UWRF Biology Department and Programs

1
UWRF Biology Department and Programs

• Program Review
• October 2009

2
Overview

• Acknowledge Karen Klyczeks contributions
• Critical Program Audit information
• Strengths and challenges from the 2002 program
  audit
• How we have maintained and improved on strengths
• How we have coped with challenges
• How the administration can assist us in improving
  the educational experience for our students

3
Overview

• Acknowledge Karen Klyczeks contributions
• Critical Program Audit information
• Strengths and challenges from the 2002 program
  audit
• How we have maintained and improved on strengths
• How we have coped with challenges
• How the administration can assist us in improving
  the educational experience for our students

4
Overview

• Acknowledge Karen Klyczeks contributions
• Critical Program Audit information
• Strengths and challenges from the 2002 program
  audit
• How we have maintained and improved on strengths
• How we have coped with challenges
• How the administration can assist us in improving
  the educational experience for our students

5
Overview

• Acknowledge Karen Klyczeks contributions
• Critical Program Audit information
• Strengths and challenges from the 2002 program
  audit
• How we have maintained and improved on strengths
• How we have coped with challenges
• How the administration can assist us in improving
  the educational experience for our students

6
Overview

• Acknowledge Karen Klyczeks contributions
• Critical Program Audit information
• Strengths and challenges from the 2002 program
  audit
• How we have maintained and improved on strengths
• How we have coped with challenges
• How the administration can assist us in improving
  the educational experience for our students

7
Overview

• Acknowledge Karen Klyczeks contributions
• Critical Program Audit information
• Strengths and challenges from the 2002 program
  audit
• How we have maintained and improved on strengths
• How we have coped with challenges
• How the administration can assist us in improving
  the educational experience for our students

8
Critical Program Audit Information

• 11 FTE, 0.83 Lab Manager
• Four options in major Biomedical, Field,
  General, Education
• As of Fall, 2009
• 540 majors and minors (442 / 98)
• 479 advisees, including 11 Biotechology majors
• Gen Ed gt1000 students/year in BIOL 100, 150,
  101
• 22 programs require Biology courses as core
  requirements, electives, required supporting
  courses, or specific General Education
  requirements
• gt7600 SCH (Fall, 2008)
• SE budget 39868
• Facilities - 4th floor on AGS, with lab and
  greenhouse space on 5th floor and some laboratory
  space in 2nd floor

9
Critical Program Audit Information

• 11 FTE, 0.83 Lab Manager
• Four options in major Biomedical, Field,
  General, Education
• As of Fall, 2009
• 540 majors and minors (442 / 98)
• 479 advisees, including 11 Biotechology majors
• Gen Ed gt1000 students/year in BIOL 100, 150,
  101
• 22 programs require Biology courses as core
  requirements, electives, required supporting
  courses, or specific General Education
  requirements
• gt7600 SCH (Fall, 2008)
• SE budget 39868
• Facilities - 4th floor on AGS, with lab and
  greenhouse space on 5th floor and some laboratory
  space in 2nd floor

10
Critical Program Audit Information

• 11 FTE, 0.83 Lab Manager
• Four options in major Biomedical, Field,
  General, Education
• As of Fall, 2009
• 540 majors and minors (442 / 98)
• 479 advisees, including 11 Biotechology majors
• Gen Ed gt1000 students/year in BIOL 100, 150,
  101
• 22 programs require Biology courses as core
  requirements, electives, required supporting
  courses, or specific General Education
  requirements
• gt7600 SCH (Fall, 2008)
• SE budget 39868
• Facilities - 4th floor on AGS, with lab and
  greenhouse space on 5th floor and some laboratory
  space in 2nd floor

11
Critical Program Audit Information

• 11 FTE, 0.83 Lab Manager
• Four options in major Biomedical, Field,
  General, Education
• As of Fall, 2009
• 540 majors and minors (442 / 98)
• 479 advisees, including 11 Biotechology majors
• Gen Ed gt1000 students/year in BIOL 100, 150,
  101
• 22 programs require Biology courses as core
  requirements, electives, required supporting
  courses, or specific General Education
  requirements
• gt7600 SCH (Fall, 2008)
• SE budget 39868
• Facilities - 4th floor on AGS, with lab and
  greenhouse space on 5th floor and some laboratory
  space in 2nd floor

12
Critical Program Audit Information

• 11 FTE, 0.83 Lab Manager
• Four options in major Biomedical, Field,
  General, Education
• As of Fall, 2009
• 540 majors and minors (442 / 98)
• 479 advisees, including 11 Biotechology majors
• Gen Ed gt1000 students/year in BIOL 100, 150,
  101
• 22 programs require Biology courses as core
  requirements, electives, required supporting
  courses, or specific General Education
  requirements
• gt7600 SCH (Fall, 2008)
• SE budget 39868
• Facilities - 4th floor on AGS, with lab and
  greenhouse space on 5th floor and some laboratory
  space in 2nd floor

13
Critical Program Audit Information

• 11 FTE, 0.83 Lab Manager
• Four options in major Biomedical, Field,
  General, Education
• As of Fall, 2009
• 540 majors and minors (442 / 98)
• 479 advisees, including 11 Biotechology majors
• Gen Ed gt1000 students/year in BIOL 100, 150,
  101
• 22 programs require Biology courses as core
  requirements, electives, required supporting
  courses, or specific General Education
  requirements
• gt7600 SCH (Fall, 2008)
• SE budget 39868
• Facilities - 4th floor on AGS, with lab and
  greenhouse space on 5th floor and some laboratory
  space in 2nd floor

14
Critical Program Audit Information

• 11 FTE, 0.83 Lab Manager
• Four options in major Biomedical, Field,
  General, Education
• As of Fall, 2009
• 540 majors and minors (442 / 98)
• 479 advisees, including 11 Biotechology majors
• Gen Ed gt1000 students/year in BIOL 100, 150,
  101
• 22 programs require Biology courses as core
  requirements, electives, required supporting
  courses, or specific General Education
  requirements
• gt7600 SCH (Fall, 2008)
• SE budget 39868
• Facilities - 4th floor on AGS, with lab and
  greenhouse space on 5th floor and some laboratory
  space in 2nd floor

15
Critical Program Audit Information

• 11 FTE, 0.83 Lab Manager
• Four options in major Biomedical, Field,
  General, Education
• As of Fall, 2009
• 540 majors and minors (442 / 98)
• 479 advisees, including 11 Biotechology majors
• Gen Ed gt1000 students/year in BIOL 100, 150,
  101
• 22 programs require Biology courses as core
  requirements, electives, required supporting
  courses, or specific General Education
  requirements
• gt7600 SCH (Fall, 2008)
• SE budget 39868
• Facilities - 4th floor on AGS, with lab and
  greenhouse space on 5th floor and some laboratory
  space in 2nd floor

16
Critical Program Audit Information

• 11 FTE, 0.83 Lab Manager
• Four options in major Biomedical, Field,
  General, Education
• As of Fall, 2009
• 540 majors and minors (442 / 98)
• 479 advisees, including 11 Biotechology majors
• Gen Ed gt1000 students/year in BIOL 100, 150,
  101
• 22 programs require Biology courses as core
  requirements, electives, required supporting
  courses, or specific General Education
  requirements
• gt7600 SCH (Fall, 2008)
• SE budget 39868
• Facilities - 4th floor on AGS, with lab and
  greenhouse space on 5th floor and some laboratory
  space in 2nd floor

17
Strengths from 2002 Program Review report
18
Challenges from 2002 Program Review report
19
Program strengths since 2002

• Contribution to General Education and other
  programs
• Demand for major is remains high, increasing 5
  per year
• Strong market for jobs in medicine/health and
  environment
• Successful placement of students into graduate
  programs
• Graduates have made major contributions to their
  fields
• Hands on, inquiry-based labs teaching science as
  a process
• Active, engaged faculty and students recognized
  nationally
• Leaders in undergraduate research in the UW
  System
• Collaboration with other campuses and
  institutions
• Emphasis on assessment - student portfolios

20
Contributions to General Education and other
programs
gt1000 students/year in BIOL 100, 150, 101 per
year Service courses for other departments -
Zoology, Botany, Microbiology, Cell Biology,
Plant Pathology, etc.
21
Contributions to General Education and other
programs
gt1000 students/year in BIOL 100, 150, 101 per
year Service courses for other departments -
Zoology, Botany, Microbiology, Cell Biology,
Plant Pathology, etc.
22
Program strengths since 2002

• Contribution to General Education and other
  programs
• Demand for major is remains high, increasing 5
  per year
• Strong market for jobs in medicine/health and
  environment
• Successful placement of students into graduate
  programs
• Graduates have made major contributions to their
  fields
• Hands on, inquiry-based labs teaching science as
  a process
• Active, engaged faculty and students recognized
  nationally
• Leaders in undergraduate research in the UW
  System
• Collaboration with other campuses and
  institutions
• Emphasis on assessment - student portfolios

23
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25
Program strengths since 2002

• Contribution to General Education and other
  programs
• Demand for major is remains high, increasing 5
  per year
• Strong market for jobs in medicine/health and
  environment
• Successful placement of students into graduate
  programs
• Graduates have made major contributions to their
  fields
• Hands on, inquiry-based labs teaching science as
  a process
• Active, engaged faculty and students recognized
  nationally
• Leaders in undergraduate research in the UW
  System
• Collaboration with other campuses and
  institutions
• Emphasis on assessment - student portfolios

26
Program strengths since 2002

• Contribution to General Education and other
  programs
• Demand for major is remains high, increasing 5
  per year
• Strong market for jobs in medicine/health and
  environment
• Successful placement of students into graduate
  programs
• Graduates have made major contributions to their
  fields
• Hands on, inquiry-based labs teaching science as
  a process
• Active, engaged faculty and students recognized
  nationally
• Leaders in undergraduate research in the UW
  System
• Collaboration with other campuses and
  institutions
• Emphasis on assessment - student portfolios

27
Successful placement into graduate programs
For example, students have been accepted to
graduate programs at UM-Duluth Pharmacy, UM
Medical School, UM graduate school cell biology
and biochemistry, University of South Dakota
Medical School, Mayo Clinic Medical School, Mayo
Clinic Graduate School, Scripps Institute
(virology), Michigan State (nutrition), Des
Moines University (osteopathic), St. Louis
University, St. Georges University, Penn State
(virology and immunology), Johns Hopkins (in
vitro fertilization), Cornell (biomedical
engineering), Purdue (virology), Medical College
of Wisconsin, University of Vermont Medical
School, University of Massachusetts (virology),
University of Puerto Rico -San Juan Medical
School, University of Chicago (optometry)
University of Wisconsin Medical School,
University of Wisconsin - Madison (molecular
virology), Northwestern University, Roslyn
Franklin University, St. Katherine's (6 students
in physical therapy), University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point (wildlife), Missouri
State University (freshwater biology), etc.
28
Program strengths since 2002

• Contribution to General Education and other
  programs
• Demand for major is remains high, increasing 5
  per year
• Strong market for jobs in medicine/health and
  environment
• Successful placement of students into graduate
  programs
• Graduates have made major contributions to their
  fields
• Hands on, inquiry-based labs teaching science as
  a process
• Active, engaged faculty and students recognized
  nationally
• Leaders in undergraduate research in the UW
  System
• Collaboration with other campuses and
  institutions
• Emphasis on assessment - student portfolios

29
Building on strengths since 2002
30
Program strengths since 2002

• Contribution to General Education and other
  programs
• Demand for major is remains high, increasing 5
  per year
• Strong market for jobs in medicine/health and
  environment
• Successful placement of students into graduate
  programs
• Graduates have made major contributions to their
  fields
• Hands on, inquiry-based labs teaching science as
  a process
• Active, engaged faculty and students recognized
  nationally
• Leaders in undergraduate research in the UW
  System
• Collaboration with other campuses and
  institutions
• Emphasis on assessment - student portfolios

31
Examples of hands-on inquiry

• Project-based Bio 150 laboratories (e.g. C.
  elegans)
• Timber wolf radiotelemetry studies using Google
  Earth
• Genotyping (e.g. sled dogs, plants)
• Studies of invasive species of plants
• Using bioinformatics to study infectious disease
• Case-based learning using molecular biology
  computer simulations
• Aquatic insect surveys to measure biodiversity in
  different ecosystems
• Studies of freshwater fish using electroshocker
• Numerous project-based activities in
  microbiology, virology, immunology, and tissue
  culture
• Many more examples could be given, such as
  faculty applying for HHMI grant to incorporate
  phage activities into General Biology
  laboratories

32
Program strengths since 2002
33
Program strengths since 2002

• Contribution to General Education and other
  programs
• Demand for major is remains high, increasing 5
  per year
• Strong market for jobs in medicine/health and
  environment
• Successful placement of students into graduate
  programs
• Graduates have made major contributions to their
  fields
• Hands on, inquiry-based labs teaching science as
  a process
• Active, engaged faculty and students recognized
  nationally
• Leaders in undergraduate research in the UW
  System
• Collaboration with other campuses and
  institutions
• Emphasis on assessment - student portfolios

34
Faculty/Student scholarship
35
Undergraduate Research
36
Undergraduate Research
37
Undergraduate Research - Cheng-Chen Huang
38
Undergraduate Research
39
Undergraduate Research
40
Undergraduate Research
41
Undergraduate Research
42
Undergraduate Research
43
Undergraduate Research
44
Undergraduate Research
45
Undergraduate Research
46
Undergraduate Research
47
Undergraduate Research
48
Undergraduate Research
49
Program strengths since 2002

• Contribution to General Education and other
  programs
• Demand for major is remains high, increasing 5
  per year
• Strong market for jobs in medicine/health and
  environment
• Successful placement of students into graduate
  programs
• Graduates have made major contributions to their
  fields
• Hands on, inquiry-based labs teaching science as
  a process
• Active, engaged faculty and students recognized
  nationally
• Leaders in undergraduate research in the UW
  System
• Collaboration with other campuses and
  institutions
• Emphasis on assessment - student portfolios

50
Undergraduate Research
51
Program challenges since 2002

• Lack of a full-time laboratory manager
• Sustained growth in majors and SCH not
  accompanied by a corresponding increase in SE
• Need to hire Instructional Academic Staff to
  cover reassigned time, faculty vacancies, and
  pressure for increase in Gen Ed courses
• Serious shortage of space for teaching, research,
  and offices
• Room 419 is a model for how all of our labs
  should look
• Room 422 has serious safety issues that must be
  resolved
• Other labs on 4th floor of AGS need quasi-tech
  projectors
• Advising loads are among the heaviest at the
  university has negative impact on teaching and
  undergraduate research
• Relatively low budget for student assistants and
  work-study students
• Lecture / lab equivalency has not yet been
  implemented

52
Program challenges since 2002

• Lack of a full-time laboratory manager
• Sustained growth in majors and SCH not
  accompanied by a corresponding increase in SE
  (as noted by outside evaluator)
• Need to hire Instructional Academic Staff to
  cover reassigned time, faculty vacancies, and
  pressure for increase in Gen Ed courses
• Serious shortage of space for teaching, research,
  and offices
• Room 419 is a model for how all of our labs
  should look
• Room 422 has serious safety issues that must be
  resolved
• Other labs on 4th floor of AGS need quasi-tech
  projectors
• Advising loads are among the heaviest at the
  university has negative impact on teaching and
  undergraduate research
• Relatively low budget for student assistants and
  work-study students
• Lecture / lab equivalency has not yet been
  implemented

53
Increase in SCH 2003-2008
54
Decrease in SE / SCH 2003-2008
55
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57
Request for additional ongoing SE
Justifications for above can be found in BIOL1-11
58
Program challenges since 2002

• Lack of a full-time laboratory manager
• Sustained growth in majors and SCH not
  accompanied by a corresponding increase in SE
• Need to hire Instructional Academic Staff to
  cover reassigned time, faculty vacancies, and
  pressure for increase in Gen Ed courses
• Serious shortage of space for teaching, research,
  and offices
• Room 419 is a model for how all of our labs
  should look
• Room 422 has serious safety issues that must be
  resolved
• Other labs on 4th floor of AGS need quasi-tech
  projectors
• Advising loads are among the heaviest at the
  university has negative impact on teaching and
  undergraduate research
• Relatively low budget for student assistants and
  work-study students
• Lecture / lab equivalency has not yet been
  implemented

59
IAS hires for Spring 2010
60
Program challenges since 2002

• Lack of a full-time laboratory manager
• Sustained growth in majors and SCH not
  accompanied by a corresponding increase in SE
• Need to hire Instructional Academic Staff to
  cover reassigned time, faculty vacancies, and
  pressure for increase in Gen Ed courses
• Serious shortage of space for teaching, research,
  and offices
• Room 419 is a model for how all of our labs
  should look
• Room 422 has serious safety issues that must be
  resolved
• Other labs on 4th floor of AGS need quasi-tech
  projectors
• Advising loads are among the heaviest at the
  university has negative impact on teaching and
  undergraduate research
• Relatively low budget for student assistants and
  work-study students
• Lecture / lab equivalency has not yet been
  implemented

61
(No Transcript)
62
Program challenges since 2002
63
Program challenges since 2002

• Lack of a full-time laboratory manager
• Sustained growth in majors and SCH not
  accompanied by a corresponding increase in SE
• Need to hire Instructional Academic Staff to
  cover reassigned time, faculty vacancies, and
  pressure for increase in Gen Ed courses
• Serious shortage of space for teaching, research,
  and offices
• Room 419 is a model for how all of our labs
  should look
• Room 422 has serious safety issues that must be
  resolved
• Other labs on 4th floor of AGS need quasi-tech
  projectors
• Advising loads are among the heaviest at the
  university has negative impact on teaching and
  undergraduate research
• Relatively low budget for student assistants and
  work-study students
• Lecture / lab equivalency has not yet been
  implemented

64
Advisee Load
The Biology Department is deeply appreciative of
the Deans recognition of this problem, and the
funding that has been provided for reassigned
time for advising (via hiring of IAS).
65
Program challenges since 2002

• Lack of a full-time laboratory manager
• Sustained growth in majors and SCH not
  accompanied by a corresponding increase in SE
• Need to hire Instructional Academic Staff to
  cover reassigned time, faculty vacancies, and
  pressure for increase in Gen Ed courses
• Serious shortage of space for teaching, research,
  and offices
• Room 419 is a model for how all of our labs
  should look
• Room 422 has serious safety issues that must be
  resolved
• Other labs on 4th floor of AGS need quasi-tech
  projectors
• Advising loads are among the heaviest at the
  university has negative impact on teaching and
  undergraduate research
• Relatively low budget for student assistants and
  work-study students
• Lecture / lab equivalency has not yet been
  implemented

66
Program challenges since 2002

• Lack of a full-time laboratory manager
• Sustained growth in majors and SCH not
  accompanied by a corresponding increase in SE
• Need to hire Instructional Academic Staff to
  cover reassigned time, faculty vacancies, and
  pressure for increase in Gen Ed courses
• Serious shortage of space for teaching, research,
  and offices
• Room 419 is a model for how all of our labs
  should look
• Room 422 has serious safety issues that must be
  resolved
• Other labs on 4th floor of AGS need quasi-tech
  projectors
• Advising loads are among the heaviest at the
  university has negative impact on teaching and
  undergraduate research
• Relatively low budget for student assistants and
  work-study students
• Lecture / lab equivalency has not yet been
  implemented

67
Conclusion of External Evaluator(Scott Cooper,
UW-LaCrosse)
"The UW-RF Biology Department is doing a
remarkable job of teaching high quality courses
and labs to an ever increasing number of
students. In addition they have become university
leaders in undergraduate research. They are
taking on these additional responsibilities in
spite of proportionally dwindling resources and
support from the university. By constantly
having to scrounge for resources and time to
maintain the quality of their program the
department members run the risk of burnout by a
thousand cuts. The department has done just
about everything they can to improve their
efficiency with the resources they have. The
department faces some tough decisions on time and
resource allocation if increased external support
does not materialize soon. Most of the options
available will reduce the quality of the program
by negatively impacting courses or scholarship
unless more resources are made available. These
decreases in quality could include students not
being able to get into courses, less innovative
or interactive labs, and decreased faculty and
undergraduate research. The Provost and college
Deans also face some challenging decisions in
the next year with the reallocation of internal
resources and positions, however, a strong
argument can be made that the resources need to
follow the students. Given the high enrollments
in biology courses and numbers of biology majors,
the resources of the department must also be
increased proportionally or the quality of the
program will suffer. The department members have
done about all they can, now it is up to the
university to step up and do their part."
68
How the administration can help

• Increase lab manager position to 100
• Provide the equivalent of a faculty position in
  additional SE, on an ongoing basis
• Provide lab remodeling funds for room 422 to
  address critical teaching and safety issues, and
  procure funding to modernize other lab rooms
• Continue to provide reassignment time for
  advising purposes
• Continue to provide support for IAS
• Provide support for lecture / lab equivalency
• Help us procure funding for a new science building

69
How the administration can help

• Increase lab manager position to 100
• Provide the equivalent of a faculty position in
  additional SE, on an ongoing basis
• Provide lab remodeling funds for room 422 to
  address critical teaching and safety issues, and
  procure funding to modernize other lab rooms
• Continue to provide reassignment time for
  advising purposes
• Continue to provide support for IAS
• Provide support for lecture / lab equivalency
• Help us procure funding for a new science building

70
How the administration can help

• Increase lab manager position to 100
• Provide the equivalent of a faculty position in
  additional SE, on an ongoing basis
• Provide lab remodeling funds for room 422 to
  address critical teaching and safety issues, and
  procure funding to modernize other lab rooms
• Continue to provide reassignment time for
  advising purposes
• Continue to provide support for IAS
• Provide support for lecture / lab equivalency
• Help us procure funding for a new science building

71
How the administration can help

• Increase lab manager position to 100
• Provide the equivalent of a faculty position in
  additional SE, on an ongoing basis
• Provide lab remodeling funds for room 422 to
  address critical teaching and safety issues, and
  procure funding to modernize other lab rooms
• Continue to provide reassignment time for
  advising purposes
• Continue to provide support for IAS
• Provide support for lecture / lab equivalency
• Help us procure funding for a new science building

72
How the administration can help

• Increase lab manager position to 100
• Provide the equivalent of a faculty position in
  additional SE, on an ongoing basis
• Provide lab remodeling funds for room 422 to
  address critical teaching and safety issues, and
  procure funding to modernize other lab rooms
• Continue to provide reassignment time for
  advising purposes
• Continue to provide support for IAS
• Provide support for lecture / lab equivalency
• Help us procure funding for a new science building

73
How the administration can help

• Increase lab manager position to 100
• Provide the equivalent of a faculty position in
  additional SE, on an ongoing basis
• Provide lab remodeling funds for room 422 to
  address critical teaching and safety issues, and
  procure funding to modernize other lab rooms
• Continue to provide reassignment time for
  advising purposes
• Continue to provide support for IAS
• Provide support for lecture / lab equivalency
• Help us procure funding for a new science building

74
How the administration can help

• Increase lab manager position to 100
• Provide the equivalent of a faculty position in
  additional SE, on an ongoing basis
• Provide lab remodeling funds for room 422 to
  address critical teaching and safety issues, and
  procure funding to modernize other lab rooms
• Continue to provide reassignment time for
  advising purposes
• Continue to provide support for IAS
• Provide support for lecture / lab equivalency
• Help us procure funding for a new science building