BTF Meeting, May 2, 2003
Meeting began at 9: A.M.
Attending: Betsy Maxim, David Froehlich, Les Albin, Yvonne Estes, Steve Bostic, Sarah Strong,
Terry Shaw, D'Maris Allen-Mierl, John Batterton, Trish Phelps, Steve Muzos, Steve Ziser, Bernice
Speer, Linda Clement, David Fonken, Mark McCaffery
1. Common Course Objectives.
The final drafts of the common course objectives for BIOL 2316 Genetics, BIOL 1424 Native
Plants, BIOL 1413 General Zoology, BIOL 2416 Aquatic Biology, BIOL 1309 Life on Earth, BIOL
1409 Diversity of Life, BIOL 2306 Living Planet, BIOL 1407 Structure and Function of Organisms,
BIOL 2305/2102 (formerly BIOL 2402) Human Physiology, and BIO 1614 Field Biology. The
Department unanimously voted to adopt them. Only BIO 2993 Critical Thinking lacks common
course objectives. Anne Keddy-Hector will work on these next year.
2. Safety Issues
-The new waste stream management system will be implemented in the fall at CYP and NRG.
-Safety inspections of all science labs will be delayed until after the inspection form is revised.
The inspections will now take place after June 2nd.
-The Safety Committee will be reviewing the incident reports from the labs. The Committee
wishes to investigate and document what steps have been taken to address or correct any safety
issues.
-The incident reports are located in the lab safety binders. The safety binders must be kept on
the desks in front of every lab.
-As reported in the paper, a student at PIN has a case of TB and 3 other students have tested
positive for exposure to TB. ACC is paying for free testing for students and staff next Monday
and Tuesday at PIN. Please encourage students to be tested.
-There will be a Hazards Communication Safety training session at HBC May 31st. The training
will be in room 411 from 9-12. There will be departmental specific training from 12-1.
-There is now a chart of the safety training necessary for each Biology course on the web. It is
at the Science Safety website. The address is
http://www2.austincc.edu/sci_safe/BIOLsafetytraining.pdf
3. Budget Information
Bernice presented some budget updates to the Department
-Items we had requested to replace old or failed equipment has been reclassified as
"Replacement" expenses rather than "New Equipment.
- Microscopes for NRG
$6,000
-Microscopes for RVS
$35, 700
--Replacement micropipettes
$5,400
ACC has requested that Biology add more sections of High Demand course like A&P I & II and
Intro to Micro. The costs to add these courses would be $5,500 for the A&P II sections, $7,200
for the Micro sections and $8,880 for the A&P I. Each High Demand A&P I course costs $770 in
supplies; each Micro costs $660. In addition the sections would need $10,000 for hourly support.
If the Department does not get the necessary funding, it won't add the sections.
4. Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
Linda Clement from the ACC Library made a brief presentation to the Department about an online database available from the ACC library, the Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. The
Encyclopedia is an exhaustive compendium of information about biology and the health sciences.
Les Albin and Trish Phelps, both of whom had been shown the database previously, were both
favorably impressed with material available.
With the tight budget situation and declining state funding for IT resources, the libraries
reviewing the on-line database to which they currently subscribe. Linda would like the
department faculty to review the Encyclopedia and email her dean, Julie Todaro, their reviews
and support for keeping this resource. Please email Judy by June 1 st.
Linda also wanted to know if the Department would authorize the use of $1,650 from the funds
allotted by the Library for acquiring biology books to retain the Encyclopedia. The current fund is
$10,000.
5. Spring 04 Schedule
Bernice distributed copies of the spring 04 class schedule. She asked that full-time faculty
members contact her with their teaching selections as soon a possible.
6.Test on File
Several students have requested that the Department require faculty to make a file of previous
exams available to aid students studying. This is done in some other departments at ACC.
The members of the Department debated about whether, if the exams were on file in the
libraries, this would cause a work overload for the library staff who would have to maintain all the
files ands deal with numerous students all wanting the files at once. Another issue was whether
this file would actually enhance students' knowledge and learning or else encourage them to
memorize the previous tests instead.
The Department decided that faculty may make such a file available if they so wish, but it would
not be required.
7. Core Curriculum Intellectual Competency Forms
Bernice distributed copies of the Core Curriculum Intellectual Competency Form. SACS
requires that one of these forms be on file for every course taught at ACC. The form lists 6 areas
of competency that each course may require students to demonstrate: Reading, Writing,
Speaking, Listening, Critical Thinking and Computer Literacy. The depth of the area
competencies is then rated on scale of 1-8. Only competencies required in every section of each
course may be listed on the form.
Faculty members volunteered to research every section of the following courses to gather
information and complete the form by September:
Sarah Strong--Human Physiology and A&P II
Yvonne Estes-- Field Biology and Animal Behavior
Les Albin-- Intro to Micro
Steve Muzos-- Unity of Life
Terry Shaw--Contemporary Issues in Nutrition and Human Nutrition
Steve Bostic--General Botany and Native Plants
Trish Phelps- Cellular and Molecular Biology
Betsy Maxim--Structure and Function of Organisms
Steve Ziser--Diversity of Life
D'Maris Allen Mierl--Microbiology.
8. BIO Courses, ACGM Numbers and Funding.
Bernice had reported at the March meeting that courses that do not have use the common
course numbering system (i.e. BIOL ####) would no longer be funded by the state at some point
in the near future. She has since learned that the state has not funded these courses since 1999
and ACC covered the cost of teaching them.
In the current budget situation, these courses, BIO 1614 Field Biology, BIO 1673 Ecology &
Evolutionary Biology, BIO 2993 Animal Behavior, BIO 2993 Critical Thinking and Bio 2993
Infectious Diseases are in serious danger of being cut as early as fall. The Department must
gather the required supporting documentation to request unique needs number from the
Coordinating Board at its next meeting in August. D'Maris Allen-Mierl has already gotten the
letters of support needed for Infectious Diseases. Yvonne Estes will work on both Animal
Behavior and Field Biology. Dallas Community College already has Field Biology as a unique
need course. The Department will find out if we can use the same number or must apply for a
separate one for our course. There is already an ACGM umber, BIOL 2406, That roughly
corresponds to Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. It is a 3-credit lecture/2-4 credit lab course.
If granted, the unique need numbers must be reapplied for every year. After 5 years, the
numbers will become official permanent ACGM numbers and will no longer have to be applied for
yearly.
Remarks by David Fonken, Dean of Math & Sciences
David came by to express his appreciation and admiration for the Department for completing
the common course objectives for all Biology classes. It realized it was a long and involved
process and was pleased the Department accomplished it so quickly. He also expressed
appreciation for how far the Department has come in the last 5 years and for what has been
accomplished. He said he often holds Biology up, as an example of How Departments should
run. Bernice smiled broadly and blushed profusely.
He also made some brief comments on the necessity of passing the referenda the following day.
Although ACC will still have a budget deficit if both items pass, the difference is "…between a bad
situation and a very bad situation."
Meeting ended at 10:28