WAYCROSS COLLEGE
Biology 1107 – General
Biology
Syllabus for Spring
2004
Instructor: Dr. Molly Smith
Office: 139A / 223A
Phone: 285-6138
E-mail: msmith@waycross.edu
Office Hours: These are the times you will find me in my office (pending extenuating circumstances). If you have any questions about the class or material, feel free to drop by. If you need extra help, it is best to make an appointment.
Monday and Wednesday – 12:30-1:30 PM and 5:00-5:30 / 8:30-9:00 PM
Tuesday and Thursday – 12:30-2:30 PM
Friday – 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Other office hours by appointment only.
NOTE: I may also be located within the biology lab/prep area (223A). If I am not in my office, please check with the secretaries. I will always let them know where I am.
Texts: Mader, Sylvia S. 2001. Biology, 7th edition. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Mader, Sylvia S. 2001. Biology Lab Manual, 7th edition. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Course Objectives: The primary goal of this course is to increase your biological literacy. You will be introduced to the many fields of biology. The first semester concentrates on biological chemistry, cell biology, and basic human anatomy. Biology 1108 covers genetics, evolution, botany, zoology, and ecology. You will gain knowledge that should help you better understand biologically or ecologically related problems or issues.
A secondary goal of this course is the development of the student’s ability to communicate with others through written explanations of physiological processes. Your communication skills will be developed through essay questions on exams and in-class discussions. Your information processing skills will be taxed; during this course we will be covering a large quantity of information. It is EXTREMELY important that you keep up with the material; getting behind will seriously jeopardize your grade. You can take comfort in the fact that the ability to digest and incorporate large amounts of information quickly is a valuable skill in most careers.
Attendance: Students are responsible for attending class and for the material presented in all classes. There will be NO MAKE-UPS of missed labs, quizzes, and other assignments.
Students who have missed 20% of regularly scheduled class meetings may be dropped by the instructor and assigned a grade of WF. If such excessive absences are the result of extenuating personal hardship, the withdrawal grade will be either a W or WF, depending upon the students’ status at the time the drop occurred.
Tardiness: Class will begin on time. Students are expected to remain in class until dismissed by the instructor. Two tardies and/or two early departures will count as one absence.
Classroom Conduct: This course will include discussions of general biology and at times the human body. It is not a suitable environment for children. Please do not bring them to class. If a student exhibits disruptive behavior, he/she will be asked to leave the classroom or laboratory. Disruptive behavior includes talking while the instructor is talking, gathering belongings before class has been dismissed, sleeping in class, and /or possession of activated pagers, beepers, or telephones in class.
Exams/Grading: There will be a total of five (5) unit exams, each worth 100 points. They will contain a mixture of short answer and essay questions stressing concepts and practical knowledge of biology. Some of the questions on each exam will be challenging; you should learn to think about the material, not just memorize it. The dates of these exams appear on the class schedule and will not be changed. DO NOT MISS THESE EXAMS—THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UPS.
We will be doing 12 laboratories. You are required to participate in lab and answer the questions in your laboratory manual and be checked off
by me before you leave. At the beginning of each lab there will also be a short quiz over the material from the previous lab. You are also required to choose a current topic in biology and to do an internet search. You will then present your findings to the class. More will be forth coming on this research project in a separate handout.
The final 100 points will come from an objective-style comprehensive final exam at the end of the semester. (If your score on the final is higher than your average score on all unit exams, you may replace your lowest lecture exam with the score achieved on the final). It is possible to earn extra credit. There will be a question on each unit exam that may be answered for extra credit.
EXAMS 6 100 600
LAB 165
Participation 11 55 Quizzes 11 110
INTERNET PROJECT 1 100 100
COMPREHENSIVE FINAL 1 100 100
965
Once the total number of points has been determined, the following grading scale will be used:
869-965 A
772-868 B
676-771 C
579-675 D
<579 F
To increase your chance of success on exams and quizzes, it is recommended that you answer questions at the end of the chapters and be able to discuss the objectives at the beginning of each chapter.
Mistakes in grading: If you believe a mistake has been made regarding the grading, please do not be afraid to bring it to the attention of the instructor; however, asking for additional points on a question will also give the instructor the option of re-grading the entire exam.
Policy on missed exams: NO UNIT EXAMS WILL BE MADE UP. The final exam grade will be assigned to a missed unit exam. No more than one (1) unit exam may be missed. Any other missed unit exams will be assigned a grade of “0”. Do not miss the final exam. ALL REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURSE MUST BE MET IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A PASSING GRADE.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism, both intentional and unintentional, is prohibited. Plagiarism is defined by Webster as the stealing and passing off of the ideas or words of another as one’s own. Further, the MLA Handbook states, “Plagiarism may take the form of repeating another’s sentences as your own, adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own, or even presenting someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a thesis as though it were your own.”
Alleged violations involving plagiarism and other academic misconduct will be handled according to the procedures outlined in the Waycross College Student Handbook.
Academic Support Center: The Academic Support Center (ASC) was created to offer supplemental assistance to students enrolled in all courses at the College. The ASC offers a variety of services at all levels, ranging from personal tutoring in math, reading, and composition skills to providing handouts and supplementary materials on writing research papers and critiques, taking essay and objective tests, and developing effective study techniques. Through audiovisual, computerized, self-paced, and one-to-one tutorial work, the ASC assists students in developing strengths and eliminating deficiencies. Students may be referred by instructors or may independently seek additional help.
ADA Statement: “The College is committed to providing accessibility to all students in accordance to ADA/504 guidelines. Students should contact the Director of Student Life regarding accessibility.”
Dropping a Course Without Penalty: In order to officially drop a course without penalty, a student must obtain and fill out a drop/add form from the Registrar’s Office, acquire the appropriate signatures, and return the completed form to the Registrar’s Office before the designated date published in the academic calendar in the Waycross College Catalog. NON-ATTENDANCE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE WITHDRAWAL.
Incompletes: The grade of incomplete is given to students who for reason of illness or accident are unable to complete a segment of the course. At least 75% of the course requirements must be met with a passing grade before an incomplete will be considered. In no case will the grade of Incomplete be given to avoid a failing grade.
Laboratory Access: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO ENTER THE LABORATORY AND BEGIN WORK WITHOUT THE SUPERVISION OF THE INSTRUCTOR. SINCE THERE ARE DANGEROUS BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL MATERIALS PRESENT, THIS IS FOR YOUR PROTECTION.
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