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$To

MEMORANDUM

..................ENATE 

Subject.. , 

?

COURSE PROPOSAL —BISC31O-3 

MOTION: ? 

"That Senate approve, and recommend approval to 

the Board of Governors, as set forth in S.75-47, 

the new course proposal for BISC 310-3 - Plants 

and Animals of British Columbia, with waiver of 

the normal time lag requirement to permit 

offering in the Summer 75-2." 

$

From SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE 

sTtm.ES 

Date.. FEBRUARY 12, 1.9117.5 

a

SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

S.75-47

MEMORANDUM

On the recommendation of the Faculty of Science, the Senate 

Committee on Undergraduate Studies approved, as set forth in SCUS 75-13, 

the new course proposal for BISC 310-3 - Plants and Animals of British 

Columbia, and recommends approval to Senate. 

44,44

I. Mugridge                               

.

SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

J"C

4J'

7f-/d

MEMORANDUM

Senate 

........................... 

Undergraduate Studies 

Subject

.................

NEW .....COURSE .PROPOSAL 

From

......................................................S,,,,.

.................. # ..........

Dean of Science 

Date

ry

,,,l,975

The attached course proposal, BISC 310-3, "Plants and Animals 

of British Columbia", has been approved by the Faculty of 

Science. It is now submitted to SCUS for consideration. 

It should be noted that, pending approval by SCUS, the Faculty 

of Science requests a waiver of the time lag requirement 

in order that BISC 310-3 may be offered for the first time' 

in 75-2. 

/pel 

End. 

.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES 

NEW COURSE PROPOSAL FORM 

.

?

1. Calendar Information 

?

Department: Biological 

_Sciences 

Abbreviation Code:BISC 

?

Course Number: 310 

?

Credit Hours:3 

?

Vector:3-0-4 

?

Title of Course: The Plants and Animals of British Columbia. 

Calendar Description of Course: "An introduction to the Plants and animals of British 

Columbia with emphasis on their ecology, distribution, and general characteristics. Tb 

course will include consideration of trees, flowering plants, mammals, birds, and some 

of the more common non-vascular plants (mushrooms, algae and mosses). These organisms 

will be examined as they are found in the various biotic regions of the province of 

British Columbia. This course is intended for persons who have limited previous formal 

Nature 

See attached 

of Course 

rationale 

?

statement. 

preparation in Biology.? 

Prerequisites (or special instructions): 

At least 5th semester standing in Biological Sciences, or consent of the instructor. 

What course (courses), if any, is being dropped from the calendar if 

this course is 

approved: 

None, no similar course now exists. 

2.

Scheduling ? 

This course will normally be offered once a 

How frequently will the 

course be 

offered? year, preferably during the summer semester 

although it cQul b offered injth inte.rsesS 

Lofl 

@r and summer sessional programmes. 

Semester in 

wricn

tne course viii irst 

oe oiLereu. 

Wh&t?yot?rSresent faculty would be available to make the proposed 

offering 

possible? There are several faculty members who could contribute to such a course 

offering. They include Dr. Milton McClaren, Dr. R.C. Brooke, Dr. L.D. Druehl and Dr. 

..

3.

Ij4. ? 

ei ? ar. We would, however, visualize making full use of the 

numerous resource people available in the community in 

offering a course of this type. (See also attached 

See attached rationale, ? 

rationale.) 

4.

Budgetary and Space Requirements (for 

information only) 

What additional resources will be required in the following areas: 

Faculty Present faculty are adequate although we would want to appoint some visiting 

acu ? 

faculty on a short-term basis, e.g., as lecturers in Continuing Education, or 

Staff 

?

on a Special Lecture basis. 

A teaching assistant or field assistant would be required. 

Library Library requirements are not extenáive although we would want to bolster our 

present collection in terms of field identification texts. 

Audio Visual 

None of special type. 

Space ? 

This course will be taught in a highly field work oriented manner, but will 

use a general teaching laboratory for any on campus laboratory sessions. 

Equipment 

We will need to expand our teaching collection in terms of plant and animal 

identification specimens. Offering of the course in the summer semester will offset 

5.

Approval 

this lack, until we can develop a larger collection, or can arrange to co-. 

operate with UBC where there is now a large teaching collection. 

Date: 

Q Lt 

-7/1 

?

c/F/pr

Department Chairm. 

?

Deaxy'/ ? 

Chairman, SCUS 

SCUS 73-34b:- 

(When completing

this form, for instructions see Memorandum 

SCUS 73-34a.

Attach course outline). 

.:

.-I

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 310-3 

THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF BRTISH COLUMB 

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

There is a growing desire on the par, of many stidents and members

of the general community to know more aboit the varips major lifp forms

which occur in British Columbia. The formal curriculun in the Biplogical

Sciences meets this need only in part. At no point i,p the student

presented with an integrated, systematic xamination pf the biota of

British Columbia. In some cases, this deire is related to their chosen

profession or occupation: the elementary chool teachr, the recreation

worker, the landscape architect, the summer camp direptor, and so on,

may all have very definite uses for increased knowledge of the local

natural history. In other cases, the de4re for incrased knowledge may

be totally avocational, but still perfect4y serious ad legitimate.

In the structure of the undergraduate curriculum in Biological Science

at Simon Fraser we have no vehicle to meet the needs pf such people, in

terms of our credit course offerings.

i le

this neep might be partially

met via the use of Non-Credit courses, and while this avenue should also

be exploited, there are students in the above categories who require a

credit course in order to obtain full recognition for their educational

endeavour. None of our present upper division Organism or Ecology courses

are designed to meet this need, and they are not easily adapted to meet

this type of need, even if this were academically desirable.

The present proposal develops a course entitled: "The Plants and

Animals of British Columbia.". It is a course designed for students with

a demonstrated background in biology, which may be either formal or in-

formal. It is intended to review the major life forms of the province in

terms of conspicuous coniferous and non-coniferous trees, flowers, mammals,

non-vascular plants, and birds. It could also touch lightly upon common

reptiles and amphibians, as well as fresh water fish, inasmuch as these

latter are not numerous, in terms of numbers of species. In this way,

students would obtain a basic knowledge of some of the more commonly seen

life forms of the province. However, the course would not be taught as

a mere "show and tell" about different organisms, but rather would attempt

to relate each organism to its biological community. Moreover, the various

organisms would be discussed not only in terms of their gross morphology,

but also in terms of their biology: ecological requiremerts, life history,

as well as in terms of any special aspects such as econo1Tic importance or

special problems such as scarcity caused b

man's activities.

The course would essentially be organized on thebais of a lecture

plus laboratory, but the laboratory co

pone n

t would ke highly field-work

oriented and many of the

laboratories w7uld

be field ecursions to rep-

resentative locations in terms of plant

apnununities, or

t;o areas where

• •/2

-2-

BISC 310-3, 

The Plants and Animals of British Columbi, 

Rationale and Objectives 

certain animal types are easily observed çr studied i,p the field. The 

laboratory experience would also aim at g,ving studeris a basic cnow- 

ledge of how to use field guides and other types of rpference matrials 

related to the topics of the course. The emphasis in the course pould 

not be upon the memorization of a large number of species but would rather 

be upon the intelligent and accurate observation of organisms and upon the 

ability to use suitable reference materials to arrive at an identification 

of the organism. 

Ideally, this course will be team taught, and co-ordinated by a single 

faculty member who then assembles appropriate resource people to assist in 

various components of the course. British Columbia is blessed with many 

tine "naturalists", many of whom are fully professional in their competence,, 

It would be highly appropriate for the 

university 

to raw upon these com- 

munity resource persons in a course o 

ff

er

tn

g

of this type. 

The course also lends itself to offering in many novel formats. For 

example, it could be offered as part of the summer session progranxne as a 

special course oriented toward family groups, in whici the course might 

travel as a "caravan" from the coast, through the interior region, studying 

the various communities as it went, and m4xing the acBdemic experience with 

a family holiday. While the course would be best taught in the summer 

. ?

period, simply because the flora of the province are pLt their best then, 

it could be taught during the fall, mixing evening lecture/laboratory 

sessions with weekend field trips. 

This course is proposed as a 300-level course for number of reasons. 

First, in the present structure of the Biology Curriculim, courses dealing 

with organisms specifically (as opposed to general conpts and processes) 

are offered at this level. The course is aso intended for more mature 

students who have developed a motivation for a course of this type, hence, 

while we do require fifth semester standing or its equivalent in Biological 

Sciences, we will allow entry to the course with the permission of the 

instructor. For example, the course could serve the neds of several pro- 

fessional and semi-professional groups: recreation workers, parks branch 

employees, teachers, and others who are involved in programmes of "nature 

interpretation" for the public. These groups will usually have completed 

at least two years of a programme at B.C.I.T., a region;l college, or at a 

university. This background, plus their experience, will enable them to 

benefit from this upper division course. 

It should be noted, in conclusion, that this course is not merely a 

survey course, nor is it a kind of "show and tell" alout the animals and 

plants of British Columbia. It will attempt to provide students with a 

basic knowledge of the flora and fauna of British Coumbja in the context 

of their biological associations. It will obviously hav€ 

1

to be selective 

in terms of the number of organisms which it considers izi each ccnmunity or 

. ?

association. However, the course will provide studerts 41ith the tool skil1i 

essential to making further 

use

of the my source bqpks and field guides tp 

recognition, identification, and study of various grqips of plants and 

animals. 

Jan. 28/75 

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 310-3 

• ? 

THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF BRITISH COLUMB 

1.

Biological Nomenclature 

The species concept: the organization of the iolpgica1 w9rld. 

2.

Ecological Concepts 

Relationships between living organisms: basic 

teriiino1ogy 

& processes. 

3.

The Biotic Regions, of British Columb;i,a 

The ecological regions of the province and 

an oveFview 

of its recent 

geological and biological history. 

4.

Field Techniques 

Observation, 

sampling and collection, use of 1eys, field guides, 

and other references. 

5.

The Coastal Region 

The Douglas Fir 

and Western Hemlock forest associations 

• ? 

The Gulf Islands. 

6.

The Interior Dry Belt 

7.

The Alpine and Sub-Alpine Communities 

8.

The Interior Douglas Fir and Hemlock Ccamnunities 

9.

The Boreal Forest 

10.

Grasslands 

11.

Wetlands: Bogs and Marshes 

12.

Man and Nature in British Columbia 

Game Management, Conservation, Ecological Leg.slation,. and 

Environmental

Education. 

Man's Impact upon the Biological 

;ommunities pf British pltmthia: 

Mining, Hydroelectric Development 

4

, Agricultur, ad generl Development. 

.-

Jan. 28/75 

.,.

THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF BFXTISH. C1LUMB4? 

Biological Sciences 310-3 

1.

LyOnS, C.P. 1952. Trees, Flowers, and Shrubs t 

?

rv'w 

,

in Pritih_Co1uL,h. 

J.M. Dent 

?

Sons (Canada) Ltd. Vancouver, 3952 (Revised FAitiofl: 1973). 

Cl

2.

McTaggart Cowan, I., t Guiguet, C.J. The Marn als of 

BritlSU'.

Handbook Oil, Handbook Series of the British 

Colu.bia 

Provincial Nsews. 

The Queen's Printer, Victoria. 

3.

Schofield, W.B. Some Coinofl Mosses of British Columbia. HandboOk 028. The 

Handbenk seriesof the British Columbia ProvinCi 

a

ll Musu'. The Queen's 

Printer, Victoria, May, 1969- 

4.

Ta1or, T.M.C. The Ferns and Fern A1lie' of Brit Handbook 012. 

The Handbook Series of the British Coltrsb provipcial Mustm. The Queen's 

Printer, Victoria. 

5.

Bandoni, R.J. & Szczawinski, 

A.F. 

Guide to 2os'fl Muthri)O 

s

of British 

Columbia. Handbook 024 

01

1

The

Handbook Seri of the British Columbia provincit 

Museum. The Queen's Printer, Victoria. 

6.

Scagel, Robert P. A Guide to Cosrfl Seaedi0f British 

?

HbOOk 

427,

The

Handbook Series of the British Cjumbi& ProVflCil MuSeufl, The 

Queen's printer, Victoria. 

7.

Carl, G. Clifford. 

The

Amphibians of Briti9P1iCOlU11!.. andZpoo 

k

*2, The Hand- 

Book Series of the British Columbia Proviriiia1 Maeua 

Queen' Printer, 

Victoria. 

S. Carl, G. Clifford. The Reptiles of British ço1wbif. HandbODk *3, 

The

Handbook1 

Series of the British Columbia provincial Muse.a. The 

Queen's 

Printer, 

Victoria. 

9.

Robbins,

Chandler S., Bertsl. Bruun, & Herbert S. urn.. Guide to Field 

IdentitiCatio Birds of North America. Golden Press. t4owl York, 1966. 

• This list of titles is only illustrative 01 the rage 

Oj,f

materials 0ealinq 

with the content of this course. 

SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

41.

of.the Dean.. Facul.y. ... ..... . From. . 

Edward A. Weinstein 

o.

f

Science 

..................

Library - Science.s 

Subject_.

Proposed New.. Course:. BISC 310 

Date.. ? 

February 6, 1975 

,

11..._............

BISC 310: The Plants and Animals of British Columbia. 

This field biology course for non-majors requires 

that the library complete its holdings of standard 

guides and field manuals. Accordingly, copies of 

the standard B.C. Provincial Museums series are 

being ordered so that both a reference and a circulating 

copy will be available for students. The range of 

such manuals, in general, is vast, so we will 

wait advice from the course instructors as to what 

material the library should provide supplemental to 

that prescribed for students. 

MEMORANDUM