Proposal for the Initiation of a New Instructional Program Leading to A

Proposal for a New Academic Degree Program

Proposal for the Initiation of a New Instructional Program Leading to a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Oregon State University College of Science School of Life Sciences Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

CPS Proposal # 92604 February 2016

1. Program Description

CIP Number: 26.0210

Title: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Definition: A program of study that combines the biological sub-disciplines of biochemistry and molecular biology. Includes instruction in general biology, general and organic chemistry, physics, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, microbiology, genetics, and cellular biology.

Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs, 2010.

1.B. Overview The School of Life Sciences (SLS), based within the College of Science and comprising the Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Microbiology and Integrative Biology (formerly Zoology), was formed in 2014, after a three-year planning process. A key goal in forming the

1 School was to attract and better serve the large number of undergraduates pursuing degrees in Biology and General Science, programs that had no departmental homes or tenured faculty lines. Three key components of the restructuring were: 1) movement of the Biology major to Integrative Biology; 2) movement of the General Science major to Microbiology and renaming it “BioHealth Sciences”; 3) creation of a new major focused on “Molecular Biology” within Biochemistry and Biophysics. The new structure was designed to improve student retention and success in the life sciences by ensuring all majors had a department home, providing new curricular paths aligned with societal needs and student interests, and more evenly distributing majors across departments – thereby improving faculty to student ratios and allowing for the implementation of more focused advising within each major. The first two restructuring goals have been met, and the creation of the new BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) major is proposed here. This proposal has been vetted and supported by the School of Life Sciences Curriculum Committee (with representatives from the departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Microbiology and Integrative Biology as well as the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology).

The disciplinary foundations of the BMB major are derived from the fusion of traditional biochemistry (rooted in studying the chemistry of cells) with the study of the molecules and processes that control cellular life (predominantly DNA, RNA, and proteins), in combination with molecular genetics and its many applications and technologies. Since the creation of OSU’s Biochemistry and Biophysics major almost 50 years ago, there has been a revolution in our understanding of the control of molecular processes. The vast influence of molecular biology has been acknowledged by such major professional societies of biochemists as the American Society of Biological Chemists, which was renamed in 1987 as the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) and the International Union of Biochemistry, now the IUBMB. Furthermore, in the 10-year undergraduate program review of the BB Department that took place in February of 2015, the number one recommendation was that “The proposed creation of a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) major was considered to be an excellent and timely idea.” Excerpts of the 10-year review report regarding this proposal as well as letters of support for this proposal from the relevant departments at other major Oregon universities are included in the other supporting materials.

Our objectives in establishing a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology degree program at OSU include: 1) providing a path for students to obtain an understanding of the biochemical basis of living systems that recognizes and provides training in rapidly evolving disciplines, including bioinformatics, advanced molecular genetics, chromatin structure and epigenetics; 2) allowing students to study molecular processes from a perspective that emphasizes biological information transfer without requiring the in depth study of physical chemistry and biophysical methods that are required for the Biochemistry and Biophysics major; and 3) preparing students with advanced knowledge in BMB and the techniques necessary to be successful in a variety of careers as modern molecular biologists.

The proposed curriculum builds on a core set of classes that includes chemistry, mathematics and statistics, biology, physics, and organic chemistry. It also includes three terms of biochemistry that have been reorganized into courses called: 1) Foundations (basic principles); 2) Metabolism (biochemical reactions occurring inside of cells); and 3) Genetic Biochemistry (biological information transfer) plus one term of a redesigned biophysics course now titled

2 Macromolecular Structure (foundations for structural studies of proteins and nucleic acids). The capstone class for this major is the newly designed course on “Advanced Molecular Genetics” (BB 486).

The BMB major will encompass three options. The first option, “Advanced Molecular Biology”, targets students interested in pursuing careers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries or graduate work in any life science discipline. Students may choose science electives from a diverse selection of courses that include two new courses covering Bioinformatics (BB 485) and Chromatin and Epigenetics (BB 484). The second option, “Computational Molecular Biology” targets students who are interested in combining their molecular biology focus with additional training in mathematics, statistics and computer science. The course work includes advanced classes in all of these subjects. The third option, “Pre- Medicine”, is aimed at students interested in pursuing careers in medicine. It requires students to complete 21 credits from a menu of courses including social science and humanities, as well as additional electives of importance for students seeking careers as physicians.

Programmatically, the BMB degree will define a path that is more flexible, interdisciplinary, and broader in its class offerings than the current BS in Biochemistry and Biophysics degree. The approach and the courses required for BMB will differ substantially from Biochemistry and Biophysics and justify a separate degree (in contrast to creating a “Molecular Biology” option or minor within the Biochemistry and Biophysics degree). And indeed, we emphasize here that because of this distinction, we will continue to offer the existing BS in Biochemistry and Biophysics degree. We foresee that the new major will be attractive to some students who would otherwise have chosen a degree in Biochemistry and Biophysics, and in so far as that is the case, the introduction of the BMB major will lead to a decrease the number of students completing the Biochemistry and Biophysics major. This impact is difficult to predict, but given its strong history and the number of students for whom it is well suited to their interests and career goals, we anticipate that the Biochemistry and Biophysics degree program will remain robust and well subscribed.

The current and future prospects for students entering the job market with a degree in “Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” compare favorably to prospects of students with “Biochemistry and Biophysics” degrees, especially when taking into consideration the Computational Molecular Biology option. Further, BMB incorporates a third option for students who wish to become physicians or combine clinical and research activities (e.g., within MD/PhD programs). All of these students will study Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at a high level without the need for classes in physical chemistry that have less direct relevance to their ultimate careers. While the majority of students in the current BB major go on to graduate school or medical school, the broader training and flexibility of the BMB program would better prepare students who seek other post-college options, as well as students who will seek employment in the growing biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Thus, the new degree will be attractive to some students who in its absence would have selected the Biology, Microbiology or BioHealth Sciences programs. In supporting student success in this way, the new degree aligns well with the strategic goals of OSU.

3 Table 1. Proposal Summary

NEW: Undergraduate Degree Program

Program Title:

BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

 Degree Types: Bachelor of Science (BS)

 Program Level: Undergraduate

 Master of Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) Participant: No

 Academic Home:

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

School of Life Sciences

College of Science

 Contacts: Andy Karplus (7-2769; [email protected])

 Option(s):

o Undergraduate Option(s):

Advanced Molecular Biology

Computational Molecular Biology

Pre-Medicine

o Graduate Options: NA

 Areas of Concentration: NA

 Minors:

o Undergraduate: NA

o Graduate: NA

4  CPS #: 92604

https://secure.oregonstate.edu/ap/cps/proposals/view/92604

 CIP #: 26.0210 / Title: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

 SIS #: XXX - To be assigned by the Registrar’s Office

 College Code: 08

 Course Designator: BB (Existing)

 Courses: See proposal for list of required and elective courses

 Program Total Credit Hours: 117 (96 credit hours in core and 21 in option)

 Pre-Professional/Professional Model: NA

 Thesis or Non-Thesis: NA

 Delivery Mode(s): On-Campus (Face-To-Face); w/ some courses available by online delivery by Ecampus

 Location(s): OSU-Main (Corvallis)

 Enrollment (Anticipated): ~170 by the fifth year

 Graduates (Anticipated): ~40 per year by the fifth year

 Accreditation: Will seek accreditation from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology following approval.

 Program Unique to Public Higher Education Institutions in Oregon: Yes

 Proposed Effective Term: Fall Term 2016 (Banner: 201701)

5 1.C. Course of Study i. Core Curriculum [Note: courses with a greater-than symbol (>) are either new, renamed or updated and have been fully approved via a Category II proposal; those in italics have Category II proposals initiated but not yet approved.] Faculty have noted for some time that students who receive low grades in introductory math, chemistry and biology courses in our current major often end up in serious academic difficulty. The review of data for the BB major now available from the Student Success Collaborative workbooks also suggests that success in these courses is an important predictor of graduation. Recently, a C- or better became required in introductory biology and math courses to move on to more advanced coursework based on existing course prerequisites. The Department of Chemistry currently has a proposal to require a C- or better in General Chemistry courses in review. Since our current BB major allows D grades to count for requirements as reflected in MyDegrees, it appears to students as though those courses are complete even though they cannot move on to further required coursework with a D. This situation is confusing to students and sends mixed messages about the importance of these foundational courses. For all of these reasons we seek to increase student success by requiring students to achieve a C minus or better in the following courses (or their honors counterparts) required for the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major: MTH 251, MTH 252, BI 211, BI 212 and BI 213, CH 231/261, CH 232/262 and CH 233/263. Requiring a C- in these courses brings our major requirements into alignment with the course requirements put in place by the departments of Integrative Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics. A subsequent proposal will seek to update our current BB major to require a C- in these same prerequisites.

BB 111. Introduction to Biochemistry and Biophysics Research (1) CH 231, 232, 233. *General Chemistry (4,4,4) and CH 261, 262, 263. *Laboratory for Chemistry 231, 232, 233 (1,1,1) MTH 251. *Differential Calculus (4) MTH 252. Integral Calculus (4) BI 211, BI 212, BI 213. *Principles of Biology (4,4,4)

PH 201, PH 202, PH 203. *General Physics (5,5,5) CH 334, CH 335, CH 336. Organic Chemistry (4,4,4) CH 337. Organic Chemistry Lab (4) or CH 324. Quantitative Analysis (4) >BB 314. Cellular and Molecular Biology (4) >BB 315. ^Molecular Biology Lab (3) BB 317. ^Scientific Theory and Practice (3) ST 351. Introduction to Statistical Methods (4)

>BB 490. Biochemistry 1: Structure and Function (3) >BB 491. Biochemistry 2: Metabolism (3) >BB 492. Biochemistry 3: Genetic Biochemistry (3)

>BB 481. Macromolecular Structure (3) >BB 486. Advanced Molecular Genetics (capstone) (3) BB 494. Biochemistry Laboratory Molecular Techniques 2 (3) BB 498. ASBMB Certification Exam (0) (Pending Review and Approval) Total credits = 96

* Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC) ^Writing Intensive Course (WIC)

6 ii. Option in Advanced Molecular Biology (additional 21 credits) 96 credits from Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Core PLUS: BB 496. Biochemistry Laboratory Molecular Modeling (1) BB 497. Basic Nucleic Acid and Protein Sequence Analysis (1) And 19 credits selected from: BB 401. Undergraduate Research (1-6) BB 460. Cell Biology (3) (Pending Review and Approval) >BB 484/584. Chromatin and Epigenetics (3) >BB 485/585. Applied Bioinformatics (3) BI 311. Genetics (4) BOT 460. Functional Genomics (3) BOT 475. Comparative Genomics (4) BOT 476. Introduction to Computing in the Life Sciences (3) BI 445. Evolution (3) MB 302,303. General Microbiology (3), General Microbiology Laboratory (2) MB 310. Bacterial Molecular Genetics (3) or MB 456. Microbial Genetics and Biotechnology (3) MB 420. Microbial Genomes, Biogeochemistry and Diversity (3) MB 416. Immunology (3) ST 352. Introduction to Statistical Methods (4) Z 425. Embryology and Development (5) Z 438. Behavioral Neurobiology (3) (Pending approval of Proposal #96771) Total credits = 96 core + 21 = 117 iii. Option in Computational Molecular Biology (additional 21 credits) 96 credits from Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Core PLUS: >BB 485. Applied Bioinformatics (3) CS 161. Introduction to Computer Science I (4)

And 14 credits selected from: BB 401. Undergraduate Research (1-6) BB 499/CS 419. ST/Algorithms for Computational Molecular Biology (3) BI 311. Genetics (4) BOT 460. Functional Genomics (3) BOT 475. Comparative Genomics (4) BOT 476. Introduction to Computing in the Life Sciences (3) CS 162. Introduction to Computer Science II (4) CS 261. Data Structures (4) CS 325. Analysis of Algorithms (4) CS 420. Graph Theory with Applications to Computer Science (3) CS 446. Biological Networks (3) MB 420. Microbial Genomes, Biogeochemistry, and Diversity (3) MB 499. The Human Microbiome (3) MTH 231. Elements of Discrete Mathematics (4) ST 352. Introduction to Statistical Methods (4) ST 411. Methods of Data Analysis (4) ST 412. Methods of Data Analysis II (4) Total credits = 96 core + 21 = 117

7 iv. Option in Pre-Medicine (additional 21 credits) 96 credits from Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Core PLUS:

BI 109. Health Professions: Medical (1)

And 20 credits selected from the following groups as indicated:

At least 3 credits from: PSY 201. *General Psychology (3) PSY 202. *General Psychology (3)

At least 4 credits from: PHL 205. *Ethics (4) PHL 444. *Biomedical Ethics (4)

At least 3 credits from: SOC 204. *Introduction to Sociology (3) ANTH 383. *Introduction to Medical Anthropology (3)

At least 10 credits from: BB 401. Undergraduate Research (1-3) BB 332. *Molecular Medicine (3) BI 311. Genetics (4) MB 302,303. General Microbiology (3), General Microbiology Laboratory (2) MB 310. Bacterial Molecular Genetics (3) or MB 456. Microbial Genetics and Biotechnology (3) MB 416. Immunology (3) MB 434. Virology (3) MB 430. Bacterial Pathogenesis (3) Z 431. Vertebrate Physiology I (3) Z 432. Vertebrate Physiology II (3) Z 437. Vertebrate Endocrinology (4) Total credits = 96 core + 21 = 117

* Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)

Note: Students majoring in Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, BioHealth Sciences, Botany, Microbiology or Zoology cannot seek a dual or double major in any combination of these degrees. v. Brief description of the major for the OSU Catalog The BS degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology provides a degree path centered on the molecular basis of living systems with training in molecular genetics, biochemistry, and cell biology, as well as in rapidly developing areas such as bioinformatics. Majors must select an option either in Advanced Molecular Biology, Computational Molecular Biology, or Pre-medicine. The first two options are designed for students interested in careers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries or graduate work in the molecular life sciences, with the second especially well-suited for students interested in computational aspects of molecular biology. The third option is ideal for students interested in careers in medicine and related health professions.

8 Students majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology cannot seek a double major in Biochemistry and Biophysics, Biology, Biohealth Sciences, Botany, Microbiology or Zoology. vi. Example four-year course work

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Sample 4-year plan. Selection of one option is required.

Year 1 (44 cr) Fall BI 211. *Principles of Biology (4) BB 111. Introduction to Biochemistry and Biophysics Research (1) CH 231. *General Chemistry (4) CH 261. *Laboratory for Chemistry 231 (1) WR 121. *English Composition (3)

Winter BI 212. *Principles of Biology (4) CH 232. *General Chemistry (4) CH 262. *Laboratory for Chemistry 232 (1) MTH 251. *Differential Calculus (4) HHS 231. *Lifetime Fitness for Health (2)

Spring BI 213. *Principles of Biology (4) CH 233. *General Chemistry (4) CH 263. *Laboratory for Chemistry 233 (1) COMM 111. *Public Speaking (3) or COMM 114. *Argument and Critical Discourse (3) or COMM 218. *Interpersonal Communication (3) MTH 252. Integral Calculus (4)

Year 2 (47 cr) Fall BB 314. Cell and Molecular Biology (4) CH 334. Organic Chemistry (3) PH 201. *General Physics (5) Bacc Core Course (3)

Winter CH 335. Organic Chemistry (3) PH 202. *General Physics (5) ST 351. Introduction to Statistical Methods (4) Bacc Core Course (3)

9 Spring BB 317. ^Scientific Theory and Practice (3) CH 336. Organic Chemistry (3) PH 203. *General Physics (5) BB 315. ^Molecular Biology Laboratory (3)

Year 3 (47 cr) Fall BB 490. Biochemistry 1: Structure and Function (3) CH 337. Organic Chemistry Laboratory (4) Bacc Core Course (3) Option Course (3) Electives (3)

Winter BB 491. Biochemistry 2: Metabolism (3) CH 324. Quantitative Analysis (4) Bacc Core Course (3) Option Course (3) Electives (3)

Spring BB 492. Biochemistry 3: Genetic Biochemistry (3) Bacc Core Course (6) Option Course (3) Electives (3)

Year 4 (45 cr) Fall BB 481. Macromolecular Structure (3) Bacc Core Course (3) Option Course (6) Electives (3)

Winter BB 494. Biochemistry Laboratory Molecular Techniques 2 (3) Bacc Core Course (3) Option Course (3) Electives (6)

Spring BB 486. Advanced Molecular Genetics (3) BB 498. ASBMB Certification Exam (0) [Pending approval] Option Course (3)

10 Electives (9)

Total=183

Footnotes: * Bacc Core Course ^ Writing Intensive Course

1.D. Ways in which the program will be delivered The BMB degree will be administratively housed in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Oregon State University in Corvallis. Its content will be delivered primarily from classrooms and labs at this location, as well. We also have a strong portfolio of classes currently offered on Ecampus and additional offerings are expected. At the moment, one core course required in this major, BI/BB 314 (Cell and Molecular Biology), is offered as an Ecampus course; BB485 is under development for Ecampus and others may follow.

One key feature of the existing BB major is that a large portion of the students in the major acquire research experience by working in OSU laboratories during their undergraduate studies. Although some students will obtain such research experiences in faculty labs (all across campus), we do not expect all undergraduates in the BMB major to find berths in individual faculty member labs. For this reason, so that all students can have an inquiry-based research experience relatively early in their training, we have adapted the content of the Molecular Biology Lab course BB315 so that students participate in a bona fide knowledge creating, research opportunity even while they learn basic molecular biology techniques. Through a collaboration of Associate Professor Michael Freitag with Instructor Kari van Zee, students in an initial version of BI/BB315 advanced our knowledge of the roles of epigenetics in gene regulation of genes in the fungi Neurospora crassa and Fusarium by replacing select wild-type genes with ones that encode a fluorescent protein. The course was beta-tested in Spring 2014 and refined in the Spring 2015 and is ready to go. In Spring 2016, we will have Assistant Professor Colin Johnson and his senior graduate student Chelsea Holman collaborate with Instructor Kari van Zee to develop another version of this lab class with a focus on ferlin molecular biology. Through the use of BI/BB315, we will provide all BMB majors with inquiry- based learning that involves a real molecular biology research project.

1.E. Ways in which the program will seek to assure quality, access, and diversity The program will use standard exam-based assessment of student progress in each course and the quality of the program as a whole will be measured by: 1) student performance in the capstone course; 2) student performance on nationally standardized exams administered by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), our accrediting body, 3) student performance on GRE and MCAT exams; 4) success rate of our majors in the job market and graduate/professional schools; 5) an exit survey administered to graduating seniors. To ensure that all students completing the program take the ASBMB certification exam, we have initiated a Cat II proposal for a zero credit P/N requirement for graduation, BB 498, solely for this purpose. All students who take the exam will be given a Pass. This is modeled on the zero credit BI 499, Senior Biology Major Field Test, used by Integrative Biology as a summative assessment tool for the Biology major. In addition to classroom learning, students in Biochemistry and Biophysics traditionally have engaged in undergraduate research at very high levels. BMB students will be encouraged to take advantage of research opportunities as a means of both learning further laboratory techniques and learning to carry out the scientific

11 method in the discovery of new knowledge. The Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics is committed to increasing the diversity of its student body, equalizing the success of our students from various backgrounds, and providing access to students with physical or other disabilities. In comparison with the current BB major, we expect that the new BMB major will attract a more diverse student population with a wider variety of academic backgrounds and interests and career goals.

1.F. Anticipated fall term headcount and FTE enrollment over each of the next five years (SFTEs below are Student Full Time Equivalents) Year 1 – Headcount 50 SFTE 45 Year 2 – Headcount 90 SFTE 81 Year 3 – Headcount 130 SFTE 117 Year 4 – Headcount 170 SFTE 153 Year 5 – Headcount 170 SFTE 153

These projections assume enrollments of 50 new students per year, with 90% at full time, with a net attrition (transfers out minus transfers in) of 20% of each incoming class (assigned for simplicity as all occurring after year 1), and (again for simplicity) all graduating in 4-years.

1.G. Expected degrees/certificates produced over the next five years Year 1 – 0 Year 2 – 5 (from students transferring into major) Year 3 – 15 (from students transferring into major) Year 4 – 40 Year 5 – 40

1.H. Characteristics of students to be served We expect students in this major to be representative of the OSU population – predominantly Oregon residents and roughly 90% full-time students. Compared with the BB major, we anticipate a more diverse demographics of students, especially in terms of academic background and career goals. We also anticipate that the number of students retained in the new major will be higher than in the current Biochemistry and Biophysics major. Every year several students elect to move to different majors from BB because they view the current emphasis on physical chemistry and biophysics as not aligned with their career goals. For many of these students an emphasis on modern molecular biology techniques and theory would still be attractive and these will now be retained in the BMB major. Currently there is no optimal home for these students in any program or department at OSU.

1.I. Adequacy and quality of faculty delivering the program The faculty already present in the department are adequate to deliver this program, because we have been fortunate enough to hire five new faculty in the last five years. With all of these most recent hires, including two from Provost initiatives, the department has faculty with suitable expertise and is ready to deliver the courses in this new degree program. These recent hires not only replenished the faculty positions our department had lost over the previous decade, but extended our faculty beyond our earlier size. This means that we already have the personnel required to deliver the four additional laboratory sections and the three additional upper division courses that are required for the proposed BMB major. Especially worth noting is that most existing Biochemistry and Biophysics faculty have research programs that prominently include

12 molecular biology approaches, so we have just as much expertise to deliver the BMB degree as we have to deliver the Biochemistry and Biophysics degree that was recently so well evaluated.

In terms of the new lab course sections needed, many faculty, including both newer hires and long time faculty members, can participate in teaching the new laboratory sections. In terms of the new upper division lecture courses that are part of the proposed BMB major, notably Dr. Michael Freitag – a world expert in molecular biological studies of chromatin and epigenetics using fungi as a model system – has already developed the new Chromatin and Epigenetics course and is taking the lead in designing the Advanced Molecular Genetics capstone course. And a new “provost hire” faculty member, Dr. David Hendrix, whose research program focuses on genome level bioinformatics studies has developed and is well-qualified to teach the new course in Applied Bioinformatics.

One challenge to the adequacy of our faculty numbers, laboratory space and resources unrelated to the BMB major is a recent expansion of the Bioengineering major, that apparently will require us to open a new section of each of our BB493 and BB494 lab courses. Discussions are underway about where faculty, GTA and space resources can come from to meet this need.

1.J. Faculty resources – full time, part time, adjunct See Appendix 1 at the end of this document for a table listing the Biochemistry and Biophysics department faculty and their FTE associated with the Department. We have no adjunct faculty formally participating in our undergraduate programs, but it is worth noting that in terms of research laboratories in which BMB majors can obtain undergraduate research experiences and mentoring, the faculty available include over a hundred faculty spread widely across campus. They include faculty from Microbiology, Integrative Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Botany and Plant Pathology, School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, (especially nutrition and kinesiology), Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Animal Science, Forestry, Psychology, and more.

1.K. Other Staff Biochemistry and Biophysics employs one half-time Office Manager, one full-time Office Specialist 2, and one half-time Office Specialist 1 to manage the day-to-day administrative needs of the Department and the undergraduate and graduate programs. They assist the faculty with preparation for their classes, the hiring of research and graduate assistants, ordering of materials for research and teaching, scheduling classes and providing overrides, maintaining records, and generally assisting undergraduate and graduate students in various ways. Also, teaching assistants are appointed in the laboratory courses and the larger lecture courses to help in the preparation for and delivery of the coursework. Furthermore, the faculty and staff have access to computer and network support primarily through the College of Science COSINE group. Support and services include software licensing, network connectivity, server and desktop backup, exchange email storage, and web services. Until this year, the BB office has included 2.0 rather than 1.5 Office Specialists, and we anticipate that reestablishing this level of support by shifting the second Office Specialist position to full time will be needed to fully support the offering of the BB and BMB degrees.

1.L. Facilities, library, and other resources The currently available facilities and related resources are sufficient to support the new BMB degree with our projected enrollments.

PHYSICAL FACILITIES The Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics moved into its current space in the

13 Agriculture and Life Sciences (ALS) Building in 1992. The research laboratories and offices for a majority of the Department’s academic faculty, the shared research facilities, and the Department office are situated on the second floor of ALS. Some space on the second floor is allocated to the EHSC and CGRB for shared instrument facilities (including the biological X-ray diffraction, Confocal Microscopy facilities, and CGRB instrument room), and laboratory and office spaces for Drs. Beckman and Baird are on the first floor of the ALS Building. The laboratories and offices of BB faculty members Drs. Frei, Gombart, Hagen and Perez are located in the Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) on the top two floors of the Linus Pauling Science Center (LPSC). Furthermore, the Department has an undergraduate teaching laboratory in the basement of ALS, and two storage rooms on the first floor. In addition to research and office space for individual faculty members, the Department provides a number of common (shared) spaces for faculty, staff, and students. 1. Biochemistry and Biophysics Classrooms Room 2018 on the second floor of the ALS building is a classroom that holds up to 41 students, and is used for small classes and recitations. The teaching laboratory for the Department is in the basement in room ALS 0023 (see #5 below). 2. Biochemistry and Biophysics Reading Room Room 2009A on the second floor of the ALS building has been designated as an open reading room, and is stocked with some current journals and periodicals, textbooks, assigned class material, job resources, and selected publications from various members of the faculty. Students and staff have free and open access to this room during the day, except when scheduled for faculty meetings, classes, or seminars. 3. Biochemistry and Biophysics Conference Room Room 2040, The Cripps Conference Room, on the second floor of the ALS building, is a conference room with a projector and can hold up to ~12 people. This room can be reserved by students and staff for office hours (by department GTAs), for graduate student committee meetings and exams (oral preliminary and final thesis exams), research group meetings, faculty committee meetings, and other department related functions. 4. BB Classroom Laboratory Biochemistry and Biophysics has a single modern classroom laboratory that accommodates 24 students per laboratory section. This provides sufficient capacity to absorb the number of students we have projected as pursuing this degree. If the number of BMB students were to exceed our projections and/or to address the growth in other majors like Bioengineering that require their students to take these courses, more laboratory space may be needed. 5. Graduate/Staff and Undergraduate Activities Rooms Rooms 2031 and 2162 on the second floor of the ALS building have been designated as activity rooms for graduate students and undergraduates, respectively. These rooms are equipped with a microwave oven, refrigerator for food storage, a coffee maker, a networked iMac computer, and paper files with information about internship opportunities and graduate programs. The rooms provide students a place to meet socially, to pursue career leads, and to hold teaching assistant office hours. 6. Computer resources for students and staff The Department has a computer facility available to all students (undergraduate and graduate) and staff members in room 2148 of the ALS building. The facility includes five Macintosh MiniMac personal computers, optical scanners, a black-and-white laser printer, and network access. The facility is used as an instructional resource for the BB teaching laboratories, BB courses, and e-mail and web access for members of the Department. The

14 computers are configured with a wide variety of software packages for molecular biology (MacVector), molecular mechanics and visualization (VMD, NAMD, Chimera, PyMol, MODELER), NMR data processing and analysis (NMRPIPE, SPARKY), data analysis and visualization (MatLab, full python installation), etc. The Department also makes available a portable iBook and digital projector (stored in the Department Office) that can be reserved by students and staff for presentations. Wireless service extends throughout the floor. The BB Office has one B/W HP Laserjet and one color HP Laserjet 2600 printer on the building network for general printing needs of faculty and staff. 7. Research Related Facilities Research Laboratory Space. BB principal investigators each have a minimum of 1000 square feet of laboratory space, outfitted with at least one fume hood and equipment specific to their research needs, as well as 100 square feet of office space in either the ALS or LPSC buildings. In both buildings, our faculty and students have access to shared equipment and reagent preparation spaces containing autoclaves, dishwashers, walk-in cold rooms, walk-in freezer rooms, centrifuges, ultracentrifuges, fluorescent microscopes, and cell culture facilities. Preparation and Cold-Rooms. The Department provides shared rooms for preparation of materials and media for biochemistry and biophysical experiments in rooms ALS 2028, 2074, 2076, 2110 (all are licensed for use of radioactive isotopes). In addition, there are currently five shared cold rooms on the second floor of ALS (located in rooms ALS 2028 and 2110) for use by members of the Department for storage and for experiments requiring constant low (10˚C) temperatures. Unnatural Protein Facility. An Unnatural Protein Facility, directed by program faculty member Dr. Ryan Mehl, is available that provides protein expression and purification support as well as the technology to incorporate non-canonical amino acids into site specific positions in recombinant proteins. Major Instrumentation. Our faculty members have access to state-of-the-art instrumentation, sequencing, and computational infrastructure some of which are associated with the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing (CGRB) and the NIH funded Environmental Health Sciences Center (both housed in the ALS Building), as well as the Electron Microscopy Facility (housed in the LPSC). Instrumentation in these facilities includes a Zeiss LSM 510 Meta Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope, a Leica freezing microtome to section tissues for immunohistochemistry, a Beckman FC 500 Flow cytometer, advanced biomolecular mass spectrometers, a microfluidizer, an FEI QUANTA 3D dual beam scanning electron microscope, an FEI Titan 80-200 transmission electron microscope with ChemiSTEM Capability, and an FEI QUANTA 600F environmental scanning electron microscope. For macromolecular crystallography, equipment available to researchers includes a Phoenix protein crystallization robot and crystal imaging system. For NMR analyses, faculty and students have access to a Bruker 700 MHz NMR instrument (two channel, equipped with a carbon-proton cryoprobe) and two Bruker 400 MHz NMR instruments (two channel) in the Chemistry department and the 500 MHz (three-channel) NMR instrument (equipped with inverse probes) in the College of Pharmacy. Also, funding has been secured to purchase a Bruker 800 MHz NMR instrument and establish a new biomolecular NMR facility by the end of 2016. Shared Sequencing and Computing Facilities. Most program faculty are members of the CGRB, and its core facilities include Sanger ABI 3100 and Illumina HiSeq3000 sequencing platforms, in-house bioinformatics support, and scalable and distributed infrastructure capable of supporting highly parallel computing. The infrastructure includes servers that host websites, handle much of the molecular sequence database search, and function as the SQL database server. To manage the ever-increasing amount of data generated by new technologies, the infrastructure also includes nearly 100 TB of shared disk space for storage and backup

15 purposes. The CGRB leads a significant software development effort that allows researchers across campus to tap into the power of Biocomputing; they also teach modular courses open to undergraduate and graduate students. The infrastructure also features a Beowulf-style, Linux- based compute-farm with nodes ranging from single-processor to multi-processor multi-core machines with over 32 GB of RAM. Cell Culture and Imaging Facilities . The Cell Culture Area includes four cell culture rooms equipped with laminar-flow hoods, incubators, water baths, tabletop centrifuges, phase and fluorescence microscopes, and refrigerators/freezers (4oC/-20oC/-85oC). One of the cell culture rooms and hood is approved for Biosafety Level 2 (BL2) work. Cell imaging and analysis facilities include a Molecular Devices High Content Imaging System, Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer, xCELLigence real-time cell monitoring system, Zeiss axiovert 100S microscope with Photometrics CoolSNAP HQ CCD camera, heated stage, and MetaMorph imaging and analysis software, and an Eppendorf semi-automatic microinjection system. Further, a Zeiss LSM 780 NLO Confocal Microscope and Zeiss Laser Capture Microdissection System are housed in ALS 2070 as part of the CGRB. Also available are a BioRad SmartSpec 3000, KODAK Image Station 440CF, and SpectraCount microplate reader, and cryogenic freezers for long-term storage of cells in liquid nitrogen. Animal Facilities. Facilities for animal studies include a 6,500 sq.ft. rodent vivarium in the LPSC that is supervised by a centralized Oregon State University animal care and use program that is accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, International (AAALAC). The extensive facility is managed by the Laboratory Animal Resources Center (LARC) staff and includes seven animal rooms with at least one ventilated cage change station per room and an associated well-equipped procedure room. Faculty in the Department also have access to the Sinnhuber Aquatic Research Laboratory (SARL) which is a state-of-the- art laboratory for experiments using zebrafish as a model organism. 8. Library Facilities No new library facilities are needed to support the new BMB major, as the resources needed are simply the same as those needed to support the existing Biochemistry and Biophysics major. For a description of the resources available see the Library Report.

1.M. Anticipated start date We anticipate having the BMB major offered starting Fall Term 2016 (201701).

2. Relationship to Mission and Goals

2.A. Manner in which the proposed program supports the institution’s mission and goals for access; student learning; research, and/or scholarly work; and service.

As a land grant institution committed to teaching, research, and outreach and engagement, Oregon State University promotes economic, social, cultural and environmental progress for the people of Oregon, the nation and the world.

The primary mission of the OSU Department of Biochemistry/Biophysics in support of the OSU mission is undergraduate and graduate education and research. The new BMB degree program will allow us to better serve the needs of undergraduate students seeking careers in the rapidly evolving biosciences and biomedical fields:

1) by providing training in skills required by practitioners in the rapidly expanding biotechnology

16 industry. 2) by providing the intellectual support of new disciplines, such as genomics, bioinformatics, and systems biology. 3) by providing a BMB approach to students interested in careers in medical fields. Such a strategy is relevant in view of the development of the field of personalized medicine, which has its roots in molecular mechanisms of disease.

Modern biotechnology, which is supported by molecular biologists, impacts:

1) Economics – scientific advances are driving forces for economic development, particularly in areas such as food production, healthcare, and novel engineering of organisms/bioproducts. 2) Society/culture – medical advances made possible by molecular biology improve the quality and length of human life and a molecular understanding of processes such as aging, cognition, and behavior is rapidly advancing. 3) Environmental progress – biochemistry and molecular biology are foundational to the development of genetic and biochemical approaches to accomplish bioremediation, cellulosic digestion and biofuel development, conserving fossil fuels, and minimizing greenhouse gasses.

2.B. Connection of the proposed program to the institution’s strategic priorities and signature areas of focus.

Phase III (2014-2018) of Oregon State University's Strategic Plan for the 21st Century continues the University's ambitious drive to rank among the ten best Land Grant universities in the nation. It rests on an intensive focus on three Signature Areas of Distinction: Advancing the Science of Sustainable Earth Ecosystems; Improving Human Health and Wellness; and Promoting Economic Growth and Social Progress.

The new BMB degree is aligned well with OSU’s Land Grant status and it specifically impacts Improvement in Human Health/Wellness and Promoting Economic Growth. The revolution in molecular biology that has occurred in the last 30 years has brought forward and continues to advance improvements in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms supporting living cells and, from it, the development of therapies to improve the quality/viability of all life forms on the planet. Advances in molecular biology are at the forefront of improvements in fields as diverse as food production and drug discovery and are driving forces expanding the industries derived from them.

2.C. Manner in which the proposed program contributes to Oregon University System goals for access; quality learning; knowledge creation and innovation; and economic and cultural support of Oregon and its communities.

Access and Quality Learning – The new degree expands offerings in disciplines such as genomics/bioinformatics/epigenetics/systems biology that are at the cutting edge of modern molecular biology. It is aimed to improve the success of students with an interest in this discipline by providing more specific training compared with that of a general Biology degree and also providing a relevant department home with fewer majors and a higher faculty to

17 student ratio.

Access and Knowledge Creation/Innovation – The BMB degree is built from the historically strong culture of undergraduate research/engagement in Biochemistry/Biophysics (BB) and related life sciences disciplines. BB students are considerably above the OSU average in terms of the percentage that engage in undergraduate research before graduation. We expect the new degree will bring additional students under this umbrella, and thus expand the undergraduate research enterprise.

Access and Economic/Cultural Support of Oregon Communities – The BMB degree provides a new pathway for students to pursue professional schools, specifically those interested in medical careers, but we expect students interested in other professional fields, such as dentistry and pharmacy, may find the training to be of interest as well. We believe the new degree will increase the already high success rate of OSU students getting into medical programs, thus expanding the pool of medical professionals that have strong ties to their local communities in the state.

2.D. Manner in which the program meets broad statewide needs and enhances the state’s capacity to respond effectively to social, economic, and environmental challenges and opportunities.

Graduates with a degree in BMB will be poised to meet state needs in three ways:

1) Prepare students for graduate training in the life sciences that will help to expand the talent base driving scientific advances. 2) Increase the number of health professionals with strong ties to the state. 3) Expand the talent pool required by the rapidly expanding high tech biotechnology industry in the state.

Socially, by increasing the number of health professionals, graduates in BMB will proportionately affect rural communities currently underserved in medicine. Scientific discovery is a major driving force for economic development. We expect that economic gains associated with advances in basic research by program graduates will be realized by biotechnology companies and university research laboratories.

3. Accreditation

3.A. Accrediting body or professional society that has established standards in the area in which the program lies, if applicable.

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) has established an accreditation process for academic programs in biochemistry and molecular biology (http://www.asbmb.org/accreditation/overview/). The accreditation process involves a program review and assessment by nationally standardized testing of students completing their degrees and follow-up accreditation workshops. The BB department has received ASBMB accreditation for its Biochemistry and Biophysics major in January 2015. We will pursue and expect to receive ASBMB accreditation for the proposed BMB major.

3.B. Ability of the program to meet professional accreditation standards. If the program does not or cannot meet those standards, the proposal should identify the area(s) in which it is deficient and indicate steps needed to qualify the program for accreditation

18 and date by which it would be expected to be fully accredited.

We have studied the criteria for ASBMB accreditation and expect that the proposed BMB major will meet the described standards. If necessary, we are prepared to make adjustments to meet all standards for full accreditation.

3.C. If the proposed program is a graduate program in which the institution offers an undergraduate program, proposal should identify whether or not the undergraduate program is accredited and, if not, what would be required to qualify it for accreditation.

Not applicable

3.D. If accreditation is a goal, the proposal should identify the steps being taken to achieve accreditation.

We send Department representatives to national meetings on teaching practices and innovations in the life sciences, including ASBMB workshops. Several faculty members are ASBMB members and Dr. Gary Merrill (BB Chair at the time) attended the most recent Association of Medical and Graduate Departments of Biochemistry (AMGDB) Chair’s meeting. We had our first cohort of BB majors take the ASBMBs standardized exam in Spring 2015 as part of the assessment of our program/learning outcomes. As noted above, we successfully received accreditation for the BB major in January 2015, and will similarly prepare suitable application materials for the BMB major.

4. Need

4.A. Evidence of market demand.

The Oregon Department of Employment has projected an average of 17.8% growth across 88 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) occupations in Oregon between 2010-2020. National and state data indicate Oregon will have strong demand for STEM-trained professionals that is not currently being adequately supplied by STEM-major graduation rates at OSU. This modernization of bioscience STEM training at OSU is therefore of critical importance if we are to help the state to staff the biotech industries currently here (e.g. Molecular Probes, Invitrogen, Sarepta Therapeutics) and those that will move here. The recent addition of a Genentech manufacturing center in Hillsboro is but one of what is hoped will be a steady stream of biotechnology companies moving to Oregon. Notably, the BMB degree will prepare students well for what Genetics and Engineering News wrote in 2012 would be six of the top ten biotech jobs most in demand over the next decade: medical scientists, biological technicians, medical and clinical lab technologists, biochemists and biophysicists, R&D process development scientists, and regulatory biomanufacturing specialists (http://www.genengnews.com/insight- and-intelligence/top-ten-biotech-jobs-most-in-demand-over-the-next-decade/77899666/). The neighboring states of Washington and California have vibrant biotechnology industries and we expect program graduates will be sought after by companies in these states as well. Also, as is pointed out in the letter of support from OHSU Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (see supporting material), the new BMB degree is a close match to a common pathway to medical school and graduate studies and careers in molecular biology and in broader biohealth science professions that is already present at most other universities.

4.B. If the program’s location is shared with another similar OUS program, proposal

19 should provide externally validated evidence of need (e.g., surveys, focus groups, documented requests, occupational/employment statistics and forecasts).

Not applicable

4.C. Manner in which the program would serve the need for improved educational attainment in the region and state.

The new degree will enable a broader group of students to obtain the benefits of training in the majors courses of biochemistry (BB 490/491/492/493/494) at OSU without the requirement to take a heavy math/physical sciences/biophysics regimen that are required to get a Biochemistry/Biophysics degree. Freed of these course requirements related to the biophysics component of the Biochemistry/Biophysics degree, BMB students will be able to receive specialized training in emerging disciplines of genomics/proteomics, bioinformatics, epigenetics, and systems biology that will better prepare them for the workplace, graduate work, and modern medicine (including personalized medicine). See also comments provided in the report from our 10-year program review and letters from related programs at OHSU and PSU (see supporting materials).

4.D. Manner in which the program would address the civic and cultural demands of citizenship.

The BS in Biochemistry/Biophysics major currently has a vibrant club for students (BB Club) that encourages them to engage in social activities, leadership, and community service. The BB Club is already open to non-BB majors, and we anticipate having the BMB majors be part of the same club, with a new name that the students can help select.

5. Outcomes and Quality Assessment

5.A. Expected learning outcomes of the program.

Through completion of the BMB program of study, students will be expected to: 1) Demonstrate a core knowledge base in the theory and practice of modern Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB).

2) Function successfully in the laboratory and use safe laboratory practices.

3) Critically evaluate data and design experiments to test hypotheses relevant to the practice of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

4) Read and evaluate primary literature in the discipline. 5) Effectively communicate scientific data and ideas, using various formats appropriate for different target audiences.

6) Use databases, computational tools and other online resources effectively. 7) Demonstrate awareness of ethical issues in the practice of science.

20 5.B. Methods by which the learning outcomes will be assessed and used to improve curriculum and instruction.

As noted above, we will employ the standardized exam of the ASBMB as a direct means of measuring student achievement and program effectiveness using an independently constructed and scored instrument. Furthermore, assignments in the capstone course will be designed to directly assess specific program outcomes. Also, each core course in the curriculum will have pre- and post-tests or other equivalent direct assessment method that can be used to gauge effectiveness and to guide curricular improvements.

5.C. Program performance indicators, including prospects for success of program graduates (employment or graduate school) and consideration of licensure, if appropriate.

We will monitor the progress of our students into careers as indicators of success. This will include MCAT/GRE scores, acceptance rates into professional schools, graduate schools, and entry into the job market.

5.D. Nature and level of research and/or scholarly work expected of program faculty; indicators of success in those areas.

Program faculty are the members of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at OSU. This currently includes six full professors, six associate professors, four assistant professors, one senior instructor II and one instructor (see Appendix 1 at the end of this document). For the research active faculty, the common indicators of success are peer reviewed publications, levels of external grant support, invited talks at regional, national and international meetings. As per our 10-year graduate program review carried out in 2015, the Biochemistry and Biophysics faculty have “a national and international reputation for world-class and original research on molecular mechanisms of living processes.”

6. Program Integration and Collaboration

6.A. Closely related programs in other Oregon public and private institutions.

No other Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) BS degree is offered in Oregon’s public universities. Related programs offered at OSU include the BS in Biochemistry and Biophysics, offered in the same department, the BS in Microbiology and BioHealth Sciences offered in the Department of Microbiology, the BS in Biology and BS in Zoology offered by the Department of Integrative Biology, the BS in Botany with a concentration in Molecular, Cellular and Genomic Biology and the BA,BS in Chemistry with a Biochemistry or Advanced Biochemistry option offered by the department of Chemistry. The University of Oregon offers a BA in Biochemistry and BA,BS degrees in Biology with a Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology emphasis, Portland State University offers a BS in Biochemistry and a BS in Biology with a focus on Microbiology/Molecular Biology, and Eastern Oregon University offers a BS in Biochemistry.

6.B. Ways in which the program complements other similar programs in other Oregon institutions and other related programs at this institution. Proposal should identify the potential for collaboration.

The new BMB degree occupies a unique niche – distinct from all of the degrees mentioned in

21 the previous section. Regarding the two degrees most close in name – Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Biochemistry options in Chemistry – their complementarity was noted by the external reviewers for our 10-year review who wrote: “The three manifestly different flavors of biochemistry that would be available to College of Science students at OSU are complementary, appropriate, and provide opportunities for students to choose the approach that best fits their interests and career goals” (see supplementary support materials). The BMB degree program is well-situated to give students superior training in preparation for post-graduate study in the molecular life sciences, or for careers in health fields, particularly medicine, in education, and in the biotech industry. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of the training in BMB will also provide students who do not seek post-graduate training with more avenues for employment influenced by the specific courses they select in completing their chosen option. Students in the program will not be isolated but will have significant interactions with their peers and with faculty in related majors such as Biochemistry and Biophysics, Microbiology, Zoology, Biology, Botany and Plant Pathology, Chemistry, Nutrition, Animal Science, and Forestry. In addition to these, they will also have opportunities to interact with and carry out research with faculty from graduate programs in Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine. Being housed administratively under Biochemistry and Biophysics within the School of Life Sciences will allow for numerous interactions and collaborations inherent to such a broad group of interacting faculty and students. 6.C. If applicable, proposal should state why this program may not be collaborating with existing similar programs.

Not applicable

6.D. Potential impacts on other programs in the areas of budget, enrollment, faculty workload, and facilities use.

This new degree is one of the key initiatives associated with the recent formation of the School of Life Sciences as an administrative coalition of the three main departments – Integrative Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry and Biophysics. As part of this plan, each department will administer two majors, with Integrative Biology administering Zoology and Biology, Microbiology administering Microbiology and BioHealth Sciences, and Biochemistry and Biophysics administering the Biochemistry and Biophysics and BMB degrees. We expect that the greatest amount of migration of students will occur between these disciplines during an initial transitional period, particularly because the new BMB major may appeal to and be the most appropriate major for some students currently enrolled in the Biochemistry and Biophysics, Biology (Genetics), Microbiology, and BioHealth Sciences majors. The design of the major may also be attractive to and appropriate for students in some majors currently not in the School of Life Sciences, resulting in some increase of students in the School, but we do not expect these numbers to be substantial. So, we expect little net increase in the number of majors within the School of Life Sciences. With the exception of the CH334, CH335, CH336 (organic chemistry) series, we also expect no major impact in terms of the enrollment in courses that are offered by other units, because the core required courses for the BMB major, like statistics and physics would have already been required for the other majors from which students may be drawn. CH334, CH335, CH336 is an exception that will experience increased enrollment because most other life science majors require the CH331, CH332, CH337 series. Because many options are available for the elective courses, we expect no single course to experience a large burden of increased enrollment.

7. Financial Sustainability (see also Budget documents)

22 7.A. Business Plan

In offering the BMB degree (expected to grow to a steady-state of 150-200 majors within four years), the Biochemistry and Biophysics Department will assume or has already assumed significant new teaching, advising and administrative responsibilities. We expect that from here forward covering these added responsibilities will involve a need for 2.3 additional GTAs (i.e. 7 terms of GTA support) and 0.5 FTE of additional office staff.

Since FY2011, the Department has added partial or full FTE for six tenure stream faculty and one instructor: Assistant Professor Colin Johnson (1.0 FTE BB); Assistant Professor Viviana Perez (0.67 FTE BB); 2013 Provost hire Associate Professor Ryan Mehl (1.0 FTE BB), Professor Joe Beckman (0.67 FTE shifted into BB), 2014 Provost hire Assistant Professor David Hendrix (0.67 FTE BB); 2015 Provost hire Assistant Professor Afua Nyarko (1.0 FTE BB); and Instructor Kari van Zee (1.0 FTE). All of these have 9-month positions with teaching responsibilities as part of their position descriptions. Thus, the instructional staffing level in BB has grown by 1 instructor and 3.5 professorial FTE (after subtracting 1.5 professorial FTE for a retirement and a move to administration) and a net headcount of six. This proactive investment in human resources has allowed us to: (1) expand our teaching activities to accommodate an increasing number of students in our service courses, (2) to be prepared to accommodate the anticipated number of BMB majors in our existing core courses, and (3) to begin offering three of the four new courses that will be part of the BMB curriculum. The three new courses required in the proposed BMB major already developed and being taught are the Molecular Biology Lab (BB315), Chromatin and Epigenetics (BB484) and Applied Bioinformatics (BB485); the fourth course required in the new major is the Advanced Molecular Genetics (Capstone) (BB486) course, and it will be developed and offered this year (AY2015-16).

GTAs. We estimate that the expected longer term increase in the number of students in our existing majors courses, and the creation of four new courses will increase our GTA needs by an estimated 7 terms of 0.45-FTE GTA positions. Funds to cover these additional GTA positions will be provided by the College of Science. The departmental Ecampus revenue, which has increased 20-40% in each of the past six years, will provide College income to help offset these additional costs. The anticipated new GTA needs are as follows: 1 term in year 2 to staff a second section of the BB315 lab for new students in their sophomore year, 4 additional terms in year 3 for increased enrollment in BB490, BB491 and BB492 and one new section of the BB494 lab, and 2 terms in year 4 for increased enrollment in BB481 and a second new section of the BB494 lab.

Office staff. The additional 150-200 majors will increase the administrative load on the department office, and it will be important to return our office to the level of staffing that has been typical of the last decade, which includes two full time Office Specialists in addition to our half-time Office Manager. The new 0.5 FTE is an increase in staff from where we are today, but not an expansion from our historical level of staffing.

Advising. A key feature of the BB major and the proposed BMB major is personalized academic and career advising by teaching faculty advisors. Advisors meet with advisees every quarter, know their names and background, and become familiar with their career aspirations and challenges. Currently, the 150-200 BB majors are advised by five faculty advisors (a mix of Instructors and Professors), who receive a compensatory reduction in classroom teaching duties for their advising efforts. Accommodating the additional 150-200 BMB majors will require an additional similar level of faculty FTE (0.15 faculty FTE per fifty students) and/or a shift to some coverage of advising by professional advisors. Insofar as the new majors are students

23 who we are expecting would have otherwise been in a different one of the School of Life Science majors (BB, Biology, BioHealth Sciences, Microbiology, Zoology), the total advising load of the School will not have changed, and per principles formulated when the School was organized, the funds to cover this advising FTE will come from the college either as new funds (if it is deemed that advising support to the school needs to grow) or through a shift of resources/assignments within the School of Life Sciences. Also, whereas our current advising model works well and could be implemented, discussions are currently underway in the School of Life Sciences and the College of Science regarding how we will structure advising in the future.

Supplies. Our lab courses currently have $50 fees per student per term and these fees only cover about one-third of the expenses associated with the services and supplies needed for the laboratory. As the Provost has requested no fee increases at this time, and as each student in the BMB major will take two lab courses, this will amount in the long term of a net cost to the department of ~$8000 per year ($100 x 2 labs x 40 students) with the increase phase-in roughly being $4000 in year two, $6000 in year 3 and $8000 in year 4. This includes accounting for the additional wear and tear on laboratory equipment and the services needed for maintenance and renewal over time.

7.B. Plans for development and maintenance of unique resources (buildings, laboratories, technology) necessary to offer a quality program in this field.

The building, laboratory and technology resources needed to offer a quality program to the projected 150-200 students in the new major are already available.

24 7.C. Targeted student/faculty ratio (student FTE divided by faculty FTE).

A student FTE/faculty FTE ratio of 20-25 is the target, where the student FTE is the total of both BB and BMB majors. If 50 students migrate from BB to BMB, that would result in a projected total of 350 students in the two majors. While we anticipate some faculty expansion, the current faculty FTE in BB is 14.8 (see Appendix 1 at the end of this document), and this already corresponds to a student:faculty ratio of ~24.

7.D. Resources to be devoted to student recruitment.

Resources for outreach to high schools that are already in place for the BB major will be broadened to include the BMB major. Thus no additional resources will be required for recruitment.

8. External Review Not applicable

25 Appendix 1

Table 1. Biochemistry and Biophysics Program Faculty. Abbreviations: LPI – Linus Pauling Institute; CoS – College of Science; EECS – Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; PI – Principal Investigator of a molecular biology relevant research program. Faculty Name Affiliations Rank BB FTE Role in Program Ahern, Kevin BB Professor 1 Teaching, advising, STEM program director Barbar, Elisar BB Professor 1 Teaching, PI Beckman, Joe BB, LPI Distinguished Prof. 0.67 Teaching, PI, EHSC Director Karplus, Andy BB Distinguished Prof. 1 Teaching, PI, advising Merrill, Gary BB Professor 1 Teaching, PI Frei, Balz BB, LPI Distinguished Prof. 0 LPI Director, PI Freitag, Michael BB Associate Professor 1 Teaching, PI Gombart, Fritz BB, LPI Associate Professor 0.33 Teaching, PI Greenwood, Juliet BB, CoS Associate Professor 0.5 Teaching, PI, CoS Associate Dean Hsu, Victor BB Associate Professor 1 Teaching, PI McFadden, Phil BB Associate Professor 1 Teaching, PI Mehl, Ryan BB Associate Professor 1 Teaching, PI Hendrix, David BB, EECS Assistant Professor 0.67 Teaching, PI Johnson, Colin BB Assistant Professor 1 Teaching, PI Nyarko, Afua BB Assistant Professor 1 Teaching, PI Perez, Viviana BB, LPI Assistant Professor 0.67 Teaching, PI, advising Rajagopal, Indira BB Senior Instructor II 1 Teaching, advising Van Zee, Kari BB Instructor 1 Teaching, advising