Request for New Course
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
REQUEST FOR NEW COURSE
DEPARTMENT:
BIOLOGY
DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
COLLEGE:
GARY HANNAN
ARTS & SCIENCES
CONTACT PHONE:
487-4242
CONTACT EMAIL:
GHANNAN@EMICH.EDU
A. Rationale/Justification for the Course
Biogeography has been taught for years at the 400-level as BIO(L)412. This course is approved for graduate
credit and is in a small group of restricted electives for the Ecology and Organismal Biology Master’s Degree
program. Because this course frequently appears on graduate programs of study and because it looks odd on our
program to have a 400-level restricted elective, we propose to create a new 500-level Biogeography course that
will be cross-listed with the 400-level course. This will allow access for both populations of students, our
master’s students and our upper-level undergraduates. We have attached syllabi for both BIO412 and BIO512 to
highlight the differing expectations for the two groups of students.
B. Course Information
1. Subject Code and Course Number:
2. Course Title:
Biogeography
3. Credit Hours:
3
BIO512
4. Catalog Description (Limit to approximately 50 words.):
A lecture course involving the descriptive and historical aspects of plant and animal distribution and the basic
principles governing their natural distribution in both space and time.
5. Prerequisites: (List by Subject Code, Number and Title.) Students MUST complete prerequisites before they can take this course.
6. Corequisites: (List by Subject Code, Number and Title.) Students MUST take corequisites at the same time as they are taking this course.
7. Concurrent Prerequisites: (List by Subject Code, Number and Title.) Students MUST take concurrent prerequisites EITHER before or at
the same time as they are taking this course.
8. Equivalent Courses: (List by Subject Code, Number and Title) Students may not earn credit for both a course and its equivalent.
BIO412
9. Course Restrictions:
Miller, New Course
Sept. 05
New Course Form
a. Academic/Class Level (Check all those who will be allowed to take the course for credit within their academic program.):
Undergraduate
Graduate
Freshperson
Certificate
X
Sophomore
Masters
X
Junior
Specialist
Senior
Doctoral
Note: Only 400-level undergraduate courses can be taken by graduate students for credit within their graduate program. Only
Certificate and Masters students may take these courses. If this is a 400-level course to be offered for graduate credit, attach Approval
Form for 400-level Course for Graduate Credit.
Note: Only 500-level graduate courses can be taken by undergraduate students.
b. Will only students in certain majors/programs be allowed to take this course?
Yes
X
No
If yes, list the majors/programs
MS in General Biology
MS in Ecology & Organismal Biology
c. Will Departmental Permission be Required?
Yes
No
X
(Note: Department permission requires the department to enter authorization for every student registering.)
d. Is admission to a specific College Required?
College of Business
Yes
No
X
College of Education
Yes
No
X
10. Will the course be offered as part of the General Education Program?
Yes
No
X
If yes, attach Request for Inclusion of a Course in the General Education Program: Education for Participation in the Global Community form.
Note: All new courses proposed for inclusion in this program will be reviewed by the General Education Advisory Committee. If this course
is NOT approved for inclusion in the General Education program, will it still be offered? Yes
No
C. Relationship to Existing Courses
Within the Department:
11. Will this course will be a requirement or restricted elective in any existing program(s)? Yes X
No
If yes, list the programs and attach a copy of the programs that clearly shows the place the new course will have in the curriculum.
**Note that this course is already a restricted elective on our program at the 400-level. We do not propose to change the position of this course
in the program rather to make a direct swap of the 500-level course for the 400-level course. We have not, therefore, attached the program.
Program
MS in Ecology, Evolution & Organismal Biology,
Required
Program
12. Will this course replace an existing course? Yes
Required
No
Restricted Elective
Restricted Elective
X
NOTE: Complete #13 only if the answer to #12 is “Yes.” Complete #14 only if the answers to #12 and #13b are both “Yes.”
13. (Complete only if the answer to #12 is “Yes.”)
a. Subject Code, Number and Title of course to be replaced:
Page 2 of 7
X
New Course Form
b. Will the course to be replaced be deleted?
Yes
No
14. (Complete only if the answers to #12 and #13b are both “Yes.”) If the replaced course is to be deleted, it is not necessary to submit
a Request for Graduate and Undergraduate Course Deletion.
a. When is the last time it will be offered?
Term
Year
b. Is the course to be deleted required by programs in other departments?
Contact the Course and Program Development Office if necessary.
Yes
No
c. If yes, do the affected departments support this change?
Yes
No
If yes, attach letters of support. If no, attach letters from the affected department explaining the lack of support, if available.
Outside the Department: The following information must be provided. Contact the Course and Program Development office for
assistance if necessary.
15. Are there similar courses offered in other University Departments?
If yes, list courses by Subject Code, Number and Title
Yes
No
X
16. If similar courses exist, do the departments in which they are offered support the proposed course?
Yes
No
If yes, attach letters of support from the affected departments. If no, attach letters from the affected department explaining the lack of support,
if available.
D. Course Requirements
17. Attach a detailed Sample Course Syllabus including:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
Course goals, objectives and/or expected student outcomes
Outline of the content to be covered
Student assignments including presentations, research papers, exams, etc.
Method of evaluation
Grading scale (if a graduate course, include graduate grading scale)
Special requirements
Bibliography, supplemental reading list
Other pertinent information.
NOTE: COURSES BEING PROPOSED FOR INCLUSION IN THE EDUCATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE GLOBAL
COMMUNITY PROGRAM MUST USE THE SYLLABUS TEMPLATE PROVIDED BY THE GENERAL EDUCATION
ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE TEMPLATE IS ATTACHED TO THE REQUEST FOR INCLUSION OF A COURSE IN THE
GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM: EDUCATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY FORM.
E. Cost Analysis (Complete only if the course cannot be implemented without additional University resources.
Fill in Estimated
Resources for the sponsoring department(s). Attach separate estimates for other affected departments.)
Estimated Resources:
Year One
Year Two
Year Three
Faculty / Staff
$_________
$_________
$_________
SS&M
$_________
$_________
$_________
Equipment
$_________
$_________
$_________
Total
$_________
$_________
$_________
Page 3 of 7
New Course Form
F. Action of the Department/College
1. Department
Vote of department faculty:
For
14
Against 0
(Enter the number of votes cast in each category.)
Department Head Signature
Abstentions
0
Date
2. College/Graduate School
A. College
College Dean Signature
Date
B. Graduate School (if Graduate Course)
Graduate Dean Signature
Date
G. Approval
Associate Vice-President for Academic Programming Signature
Date
Page 4 of 7
New Course Form
BIO512 (proposed number)
Biogeography
Dr. G. Hannan
SYLLABUS
Biogeography is the study of past and current distribution of organisms on earth. Rather than just a descriptive
scientific field, biogeography attempts to explain the observed distribution patterns of organisms in terms of ecological
adaptations, geological phenomena, life history characteristics, and past evolutionary history. All four areas are
considered concurrently to attempt to explain both general and specific distribution patterns and patterns of diversity in
different regions of the world. Hypotheses are constructed to attempt to explain how the observed distribution patterns
have arisen (e.g., continental drift, land bridges, long-distance dispersal, evolutionary events such as speciation, etc.)
and the hypotheses are tested using modern analytical techniques including molecular systematics, mathematical
modeling, and cladistic (i.e., evolutionary) analyses.
Course content will include current distribution patterns of organisms (rare endemics, cosmopolitan,
circumpolar, pantropical, disjunct, etc.), ecological adaptations of organisms to different climatic and other
environmental conditions, kinds of interactions among organisms, islands as natural experiments in biogeography,
vicariance biogeography, historical context of present distributions (continental drift, past climates, etc.), final shaping
of today's biotic regions, ice ages, and man's impact on plant and animal distributions.
Textbook:
Brown, James H. & Mark V. Lomolino. 1998. Biogeography. Sinauer, Sunderland, MA.
Electronic Reserves:
reserves.emich.edu. Select “Biology” from the drop-down menu of departments (and click on “go” button).
Select BIOL412 Biogeography from the list of biology courses. Enter the password: biol412 in the password box, then
click on the “Accept” button at the bottom of the page. Select the posted file that you want to download and view.
Grading:
Final grades in the course will be determined by the number of points accumulated during the semester. There
will be 1) a map quiz (20 points), 2) a mid-term exam (100 points), 3) a cumulative final exam at the end of the term
(150 points), 4) term paper, and 5) term paper presentation. Exams will incorporate essay questions of a more
synthetic, analytical nature than those included in exams for undergraduates. The term paper and presentation
(described in a separate handout) will allow you to explore original research in an area of biogeographical research of
interest to you. The goals of the writing assignment are to expose you to areas and methods biogeography of research,
to provide experience in writing a literature review and, through the oral presentation to the class, to gain experience in
oral presentations. Undergraduates will benefit from hearing about a diversity of research areas in biogeography.
Grading summary:
Map Quiz ................................................................. 20 pts.
Mid-term.................................................................. 100 pts.
Term paper .............................................................. 40 pts.
Term paper presentation .......................................... 10 pts.
Final Exam .............................................................. 150 pts.
TOTAL
320 pts.
Page 5 of 7
New Course Form
Grading Scale:
A
90-100%
B
80-90%
C
70-80%
E
below 60%
I will give "+" and "-" grades to students with total points in the upper 2% and lower 2%, respectively, of each
grade range.
Final note on grades: GRADES ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE ITEMS. I do not give anyone a grade. You earn a
grade by performing well on required exams and other assignments. Each assignment is a required work for this course
only. Presentations must be based on work specific to this course (i.e., a presentation given in another course cannot be
used in this course, also). University policy requires adherence to the University’s academic honesty policy.
"Cheating" in any form (i.e., on exams, copying other people's writing, etc.) will not be tolerated, and will result in a
failing grade in the course, regardless of point totals accumulated during the course (yes, this is allowed by the
University).
Tentative Lecture and Readings Schedule:
Week of
Sept. 1
Sept. 6
Sept. 13
Sept. 20
Sept. 27
Oct. 4
Oct. 11
Oct. 18
Oct. 25
Nov. 1
Nov. 8
Nov. 15
Nov. 22
Nov. 29
Dec. 6
Dec. 13
General Topics
What is biogeography?; physical setting
Distributions of single species & communities
Changing earth & plate tectonics
Pleistocene glaciation
Speciation & extinction
Dispersal; Endemism
Mid-term (Oct. 13); provincialism & disjunction
Phylogenetics; reconstruct. evolution. hist.
Island biogeography
Species diversity patterns
Biodiversity hotspot presentations
Continental patterns & processes
Status of biodiversity
Graduate presentations
Poster sessions
Final Exam: 9:30-11:00 AM
Chapter
1,3
4,5
5,6
7
8
9, 10
10
11, 12
13, 14
14, 15
16
17
Page 6 of 7
New Course Form
Quiz and Exam Schedule:
Sept. 8
Oct. 13
Nov. 8 & 10
Nov. 10
Nov. 22
Nov. 29
Dec. 1 & 3
Dec. 6, 8, 10
Dec. 13
Map Quiz
Mid-term Exam
Biodiversity hotspot presentations
Last day to withdraw from a class
Term paper due
Graduate presentations
Graduate presentations
Poster Presentations
Cumulative Final Exam: 9:30-11:00 AM
Meeting Times: MWF 10:00-10:50am in 332 MJ
Instructor: Dr. Gary Hannan
410 Mark Jefferson
487-4399; Biology Office: 487-4242
e-mail address: ghannan@emich.edu
Office Hours: Tues. 10-12; W 2-4, and by appointment
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