You have the right not to be forced into doing something that violates your beliefs. Although there are clear laws to protect students' right to refuse to dissect in middle school and high school in many parts of the United States, Canada, and the U.K., the policies protecting university-level students are vague.
But don't give up, because there is hope. Schools like Sarah Lawrence College, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have implemented dissection choice policies after students campaigned for them. Furthermore, medical and veterinary schools around the world are increasingly choosing teaching methods that do not contribute to cruelty to animals.
As huge institutions with lots of behind-the-scenes politics, colleges are often hesitant to put anything in writing but quite willing to accommodate your concerns on an individual basis. They often have unwritten policies concerning animal use too. Our suggestion is to first secure your alternatives with your professor and get a feel for how the school responds to this. From there, you will have insight into how your school operates, relevant alternatives, and how to request a more broad dissection choice policy regarding animal use.
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