics 3 cr GEN 410 Analytical Genetics 3 cr Kinesiology KIN 355 Biomechanics 3 cr 1 cr Microbiology 4 cr MICRO 302 Biology of Microorganisms 3 cr MICRO 302L Microbiology Lab 1 cr MICRO 310 Medical Microbiology 3 cr MICRO 310L Medical Microbiology Lab 1 cr MICRO 320 Microbial Physiology and Genetics 3 cr MICRO 402 Microbial Genetics 3 cr MICRO 408 Virology 3 cr MICRO 410 Insect-Virus Interactions…. 3 cr MICRO 475 Immunology 3 cr 3 cr Natural Resources and Ecology Management 3 cr NREM 301 Forest Ecology and Soils 4 cr NREM 345 Nat. Resource Photogrametry & GIS 3 cr NREM 390 Fire Ecology and Management 3 cr NREM 407 Watershed Management 3 cr NREM 446 Integrating GPS & GIS for Nat. Res. Mgmnt. 3 cr A ECL 321 Fish Biology 3 cr A ECL 366 Natural History of Iowa Vertebrates 3 cr A ECL 418 Stream Ecology 3 cr A ECL 454 Principles of Wildlife Disease 3 cr A ECL 442 Aquaculture 3 cr FOR 302 Silviculture 3 cr Plant Pathology PL P 408 Principles of Plant Pathology 3 cr PL P 416 Forest Insect & Disease Management 3 cr PL P 477 Bacteria-Plant Interactions 3 cr 3 cr Psychology 3 cr PSYCH 310 Brain and Behavior 3 cr PSYCH 315 Drugs and Behavior 3 cr

Iowa Lakeside Laboratory -Courses are taught Summer Sessions only at the Lakeside Facility in Milford, IA. Please check for available courses on the Lakeside Lab web page and consult your advisor for those that apply to the degree program.