Presentation to Educational Programs CommitteeBiology DepartmentDecember 5, 2011
Program Enhancement: Position Requests
Biology Faculty identified the following as priorities:1. Lake Fish Biologist2.Neurotoxicologist3. Vertebrate Biologist (2-yr term)4. Lake LimnologistWe are requesting positions 1-3.
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
Overall Goals:1. Tomeet needs of students in delivering classes in our curriculum.2. To enable continued growth in department (Majors and SCH)3. To increase research capability and productivity of faculty in a sustainable way.4. Increasethe opportunity of undergraduate students to conduct meaningful research.
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
Background:Enrollments –grown from 415 to 586 from 2007-present (41.2%).Created created challenges in meeting teaching demands.Added Fisheries &Wildl. Management majorExpected 30 majors in 2 years.Have 25 in 1 year.No appreciable decline in other majors.
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
Background:Faculty reassignments—reduce capability to deliver needed classes.Brent Graves—Scheduled for 100% AAUP service—have no one to teach advanced classes—BI 461 Herpetology, BI 328 Behavioral Ecology and inadequate coverage of BI 215 Evolution discussion sections.Rob Winn—1/2 load as Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences. Affects BI 202 Hum. Physiology and upper level classes.Erich Ottem—1/2 reduction associated with NIH grant. Affects BI 218 and upper level classes.
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
Background:Enrollment growth has created high advising loads (average of 50-85/faculty)Faculty in the affected areas of the department have very high advising loads, high mentoring loads for undergraduate research.Dr. Winn has 76 undergrads and 8 grad students!Dr. Leonard has 58 undergrads and 8 grad students!
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
Lake Fish BiologistCurrent faculty delivering Fish AndWildl. Mgmt program: one fish biologist and one wildlife ecologist, with support from two others.These faculty also contribute to the Biology-General and Biology-Ecology programs.No qualified faculty available to provide needed classes when current faculty have reassigned time or sabbatical appointments.Advising loads are high for both faculty involved (52-55) and all faculty in Biology.Person would directly contribute to growth area—both in teaching and research opportunities.Strong opportunity for research enhancement.
NeurotoxicologistWould help link Biology with Psychology in developing a program in NeurobiologyWould help provide foundational BI courses, such as BI 104 Anatomy and Physiology, BI 202 Human Physiology, BI 218 Cell & Molecular BiologyStrong opportunity for extramural funds involving environmental toxicology
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
Vertebrate Biologist (2-year term)Replacement for Dr. Brent GravesWould provide help in teaching foundational classes—BI 112 Intro to Biology: Diversity, BI 215 EvolutionTeach BI 322 Vertebrate Zoology, BI 428 Behavioral Ecology, and BI 215 Evolution discussion sections
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
Benefits to UniversityAbility to offer required classes to majors and non-majors as neededIncrease research productivityIncrease graduate student enrollmentIncrease undergraduate research involvementIncreasedresearch productivity offaculty
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
Benefits to UniversityFeed programs that are growing so that they can continue to grow. Strengthen Fish and Wildlife program through addition of a lake fisheries management biologist.Strengthenenvironmental/physiological capability that will increase collaborative research with state/federal agencies.
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
Benefits toUniversity -- continuedStrengthen the instructional and research efforts in human health with an emphasis on Neuroscience.Increasein research productivity of theBiology facultybymaking loads sustainable.Createprograms that will help attracthighly motivated high school students to the NMU campus.
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
Some noteworthy requirements:Need office space for Lake Fish Biologist andNeurotoxicologistNeed lab space for theNeurotoxicologistand funds to help renovate aquatic research lab for Fish Lake BiologistStart up funds forNeurotoxicologistand Lake Fish Biologist
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
Approximate CostsFaculty (3.0 positions w/ benefits) $212,528Start up funds $ 60,000Total $272,528Estimated Income(from new$390,000students recruited --30 F & W; 20 OtherBiology @$7,800 ea—believed to beconservative estimate)
Enhancement Position RequestsBiology
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