Mission Statement Department History

This information is meant to provide prospective and declared biology majors with an overview of the Biology Department at Roanoke College. It should be used as a supplementary guide to help you plan your course of study. Faculty and staff members will be pleased to provide you with additional information or to answer any question you may have.

We strongly encourage prospective students to visit us here in Salem, so that you can see, in person, what we have to offer. You may schedule a visit by contacting the Admissions Office (540-375-2270 or 1-800-388-2276). If you love the study of life as we do you should strongly consider becoming a part of the Biology Department at Roanoke College. We hope to see you next September!

Introduction

The Biology Department at Roanoke College offers a diverse course of study that complements the college's broadly-based liberal arts curricular core. The Department's curriculum is designed to expose students to important areas in modern biology with contemporary ideas and concepts placed in historical perspective. In addition to the development of a base of knowledge in biological science, students are encouraged to develop the skills that will be required whatever career path is taken beyond the undergraduate level. An important part of our plan is to help our students (both majors and non-majors) develop a sense of the role biological science plays in the modern world and to foster a sense of understanding and responsibility regarding the impact of the human species from the local through the global levels.

The Department's curriculum is based on an introductory core of courses in which students are required to master major concepts in key areas from the ecosystem to the subcellular levels of biological organization, as well as to consider the role the scientific process plays in the accumulation of biological knowledge. The goal at the introductory level is for students to establish a strong foundation of basic knowledge upon which advanced work in upper division courses can be built. While the overarching goal at the upper division level is to achieve significant exposure to a diverse range of topics, students are encouraged to explore areas of particular interest to them in depth through both classroom work and in the context of independent study.

Students, working both independently and collaboratively, are encouraged to think critically at all levels of the curriculum through the process of experimental design, the application of experimental methodologies and techniques, the collection and presentation of data, and the consideration of what collected data mean in a broader context. In this connection, students are encouraged to develop the skills to access biological information in both library-based and computer-based formats. Finally, the importance of information communication in biology is emphasized throughout the curriculum and students are given many opportunities to develop effective written and oral communication skills.

The Department offers two curricular tracks: one leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree, the other to a Bachelor of Science. The B.A. degree requires fewer chemical and physical science courses, allowing students more flexibility to do coursework in other disciplines in preparation for teaching or to enter the workforce immediately following graduation. The B.S. degree requires two full years of chemistry and a full year of physics, and is designed principally for students intending to pursue post-graduate study.

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