The Biology Department serves a large and diverse population of students on both Middletown and Newburgh campuses offering approximately 130 lecture/lab sections in more than a dozen subject areas.
The department supports students pursuing Health Profession careers, seeking to complete general education science requirements as well as students seeking an A.S. Degree in Math and Natural Science where we offer a Biological Science track.
Now that our department has transitioned to our new quarters in Rowley Center for Science and Engineering we are looking forward to fully utilizing the potential offered by this facility. There is still the challenge of outfitting a second Introduction to Biology lab in order to meet existing student demand. In Fall 2016 and 2017 all Introduction to Biology labs were filled to capacity with waiting lists fully subscribed. As our existing lab space was booked solid M-F both day and evening as well as Saturday there was no opportunity to meet student need. Additionally, the department would like to explore options of accelerating our Introduction to Biology →A & P I pre-health professions sequence by offering intensive "Intro" and "A & P" sections in half-semester time blocks. This would be of huge benefit to pre-health science students, enabling them to qualify for admission to Health Profession Programs in a shorter period of time.
As evidenced by faculty passion expressed in Departmental Meetings there is also considerable interest in several initiatives addressed within this PIP submission. Outfitting 'Introduction to Biology' (BIO 110) labs in Newburgh and Middletown with a state-of-the-art microvideo system (Microscope, digital camera, flat-screen monitor) will provide instructors the opportunity to demonstrate key features of microscopic specimens to their students. Such guidance will allow students optimal and engaging opportunities for "hands-on" observation and study of cell, tissue and organ specimens necessary for success in the course. At Newburgh, our faculty (Dillon, Ebbert, Festa, Iannuzzi Sucich) strongly advocate for an 'Internet Accessible Computer Station with printer for the Newburgh BATCAVERN. This would allow students in Introduction to Biology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, and Diversity of Life access to a variety of supporting materials (lecture notes, review materials, opportunity to research topics of interest in depth).
Additionally the Biology Department is engaged in developing a Horticulture Course as a keystone of an anticipated certificate program in Floriculture. While this initiative does not require specific funding requests during this cycle, it will ultimately benefit from instrumentation upgrades incorporated in this PIP submission.
Over the last several years the Biology Department has been challenged to meet increasing student demand for our course offerings both at Middletown and Newburgh. We are responding by offering multiple sections of 'in-demand' courses evenings, Saturdays and Summers. Taking advantage of a number of FT Faculty teaching additional course sections for extra-compensation (˜45 hrs. Fall 2017) as well as a cadre of ˜25 experienced adjunct faculty teaching nearly half of our course load. In Spring 2018 we will be offering an evening section of A & P at Newburgh for the first time and are reactivating 'Diversity of Life' at the site. Additionally, several new DL offerings are planned for Summer 2018. Yet, there are calls for additional evening sections of Human Biology (BIO 115) and General Biology I (BIO 110) which can not be accommodated due to staffing limitations.
Clearly, in order to fully respond to existing, instructional needs as well as to continue to expand our DL offerings and develop innovative "accelerated" courses, a new full-time faculty member is critical and is also addressed in this submission.