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Neuroscience Curriculum Proposal

Program in Neuroscience Curriculum Proposal

Fall, 2003

The College has been interested in developing departmental neuroscience curricula for several years. Currently three faculty members (B. Wightman, J. Rudski, M. Byrne) are teaching neuroscience-related courses with high sustained enrollment and student interest. The College recently committed to formalizing a neuroscience program by hiring, in May 2003, Dr. Jeremy Teissere, a molecular neurobiologist, as a tenure-track, assistant professor in the Biology Department. Dr. Teissere has been specifically charged with creating a new cross-disciplinary major in neuroscience. The following document presents a proposal for this major, outlining the coursework, rationale, and vision for neuroscience at the College. This proposal has grown out of multiple conversations with all participating departments.

I. Overview

The past decade has seen an explosive growth in formal undergraduate training in neuroscience. In 1995, 22 institutions of higher education were represented at a Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) conference on undergraduate neuroscience education[1]. Currently, 63 colleges and universities offer formal majors in neuroscience[2]. Approximately 60% of these institutions are primarily undergraduate liberal arts colleges and universities. Although Muhlenberg does not currently have a formal major in neuroscience, approximately 1-2 students create individually planned majors in neuroscience or biopsychology each year[3]. The dramatic increases in the availability of neuroscience training have been accompanied by increases in student interest, opportunities for graduate study in the neurosciences, major advances in research and technology, and the growing legitimization of neuroscience as a new interdisciplinary field of study.

At its most basic level, neuroscience is the study of the material basis of brains, minds, and behavior. Rigorous training in neuroscience must therefore involve fundamental training in the epistemology and research methods of not only the natural sciences, but also psychology and philosophy. Generally, this training manifests itself at the undergraduate level as introductory exposure to all of the supporting disciplines of the field, acquisition of quantitative skills (calculus, statistics), and sufficient depth of focus in biology and psychology.

Although there is general agreement among neuroscientists about which fields of study legitimately constitute “neuroscience” per se, the relative infancy of the field has produced an astounding diversity of types of undergraduate neuroscience majors. In our survey of eleven major programs, we discovered that no single neuroscience program could be considered “representative” (see appendix). Some programs focus on the biological aspects of animal behavior, others prioritize mathematical modeling and cognitive science or emphasize only human behavior and psychopathology. Additionally, some programs appear to be cobbled together from existing courses in representative disciplines, while others appear to have developed new courses to create a singular, unified focus that transverses the cross-disciplinary material. Due to the paucity of institutional (and field-wide) discussion about what constitutes a successful undergraduate neuroscience major, there have been few opportunities to reflect on the relative successes of these multiple models.

We believe the main challenge in developing a neuroscience major at Muhlenberg is to create a program that is both cohesive and truly cross-disciplinary without sacrificing overall the breadth of training outside a student’s major. Remaining mindful of this imperative, we have created a major that we believe builds upon strong foundational training in the natural sciences, psychology, and philosophy to impart core neuroscience knowledge. We have also considered the most effective ways to get students to look beyond traditional disciplines as they search for meanings and mechanisms in minds, brains, and behavior.

The proposed curricular changes described herein are mostly organizational but do involve the following new developments:

? the creation of two new courses in neuroscience;

? formalization of research opportunities in neuroscience; and

? the creation of a new catalog designation for the core courses in neuroscience (NSC).

These changes fundamentally organize the proposed major around a common core of knowledge while simultaneously enhancing both depth of focus and cross-disciplinary discourse in neuroscience at the College.

II. The Proposed Major (15 courses)

1. Four (4) core courses in neuroscience

? Mind and Brain (NSC 1XX; new course)

? Biological Psychology (PSY 208/NSC 208[4]; new designation)

? Neurobiology (BIO 248/NSC 248; new designation and course name)

? Advanced Topics in Neuroscience (NSC 4XX; new course)

2. Eight (8) cognate courses in science[5]

? Principles of Biology I, II, and III (BIO 150, 151, 152)

? General Chemistry I and II (CHM 103, 104)

? Calculus I (MTH 121)

? Introduction to Psychology (PSY 101)

? Philosophy of Mind (PHL 238)

3. Three (3) electives in neuroscience. At least 2 lists must be represented.

List A

? Cell Biology I (BIO 205) ? Ethology (BIO 265)

? Genetics (BIO 215) ? Cell Biology II (BIO 305)

? Biochemistry (BIO 220) ? Molecular Biology (BIO 412)

? Developmental Biology (BIO 240) ? Transmission EM (BIO 421)

? Comparative Anatomy (BIO 245) ? Physiological Ecology (BIO 460)

? General Physiology (BIO 250)

II. The Proposed Major, cont.

List B

? Theory of Knowledge (PHL 231)[6]

? Philosophy of Science (PHL 237)

? Linguistic Philosophy (PHL 327)

? Phenomenology (PHL 329)

List C

? Learning and Behavior (PSY 201) ? Abnormal Psychology (PSY 213)

? Social Psychology (PSY 202) ? Cognitive Processes (PSY 301)

? Sensation and Perception (PSY 207) ? Psychopharmacology (PSY 3XX)[7]

List D

? Neuroscience Research/ Independent Study (NSC 970; new course)

III. Rationale for Each Curricular Change

Creation of two new neuroscience courses

The College presently offers two courses with explicit content in neuroscience: Neurobiology (BIO 248)[8] and Biological Psychology (PSY 308). These courses are rigorous surveys of core knowledge in neuroscience: Neurobiology covers molecular, cellular, physiological, and developmental aspects of neurons, whereas Biological Psychology covers systems and behavioral approaches to brain function. Thus, taken together, both courses already contain an enmeshed and somewhat sequential curriculum in which all of the subfields of neuroscience are introduced. Both courses maintain high enrollments and have often been centerpieces of student-directed majors in neuroscience. It therefore seems logical to build the neuroscience major around these two existing courses. These courses will also augment training in neuroscience by allowing students to carry out research projects under faculty guidance. This training will increase hands-on, problem-based learning opportunities while simultaneously exposing students to practical research techniques in neuroscience.

We believe that core training in neuroscience should also include an introductory course that will highlight the foundations and emerging critical issues of neuroscience in context (NSC 1XX – Mind and Brain). We envision this course using a directed focus approach (rather than a broad survey) to look at key problems or case studies in the field of neuroscience. This is partly a reaction to the enormous breadth of the field; we believe that quality of topic development is a more effective goal for an introductory class than quantity of topics discussed. Topics covered may include the problem of consciousness; the correspondence between brain and mind; the relationship of neurophysiology and animal behavior; and the neural substrates of mental illness. We will also use this course as a means of introducing the various perspectives and theories of the supporting fields of neuroscience, including biology, psychology, and philosophy, paying special attention to their intersections and disagreements. A laboratory sequence will introduce students to neuroanatomy, basic neurophysiology, and hypothesis testing within the field. We would like this course to carry the S designation[9] and thereby expose nonmajors to neuroscience as an interdisciplinary academic discourse (as well as encourage student majors from departments outside of the natural sciences and psychology). The creation of this course will not alter staffing needs within the biology or psychology departments. It is expected that J. Teissere will teach this course on a yearly basis, and current projections for course offerings in the biology department reflect this.

We would like to augment the breadth of our introductory training with opportunities to do advanced work in the field prior to graduation. We believe that an capstone seminar focusing on primary literature analysis will catalyze curricular integration and application among majors (NSC 4XX – Advanced Topics in Neuroscience). It will also allow students to work within a depth of focus previously unavailable to them in the major. We envision that this class could change its specific focus as needed to reflect changes in faculty scholarship, innovations in the field, and student interest. We anticipate that this course will use writing as a method through which students will engage advanced topics in neuroscience, and therefore envision this course carrying the W designation[10]. The creation of this course will not likely alter staffing needs within the biology or psychology departments. It is expected that this course will be offered on a yearly basis, and current projections for course offerings in the biology department reflect this. Both J. Teissere and B. Wightman have expressed interest in teaching this course.

The biology department has recently been invited to submit an application for a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Grant in Undergraduate Science Education. A significant portion of this application was devoted to an equipment and laboratory development proposal that, if funded, would create a state-of-the-art laboratory teaching space for cellular and molecular neuroscience. This space will be used by students in both Mind and Brain and Neurobiology, as well as students completing research in neuroscience. Thus, the proposed curriculum described herein will benefit extraordinarily from the technical innovations that will be made possible by this grant if it is funded.

Research/ Independent Study Elective

This elective (see List D) provides an outstanding opportunity for students majoring in neuroscience to complete independent scholarly activities under faculty guidance. In this proposal, we formalized elective research activities in the major for several reasons:

? to facilitate hands-on, problem-based training and learning among majors;

? to create opportunities for students to integrate neuroscience core knowledge with other

fields of interest; and

? to move away from didactic models of pedagogy in support of a more student-driven

approach to neuroscience.

We are hopeful that an elective in research will act as a catalyst for the creation of a cross-disciplinary conversation about neuroscience at Muhlenberg, driven by primarily by student scholarship. The nature of this work will obviously reflect the research methods and material endemic to the project. For example, completion of this elective under the guidance of a biologist may involve an analysis of research literature or the creation of a small, novel research project. In contrast, research done with a faculty member in philosophy may involve a critical evaluation of theory. Regardless of the mode of research employed, the final product of the research will be a student-driven work developed in consultation with the faculty mentor. We envision creating an audience for this work by creating a neuroscience seminar series in which students are able to present their analyses. Alternatively, we may showcase the products of student research at formal poster sessions. At the core of this elective are the common goals of enriching the integrative training of a student and increasing opportunities for learning outside of the classroom.

Administration of this aspect of the major will be carried out by the director of the program and will require the following new developments:

? Clear guidelines available to both students and faculty mentors who engage in research,

including a description of the possible kinds of projects and modes of

assessment;

? Availability of the affiliate faculty in neuroscience for research or independent study

consultation and/or mentorship; and

? Creation of a forum for student scholarship, such as a seminar series or an annual poster

session.

Creation of a neuroscience course designation in the College catalog

We propose a new course designation for the core neuroscience courses required by the major (Neuroscience – NSC). We believe that this unification of core courses under a single rubric will both legitimate neuroscience as a unique and novel major in its own right as well as provide a clear course “roadmap” by which students can easily organize their major requirements. This is analogous to the existing interdisciplinary major in environmental science.

Thus, Mind and Brain (NSC 1XX), Biological Psychology (NSC 208), Neurobiology (NSC 248), Advanced Topics in Neuroscience (NSC 4XX), and Neuroscience Research/ Independent Study (NSC 970) will carry this new NSC designation. We would like to continue to use this rubric for new courses in neuroscience as they are developed and implemented (e.g., a new course in neural development, psychopharmacology, or neuroendocrinology could be grouped under the NSC heading). Courses specifically developed for the neuroscience rubric will become eligible as elective requirements under List D.

Because Neurobiology and Biological Psychology are existing courses within the biology and psychology departments, respectively, we would like to cross-list Neurobiology as both NSC 248 and BIO 248 (existing course number) and Biological Psychology as both NSC 208 and PSY 208 (existing course number). Cross-listing of these courses will allow them to continue to be available to biology and psychology majors wishing to take an elective course in neuroscience.

Cognate requirements

The cognate requirements of the neuroscience major allow broad training in biology (BIO 150, 151, 152), chemistry (CHM 103, 104), calculus (MTH 121), psychology (PSY 101), and philosophy of mind (PHL 238) at the introductory level. There are no “hidden” prerequisites for these courses.

Most of these courses are expected requirements for a major within the natural sciences and are generally prerequisites for advanced work within the participating departments. These requirements will ensure that all majors receive basic training in biology at all levels of organization; understand the fundamental principles of chemistry and calculus; develop fluency in principles of psychology; and cultivate an appreciation for philosophical approaches to minds and behavior. Additionally, completion of these cognate requirements simultaneously satisfies the S, G, and P general academic requirements and one-half of the B requirement.

Ideally, we would also like a student major to possess a year of training in physics (PHY 211, 212) and organic chemistry (CHM 201, 202) and a semester of training in statistical methods (PSY 103). Unfortunately, including these courses in the cognate requirements would result in a 20-course major, far exceeding the College’s guidelines. Thus, we built the cognate requirements upon what we felt would be the key courses necessary for foundational training (we also minimized the cognate requirements to allow for more core training in neuroscience and to increase elective opportunities). However, we recognize that students wishing to pursue graduate work in neuroscience (or biology or psychology) or students interested in the health professions must complete some or all of these courses because they are virtually always required prior to matriculation. We will therefore strongly encourage all neuroscience majors to complete both semesters of introductory physics, both semesters of organic chemistry, and at least one semester of statistical methods. These courses, however, will not count toward major requirements.