BIOL144
BIOETHICS
- Department
- Biology
- Terms offered
- 3
- Data refreshed
- Jun 27, 2026
Description
One of the critical challenges in modern science is our ability to shape human development. This has brought embryology into the public domain. Based on our current scientific understanding of the development of the embryo we now have the ability to plan the sex of our children, test for the presence of certain genes and abort those embryos that do not meet certain genetic criteria and clone human cell nuclei to produce stem cells identical to patients who might need them. The questions we now face are: Even if we can do these things, should we do them? Under what conditions should such procedures be allowed or forbidden? Do we wish to support the research that will make such procedures possible? Using a primarily discussion-based format we will explore the science surrounding these recent technological advances in embryological sciences and address some of the key associated societal and ethical concerns.
Syllabi
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Offerings and forecast 2016–2026
| Year | Fall | Spring | Summer | Intersession |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2030 | 2030 Fall: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 9 fall terms since 2018. | 2030 Spring: 27% chance, low confidence. Offered in 2 of 5 spring terms since 2022. | 2030 Summer: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 9 summer terms since 2018. | 2030 Intersession: 8% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 6 intersession terms since 2020. |
| 2029 | 2029 Fall: 6% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 10 fall terms since 2017. | 2029 Spring: 29% chance, low confidence. Offered in 2 of 5 spring terms since 2022. | 2029 Summer: 6% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 10 summer terms since 2017. | 2029 Intersession: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 7 intersession terms since 2017. |
| 2028 | 2028 Fall: 5% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 11 fall terms since 2016. | 2028 Spring: 30% chance, low confidence. Offered in 2 of 5 spring terms since 2022. | 2028 Summer: 5% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 11 summer terms since 2016. | 2028 Intersession: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 7 intersession terms since 2017. |
| 2027 | 2027 Fall: 6% chance, high confidence. Offered in 1 of 12 fall terms since 2015. | 2027 Spring: 31% chance, low confidence. Offered in 2 of 5 spring terms since 2022. | 2027 Summer: 5% chance, high confidence. Offered in 0 of 12 summer terms since 2015. | 2027 Intersession: 6% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 7 intersession terms since 2017. |
| 2026 | Not offered | 1 section | Not offered | No data |
| 2025 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2024 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2023 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2022 | Not offered | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2021 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2020 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2019 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | No data |
| 2018 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | No data |
| 2017 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2016 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | No data |
Meeting times
Recent first- Tue, Thu, 10:25 AM–11:40 AM Biological Sciences B124 2026
- Tue, Fri, 12:00 PM–1:15 PM Biological Sciences B124 2022
| Term | Professor | Type | Credits | Enrollment | CRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Robert Drewell | Lecture | 1 | 12 of 12 enrolled | 34628 |
| Spring 2022 | Robert Drewell | Lecture | 1 | 12 of 12 enrolled | 31954 |
| Fall 2015 | Robert Drewell | Lecture | 1 | 11 of 12 enrolled | 24718 |