Dear Colleagues,
As fellow worm workers and invertebrate zoologists, I thought you might be
interested to know of a disturbing event which has occurred at Texas A&M
University at Galveston, an institution long known for its Marine Biology
program. By a majority vote of the Marine Biology faculty and the "Academic
Council," the university decided that taking the Invertebrate Zoology course
will no longer be a requirement for receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in
Marine Biology. Ironically, however, the Vertebrate Zoology course IS
required! Not only former students, but also current students actively
protested this change, but to no avail (see
http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?wcd=19068).
My early fascination with polychaetes and marine biology was due in large
part to the marine program at Texas A&M, and the excellent teaching and
support provided by Dr. Donald E. Harper, Jr., who still teaches the
Invertebrate Zoology course. The thought of a Marine Biology program as well
known as Texas A&M's producing "marine biologists" who never took a course in
invertebrate zoology seems unconscionable. We can only hope this will not be
the trend among other well-known marine biology programs.
Sincerely,
Kirk
-----------------------------------------------------
J. Kirk Fitzhugh, Ph.D.
Associate Curator of Polychaetes
Invertebrate Zoology Section
Research & Collections Branch
Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History
900 Exposition Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90007
Phone: 213-763-3233
FAX: 213-746-2999
e-mail: kfitzhug at nhm.orghttp://www.nhm.org/research/annelida/index.html
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