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Senate Bill 0809-20
UNIVERSITY SENATE
UNVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Introduced by:
Undergraduate Academic Council
Date:
May 4, 2009
Approved by CAS Academic Programs Committee, Maria Isabel Ayala, Chair (04/14/09)
Approved by CAS Dean’s Office, Gregory Stevens and Edelgard Wulfert (04/15/09)
New Undergraduate Minor in Neuroscience
This application proposes a new interdisciplinary undergraduate minor in Neuroscience in which
students enroll in preexisting Psychology and Biology courses focusing on brain function and the
neural mechanisms underlying behavior. This minor will be overseen by Dr. Christine Wagner,
Psychology and Dr. Greg Lnenicka, Biology. This application contains the following items:
Memo of approval from Dr. Kevin Williams, Chair of Psychology
Memo of approval from Dr. Richard Zitomer, Chair of Biology
Narrative Description of the Neuroscience Minor
Course Action Form for new course APSY 490 Topics in Neuroscience
Course Action Form for new course ABIO 490 Topics in Neuroscience
Course Action Form for ABIO 341 to change prerequisites
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Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
Social Science 369
Albany, New York 12222
(518) 442-4820
Fax: (518) 442-4867
To: Dean Edelgard Wulfert, College of Arts and Sciences
From: Kevin Williams, Chair of Psychology
Date: March 2, 2009
Re: Neuroscience Minor
I have reviewed the proposal for the interdisciplinary undergraduate minor in neuroscience, as well as
the proposal for the new cross-listed course, APSY490/ABIO Topics in Neuroscience. These
proposals have my approval.
The neuroscience minor will not require any additional resources for Psychology or CAS.
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Professor Richard S. Zitomer
Chair, Department of Biological Sciences
To: Dean Edelgard Wulfert, College of Arts and Sciences
From: Richard S. Zitomer, Chair of Biological Sciences
Date: February 26, 2009
Subject: Neuroscience Minor
I have reviewed the proposal for the interdisciplinary undergraduate minor in neuroscience, as well as
the proposal for a new course APSY490/ABIO490 Topics in Neuroscience. These proposals have my
approval.
The minor is not expected to require additional resources for Biology. The minor does not require the
Introductory Biology lab courses (ABIO121 and 123) which are now uncoupled from the lecture
courses, and, therefore, will not place any additional pressure on CAS for the annual additional
resources needed to cover these labs. The upper level Biology lecture courses can handle the
substantial increased enrollment, well beyond that expected from this minor.
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Proposed Neuroscience Minor
Neuroscience Faculty from the Biology, Psychology and Chemistry Departments propose an
interdisciplinary MINOR in Neuroscience. This minor would be comprised primarily of courses
already taught within Biology and Psychology and could be implemented quickly with minimal impact
on departmental budgets. The Neuroscience minor would promote an interdisciplinary approach to
learning that crosses traditional department lines.
Excitement for neuroscience among scientists, students and the public has been extremely high
in recent years. Increasingly, neuroscience approaches are being integrated into everything from
psychology to marketing to economics, with rapid discoveries being made at all levels of analysis from
molecular biology through human behavior. Neuroscience has often been referred to as the “final
frontier” of the life sciences: addressing profound questions of brain function central to the human
experience; and seeking treatments for behavioral and neurological disorders that have a major impact
on society. The excitement of this field attracts an increasing number of prospective undergraduates.
Many high school seniors are looking for Neuroscience programs and in response numerous four-year
colleges in the northeast have added a Neuroscience major. These include: Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin,
Clark, Colgate, Hamilton, Ithaca, Middlebury, Skidmore, Smith, St. Lawrence, Union, Wellesley,
Wesleyan and Williams. Despite the growth of Neuroscience programs at many private schools,
undergraduate studies in Neuroscience are not well represented at the SUNY universities and colleges.
None of the other university centers offers a Neuroscience major or minor, although Stony Brook
University has a Neuroscience track within its Biology major. Also, it does not appear that any of the
four-year SUNY colleges offer a Neuroscience major or minor. Thus, a Neuroscience minor would
provide a point of distinction within the SUNY system and make the University at Albany unique, and
possibly more attractive, to some students considering the SUNY system.
We are proposing a minor in order to obtain many of the benefits of a major without requiring
significant associated costs, given the current funding climate. However, the minor may have some
advantages on its own. Neuroscience draws from many other disciplines; the brain is studied at many
levels and Neuroscientists vary greatly in their areas of expertise. A minor should be a good
mechanism for introducing students with diverse backgrounds to Neuroscience. We expect that most
Neuroscience minors would be Biology and Psychology Majors, but hope that it would also include
majors from fields such as Chemistry, Anthropology, Physics and Mathematics. In addition, we expect
that many pre-Health students with interests in neurological or mental disorders would choose this
minor. Also, this minor may prepare students for graduate studies since many Neuroscience programs
expect a strong grounding in one of the more traditional disciplines. In fact, we hope that some
students in this program will choose UAlbany for graduate studies in Neuroscience. .
Realistically, the minor only impacts the Biology and Psychology Departments. For Biology
students, adding this minor will be very easy. Since most Biology students are receiving a BS, courses
in the major and minor can be double counted. This means the students only have to take 3 courses
outside their major: APSY101, APSY214 and Topics in Neuroscience. There will be some increase in
enrollment for General Biology and Neurobiology. If we have 30 minors per year and some are
Biology majors, these courses would have to absorb less than 30 students a year. The increase in
enrollment for ABIO441 and ABIO439 should be in the single digits. Psychology students receive a
BA so courses cannot be double counted. Thus, they would need to take the Biology courses plus
some extra Psychology courses. This small increase in enrollment spread among a number of
Psychology courses should be negligible.
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Student Advising: Undergraduates participating in the Neuroscience minor would be advised
by Dr. Greg Lnenicka (Biology) and Dr. Christine Wagner (Psychology). These faculty will also
oversee the administration of the minor.
New Course: One new course is proposed (under separate application) within the Neuroscience
minor. This is a 400 level course for 3 credits that will be cross-listed in Psychology and Biology.
Minors will take this course in the fall of their senior year. This course will be team taught by 13
Neuroscience faculty from Biology, Psychology and Chemistry as an overload. The course will cover
Neuroscience research represented at UAlbany and serve as a capstone course for Neuroscience
minors, engaging students in original research literature and providing information about graduate
education and careers in neuroscience. None of these functions is currently served at the University,
and the combination of the minor and this new course will significantly enhance, not only the
education of undergraduates, but also the research being conducted in the several Neuroscience
laboratories.
Participating Faculty: Haijun Chen (Bio), Bruce Dudek (Psych), Cheryl Frye (Psych), Helmut
Hirsch (Bio), Greg Lnenicka (Bio), Ewan McNay (Psych), Li Niu (Chemistry), Robert Rosellini
(Psych), John Schmidt (Bio), Bruce Svare (Psych), Ben Szaro (Bio), Christine Wagner (Psych), Sho-Ya
Wang (Bio)
Minor in Neuroscience – 21 credits
Required Courses (18 credits)
APSY101 – Introduction to Psychology (3)
ABIO120 – General Biology I (3)
ABIO121 – General Biology II (3)
APSY214 – Introduction to Biopsychology & Behavioral Neuroscience (3)
ABIO341 – Neurobiology (3)
APSY/ABIO 490 - Topics in Neuroscience (3)
Any one of the following (3 credits)
APSY314 – Advanced Biopsychology & Behavioral Neuroscience (3)
APSY387 – Behavior Genetics (3)
APSY388 – Introduction to Psychopharmacology (3)
ABIO441 – Molecular Neurobiology (3)
ABIO439 – Ion Channels and Human Disease (3)
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University at Albany – State University of New York
College of Arts and Sciences
Course Action Form
Proposal No.
09-034A
Please mark all that apply:
X
New Course
Revision of:
Number
Description
X
Cross-Listing w/BIO 490
Title
Prerequisites
Shared-Resources Course
Credits
Deactivate / Activate Course (boldface & underline as appropriate)
Other (specify):
Department:
Psychology
To be effective (semester/year): Fall 2010
Course Number
Current:
New: APSY 490
Credits: 3
Course Title:
Topics in Neuroscience
Course Description to appear in Bulletin:
This course is designed as the capstone course for the interdisciplinary Neuroscience Minor. It is
expected that Minors will take this course in the fall of their senior year. This course will be team
taught by Neuroscience faculty from Biology and Psychology and will cover current topics in
neuroscience research, engaging students in original research literature and providing information
about graduate education and careers in neuroscience. By permission of instructor.
Prerequisites statement to be appended to description in Bulletin:
Permission of Instructor of Record
If S/U is to be designated as the only grading system in the course, check here:
This course is (will be) cross listed with (i.e., CAS ###):
ABIO490
This course is (will be) a shared-resources course with (i.e., CAS ###):
Explanation of proposal:
This course will serve as the capstone course for the newly proposed Neuroscience Minor (under separate application). This course will be team taught by
neuroscience faculty from Biology and Psychology Departments.
Other departments or schools which offer similar or related courses and which have certified that this proposal does not overlap their offering:
Chair of Proposing Department (TYPE NAME/SIGN)
Date
Kevin Williams
3/2/09
Approved by Chair(s) of Departments having cross-listed course(s) (PRINT
NAME/SIGN)
Date
Dean of College (PRINT NAME/SIGN)
Date
Richard Zitomer
3/2/09
Gregory Stevens/Edelgard Wulfert
4/15/09
Chair of Academic Programs Committee (PRINT NAME/SIGN)
Date
Dean of Graduate (Undergraduate) Studies (PRINT NAME/SIGN)
Date
Maria Isabel Ayala
4/14/09
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University at Albany – State University of New York
College of Arts and Sciences
Course Action Form
Proposal No.
09-034B
Please mark all that apply:
X
New Course
Revision of:
Number
Description
X
Cross-Listing w/PSY 490
Title
Prerequisites
Shared-Resources Course
Credits
Deactivate / Activate Course (boldface & underline as appropriate)
Other (specify):
Department:
Biology
To be effective
(semester/year): Fall 2010
Course Number
Current:
New: ABIO 490
Credits: 3
Course Title:
Topics in Neuroscience
Course Description to appear in Bulletin:
This course is designed as the capstone course for the interdisciplinary Neuroscience
Minor. It is expected that Minors will take this course in the fall of their senior year. This
course will be team taught by Neuroscience faculty from Biology and Psychology and
will cover current topics in neuroscience research, engaging students in original research
literature and providing information about graduate education and careers in
neuroscience. By permission of instructor.
Prerequisites statement to be appended to description in Bulletin:
Permission of Instructor of Record
If S/U is to be designated as the only grading system in the course, check here:
This course is (will be) cross listed with (i.e., CAS ###):
APSY490
This course is (will be) a shared-resources course with (i.e., CAS ###):
Explanation of proposal:
This course will serve as the capstone course for the newly proposed Neuroscience Minor (under separate application). This course
will be team taught by neuroscience faculty from Biology and Psychology Departments.
Other departments or schools which offer similar or related courses and which have certified that this proposal does not overlap their
offering:
Chair of Proposing Department (TYPE NAME/SIGN)
Date
Richard Zitomer
3/2/09
Approved by Chair(s) of Departments having cross-listed course(s)
(PRINT NAME/SIGN)
Date
Dean of College (PRINT NAME/SIGN)
Date
Kevin Williams
3/2/09
Gregory Stevens/Edelgard Wulfert
4/15/09
Chair of Academic Programs Committee (PRINT NAME/SIGN)
Date
Dean of Graduate (Undergraduate) Studies (PRINT NAME/SIGN)
Date
Maria Isabel Ayala
4/14/09
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University at Albany – State University of New York
College of Arts and Sciences
Course Action Form
Proposal No.
09-034C
Please mark all that apply:
New Course
Revision of:
Number
Description
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Cross-Listing
Title
X
Prerequisites
Shared-Resources Course
Credits
Deactivate / Activate Course (boldface & underline as appropriate)
Other (specify):
Department:
Biological Sciences
To be effective (semester/year): Fall 2010
Course Number
Current:
New: A Bio 341
Credits: 3
Course Title:
Neurobiology
Course Description to appear in Bulletin:
No Change
Prerequisites statement to be appended to description in Bulletin:
A Bio 121
If S/U is to be designated as the only grading system in the course, check here:
This course is (will be) cross listed with (i.e., CAS ###):
This course is (will be) a shared-resources course with (i.e., CAS ###):
Explanation of proposal:
Bio 341 is a required course for the proposed Neuroscience Minor. I am dropping the prerequisite A Phy 108 to allow a broader range of students into this
minor. This particularly applies to Psychology undergraduates who normally do not take physics. This will not require a substantial change in the course
since I already provide some physics review material and I have allowed students to take the course without physics in the past.
Other departments or schools which offer similar or related courses and which have certified that this proposal does not overlap their offering:
Chair of Proposing Department (TYPE NAME/SIGN)
Date
Richard Zitomer
3/2/09
Approved by Chair(s) of Departments having cross-listed course(s) (PRINT
NAME/SIGN)
Date
Dean of College (PRINT NAME/SIGN)
Date
Gregory Stevens/Edelgard Wulfert
4/15/09
Chair of Academic Programs Committee (PRINT NAME/SIGN)
Date
Dean of Graduate (Undergraduate) Studies (PRINT NAME/SIGN)
Date
Maria Isabel Ayala
4/14/09
