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Instructor: |
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Room: |
164 Center for Natural
Sciences |
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Phone: |
274-3979 |
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Email: |
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Office Hours: |
Wednesdays
9-11:30 a.m. |
The course is divided into 4 sections. The first 3 sections are class material based. The last section is student-centered based.
There will be 3 exams; one for each section. The last section will be graded on your student presentation and the final exam. You will form groups of 4-5 students, choose a topic that is related to previous class lectures and present a 10 minute PowerPoint presentation to the class. You will also provide one exam question based on your presentation to the class. These questions will become the bases of the final exam. The purpose of the last section of the course is to provide you with more control over you final grade and also to stimulate and encourage critical thinking in a fun and relaxing atmosphere.
A general outline of the
material to be covered is given
below. This syllabus highlights material to
be covered during the course of
the semester. However, I reserve the
right to modify course topics to meet the dynamics of the class.
Section
1:
August 27th-September 17th
Material: Life, Cells, and Energy. Required readings to be announced
Exam 1: September 22nd.
Section 2:
September
24th-October 15th.
Material: Genetic material, Evolution, and Animal Physiology. Required readings to be announced
Exam 2: October 20th.
Section 3:
October
22th-November 10th.
Material: Micro and Macro life forms, and Immunity. Required readings to be announced
Exam 3: November 12th.
Section
4:
November
17th – December 10th.
Material: Student Prep. and Presentations
Final Exam: December 15th at 1:30-4pm.
Each
section/exam is graded equally, and represents 25% of your final grade.
Course Policies:
Due to
food allergies, please do not bring food to class.
Course evaluation
policy:
Final grade determination is
the summation
of 3 individual examinations, and your student presentations/final exam.
A=93-100, A- =90-92, B+ =87-89,
B=83-86, B- =80-82,
C+ =77-79, C=73-76, C- =70-72,
D+ =67-69, D=63-66, D-
=60-62, F<60.
Student
input is highly valued and is important to maintain high
quality instruction. Course evaluations are mandatory
and must be completed between December 1st-3rd.
An incomplete will appear on your transcript if it is not
submitted by
that time. The evaluation will be submitted to the
Department
Assistant. She will verify that you have submitted the form. Once
that
has been checked, your identification will be removed and will not be
printed
with the comments.
In concurrence with the outlined policy as
stated in the undergraduate handbook, I expect, and encourage all
students
enrolled in this course to attend each scheduled lecture.
Excessive (3, or more) absences will result
in a failing grade.
In
accordance with New York State law, students who miss class due to
their
religious beliefs shall be excused from class or examinations on that
day. The
faculty member is responsible for providing the student with an
equivalent
opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirement which
the
student may have missed. It is suggested that students notify their
course
instructors at least one week before any anticipated absence so that
proper
arrangements may be made to make up any missed work or examination. Any
such
work is to be completed within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by
the
faculty member.
Any
student, who misses class due to a verifiable family or individual
health
emergency, or to a required appearance in a court of law, shall be
excused. The
student or a family member/legal guardian may report the absence to the
Office
of Student Affairs and Campus Life, which will notify the student’s
dean’s
office, as well as residential life if the student lives on campus. The
dean’s
office will disseminate the information to the appropriate faculty.
Follow-up
by the student with his or her professors is imperative. Students may
need to
consider a leave of absence, medical leave of absence, selected course
withdrawals, etc., if they have missed a significant portion of class
work.
A
student may be excused for participation in College-authorized
cocurricular and
extracurricular activities if, in the instructor’s judgment, this does
not
impair the specific student’s or the other students’ ability to succeed
in the
course.
For all
absences except those due
to religious beliefs, the course instructor has the right to determine
if the
number of absences has been excessive in view of the nature of the
class that
was missed and the stated attendance policy. Depending on the
individual
situation, this can result in the student’s being removed from or
failing the
course.
Standards of Academic Conduct
It is the responsibility of each student to
familiarize him/herself with the institutions policy on acceptable
academic
conduct. Please refer to you student
handbook for said policies. In short any
student intentionally presenting work performed by others as his/her
own will
receive a failing grade in this course, and be referred to the Colleges
judicial board for review.
Students with disabilities
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.
Mental Health and well being
Diminished
mental health, including significant stress, mood changes, excessive
worry, or
problems with eating and/or sleeping can interfere with optimal
academic
performance. The source of symptoms might be strictly related to your
course
work; if so, please speak with me. However, problems with
relationships,
family worries, loss, or a personal struggle or crisis can also
contribute to
decreased academic performance.
Ithaca
College provides a Counseling Center to support the academic success of
students. The Counseling Center provides cost-free services to
help you
manage personal challenges that threaten your well-being.
In the
event I suspect you need additional support, I will express my concerns
and the
reasons for them, and remind you of resources (e.g., Counseling Center,
Health
Center, chaplains, etc.) that might be helpful to you. It is not
my
intention to know the details of what might be bothering you, but
simply to let
you know I am concerned and that help, if needed, is available.
Getting
help is a smart and courageous thing to do -- for yourself and for your
loved
ones.
Examinations
All
exams are written off campus the night before it is given.
This provides security, as well as, ensures that the exam
reflects all
lecture material. Unexcused absences will result in a zero grade unless
justified by a medical reason with accompanying formal documentation. Justified absences will result in a make up
examination being awarded within one week of the original exam.
Visit the Biology
Department.
Visit the Ithaca College home
page.
This
page maintained by Nancy Pierce
Last
updated: 8/257/09