Bio Profs Want Better Facilities, More Laboratories For Courses

Several members of the Biology Department told the CRIMSON yesterday that a number of Bio courses are suffering from a shortage of laboratory space and a lack of proper equipment.

Donald R. Griffin '38, professor of Zoology and chairman of the Biology Department, said that Biology 2 and 140 have the least adequate facilities of the large courses. Biology 115 Nat Sci 5 are much better equipped, but require additional laboratory instruments and more space, he added.

The department is working on an application for a National Science Foundation grant, Griffin said, but added that "instructional grants"--grants for teaching purposes-are harder to acquire than research grants.

Kenneth V. Thimann, Higgins Professor of Biology, said that the most severe need in Biology 2, for which he lectures, is for modern equipment.

Presently the course has sufficient laboratory space, Thimann said, but there is no room for increased enrollment.

Enrollment in Biology 115 was limited at the first of the year because of the lack of lab space, but later more places were made available by holding labs at night, according to head section man Ned Feder '48, assistant professor of Zoology. He added that several sophomore biology majors were still unable to get in.

Feder commented that turning away prospective majors from Bio 2 and Nat Sci 5 or sophomore majors from Biology 115 could delay their programs, making it difficult for them to take the upper level courses before senior year.

Modernization Being Considered

A grant to modernize and enlarge the Bio 2 labs is under consideration. Thimann said, but since the National Science Foundation is allowed to give only 50 per cent of the necessary amount, the department must be sure that the University will supply the other 50 per cent before applying for a National Science Foundation grant.