Carleton College Biology Department One North College Street Northfield, Minnesota 55057 April 8, 2015 Proposal for New FTE in Neuroscience Dear Dean Nagel, Given the increasing interest in neuroscience coinciding with the progress in planning for the science facilities, this is an opportune time to consider how the College might reinforce the Neuroscience concentration and plan for the future, including the possibility of an eventual neuroscience major. We realize that to strengthen Neuroscience, we need to create a physical space, or “heart” for neuroscience within the science complex. While we anticipate that this “heart” will bring students and faculty together to strengthen and foster a neuroscience identity at Carleton, it has also become clear that supporting our students’ development as neuroscientists will require significant faculty resources. The current Neuroscience committee is made up of three faculty from Psychology (Meerts, Neiworth, and Wichlinski) and three faculty from Biology (Jaramillo, Rand, and Wolff). The members of this committee have discussed at length the curricular development and growth of the concentration. In addition, the recent departmental reviews for Psychology and Biology have considered the need for growth in the area of neuroscience. Please accept this document as a proposal for a new FTE in the area of Neuroscience. Introduction Neuroscience centers on the study of the brain and the nervous system. These amazing anatomical structures regulate almost every aspect of human and animal bodily function, ranging from movement, breathing rate and appetite to emotion, memory and love. The brain shapes our thoughts, beliefs, hopes, dreams, esthetic appreciations, and imaginations. It is our brain’s ability to perform these functions that makes us human, and makes the process of understanding these systems central to humanity as well as Carleton’s mission. Neuroscientists strive for a deeper understanding of how the nerve cells develop, connect into functional circuits, respond to stimuli in time- and circuit-dependent fashion, recover from injury/insult, and die. To reach these goals, neuroscientists encompass a wide range of disciplines and techniques in order to evaluate nervous system function at multiple levels of organization. One hopeful outcome is to work collaboratively with the common goal of understanding the neural underpinnings of thought and behavior with the possibility of shedding light on the causes of devastating neurological disorders. Our proposal for a new FTE is really quite simple. A new FTE in Neuroscience will strengthen the Neuroscience concentration by creating a sustainable, more cogent curriculum that will illustrate the diversity of questions and approaches used to understand neurodevelopment, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, and their relationships to behavior. 1 Background The Neuroscience concentration at Carleton started in 2007, stemming from an increase in student requests for a Neuroscience special major. At the time, there were several reasons to favor a concentration over a special major. First, by offering the concentration to complement a student’s major, the students retained a home-base department where they could better establish a relationship with faculty and fellow students. Those relationships may not develop as easily with special majors, and therefore compromises an important aspect of their education at the college. Second, we felt that a concentration allowed students to experience an important area of inquiry in science without unduly directing them towards a professional choice that could be more appropriately made at a later stage in their education. Third, the growing numbers of requests for a special major in neuroscience were unevenly adding to the workload of a few faculty advisors. The Neuroscience concentration currently includes required classes in Psychology (6 credits) and Biology (12 credits), with 18 credits of electives selected from numerous courses across seven departments and programs. Administrative structure for the concentration includes a director (1 course credit leave every 3 years). Since its establishment, there have been an average of 13.6 Neuroscience concentrators per year (see Appendix I). Strengths Over the eight years that the neuroscience concentration has been in existence, we have seen a steady growth in popularity: neuroscience is now second only to biochemistry in number of concentrators. We believe this is due to a couple of reasons. First, there seems to be more interest in interdisciplinary science fields. Most traditional studies within neuroscience are truly situated between psychology and biology. However, there are newly arising disciplines (e.g. neurophysics, neurolinguistics, neuroeconomics) that further expand the array of possible connections among course offerings from other departments. With the objective to have students explore these relationships, the concentration requires students to sample from a large variety of courses outside their major. At the same time, students maintain a home-base department, and thus are able to identify with a department and build relationships with peers and faculty in their discipline. Opportunities for improvement that support new Neuroscience FTE Creating community and building foundational knowledge Although allowing great flexibility, there are limitations to the current curriculum. The concentration lacks the benefit of a clear focal starting point for our concentrators to create a community of peers and establish a foundation in interdisciplinary inquiry at an early stage. The current Neuroscience faculty feel that the current capstone seminar comes too late in the curriculum to form a community. Also, high demand across majors for the Neuroscience core course, Neurobiology (BIOL386), has delayed learning key biological foundations of neuroscience until after completion of electives. We have found student preparation for this course varies greatly depending on the amount of background. A new introductory level core course (i.e. Introduction to Neuroscience) designed for neuroscience would serve two purposes: first, the course would provide the foundational knowledge and interdisciplinary perspective necessary for greater appreciation of and preparation for upper-level courses; and second, the course would help to develop a “neuroscience identity” among the students across majors and departments. Identifying a new faculty member to design and implement this introductory course will strengthen the Neuroscience curriculum without compromising the departmental duties of current Neuroscience faculty. This faculty member will also provide additional courses to satisfy the 2 concentration electives, relieving the high demand and long wait lists associated with current Neuroscience electives (especially within the Psychology and Biology departments). Broadening the bridge In addition, the Carleton Neuroscience faculty is in discussion with the St. Olaf Neuroscience faculty to design a Cornerstone experience for our concentrators. We plan to offer a series of evening presentations by faculty from both schools to illustrate the diversity of questions, approaches, and techniques used by neuroscientists to explore the relationships between brains and behavior. A new Neuroscience faculty member will be invaluable in serving as a fresh communicator and bridge between the two campuses and programs. Strengthening neuroscience advising Finally, this new faculty member would serve as a neuroscience advisor, mentoring students as they select coursework and seek research opportunities to prepare them for neuroscience graduate programs. Though this should not be the focus of our program, it is an expectation of some of our students that could be satisfied with a designated faculty member who can adequately advise these students based on dynamic graduate school opportunities and requirements. If the faculty and the college are interested in a possible Neuroscience Major, then the addition of an FTE and the added courses would be a minimal requirement to move forward. Peer institutions A look at neuroscience programs at our peer institutions reveals a wide range of programs and approaches, many of which have dedicated neuroscience faculty (see Appendix II) and offer introductory neuroscience courses as well as neuroscience research. This allows these programs to offer numerous dedicated neuroscience courses, in some cases allowing for students to choose a track within neuroscience (e.g. neurophysiology, behavioral or cognitive neuroscience, neuroeconomics) Going Forward Most of the Neuroscience Committee has been working together congenially for more than eight years. We share a similar vision in terms of the potential growth of Neuroscience at Carleton. Our group would be happy to advise and serve in the search, mentorship, and evaluation of a new Neuroscience faculty member. Summary of the goals, expectations and benefits of proposed tenure-track FTE A new tenure track FTE in Neuroscience would address the following Carleton College objectives: • To recognize the increasing demand for neuroscience education • To emphasize the importance of understanding the mechanisms and substrates of human and non-human behavior as it applies to many disciplines In addition, this FTE will have significant impact to interdisciplinary programs across the College: • To alleviate the large enrollments in the introductory courses in both Psychology and Biology, especially if our proposed new Introduction to Neuroscience course counts as an intro course in both departments 3 • To reduce the enrollment pressures on upper-level course in the two departments by adding a set of courses that could be offered as electives and cross-listed in each department • To establish a foundation that prepares to support a larger interdisciplinary “hub” program that brings together the many spokes that exist across campus (e.g. biology, psychology, chemistry, computer science, cognitive studies, philosophy, linguists, economics, and music). An Example of a Possible Course Load for New FTE • Introductory Neuroscience and lab (2.0) • Mid- or upper-level electives in area of specialty, with labs (2.0) • Neuroscience Capstone / Seminar (1.0) This seminar could be added to our proposed seminar series (initiated with the cornerstone events involving Carleton, St.Olaf, and invited faculty, a selected topics seminar, and the capstone) taken by all Neuroscience students during Fall and Spring semesters during their junior and senior years. The selected topics and capstone would involve presentation of recent important findings in Neuroscience by faculty, students, and invited guest lecturers (e.g. graduate students at the U of M). • Independent scholarship incorporating student researchers Benefit for Carleton students and faculty The addition of a full-time neuroscience faculty member would: • Allow us to offer an introductory level neuroscience course with lab that would provide the foundation for upper-level neuroscience courses as well as introducing fundamental laboratory techniques and approaches. • Create additional research opportunities in neuroscience, ideally filling in gaps in our research areas. • Increase the number of electives available for concentrators • Bolster the capstone experience, making it more cohesive and more reinforcing of the coursework and community established early during the concentration • Offer students a key contact person to provide advising for neuroscience-related careers and grad programs • Provide an independent neuroscience-focused perspective to the core neuroscience faculty group Sincerely, Matthew S. Rand and Jennifer Wolff Professors of Biology and Co-Directors of Neuroscience 4 Appendix I. Neuroscience concentrators over the years. Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Number of Neuroscience Concentrators 4 10 13 9 14 21 17 21 19 (so far) Comparison of Neuroscience Concentrators (Percent of Total Number of Concentrators Across Campus). 5 Appendix II. Neuroscience Comparisons with Peer Institutions: Presence of intro course(s), faculty affiliations, number of dedicated courses, and independent research. Carleton College (Neuroscience Concentration) Intro course – no Faculty: Bio – 3; Psych – 3; Neuro – 0 Dedicated Courses: 0 Independent Research – yes, but in Psych & Bio Williams College (Neuroscience Program) Intro course – yes Faculty: Bio – 3; Psych – 4; Neuro – 1 Dedicated Courses: 13 Independent Research - yes Amherst College (Neuroscience Major and Program) Intro course – yes Bio – 2 (+4 affiliated); Psych – 3; Neuro – coordinator and technician Dedicated Courses: 3 Independent Research - yes Swarthmore College (Interdisciplinary Special Major) Intro course – no Faculty: Hard to decipher Dedicated Courses: no, very similar to what we currently have Independent Research Pomona College (Major) Intro course – yes, with lab Faculty: Bio – 2; Psych – 1; Neuro – 4 Dedicated Courses: 6 Independent Research - yes Bowdoin College (Major & Interdisciplinary Program ?) Intro course – yes Faculty: Bio – 2 w/co-affiliations; Psych – 2 w/co-affiliations; Neuro – 1 director Dedicated Courses: 1, plus honors and independent studies Independent Research - yes Middlebury College (Major) Intro course – yes Faculty: Bio – 2; Psych – 3; Neuro – 3 co-affiliated (w/ bio & psych), 4 affiliated with other departments Dedicated Courses: 14, plus independent studies and thesis Independent Research - yes Wellesley College (Major with three tracts) 6 Intro course – yes Faculty: Bio – 0; Psych – 0; Neuro – 6 + 2 lab instructors Dedicated Courses: 10 Independent Research - yes Haverford College (Minor with Bryn Mawr) Intro course – yes (in bio) Faculty: Bio – 3; Psych – 5; Neuro – 0 Dedicated Courses: no, all housed in Bio, Psych, CS, and Ling Independent Research - yes Claremont McKenna College (Major) Intro course – yes, 3 Faculty: Could not decipher Dedicated Courses: 3 intros Independent Research - yes Vassar College (Neuroscience & Behavior Major) Intro course – yes Faculty: Could not decipher Dedicated Courses: 6 Independent Research - yes Davidson College (Center for Interdisciplinary Studies Major & Minor) Intro course – they look like special majors Faculty: Neuro – 3 Dedicated Courses: no, Independent Research - yes 7
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