Spotlight on the Association of College and University Biology Educators (ACUBE)

formerly the Association of Midwestern College Biology Teachers (AMCBT)

Dr. Ed Kos, historian of the Association of College and University Biology Educators (ACUBE) and Professor of Biology at Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri, made a telling observation to those attending ACUBE's 1997 meeting. To illustrate how the design of a coherent biology curriculum requires community and stamina, Dr. Kos described an initiative by the state of Iowa in 1957. Troubled by the uneven preparedness of biology students seeking admission to medical school, Iowa leaders asked biology faculty to compare their undergraduate curricula. The faculty discovered a striking variability of background and preparation among students from different academic institutions, a finding that led in turn to a call for a coherent biology curriculum. Consequently, the Association of Midwestern College Biology Teachers was created 40 years ago. Dr. Kos affirmed that, remarkably, the issue of the biology curriculum has contributed a continuous strand for communal reflection and renewal by the membership ever since.

The theme of the association's 1997 meeting was "Constructing Coherent Curricula: Pushing the Boundaries." As they do each fall, biology educators came together to network, socialize, and exchange ideas with their colleagues about teaching biology in colleges and universities. This gathering featured invited speakers and member presentations, workshops on laboratory and field techniques, and discussions on teaching-related issues. Other presentations covered a wide range of topics, from what it means to be a biology major to field trip logistics and learning via the web. The 1997 meeting also marked a new name for the association. Reflecting the growing diversity of its membership, the group became the Association of College and University Biology Educators (ACUBE).

Focus on teaching

ACUBE represents a distinctive class of professional societies in the life sciences. Unlike many of the societies defined by discipline-specific research, ACUBE and other science education societies designate teaching as the chief professional and scholarly activity that they nurture. Not surprisingly, their memberships are drawn heavily from institutions primarily serving undergraduates. These faculty have responsibilities to research and service, but they turn to professional societies such as ACUBE to promote their professional growth in teaching.

The Association of College and University Biology Educators holds annual meetings to share philosophies and innovations in the teaching and learning of biology. At the 1997 meeting were (l to r) Dr. Thomas Davis, professor of Biology at Loras College (Dubuque, Iowa); Dr. Ray Reed, professor of Biology at Jefferson Community College (Louisville Ky.); Dr. Nancy Sanders, professor of Biology at Truman State University (Kirksville, Mo.); and Dr. Ethel Stanley, BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium, Beloit College (Beloit, Wis.).

"I find that the greatest reward of belonging to ACUBE is the opportunity to share ideas and experiences with people who are truly interested in biology education," said Dr. Karen Klyczek, ACUBE president and a biology professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

ACUBE's refereed journal is Bioscene - Journal of College Biology Teaching.. Peer-reviewed articles cover topics of curricula, model research systems, teaching approaches, experiential learning, and other issues germane to college biology educators. Other sections of the journal offer current information to members on upcoming events, ACUBE activities, professional opportunities, and information on teaching resources.