The recent Feb. 6 Chronicle article concerning biology majors was a thoughtful analysis. It showed that the number of majors in biology reflects both national trends in career choices and changing opportunities within the University.
However, I'm afraid that the headline, "Biology major a vanishing breed", was simply all wrong. First and most notably, the number of biology majors is actually on the increase. As the data published with the article shows, biology is up from 118 seniors graduating this year to almost 160 in 2005.
Enrollments in introductory-level courses are also up from previous years, suggesting that this upward trend will continue in the near future.
Secondly, the decline in biology majors in the past several years is far from an "unprecedented exodus." The numbers of all majors go up and down periodically. Indeed, the peak of 270 biology majors in 1998 was a historic high resulting from a dramatic increase during the 1990s. The decline in the last few years was well within the usual ebb and flow of majors.
Finally, even at "only" 120 seniors, biology is still one of the largest majors on campus. Far from "vanishing," biology continues to be a foundation discipline in a liberal arts curriculum that is well supported by this University and embraced by a large and growing number of students.
Ron Grunwald
Lecturer & Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in Biology
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