Newsgroups: sci.bio
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca!mroussel
From: mroussel@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Marc Roussel)
Subject: Re: Introductory Biology (was Quiz time)
Message-ID: <1991Apr29.140410.21518@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca>
Organization: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto
References: <1991Apr28.134746.6024@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 1991 14:04:10 GMT

In article <1991Apr28.134746.6024@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca>
lamoran@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (L.A. Moran) writes:
>Marc R. Roussel has complained about the quality of "service" courses at
>University. I assume that he means large introductory courses and my comments
>will be restricted to those type of courses, particularly biology. Perhaps
>Marc could explain to us why he calls them "service" courses - the term seems
>derogatory to me.

     I must have been extraordinarily unclear in my original posting.  I
guess I thought that "service course" was standard terminology.  By a
service course, I mean things like "Physics for the Life Sciences" or
"Mathematics for Commerce", i.e. non-specialist introductory.  I've
honestly never heard of a service Biology course.  What I mostly wanted
to hear from this forum is whether those of us outside Biology should
continue to try to provide such courses since, in my opinion, we're not
doing a great job at it (for whatever reason).  Are there alternative
ways of delivering the core curriculum in (say) physical chemistry to
biologists that don't involve extra-departmental service courses?
     I will not reply to the rest of Larry's article since we were
obviously talking at cross-purposes.  I merely wish to emphasize that my
comments were not aimed at Biology courses.  I apologize if I left that
impression.

				Marc R. Roussel
                                mroussel@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca