You are responsible for the material we cover in class, assignments & assigned readings, as well as for reading and following the course instructions and policies outlined here. You are expected to attend all scheduled lectures (see Undergraduate catalog).
Exam attendance is mandatory. An examination missed during an unexcused absence will result in a zero grade for that exam. To be excused from an exam at its scheduled time, you must make a request in advance, at least 1 week before the exam date. Make up exams may be available to you if you miss an exam for the following reasons 1) illness (with a doctor's note); 2) appearance in court (need to show proof of court date); 3) religious observance. To be eligible for a makeup exam, you MUST notify me BEFORE the test if at all possible. If you cannot do so, then you may phone the Biology Department (607-274-3161) within 24 hours of the start of the test to leave a message. Giving such notification does not guarantee acceptance of your reason for absence, but if you fail to do so you will not be excused. In all cases, makeup exams are given at my discretion.
If you participate in athletic, musical, or other college-sponsored activities, and you are required to be off campus during scheduled class time, you must make arrangements for these absences with me at the beginning of the semester. If you have questions, please read and observe general college policy regarding attendance in the Ithaca College Undergraduate Catalog.
Unless we have previous arrangements, if an exercise is not in by the Due Date, I will deduct 10 points for each day it is late. No points will be awarded for any assignment that is more than one week late. You need to hand in your assignments in class; I do not accept work that is e-mailed unless I ask for that exercise to be submitted via e-mail or we have made previous arrangements.
EMERGENCIES: If at any point during the semester you have an emergency that interferes with your active participation in this course please let me know as soon as possible. If you let me know of problems before a due date I can often find a solution to satisfy both of us. Dealing with a problem after a due date is very difficult.
I will always strive to treat each of you fairly and with the respect and dignity you deserve. I encourage each of you to feel free to share your ideas and opinions with me and the rest of the class. Indeed, all of us will learn more by the free exchange of ideas, and this is an important and vital part of our education. All I ask is that you do so in a manner that is appropriate and respectful of each other. If at any time I feel that your behavior is disruptive or incompatible with the learning environment of our class, I will not hesitate to speak with you about it and help you understand that your continued enrollment in the class is contingent on behaving appropriately.
I reserve to right to Administratively Withdraw from the course anyone that has more than 3 unexcused absences or whose conduct is disruptive of the class (this includes talking during class, cell phones, etc.).
Plagiarism: As stated in the Student Handbook, "Academic honesty is a cornerstone of the mission of the College. Unless it is otherwise stipulated, students may submit for evaluation only work that is their own and that is submitted originally for a specific course.
Whether intended or not, plagiarism is a serious offense against academic honesty. Under any circumstances, it is deceitful to represent as one's own work writing or ideas that belong to another person." Please visit the Ithaca College Policy Manual for details.
That being said, it is important to acknowledge that it is normal and appropriate for scholars to build upon the work of others in their own explorations. The appropriate way to do this is via citation. Please see me if you need any guidance on when and how to correctly cite resources and other's work.
If you have any special needs, please familiarize yourself with the College's support network. The Office of Academic Support Services for Students with Disabilities (ACSSD) at Ithaca College can be found at ACSSD. Do not hesitate contacting them. You may also want to visit this page of the Policy Manual for further details.
For your convenience, here is a link to the registrar's official calendar pages: Ithaca College Academic Calendars