The Department of Biological Sciences
Academic Policies
| Information on this web page represents the official
Departmental policies. Last updated: May 18, 2009 |
MAJORS AND MINORS
GRADING
PREREQUISITE COURSES
REPEATING COURSES
LECTURE-ONLY OR LAB-ONLY OPTIONS
LAB ATTENDANCE
RESCHEDULING FINAL EXAMINATIONS
MALE STUDENTS
AP CREDIT
PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONS
TRANSFER STUDENTS
TEN-YEAR RULE
Links
NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGY POLICIES
HONORS PROGRAM - DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES
CAMPUS POLICIES This is a link to the Registrar's home page. You will find links to the most
recent college catalogue, as well as updates to the catalog. These may be large
downloads.
The Department of Biological Sciences offers five majors, one co-major, and one
minor. Majors include Biodiversity & Conservation Biology, Biology, Genetic Engineering, Neuroscience, and Nuclear Medicine Technology.
A Biology/Secondary Education co-major is available, along with a minor in Biology.
- Students are not allowed to double-major in any combination of Biology, Biodiversity & Conservation Biology, Genetic Engineering, and Neuroscience. Students may not minor in Biology in conjunction with a major in Biodiversity & Conservation Biology, Genetic Engineering, or Neuroscience. However, female students pursuing a major in Nuclear Medicine Technology are also allowed to major or minor in Biology.
- B.S. students must have a minimum of 14 elective credits that include 2 lab
experiences.
- B.A. students must have a minimum of 8 elective credits that include 2 lab
experiences.
- Concentrated lab courses (mini-labs) and Hawk Mountain courses,
such as DNA Sequencing, PCR, Microscopy, may
be combined with a 3 credit elective to count as a 4-credit course with lab experience.
For example, BIO 345 (3 credits) plus PCR (1.5 credits) would count as a 4-credit course
with lab experience.
- Hawk Mountain 1- and 2-credit courses may sum to fulfill either a 3 credit non-lab
course or a 4-credit elective with lab experience.
- Two 1.5-credit biology mini-lab courses may sum to fulfill a 3 credit elective.
- A student who has taken BIO 117 and BIO 118 and then decides to become a
Biology major must take BIO 121 and BIO 122. She will receive credit for two
4-credit elective courses if a B- or better has been earned in both BIO 117 and
BIO 118.
- CHE 307 [Biochemistry I], CHE 308 [Biochemistry II], and CHE 348 [Forensic
Molecular Biology] may serve as electives in the Biology major.
Note: Certain chemistry courses that were previously cross-listed as biology courses and allowed as electives in the majors in the biological sciences are no longer allowable for biological sciences major elective credit. The specific courses in this category include CHE 241, CHE 314, and CHE 347. This policy was set beginning with the 2002-2003 catalog.
- Biology, education co-majors are required to fulfill all requirements of the biology major.
- The following courses can each be used to satisfy one mini-lab requirement for the Genetic Engineering major: BIO 343 [Polymerase Chain Reaction], BIO 344 [DNA Sequencing], BIO 349 [Protein Purification & Analysis], and BIO 347 [Microscopy & Image Analysis].
- A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 and a minimum average in the
major of 2.0 are required for all majors within the Department of Biological Sciences,
with one exception. Nuclear Medicine Technology requires a minimum average in the
major/certificate program of 2.75.
- A student must have a 3.0 GPA to declare the Biology/Secondary Education
co-major. The student may elect to be listed as an intended major if she does
not have a 3.0 GPA. In order to be admitted to the professional term, the student must
have a GPA of 3.0. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for certification.
- A grade of C- or better is needed for all courses that fulfill the requirements of
a major within the Department of Biological Sciences [one exception – see NMT below].
Students should be aware that other departments may view a D as an acceptable grade.
Nonetheless, students who are pursuing a major in the biological sciences must attain
a grade of C- or better.
- Unlike other majors within the Department of Biological Sciences [noted above], the
Nuclear Medicine Program requires a grade of C or better in all required courses for
the major.
- College Policy: A grade of C or better is required to transfer credit from
another institution, though the grade is not used in GPA calculations.
- A temporary grade of Incomplete (I) is given only to students who are doing passing work (C-) in the course and at least 75% of the assigned work for the class has been completed.
- Prerequisite courses are courses that must be successfully completed
before enrolling in the course being considered.
- Students must earn a grade of C- or better in prerequisite courses before
proceeding to subsequent courses. In the case of students majoring in Nuclear
Medicine Technology, a grade of C or better is required before proceeding to
subsequent courses.
- Although it is recommended that BIO 121 is taken before BIO 122, the reverse order is acceptable.
- Majors and intended majors within the Department of Biological Sciences may
retake a course required for the major only once; this includes required courses from
other departments. A student may petition the Department to register for a
course a third time. This policy does not apply to courses that may be repeated for
credit (e.g., BIO 243, BIO 353).
- If a student receives a grade of less than C- in a four-credit laboratory course
that is formally listed as three credits for lecture and one credit for laboratory,
she may repeat only the component of the course for which she received an unacceptable
grade.
- Some four-credit laboratory courses are formally listed as four credits for lecture and zero credits for laboratory. If a student receives a grade of less than C- in the course, she should plan to retake both the lecture and laboratory during a subsequent semester. However, special situations may arise. In such situations, students who have received a grade of less than C- but have passed the lab may petition the Department to be exempt from retaking the lab; the final grade will be calculated from the previous lab grade and the new grade received for lecture. Students who have received a grade of less than C- but have passed the lecture of the four credit course may petition the Department to be exempt from retaking the lecture; the final grade will be calculated from the previous lecture grade and the new grade received for the lab.
- BIO 300 [Evolution], BIO 328 [Marine Ecology and Conservation], BIO 327
[Microbial Pathogenesis], BIO 332 [Developmental Biology], NEU/BIO/PSY 220
[Sensation & Perception], and BIO/NEU 348 [Diseases of the Nervous System] are the only four-credit lecture/laboratory courses for which students may enroll in only
the lecture component.
- Students must take both the lecture and laboratory components of biology
courses that satisfy the college-wide scientific reasoning [SR] requirement. Students
may not take just the lecture component of BIO 111, 112, 117, 118, 121, 122, or 224 to
satisfy the three-credit SR course requirement.
- Students must enroll in both lecture and laboratory components of BIO 121, BIO 122,
BIO 127, BIO 235, and BIO 236 the first time they enroll in any of these courses.
- For a course with an optional lab, a student may not enroll in the lab if not
concurrently enrolled in the lecture.
- Lecture and laboratory components of biology courses are typically highly integrated. Consequently, students must take both the lecture and laboratory components when enrolled in biology courses, such as BIO 127 [Fundamentals of Microbiology] and BIO 117/118 [Anatomy & Physiology I & II]. A student has the right to petition the Department for a waiver of this policy.
- Attendance at all laboratory sessions is mandatory. It will be at the discretion of the instructor and/or laboratory coordinator as to the action taken when a student does not attend laboratory. Details are included in the course/lab syllabus.
- The Department of Biological Sciences abides by the Cedar Crest College calendar
for laboratories, for lectures, and for all exams including finals. One issue that
emerges periodically is the scheduling of final exams. Policy states that if a
student has three or more final exams scheduled within a 24-hour period, then she
has the option to arrange for a rescheduling of an exam. It is the student's
responsibility to discuss alternatives with her professors. In order to be considered
for exception to this policy, students must petition the instructor in writing, with
possible review by the whole department.
- College Policy: Your obligations for all courses include attendance at the final exam, on the day and time scheduled by the Registrar’s Office. You should not make travel arrangements until the final exam schedule is published; if you must make plans early, you should schedule your travel after the last final exam day.
- Cedar Crest College is a women's college. As noted in the college catalog, "Adult
women may pursue any of the College's majors or programs through evening, weekend or
daytime study. Men may pursue any bachelor's degree, certification and/or certificate
program offered through evening and/or weekend study and are welcome to study
nursing and nuclear medicine [technology] by day. Men with a baccalaureate degree may
study for teacher certification during the day.
- Nuclear Medicine Technology is the only program within the Department of Biological Sciences in which males may enroll. It should be noted, however, that male NMT students are not allowed to double-major in NMT and any other major within the Department of Biological Sciences.
- All students that score a 4 or 5 on the biology advanced placement exam will be
awarded 8 credits (BIO 121 and 122). However, they must take the 121 and 122
laboratories to meet the biology major requirements and will earn 2 credits (1 for
each lab) for the laboratories. Students have the option of petitioning the Department
to waive this requirement, though generally only students with significant laboratory
experience have their petitions approved. The Department Chair has the authority to make ad hoc decisions in the summer regarding BIO 121/122 lab credit for students
with AP credit.
- For a non-biology major with a score of 4 or 5 on the biology advanced placement
exam, the department will grant 8 credits that will satisfy the scientific reasoning
college-wide course requirements.
- Students with AP credit have the option of taking upper-level biology courses during their first year only if all course prerequisites have been met. Please note: prerequisites for BIO 235 [Ecology, Evolution & Genetics], BIO 236 [Cell & Molecular Biology], and BIO 227 [Microbiology] include BIO 121/122. Prerequisites for BIO 207 [Botany], BIO 217/218 [Anatomy & Physiology], and BIO 224 [Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach] are met by having AP credit in biology.
- The Department of Biological Sciences offers proficiency exams in BIO 111, 112, 117, 118, 121 and 122. Application forms are available in the Registrar’s Office. Students must be enrolled and matriculated at Cedar Crest. There is a non-refundable fee of $30 per credit attempted. There may be additional fees for courses requiring a lab or clinical assessment. If a student fails a proficiency exam, it cannot be repeated. Students cannot receive credit for the WRI 2, Technology, or Information Literacy requirements by taking a proficiency exam.
Minimal Credits Required to be Taken at Cedar Crest College
- A transfer student must do at least the following at Cedar Crest College in
order to major, or minor in the case of Biology, in:
Biodiversity & Conservation Biology: BIO 307 [Biodiversity & Conservation Biology], BIO 312 [GIS and Spatial Modeling], BIO 315 [Case Studies in Biodiversity & Conservation Biology], BIO 350 [Junior Colloquium], and BIO 355 [Science, Ethics & Society].
Biology [Major]: two four-credit courses, BIO 350 [Junior Colloquium], and BIO 355 [Science, Ethics & Society].
Biology [Minor]: 12 credits from the listed requirements of the minor (BIO 121, BIO 122, BIO 235, BIO 236, and an elective); only one elective will be included in the 12-credit calculation.
Genetic Engineering: BIO 335 and 336 [Molecular Genetics I and II], BIO 345 [Advanced Recombinant DNA], two techniques courses, BIO 350 [Junior Colloquium], and BIO 355 [Science, Ethics & Society].
Neuroscience: NEU 200 [Introduction to Neuroscience], NEU 220 [Sensation and Perception], NEU 330 [Neuropharmacology], NEU 340 [Neuroscience Methods], BIO 350 [Junior Colloquium], BIO 355 [Science, Ethics & Society], and PSY 317 [Learning]
Nuclear Medicine Technology: BIO 320 [Biomedical Ethics], BIO 342 [Radiation Biology], plus an additional three- or four-credit course in biology, excluding the clinical year courses, which is also required of all majors.
- Given the rate at which the field of biology changes over time, the Department of Biological Sciences has adopted a Ten-Year Rule. Ordinarily, the Department will not approve a Biology course taken more than ten years ago toward any major. This pertains to courses taken at Cedar Crest College or at other institutions. However, courses taken more than ten years ago may be accepted by petition to the Department, though approval is typically successful only when the student has been active in the field since the course(s) was originally taken.