New for Spring 2017

Special for Spring

Writing Requirement | General Information

 

Spring 2017 BraveWeb Information:

  1. Classes are up on BraveWeb now for the spring 2017 semester.
  2. Pin numbers — Email or see your advisor to obtain your PIN number.
  3. Look for classes on BraveWeb under:
    1. Biology
    2. Biology Lab
    3. Biology Special Topics
    4. Biotechnology
    5. Environmental Science
    6. Science Education

Courses for Spring 2017 that will NOT be offered again for another year or longer:

BIO 2040 Vertebrate Zoology

BIO 2050 Animal Behavior

BIO/ENV 2300 Field Zoology

BIO 2500 Ornithology

BIOS 3280 Ecology & Evolution of Disease

BIO 3420 Pollution Ecology

BIO 3750 Neurobiology

BIO 4950 Biology Seminar

BIO 5200 Current Trends in Molecular & Cell Biology

BTEC 4300 Principles of Medical Biotechnology

ENV 2450 Principles of Sustainable Agriculture

ENV 3200 Soils and Hydrology

Writing Requirement:

For students who entered under, or switched to the 2011-2012 (or later) catalog, the new Writing Intensive Program will apply—see pages 34-36 of the 2013-2014 catalog. You are required to take a minimum of 6 hours of writing enriched (WE) courses and 3 hours of a writing in the discipline (WD) course. The program check sheets include these requirements.

Biology offers these courses for the writing requirement:

  • BIO 3710 Cell Biology WE*
  • BIO 4320 Conservation Biology WE
  • BIO 4700 Reading and Writing in the Natural Sciences WD*

    *Offered during spring 2017.

Students who wish to take BIO 4700 Reading and Writing in the Natural Sciences must get permission from the course instructor --- Dr. Mary Ash.

Several general education courses are also offered as WE credit, and these too would count toward the writing requirement (but ONLY when designated as WE in BraveWeb). Double majors need only fulfill this writing requirement once



General Information:

  1. We have a new concentration entitled: Pre-Physical / Pre-Occupational Therapy. Check it if you think you might be interested. If so, you should do a change of major form pretty soon and perhaps change advisors.
  2. Program check sheets online or by biology office (take one). Try to work out your schedule on your own using this as a guide. Hard to imagine a standard schedule for each degree. Biology Website is a great source of information.
  3. A 2.0 AVERAGE in major is what is required. Not 2.0 in every course, though that would be good of course.
  4. Don’t be afraid to drop a course if needed, just don’t make a habit of it.
  5. You need to be taking lab courses all along (as in all four years).
  6. Our BIO 4950 Science Seminar is offered in the spring. A great 1 hour course for Juniors and Seniors.
  7. To repeat, the new BIO 1060 Exploring Life’s Diversity is NOT a majors course. It will not count toward your degree except as free elective hours—NOT as a required biology elective hours.
  8. BIO 4990 Students need to plan a project with an instructor before requesting to be registered for these hours. Only the Chair can get you registered for 4990 hours with instructor approval.
  9. Another way to get involved in student research is through the RISE Program with Dr. Robert Poage, the COMPASS Scholarship Program with Dr. Maria Santisteban, and through the PURC program. You will need to see these professors about joining the programs.
  10. Biology Club—see Dr. Maria Santisteban or Dr. John Roe.
  11. TriBeta—see Dr. Dennis McCracken or Dr. Maria Pereira.
  12. Science Education (undergraduate) -- see Dr. Mary Ash
  13. Science Education (graduate) -- see Dr. Rita Hagevik.
  14. Health Careers Access Program (HCAP) (ext. 6493). For meeting times and brochures, see Dept. Administrative Assistant Ms. Teresa Lowery.