Finding the right balance in the delivery of undergraduate biology programs: a personal perspective

Abstract

Universities, and indeed the wider community, are facing a huge challenge with what has been referred to as the ‘flight from science’ of recent generations of students. This trend began some 2 decades ago and has become an acute problem in recent years. It could be argued that it has come at a time when there has never been a greater need by society for graduates with the scientific expertise to address the big issues now confronting us. The potential impact of global warming, the continuing emergence of new disease threats, the advent of cutting-edge cloning and stem cell technologies are all challenging both practical and ethical boundaries requiring considered debate and engagement. Yet, we still aren’t attracting into science enough of our ‘best’ students, nor are we retaining enough of them once they choose to undertake an undergraduate science program.