The University Senate of Michigan Technological University
Proposal 39-21
(Voting Units: Academic)
“Proposal to Shelve Degree Program: Pre-Professional Concentration (SBL5)”
Submitted by: Department of Biological Sciences
Contact: Chandrashekhar Joshi, Professor and Chair
1. Full name of program to be shelved
B.S. in Biology – Pre-professional (SBL5)
2. Final term program will be open for new admits
Summer 2021
3. Plan to complete all enrolled and returning students
All required Biological Sciences courses will remain available. Therefore, enrolled
and returning students will finish the degree as defined in the degree audit for their
enrollment year.
4. Reason for shelving
In Fall 2020 the Department of Biological Sciences launched a new major in Human Biology
(SHB), which was designed to attract students who are broadly interested in Human
Biology, including those who want to pursue medical professions as well as those who
wish to pursue careers in industry, education, or graduate degrees in the Biological
Sciences, health or other areas. SHB offers increased course options and flexibility
within the degree to improve retention, time to graduation, transferability for incoming
students, and student satisfaction relative to SBL5. The SHB major can also be easily
combined with the new minor in Pre-Health Professions for those students who are interested
in applying for professional health programs. The new major already has 13 students
enrolled, and some of the 56 students currently enrolled in SBL5 are planning to change
to SHB. By shelving SBL5, we can focus on recruitment, advising and mentoring for
the SHB major and the Pre-Health Professions minor.
5. Financial impact (if any) to the department and university
We anticipate minimal financial impact of this change to the department and university.
Early indications suggest that we will meet our projected target of enrolling 40 students
per year in the new SHB major, which will be modestly higher than enrollment in SLB5.
All existing courses will continue to be taught as part of SHB and departmental recruiting
and advancement materials are already being revised to promote SHB rather than SBL5.
February 3, 2021