Background and Context

This course was first designed after I attended the Sencer Summer Institute in 2006. I attended the institute a few weeks before I began my position at Roosevelt University. After attending some general information sessions on the SENCER technique, I decided to redesign the Cellular and Molecular Biology core curriculum to include a social and health issue, mainly cancer. Using cancer as a central theme, basic cellular and molecular biology concepts can be compared to a pathological disease. The first iteration of the course was taught in Fall 2006. This offering related the topics of cellular and molecular biology to cancer but did not require any civic engagement activities or connections. The second offering of the course required all students to complete a civic engagement or advocacy project related to cancer for course credit. The activities the students chose were left up to them. The class has been taught a total of 6 times [offered each Fall and Spring]using the theme of cancer and 5 times with a civic engagement requirement. Future offerings of the course will include a more structured service learning project in coordination with the Chicago chapter of the American Cancer Society and their Healthy Me initiative.

This course is the last in the 4 course core curriculum for biology majors. A large majority of our students, including transfer students, complete this course at Roosevelt. This course is the prerequisite for most of the advanced courses in our department.