Information on Fall 2021

This page will be updated regularly with general details about the courses offered by the Biology Department. For more specific details about individual courses, contact the course instructor(s).

Biology Department Contact List (pdf)
Biology Department Advising Schedule (pdf)
Course Descriptions for Biology Majors (pdf)
Undergraduate Major Worksheet, B.S. in Biology (pdf)
Undergraduate Major Worksheet, B.A. in Biology (pdf)
Biology Minor Requirements (pdf)
Student Concern Form (pdf) - Fill out this form if you have a concern about a course that requires the attention of the Biology Department chair.

A Message on Laboratory Courses from Anjana Saxena, Chair, Department of Biology

Dear Student,

I am glad you are enrolled with us this semester and I hope that you have a positive experience through the semester. I am writing to explain the situation with the hands-on biology laboratories. As most of you are aware, we had scheduled—and all levels of CUNY had authorized—fully in-person laboratory courses for all students this semester. Unfortunately, this plan had to be changed due to last-minute revisions in CUNY policy. However, we now expect laboratory courses to resume fully in-person beginning October 7, 2021.

Timeline of relevant events:

August 23, 2021: FDA approves COVID-19 vaccine.
August 23, 2021: CUNY announces many in-person classes to be moved online for the first two weeks, to allow enrolled students to get vaccinated.
September 1, 2021: CUNY announces and approves laboratory courses to meet in-person with reduced density.
September 2, 2021: Due to the fallout from hurricane Ida, CUNY declares all classes that day to be delivered remotely.
October 7, 2021: According to CUNY’s current policies, all laboratory courses will be able to meet fully in-person beginning October 7, with logistics set according to CUNY guidelines for classroom occupancy based on the number of unvaccinated students present.

I appreciate the start of the fall 2021 semester has been frustrating. The main reason for the last-minute changes in scheduling was CUNY’s shifting policies on student vaccination. CUNY’s current policies suggest all laboratories will be able to meet fully in-person beginning on October 7. At Brooklyn College, individual laboratories will meet either in full or reduced in-person capacity from now on.

I want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to provide you with the best possible learning experience. Faculty and staff in the department are working to maximize your opportunity for hands-on laboratory experiences within the constraints of frequently changing CUNY policies. Each section of every course in the college has received specific guidance to ensure student safety while maintaining learning standards. The information relayed to you by your instructors is the final step of this process. I therefore ask for both your patience and your careful attention to the messages that you receive so that we can make the process run smoothly and effectively.

We want to avoid moving all courses online as we all know that in-person laboratory experiences is preferable. The ability to work in a laboratory setting, make precise measurements, handle samples and observe safety protocols is important in research and clinical settings, and we want to give every student the chance to learn these skills. Before the current pandemic, medical and professional schools did not accept online laboratory work as a substitute for hands-on experiences. While they have made an exception during the pandemic, we expect this to change now that an effective vaccine is available. With that in mind, you should get vaccinated immediately if you haven’t done so already or do not have a medical or religious exemption. Find more information, please see the Student Vaccination Mandate FAQ and CUNY policies.

Thank you for your patience with this process. I encourage you to contact your laboratory instructor if you have questions.

Thank you,

Anjana Saxena
Chair, Department of Biology

Statement on Biology Research Courses in the Time of COVID

The biology undergraduate research courses are listed for fall 2021. Many labs are closed because of COVID, and those that are open are restricted primarily to graduate students and professional research staff. CUNY has not published a date when undergraduates will be allowed in research labs as usual. Therefore, undergraduate student research is likely to be library-based for most of the semester.

The research courses are: BIOL 5000-5002, BIOL 5003W, BIOL 5010-5013, and BIOL 5014W.

You may register for these courses with the agreement of a sponsoring faculty member. Eligible faculty are listed on the Faculty page and you should contact faculty members directly about opportunities in their labs. If a faculty member agrees to advise you then you and the faculty member should complete the appropriate form, below, and submit it to the Biology Office (JBadri@brooklyn.cuny.edu). Following review, you will be given permission to register for the research course.

Policy Statement on Fall 2021 Courses

The fall 2021 semester is a time of transition. The faculty in the Biology Department pledge to work hard to accommodate student needs for learning—we also expect students to work with us.

Here are some guidelines:

1. Course Policies

As usual, individual course policies, including attendance, schedules, grade calculation rubrics, etc., will be listed in the course syllabus. Please read the syllabus before e-mailing questions.

2. "Synchronous"

Most online courses are being offered as "synchronous," which means instructors expect students to be available at specific times to engage in discussions, workshops, lab exercises, and quizzes. The advantage of synchronous learning is that students interact with each other and with the instructor, both key elements for understanding the course material. With synchronous courses:

The instructor may take attendance, award marks for attendance, or penalize students for unexcused absences. Absentee and participation policies and details about grading will be described in the course syllabus.
We are aware that Internet access and connectivity issues occur, usually at the most inconvenient time. Instructors will continue to make allowances for legitimate reasons. If you have connectivity issues during an exam, quiz, or presentation, take a screenshot and e-mail it to your instructor within 24 hours with an explanation.

3. Cameras and Online Courses

Most online courses will require the use of a camera to facilitate discussions and ensure fairness on exams. By signing up for these courses, you have given your consent for camera use. If there are exceptions to this policy, they are noted in the course syllabus.

4. Exam Policies

We are aware that issues of copying, consultation, and other forms of cheating are easier with online examinations. Even a small number of people cheating is an unacceptable affront to the honest work that the majority of students do to learn the course material. To minimize this problem, here are several policies:

It is the right and duty of the instructor to schedule exams and quizzes (except for the final exam, which is scheduled by the college). Exams must be taken in the time limits specified for each exam.
Absence from an exam will be treated as described in the course syllabus, and any make-up exam policy will also be described in the course syllabus.
It is the right and duty of the instructor to determine the format and content of all course exams.

5. Assignments

All assignments will be due at the specified time. Extension requests will be considered by the instructor, and may or may not be granted at the instructor's discretion.

6. Emergency Situations

We understand that emergency situations after the withdrawal date might make it impossible to complete a course. Under these circumstances, a grade of INC (incomplete) may be issued in some courses. However, some courses (especially lab courses) do not lend themselves to offering make-up activities, meaning that some students may still fail the course despite the best intentions of the department. In such cases, you should petition Brooklyn College's Committee on Course and Standing for a retroactive grade of W, which carries no implication of failure and no GPA penalty.

7. Appeals Policy of the Biology Department

We will consider appeals only after you have raised the issue with the course instructor and received what you consider to be an inadequate reply or have had no reply within seven days after contacting the instructor. Some additional considerations:

Appeals regarding timing conflicts of exams may be considered only if there is evidence of the conflict being based on academic issues.
We will not consider appeals about exam scheduling, format, or content. Those are determined only by the instructor.
We will consider exam-grading appeals only if you can demonstrate that your answers were incorrectly marked.

If you wish to file an appeal, fill out the Departmental Grade Appeal Petition (pdf).

We will not consider appeals from the dean, provost, president, parent, chancellor, mayor, governor, or other officials unless the Biology Department appeal form has been filled and submitted.

Updated: September 10, 2021