Mission & Goals

Our Philosophy

The mission of the Biology Department is to offer a comprehensive program designed to provide students with an opportunity to study the diversity of life and the mechanisms governing life processes in a manner that is integrated with the broader goals of a liberal arts education.

 

We value the breadth and integration of Biology across the full spectrum of our discipline and related fields of inquiry. At all levels of our curriculum we engage students in the creative and investigative process of science as they develop critical and analytical skills. We contribute to the growth of scientific knowledge through faculty research and professional presentation and publication, and are involved in local and international outreach and community service initiatives. 

Our interactive community of learning fosters collaboration between faculty and students in these research and outreach activities. By participating in our community, students become informed citizens and are prepared for careers as scientists and a variety of other professions.

Biology Department Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

The Biology Department is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the Muhlenberg College community. Aligned with its philosophy and major goals, the Biology Department seeks to "engage students in the creative and investigative process of science as they develop critical and analytical skills". To ensure that students from all academic and socio-cultural backgrounds have an equal opportunity to grow and thrive in our biology curriculum, we are committed to elucidating current barriers to success. The Biology Department is dedicated to incorporating anti-racist pedagogies into all levels of its curriculum. In addition, the department will continue to work towards dismantling the traditional power structure and dynamics in biology education by introducing multiple and diverse perspectives into the classroom. Finally, we aim to graduate individuals who can articulate identity, privilege, and structural injustices play a role in discovering and disseminating biological knowledge.

 

Biology Programmatic Goals

The Biology program at Muhlenberg College has goals for both Majors and non-Majors:

 

    GOALS FOR BIOLOGY MAJORS


Knowledge Goals:

Students will understand the central theories and fundamental principles of the biological sciences. These comprise an understanding of… 

  • the interactions organisms and populations have with their biological and physical environments.
  • structural and functional relationships from the cellular to the organism level of organization.
  • structural and functional relationships from the molecular to cellular level of organization.
  • evolutionary relationships and mechanisms.
  • information storage, coding, and transmission.

Skills Goals:

Reading: Students can locate, read, and utilize both primary and secondary biological literature.

Communication: Students can employ multiple methods to convey scientific knowledge formally and informally.

  • Writing: Students can write about scientific information in a formal and/or informal manner.
  • Oral: Students can effectively communicate scientific information through speech.
  • Symbolic: Students can effectively communicate scientific information through iconic, visual, and graphic means. 

Reasoning: Students can think critically about biological science.

Students will…

  • be able to synthesize and apply biological principles within classrooms, assignments or research experiences.
  • interpret, review, analyze and apply data from observations, tables and figures, to understand causes, establish relationships, and support logical interpretations.
  • be able to articulate the multiple contexts and potential biases within which science is conducted and communicated.

“Doing”: Students are capable of working in a laboratory or field environment, carrying out techniques and methods used to gain knowledge in the biological sciences.

  • Students will achieve a certain level of mastery of quantitative and qualitative skills that are necessary for conducting, expressing, and interpreting biological research.
  • Students will know how to properly design an experiment within a given context and body of literature.

Integration and Engagement Goals:

1. Students will be able to examine the connections between biology and other scientific and non-scientific subjects.

Students will…

  • use their understanding of biological issues to make social, political and ethical decisions
  • be able to examine the connections of biology with other scientific and non-scientific subjects.
  • be capable of integrating information between different classes and disciplines in the major. 

2. Students will be able to apply biological perspectives to other disciplines and broader societal discourse, in order to be engaged citizens.

Students will…

  • be able to examine the connections of biology with other scientific and non-scientific subjects.
  • use their understanding of biology to contribute towards solutions for social, political, and ethical issues.

3. Students will participate in the academic life of the biology department by: attending seminars, participating in research with faculty, attending and participating in research poster sessions, doing internships, working with Biology Club, tutoring, helping with open houses and tours of the science buildings, and working as learning assistants and/or laboratory assistants.

Biology Courses - Non-Major Curriculum

Biology Programmatic Goals for Non-Majors

Knowledge Goal: Students will understand the central theories and fundamental principles of the biological sciences in one or more of these three areas:

  • structural and functional relationships from the molecular to cellular level of organization
  • structural and functional relationships from the cellular to the organism level of organization
  • interactions organisms and populations have with their biological and physical environments

Reasoning Goal: Students will interpret, analyze and apply data to understand causes, establish relationships, and support logical interpretations.

Integration Goal: Students will demonstrate how biology connects with other scientific and non-scientific disciplines.