Biology program review - College of the Desert€¦ · BIOLOGY PROGRAM REVIEW Attributes – Student Section Accomplishments: Student success rates are above the COD average (Spring

BIOLOGY PROGRAM REVIEW

Program Description:

Biology studies the molecular and cellular structures of

living organisms as well as the whole organism and also

includes structure-function relationships and organismal

behavior of plants, animals, bacteria, & fungi

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The Biology program offers college level courses designed

for general education, students majoring in biology, and

students wishing to transfer to nursing and allied health

programs

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Currently we offer approximately 43 sections per year,

serving 1,200 students

We have 3 full-time faculty and average

3 adjunct faculty per semester

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Mission Accomplishments:

The Biology program continues to serve students:

Obtaining an AS in biology (minority of biology students)

Transfer students majoring in biology

Students transferring to nursing and various

allied health professional schools

General education students

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Mission Accomplishments:

Continue to provide support to Upward Bound – a pro-

gram designed to prepare high school students, who

would be first generation college students, to succeed

Launched the Biology Club to increase awareness, com-

munication, and collaboration between

students and faculty interested in biology

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Mission Challenges:

Due to the high cost of equipping biology laboratory

classes, there are currently no plans to offer biology

courses at any of the new satellite campuses

Mission Objectives:

Develop more biology courses that fulfill transfer require-

ments for science majors and general education transfer

students

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Need: How Established?

Need for our program is based on what we require to

enhance teaching and create a better environment for

learning (update equipment, stay current with techno-

logies, etc.)

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Need: Variables

While the number of sections and FTES has been in de-

cline (due to the economy in the state of California), our

needs continue to increase due to

maintaining models and equipment

and coping with increasing costs of

supplies and services

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http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=nikon+microscope&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=fdejEnzefRbeDM&tbnid=fLdlBrKpXqb0vM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.morrellonline.com/rentals.htm&ei=dMBlUbzHBaS6iwKY-oG4Bg&bvm=bv.44990110,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNGgKMBFGOOtbh0ryhADfP-YUJc7BA&ust=1365709292109939


Need - Accomplishments:

The Biology program helped open the MSTC building last

fall (2012) with most of the necessary equipment in-

cluding a set of 30 microscopes for majors and general

education biology courses

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http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=college+of+the+desert+science&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=qCLzEOmOZtjVZM&tbnid=eN42OO3Egi0gDM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.mydesert.com/article/20130302/BUSINESS/303020042/Bonds-come-big-future-bite&ei=JL5lUaaKCsS4igKPoYHwBw&bvm=bv.44990110,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNGEYX8_x2PsX256hABo4dZC7oQ7zg&ust=1365708696846435


Need Accomplishments:

Each class has at least three of each anatomy model instead of just one for better student access

Need Challenges:

Three anatomy models per class is still inadequate for class sizes of 30 or more students

Wear and tear on models due to general usage also requires replacement or repair

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http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=human+blood+vessel+model&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=hK2Mj2857gmIEM&tbnid=J8Y5uLci1X19IM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://distinctlyoklahoma.com/health/protectingyourveins/&ei=3sNlUZLJPInCigLb94GQAw&bvm=bv.44990110,bs.1,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNGaPoPp1oJR11s_o_a2i7iUG7LJ4g&ust=1365710115389283


Need Challenges:

Due to the limitations of the number of chemistry faculty

and the limited number of chemistry courses that can be

offered, a liability occurs in most biology courses (except

BI 4) which are dependent on these courses as prerequi-

sites

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Need Objectives:

To enhance teaching and create a better environment for

learning, three

Microscopes with cameras

PCR machine

Additional BIOPAC’s

Computer software for ecology

and evolution simulations

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http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=computer&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=5ylVkhTZFLOz0M&tbnid=IJDFur7maw8xwM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://nicksilvestri.com/i-cant-live-without-my-computer/&ei=U85lUdKoNOjXiAK9w4GgDw&bvm=bv.45107431,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNG2LiPuq_kQHtwhKFO4S8uqsAQm3g&ust=1365712802580846


Attributes – Faculty Section Accomplishments:

The majority of the Biology faculty has been:

Newly hired in the last five years

Active in faculty development activities

Serving as mentors to adjunct faculty members

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http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=biology&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=acp5pAU3o7m34M&tbnid=srCs6KKFW2fmuM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/events/cabi2010/&ei=weVmUZLFHYeXiQKsw4DABw&bvm=bv.45107431,bs.1,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNE9yGZTU2GPjfxnzmzYVHlCfEdB4w&ust=1365784316327075


Attributes – Faculty Section Challenges:

To find a sufficient number of qualified adjunct faculty

Attributes – Faculty Section Objectives:

Retain current full-time and adjunct faculty members

Develop a larger pool of qualified, adjunct faculty

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http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=biology&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=acp5pAU3o7m34M&tbnid=srCs6KKFW2fmuM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/events/cabi2010/&ei=weVmUZLFHYeXiQKsw4DABw&bvm=bv.45107431,bs.1,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNE9yGZTU2GPjfxnzmzYVHlCfEdB4w&ust=1365784316327075


Attributes – Course Section Accomplishments:

All Biology courses currently offered include laboratory

components, critical to science education as they offer

hands-on experience and skill-building; a concerted effort

is made to ensure lecture and laboratory sections are

taught by the same instructor

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Attributes – Course Section Challenges:

Prerequisite verification

Rewriting and updating SLOs for some courses

Deactivating courses due to insufficient faculty

and resources

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Attributes – Course Section Objectives:

Work with enrollment services to ensure automatic

prerequisite verification

To continue to do assessment

reports and update SLOs and

course outlines

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Attributes – Program Section Accomplishments:

The Biology program continues to serve:

Students wishing to obtain an AS degree in biology

Science major and general education transfer students

Students transferring to nursing school and various allied

health programs

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http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=college+of+the+desert+nursing+building&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=Lp-ht8jmIsBkDM&tbnid=ztnEhQa90PrdGM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.greenlivingllc.com/Green Living The College of the Desert Page.html&ei=pstlUeuEEeXIigLtnYHADg&bvm=bv.45107431,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNHPej4i7-Vozt1gW7PdadJs1NlDGA&ust=1365712083428739


Attributes – Program Section Challenges:

Due to budget cuts, the number of Biology sections tradi-

tionally offered has decreased

Students have difficulty getting into the necessary Biology

classes, forcing them to delay graduation or transfer an

extra semester or even a year

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Attributes – Program Section Objectives:

To increase general education, biology majors, and allied

health course offerings when budgets allow to move stu-

dents through COD more efficiently

To design new courses that satisfy

general education & science major

transfer requirements

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Viruses

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Attributes – Student Section Accomplishments:

Student success rates are above the COD average (Spring

Semester 2012, 73.0% v. 70.2% COD)

Success rates for 2nd level courses are significantly higher than

the COD average (for Spring Semester 2012, 86.5%)

This indicates that the first level Biology courses and pre-

requisite courses, primarily Chemistry, are preparing students for

2nd level coursework

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Attributes – Student Section Challenges:

Entry level Biology courses have the lowest pass rates in

the program (Spring 2012, 15.2% (51/336) of students

enrolled in either BI 004 or BI 013 received a grade of W)

Attributes – Student Section Objectives:

Develop a strategy to improve retention in introductory

Biology courses

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Resources Accomplishments:

Opening of the MSTC building with new equipment

Anatomy & Physiology Models (3/lab section)

Better communication with counselors

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Resources Objectives:

Offer more courses to fill the new lecture and lab spaces

Maintain current equipment and supplies while upgrading

and expanding as the budget allows

Have a counselor assigned to Biology

becoming a liaison between the depart-

ment and the students

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Biology program review - College of the Desert€¦ · BIOLOGY PROGRAM REVIEW Attributes – Student Section Accomplishments: Student success rates are above the COD average (Spring