Formation of a Claremont Colleges Intercollegiate Program in Neuroscience

克莱蒙特学院提议发展一个六学院校际、跨学科的神经科学项目。在这个项目的核心，一个新的跨学科，神经科学入门课程将被开发，更多地侧重于基本的神经科学问题，从哲学，历史和方法论的角度来看，而不是典型的情况。我们认为，这种方法对通识教育学生、潜在的神经科学专业学生和在科学领域代表性不足的个人都是有利的。如果学生不主修神经科学，或者如果他们决定主修神经科学，学习神经科学的高级课程，学生将通过本课程更好地了解科学是如何发展的，并为对未来科学发展的总体理解做好更好的准备。除了入门课程外，新的高级课程将分为两部分，代表当今神经科学的主要部分：细胞分子神经科学和认知神经科学。选择神经科学专业的学生将选择两门课程中的一门，这两门课程将包括几门共同的课程。我们还将开发一个高级顶点课程，包括来自两个方向的高年级学生。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，但从更复杂的角度来看。该计划的一个重要部分将包括为学生和教师提供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.