Syllabus

General Ecology (BIOL-27100)
Fall 2011

Peter Melcher:  Lecture and Labs
Lecture:  MWF 10:00- 10:50 a.m., Job Hall 161
Office:  CNS 255   
Labs:
Phone:
274-3980
01 Peter Melcher:  Tuesday 1:00-3:50 p.m., CNS 212

E-Mail: pmelcher@ithaca.edu
02 Peter Melcher and Anne StorkWednesday 1:00-3:50 PM, CNS 212

Office hours: Mondays 11 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.



Tuesdays 10-11 a.m.

Course schedules are posted on Blackboard

 
or by appointment (send an e-mail)

Textbook: Elements of Ecology, 7th edition, Smith, T. H. and Smith, R. L. 2009; Pearson/Benjamin Cummings, Inc.



The course blackboard website is located at: http://akron.ithaca.edu
Anne Stork: Lab



Office:
119 Administration Annex
Office Hours:
    Fridays 10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
    or by appointment (send an e-mail)

Phone: 274-3575










Catalog Course Description:
General Ecology presents the basic concepts of ecology with balanced treatment of plant and animal examples. Topics include the interactions among individuals of a population, interactions in their abiotic environment, and interactions with other species. Also discussed are growth, regulation, diversity, and stability of populations, and the interactions among populations at the community and ecosystems levels. Laboratories include field and laboratory work and statistical analyses of data. Lecture: Three hours. Laboratory: Three hours. Prerequisites: BIOL 12000 or BIOL 12200. 4 credits.  

Course Objectives:
This course has been designed to present you with an introduction to current ecological theories and practices. You will be introduced to the subject of ecology by examining various types of ecological questions, theories and models. You will learn how ecologists develop hypotheses to examine these questions and we will explore ways in which ecologists design experiments to refute or support hypotheses.  We will examine specific ecological studies that have helped to shape the way in which we understand our natural world.  Therefore, in this course you are expected to learn how these conceptual models aid in our understanding of complex biological systems.  We will also examine the importance of biodiversity as well as the impacts that humans have had on the environment.

Expected Learning Outcomes Lecture:


Expected Learning Outcomes Laboratory:

 

Methods of Assessing Expected Learning Outcomes (performance evaluation)

In lecture I will use exam and quiz/problem set scores to assess your comprehension of lecture and course readings materials.  Laboratory projects, that include your level of participation and comprehension of what is being done will be evaluated in your reports and from one to one interactions to determine your ability to comprehend the laboratory materials.

 

Attendance Policy

You are expected to attend all Ecology lectures and Laboratory sessions. You are responsible for making up any work missed as a result of any absence from class.  It is college policy that I provide in writing the guidelines for grading penalties for failure to attend class.  These are posted below:

 

Unexcused absences from lecture will impact your grade on exams. Also, since quizzes are unannounced it may result in you missing quizzes. I will not give make up quizzes.   You should notify me as soon as possible by phone or email of any anticipated absences.  Written documentation that indicates the reason for being absent may be required.  Exam attendance is mandatory. An examination missed during an unexcused absence will result in a failing grade for that exam.  To be excused from taking an exam during the scheduled time, you must make a request in advance, at least 1 week before the exam date.  Make up exams may also be taken if you miss an exam for the following reasons 1) Illness (however, you must contact me before the exam begins by phone, email alone is insufficient; you need to call and leave a message (607-274-3980) with a number where I can contact you (if I am not available).  Failure to do so will result in a zero for that exam;  2) appearance in court you need to inform me of this before the exam and I will require to see proof of your court date; 4) religious observance, please discuss this with me during the first two weeks of class so that we can develop a working plan to accommodate you; 3) family emergencies, however, I will expect proof of such emergencies and this can be discussed on an individual basis.

Accommodations

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation will be provided to students with documented disabilities on a case by case basis. Students must register with the Office of Academic Support Services and provide appropriate documentation to the college before any academic adjustment will be provided.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious crime and is not tolerated by the federal government, Ithaca College and myself.  If you are not sure how to incorporate other people’s ideas, photographs, writings, etc., into your own writing, then please see me and I can help you out.  Bring the work that you would like to reference or use and I will help you to use it properly and show you how to provide a citation for that work.  Please see rules and consequences in the Ithaca College Undergraduate Catalog on plagiarism.  If you are caught plagiarizing work you will receive a failing grade for that work and I will report you to Judicial affairs.

 

Materials to study for exams

This course is intended for students in their collegiate Sophomore year.  Thus, you now have had some experience in successfully completing your first year of college courses.  This is a challenging course and you should know that the course material will be presented to you in three ways for the Lecture portion of the course: 1) The primary source of information to learn will be provided in lectures. 2) It will really help you if you complete the reading assignments listed in the course outline before attending lectures.  3) supplemental material will also be posted on the course website (blackboard).  Please note that not all of the information in the text can be presented in lecture; thus, you can expect that exam material will be generated mainly from lecture materials so focus your studies on the lecture materials and use the course book and handouts and any supplemental information that I provide to help you gain a full understanding of the material.   

The lectures are intended to give you an overview of the material presented in the textbook but you will find that the textbook will also help you to understand complex subject matter through close reading.  Since you are responsible for the reading material, I will provide time in certain lectures for questions stemming from your readings.  If you do not read the material prior to class,  you will miss the opportunity to ask questions and learn from questions asked by your peers.

The author of the textbook maintains a website at:    http://wps.aw.com/wps/media/access/Pearson_Default/2523/2584557/login.html

 Registration is required - use the code in your textbook to access this site.

The course blackboard website is located at: http://akron.ithaca.edu

You should be enrolled into the General Ecology course, if you are not please let me know as soon as possible so that I can add you to the blackboard course list.




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Page maintained and updated by Nancy Pierce.
Last udpated 8/30/2011