SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
S.
74-2q
MEMORANDUM
To
SENATE
- From SENATECOMMITTEEONUNDERGRADUATE
STUDIES
MINOR
PROGRAM IN BIOLOGICAL
SCIENCES
JANUARY 23, 1974
Subject
Date
MOTION:
"That Senate approve, as set forth in S.74-29,
the proposed Minor Program in Biological
Sciences."
.
n
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
'3•
I
OMEMORANDUM
To
.....................................................................................................................
From
itteeOnergradate
Studies
Subject
MINOR PROGRAM IN
Date
a,
I...........................BIOLOGICAL ... .SCIENCES............ .................................... 23
.......... ......................
J
nuary
.......1974
..............................................................
On the recommendation of the Faculty of Science the
Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies has approved, as set
forth in SCUS 74-5, the proposed Minor Program in Biological
Sciences and recommends approval to Senate.
It should be noted that this proposal was referred
back to the Department of Biological Sciences by SCUS for
clarification of the questions of providing alternatives to
BISC 101 and 102 in the proposed program and of the student
who has advanced in the major program without these courses
but wishes to terminate with a minor for which they are not
required. This clarification is included as SCUS 74-5.
.
y
.
I. Mugridge
Chairman
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SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
MEMORANDUM
To.....................Senatec.q.mm.tt.t.e....
OR
.
From
................ .J.....S ........
B.ar.1.ow.., .... C.h.a.i.rtn.an
.........................
Faculty of Science
....................
Un
...g.ra.dua.t
Stud...es
Under,g..du
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C.ur.r.i.c..
l.
..............
Committee
Subject
........... MINOR .... PROGRAM IN ....
Date
...................
D.e.c...mh.e..r. .... 2.8.., ...... 1.9.7.3 ....................... ..............
The question of providing an alternative to BISC 101 and 102
in the proposed Minor Program in Biological Sciences, as is
done for the major program, and the problem of the student
who has progressed well along the major program without these
courses but who wishes to terminate with a minor have been
reconsidered by the Department of Bio-Sciences and the Faculty
of Science Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Attached you
will find the decision of the Department of Bio-Sciences and
full rationale which is supported by the Faculty of Science
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.
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SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
MEMORANDUM
r O
Dr. J. S. Barlow
From..
Dr. A. L,upbu
Assoc. Dean of Science
Chairman, DUCC
SubjectA
Minor Program in Biological Sciences
Date..
November 30, 1973
I. The Department of Biological Sciences proposed the following minor program,
1.
Bisc 101-4 and 102-4. (Biology 11 and 12 from B.C. High Schools
will not be accepted in lieu of Bisc 101 and 102 respectively).
2.
Any 14-18 hours of upper division credits for which students have
obtained the necessary prerequisites.
II. This proposal was considered by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies
and referred back to the Faculty of Science Curriculum Committee "with the
request that consideration be given to the question of providing an alternative
to Bisc 101 and 102 as is done for the major program; and to the problem of the
student who has progressed well along the major program without these courses
but who wishes to terminate with a minor".
is
III.
The Department of Biological Sciences Undergraduate Curriculum Committee has
reconsidered the two 'problems' as requested by S.C.U.S. and reaffirms its
conviction that Biology 11 and 12 are not adequate substitutes for Bisc 101
and 102 for the Minor Program for the following reasons:
A.
Problem 1.
The reason for making Bisc 101 and 102 mandatory.
1.
The Biological Sciences consist of a wide range of disciplines, each of
which contributes an unique set of information to the understanding of life
processes. Since its inception, the curriculum of this department has been
designed to expose students to as wide a range of these disciplines as possible,
on the principle that the nature of biological information cannot be appreciated
or comprehended without an appreciation of its disparate sources.
This principle has been implemented by two devices:
a.
Bisc 101 and 102 have been designed to provide an intensive survey
of the disciplines that contribute to an understanding of life
processes and the kinds of information they can supply.
b.
The undergraduate curriculum ensures that 21 hours of upper division
credits are distributed in a specific fashion among the main
disciplinary areas, thus ensuring coverage of the main biological
disciplines.
•
Major students, who are subjected to the second of these two devices,
are not compelled to undergo the first, though they are strongly advised to do
so. Thus, if they have received an adequate preparation to enter the 200 level
courses they are excused Bisc 101 and 102.
Dr. J. S. Barlow
-2-
- November 30, 1973
•
It should be noted that we do not consider Biology 11 and 12 as identical
to Bisc 101 and 102. But we do accept them as an adequate preparation for the
200 level courses, and we accept them provided that the student subsequently
follows the majors program.
Minors students are not subjected to the second device. Therefore they are
required to undergo the first, i.e. to take Bisc 101 and 102.
We consider that 21 hours of upper division diversification is minimal for
our major students who will ultimately take much more biology. Minor students,
who at best will receive a very scant exposure to biology, could not achieve the
same end with less.
Bisc 101 and 102 provide in 8 hours the breadth of experience that would
require 21 hours of upper division courses. The depth of Bisc 101 and 102, of
course, is much less than that provided by upper division courses, but depth is
one of the values that is sacrificed in the minor program.
Moreover, we do not consider it desirable to compel minors students to
diversify their studies in the upper divisions. They will have little enough
opportunity to learn any significant portion of biology in 14-18 hours. It is far
better to permit them to expend these 14-18 hours achieving depth in some particular
discipline that fits their needs and interests. By ensuring that they receive the
essential elements of breadth in Bisc 101 and 102 they are free to pursue their own
interests in the upper division.
2.
All biological
information
is derived from emperical experimentation.
Experience in acquiring,
analysing,
interpreting, and integrating exnperical data is
an essential part of biology and is necessary to foster an appreciation and under-
standing of biological information.
Thus we require all students in biology to undertake laboratory courses in
which such experience can be gained.
Because of the disparate nature of the disciplines that make up the biological
sciences, there are gross differences in the experimental procedures that are
employed and in the kinds of
information
that are revealed. Totally different concep-
tual models are required to interpret data from different disciplines.
Thus we feel that just laboratory experience per se is not enough. Laboratory
exercises must include a wide range of experiences distributed over a range of
disciplines so that differences in the nature of information contributed by each
is appreciated.
There are only two courses in the curriculum that provide such a range of
experiments - Bisc 101 and 102.
All other laboratory courses are uriidisciplinary. A wide range of such
courses would be needed to provide the same breadth of experiences.
B.
Problem 2.
Biology majors who have progressed well along the major program but Who
wish to terminate with a minor.
This case constitutes an exception to normal student procedure.
Undoubtedly a number of other exceptions to normal procedure could be
anticipated, and still others will arise that cannot be anticipated.
.. ./3
Dr. J. S. Barlow
-3-
November 30, 1973
We do not think it is possible to legislate for all possible exceptions
to normal procedures, and we do not think it is wise to try to do so.
Exceptional circumstances can be dealt with by exceptional dispensations,
Senate has made provisions for waiving course requirements in situations
such as this.
In general we recognize no incongruity in requiring students who
abandon a majors program in favour of a miners program to achieve the necessary
breadth of experience by undertaking Bisc 101 and 102.
Note that Bisc 101 and 102 are open to challenge, as are all biology
courses.
For these reasons we feel that it is necessary to retain Bisc 101 and
102 as required courses in the Minor Program.
As the Minor Program is now proposed it is simple, flexible, and permits
students maximal freedom of choice. Any modifications to this simple èoncept
would only add complexity and restrictions. Any attempt to define upper
division alternatives to Bisc 101 and 102 would restrict possible alternatives
•
to a single set. If, however, we remain silent on this matter Senate has
made available alternatives outside this document by which hardships and
injustices can be rectified.
'Z
-7
/
A. L. Turnbull
ALT:
0
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSiTY
SC IJ' 732t
S
MEMORANDUM
'.
Senate Conmlttee.on
.
From.
J.S. Barlow
.
.......Undergraduate Studies............................................. .
Associate Dean of Science ........................
Subje
ct
.....
..MJNOR
IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Date,.
...
June 28, 1973 ...................................................
The
attached Minor In Biological Sciences was approved by the Faculty
of
Science at
its meeting of June 26, 1973, and is now submitted to you
fo
approval.
1w
I.
0
A MINOR
IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Lover Division Courses
BiSc. 101-4 Introduction to Biology
B1Sc. 102-4 Introduction to Biology
Note: in the minor program B.C. High School Biology 11 4
will not
be accepted as equivalent to BISc. 101 & 102, because the l
ab
-oratory experience of the latter courses is deemed essenti
a
l to
the abbreviated exposure to biology
in
the minor program.
Upper Division Courses
.
14-18 credit hours in upper Biology courses (numbered 300
and above) fcr which the student has acquired the necessary prerequi-
sites.
^ 11
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RATIONALE FOR THE MINOR PROGRAM
The minor portion of a major - minor degree is
obviously
some-
thing less than a major. But it should be something different than
a watered-down, lesser, and easier form of a major program.
We have concluded that a minor in biology should make no attempt
to prepare second-rate biologists, and we have dropped all pretense
of
doing so. Instead we have aimed at doing one of two things:
(a)
to provide ncn-biolcgy majors with a practical, "natural
history" appreciation of living forms and processes;
(b)
to provide non-biology majors with an opportunity to develop
some narrow area of special interest in biology.
In our eyes the minor program is supplementary to a major program
in some other discipline. It does not stand on its own. It permits a
student who is receiving his principal education elsewhere to amplify
.
his
understanding of his principal discipline by gaining some insights
into a different discipline which is based on other values, other pre-
The Biology minor is designed to permit students from other disci--
plines to enter into significant biological studies as readily as pos-
sible.
It is our assumption that students who wish to minor in biology
wish to study biological subjects. Within the context of the biology
minor the other sciences will be of peripheral concern. Students opting
for a biology minor will fall into two broad categories:
(a)
students majoring in another science;
(b)
students from Arts, Education and Interdisciplinary Studies
The former receive basic sciences within their major program. The latter
would find the elements of other sciences useful but non-essential.
Though many upper levels biology courses require prerequisites in other
sciences, there are many that do not. We insist that biology majors take
most of the latter group, and the rest
are
highly recommended options.
•
These
are not courses that have been diluted to cater to unprepared stu-
dents.
They are courses that start from their own classical premises
e. .12
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and develop philosophies and concepts that
are in no way 4erivaive
of
the other sciences, and they are valid and essential components
of
biological training.
We see no reason why these subjects, which form coherent and use-
ful blocks of information, should not be readily available as supplements
to major degrees in other disciplines. In fact, they are so pertinent
to living in and understanding our general social environment we could
be considered negligent in not making them more available earlier.
Upper Levels Biological Sciences Courses Available with BiSc. 101 4 102
303-3
316-3
317-3
326-3
.
336-3
346-3
400-3
417-3
428-3
438-3
448-3
Microbiology
Vertebrate Biology
Insect Biology
Biology of non-Vascular Plants
Biology of Vascular Plants
Biosystematics (317,326 or 336)
Evolution (3 years Biology recommended)
Entomology (317)
Experimental Techniques I
it
It
I,
I,
435-3 Introduction to Pestology
424-3 Marine Biology (326 or 306, 300 recommended)
A selection of 5-6 of these courses would provide 15-18 semester
hours
A coherent survey of the forms, diversity, classification, and
life associations of living organisms could be:
303, 316, 317, 326, 336, 600.
A useful overview of the marine environment could be:
303, 326, 424, 346, 400.
A useful practical program in methodology could be:
303, 346, 328, 338, 348.
3
S
Depending on the interest of the student others of these courses
could be substituted in any of the suggested sequences. Thus we do no
wish to designate any specific associations of courses as prescribed
sequences. Rather we would permit the student to follow his own interests
even if this seemed to us to be somewhat incoherent. We have some faith
in the judgement of students to select courses rationally.
The requirements we have set out are minimal. If a student wishes
to broaden his opportunities one or two additional prerequisites open
up additional subject areas to him.
e.g. BiSc. 204 opens up the ecology series.
304, 407, 409, 430.
BISc. 202 opens up genetics, 302, 402.
BiSc. 203 opens up invertebrate and marine biology.
306, 424, 400, 410, 420, 430.
We maintain that the minors program we recommend opens up signifi-
cant and useful areas of Biological study, and leaves open the option
'rf
1t?l prreqiisiteS. and prrqui3!teS
from other sciences if the student wishes to broaden the subject material
available to him.
