Influence of Student Report Seen in Transformation of Biology 1

The announcement of the abolition of Biology 1 in the form in which it now exists came out yesterday with the publication of the Official Register of Harvard University, announcing the courses of instruction for the year 1926-27. This change in the organization of the science department is the most striking of a number of interesting alterations which have come to light in the Register.

The change in the Biology course is the first direct example of the influence of the report of the Student Council Committee on Education. The report advised the division of the present general science course, with the idea of giving those who were taking the course for distribution a more cultural background and those who were concentrating in science more concentrated study and laboratory work.

Biology 1 as such will not be given again, but instead three courses more or less parallel, a full course and two half courses will be organized to take its place. Biology A, the full course which is to be offered, will be in general science and will come at the same time as Biology 1 has been in the past. It is designed to meet the needs particularly of the man who does not desire to take any further courses in biological sciences or to study medicine. Biology A will put the main emphasis on the lectures, its laboratory work being about one half that required in the other new courses, Zoology 1 and Botany 1.

Instead of stressing the details of biological work as these courses will do, Biology A will be particularly for the student who wishes to gain a cultural scientific background.

The two half courses, Zoology 1 coming in the first half year, and Botany 1 in the second, are intended particularly for men who desire to take advanced work or to use biology in a professional way, that is in teaching, in medicine, and so forth.

In these courses, which may either be taken together or individually, six hours of laboratory work a week will be required and the emphasis of the courses will be laid more strongly upon the details of the work than the formation of a broad cultural background of general science.

"The change in Biology 1," said Professor G. H. Parker '87, who is in charge of the course, "has been contemplated by the department for a year or so. It has been felt for a long time that Biology I has been unsatisfactory in that it offers the same material to two different groups, those who want merely a cultural knowledge of biology and those who intend to make an advanced use of it. Although, therefore, the idea did not have its origin in the recently published report of the Student Council Committee on Education we were helped very much by the report in executing the plans for the new courses, as well as getting many new ideas from it which have been incorporated in the plans."

Biology A will be limited to 800 students due to a lack of laboratory accommodations for a greater number. It is expected that not more than 100 will apply for enrollment in Zoology 1 or Botany 1, and it is possible that not many more than 70 will desire to enter these courses. This was about the number of those who signified their intention of taking such a course if it were offered, in a poll of the present enrollment of Biology 1 taken by Professor Parker shortly before the spring recess. If more than 100 apply limitation will be necessary.