Issue Statement
April 2, 2007
University of Wisconsin-Madison
1. Project:
Integrative Biology Building
Division/Department:
College of Letters and Science
(Departments of Botany, Chemistry, Zoology)
Institute for Cross-College Biology Education
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Preliminary Budget Range:
(if known)
Biennium (Designate one)
Source of Funds:
__X__ 2009-2011 (design)
__X__ 2011-2013 (construction)
_____ 2013-2015
(mark all that are applicable)
State Bonding
__X_ GFSB
____ PR Bonding
Other
__X_ Gift/Grant
____ PR Cash
2. Issue Identification
UW-Madison is renowned for its strength in biological research and for the tremendous breadth
of biological sciences represented on a single campus. This is ultimately a source of power but,
because instructional programs are distributed across many departments and colleges, it also
creates a challenge for biology education. The University has taken administrative steps to unify
biology education with the creation of the Institute for Cross-college Biology Education (ICBE),
but there is no central, physical space for biological education. To excel in biology education and
prepare a new generation of scientists, teachers, biotech workers, and biologically literate
citizenry, we propose a state-of-the-art educational building for introductory biology courses,
organic chemistry courses that serve mostly students majoring in the biological sciences, upper
division courses serving cross-college majors, outreach programs such as the Summer Science
Institute which brings high school students to UW-Madison for several weeks of biology
instruction and research, programs focused on K-12 teacher training in biological sciences (both
pre-service and in-service teachers) and extension biology education initiatives.
Education and research are inseparable components of the mission of UW-Madison and the
educational success of the proposed building will be significantly enhanced if the building
integrates research with the education programs. The core of biology at UW-Madison is represented
by five departments. Three departments are organized by organism, Zoology, Botany, and Bacteriology,
while two departments cover topics considered foundational for biological scientists, Biochemistry and
Genetics. Of these five departments, three are in new buildings (Biochemistry, Genetics and
Bacteriology).
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One way to accomplish this is to share the building with researchers who also have a significant
commitment to teaching. Between them, Botany and Zoology faculty provide 60% of the
instruction in the cross-college introductory biology courses, in addition to teaching their own
introductory biology courses. Both Botany and Zoology also have a tradition of basic integrative
research and of instruction at the intermediate advanced levels. Botany is currently housed in
Birge Hall, while Zoology is spread among three locations, Noland Hall, the Zoology Research
Building, and Birge Hall. These facilities are aging; Birge Hall can accommodate modern
research and teaching programs only after costly renovations, while Noland Hall and the
Zoology Research Building have been deemed not worth renovation. By incorporating major
portions of the Departments of Botany and Zoology, the building will serve as a focal point for
the integration of biological education and research. One of the sites identified for the proposed
building is the current Noland Hall/Zoology Research Building site. This site is across the street
from Educational Sciences. This site will only be available if the Department of Zoology is
accommodated.
The Integrative Biology Building will house ICBE, which administers the interdepartmental
majors (Biological Aspects of Conservation, Biology, and Molecular Biology) serving 1300
students from L&S and CALS, two of the three main introductory course sequences in biology
(serving 1200 students per year, taught by faculty from L&S, CALS, and several other colleges),
and the Center for Biology Education (CBE). The CBE has two major foci, improvement and
enhancement of undergraduate education and outreach and extension in biology education. A
list of the current activities of CBE keyed to the university goals is provided as Appendix A.
The Integrative Biology Building will also house the Botany and Zoology Departments in a
research and educational partnership. The third introductory course sequence in general biology
(Zoology 101/102 and Botany 130) is based in these departments, and bringing all of the
introductory courses for majors into the same physical location will allow for efficiency and
synergism between the courses’ teaching staffs. The Botany and Zoology departments also teach
a large number of laboratory-based intermediate and advanced courses that serve cross-college
majors. These are summarized in Appendix B.
Finally, to exploit new opportunities for interfacing with other disciplines, the Integrative
Biology Building will contain the Inter-Sciences Meeting Space (ISMS), a virtual and physical
space for promoting research and teaching connections with a diversity of scientists, engineers,
and theoreticians from outside of biology.
The program statement for the building will be built upon the campus experience with recent
biology buildings, for example the innovative teaching/research integration of the Microbial
Sciences Building. The experiences of the Engineering Centers Building in designing spaces to
encourage interaction will inform the design of the building. The program for this building will
be designed to complement WID. It is hoped that what WID does for fundamental biomedical
research and discovery, this building will do for introductory biology and biology education
outreach.
Principles related to the instructional mission of the building include integration, engagement,
and developing the Wisconsin experience for students. Integration covers issues such as
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integrating scientific discovery into the introductory courses. The three introductory course
sequences, Biocore, Biology 151/2, and Zoology 101/2 plus Botany 130, have all initiated
innovative techniques for integrating courses with real research. These activities drive a need for
innovative labs for courses as well as student labs distributed among the different floors of the
building where groups of students would do research under the direction of a faculty member
who also had research labs on the same floor. This distribution of functions is a component of the
Microbial Sciences building and the experience in that building will guide the design of these
integrated student research labs.
Another aspect of integration is integration of learning with the rest of student life. Therefore, the
building is envisioned to contain spaces that foster student interaction with each other and with
researchers. Thus, integration also speaks to a building that contains both teaching areas and
research areas. The CBE is a leader in assisting students in finding internships and service
learning opportunities. Integration is also served by combining teaching topics in one building.
Perhaps the single most common paring of courses in the career of an undergraduate science
student is introductory biology paired with organic chemistry. Integration of the chemistry of
organic molecules with introductory biology will help break down barriers that students often put
up between disciplines. Significant interactions between the Department of Chemistry and
biological science departments has taken place, and a common physical location would further
the goal of integrating these to subjects. Once students become accustomed to integrating
chemistry and biology, integrating other sciences (e.g. physics), math, and eventually their nonscience coursework will seem more natural.
The building design should encourage engagement. Students should be engaged in the courses
and then engage what they learn in courses in group or individual research experiences. Students
should also be encouraged to be engaged in research labs. Engagement would be encouraged by
the design elements of IBB. Biology education will also be engaged across levels, especially in
K-12 teacher enhancement programs.
UW-Madison has a long tradition of getting students involved in experiential learning, and we
are currently making this effort even stronger. The Wisconsin Experience is a description of the
many activities students undertake, such as study abroad, research in a laboratory, service
learning, and internships. A building that integrates instructional and research components will
facilitate student appreciation for, and participation in, experiential learning.
This building will be designed to meet a vision for new realities in teaching and research. At the
same time the building will address specific critical campus needs enumerated below.
(A) Lack of a home for biology education
Tremendous changes have been instituted in teaching and learning at the undergraduate level,
especially for students in their first two years. The main introductory biology sequence
(Bio/Bot/Zoo 151-2) has grown five-fold since 1992, and the number of students graduating with
a biological science major increased by 50% between 1995 and 2004. An inter-college Biology
Major was started in 1999 and has now grown to over 1000 students. The growth in these
courses and in the Biology Major were possible only by the cross-college cooperation in teaching
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and advising. Despite the growth in student interest, little has been done to create new,
centralized physical space for biology education. The Integrative Biology Building will be a
space that brings students together to engage in community building, share experiences, interact
easily with faculty and advisors, develop natural connections with potential mentors, and explore
opportunities for conducting research across the breadth of biology. Such space has been
recommended by numerous faculty committees.
The Roberts Committee, an ad hoc subcommittee of the Biological Sciences Divisional
Committee stated
“The (ICBE) should be physically housed in a space that would allow the reasonable proximity
of most if not all of the affiliated units, to provide both sharing of resources, as well as provide a
visible and comprehensive center for undergraduates”
(http://www.biology.wisc.edu/images/Roberts_Committee_Report_2002.pdf)
An implementation committee appointed by the Provost concluded
“all the components of (I)CBE should be located in contiguous space easily accessible to
undergraduate biology students and to members of the biology faculty and staff. This location
should be proximal to the classrooms and labs in which Botany/Zoology 151/152, Zoology
102, and Biocore are taught. There should also be access to conference facilities that can
accommodate large and small meetings, seminars, and workshops. … There should be some
“community” space that allows for the interaction among undergraduates and faculty/staff.”
(http://www.biology.wisc.edu/images/Susman_Committee_Report_2003.pdf)
This building would accomplish those recommendations.
(B) Need to integrate education and research
The Integrative Biology Building will smoothly bridge teaching and research. By having
students surrounded by active scientists, by seeing them in the halls and cafeterias, and by
making biology research labs visible, we send the important educational message that science is
a work in progress, not a fixed set of facts established by authorities. Conversely, by having
scientists surrounded by students learning at all levels, we support a liberal arts conception of
science in which research is broadly relevant to the human condition and is fully integrated with
all other facets of human knowledge.
While many different strategies could be used for identifying the research programs to be housed
in the building, a case is made for housing members of the Departments of Botany and Zoology.
Research interests in the Departments of Botany and Zoology cover multiple organizational
levels (from molecules to ecosystems) and collectively, the two departments encompass a great
portion of the diversity of visible living organisms. The third department organized around
organisms is Bacteriology and their experiences in the new Microbial Sciences Building will
help guide the IBB. Botany and Zoology each have their own introductory courses that serve
many biological sciences degrees (Botany 130 and Zoology 101-102), and their faculties have
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historically made major contributions to the introductory sequences administered through ICBE
(Biology/Botany/Zoology 151-152 and Biocore). In addition, each department teaches a number
of large courses (16 total with enrollments of 65 or more) at the intermediate and advanced
levels, several of which draw on research-grade facilities and resources, and therefore need to be
located near research laboratories. Both the introductory and upper level courses are expected to
be housed in the Integrative Biology Building. Thus, the Botany and Zoology departments are a
natural fit for a physical space integrating research and teaching. The other two large
departments that cover foundational topics in biology are Genetics and Biochemistry; both are in
new buildings already.
What is specifically needed is a space that is conducive for building a learning community of
both researchers and students at all levels. The most important features of successful science
education programs and buildings, identified by Project Kaleidoscope (www.pkal.org), which
provides detailed assessments of buildings and their impacts on science instruction, are:
• Learning takes place in a community where faculty see students as partners.
• Learning is personally meaningful and steeped in investigation from the first course
through the capstone experience.
• Learning takes place in a community where students collaborate with one another.
The Integrative Biology building must provide the physical spaces suited to promoting such
qualities.
(C) Lack of space designed to connect biologists with researchers from other disciplines
and outreach and extension activities
There is a great need for a space customized to foster connections among biologists and
scientists in other disciplines. Interdisciplinary interactions will drive future innovations in
biology research and education, which in turn will drive and sustain discovery. Interactions
among pre-service and in-service teacher education programs will enrich both the undergraduate
educational experience and teacher enhancement programs such as WisTEP, the teacher
enhancement program that grew out of the Genetics Department and is now housed in ICBE. It
is proposed that campus develop an “Inter-Sciences Meeting Space” (ISMS): a space with stateof-the-art communication resources and well-configured physical spaces for bringing together
biologists and scientists in such potentially synergistic fields as Chemistry, Computer Science,
Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics. This space will also serve statewide
programs, allowing teachers and professors from all over the state to participate in teaching
innovation programs.
(D) The need for an Integrated Biology Information Center (IBIC)
An Integrative Biology Information Center (IBIC) is needed to convert the functions of the
Biology Library into a gateway for to access all types of information needed by students and
researchers. Additionally, there is a need for facilities to train students in working with
biological information resources. The University is in need of a home for a Bioinformatics
major and the resources of the IBIC would support improvements for students majoring in
bioinformatics and also provide the bioinformatics resources that most students need.
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(E) The need for teaching laboratories for inter-college upper division courses
Facilities used by the School of Medicine and Public Health for foundational undergraduate
courses for majors in CALS and L&S, such as human physiology and anatomy, will be lost as
the SMPH consolidates to west campus. It is important that suitable space be found to host these
courses in the central campus area, where most undergraduates who take them are situated.
Likewise, locating these courses in close proximity to other foundational courses in the
biological sciences has the potential to generate administrative and laboratory synergies and to
improve curricular coordination.
(F) Quality and safety concerns with existing buildings
Noland Hall, the site of most introductory biology instruction, has been deemed not suitable for
major renovation, and it cannot successfully serve biology instruction for much longer. Built in
the same time period as Noland Hall, Zoology Research has similarly been deemed unsuitable
for renovation. Birge Hall, the site of additional introductory biology teaching, is structurally
sound, but was deemed to be not serving the needs of a modern biological science department in
the Department of Botany’s most recent 10-year review. The poor quality of existing buildings
not only limits future research and teaching, but it already has major impacts; for example, even
minor renovations for new faculty have been prohibitively expensive.
Of particular concern, existing space cannot be renovated to achieve the standards for animal
housing recommended by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory
Animal Care (AAALAC). In the future, AAALAC compliance may be required before UWMadison receives federal funding, and in the worst-case scenario all animal research at UWMadison could be in jeopardy. The proposed building would have all animal space fully
AAALAC compliant.
The Daniels chemistry building has safety issues, especially in regards to its organic chemistry
teaching laboratories.
Location
The location of this building should reflect its purpose of providing biology instruction for
students throughout campus. Two sites that have been identified are the current Zoology
Research/Noland Hall complex on Johnson Street between Charter and Mills Streets and the
Medical Sciences Center. Both are located near buildings in which students obtain foundational
instruction in physics, chemistry, and mathematics, which will contribute to the integration of
sciences in the student experience. Site availability and required sequencing of building phases,
as well as temporary space for units that might be displaced during construction, are issues that
will need close attention in the program statement.
3. Background Information
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In 2003, the Report of the Committee on Cross-College Undergraduate Programs in Biology
Education recommended to the Provost that cross-college biology majors and programs be
administered under an umbrella Institute for Cross-College Biology Education (ICBE), which
started operation in 2004. The report also emphasized the need for instructional space for crosscampus majors in the biological sciences and the critical need to develop a single site that
students would identity with biology education on campus. The proposed Integrative Biology
Building would fulfill the recommendations of this report.
Simultaneously, new links are being forged between biology and many other disciplines,
including the physical sciences, engineering, statistics, and computer sciences. Locating the
Integrative Biology Building in close proximity to the locations of these disciplines on campus
will facilitate these links. Furthermore, the proposed sites will be near the Wisconsin Institutes
of Discovery. By incorporating socialization spaces and the Inter-Science Meeting Space
(ISMS), a central site will serve to reinforce linkages across disciplines and provide new
opportunities for interactions that will grow in importance in the next decades. The spaces in
WID will be considered in planning the IBB. For example, public spaces in WID or in the
renovated Union South will not be replicated and some functions such as poster sessions for the
results of research associated with the courses will be planned for the public spaces of WID. IBB
will focus its public connections on teacher enhancement programs.
Profiles of existing buildings
Noland Hall
The major components of biology instructional programs on campus are located in Noland Hall,
including Biology/Botany/Zoology 151-152, the Biocore program, Zoology 101-102, and the
instructional labs associated with these courses. The building holds 16 instructional laboratories,
support spaces, lecture rooms, classrooms, and TA offices. The UW Zoology Museum contains
irreplaceable specimens, the repository for State of Wisconsin endangered species, and the
world’s largest collection of skeletal specimens from the Galapagos Islands. Noland Hall also
houses administrative and research facilities for the Department of Zoology, including
departmental offices, technical shops, central stockroom and mailroom, faculty offices, and the
main faculty assembly/conference room.
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First built in year: 1969
Additions / substantial reconstruction: none
Campus location: south central – 250 N. Mills Street
Zoology shared with Biology and Biocore courses
% Zoology space (allocation ÷ net assignable): 53.1%
General assignment classrooms (with capacities)
119 (54)
132 (234)
168 (127)
226 (26)
240 (26)
342 (24)
379 (24)
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455 (28)
539 (23)
Zoology Research Building
Zoology Research Building provides research laboratories, offices, and support functions for ten
faculty members in the Department of Zoology. The Department’s primary glassware and media
preparation functions are also housed in this building. It also contains animal care facilities.
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First built in year: 1965
Additions / substantial reconstruction: none
Campus location: south central – 1117 W. Johnson Street
Zoology sole occupant
% Zoology space (allocation ÷ net assignable): 68.3%
General classroom assignments: none
Birge Hall Profile
Birge Hall is occupied by both Departments of Botany and Zoology. Continual expansion of the
biological sciences programs in the 1960s precipitated a need for additional space for both
Departments. The Zoology Research Building and Noland Hall were built to accommodate the
growing student population and expanding research programs. A third phase of the project,
intended to consolidate the Zoology Department on the Johnson Street site by the construction of
an additional building, did not materialize. As a result, the Zoology Department continues to
occupy a substantial portion of Birge Hall.
Birge Hall houses all programs of instruction, research, and outreach for 19 faculty members in
the Department of Botany. The facility also houses the Botany Greenhouses, the Wisconsin
State Herbarium, the Biology Library, and general assignment classrooms. Birge Hall houses
research laboratories, offices, and support areas for nine faculty members in the Department of
Zoology. Given the building’s geographic distance from the Department’s main office in Noland
Hall, a satellite office is located on the 4th floor to expedite the handling of administrative
matters.
 First built in year: 1912
 Additions / substantial reconstruction: 1956, 1980
 Campus location: Bascom Hill – 430 Lincoln Drive
 Occupants: Botany and Zoology Departments
 % Botany space (allocation ÷ net assignable): 62%
 % Zoology space (allocation ÷ net assignable): 18%
 CURB project in 1999
 general assignment classrooms present: yes
 General assignment classrooms (with capacities)
B302 (105)
145 (301)
346 (49)
348 (32)
350 (32)
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Chemistry Building Profile
Instructional laboratories in the Chemistry Department are housed in Floors B-2 (32,500 asf) of
the Daniels Chemistry Building (occupied 1967) and Floor B (7,500 asf) of the Mathews
Chemistry Building (occupied 1962). The instructional laboratory complex encompasses
teaching laboratories, chemical dispensing rooms and stockrooms, support laboratories, program
administration, and staff and TA offices. The Daniels wing also includes the primary lecture
rooms and classrooms used for undergraduate chemistry courses, the Chemistry Learning Center,
and the Chemistry Library.
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First built in year: 1967 (Daniels wing)
Additions / substantial reconstruction: none (instructional facilities)
Additions / substantial reconstruction: 2001 (research facilities)
Campus location: south central – 1101 University Avenue
Chemistry sole occupant: yes
% Chemistry space (allocation ÷ net assignable): 90%
General assignment classrooms (with capacities)
B351 (30)
B355 (30)
B357 (30)
B371 (144)
B379 (30)
B383 (25)
B387 (25)
1351 (353)
1361 (247)
2311 (45)
2373 (54)
2377 (27)
2381 (27)
Required space for the Integrative Biology Building
Cross-college and Interdepartmental Programs
Laboratories, breakout/discussion rooms, and preparation space
Sample breakdown:
Nine teaching laboratories x1200 = 10800
Rooms for discussion sections
Instructors’ offices 9x120=1080
TA offices 10x100=1000
Independent research spaces for students 2x250=500
Shared Instrument room 1x1000
Shared preparation rooms 1x1000 (wet and dry)
Shared stockroom 1x1000 (Chemical and other supplies)
Storage of experiments between uses 2x500-1000
Greenhouse space to support the courses
Biology-related chemistry
17,380
2,000
25,000
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School of Medicine and Public Health undergraduate courses (e.g. Physiology)
Lecture hall
ICBE/CBE
Subtotal:
Botany/Zoology Teaching and Research
Instructional Space: Intro and Upper-level courses
(Lab and discussion spaces, prep space, staff offices, staging area for
museum specimens needed in courses)
Research labs and support
(to accommodate 40 faculty: labs , offices for faculty and lab
members, equipment & cold rooms, support facilities)
Other Support:
(conferences rooms, seminar room, departmental offices,
microscopy and art facilities
Vivarium and plant growth rooms
Lecture Halls (300 student and 100 student, 1 each)
Integrative Biology Information Center
Interdisciplinary Science Facilitation
Subtotal:
5,000
5,000
9,000
63,380
29,200
61,500
6,000
12,500
7,000
1,000
3,000
120,200
To remain in Birge:
Herbarium + offices
Greenhouse
Biology Library
Classroom for Taxonomy and Ethnobotany
6,000
8,000
8,000
1,000
To move to Birge:
Zoology Museum, exhibit and storage space
12,000
4. Analysis of Need
Biology Teaching Needs
Students graduating with a biological science major increased by 50% between 1995 and 2004,
and there has been a similar increase in the number of credit hours taught in the Departments of
Botany and Zoology. The growth in demand has been met within physical space that has not had
a major renovation or new space added in decades. This has severely limited our ability to
deliver state-of-the-art instructional program.
The proposed project puts the undergraduate biology core courses and integrative biology faculty
in a building that is specifically designed for both undergraduate biology students and integrative
biology research. It will be a place where undergraduate biology majors can meet one another,
study, meet faculty and become integrated into research laboratories. The presence of ICBE will
bring oversight to the introductory courses, facilitate coordination among course series, and place
advising resources where they are most needed by students. Likewise, the CBE will be much
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better able to positively impact undergraduate teaching when it is situated in close proximity to
the major courses. CBE programs bring a statewide focus to the building. Through innovative
summer science programs for high school students and undergraduates and through WisTEP, the
teacher enhancement program, CBE will connect teaching undergraduate biology at UWMadison with the teaching of biology all across the state, fulfilling the Wisconsin Idea
Chemistry Teaching Needs
The Chemistry Department has experienced a 29% increase in its undergraduate enrollment
during the past 15 years. During this period, the general chemistry credit hours taught have
increased by 20% while organic chemistry credit hours have increased by 64% (Appendix C).
Since the early 1990's, four new courses that include a laboratory component were introduced
(Chem 115, 116, 342 and 311) and no laboratory courses have been cancelled. The resulting
lack of teaching laboratory space required that the general chemistry course reduced the
frequency of laboratory sessions once every two weeks (from the long-standing norm of once per
week). This has significantly reduced the amount of laboratory experience we can provide
students and has lowered student preparation for more advanced courses. Restoring weekly
laboratory sessions can only be achieved by a significant expansion of the laboratory space
available for general chemistry use.
Enrollment pressures on the organic chemistry labs in the mid-1990’s necessitated the start of lab
sessions outside of normal hours. A combination of evening and Friday/Saturday labs were used
from 1995 to 2001 in attempt to meet the increasing enrollment demand without compromising
the amount of lab experience offered to organic chemistry students. Evening labs have proved
more successful than Friday/Saturday labs for enrollment and quality of instruction. In 2001, the
number of evening labs was increased and Friday/Saturday labs were phased out which resulted
in significantly greater lab space utilization. During 2004-05 and 2005-06, laboratory
renovations and modifications funded via ILM are allowing four more evening lab sessions to be
opened.
In spite of our best efforts to accommodate the organic chemistry lab enrollment growth within
current facilities, we have not been able to keep up with increasing demand. For the past ten
years, we have experienced a steadily growing backlog of students who must delay taking the lab
for one or more semesters after taking the second semester of organic chemistry lecture (Chem
345), which is intended to be taken concurrently with the lab. This growing backlog of students
who have not been able to get into Chem 344 is reaching near crisis proportions. This spring, we
have 25% seniors and only 11% sophomores in a lab course that is nominally a sophomore level
course. Most of the 11% sophomores were pharmacy students who got in only with enrollment
help from us because they had a critical need to complete the lab before entering the Pharm. D.
program. Such decoupling of lecture and laboratory courses fouls-up the synergies of the
chemistry lab course with other biology and chemistry courses. This fragmentation undermines
efforts to provide an integrated, interdisciplinary curriculum.
The proposed building would address both first and second year student needs for chemistry as
renovation and backfill of current teaching space in chemistry makes space available for first
year chemistry courses while organic chemistry is made accessible to second year students
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normally taking introductory biology. This connection between biology and the chemistry of
biology is the intention of the current curriculum, but this integration is defeated by lack of
teaching space.
Safety Issues
AAALAC accreditation for the L&S animal care and use program will become essential for
federal funding on the UW-Madison campus. Current estimates are that upgrading buildings to
these new standards would require $535,014 for Zoology Research, $193,161 for Noland Hall
and $719,769 for Birge Hall.
Safety deficiencies are particularly problematic in the chemistry instructional laboratories.
Chemical safety and hygiene standards have changed dramatically in the 40 years since the
current undergraduate chemistry laboratories were built. No major renovations have taken place
since that time and the existing facilities are woefully inadequate by today's standards. The
inadequacies relate primarily to insufficient ventilation and insufficient total space. Essentially
all modern university chemistry laboratories, whether designed for research or instructional
purposes, provide each student with access to an efficient fume hood to perform all procedures
that may emit potentially hazardous fumes. Even some of the most common and least toxic
laboratory reagents represent an exposure hazard over time when handled in a work area that is
not properly ventilated. Additionally, modern chemistry laboratories provide nearby writing,
instrumentation, computing and discussion areas that are physically separated for safety and
hygiene reasons from the area where the chemicals are handled. Current laboratories do not
meet the ventilation or hygiene standards considered essential for contemporary instructional
laboratories.
5. Alternatives
According to the proposed plan, Birge Hall retains the Biology Library, Botany Greenhouses, the
Herbarium, and one teaching laboratory (to serve courses such as Plant Systematics and
Ethnobotany, which depend heavily on living and herbarium collections). In addition, the
Zoology Museum will move to Birge Hall, which will require renovation to accommodate this
facility. A staging area will be provided in the new building for transfer and storage of museum
specimens as needed in classes. Similarly, the plan includes a 2000 square foot greenhouse to
prepare plant materials needed in courses. Pros: This plan was chosen because it allows
integration of research and teaching, and accommodates Organic Chemistry laboratory needs, yet
holds the new building to a reasonable size. Cons: This plan isolates the Biology Library from
the students it serves, isolates this small teaching center from the rest of Botany, and separates
the Herbarium and Museum from the faculty and students for whom it is an important research
tool.
Alternatives to this plan include:
i) Inclusion of all of the functions associated with Zoology Research, Noland Hall, and Birge
Hall in the new building. Pro: This would achieve maximum integration between the
departments and the educational programs in the new building. The students would have
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immediate physical access to the materials in the Natural History collections and the Biology
Library. Cons: The size of building would need to increase substantially and would require
reconstruction of a greenhouse complex that was newly renovated this past summer. It would
also separate the greenhouse staff from the Botany Garden, which will stay at its original site.
ii) Same as (i) but Organic Chemistry Labs would move to Birge, reducing the size of the new
building. Pros: All of the biology-based programs would be included in a single building, and
the overall size would be the same as in the plan proposed. Cons: This would reduce integration
and increase the physical distance for the students between their chemistry labs and biology labs
(depending on the site of the new building). It would also involve major costly renovations to
Birge Hall, require construction of a new greenhouse complex, and separate the greenhouse and
gardens.
iii) Birge Hall is fully remodeled to bring it up to the standards needed for modern
interdisciplinary science. Botany (including the Herbarium) would remain in the renovated Birge
Hall. Pros: Reduces the space needs in the Integrative Biology Building. Cons: This would
represent a significant and undesirable narrowing of the biological scope of the Integrative
Biology Building. This would also isolate Botany from Zoology and other science departments
on campus, and separate the faculty from the locus of their introductory teaching. Finally,
renovation of Birge Hall will be expensive; this might largely offset any savings of a reduced
size of the Integrative Biology Building.
iv) As (iii), but instead of housing the ISMS in the new Integrative Biology Building, a portion
of Birge Hall would be renovated to provide the state-of-the-art meeting center and office spaces
that would comprise ISMS. Pros: This would remove the need for ca. 3,000 sq ft in the
Integrative Biology Building. Cons: The separation of ISMS from CBE and the educational hub
would make it harder for this center to function at the education:research interface.
6. Overall Campus Impact
This document presents a bold plan to integrate instruction and research in the biological and
chemical sciences. The state-of-the-art facility will serve as the cornerstone for undergraduate
science education on campus for decades to come. The impact of this facility cannot be
overstated. The facility addresses critical needs for instruction in the biological and chemistry
sciences, it supports the intellectual foundations of the WID initiative, it establishes a new
paradigm for an interdisciplinary science education curriculum, it accomplishes the consolidation
of the Department of Zoology, and it sets the stage for addressing the facilities needs of the
Department of Botany. It addresses major safety and infrastructure problems. With more than a
quarter of undergraduates majoring in the biological sciences, the proposed Integrative Biology
Building will positively influence thousands of students, preparing them better for
interdisciplinary science and the high-tech and biotech workforce of the future. Finally, the
Inter-Science Meeting Space will facilitate synergistic interactions among diverse scientists,
enhancing the competitiveness of UW-Madison and placing this campus in a leadership position
in the building of new ways to do science.
Impact on Campus Childcare
13
It is unlikely that these proposals would have an impact on campus childcare services. It is
advisable to discuss childcare services within the new facility, but the issue of negative public
perception resulting from a childcare facility being housed in a laboratory building is not
insignificant.
There are few additional staff associated with the proposed Integrative Biology Building, thus a
need for additional childcare service is not obvious. It is conceivable that childcare facilities
could be integrated into the building, by using the greenhouses and instructional space to
“buffer” childcare facilities from research suites. However, the location, close to the power
station on Dayton street, does not make this a desirable location.
Impact on Personal Safety and Security
The impact on laboratory safety is tremendous, as described above.
Impact on Transportation and Parking
The Integrative Biology building will consolidate teaching functions from three main locations,
Birge Hall, Noland Hall, and Chemistry into a single site. Because many students will take
multiple courses in this building, the movement of students across campus will be slightly
reduced. Nonetheless, the building will shift the center of gravity of the L&S and CALS
undergraduate student bodies southwards, further emphasizing the need for pedestrian bridges
over University and Johnson Avenues.
Parking is already very limited in this area of campus, so underground spaces should be strongly
considered during the planning phase of the project. Substantial thought should be given to
bicycle and motor scooter parking for this facility, as we expect student traffic to be very high.
7. Previous Action
Five projects have been initiated to address the various problems, but the scope and timeliness of
the project(s) has been insufficient. The projects and their status is as follows:
Chemistry Instructional Facilities in Mathews/Daniels Buildings - Scope Statement 2009-2011
for 2007-2013 capital budget cycle. (You might be interested to take a look at the following link
to the Capital Budget / Campus Planning Committee website:
http://www2.fpm.wisc.edu/capbudg/CampusPlanningCommittee/CPC0709PRDs.html
Birge Hall – Herbarium/Library Addition and Remodeling - $2.7 M – expansion as requested in
1999 was not structurally feasible and did not advance.
Noland Hall – Chilled Glycol/Cold Room Replacement - $1.2 M – listed for 03-07 as an
infrastructure project. Submitted by L&S in 1997 and added to All-Agency list in same year.
Noland Hall – Plumbing Distribution System Replacement - $1.3 M – listed for 03-07 as an
infrastructure project. Submitted by L&S in 1997 and added to All-Agency list in same year.
14
Zoology Research Building – HVAC/Fume Hood/Safety Improvements I - $3.2 M –
infrastructure project in planning stages but potential NIH grant contribution fell through,
thereby putting the scope and timing of the project in question. This project has been
significantly reduced in scope from that which was listed for 1997-99 with a budget of $8.2
million. The 1997-99 scope included new fume hoods and HVAC system for the entire building,
and was originally a WISTAR project ($2.5 million GPR) in 1991-93.
Zoology Research Building – HVAC/Fume Hood/Safety Improvements II - $6.0 M – ranked 0103 as an infrastructure project.
15
Appendix A:
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Genetics/Biotechnology Building
425 Henry Mall
Madison, WI 53706-1500
(608) 263-0478
Fax (608) 262-6748
www.wisc.edu/cbe
Center for Biology Education
Key Activities, 2006-07
Center for Biology Education
A. Promote Research
CBE develops and supports opportunities for students to learn about and become engaged in
research opportunities at the UW-Madison and for faculty to integrate their research with
“broader impact” activities.
 Offer Ways of Knowing Biology course to introduce first year students to biology research on
campus.
 NSF REU Integrated Biological Sciences Summer Research Program for Undergraduates
(IBS-SRP) offers research experiences and enrichment activities to students from groups
underrepresented in science and students from small colleges. Includes partnerships with
Wisconsin Program for Scientific Teaching (WPST) to expand mentor training program;
collaboration with Wisc-Amp to support and recruit students from underrepresented groups.
 Pending NSF proposals to 1) expand the WPST mentoring program beyond the biological
sciences to STEM disciplines across campus and 2) create an Undergraduate Research and
Mentoring program to support and prepare a more diverse group of students for graduate
work in biology.
 Assist researchers in fulfilling broader impact requirements for research proposals (NSF)
through seminars and workshops with other cross-campus units
B. Advance Learning
CBE advances learning through courses, beyond-the-classroom experiences for students,
curriculum/instructional materials development and faculty/future faculty professional
development programs. CBE is a partner in the Biology New Media Center in support of
innovation in instructional technology.
 SyMBiosis II, a partnership between Physics Department faculty and representatives of the
biology community, helps biology students make connections between introductory physics
and their biology interests/needs.
 Serve as instructors in cross-college introductory biology courses, Biology 152 and Biocore
16





Co-founded and continue to partner in the Undergraduate Symposium, The Symposium
Committee, in cooperation with the UW-Writing Center, has supported development of webbased communications modules for broad use across campus.
Partner with CIRTL/Delta in developing and co-teaching Instructional Materials
Development and The College Classroom: Effective Teaching with Technology courses.
Partner with the Morgridge Center to support and promote service learning, communitybased research and leadership options for students in the biological sciences.
Offer brownbags, workshops, teaching circles and other events for faculty and future faculty
to promote teaching/learning and to build community
Partner in Biology New Media Center along with DoIT and UW Biotechnology Center.
o Developed Technology Enhanced Learning proposal to the Provost to develop and
support a bioinformatics curriculum
o Assisted in organizing ComETS
o Physical models for teaching and learning – manage 3D printer; integration of
research/teaching (NSF)
C. Accelerate Internationalization
 Support UW-Madison Asian Partnership Initiative in a cooperative venture with CALS
Office of International Ag Programs and School of Education under the auspices of the UWMadison Asian Partnership to support STEM education reform in Thailand.
D. Amplifying the Wisconsin Idea
CBE works with the K-12 community - teachers and students - other community organizations
and general public at the local, national and international level to promote learning and
understanding of science.
 Build university/community/schools partnerships in science education through Adult Role
Models in Science (ARMS).
 Launch Paradise Lost - Climate Change in the Lake Superior Region, a project to support
education about, and public understanding of, climate change research in the Northwoods of
Wisconsin.
 Provide leadership and support for SCALE Immersion Team to provide teacher professional
development and create inquiry-based teaching materials for K-12 teachers primarily in
Madison and Los Angeles (NSF)
 Assume leadership role in the future development and expansion of Wisconsin Teacher
Enhancement Program (WisTEP)
 Partner with Long Term Ecological Research SchoolYard Biology program to provide
ecology-related education enrichment and teacher professional development to elementary
and middle school students and teachers. Coordinate UW-Madison node of Project HOPE, a
multi-institutional partnership to develop and disseminate to the public educational materials
related to environmental health issues (NIH)
E. Nurture Human Resources
CBE seeks to improve educational and career opportunities for all learners with particular
attention to individuals underrepresented in science.
17




Responsible for High School PEOPLE one and three-week science curriculum and third year
science research apprenticeship through Summer Science Institute. Provide professional
development workshops for participating UW-Madison students and staff as well as K-12
teachers serving as instructors and mentors in the program.
Partner with Wisconsin Program for Scientific Teaching and CIRTL/ Delta to provide
professional development opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute (WISELI) Leadership Team
Engage in strategic planning exercise to align ICBE/CBE activities to University needs and
interests.
18
Appendix B. Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced Courses Taught in Botany and
Zoology
Courses with over 65 students enrolled per year (enrollment),*includes laboratory or
field experience
Bot 100*
Bot 130*
Bot 240*
Bot/Zoo 260
Bot/Zoo 450
Bot/Zoo 460*
Zoo/Bot 410
Zoo/101
Zoo/102*
Bio/Bot/Zoo/151*
Bio/Bot/Zoo/152*
Zoo/160
Zoo/315
Zoo/335
Zoo/350
Zoo/360
Zoo/410
Zoo/425
Zoo/430
Zoo/470
Zoo/520
Zoo/523
Zoo/524
Zoo/570
Zoo/611
Zoo/619
Survey of Botany (101)
General Botany (350)
Plants and Man (93)
Introductory Ecology (220)
Midwestern Ecological Issues (101)
General Ecology (172)
Evolutionary Biology (209)
Animal Biology (1639)
Animal Biology (1003)
Introductory Biology (967)
Introductory Biology (912)
Heredity (112)
Limnology-Aquatic Resources (139)
Hum/An Relatn:Bio&Phils lss (140)
Parasitology (184)
Extinction of Species (286)
Evolutionary Biology (206)
Evolution of Behavior (81)
Compar Anatomy-Vertebrates (108)
Intro to Animal Development (138)
Ornithology (99)
Neurobiology (192)
Neurobi ll:lntr-Brain&Behav (107)
Cell Biology (208)
Comparatv&Evolutionry Physiol (72)
Biology of Mind (68)
Additional courses (enrollment), *includes laboratory or field experience
Bot 300*
Bot 330*
Bot 332*
Bot 400*
Bot 401*
Bot 402*
Bot 422*
Bot 455*
Bot 468
Bot 500*
Zoo/220
Zoo/316*
Plant Anatomy (29)
Algae (12)
Fungi (19)
Plant Systematics (50)
Vascular Flora of Wisconsin (every other year, 35)
Dendrology (33)
Plant Geography (every other year, 32)
Vegetation of Wisconsin (30)
Patterns in Biological Design (every other year, 26)
Plant Physiology (35)
Biology and Society (63)
Conservatn-Aquatic Rsrc (47)
19
Zoo/351*
Zoo/380
Zoo/400
Zoo/504
Zoo/510
Zoo/511*
Zoo/521
Zoo/555*
Zoo/565
Zoo/572*
Zoo/603
Zoo/612*
Zoo/625
Zoo/630
Zoo/651
Parasitology (27)
Honors Proseminar (8)
Topics in Biology (20)
Modeling Animal Landscapes (21)
Ecology of Fishes (64)
Ecology of Fishes (35)
Birds of southern Wisconsin (56)
Developmental Biology (13)
Principles-Landscape Ecology (26)
Cell Biology (15)
Endocrinology (61)
Comparative Physiology (24)
Development of Nervous Sys (42)
Cellulr Signal Transductn Mech (42)
Conservation Biology (37)
20
Appendix C. Undergraduate Chemistry Enrollment and Credit Hours
15 Year Growth = 29%
10,000
Enrollment
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
90-91 91-92 92-93 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04
Academic Year
General Chemistry
15 Year Growth = 20%
25,000
Credit Hours
20,000
Organic Chemistry
15 Year Growth = 64%
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
89-90
90-91
91-92
92-93
93-94
94-95
95-96
96-97
97-98
98-99
99-00
00-01
01-02
02-03
03-04
Academic Year
Intro Chem Credits
Physical Chem Credits
Organic Chem Credits
Inorganic Chem Credits
Analytical Chem Credits
Undergrad Research Credits
21