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JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW

SELF-STUDY

FALL 2015

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Mission and Learning Outcomes 1

II. Departmental and University Programs 4

III. Faculty 8

IV. Curriculum 11

V. Student Learning 14

VI. University Support and Resources 16

VII. Student Learning Assessment 19

VIII. Comparative Position 20

IX. Conclusions 23

X. Discussion Questions 25

APPENDICES Google Drive

A. Undergraduate and Graduate Bulletins

B. Biology Faculty CVs

C. Three-year Schedule

D. Major-level Syllabi

E. Non-major-level Syllabi

F. Curriculum Maps

G. Reports on Assessment of Student Learning

Figure G1. Exit Interview Data

Biology Assessment Summary

Graduate Students Placements

2014 NSSE Data

H. Assessment Plan

I. Supporting Documents

Advising Loads

Comparator Schools

Curriculum Matching

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Faculty Collaborations

Financial Worksheet-Biology

Publication List

Sample Student Schedules

Teaching Equipment

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PREFACE

John Carroll University is a Jesuit Catholic university (one of twenty-eight in the United States),

founded in 1886, and located in University Heights, Ohio. Our mission is to “inspire individuals

to excel in learning, leadership, and service in the region and in the world.” Throughout our 127-

year history, we have dedicated ourselves to providing Jesuit education not only to enrich the

lives of graduates, but also to challenge them to enrich the lives of others in order to create a

more just society. These aspirations are expressed in our shared Jesuit mission of forming “men

and women for others.”

We form critical thinkers through a curriculum founded on Ignatian pedagogy. We support our

faculty in their roles as scholar-teachers, believing that engaged researchers who invite students

into their specialized areas of discovery offer an extraordinary learning experience. We ensure

that every student has a faculty advisor and that classroom learning is extended through

meaningful co-curricular programs.

Our success is evidenced by extraordinarily strong retention rates, high persistence rates, and

enviable four-year graduation rates. Our alumni make a difference, whether they rise to

prominence or work with integrity and dedication in their careers and communities.

Operating on a semester calendar, John Carroll University is a four-year, not-for-profit university

which offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees through the College of Arts and Sciences

and the John M. and Mary Jo Boler School of Business.

Total enrollment at John Carroll is 3,700 students with 3,125 undergraduates and 575 postbacc &

graduate students. There are 193 full-time faculty and 225 part-time faculty, and the

student:faculty ratio is 14.3:1 University endowment is ~$198 million as of May 2014.

The Department of Biology is located in the Dolan Center for Science and Technology which

opened in 2003. We offer three undergraduate degrees in Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology,

and Environmental Science. Graduate students may seek either a Master’s of Science in Biology

or a Master’s of Arts in Biology. The department graduates ~70 undergraduates/year and 6-8

master’s students/year. Eleven full-time faculty, one laboratory coordinator, 17 graduate

assistants, and 6-8 part-time faculty support student learning in the departme

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I. MISSION AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The Department of Biology created and approved a statement of Mission, Goals and Objectives

for the 2015–17 Undergraduate Bulletin (Appendix A).

A. Mission Statement

The Department’s mission is to prepare students for graduate and professional school, as well as

for careers in the public and private sectors. Mentoring through academic advising, research,

and internships prepares our students for future scholarship in addition to social and civic

involvement.

B. Student Learning Outcomes

Biology (BL) Major: Students in this major will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a broad knowledge of biology and develop competency in specific areas of

interest;

2. Use an empirical approach to evaluate biological phenomena;

3. Communicate biological knowledge effectively.

Cell & Molecular Biology (CMB) Major: Students in this major will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a broad knowledge of cell and molecular biology and develop competency in

specific areas of interest;

2. Use an empirical approach to evaluate biological phenomena;

3. Analyze biological data and communicate its importance through effective oral and written

presentation.

Environmental Science (ES) Major: Students in this major will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a broad knowledge of environmental science and develop competency in

biology, chemistry, and Earth science;

2. Use critical thinking to evaluate and interpret biological and environmental phenomena;

3. Collect and analyze scientific data and communicate its importance through effective oral

and written presentation.

C. University & Academic Learning Outcomes

The Institutional Academic Learning Goals (IALGs) articulate the gains in knowledge, skills,

attitudes, and values that a student is expected to have achieved as a result of earning a degree at

JCU. The learning goals express the essential academic outcomes expected of a JCU student at

graduation:

IALG 1. Demonstrate an integrative knowledge of human and natural worlds.

IALG 2. Apply creative and innovative thinking.

IALG 3. Develop habits of critical analysis and aesthetic appreciation.

IALG 4. Communicate skillfully in multiple forms of expression.

IALG 5. Act competently in a global and diverse world.

IALG 6. Understand and promote social justice.

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IALG 7. Apply a framework for examining ethical dilemmas.

IALG 8. Employ leadership and collaborative skills.

IALG 9. Understand the religious dimensions of human experience.

The Department of Biology contributes primarily to IALGs 1–8 with few (if any) courses

addressing the religious dimensions of human experience. Examples that illustrate contributions

to each outcome are described here.

IALG 1: Our three majors (BL, CMB, and ES) present empirical sciences that are rooted in

natural phenomena, and our department tries to emphasize three major themes across all courses:

Evolution, Environment, and Ethics. For example, topics such as anthropogenic impacts on

climate change and other systems (or the genetic modification of food) integrate knowledge of

human and natural worlds.

IALG 2: In most of our upper-division courses, faculty incorporate current, primary research (at

times their own). Additionally, undergraduate and graduate students perform original research

that frequently leads to publication. In the classroom, at the bench, or in the field, students learn

that development of knowledge is a dynamic process requiring creative problem-solving

techniques.

IALG 3: Most courses are content-heavy, with considerable development of foundational

knowledge; however, most upper-division courses teach students to develop habits of critical

analysis of empirical data. Often this is achieved through original, student-driven research

projects and paper discussions that examine the merits, methods, and interpretations of primary

research.

IALG 4: Each major includes courses that teach students to communicate about science and

biology, and provides avenues of presenting and discussing research results in written, oral, and

visual formats. These skills are refined through graded assignments in which students provide

critical reviews and presentations of primary literature and/or original student-driven research.

IALG 5: Discussions of ethics are part of the curriculum in upper-division courses in each

major. Courses such as Principles of Biology III (BL159/160) and Genetics (BL213) present the

tools of knowledge that our students will need to act competently when dealing with global

issues such as global climate change, the biodiversity crisis, or genetic testing.

IALG 6: In a few courses, we present cases in which science and social justice clearly

demonstrate an overlap. For example, in Honors Principles of Biology I (BL155H) and Poverty

and Disease (BL260), students discuss the story of Henrietta Lacks and the culturing and use of

her cells for primary biomedical research, as well as eugenics as an institutional practice in the

United States through the Tuskegee syphilis studies. Issues of social justice are also presented in

our ES and BL majors, particularly with current issues that surround global climate change and

the biodiversity crisis. These majors emphasize that humans are biological entities whose

actions impact the global system, and that often these effects disproportionately impact the poor

and disenfranchised.

IALG 7: By teaching our students to be critical thinkers and to evaluate data, they learn how to

find solutions to problems that are based in empirical reality. Each major teaches students to

apply skills of critical analysis and communication to convey concepts and ideas to a broader

audience.

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IALG 8: Collaborative skills are nurtured through many of our laboratory classes, group

presentations, group projects, and through research mentoring.

The Preamble to the University Learning Goals (ULGs) states:

“The vision of Jesuit higher education for the twenty-first century is to graduate

individuals with a well-educated solidarity who are contemplatives in action–

morally responsible, aware of the fundamental challenges facing the modern

world, with a depth of knowledge and strength of character to work creatively and

compassionately for a more just and humane society. Within this vision, a John

Carroll education is distinguished by respect and care for the whole person (cura

personalis), innovative teaching, and integrated learning across the entire student

experience. A commitment to excellence and academic rigor animates our way of

proceeding–graduating individuals of intellect and character who lead and serve

by engaging the world around them and around the globe.”

Since each of the nine IALGs appear under the four ULGs, our department contributes to the

education of the whole person. However, the bulk of our work falls under the development of

intellect and service (outlined below).

Intellect (engaged learning):

The new Integrative Core is designed to combine curricula across programs of study.

This core is now receiving the first cohort of students for Fall 2015, and the Department of

Biology is developing courses that will meet this ULG. These courses will be offered in Spring

2016 (Drs. Rosenthal & Johansen, “American Environmental Literature & Climate Change in

North America”) and Fall 2016 (Drs. Fitzpatrick & Sheil, “Philosophy & Science of Origins”).

Additionally, the hands-on research that students perform provides opportunities to solve novel

and interesting biological questions. For example, BL406 Tropical Field Biology, BL435 Plant

Ecology, BL444 Advanced Ecology, and BL470 Molecular Methods represent several courses in

which students develop skills of creative thinking by conducting research projects.

Service:

Many JCU students are drawn to biology, environmental science, and the health careers

because they are inspired by Ignatian values that center on the desire to contribute to a greater

good. They are inherently interested in pursuing service opportunities to be engaged citizens and

advocates for justice. Poverty and Disease (BL260) is a popular course among our students

pursuing health careers, particularly because it connects with social and political issues in a way

that many other courses cannot. According to one distinguished student, “The service-learning

experience [of BL260] exposed the class to the value of using their skills to improve living

conditions within communities.” Immersion experiences, such as the Honduras medical brigade,

allow students to see first-hand the challenges of a rural health care system in a poor country, and

they can contrast this experience with service at the Free Clinic or 2100 Lakeside (homeless

shelter for men in Cleveland).

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II. DEPARTMENTAL AND UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS

Biology encompasses the study of all organisms, and our curriculum provides students a solid

foundation in: 1) cellular and molecular biology; 2) organismal biology; and 3) evolutionary

biology, ecology, and biodiversity. The Department offers three BS degrees (Biology; Cell &

Molecular Biology; and Environmental Science), one minor (Biology), and has a graduate

program that offers MS and MA degrees (all programs described below). All three majors

require specific courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and other subjects. See Appendix A

for degree requirements in each major. In the past decade, 679 students graduated from our

department (Average = 68 students/year; Median = 66 students/year; Table 1). Prior to 2009, we

only had one major (Biology), in which we averaged 67 graduates/year. In 2009 CMB and ES

major programs were approved by the department and university faculty. These programs have

graduated an average of 7 and 5 students, respectively, with the total number of departmental

graduates remaining unchanged across all majors. Though these averages are not significantly

different, it is worth noting that incoming students have been attracted to our department because

of each available major, and they are increasingly self-identifying in summer orientation with

interests in each major.

Degree ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘14 Tot.

Biology 71 65 83 50 71 70 46 54 52 50 612

CMB 0 0 0 0 3 5 9 6 12 5 40

ES 0 0 0 0 0 8 7 6 5 1 27

Total

Dept.

71 65 83 50 74 83 62 66 69 56 679

Table 1: Number of Graduates from 2005–14, Department of Biology, across all three majors: Biology;

Cell & Molecular Biology (CMB); and Environmental Science (ES).

Bachelor of Science in Biology

This major is intended for students seeking careers that require a strong background in biology

and chemistry, including health professions (such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy,

nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, public health, and veterinary

medicine), teaching, research, and other professions. This major also prepares students for

graduate programs in biology and related disciplines such as organismal and evolutionary

biology, ecology, developmental biology, physiology, and neuroscience. From 2005–14, 612

students received this degree (Average = 61 degrees/year).

Bachelor of Science in Cell & Molecular Biology

This major is intended for students seeking careers in medicine, biomedical research,

biotechnology, pharmacy, healthcare, teaching, and other professions requiring a strong

foundation in cellular and molecular processes. This major also prepares students for graduate

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programs in fields such as cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, and

biochemistry. From 2009–14, 40 students received this degree (Average = 7 degrees/year).

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science

This major is intended for students seeking careers in environmental and ecological fields,

including environmental consulting, government, natural resource management, teaching,

research, environmental law, and other areas requiring strength in environmental science. This

major prepares students for graduate programs in ecology and environmental science. From

2010–14, 27 students received this degree (Average = 5 degrees/year). We anticipate some

growth in this major because of the addition of a new faculty member with expertise in areas of

environmental science and conservation.

Minor in Biology

This minor requires completion of specific, introductory-level courses, but also affords the

student flexibility to sample upper division courses across disciplines found in the department.

Few STEM students complete this minor each year, as other majors/minors/concentrations with

significant overlap do not require the third course in our introductory sequence for majors.

The Graduate Program

The graduate program in Biology prepares students for professional careers or doctoral studies in

a variety of biological disciplines. The Department of Biology offers courses of study leading to

either a Master of Science or Master of Arts degree. Both degree programs provide students the

opportunity to increase their knowledge through formal coursework. The Master of Science

degree requires candidates to complete a major research project resulting in a master’s thesis.

Master of Science & Master of Arts in Biology

The MS degree is designed for students seeking research experience. Successful candidates must

demonstrate mastery of essential research techniques and the ability to communicate effectively

the results of research and scholarship. Thirty credit hours are required for the degree, consisting

of 24 hours of coursework, a 1-credit thesis proposal, and 5 credits of thesis research. MS

students are advised by tenured or tenure-track faculty along with a committee of at least 2 thesis

readers. Competitive Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GAs) are available. In exchange for

assisting in our teaching labs, GAs are awarded a tuition waiver for 4 semesters (valued at

$25,020) and receive a modest stipend ($11,000/year). Prior to Fall 2015, we had 13 funded GA

positions; in Fall 2015 we received 2 additional positions, which allow us to provide sufficient

GA coverage in all teaching labs. GAs play a critical role for the university, as they help in most

aspects of teaching our labs, from helping to develop and set up some labs, to providing some

instruction and answering student questions. For many labs, GAs grade quizzes, lab reports, and

assignments, and manage these grades. Our non-majors and introductory biology laboratories

can more easily provide instruction to the larger number of students that they serve because of

this GA work. Applicants for the MS program are only accepted if they are sponsored by a

faculty member, and typically the number of available GA positions limits the number of MS

students in our program as few students pay for these programs out-of-pocket. Over the past

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decade, we have averaged 25 applications/year for the MA/MS programs. Trends show a rise in

the number of applicants from outside our state, region, and country, and average undergraduate

GPAs for applicants to the MS program are now 3.48 (overall) and 3.53 (biology-specific). The

rise in number of applications from beyond our region (Fall 2014: 10 of 28 from beyond IN, MI,

NY, OH, and PA; and Fall 2015: 12 of 22) likely indicates that our graduate program is being

recognized nationally and internationally. We anticipate drawing more MS students from

beyond our region and internationally (3 current students; Italy, Russia, and Vietnam). Since

2005, 14 MA and 60 MS degrees have been awarded, and our graduates are being placed in high

quality jobs, medical- and dental schools, and PhD programs (Appendix I).

E. Other University-wide Programs

The Department of Biology participates in 6 other university-wide academic programs.

Pre-health Professions Program

Following the 2011 retirement of a biology faculty member who oversaw the pre-health

professions program, a committee recommended the establishment of a full-time director for this

program. The large number of students whose interests reside in medicine, and the explosion of

interest in allied health (physician assistant, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc.),

necessitated a director who could more intentionally address the needs of this student population.

Dr. Kathy Lee, a long-time adjunct and visiting professor in the Biology Department, was hired.

Dr. George Lewandowski (‘78) began volunteering as Physician-in-Residence. These decisions

bolstered our advising and recruitment efforts (Table 3) and stimulated an increase in students

who enter the Pre-Medical Post-Baccalaureate Program. Subsequently, new agreements were

established to provide dedicated seats in Master of Science in Anesthesia (Case Western Reserve

University) and medical, dental, and pharmacy programs (Lake Erie College of Medicine and

Ohio University Heritage College of Medicine). Dr. Martin (Biology chair) has been involved in

determining the ways in which the Ohio University partnership will be realized by JCU

undergraduates. Recently, the pre-health offices were moved out of the Biology Department to

the east side of the Dolan Science Center to gain space. This move has not been detrimental to

communication and cooperation between the department and program.

Biology faculty support Pre-Health with course offerings, primary academic advising,

and by interviewing students as part of the Health Professions Advisory Committee (in 2014,

two Biology faculty interviewed ten students), a process whereby students put together

applications and are interviewed individually and by a faculty panel. Dr. Lee supports the

Biology Department by teaching two courses in the department each academic year. Drs. Martin

and Lee ensure coverage of high-profile recruiting events and often give joint enrollment

presentations. Additional support in the areas of faculty hiring and faculty development would

be beneficial to this program. In particular, part-time biology faculty are hired more frequently

to cover courses in areas related to these student interests. In addition, workshops that allow

faculty to better understand MCAT revisions could lead to better academic advising.

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Honors Program

The department offers an introductory lecture course for the major (BL155) and three 400-level

courses (BL447/L, 459, and 465) for Honors students. BL155-Honors is by invitation only, and

the chair uses standardized test scores and high school GPAs to select students prior to their

enrollment at JCU. Additionally, the department is highly involved in mentoring student honor

theses. In the past two academic years, 20% of all honors theses (13 total) were completed with

biology faculty, and no other department had more faculty working with the honors program in

any capacity during this period. However, many of the research projects are performed at other

institutions (predominantly at the Cleveland Clinic), and this work does not directly advance the

research programs of JCU faculty. Therefore, this is a mentorship activity that directly

demonstrates the department’s commitment to service.

Interdisciplinary Minor in Population and Public Health

This program is a cross-disciplinary degree designed for students interested in protecting and

improving community health. The course of study consists of classes in biology, mathematics,

sociology, psychological science, economics, political science, and communications along with a

capstone course (AR473) that is an internship. This minor is coordinated by Dr. Lissemore and

Dr. Susan Long (Department of Sociology and Criminology). Seventeen students have

completed this program during 2013–15.

Interdisciplinary Concentration in Environmental Studies

This program is coordinated by the Department of Sociology & Criminology, but students take

courses such as BL109/L Environmental Science/Laboratory. Students with majors in the

Department of Biology typically do not complete this program.

Interdisciplinary Concentration in Neuroscience

This program is intended for biology, chemistry, or psychological science majors who desire an

interdisciplinary approach to the study of physiology, biochemistry, and behavior of higher

organisms. The course of study includes classes in Biology, Chemistry, and Psychological

Science. The coordinators of this concentration are Drs. Murphy (Department of Psychological

Science) and Wideman (associate coordinator). This is one of the most popular and successful

concentrations on campus with ~8 students/year graduating from the program. About half of

these students also complete a biology major.

Teaching Licensure

The large number of credits required for the biology and education majors results in virtually no

students gaining licensure with a biology degree. A small number of students each year will

complete biology courses as they work towards the adolescent and young adult licensure in Life

Sciences or Chemistry/Life Sciences. These students are enrolled in the graduate programs in

the Education Department.

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III. FACULTY

A. Faculty Profiles

For the previous 20 years, there have been ten full-time faculty in the department. In January

2015, the faculty expanded to include an 11th permanent full-time faculty member as Dr. James

Watling (Assistant Professor and Coburn Professor of Environmental Science) joined the

department. All full-time faculty have doctorates in Biology or related subdisciplines, and there

are six Professors, three Associate Professors, and two Assistant Professors, as well as a

Laboratory Coordinator who has a Master’s of Science in Biology. Faculty are broadly-trained

and participate in multiple department majors, but they predominantly offer courses in three

main areas: genetics and cell biology (Johnson, Lissemore, Martin, Vanderzalm, Wheeler),

organismal biology (Drenovsky, Saporito, Sheil, Wideman), and environment and ecology

(Anthony, Johansen, Watling). Typically there are 5 or 6 part-time faculty teaching in the

department each semester, and each has a PhD or MD degree. The department experiences little

turnover in part-time faculty, as most have taught for more than four years in the department.

Faculty responsibilities comprise three main areas: teaching; research; and service.

Our department produces a high level of research activity that includes graduate students,

undergraduate students, adjunct faculty, and visiting scholars. Local and domestic research

collaborations are maintained, along with international collaborators from Bolivia, Brazil,

Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and Switzerland. Faculty have

coauthored publications in inter-departmental collaborations [Wideman and Murphy

(Psychological Science)] and intra-departmental work; examples include Johansen, Martin, and

Sheil; Johansen and Martin; Drenovsky and Johansen, Flechtner and Johansen; and Johnson and

Saporito (see Appendix I for references). The intersection of teaching and research is present as

scholarship derived from student laboratory projects (Lissemore and Mascotti [Chemistry] as

well as Anthony and Hickerson) or publications in pedagogical journals that lead to student

laboratory exercises (noninvasive ABO genotyping, C. elegans deletion detection). In the

Department of Biology, we hold research performed in collaboration with undergraduate and

master’s students in high regard. Since 2008, the department has authored 149 peer-reviewed

publications—this is a publication rate approximately 6 times higher than the College of Arts and

Sciences standard for research activity. These publications include 30 undergraduate and 53

master’s student authorships. A complete publication list for this period can be found in

Appendix I.

Each professor has an individual research laboratory space and has access to equipment

that is housed in teaching laboratories. Faculty ($1800/year) and students (registration fees) are

funded by the College to attend regional and international research conferences each year, and

master’s students routinely garner small grants to help pay for their research and/or travel to

conferences. Drs. Johansen and Martin were awarded a $400,000 NSF grant in 2008 to study the

molecular systematics of cyanobacteria. Dr. Johansen has received grants totaling more than

$1,000,000 over the past seven years. Dr. Watling has been successful in receiving grants from

the US Fish and Wildlife Service worth ~$600,000 over the past five years. In addition, the

department is active in the university’s Celebration of Scholarship each spring. Dr. Wideman is

a past winner of the university’s Distinguished Faculty Award, and Dr. Johansen received an

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honorary degree from the University of South Bohemia (Czech Republic) for recognition of his

research program and mentorship of Czech scientists.

Departmental equipment needs are met through grants or by support of the academic

administration, and this equipment is often shared for research and teaching. For example, Dr.

Drenovsky received a $40,000 grant through LICOR Biosciences to purchase equipment that

supports her research and introductory biology laboratories. The college acquired funds to

purchase a real-time thermocycler, which is standard for molecular biology laboratories. Capital

spending has focused on replacement of outdated light and dissecting microscopes, but recent

purchases have shifted towards equipment that facilitates faculty-student research (X-ray

developer, gel documentation systems, and microscope camera). A growth chamber would

benefit faculty/student research and introductory laboratory courses. The purchase of a confocal

microscope would greatly advance the work of several faculty, but it appears an NSF equipment

grant would be necessary in order to purchase one.

Teaching loads are 24 credits per academic year, but research-active faculty (who have a

single peer-reviewed publication in a three-year period) teach 18 credits per academic year.

Therefore, each faculty member teaches 2–3 courses with/without laboratories per semester to

achieve approximately 18 teaching credits. There is a 1:1 relationship between lecture time and

teaching credit, whereas laboratories earn one teaching credit for every 1.5 hours (a change from

2 hours/teaching credit implemented at the beginning of the 2015–16 academic year). Additional

course load reductions are in place for the Chair (2 courses/semester) and Graduate Coordinator

(1 course/year) or for administration of large grants (1 course/semester for Dr. Johansen).

Recently developed courses include Poverty and Disease, Epidemiology, Developmental

Biology, Tropical Field Biology, Geographic Information Systems, Biology of the Amphibia,

Biology of Reptilia, and Desert Biology. Two faculty (Anthony and Lissemore) are previous

winners of the Lucrezia Culicchia Award for Teaching Excellence in the College of Arts and

Sciences.

B. Faculty Development and Evaluation

Faculty submit an annual self-evaluation each fall. Subsequently, the chair summarizes the

faculty activities and writes a letter that addresses all aspects of faculty work responsibilities.

The chair and faculty meet individually to review the evaluation and letter, and they discuss

goals for the next year’s work. Finally, the Dean meets with the chair to discuss pay raises for

faculty. These evaluations require more than 100 combined hours of faculty and chair work to

deliver them in the required format to the dean’s office. The university will examine this

evaluation process, and the department would like to see a more stream-lined process that does

not require an evaluation each year.

Untenured faculty are required to submit an additional document that outlines their

progress towards tenure. These documents are reviewed by tenured faculty and the tenure

candidate meets with this committee. Additionally, all tenured faculty are required to visit at

least one lecture/laboratory each year, but most faculty attend a lecture each semester. The

Biology Tenure and Promotion Committee provides a letter to the Dean and candidate. A

positive vote of continuance requires half the faculty, whereas recommendation for tenure

requires a two-thirds vote. Promotion to associate professor guidelines mirror those of tenure.

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Promotion to professor is determined by a committee of Professors before recommendations are

made to the deans, provost, president, and board of directors. Since 2007, five faculty have been

tenured/promoted to Associate Professor, and four faculty have been promoted to Professor. To

a great extent, the success of these applications has been a consequence of a strongly intentional

and transparent process of mentorship by senior faculty within our department.

Faculty development for research and teaching are available internally at JCU.

Competitive Grauel Faculty Fellowships are available every four years to support a one-semester

sabbatical (or full year with half pay) for research. Biology faculty receive these fellowships

routinely, with seven occurring in the past three years. Small summer fellowships are available

for research on a competitive basis; faculty in our department routinely receive these funds.

Pedagogical support is evidenced by support to the laboratory coordinator to attend the

Association of Biology Laboratory Education conference and the National Association of

Biology Teachers conference. Faculty learning communities also promote the incorporation of

new course modules (e.g., Mission and Identity; Globalization; and Discernment). Course

development grants are routinely available, and additional fellowships are now available for

faculty who develop integrative courses in the new Core curriculum. However, the Department

of Biology feels that hands-on workshops and programs to support professional development are

lacking at the university-level, particularly for the following areas: best practices and

requirements in assessment; developing new methods of teaching, particularly around using new

technologies; and professional development. Our faculty would make use of these resources, if

they were available.

C. Professional Service and Community Engagement

Service activities are varied as faculty take on heavier or lighter service loads depending on the

stage of their career and the level of work required by each service activity. These service

activities include (but are not limited to): department chair; graduate coordinator; tenure and

promotion chair; department assessment coordinator; high-level administrator search committees

for Dean (twice in the last 6 years) and Provost; faculty council members and committee

members; Honduras premedical immersion experience; Project ¿QUE? (science camp for

Latino/a middle school students); professional society leadership; manuscript review; journal

editor; associate editor (two faculty); and editorial board member for journals. Also, the

department as a whole has been instrumental in the initiation and continued success of the Ride

for Miles, which generates funds to support student summer research and helped to establish our

most recent faculty line. Notably, Dr. Drenovsky has repeatedly been invited to review grants by

the French National Research Agency, and Dr. Johansen has served on NSF review panels.

Poverty and Disease includes a service learning component, and Dr. Johnson recently won the

Curtis W. Miles Faculty Award for Community Service in large part due to her leadership with

the Honduras medical immersion program. Dr. Sheil has been involved in several learning

communities, which brings a perspective of science faculty to a broader discussion of issues that

affect the university experiences of faculty, staff, and students. The department has a high level

of service activity, but individual faculty are selective in these roles due to time constraints.

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IV. CURRICULUM

A. Curriculum

Sample schedules for students in all three departmental majors are present in Appendix I.

1. Introductory major sequence

All majors take a two-semester introductory sequence of lecture and laboratories that covers cell

biology (BL155/157) and plant and animal anatomy/physiology (BL156/158). A third-semester

introductory course in biodiversity (BL159/160) was created in 2003 due to poor subscores on

the Biology Major Fields Test (which is required of graduating seniors). BL159/160 is required

for Biology and ES majors, and is an elective for CMB majors. Additionally, BL213 Genetics is

required for both Biology and CMB majors.

2. Biology major

Upper-level course selection is quite variable for this major, as students are simply required to

take a Cell-to-Organism and Organism-to-Biosphere course, along with a single 400-level

course. Approximately 75% of students will take either BL230–231 Human Anatomy &

Physiology or BL360 Human Physiology; this is likely a consequence of strong interest in health

care professions. Students typically fulfill the Organism-to-Biosphere requirement with BL222

General Ecology, BL331 Global Climate Change, BL370 Evolution, or BL406 Tropical Field

Biology. The department offers a wide array of 400-level courses.

3. Cell and Molecular Biology major

CMB majors complete BL213 Genetics during the sophomore year. Recent curriculum revisions

require students to take BL459 Molecular Cell Biology and BL470 Molecular Methods

Laboratory instead of lower-level options (BL301 Introduction to Cell Biology and BL215

Introduction to Biotechnology Laboratory). There is no vertical structuring of BL459, BL470,

and BL465 Molecular Genetics in the junior and senior years; however, students typically take a

Biochemistry course in their junior year. Three electives are required, with one being a second

Biochemistry course; therefore, each year we typically have a small number double majors in

CMB and Chemistry (Biochemistry-track).

4. Environmental Science major

ES majors complete BL222 General Ecology or BL331 Global Climate Change during their

sophomore year. The year-long General Chemistry and Physics sequences typically are taken

during the sophomore and junior years. However, students are encouraged to begin these

sequences in the freshman year if they are strong students and space is available.

B. Course Profile

Full-time faculty instruct the majority of courses in the department (Table 2), especially at the

majors-level (~78% over the past 3 years). Part-time faculty instruct non-majors core lab science

courses (8–10/academic year), and occasionally majors-level introductory courses (BL155–160).

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Dr. Sean Kessler, who has taught part-time in the department for more than 20 years, teaches

either BL213 Genetics or BL310/L Microbiology each semester. Dr. Hickerson is a long-time

instructor of majors-level courses in BL222 General Ecology and BL 224/L Terrestrial Ecology.

Class size for 100-level majors courses are 24–32 students with a progressive decline in lecture

size as students move through the three-semester sequence. Intermediate (200- and 300-) level

courses serve 24 students, with the exceptions of Human Anatomy & Physiology (32 students)

and Human Physiology and Microbiology (18 students each). Lecture sizes remain large (16–24

students) in 400-level courses with lower enrollment in specialty laboratory courses. These

laboratories are capped at 12–14 students due to van size for field courses. Graduate students

and ES majors are more heavily enrolled in Organism-to-Biosphere courses; in contrast, cell and

molecular course enrollments are almost exclusively undergraduates. This split reflects the

interests of undergraduate and graduate students.

Course level 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16

100-level 13 : 14 13 : 13 11 : 15

200-level 8 : 4 7 : 5 10 : 3

300-level 5 : 3 5 : 1 5 : 1

400-level 12 : 3 9 : 2 15 : 0

500-level 0 : 0 1 : 0 0 : 0

Total 38 : 24 35 : 21 41 : 19

Table 2. Full-time : Part-time instructional distribution by number of lecture sections. Full-time

faculty : part-time faculty are shown with the total number of lecture sections indicated. Most

laboratories are excluded (with the exception of lab courses without a co-requisite lecture

section). 500-level courses are only indicated when they are not cross listed at the 400-level.

C. Enrollment Trends

Total biology enrollment has been consistent for five years (Table 3). Core lab-science

enrollment accounts for less than half of these students (~240/academic year). Enrollment in

BL155 has been steady with 200–230 students for at least six years, with 140–180 students

continuing into BL156. Intermediate-level courses (e.g., BL213 Genetics, BL222 General

Ecology, BL230–1/L Human Anatomy & Physiology, and BL310/L Microbiology) completely

fill each semester. Approximately ten 300- and 400-level courses are available each semester to

serve our undergraduate and graduate students (Appendix C). Rare examples of under-enrolled

courses exist in a given semester, but most low-enrollment figures are the product of limited

laboratory space or van seats for field courses.

13

Student level 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Undergraduate 502 534 536 534 511

Graduate 34 22 21 22 17

Post-Bac 3 7 2 7 10

Table 3. Distinct (non-duplicated) student enrollment in Fall semester Biology courses. The

number of individual students enrolled in a Biology Department course are indicated.

D. Contribution to Core Curriculum

Departmental majors have traditionally fulfilled old core Division IV (The Sciences &

Mathematics) requirements through BL155–158 Principles of Biology 1 and 2 with labs, as well

as the mathematics requirement with MT135 Calculus and Analytical Geometry 1. The

department has served non-science majors who were required to take a lab science course by

offering 11 total sections (256 students) of Plant Science, Human Biology, Environmental

Science, Environmental Earth Science (Physics Dept.), and Human Genetics & Race during each

academic year. The department has begun tapering these offerings as fewer students have this

requirement unfulfilled (651 students after the fall semester); we are offering only 8 sections in

2015–16. We anticipate that the educational licensure requirements will determine the number

and types of offerings that will remain. It is worth noting that over the past 8 years, only two

full-time faculty members (Kinebrew [retired] and Johansen) have taught non-majors Division

IV courses (BL112/L Human Biology; BL115/L Human Genetics & Race; and PH1115/L and

PH206); otherwise, all non-majors courses are instructed by part-time faculty.

Implementation of the new core curriculum requires an integrative course in Exploring

the Natural World (ENW), which will link a natural science departmental course with another

department to explore a single topic through multiple disciplines. This pedagogical practice will

require a substantial level of commitment to produce an effective course offering. The new core

document indicates that these courses are to be typically instructed by full-time faculty. We

anticipate that biology will need to offer 7–9 courses annually to allow students to fulfill their

core requirements in this division. Currently, Drs. Johansen (with Dr. Rosenthal, English) and

Sheil (with Dr. Fitzpatrick, Philosophy) are offering ENW courses in Spring and Fall 2016,

respectively. Drs. Drenovsky, Hickerson, and Johnson are at such an early stage of developing

ENW courses that it is unclear whether any of these will be offered. We anticipate offering very

few majors-level ENW courses, because these offerings will stretch our department resources

(particularly in terms of staffing) in a way that will prevent us from contributing fully to the

delivery of ENW courses to non-science majors.

Shifting towards having more full-time faculty offering courses to non-science majors

will be extremely taxing on our department. By adding Dr. Watling, Dr. Johansen is free to offer

his ENW course up to three times per year (assuming there are instructors with whom he can

partner). Increased demands at this level will force us to limit major-level courses by increasing

seat counts in available courses, decreasing the number of course sections (with a concomitant

increase in seat counts for the remaining sections), or decreasing course frequency. These

14

options are not appealing or consistent with departmental and university philosophy. If there

were course offerings that were unpopular or under-enrolled, we would gladly sacrifice or limit

them. The department has analyzed graduation data along with student enrollment in old core

offerings and determined that 2 Biology Department hires are necessary in order to fully

implement the new core and maintain the vibrant, rigorous majors that we have crafted.

V. STUDENT LEARNING

A. Pedagogy

The faculty design courses according to the goals of a class with increasing frequency of writing,

presentations, data analysis, and independent research as students move into upper-division

courses. Student evaluations, informal feedback from alumni, and data from student surveys

indicate that biology faculty are effective educators. AAC&U high impact practices are present

in the curriculum, but data suggest that they are not as pervasive as the department might expect.

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is completed by enough JCU biology

majors to allow these data to be reported to the department separately from the university

(Appendix G). Two areas where the department falls short of other universities in our Carnegie

class include work with a faculty member on a research project (43% vs 64%), and completing a

culminating senior experience (capstone, 39% vs. 75%). Though faculty successfully recruit

students to work in their research labs, many students may not view independent- and mentored-

research projects in courses such as BL444 Advanced Ecology and BL470 Molecular Methods in

the same way—this may explain the relatively low scores we receive. The capstone experience

will be a requirement for graduates under the new integrative core curriculum; therefore, these

numbers will naturally improve with this change.

Within our department, there are many informal groups that meet weekly to discuss

current research: Herpetology Group; Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology Journal Club;

and individual journal clubs/lab meetings for most faculty research labs. These act as learning

communities that allow undergraduate and graduate students to engage primary literature in an

environment where critical analysis skills can be nurtured in a low-stakes situation.

Additionally, these groups serve to build community within our department.

B. Advising

Each faculty member participates in cohort (freshman), pre-major (sophomores), major, and

graduate advising, whereas the chair also advises transfer students. Undergraduate advising

loads are distributed as evenly as possible across the department, and the load is ~30

students/advisor (Table I1; note the Biology chair’s counts are higher and more accurate).

Biology faculty have the largest advising loads in the College with more than twice as many

advisees than other departments. New faculty do not participate in advising until their second

year, and the chair assigns a small number (~6) of high-achieving majors for the initial advising

load. When students declare one of the specialty majors (CMB or ES), the chair assigns the

student to be advised by someone in the subdiscipline. When faculty take a sabbatical, advising

loads are shifted across the department, resulting in larger, transient advising loads. Dr. Johnson

piloted advising honors STEM students in a special cohort starting in Fall 2014. Although there

is no formal evaluation of academic advising, senior exit interviews do provide qualitative

15

assessment of the advising experience. Students are satisfied with departmental advising as

~90% indicated they had a positive experience with advising (Appendix G). However, student

comments suggest that more vocational advising would be helpful, especially for those who do

not intend to enter a health care field; additionally, NSSE data (Appendix G, Question 13d)

suggest that career services are lacking in our department.

Graduate advising loads vary across our department and among our faculty, who serve as

the primary thesis advisor for his/her MS students, while also serving on other thesis committees

as a reader; each committee member commits to heavy participation in all aspects of the thesis

proposal and thesis defense process. With three-person committees advising 15 graduate

students, each faculty member participates in an average of four committees/year. It is worth

noting that considerable time is spent with each graduate student to: develop research

experiences and skills that will make them competitive for PhD programs and jobs; prepare them

to present talks and posters at professional meetings (national and international); and provide

general mentorship for professional success. Evidence of the success and value of these

activities can be seen in the number of peer-reviewed papers, presentations, and posters that

include our Master's students, as well as the number of PhD positions and jobs that are obtained

by our MS students upon graduation. We strongly feel that a departmental emphasis on student

mentorship will cultivate these student outcomes.

C. Student Scholarship, Internships, Experiential Learning, Creative Work, Volunteerism

Since 2008, 83 peer-reviewed publications have been co-authored with students in our

department (30 undergraduates, 53 graduate students), with virtually all of this research through

direct collaboration with faculty in our department (as opposed to research at Cleveland Clinic,

etc.). Students give poster presentations on their research conducted at JCU and other places;

though some of these presentations occur in the spring-semester JCU Celebration of Scholarship,

talks and posters at regional, national, and international conferences are commonplace. Students

in the neuroscience concentration have routinely earned honors for papers and posters resulting

from their independent research projects with Drs. Wideman and Murphy (Psychological

Science).

Experiential learning is achieved mainly through lab and field research experiences.

Most courses are accompanied by a lab, but original research projects performed outside of a

course may represent some of the most valuable work that we do with our students.

Undergraduates are encouraged to seek research opportunities in the department as early as their

freshman year, and annually our faculty mentor 20–30 undergraduates in their research labs (in

addition to our 15 MS students). Summer research support for students occurs through a

program with Cleveland Clinic faculty (10 students), and an endowed on-campus summer

internship program in the STEM disciplines (7 students); biology students typically receive about

10 of these 17 positions. Other recent summer internship location include: Cleveland Botanical

Garden, Museum of Natural History, and Metroparks Zoo; Columbus Zoo; Holden Arboretum;

MetroHealth; Nature Center at Shaker Lakes; Audubon Society; National Science Foundation;

and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. Student interest in these research programs

exceeds our resources to provide them, and our department could easily use more internships for

highly-trained and qualified students.

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D. Professional Development, Post-Graduation, and Alumni Outcomes

Professional development is achieved through HPAC and experiential learning (e.g., internships

and research with faculty). Data for alumni outcomes are sparse as University Advancement

does not share these data. However, we determined the first jobs and graduate programs for the

2013–15 graduates from direct surveys of our faculty (Table 4). In this cohort, nearly half of our

graduates attend a graduate program that will lead to a job in health care, whereas one-third will

continue with research in a graduate program or at the Cleveland Clinic. Since 2006, 23 MS

alumni (42%) have entered PhD programs, whereas only four of our MS alumni have entered

MD/DO/DDS programs; this outcome likely results from more intentional, active recruiting by

faculty to seek research-oriented MS students.

Outcome Allied health

MD/DO Graduate school

Research Education DDS Service Other

alumni 40 13/11 26 14 8 6 8 16 Table 4. Graduate programs and employment of undergraduate program alumni from 2013–15

classes. There are 43 graduates for whom the post-graduate status remains unknown.

VI. UNIVERSITY SUPPORT AND RESOURCES

A. Library

Grasselli Library offers hard copies of books and some scientific journals. OhioLink and our

Interlibrary Loan system offer good (but not complete) access to most other journals, books, and

other printed material, and most of our faculty have success finding current material with JSTOR

and Web of Science. These materials are used for teaching and research, and our faculty are

satisfied with their access to these resources. New titles are advertised with the GOBI system via

email, and faculty can actively request purchases of new materials for our reference collections.

B. Research Partners

Faculty in our department maintain active research collaborations with numerous local, national,

and international institutions (Appendix I). Notable research partners include: Cleveland Clinic

Foundation; Cleveland Museum of Natural History; Czech Academy of Sciences; Lerner

Research Institute; Organization for Tropical Studies (Costa Rica); University of Sao Paulo;

University of South Bohemia; USDA-ARS, Aquatic Invasive Weeds Unit; and US Geological

Survey. Adjunct Status is maintained by some of our faculty at: Cleveland Clinic Foundation

(Visiting Scientist); Cleveland State University (Adjunct Graduate Faculty); University of

Florida; and University of South Bohemia. Scientists at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and

Cleveland Museum of Natural History serve on thesis committees for some MS students.

International collaborations have brought MS students to our program from Czech Republic,

Mexico, Russia, Vietnam, and Brazil.

C. Technology

Several courses require students to use computers during class to collect, analyze, and interpret

data or prepare reports (e.g., BL157 & BL158, Principles of Biology I and II, and BL360L

17

Human Physiology Laboratory); students in Experimental Design & Analysis (BL560) and

Geographic Information Systems (BL417) present real-time instruction on how to use this

software in class. Availability of site licenses is a concern for some software. Each research lab

is equipped with technical equipment specific to the research being conducted, including (but not

limited to): microscopes; analytical equipment for chemistry; equipment for studying molecular

biology and systematics; and physiology. Also, faculty and students have access to some

equipment in the Chemistry Department. In Fall 2012, ITS purchased 16 iPads for use in several

biology labs. These iPads have been used in some labs as e-readers, but are also used to develop

lab reports and collect data; their use has received mixed feedback from faculty and students.

Several faculty (Sheil and Drenovsky) have implemented pre-made videos for lab instruction

(BL160 & 426), and short podcasts are used in field-based courses (BL406 and BL454L) to

make student-driven science available to the public. Michael MacDonald (Videography/Media

Designer) and the Center for Digital Media (Grasselli Library) have played an important role in

keeping the department current in areas of digital media and communication. In Fall 2014, our

department purchased 2 iPads for instructional use; these have been used in Human A&P

Laboratory, Desert Biology, and Molecular Cell Biology lecture.

D. Facilities

The Biology Department is located in the Dolan Center for Science & Technology (completed in

2003). Faculty were involved in designing the laboratories and classrooms, and these spaces

continue to meet their needs. These facilities remain in excellent condition and serve to attract

new hires and students. Facilities in our department include: 21 offices for 11 faculty, 1 lab

coordinator, part-time faculty and 15 GA’s; 19 faculty research lab spaces; 4 student research

labs; 7 teaching laboratories with prep rooms; conference room; 2 storage facilities; aquatics

facility; insect-rearing room; growth chambers; vivarium/neuroscience research facility;

greenhouse and headhouse facility; and several spaces shared with the Department of Chemistry

(biochemistry preparation room, environmental control room, and autoclave). All rooms are

used extensively by faculty, staff, and students, and recent growth in number of tenure-track

faculty and graduate teaching assistants in our department has left us with no underutilized

space. If we add additional faculty to our department, we will need to evaluate how and where

to provide lab and office space.

E. Financial Support:

Through the university budget, our department provides modest yearly funding for expendable

items, teaching laboratories, and research ($90,000 for entire department with ~$50,000 for

research labs), and graduate research (approximately $1000/student). Recent hires have received

$65,000-85,000 in start-up funds to establish their research laboratories.

F. Budget and Revenue:

The department spends ~$200,000 in operating costs annually to cover research and teaching

labs, travel, work study, service contracts, and computer purchases. In 2014–15, the total cost of

the department was $1.6 million dollars (Appendix I). If revenue is limited to only credit hours

and lab fees, the true cost to the university can be determined. Discounted tuition at JCU results

18

in each credit generating ~$430, and ~4400 total credits were taken by non-MS students in

2014–15. In addition, lab fees totaled ~$65,000 in the 2014–15 academic year. Therefore,

revenue generated by the Biology Department was slightly less than $2 million. In fact, the

department has produced ~$1.5 million in net revenue over 3 years. This suggests that the

department could grow in terms of number of faculty, staff, and/or MS students and remain

profitable to the university.

G. Equipment for Teaching & Research (Appendix I):

Though we have adequate equipment to conduct our classes and research, our primary concerns

center on issues of age and replacement of equipment when it fails or becomes dated.

Considerable overlap exists for high-use equipment in teaching and research labs.

Teaching: In general, adequate equipment is available to meet the learning outcomes of

all lab-based courses associated with general biology, anatomy and physiology, biotechnology,

and microbiology (BL157, 158, 160, 215L, 230L/231L, 310L, 350L, 360L, and 470). We have

unique collections of preserved specimens and an excellent collection of histological slides for

our organismal labs (BL160, 255, 350, 405, 421L, 423L, 425L, 426L, and 430L). For labs that

take students to the field at least once per semester (103L, 109L, 111L, 224L, 255L, 406, 423L,

424L, 425L, 426L, 435L, 444L, 447L, and 454L), there is an adequate list of expendable and

durable items, as well as analytical equipment to make the field experiences fascinating and

relevant for students. With a recent cycle of small-capital purchases, we have replaced most of

our older microscopes, and we now have 97 new or relatively new compound light microscopes

and 20 dissecting microscopes for use across our lab- and field-based courses. The department

has 2 LI-COR real-time environmental analyzers (one acquired primarily for research, the other

for teaching) that are used in several of our key introductory and upper-division courses (BL157,

158, 420, and 444). More than 300 students use this equipment annually for measurements of

physiological processes such as photosynthesis and cellular respiration. A small fleet of

university vehicles (shared 16-person van, 2 small buses, and several smaller vehicles) are

available with some restrictions to take students off campus.

Research: Research labs for our tenure-track faculty have most of the major equipment

needed to support publishable research. Much of this equipment was purchased on startup funds

for 7 new hires over the past 13 years. Additionally, the Department of Chemistry has some

analytical equipment that is used extensively by our faculty (e.g., Perkin-Elmer ICP-OES, GC-

MS, AA-AES, Ion Chromatograph, and at least one -80˚C freezer); access to this equipment is

critical for faculty and student research, and likely played a role in attracting some of our newer

faculty to JCU. Several research labs are equipped for work in histology, tissue culture, cell

growth and physiology, molecular systematics, ecology, insect rearing, development, and cell &

molecular biology. However, centrifuges, incubators and incubator/shakers, and freezers are

high-use pieces of expensive equipment used in research and teaching. When these fail, it will

be necessary to replace them immediately. Additionally, proprietary software for some

equipment (computers, digital cameras, analytical equipment, DIC microscope, and dataloggers)

becomes dated quickly, and electronic devices also have finite lifespans; these must be replaced

when their utility is surpassed. Our department is concerned about the age of this equipment and

our ability to replace it when it fails.

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VII. STUDENT LEARNING ASSESSMENT

The Biology Department administers the Major Field Test (MFT) exam to graduating seniors in

all three majors in late January. Approximately 70 students are examined each year, and the

MFT is first mentioned in the 1999–2001 undergraduate bulletin as a graduation requirement.

Students must perform within two standard deviations of the mean in order to pass this

graduation requirement. This low requirement does not typically act as a barrier to graduation

(no student has failed in the past six years); however, it does provide some motivation for

students to take the exam seriously and perform to their abilities. The department does not

advertise the score requirement for graduation to students in order to help achieve this outcome.

Data from the MFT are used to inform decisions when restructuring our curricula. For

example, prior to 2003, biology majors were required to take a two-semester introductory course

sequence. MFT results indicated that Organismal Biology was an area in which our majors were

performing well below the national average (particularly in content covering biodiversity and

plant biology). Subsequently, the introductory sequence was revised and expanded to three

semesters. The second semester course (BL156/158) was revised to focus on plant and animal

anatomy and physiology, and the third semester course focuses on biodiversity (BL159/160).

MFT scores from 2012–15 (Table 5) support that this revision was effective—biodiversity and

botany/zoology subscores are now well above national averages. Additionally, in 2015,

departmental averages were higher than national averages in every assessment indicator. Student

performance on various measures might be predicted given the different curricula. For example,

CMB majors would be expected to outperform Biology or ES majors in areas such as genetics or

cell biology, and this expected result occurs. Other examples would be ES majors scoring better

than CMB majors in Population Biology, Evolution, and Ecology.

In Fall 2014, the department approved learning outcomes for all three majors and the MA

and MS graduate programs. With this framework in place, instructors assessed student learning

in the spring and summer 2015. A preliminary assessment report (Appendix G) has been

developed in advance of a full assessment report that will be presented in April 2016. In-person

exit interviews with seniors were conducted with a randomly chosen subset of majors, and all

majors were encouraged to complete a survey, whereby they could transmit the same information

as the students who were chosen for exit interviews. Data and comments are present in

Appendix G. Of note, all students felt experimental design/interpretation and critical thinking

skills were emphasized by the department. In general, there were few negative comments given

in this informal assessment.

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Assessment indicator

All MFT institutions

4-yr JCU average

2012 2013 2014 2015

Biochemistry and cell energetics

46.6 48.5 51 46 48 49

Cellular structure, organization, function

50.4 50.0 50 48 50 51

Molecular biology and molecular genetics

47.1 48.5 47 48 50 49

Diversity of organisms

42.3 45.5

47 43 45 47

Organismal-animals

41.2 43.5 40 42 45 47

Organismal-plants

32.7 35.8 35 35 33 40

Population genetics and evolution

50.5 52.8 49 51 55 56

Ecology 51.2 51.8 53 50 50 54

Analytical skills 46.8 47.8 47 46 47 51 Table 5. Comparison of cohorts 2012–15 to national average. There were 509 universities

offering the MFT exam over the 2010–15 period shown in this table.

VIII. COMPARATIVE POSITION

A. Comparison with Direct Competitors

Comparisons were made to several institutions that are located within our geographic region.

These schools are similar in size and compete with JCU for incoming students: Baldwin-

Wallace University (similarly-sized private university within 25 miles of JCU); Duquesne

University (a larger catholic university in Pittsburgh); and Xavier University (a larger Jesuit

institution in Cincinnati). These institutions also offer majors in Biology and Environmental

Science. Appendix I presents a comparison of curricula across programs along with information

about number of faculty, students, and degrees awarded at these schools.

Majors & Curricula: Across programs, department requirements for completion of a

degree range from 51–87 credits (Appendix I), primarily from natural science and math, but

depending upon the program (e.g., environmental science) they may also require courses in

21

economics, humanities, political science, and sociology. The majority of programs in biology

and environmental science require one year each of introductory biology, general chemistry, and

mathematics (one semester each of calculus and statistics); BW is an exception that requires less

general chemistry and no calculus for two of their programs. Essentially all BS Biology degrees

require genetics as an introductory course; although it is not required for XU’s BS Applied

Biology, it is a prerequisite for many upper division courses and therefore is a de facto

requirement for this major. One year of organic chemistry is required for all BS Biology

programs (except XU's BS Applied Biology), whereas most programs in environmental science

or sustainability do not require this sequence (it is strongly recommended for majors in

Environmental Science). All BS in Biology programs are essentially congruent in terms of the

number and nature of required and elective credits/courses for a major. One exception is

whether or not an equivalent course to our BL159/160 (Principles of Biology III) is required.

JCU seems to be the only program that requires this one-semester introductory course in

biodiversity and evolution of animals and plants, whereas BW requires one semester each of

zoology and botany to complete an equivalent requirement; other programs may offer this as an

elective. A one-year physics requirement varies depending upon the program, such that those

students pursuing degrees in Biology typically enroll in a physics sequence suitable for life-

sciences, whereas those engaged in environmental science or sustainability enroll in physics

courses that present principles of geology and Earth surface processes.

Programs and departments vary greatly as a consequence of the size of an institution or

department, and those programs with the greatest number of full-and part-time faculty offer the

greatest diversity of elective courses. This is particularly true of DU, which also has the greatest

course- and credit-requirements for their majors. Smaller, liberal arts programs (JCU, BWU, &

XU) have fewer requirements for graduation within a major (typically < 70 credits) than do their

larger competitors. This affords the opportunity for students to explore a broader diversity of

courses in a liberal arts core.

Regionally, BWU is considered a competitor for incoming students interested in

environmental science. Their BA in Sustainability (Quantitative and Sciences) aims to train

students how to, “implement sustainable processes that respect the environment, enhance public

policy and increase their profits”—this is fundamentally different from the goals of our BS

Environmental Science, which aims to train students “…to be advocates for environmental issues

and enter values-based careers, working towards improving environmental conditions world-

wide and respecting life through biodiversity preservation.” Xavier’s BS Environmental Science

& Policy is similar to JCU’s, but the curriculum is oriented to prepare qualified students for

admission to several of Duke University’s Environmental Science and Biology MS programs.

Overall, the curriculum associated with JCU’s BS degrees in Biology and Environmental

Science are congruent with those of our comparator schools.

Many BS Biology programs offer concentrations/tracks (e.g., Genetics & Molecular

Biology, Organismal Biology), but JCU stands out as one of the few that offers a BS in Cell &

Molecular Biology. This major is designed for students interested in advanced degrees in these

areas and is attractive to students pursuing careers in research and health professions.

Staffing & Department Size: Across all institutions, conspicuous differences exist in the

number of degrees awarded relative to the number of faculty involved in training these students

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(Table 5). Because some DU and XU data are not reported, it is difficult to compare among

individual majors. For example, DU lists 77 degrees for BS Biological Sciences and 1

Environmental, despite having a separate major in ES supported by 6 faculty; XU lists 48 BS

degrees for all of the majors in biological sciences, despite having 5 majors associated with

biology and environmental science. Full-time faculty in our department support more degrees

per faculty (6.2) than our comparator universities. XU represents a larger Jesuit university in

Ohio that lacks a graduate program—it awards 3.4 degrees per faculty. Similar trends result

from analyses of part-time faculty only, and of all full- and part-time faculty relative to number

of degrees awarded. All faculty in our department support a larger number of students to

completion of their degrees than at any of these comparator schools. This disparity widens when

one considers that JCU has MA/MS programs that are also supported by its faculty. The Bureau

of Labor Statistics predicts a 5–14.7% increase in careers in life & environmental sciences by

2022. This suggests continued or increased interest among incoming freshman students for

degrees in biological and environmental sciences.

Institution

Total #

Degrees in

Department

# FT

Faculty

(# Degrees)/

(# FT

Faculty)

# PT

Faculty

(# Degrees)/

(# PT Faculty)

JCU 68 11 6.2 7 9.7

BWU 48 8 6.0 5 9.6

DU 78 19 4.0 * *

XU 48 14 3.4 14 3.4

Table 6. Number of Degrees for All Majors Awarded Relative to the Number of Faculty at

Comparator Schools. * Complete data not available.

B. Best Practices in Field

Undergraduate Research: Numerous studies show that undergraduate research aids in the

persistence of students towards completion of their degrees, especially for those from

underrepresented groups in STEM. Currently, faculty would have to mentor 6–8 undergraduates

(in addition to the MS students already in their labs) in order to ensure a research experience or

capstone project for all of our majors. This goal is unachievable given limitations in our budget

and the fact that our faculty also teach 5–6 courses per academic year. We do not have time to

advise this many students to complete meaningful research experiences. A research experience

is also not practical for all students, as some seem uninterested in research. Therefore, our

department does not support a requirement for research for all undergraduates. If it is required,

we will need additional faculty and resources.

Service Learning: Currently, only BL260 Poverty and Disease has a service-learning

component—this stands in sharp contrast to the expansion of such offerings across the

university. In our department, there are a few other courses that might readily lend themselves to

offering service learning experiences (e.g., perhaps some environmental science offerings), but it

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would be incredibly challenging for us to envision moving in this direction with our curriculum.

Expansion of service learning in our department would require faculty development.

Active & Inquiry-based Learning: Most of our introductory courses are delivered as lectures

and are content-heavy, whereas our labs include many creative active learning exercises. Faculty

learning communities or workshops would provide resources to strengthen our current offerings,

and would do much to train our faculty in creative, new pedagogical techniques. Our

department welcomes any effort to offer such training, as it would undoubtedly benefit the

students in our majors.

C. Unique Features

Our record of student-centered research clearly separates us from our comparator schools, and

our publication rate is in the top few percent of the country. Many of our faculty regularly

publish with JCU undergraduates, thereby offering unparalleled research and career-development

experiences for our students. Over the past 8 years, we have published 149 papers, many of

these with undergraduate and graduate students—this is particularly significant when one

considers the size of our department and the resources available to our faculty. This success

comes from the strong commitment of our faculty to engage our students through research and

teaching, despite the fact that this work is neither required nor remunerated. JCU students also

have access to a dedicated undergraduate research program with the CCF, which offers 10 paid

summer research internships annually, and an additional 2–3 students are paid by CCF faculty

outside of this program; many of these students are asked to continue working through the

academic year. Additionally, our students have opportunities to study in the field through 5

courses that take students to various locations in the United States, and two short-term

immersion trips provide experiences in Costa Rica (BL406 Tropical Field Biology) and

Honduras (the Honduras medical immersion trip). For a school and department of our size, these

programs and measures of success are exceptional.

IX. CONCLUSIONS

A. Summary of Program Strengths and Challenges

1. Strengths. The primary strengths of the Department of Biology reside in our faculty and

staff, who deliver high-quality learning experiences to our undergraduate and graduate students.

All other strengths are derived from the immense pride that we have in the work we do. Over the

past 50 years, not a single faculty member left our department prematurely for reasons other than

health, and we feel that this record of retention speaks volumes about our sense of community.

This is a primary reason why new, talented faculty choose to accept job offers in our department.

We have an excellent record of hiring dynamic, talented faculty who excel in teaching, research,

and engagement in all aspects of the university. We are committed to a collegial, collaborative,

and cooperative environment that has a student-centered focus. In addition, we feel that the

following are true strengths of our department:

Facilities and Equipment: Dolan Science Center provides excellent facilities for teaching

and research, and does much to attract new faculty, staff, and students. Facilities and lab

equipment support our excellent record of teaching and research.

Mentorship in Research: Faculty and staff provide unparalleled commitments to work with

research students, with a strong record of publication.

Professional Mentorship and Mentorship in Teaching: We have a strong record and

reputation for providing solid, transparent mentorship in teaching and professional

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development for our tenure-track faculty. Our perfect record of successful applications for

promotion and tenure over more than 25 years provides evidence in support of this statement.

Additionally, faculty and the chair of the department provide feedback for our part-time

faculty. We provide exceptional training for visiting and tenure-track faculty.

Course Offerings: Our department provides a breadth of course offerings that appeal to

students in all three majors. These courses typically fill to capacity.

Departmental Governance and Communication: Our department meets regularly, and all

staff and faculty have regular opportunities to voice concerns and share in issues of relevance

to the department. We have a transparent system of decision-making, and there are open

lines of communication among all faculty and staff. This is particularly true during

discussions of curriculum, resource allocation, assessment, and access to resources for

undergraduate and graduate research.

Academic Advising and Career Mentorship: Our faculty take academic advising

seriously, and we have a strong commitment to the new model of cohort advising. Our

advising loads are considerably higher than the college average.

Pre-Health Advising: HPAC: provides exceptional advising for pre-health students

2. Challenges. We recognize that some challenges exist, and offer these action plans:

Assessment: It is unclear whether our plan is yielding the information needed to lead to

data-driven curriculum reform.

New Integrative Core: The core will stretch faculty resources and will place unrealistic

limits on our course offerings. The only solutions will be to either change the new core

requirements, have other STEM departments offer more ENW courses, or to hire new faculty

in some capacity.

Professional Development: Few opportunities exist for professional development in areas

of pedagogy or assessment. Our faculty would welcome these. Additionally, many of our

faculty take students into the field or to conferences, which helps students engage in the

professional aspects of science. Increased support here would benefit student development.

Undergraduate Recruitment and Persistence: Recruitment is limited to one-on-one visits

by prospective students and infrequent JCU enrollment events. Some of our faculty would

seek more direct involvement with potential students—we can explain our department's

commitments to teaching, research, and professional mentorship of our students.

Additionally, further support for faculty-student research would increase persistence, and

biology-specific scholarships would positively impact both recruitment and persistence.

Gender and Diversity: Challenges around gender and diversity within our department

reflect those across campus, and much can be done to address issues of parity across campus

and within our community. We are committed to a department that reflects our community,

and we welcome the opportunity to seek teaching post-doc lines for under-represented groups

in a program developed by Dr. Terry Mills (Assistant Provost for Diversity and Inclusion).

We are committed to addressing these challenges, but we are constrained in our ability to do

this work as additional resources, either human and/or financial, will be necessary.

3. Weaknesses. We recognize that some weaknesses exist, and offer these action plans:

Faculty Evaluation: An evaluation system that incentivizes the quantity and quality of

work needs to be put in place, and the expectations by administrators must be transparent.

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Academic Advising: Our faculty advise an inequitable number of students (average =

30/advisor), particularly when one considers that some of our faculty advise more students

than some entire departments on campus. Our advising loads may not be sustainable.

B. Action Plan

1. Vision Statement:

The Biology Department will continue to provide a wealth of classroom, laboratory, and field

experiences to our students. We will expand and strengthen our commitment to develop

graduates who exhibit an integrative knowledge of human and natural worlds.

2. Improvements Using Current Resources:

Non-STEM (or STEM) advisor to help with cohort/pre-major advising

Discuss pedagogy (papers, techniques, etc.) during one department meeting/semester

Work with other departments to explain how to advise biology pre-majors

Continue to make course-level adjustments based on assessment data and continue to

close the loop on departmental outcomes

Facilitate faculty recruitment by establishing relationships with PhD students/post-docs

through invitation to participate in departmental seminar

3. Improvements Requiring New Resources:

New faculty lines

Teaching postdoctoral fellows

Another lab coordinator to work with Principles of Biology III Laboratory and/or Human

Anatomy & Physiology Laboratory

Increased research opportunities for undergraduates

Increased partnerships at the graduate level (National University of Ireland-Maynooth

joint MS program in Immunology and Global Health and Brazilian Science Mobility

Program) and professional school level (physician’s assistant partnership)

Increased support for student travel to conferences

X. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Given the success of the Biology graduate program, what resources are needed to sustain and

grow the program? What can we offer prospective students so that they choose JCU over a

similar program elsewhere? In particular, how does our GA stipend compare with that at other

schools? What other incentives are comparable schools offering that we may not offer (e.g.,

summer salary, travel money, etc.)?

2. What stresses have the increase in students interested in allied health professions placed on the

Biology Department? How might these stresses be alleviated?

3. The number of students taking Human A&P has increased and this is creating a bottleneck for

students (juniors have difficulty registering for the course). What options should be considered to

alleviate this problem? Would a lab coordinator (running three Anatomy labs and Bio 3 labs) be

the best option?

4. The large number of advisees per faculty member represents a considerable time commitment

for faculty. What suggestions can you offer the department for alleviating some of the burden?

5. How is the department going to face the added demands from the Integrated Core Curriculum?

New hires are needed, what should the hiring strategy entail?