2024-2025 Academic Year

Fall 2024

FYSM 100 First-Year Seminar
The First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces students to Dickinson as a "community of inquiry" by developing habits of mind essential to liberal learning. Through the study of a compelling issue or broad topic chosen by their faculty member, students will: - Critically analyze information and ideas - Examine issues from multiple perspectives - Discuss, debate and defend ideas, including one's own views, with clarity and reason - Develop discernment, facility and ethical responsibility in using information, and - Create clear academic writing The small group seminar format of this course promotes discussion and interaction among students and their professor. In addition, the professor serves as students' initial academic advisor. This course does not duplicate in content any other course in the curriculum and may not be used to fulfill any other graduation requirement.

BIOL 318 Animal Development w/Lab
This course offers an introduction to the development of multicellular animals. The study of development addresses the following question: how does a single cell—the fertilized egg—give rise to a complex organism, containing many cells of many types? Three essential processes must occur for development to proceed: an increase in cell number through division; an increase in types of cells through differentiation; and the arrangement of cells into organs, tissues, appendages and other complex structures. In this course, we will examine the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie these processes, with a focus on the current understanding of, and approaches used to investigate, the genetic basis of development of model organisms. Six classroom hours a week. Prerequisites: One 200-level biology course. For Neuroscience majors only, the prerequisite is NRSC 200.