“Citizen University”

Many of these eight questions are being addressed by a variety of creative biology educators around the world. For these efforts to be appreciated, understood, adopted, adapted, implemented, and vetted by the community of biology educators, I believe that a broad spectrum of approaches needs to present four components of reform:All seven approaches described below embrace a progressive vision with a pragmatic pluralism wherein educators are encouraged to pursue avenues that fit with the personal interests, expectations, and challenges of their students, the values of their institution, and the constraints and opportunities of their facilities and budgets.Each of these seven successful educational experiments can serve adopters in assessing which ones could work in their institution with their students consonant with their own personal interests and comfort with risk. Each has the potential to address students as adults, citizens, voters, and scientific and technologically qualified investigators who are prepared for post-graduate work, education, and democratic participation. They know that students have a variety of talents and interests and a desire to develop skills that will serve them well beyond their formal education, often want to do something for the common good by becoming citizens who are active in participatory democracy, have a voice in determining which scientific questions deserve investigation, will challenge and set ethical standards for science and technology, and want to live in a sustainable, safe environment.