GENRAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT TO THE ACADEMIC SENATE

CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA ACADEMIC SENATE GENRAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT TO THE ACADEMIC SENATE GE-018-089 GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology General Education Committee Date: Executive Committee Received and Forwarded Date: April 9, 2014 Academic Senate Date: April 16, 2014 FIRST READING GE-018-089, GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology Referral The Geography and Anthropology Department is proposing to add ANT 101, an existing course, to GE Area B-2 Background The Anthropology faculty proposes moving ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology, from the general course offerings to area B2 of General Education According to the Department, Introduction to Biological Anthropology is recognized throughout the country, and in the California Community College system as fulfilling requirements for category B2 of General Education It meets the criteria for Area B courses outlined in Executive Order [1065], it is routinely credited to category B2 when students transfer into Cal Poly, and it is articulated with Cal Poly’s ANT 101 in the Lower Division Transfer Program through the CSU Chancellor’s Office Resources Consulted Mandayam A Srinivas, former Dean, College of Science Associate Dean of Science, Dr Tina Hartney AVP for Research, Dr Frank Ewers (former chair of Biology) Dr David Lord, Professor Emeritus, Anthropology, and Course co-creator Sepehr Eskandari, current chair of Biological Sciences (GE Committee Member) Dr Lin Wu, current chair of Geography/Anthropology (GE Committee Member) Dr Dorothy Wills, Geography and Anthropology Department (former chair) Craig W LaMunyon Dr Chris D Gelorge Gary C Carlton Department Chairs Associate Deans Discussion The General Education Committee was split on this referral, a referral that has languished in committee for several years, even before the moratorium on new GE approvals After reviewing the Extended Course Outline and discussing the various issues and input from numerous sources, the Committee felt that many of the necessary attributes of a GE class were in place Still, the main point of contention is whether this class fulfills the attributes of AREA B-2, Biology The gist of the argument against the class as a Biology GE is that there is not enough biology in the class Dr Sepehr Eskandari, GE Committee member and current chair of the Biology Department, argues in his report (presented here in GE-018-089, GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology the appendix, and later to be presented in a “Minority Report”) that ANT 101 does not fulfill all of the prescribed knowledge areas of AREA B-2 as outlined in Executive Order 1065, which mandates GE and describes individual areas in general terms Dr Eskandari, and others before him in Biology, have also suggested that Anthropology faculty not have proper training to teach biology Dr Lin Wu, current chair of Geography and Anthropology, offered arguments in favor of the GE designation for ANT 101, suggesting that it fulfills all of the EO 1065 requirements for an AREA B-2 course, and also noting that Anthropology as a discipline has become more biologically oriented over the last 20 years and that it is impossible to cover evolution without also teaching biology Regarding this as a precedent: it is not Many CSUs have a class that are similar in content to the proposed Cal Poly Pomona ANT 101 and many are designated as AREA B-2 classes; but there are just as many campuses that not (see appendices for detail) Furthermore, many university campuses across the country have classes like ANT 101 that fulfill breadth requirements in biological sciences Also, it is a class that is taught on a regular basis by tenure track faculty who, according to Dr Wu, have training in biological/physical anthropology Furthermore, according to Dr Wu, the Geology and Anthropology Department is seeking a full-time, tenure track position that is a dedicated bioanthropologist Additionally, there are a myriad of constituencies who have weighed in on this referral over the years Like Dr Eskandari, those who believe the class should not receive GE designation generally suggest that the class does not have enough biology in it to be designated a B-2 class The historical proponents, including Dr Wu, have argued that it is impossible to learn about human evolution without understanding biology, and all of the prescribed biological principles are covered in the class (Please see appendices for all pertinent documents for and against.) One final note: when asked why a biologist and anthropologist couldn’t co-teach the class, all parties agreed that this would be a splendid idea That is, however, not the referral before us Recommendation It was the Committee’s feeling that further discussion in committee would not lead to a consensus and not be fruitful, and that the entire Senate should weigh in on a final decision The GE Committee voted 5-3 to approve ANT 101 for AREA B-2 designation ### GE-018-089, GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology APPENDIX GE-018-089 GE area B-2 designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology Report from Anthropology and Geography Prepared by Lin Wu, Ph.D in consultation with anthropology faculty Based on the guideline for a GE course proposal, a GE B2 (Biological Sciences) course should cover the following: “Courses in this area will provide students with fundamental knowledge of living systems and their relationships with the world about them, including attention to diverse life forms, ecology, and evolution Scientific contributions, where applicable, from various cultures of the world will be included.” ANT 101 covers every one of these requirements as outlined below: Living systems and their relationship with the world about them - Using human evolution as the binding thread, ANT 101 introduces basic knowledge of living systems, DNA, cell biology, reproduction, and complex organisms, and examines their evolutionary and ecological relationships to each other within larger ecosystems Diverse life forms - While the class is anthropocentric, it does address a diversity of life forms and taxa, such as the evolution of flowering plants, the hypotheses about the development of binocular color vision in our order primates, the symbiotic relationships created by the malaria plasmodium, mosquitos, and people As an anthropology course, the point of departure may be humans, but it is not possible to discuss our evolutionary history and adaptive patterns without discussions of other life forms, from single celled organisms to more complex forms, such as plants and animals Ecology - Ecology is covered in discussions of human biological and cultural adaptation to diverse environments and environmental change The role of humans in the creation of anthropogenic landscapes and its effects at various levels on living systems are also discussed Cultural ecology (analysis of techno-economic systems and mode of production from an ecological perspective) is an important strand in anthropological theory Evolution - The course synthesizes evolutionary theory, including Darwinian principles of natural selection, Mendelian aspects of inheritance, genetics, and population dynamics and variability, at the introductory level Scientific contributions from various cultures of the world – ANT 101 covers the development of cultural knowledge, including science, drawing from different theorists and sociocultural systems It examines different approaches GE-018-089, GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology to human evolution and adaptation, as well as specific cultural ecological knowledge Also emphasized is the value of understanding ethno-botanical and other knowledge bases of native peoples Anthropology as a discipline has grown more biologically rooted over the past twenty years or so, with the increasing sophistication of and many important discoveries in evolutionary biology, genetics, and paleoanthropology Most anthropologists today refer to the sub-field “biological anthropology” as such, rather than the traditional “physical anthropology.” This preference reflects the emphatically scientific character of the field as a whole By fulfilling the above requirements, ANT 101 is a good fit for a B2 course This view is echoed by the fact that our campus has articulation agreements with community colleges establishing that students can take biological anthropology at community colleges to fulfill the B2 requirement when they transfer in A survey of other CSU campuses shows that out of 23 comparable campuses, 12 campuses have introductory biological anthropology (or an equivalent course) in the B2 (or equivalent) category For the CSU campuses that not have the course listed as B2, some not offer an equivalent course; thus, the majority of the CSU campuses that offer biological anthropology have listed it as a GE B2 course Approving ANT 101 as a GE course offers students more choices in GE courses For students planning a career in health, medicine, criminal justice, and other relevant fields, biological anthropology prepares them very well for advanced courses in their majors There are many Biology majors in the biological anthropology sequence of courses at Cal Poly Pomona (101, 340 Primatology, 345 Human Evolution and Variation, 357 Health Systems, and 491 Forensic), and many Anthropology majors who wish to go into a health or biology-related field take significant coursework in biology GE-018-089, GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology GE-018-089, GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences Expanded Course Outline Subject Area/Catalog #: ANT 101 Course Title: Introduction to Biological Anthropology Units: CS#: C4 Component: Lecture/Discussion Grading Basis: Graded Preparation: 11/17/2008 Prepared by: David Lord Revised: 2/27/2014 Revised by: Claudia Garcia-Des Lauriers Date of Last: NA I Catalog Description ANT 101 Introduction to Biological Anthropology (4) Human biology and behavior The evolution of the human species as an adaptive biological process Human ecology in evolutionary perspective Human growth, development, and diversity The evolution and behavior of non-human primates The course includes a CDROM “virtual laboratory” component hours lecture/discussion Fulfills Area B2 Prerequisite: None II Required Background or Experience None III Expected Outcomes Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: explain the development of modern evolutionary theory apply classical and modern genetic approaches to the study of taxonomy and evolution analyze non-human primate and hominid behavior, social organization, and morphology integrate biological, geological, and archaeological evidence within the framework of the scientific method, in order to formulate interpretations of human evolution integrate biological and social perspectives in the description and explanation of human diversity assess current debates in human biological evolution and diversity GE-018-089, GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology IV Text and Readings Possible Texts Angeloni, Elvio 2011 Annual Editions: Physical Anthropology 12/13 21st Edition New York: McGraw-Hill Campbell, Bernard, James Loy, and Kathryn Cruz-Uribe 2005 Humankind Emerging 9th Edition London: Pearson/Prentice Hall France, Diane L 2010 Lab Manual and Workbook for Physical Anthropology 7th Edition Stamford, CT: Cenage Learning Hens, Samantha 2007 Method and Practice in Biological Anthropology: A Workbook and Laboratory Manual for Introductory Courses Pearson Jurmain, Robert, Lynn Kilgore, and Wenda Trevathan 2012 Essentials of Physical Anthropology 9th Edition Stamford, CT: Wadsworth/Cenage Learning Kappelman, John 2004 Virtual Laboratories for Physical Anthropology CD-ROM, Version 4.0 Stamford, CT: Wadsworth/Cenage Learning Relethford, John 2005 The Human Species: An Introduction to Biological Anthropology 6th Edition New York: McGraw-Hill Sanford, Mary K 2008 Classic and Contemporary Readings in Physical Anthropology 1st Edition Stamford, CT: Wadsworth/Cenage Learning Stanford, Craig, John Allen, and Susan Anton 2006 Biological Anthropology: The Natural History of Humankind 1st Edition London: Pearson/Prentice Hall Stein, Philip and Bruce Rowe 2013 Physical Anthropology 11th Edition New York: McGraw-Hill Selected Films The Human Family Tree, National Geographic The Ghost in your Genes, NOVA Becoming Human, Parts 1-3, PBS Decoding Neanderthals, NOVA GE-018-089, GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology What Makes us Human, NOVA Lice and Human Evolution, NOVA What Darwin Never Knew, NOVA Little People of Flores, NOVA Chimpanzee, Disneynature Cracking the Code of Life, NOVA Clever Monkeys, Natural World The Genius of Darwin, BBC Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, BBC The Cell, BBC Cell Functions: A Closer Look, Cambridge Educational Production Cells: An Introduction, Cambridge Educational Production Selected Web Pages Smithsonian, Physical Anthropology http://anthropology.si.edu/cm/phys_intro.htm American Anthropological Society, Physical Anthropology Section http://www.aaanet.org/sections/bas/ American Association of Physical Anthropologists http://physanth.org Paleoanthropology Society http://www.paleoanthro.org American Association of Anthropological Genetics http://www.anthgen.org The Complete Works of Charles Darwin Online http://darwin-online.org.uk The University of Texas, Austin, E-Skeletons Project http://www.eskeletons.org Human Biology Association http://www.humbio.org The Jane Goodall Institute http://www.janegoodall.org National Center for Science Education http://ncse.com V Minimum Student Materials Assigned textbook; access to Internet and Blackboard VI Minimum College Facilities Smart Classroom GE-018-089, GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology VII 10 Course Outline The discipline of anthropology a Relationship of physical anthropology to other fields of anthropology b The biocultural approach Evolutionary theory a Definition and history of concept of evolution b Charles Darwin and natural selection c Microevolution and the four forces of evolution d Macroevolution and speciation Genetics and its application to understanding evolution a Mendelian genetics b Chromosomes and the cell c DNA and molecular genetics d Populations genetics Human variation a Race: social and biological concept b Characteristics and study of modern human diversity c Physiological adaptations and plasticity The primates a The Linnaean taxonomy and the place of primates in the classification b Characteristics of the primate order c Different primate taxa and their characteristics: prosimians, Old and New World monkeys, apes; morphological characteristics; social groups and behaviors of primates d Hominids: morphological and behavioral characteristics of modern humans Interpretation of evidence of hominid evolution a Characteristics of fossils; interpretation of geological and environmental evidence b Archaeological evidence: sites, artifacts, dating c The molecular clock Human origins a History of the development of the study of hominid evolution b The proto-hominids c The Australopithecines: diversity of species, distribution The genus Homo: physical and cultural developments a Earliest Homo: Homo habilis b Homo erectus c Archaic Homo sapiens and Neanderthals d Modern Homo sapiens Theories and studies relating to the major hominid transitions a Relationship among the species b Relationship to evolutionary theory GE-018-089, GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology 11 VIII Instructional Methods Class lectures, discussions, and demonstrations, in order for students to comprehend the basic concepts and frameworks used in modern biological anthropology Audiovisual presentations, including videos, slides, DVDs, handouts, and electronic or computer-based media, in order to illustrate biological and anthropological concepts Presentation of fossil casts, skeletal materials, artifacts and other hands-on materials in order to illustrate and enhance course content and apply biological and anthropological concepts Pair, small group, and class collaborative exercises and lab projects using problems and/or hands-on materials, in order to allow students to apply methods of analysis and interpretation used in the study of genetic, skeletal, fossil, and archaeological data Development and assignment of research projects, essays, posters, and oral presentations, in order to allow students to explore topics in more depth and to apply anthropological concepts and methods IX Evaluation of outcomes Students will be evaluated for progress in and/or mastery of learning outcomes by methods of evaluation that may include, but are not limited to: Quizzes and examinations designed to assess mastery of course concepts, critically analyze problems, and apply key concepts Individual and group assignments designed to demonstrate ability to apply method and techniques and make reasonable inferences from genetic, skeletal and fossil evidence Written reports, essays, projects, posters, and oral presentations designed to apply concepts, utilize methods and techniques, apply and assess theoretical models and evaluate evidence from a modern evolutionary perspective Final examination designed to assess mastery of the essential concepts developed in the course Laboratory and hands-on exercises to operationalize concepts of evolution, genetics, comparative anatomy and other core concepts Grading of student performance: Three Unit exams @ 15% each = 45% (objective exam format) Library Research Paper - 20% Observational study - 20% Laboratory and Hands-on activities - 15% To measure basic knowledge there will be three unit exams over class materials To measure critical thinking students will write a mini-research paper (3-5 pages, Library researched) on a selected topic from the list provided by the instructor (e.g., human adaptations to one of the major biomes; concepts such as race and/or ethnicity; migration as a factor in genetic diversification, etc.) GE-018-089, GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology 12 To measure analytical and integrative skills and the ability to first hand observations, student homework will consist of visiting a zoo (Griffith Park or San Diego) where they can study captive primates They will then papers comparing and contrasting behaviors using video documentaries from class X Relationship to General Education Objectives and Area B2 objectives ANT 101 through the content of the class and the proposed assignments meets many of the of the General Education goals Students learn to write and speak effectively, construct arguments and are introduced to various methods of presenting quantitative data though classroom discussion and a library research paper, lab and hands-on activities Anthropology is by its nature interdisciplinary, but in this case the content discussed and the lab exercises and paper introduce students to scientific methods though both quantitative and qualitative approaches The class emphasizes a biocultural approach, provides a brief historical background showing the development of research in the field The social context of research, discussions of ethics, and the changing nature of research in the field helps introduce an understanding of historical, political and social institutions Students are encouraged to develop social and global knowledge by looking at human evolution within a global framework, looking at human migrations and human environmental adaptability and the evolution of complex and diverse cultural knowledge as a critical adaptive mechanism for our species Finally, ANT 101 integrates a discussion of how individuals and populations interact in complex ways to form society, the dynamics of social species and what the role of social life plays on adaptation to environmental factors and pressures The role of sexual and social reproduction as an important evolutionary process that affects human adaptability to the environment, formation of communities and the role of individual agency within these larger social and biological processes are also introduced and are consistent with General education goals This course contributes to the GE objectives in the following ways GE Objectives No 1a 1b 1c 1d 2a 2b 2c 2d 3a 3b 4a 4b 4c I I I I I I I I I I I I _ I = Introduction to the principles D = Developmental stage of understanding, intermediate knowledge of principles M = Mastery of knowledge and application of principles In terms of the objectives of Area B2 more specifically ANT 101 addresses these in the following ways: Fundamental knowledge of living systems and relationship of living systems with the world about them • Using human evolution as the binding thread, ANT 101 introduces basic knowledge of living systems DNA to cell biology and reproduction, to organisms and their relationships to each other within larger ecosystems GE-018-089, GE Area B-2 Designation for ANT 101, Introduction to Biological Anthropology 13 Diverse life forms • While the class is anthropocentric, the material does attempt to address a diversity of life forms and taxa We discuss for example the evolution of flowering plants and hypotheses about the development of binocular color vision in our order primates, the symbiotic relationships created by the malaria plasmodium, mosquitos, and people We incorporate material on a diversity of life forms through our discussions of paleoanthropology, looking at environmental reconstruction and biostratigraphy which offers not only a way of dating human fossils through looking at the evolution and relationships with other plants and animals, but also an understanding of hominin evolution in a broader paleoenvironmental context The point of departure may be humans, but great attempts are made to place them within an evolutionary history that integrates a discussion of many life forms from single celled organism to more complex forms such as plants and animals Ecology • Ecology is adequately covered in our discussions of human biological and cultural adaptation to diverse environments and environmental change We also discuss the role of humans in the creation of anthropogenic landscapes and its effects at various levels on living systems Evolution • In terms of presenting the synthesis of evolutionary theory that includes Darwinian principles of natural selection, Mendelian aspects of inheritance, genetics, and population dynamics, the content more than adequately covers this goal at the introductory level Moreover, because of a human focus it makes these concepts more relatable to most general education students Scientific contributions from various cultures of the world (where applicable) • The development of cultural knowledge and its role in human evolution and adaptation as well as specific cultural ecological knowledge is also introduced in the content of this class This course contributes to the GE, Area B2 objectives in the following ways GE, Area B2 Objective No I I I I I I _ I = Introduction to the principles, D = Developmental stage of understanding, intermediate knowledge of principles M = Mastery of knowledge and application of principles ... dating c The molecular clock Human origins a History of the development of the study of hominid evolution b The proto-hominids c The Australopithecines: diversity of species, distribution The genus... Introduction to Biological Anthropology, from the general course offerings to area B2 of General Education According to the Department, Introduction to Biological Anthropology is recognized throughout the. .. through the content of the class and the proposed assignments meets many of the of the General Education goals Students learn to write and speak effectively, construct arguments and are introduced to