Zoology

• Mission Statement

  The Department of Zoology provides accessible, engaging, and relevant educational opportunities, resources, and expertise in all facets of animal biology and associated life sciences.

  Values:

  • Encourage freedom of exploration in the life sciences.
  • Serve diverse students at varied levels of engagement in animal biology including general education courses, support courses for non-zoology degrees across campus, and a diversity of courses relevant for careers in the sciences.
  • Involve students in active research and community service.
  • Through research and service, contribute new knowledge within fields of zoology and related life sciences.
  • Through engaging coursework and independent instruction, confer skills in problem solving, critical thinking, communication, and disciplinary methods, which facilitate productive futures for Zoology students and, especially, Zoology graduates.
  • Strengthen life-science education and practice across Weber State University and throughout associated communities along the northern Wasatch Front metropolitan areas of Weber, Davis, and surrounding counties.
• Student Learning Outcomes
  • Certificate (Not Applicable)

     

  • Associate Degree (Not Applicable)

     

  • Bachelor of Science

    Students completing the Bachelor of Science in Zoology will be able to demonstrate knowledge in the following outcomes:

    Core Concepts:

    • Evolution: The diversity of life is the result of mutation, adaptation, and selection pressure over time.
    • Cellular Organization: All living things consist of one or more cells, the units of structure, function, and reproduction.
    • Genetics: All living things share basic genetic mechanisms, which are responsible for the organization and continuity of life.
    • Ecosystems: All organisms are interconnected, interacting with each other as well as with their dynamic environment.
    • Structure and Function: There is a relationship between molecular and organismal structure and function.
    • System Regulation: Biological systems are governed by chemical transformations and homeostasis.

     

    Core Competencies:

    • The Process of Science: Students will use observational strategies to test hypotheses and critically evaluate experimental evidence.
    • Quantitative Reasoning: Students will represent diverse experimental data sets graphically and apply statistical methods to them.
    • Communication: Students will explain scientific concepts to different audiences and work collaboratively to explore biological problems.
    • Science and Society: Students will develop biological applications to evaluate and address societal problems.

     

   

• Curriculum Grid

   

• Program and Contact Information

  The Department of Zoology serves diverse roles at WSU. Courses in the department include those that meet the life-science general-education requirement, those that are service courses for students pursuing careers in medicine, and courses for science majors, with emphasis on zoology majors. All courses are designed and delivered in a manner consistent with the Zoology mission statement and measurable learning outcomes. Thus, courses are diverse and emphasize both important zoological content and practical skills relevant to biological fields.  Coursework serves as the formal venue for zoological study, but many students also engage in independent study.  These students typically work with faculty members in research projects.  Many such projects produce professional-quality results and give students substantial education and experience.  Faculty members are well qualified and students overall indicate teaching in the department is better or much better than average. Advising in the department is organized by potential career path, so very specialized and relevant career advice is available to the large majority of zoology majors and pre-professional students. Faculty members are active in research and community service, which enriches their teaching and, especially, independent work with students. 

   

  Contact Information:
  Dr. Ron Meyers

  Weber State University

  2505 University Circle
  Ogden, UT 84408
  Tracy Hall, Rm 412
  (801) 626-6170

  Zoology Department Website

• Assessment Plan

  Collection and Analysis of Data: 

  • Faculty of the Department of Zoology will be required to provide assessment data from courses taught. Data for all departmental courses will be analyzed

  and reported by the Chair of Zoology. As needed an Assessment Committee will be formed of
  tenure-track faculty to oversee and implement the department’s assessment plan.

   

  General Education Life Science (LS) courses: 

  • Zoology’s Gen Ed courses will be assessed using categorized multiple choice questions delivered using Chi-Tester that address either the Natural

  Science or Life Science Gen Ed Learning Outcomes.

   

  Required Courses: 

  • Zoology’s required courses (Zool 1110, 1120, 3200, 3300, 3450, 3600 and 3720) will be assessed using categorized multiple choice questions delivered using Chi-Tester and/or a course-specific assessment instrument or assignment that directly measures department level learning outcomes for zoology majors.

   

  Elective Courses: 

  • Zoology’s elective courses (Zool 3470, 3500, 3730, 4050, 4100, 4120, 4210, 4220, 4300, 4350, 4470, 4480, 4640, 4650, 4660, 4670, and 4680) will be assessed using a course-specific assessment instrument or assignment that directly measures targeted department level learning outcomes for zoology majors as indicated in the curriculum grid.

   

  Assessment of Graduating Majors: 

  • Senior Seminar (Zool 4990) serves as a capstone course for Zoology majors and is typically taken in the last year of study. As a way to assess graduating majors of the Department of Zoology students enrolled in Senior Seminar will be required to take the Collegiate Learning Assessment.

   

  2016-2017 (data collected); report submitted January 2017:

  • General Education Courses: Zool 1010, 1020, 1030
  • Required Courses: Zool 1110, 1120, 3200, 3300, 3450, 3600 and 3720
  • Elective Courses: As offered*

   

  2017-2018 (data collected); report to be submitted Fall 2018:

  • General Education Courses: Zool 1010, 1020, 1030
  • Required Courses: Zool 1110, 1120, 3200, 3300, 3450, 3600 and 3720
  • Elective Courses: As offered*

   

  2018-2019 (data collected); report to be submitted Fall 2019:

  • General Education Courses: Zool 1010, 1020, 1030
  • Required Courses: Zool 1110, 1120, 3200, 3300, 3450, 3600 and 3720
  • Elective Courses: As offered*

  *Elective courses will be assessed as they are offered based on faculty availability.

• Assessment Report Submissions
  2021-22
  2019-20
  2017 - Conducted Program Review
  2016
  2015

• Program Review

  2022-23

  2017-18

This information is part of the cyclical program review process. Details such as mission statements, learning outcomes, etc., are updated as part of the biennial assessment reporting process, an integral component of program review.