Formation of a Claremont Colleges Intercollegiate Program in Neuroscience

该克莱蒙学院建议开发一个六个学院校际，跨学科的神经科学计划。在该计划的核心，一个新的跨学科，介绍神经科学课程将开发，更侧重于从哲学，历史和方法论的角度比通常情况下的基本神经科学问题。我们认为，这种方法将是互惠互利的通识教育的学生，在神经科学的潜在专业，和个人谁一直在科学代表性不足。学生将从这门课程中更好地了解科学如何进步，并将更好地准备对未来科学发展的一般理解，如果他们不主修神经科学，或神经科学的高级课程，如果他们决定主修神经科学。 除了入门课程，新的上师课程将在两个轨道内开发，代表当今神经科学的主要部门：细胞分子和认知神经科学。选择神经科学专业的学生将选择专攻两条轨道之一，其中包括几门共同的课程。我们还将开发一个高级顶点课程，将包括从两个轨道的老年人。本课程将使教师和学生一起重新考虑在入门课程中提出的基本问题，但从一个更复杂的角度。 拟议计划的一个重要部分将涉及学生和教师与大学预科学生和教师合作的机会，以发展中小学的科学教育，我们预计这也将鼓励大学生考虑从事教育事业。

The Claremont Colleges propose to develop a six college intercollegiate, interdisciplinary neuroscience program. At the core of this program, a new interdisciplinary, introductory neuroscience course will be developed that focuses more on the fundamental neuroscientific issues from a philosophical, historical, and methodological point of view than is typically the case. We argue that this approach will be mutually beneficial to the general education student, the potential major in neuroscience, and individuals who have been underrepresented in science. Students will emerge from this course with a better understanding of how science progresses and will be better prepared for a general understanding of future scientific developments, if they do not major in neuroscience, or for advanced coursework in neuroscience, if they decide to major in neuroscience. In addition to the introductory course, new upper division courses will be developed within two tracks, representing the principal division in neuroscience today: cellular-molecular and cognitive neuroscience. Students selecting to major in neuroscience will elect to specialize in one of the two tracks, which will include several courses in common. We will also develop a senior capstone course that will include seniors from both tracks. This course will bring faculty and students together to reconsider fundamental issues raised in the introductory course, but from a more sophisticated vantage-point. A significant part of the proposed program will involve opportunities for students and faculty to work with pre-college students and teachers to develop science education in elementary and secondary schools, which we expect will also encourage college students to consider careers in education.