RESOLUTION
from
Committee on Academic Policy and Planning
Pertaining to the Graduate Sub-field Consolidation in the
Biomedical Science Graduate Program

WHEREAS the broad interdisciplinary area of Cell and Molecular Biology has become an increasingly important component of graduate training in the field of Biomedical Sciences and,

WHEREAS the Graduate Faculties offering the Anatomy and Reproductive Biology, and Genetics sub-fields have proposed to delete these programs and form a new Biomedical Sciences sub-field, to be called Cell and Molecular Biology and,

WHEREAS this reorganization will have no impact on undergraduate education, and has the approval of the Graduate Division and,

WHEREAS CAPP has evaluated the proposal and found it to be of sound rationale,

Therefore, be it RESOLVED THAT the Committee on Academic Policy and Planning supports the discontinuation of the Anatomy and Reproductive Biology, and Genetics sub-fields, and the formation of the Cell and Molecular Biology sub-field of the degree in Biomedical Sciences.

January 28, 1999

TO: Senate Executive Committee Manoa Faculty Senate

FROM: Committe on Academic Planning and Policy

RE: Graduate Subfield Consolidation in Biomedical Science Graduate Program

The attached proposal seeks to:

1. Delete the subfields of Genetics and Anatomy and Reproductive Biology in the Biomedical Science graduate degrees, MS and PhD, effective 2005 or when all current students complete their degree requirements, whichever comes first; and
2. Add the subfield of Cell and Molecular Biology to the graduate degree in Biomedical Sciences, effective immediately.

BACKGROUND

For at least the past decade and a half, many traditional disciplines in the Biomedical Sciences have become increasingly cell and molecular biology-oriented, including such fields as Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics. The Graduate Program has tried to adjust to recognize this. Initially, this was addressed by the creation of the Specialization in Cell, Molecular, and Neurosciences (CMNS) in 1991, that could be attached to the Biomedical Sciences Subfields of Tropical Medicine, Genetics, or the broad degree title of Biomedical Sciences. Since that time, the CMNS program has grown and thrived.

The present step will formalize what has already taken place in practice, which is to acknowledge the CMNS Specialization by creating a Subfield of Cell and Molecular Biology. Currently, students who are in the Subfields of Genetics and Anatomy that have this celluar/molecular orientation will have the option to join this new Subfield. Most students in the CMNS Specialty would also be likely to join. For the remainder of the students, the Subfields of Anatomy and Genetics would close in 2005, or when all current students completed their degrees, whichever came first. It is anticipated that there will be a few students in the straight Biomedical Science program, or the Specialty of CMNS, who will not transfer. Dr. Martin Rayner and Dr. John Hunt, as the program heads of Biomedical Sciences and CMNS, respectively, will oversee these students until their degree requirements are completed.

The establishment of the Cell and Molecular Biology Subfield will not impact on Departmental organization. This will allow faculty signing on to the graduate program to remain fluid in their focus groups, ranging from standard disciplines such as genetics and biochemistry, to fusion groups like developmental biology, or cell biology.

Discussions held with both Peter Garrod, Associate Dean, and Rebecca Cann, Professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology, have ascertained the following:

1. The reorganization of these graduate Subfields will have no impact on undergraduate degrees in any field, on the Manoa campus or elsewhere;
2. The reorganization of these graduate Subfields has the approval of the graduate faculty involved, and has been evaluated and approved by the Graduate Division.

RECOMMENDATION

It is the recommendation of CAPP that this Subfield Consolidation be approved (see attached resolution).