CC Addendum CC Motion 6 () April 9, 2018

CC Motion 6: Approve new Neuroscience major.

Proposed Major

Neuroscience examines the structure and function of the at a variety of levels, from individual molecules involved in neural function, to brain network analysis, to behavior of the whole organism. As a field, Neuroscience combines elements of Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology. At Illinois Wesleyan University, the Neuroscience program is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the scientific concepts of each of these disciplines as they relate to the structure and function of the brain.

The major in Neuroscience includes a minimum of 13-15 courses depending on the concentration, at least 7-9 of which are 300-level or higher. Students will complete core sequences in Biology (that will give students a foundation for understanding human anatomy and physiology), Chemistry (that will give students a foundation in general chemistry), and Psychology (that will teach students about the field of neuroscience in general and provide a more in-depth study of the field through a content specific study) in addition to 300-level electives and a capstone course.

Requirements for the Major 6 Core Courses. Students must also complete the course work in one of two concentrations ( or Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience).

The Neuroscience Core 1) Biol 107: Human Biology: Anatomy and Physiology I 2) Biol 108: Human Biology: Anatomy and Physiology II 3) Chem 201: General Chemistry I 4) Chem 202: General Chemistry II 5) Psyc 213: Behavioral Neuroscience 6) Senior capstone experience. Choose one of the following: a. Neur 400: Neuroscience capstone b. Biol 499: Research/Thesis c. Psyc 400 and 401: Directed Research and Thesis in Psychology

Cellular/Molecular Neuroscience Concentration A minimum of 15 courses (at least 9 of which are 300-level or above) to include the following (in addition to the core courses listed above): 7) Choose one of the following a. Biol 209: Biostatistics and Experimental design

1 b. Psyc 300: Research Methods (Please note that Psyc 300 has a prerequisite of Psyc 227: Psychological Statistics) 8) Chem 311: Organic Chemistry I 9) Chem 312: Organic Chemistry II 10) Biol 312: 11) Biol 317: Survey of Biochemistry (cross-listed as Chem 317) or Biol 414: Biochemistry I (cross- listed with Chem 414) i. Note: Biol/Chem 317 is a survey course that covers biomolecules and biochemical processes in a single semester. Biol/Chem 414 and Chem 415: Biochemistry II constitute a two-semester sequence for students seeking a more detailed presentation of biochemistry. The first semester concerns biological molecules and the second semester concerns metabolism, cell signaling, and biochemical genetics. Students who elect to take Biol/Chem 414 are advised to also take Chem 415. 12) Biol 325: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience 13) Two additional biology/chemistry courses at the 300- or 400-level Biol 307: Animal Physiology Biol 311: Developmental Biology Biol 410: Molecular Foundations of Developmental Biology Biol 411: Experimental Embryology Biol 412: Molecular Genetics Biol 495: Directed Study Biol 499: Research Chem 415: Biochemistry II Chem 495: Directed Study 14) One additional Psychology course from the following: Psyc 302: Neuropsychopharmacology Psyc 313: Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience Psyc 314: Advanced Human Neuroscience Psyc 321: Brain Injury and Recovery Psyc 329: Special topics in neuroscience (as approved by chair) Psyc 395: Directed study

Behavioral Neuroscience Concentration A minimum of 13 courses (at least 7 of which are 300-level or above) to include the following (in addition to the core courses listed above): 7) Psyc 227: Statistics 8) Psyc 300: Research Methods 9) Two additional Psychology courses from the following: Psyc 302: Neuropsychopharmacology Psyc 311: Foundations of Learning Psyc 313: Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience Psyc 314: Advanced Human Neuroscience

2 Psyc 321: Brain Injury and Recovery Psyc 329: Special topics in neuroscience (as approved by chair) 10) Three additional courses at the 300- or 400-level Biol 307: Animal Physiology Biol 311: Developmental Biology Biol 312: Genetics Biol 325: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience Biol 410: Molecular Foundations of Developmental Biology Biol 411: Experimental Embryology Biol 412: Molecular Genetics Biol 495: Directed Study Psyc 302: Neuropsychopharmacology Psyc 311: Foundations of learning Psyc 313: Advanced behavioral neuroscience Psyc 314: Advanced human neuroscience Psyc 321: Brain injury and recovery Psyc 329: Special topics in neuroscience (as approved by chair) Psyc 395: Directed study 11) At least one of the above courses at the 300- or 400-level must include a laboratory component. In Psychology, these courses are denoted in the course catalog with an EXP designation. In Chemistry and Biology, courses are denoted with a LAB designation.

Students pursuing a major in Neuroscience should be aware of the following: ● As listed above, students may receive course credit for an independent study in any represented discipline (biology, chemistry or psychology), assuming the research is directly related to the field of neuroscience (as approved by the neuroscience program chair). ● Students may count up to two units of research, via directed study, toward fulfilling major requirements. That directed study should occur in a single discipline, though a student may petition to include research from different disciplines pending the program director’s approval.

Rationale for the Major and Its Requirements from Professor Abbie Kerr

Neuroscience examines the structure and function of the nervous system at a variety of levels, from individual molecules involved in neural function, to brain network analysis, to behavior of the whole organism. As a field, Neuroscience combines elements of Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology. A number of technological advances in recent years in genetic sequencing and manipulation, proteomics, and imaging have contributed to the rising popularity and relevance of Neuroscience as a field of study. Neuroscience training is excellent preparation for students interested in basic research, careers in medicine, pharmacology, physical or occupational therapy, nursing, or medical engineering or technology.

While Neuroscience overlaps considerably with Biology and Psychology, and relies heavily on Chemistry, in the last 20 years Neuroscience has become a major field of study in its own right.

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Although IWU has a number of faculty in Biology and Psychology that do research and mentor undergraduate students on topics that would traditionally be considered Neuroscience, we have not had a formal Neuroscience major, minor, or concentration. The lack of any sort of Neuroscience program at IWU sets us apart from our peer and aspirant institutions. The majority of institutions in our peer and aspirant group offer Neuroscience majors, and all of them offer either majors, minors, or concentrations.

● Augustana College (Rock Island, IL) offers a major. ● Carleton College (Northfield, MN) offers a minor. ● Denison University (Granville, OH) offers a concentration. ● DePauw University (Greencastle, IN) offers a major. ● Franklin and Marshall College (Lancaster, PA) offers a major. ● Kenyon College (Gambier, OH) offers a major and a concentration. ● Knox College (Galesburg, IL) offers a major and minor. ● Lawrence University (Appleton, WI) offers a major and a minor. ● Macalester College (Saint Paul, MN) offers a major. ● Rhodes College (Memphis, TN) offers a major. ● St Olaf College (Northfield, MN) offers a concentration. ● The College of Wooster (Wooster, OH) offers a major.

Nationally, over 200 institutions provide undergraduate Neuroscience programs. Of the Top 50 Liberal Arts institutions as ranked by US News and World Reports in 2017, 30 offer a Neuroscience major, and 44 offer either a major, minor, or concentration.

Given the quality of our Science faculty and facilities, we are well positioned to join our peer and aspirant groups in offering a undergraduate Neuroscience program. We are proposing the addition of an interdisciplinary program in Neuroscience. This program/major will be delivered by members of the Biology, Chemistry and Psychology departments and will include two concentrations that take advantage not only of the strengths of the involved academic departments but also the primary interests of students at IWU (as evidenced by recent enrollments in post- graduate programs).

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The challenge for any interdisciplinary program is to provide students with the appropriate interdisciplinary breadth of understanding as well as depth of knowledge in the field without overburdening students with too many unit requirements. As a field, Neuroscience involves Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology, with most professionals specializing in one of these disciplines. Therefore, the major has been designed to give students a general foundation in all three fields of study, in statistical and research methodologies, and also to provide opportunities to specialize through elective courses.

The program requirements for the Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience and Behavioral Neuroscience concentrations in Neuroscience were developed largely through a survey of similar programs at Colleges and Universities in our peer and aspirant group. Chemistry, Biology and

4 Psychology faculty were consulted on and collaborated in the design of the program. The program was designed using courses that are currently available to IWU students with the addition of the BIOL 375 and NEUR 400 courses (the proposals for which accompany this proposal). Because the field of Neuroscience is so vast, two concentrations of study within the major will permit students to use their foundational knowledge from the core courses and further specialize their degree toward their interests and career goals, pursuing either Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience or Behavioral Neuroscience.

The concentration in Cellular and Molecular includes 15 courses to complete the major. It should be noted that this 15-course requirement is two more than the 13-course requirement for the Behavioral concentration (as described below). The reason that the course total differs between the two concentrations is that biochemistry, a common requirement of cellular and molecular neuroscience programs nationally, requires the completion of a two-course organic chemistry sequence at IWU. In favor of transparency we have included the organic chemistry sequence as required courses, thus accounting for the two additional units in the Cellular and Molecular concentration.

Although 15 courses may seem like a large number of courses, this number is somewhat low or similar when compared to other universities offering a Neuroscience program with a similar cellular and/or molecular concentration. For example, Rhodes College (13 + highly recommend 2 semesters of organic chemistry and physics, 1 semester of math and computer science=19 total), The College of Wooster (14), Kenyon College (15), Augustana College (17), John Carroll (17), Calvin (18), Washington University (20), and North Central (22). The primary difference in these programs is the addition of 1 or 2 semesters of physics, 1 or 2 semester of math and/or a semester of computer science. Schools with 19+ courses also have required coursework within biology or psychology. Currently, the biology department has a 10 course requirement, but strongly recommends 7 additional courses (2 semesters of general chemistry, 2 semesters of organic chemistry, 2 semesters of physics, and 1 semester calculus) that the majority of students complete due to the requirements for professional and graduate schools. The requirements for this interdisciplinary major are similar to those found in Biology, Chemistry, and the proposed interdisciplinary Biochemistry major. Psychology is also a 14 course major (11 in the department + 3 outside the department).

We expect the new Neuroscience major with the Cellular and Molecular concentration to primarily attract students interested in pursuing 1) graduate school in Neuroscience with a biological perspective, and 2) students interested in pursuing medical school who are not interested in the broader field of Biology, Chemistry or Psychology. The Neuroscience major with the cellular and molecular concentration aims to address coursework that will ensure these students are competitive for professional schools without limiting their ability to pursue additional related professions if their career plans change.

The concentration in Behavioral Neuroscience requires 13 courses to complete. Though this is two fewer courses than the Cellular and Molecular concentration, the Behavioral Neuroscience

5 concentration was similarly designed to reflect those requirements of similar programs at other universities with Neuroscience majors that have a less cellular focus and instead favor the subfield of Behavioral Neuroscience. For example, in a survey of Neuroscience programs at eight of our peer and aspirant institutions (including Augustana college, DePauw University, Franklin & Marshall, Kenyon College, Knox College, Lawrence University, Macalaster College, and the College of Wooster), only three programs require organic chemistry (and each only requires a single semester) and none require biochemistry.

We expect the new Neuroscience major with the Behavioral Neuroscience concentration to attract primarily students interested in pursuing 1) graduate school in Neuroscience with a behavioral/psychological perspective, and 2) students interested in pursuing medical school who are more interested in organismic versus cellular and molecular analysis. The courses required for this concentration are designed to prepare students for post graduate studies and include important prerequisites of such graduate or pre-professional programs to make our undergraduates competitive applicants.

Path to the Major

Because of the complexity of an interdisciplinary program such as this, we thought it would be helpful to include some information regarding how a student might complete this program while at IWU. Below are example course plans for students pursuing each concentration. For each course plan, we have included additional courses that students interested in pursuing medical sciences would need to take because (1) we anticipate the neuroscience major appealing specifically to these students and (2) the additional courses required of students interested in medical school represents the most course intensive path to completion of the major. Students interested in non- medical (including Ph.D.) studies pursuing either concentration would omit those courses with an asterisk. Please note that there are a number of ways that students might get their Writing Intensive course in the major. Three of the four senior capstone experiences carry the W flag, and the fourth can be petitioned to be Writing Intensive. In addition, a number of the 300-level options for students also carry a W flag.

Sample Schedule for a Neuroscience Major with Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience Concentration and a Pre-medicine Interest

All Credit Earned at IWU, No Double Counting, No May Term courses · General education requirements are shown in red. · Courses highlighted in yellow are required for the Neuroscience Major. These include 15 courses in the major · Because Biochemistry at IWU requires the Organic Chemistry it is included in the major requirements to avoid hidden prerequisites that may confuse students · Courses with an asterisk are needed or strongly recommended for medical school and should be taken before the MCAT* · 9 of 11 upper-level courses are built into the major · Students will need to ensure that they elect BIOL 410, BIOL 412, PSYC 313, PSYC 321, or PSYC 401 to fulfill W in the major.

6 · The concentration was developed using existing courses with the development of one new course (BIOL 375: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience). The purpose of this major is to attract a NEW subset of students to IWU.

Year 1 Fall Spring General Chemistry CHEM 201* PSL General Chemistry CHEM 202* Human Biology BIOL 107* LSL Human Biology BIOL 108* Gateway GW 100 GW Introductory Sociology SOC 100* CSI Language LA Language LA

Year 2 Fall Spring Behavioral Neuroscience PSYC 213 Genetics BIOL 312 LSI Organic Chemistry CHEM 311* Organic Chemistry CHEM 312* Applied Analysis I MATH 176* FR The Arts ART Language LA Writing Intensive W

Year 3 Fall Spring Survey of Biochemistry CHEM 317* BIOL 209 * PSYC 300 elective course BIOL 375 Cell/Mol. Neuroscience Physics 101* (elective) Medical Ethics PHIL 225 AV US Diversity U Physics 102* (elective) Physical Education PE Physical Education PE

Year 4 Fall Spring 300/400-level major elective W 300/400-level major elective 400 level Capstone Elective Literature LIT Intellectual Traditions IT Global G Cultural and Historical Change CHC

Sample Schedule for a Neuroscience Major with Behavioral Concentration and Pre-medicine/Pre- health Interests

All Credit Earned at IWU and No Double Counting, No May Term courses · General education requirements are shown in red. · Courses highlighted in yellow are required for the Neuroscience Major with a behavior neuroscience concentration. There are 13 courses in the major with this concentration. · Courses with an asterisk are needed for medical school and should be taken before the MCAT*. If students were not interested in Pre-medicine/Pre-health interests these would be replaced with electives. · PSYC 300, which is required of all students, will fulfill W within the major · 6 of 11 upper-level courses are built into the major.

Year 1 Fall Spring

7 General Chemistry CHEM 201* PSL General Chemistry CHEM 202* Human Biology BIOL 107* LSL Human Biology BIOL 108* Gateway GW 100 GW Introductory Sociology SOC 100* CSI Language LA Language LA

Year 2 Fall Spring Behavioral Neuroscience PSYC 213 Psychological Statistics PSYC 227 Organic Chemistry CHEM 311* US Diversity U Applied Analysis I MATH 176 FR Organic Chemistry CHEM 312* Language LA The Arts ART

Year 3 Fall Spring Survey of Biochemistry CHEM 317* 300/400-level major elective in PSYC 300/400-level major elective in PSYC Medical Ethics PHIL 225 AV Research Methods Psyc 300 (W) Physics 102* Physics 101* Cultural and Historical Change CHC Physical Education PE Physical Education PE

Year 4 Fall Spring 300/400-level major elective Science Issues Course LSI or PSI 300/400-level major elective 300/400-level major elective Literature LIT Intellectual Traditions IT Global G Capstone-PSYC 401; BIOL 499; NEURO 400

Staffing

Biology, Chemistry and Psychology are not requesting any additional staffing for the implementation of the Neuroscience program at this time.

The Neuroscience program will be housed as an interdisciplinary program and will make substantial use of resources from the Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology departments. The program will require a director/chair that will come from one of the involved departments. It is anticipated that the director will receive an annual course release to accommodate their efforts, which will include additional advising, assessment, and program implementation. It is not anticipated that this course release will need to be supported with additional staffing.

All of the courses in the proposed major currently exist in the program of classes offered by the represented departments with the exception of two courses: A Neuroscience capstone course and BIOL 375: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience. These courses will be incorporated into current course loads for existing faculty in the Psychology and Biology departments and will not require additional resources to implement.

8 As with any program on campus, we hope that the Neuroscience major will be attractive to current and prospective students. Should the program be successful in the long term (enroll more than 10 majors/year), additional staffing may be necessary. For instance, Biology is already close to maximal enrollment in some of their upper division courses. Future staffing requests may include anything from requests for adjuncts to a tenure line depending on the size/demand of the program. This need is not anticipated for at least 3-4 years into the program and is, again, dependent on the success of the program in recruiting new students to Illinois Wesleyan.

Student interest

We believe there is more than sufficient student interest to support the establishment of a Neuroscience major at IWU. As mentioned above, many of our sister institutions have Neuroscience programs (either majors or minors). Again, 44 of the top 50 liberal arts institutions in the country have a formalized program in neuroscience. At IWU, our neuroscience courses consistently fill to maximum capacity (30 students for 200-level courses and 12 students for 300-level courses), with many of those courses taught over course caps. Since 2000, four of the 55 students who have completed a contract major/minor did so in . Every year for the last ten years, Psychology has had one or more students earn University Honors for completing research related to Neuroscience. In addition, over 200 students over the past 20 years have worked as research assistants on neuroscience-related projects. Over the last few years, we have had a small but consistent number of psychology and biology majors pursue graduate programs in Neuroscience. Anecdotally, we have also seen an increased interest in Neuroscience from prospective high school students attending our open houses.

Resource Implications

Non-staffing related resource needs are listed below.

● Departmental Resources. In the short-term, Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology do not anticipate needing any additional resources for the implementation of this major. New Neuroscience majors may serve to offset declining enrollment in all departments. Consequently, existing resources should be sufficient. ● Interdisciplinary Resources. Though no resources are immediately needed to implement the program, the following shared resources will be ideal to sustain a successful program after 3-5 years. The sum total of these items is around $50,000: ○ a light microscope to use in classroom labs as well as to support independent research (part of our signature work initiative). Anticipated cost: $25,000 ○ 2-3 new computers to handle EEG data and stimulus presentation (used for classroom work as well as independent studies and signature work). Anticipated cost: $5,000 ○ 3-5 additional EEG caps to accommodate a greater number of students collecting data as part of a laboratory course or signature work. Anticipated cost: $8,000 ○ A vibratome to permit slicing of fresh tissue. Anticipated cost: $8,000

9 ○ 3-4 Nightsea fluorescence adapters for light microscopes. These adapters are much cheaper than retrofitting factory fluorescence on existing microscopes (approximately $1000 each). This will permit the purchase of a less expensive microscope above and is a resource that can be shared between courses and departments as needed.

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