According to Gelbart, the changes come as a result of discussions among Faculty members within the MCB and OEB departments.

For the biology concentration, the specific changes were developed by an ad hoc Faculty committee and the standing Biology Undergraduate Committee.

The development of the new curriculum in biology did not involve student participation, Gelbart said. According to Gelbart, although the department would have liked to include student input, there was not enough time to do so.

He said that adding any more steps to the process would have required postponing the changes for a year, given the deadline for including them in next year's Handbook of Students.

"I think these are major improvements," Gelbart said. "I would have hated to wait another year."

Students who enter the concentrations by the end of this term--including first-year students who have yet to declare a concentration--may adopt the new requirements or continue under the old system.

The concentration offices will work with students using the old requirements to determine which newly-numbered courses fulfill the old requirements.

In addition, James E. Davis, head tutor for the chemistry department said the restructuring will mean that MCB 61: "Physical Biochemistry"--a course taken by both chemistry and biological science concentrators--will no longer be offered.