BIOS 100 - Pathways to Success in the Biological Sciences Major

1 credit, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Mon, 2:30 – 3:20 pm, Brace 206, Spring 2026

This is a required course for Biological Sciences majors, best taken during the first semester of enrollment as a declared Biological Sciences Major. The course has three major objectives:

1. Navigating the Major: Aid students in understanding how to navigate the Biological Sciences major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. That includes laying out a course plan, tips for learning, understanding how to get involved in research, and existing engagement and support structures on campus.
2.  Brainrot Antidote: Dialogue on topics related to being an undergraduate student in biology for which society has preconcieved ideas which may not align with a more full and critical exploration.      
3. Career Pathways: Learn about the resources to support pre-health students and the career resources for majors across interests. Hear from panelists on their own career pathways. 

The theme of building your community will be threaded through all three objectives. That will include building community among other majors, but also building a network of faculty and advisors. A standing question throughout the course will be the question, “What excites you about Biology?”. I would even go so far as to say this could be the title of the course. You will find out what excites others about biology, and hopefully along the way you’ll come to understand what excites you about biology.

All students are welcome in this course. All students shall exhibit respect for each other so that together we can foster an engaged learning environment for everyone. Please communicate barriers to learning, and I will strive to remove them.

Instructor

Chad Brassil
cbrassil@unl.edu
Office: 416 Manter Hall

For assistance, book time with Chad Brassil: BIOS 100 Office Hours. Alternatively, you can drop by my office any time and see if I am available.

Attendance

Much of the learning in this course takes place during class via presentations, discussions, and panels. Your work in the research project as well is supported by others during class meetings. Therefore, in-person attendance is the largest component of the grade in this course at 50%.

Attendance is tracked by physically scanning your N-card at the computer terminal in class.

Brainrot Antidote

For five class periods, as a class, we will brainstorm societal preconceptions on a topic. We will digest that information, and I will offer an antidote in a combination of lecture and class activities. At the end of these class periods you will hand write an "Inoculum" in the form a reflection on three simple questions. This is the second most important part of the grade for this course at 30% of the total grade.

Assignments

At various times throughout the semester, additional small assignments will be posted to Canvas, along with information on their due date. Completion of these assignments will be 20% of the total grade.

AI Policy

You can use M365 Copilot, ChatGPT or other LLM or Generative AI chatbots in this course as a means to provide feedback on your grammar when writing. Do not use them to craft the personal reflections such as the Campus Location or Event assignments or What Excites a Biologist because your personal reflection and personal voice is central to the learning process for those assignments.  

Late Policy

Late assignments in general will be assessed a penalty of 15% per day. This is because staying ahead of the homework is important for your learning and contributes to the learning of others when we are working as a class. If you do get behind and desire the late policy to be removed, contact me and we will talk about a making a plan for your success.

Course Letter Grade

This course is graded as Pass / No Pass. To receive a Pass grade, your total course grade needs to be 70% or higher. All scores 70% or higher receive the same Pass grade. This structure is intended to give you the flexibility to engage in this course in a way that works well for you. Nearly all points in this course are completion or particapation based.

Schedule and Topics

See the Modules on the course Home page for the weekly schedule including the list of topics and details on what you should do for each week.

UNL Course Policies and Resources

University-wide policies and resources apply to this course, and all courses at UNL. See details at http://go.unl.edu/coursepolicies.