In November 2003 the Empire State Association of Two-Year College Biologists (ESATYCB) voted to confirm a position statement opposing any association between community college biology instruction with the unscientific beliefs of chiropractic and other alternative medicine schemes. The ESATYCB is the first statewide educational organization to openly oppose the encroachment of alternative medicine into undergraduate academic biology education.
Alternative medicine uses the language of science, but convolutes scientific reasoning to justify its undemonstrated claims. Sales pitches that sound similar to research findings abound on the Internet and in print. Televised infomercials, uncritical news reports, and sensationalized “investigative” programs are blurring the line between that which is considered accepted science and that which is not. Inevitably, this widely disseminated and attractively packaged pseudoscience finds its way into biology classroom discussions.

Recently, associations between alternative medicine and well-regarded educational, governmental, and medical institutions have been created. These relationships emerge as de facto endorsements of alternative medicine’s theories by respected groups. This perceived validation of “junk biology” undermines the task of biology educators whose responsibility is the presentation of science-based information.
The ESATYCB has no authority over New York State’s community college biology departments. The expectancy is that the policy statement will “red flag” alternative medicine as a questionable source of science-based information and provide support for educators who openly question dubious medical claims.