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ANIMAL SCIENCE

Institution: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523
Course Title: Ethical Issues in Animal Agriculture
Instructor: Bernard Rollin, 970-491-6315, [email protected]
Summary: This pioneering course has been a part of the required block for agricultural students at Colorado State University since 1980. It deals with issues of farm animal welfare, ethical theory, and emerging social ethics for animals.

Institution: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523
Course Title: Agricultural Ethics
Instructor: Bernard Rollin, 970-491-6315, [email protected]
Summary: This course, open to all undergraduates, deals with issues such as pesticides and herbicides, animal welfare, environmental despoliation, family farms, agricultural biotechnology, rural communities, and husbandry-based versus industry-based agriculture.

Institution: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4801
Course Title: Ethics and Animal Science (AN SC 414)
Instructors: Debbie Cherney, 607-255-2882, [email protected]; A. van Tienhoven, 607-255-4407, Department of Animal Science, Morrison Hall
Summary: Explores the place of humans in the biological world, origins of ethics and morality, speciesism, the use of animals for research and agricultural purposes, and transgenic animals. Student performance is based on a report of a farm tour, participation in discussion, and a project of the student's choice.

Institution: Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506-0201
Course Title: Contemporary Issues in Animal Science
Instructor: Janice Swanson, Department of Animal Science and Industry, 134C Weber Hall, 785-532-1244, [email protected]
Summary: This student-driven, experiential learning course uses the development of animal rights philosophy to teach students how to think critically and to illustrate the development of issues from inception to the political arena. Projects involve problem solving; information acquisition, assimilation and communication skills; network development; team work; conflict resolution; case study and debate; and use of electronic information/communication technologies. Two major projects involve the production of a class briefing report on a variety of animal issues and a mock congressional hearing with students from the University of Nebraska.

Institution: Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
Course Title: Issues Concerning the Use of Animals by Humans (AS 597)
Instructors: David L. Zartman, Department of Animal Sciences, 223 Plumb Hall, 614-292-1387, [email protected]
Summary: Topics pertinent to contemporary animal rights and animal welfare issues are addressed using lectures, debates, videotapes, guest speakers, and student presentations. Students prepare formal "position papers" on a variety of topics throughout the quarter. Critical thinking, consideration of opposing viewpoints, and evaluation of information sources are stressed. Class discussions, and interaction with speakers representing diverse philosophies and interests, are prominent features of the course. The course, which has been taught since 1990, fulfills a University General Education Curriculum requirement in the "Contemporary World Issues" category. Enrollment is limited to seniors.

Institution: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
Course Title: Contentious Issues in Animal Agriculture (ANS 315)
Instructor: Steve Davis, 541-737-1892, [email protected]
Summary: This course, available to all undergraduate students, features a number of guest lecturers, and devotes several class sessions to each of the following five issue areas:
1. Public lands and livestock grazing
2. Animal products and human nutrition
3. Animal products and food safety issues
4. Animal rights/animal welfare
5. Animal biotechnologies

Institution: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
Course Title: Ethical Issues in Animal Agriculture (ANS 420)
Instructor: Steve Davis, 541-737-1892, [email protected]
Summary: This is a senior level intensive writing course and is therefore required of all animal science majors. The course combines the study of ethics and issues in animal agriculture such as animal welfare, animal rights and animal liberation. The students use different writing activities to explore and discuss these issues.

Institution: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907

Course Title: Applied Animal Welfare (ANSC 404)
Instructors: Department of Animal Science
Summary: Historical, current, and legislative aspects of animal welfare; differentiating between animal welfare and animal rights; interpreting, appraising, and measuring animal welfare; resolving animal welfare problems in variable conditions.

Institution: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z4
Course Title: Undergraduate courses, graduate courses, and graduate instruction
Instructors: David Fraser, [email protected] and Dan Weary, [email protected], Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Centre for Applied Ethics
Course Summaries:
Animal Welfare and the Ethics of Animal Use (ANSC 350). A senior undergraduate/graduate course designed to expose students to many of the ethical issues surrounding the use of animals in agriculture, science, and society. The course covers:
-Scientific research that attempts to understand and improve animal welfare.
-Philosophical positions on animal use.
-Relevant developments in society, economics and the law.
Current Issues in Animal Welfare (ANSC 430A/530A). A graduate seminar course involving reading and discussion of current research in animal welfare and ethics. Topics are chosen to fit the interests of students, and may include the interplay of science and value issues in assessing animal welfare, research on animal cognition and its implications for animal ethics, effects of trade agreements on the welfare of agricultural animals, use of animal and non-animal models in research, and the relationship between animal welfare and environmental concerns.
Individual post-graduate instruction in animal welfare and animal ethics. The Animal Welfare Program creates individual graduate programs, incorporating a mixture of science and the humanities, on animal welfare and the ethics of animal use. The overall goals of the program are to help students, animal users and society to find practical solutions and build informed consensus about the use of animals for food, research, entertainment and companionship.

Institution: University of California, Davis, CA 95616
Course Title: Animal Welfare (ANS 103)
Instructor: Joy Mench, Department of Animal Science, 530-752-7125, [email protected]
Summary: Examines animal welfare from the animals' point of view. Who are animals, and what can they (do they) experience? Which practices compromise their welfare, and which do not? How can management practices and environments be modified to improve the welfare of animals?

Institution: University of Guelph, Ontario Canada N1G 2W1
Course Title: Principles of Farm Animal Care and Welfare
Instructor: Ian J.H. Duncan, Chair in Animal Welfare, 519-824-4120 ext. 3652, [email protected]
Summary: This senior undergraduate course introduces students to the main ethical issues of using animals in contemporary agriculture and elsewhere. The course deals with the following questions:
- Do animals have moral standing?
- What is animal welfare?
- What are the main causes of reduced welfare in farm animals?
- How can we assess animal welfare?
- How can we improve animal welfare?
- Where does Canada stand in the world of animal welfare?
- How can we regulate animal welfare?
- Will society pay for improved animal welfare?
Course web site: http://www.uoguelph.ca.

Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
Course Title: Human-Companion Animal Interactions (ANSC 305)
Instructor: Amy Lopez, Department of Animal Sciences, 130 Animal Sciences Laboratory, 1207 West Gregory Dr., 217-333-0625, [email protected]
Summary: An examination of historical, social, and cultural aspects of human interactions with companion animals (CA). Topics include: human perceptions of CA; benefits of CA; breeding, tail docking, ear cropping, etc.; legal aspects; cruelty and neglect; pet overpopulation; greyhound racing; dissection. Several case studies are also studied. This course serves 25 students per semester.

Sample syllabus: http://labs.ansci.uiuc.edu/companion/teaching/ansc305syllabus.htm

 

Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
Course Title: Humane Education with Companion Animals (ANSCI 215)
Instructor: Prof. Anna Lutgen, Department of Animal Sciences, 130 Animal Sciences Laboratory, 1207 West Gregory Dr., 217-333-0625, [email protected]
Program Coordinator: Amy Fischer, Ph.D., Teaching Associate and Extension Specialist, Companion Animal Biology and Humane Education, 217-333-6462, [email protected]
Summary: This course explores the topic of humane education as it pertains to companion animals, primarily cats and dogs. The course addresses the historical aspects of domestication and humane education as well as modern-day relationships between humans and companion animals, principally in American Society. Pet overpopulation and resulting animal shelter issues are discussed in detail. The process of developing and evaluating humane education programs is explored. Selection, behavior, and care of companion animals are discussed with a focus on promoting the human-companion animal bond, behavioral wellness and safety. Animal protection laws, animal control laws and the connection between animal cruelty and violent behavior toward humans are also examined. This course has been taught since 2000. The class serves 50 students per semester and also fulfills the university's general education requirement for advanced composition
Sample syllabus: http://labs.ansci.uiuc.edu/companion/teaching/ansc215syllabus.htm

Institution: University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
Course Title: Animal Welfare (AN SCI 453)
Instructors: W. Ray Stricklin, Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, 301-405-1382, [email protected]
Summary: Ethical concerns pertinent to the use of animals in modern society, historical and philosophical aspects of human/animal interrelationships, animal intelligence and awareness, and the treatment of animals in agriculture and scientific research will be considered.

Institution: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003
Course Title: Farm Animal Care and Welfare (Animal Science 360)
Instructor: Dr. Lorna Grande, 413-545-5563, [email protected]
Summary: Proper animal welfare is a major concern of animal agriculturists, researchers and the general public. This course is a response to this concern. The main purpose of the course is to increase your awareness of the way animals are used by humans and to provide a critical view of animal husbandry welfare problems. Although some emphasis is on farm animals, especially those kept under intensive management conditions, the moral, ethical, and humane principles governing the use of all animals are considered. Much of the course is devoted to the welfare concerns of animals used in research, testing, education, entertainment and as companions. Special attention is given to animal husbandry practices that might compromise animal welfare such as intensive housing, psychological deprivation, and traditional management practices. The practical husbandry reasons for these practices, as well as the ethical and economic implications, are discussed. Particular attention is given to methods for assessing the level of animal welfare and to how it can be improved. Normal animal behavior will be emphasized. View Course Syllabus

Institution: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824
Course Title: Animals Rights and Societal Issues (ANSC 602)
Instructor: William A. Condon, [email protected]
Summary: Undertakes a thorough examination of value judgments and belief structures as well as the empirical evidence involved in the issue of animal rights. Aims not to arrive at policy decisions, but to get students thinking about the issue. See: www.arethusa.unh.edu/Ansc602/ansc602.htm

Institution: The University of Vermont
Course Title: ASCI 122: Animal Welfare/Animals in Society (3 credits, spring)
Instructor: Assistant Professor Russ Hovey, 200E Terrill Hall, 570 Main St, Burlington, VT 05405. [email protected]
Summary: This introductory course is a required class for all Animal Science majors at UVM, and was one of the first offered in the United States. During the semester, students are exposed to a variety of topics that encompass the use and care of animals by mankind. We first examine the ethical issues of animal use, different cultural standpoints and issues such as cruelty and hoarding. Students then examine the biological basis of animal welfare - including aspects such as stress, behavior and pain. Additional topics covered focus on relevant legislation and animal activist groups. Toward the end of the semester the class focuses on current topics in animal welfare, including specific coverage of issues relevant to 1) biomedical research, 2) companion animals, 3) livestock, and 4) zoos/exotics. Throughout the semester students hear from invited guests including scientists, veterinarians and animal activists. Part of the course assessment is a semester-long project where students work as teams to consult for a hypothetical client in a real-life scenario for a variety of animal species. Students also have the opportunity to train and participate as a team-member in an intercollegiate animal welfare judging competition.
Course offering information: The course will be taught next in Spring 2006.

Institution: Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164
Course Title: Rights and Welfare of Animals (ANS 285)
Instructors: Ruth Newberry, Center for the Study of Animal Well-being, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, 509-335-5059, [email protected]
Summary: Examines the ethics and philosophies underlying human/animal relations. Defines and assesses animal welfare using knowledge of animal health, productivity, physiology and behavior. Examines the controversies and current issues relating to the use of animals in agriculture, recreation, cultural events and research. Evaluates the impact of current and future legislation on animal use and management practices. See: www.ansci.wsu.edu/courses/as285/courseoutline.htm

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