BIOLOGY 1102 - FOUNDATIONS OF BIOLOGY

Fall Semester 2008

 

Professor
Adam Fry
Office & Phone
TLS 308, 486-4689
Office Hours
Any time, except MWF 12:00 - 12:50
E-mail
 


GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES : BIOL 1102 is a course that is included in the Science and Technology content area for General Education Courses.
1) BIOL 1102 provides intellectual breadth and versatility by providing a perspective on the complexity and diversity of living organisms, and the importance of non-human organisms to the functioning of ecosystems. BIOL 1102 investigates issues of general relevance to human biology (e.g., Evolutionary, Ecological, Genetic, and Biomedical issues).
2) BIOL 1102 helps students acquire critical judgement skills . Laboratories are designed to acquaint students with the process of science--formulation and testing of hypotheses, and acquisition and interpretation of data. Lecture content integrates current topics emphasizing hypothesis generation and testing, and explanation of how to interpret media reports related to Biology.
3) BIOL 1102 will help students to acquire a working understanding of the process by which they can continue to acquire and use knowledge. By emphasizing the scientific process, both the laboratory and lectures call attention to the reality that Biology is a dynamic, not a static science---no 'fact' is necessarily immutable, and any observation can be further tested or reevaluated in the context of new data. Science, by definition, is objective and falsifiable, it can be tested by observation and experiment. Science is for everybody!

TEXT AND LAB MANUAL

The recommended textbook for this lecture section is: Biology: Concepts and Applications by Cecie Starr available at the Co-op bookstore. You do not have to purchase a textbook unless you want it as a reference.
The required lab manual is custom-published by the UConn Co-op, and is entitled Biology 1102 Laboratory Manual.
Be sure to bring your lab manual to every lab and read the assigned material before starting lab because you will take a quiz on the material at the beginning of every lab except the first one.

LECTURE SCHEDULE

There are two Biology 1102 lecture sections this semester and they are different. You must attend the lecture section that you are registered for or you will fail the course. In addition, you must take full responsibility for any information given during lectures. If you must miss a lecture, you are still responsible for any information given in lecture, including lecture notes as well as course announcements and policies; therefore, make every effort to attend every lecture. Lecture Syllabus. Office hours cannot be used to repeat lectures that were missed.

LABORATORY

Note: You must pass the laboratory portion of the course in order to pass the Bio 1102. That means you cannot miss more than three labs (excused or not) and you must earn at least 60% of the points in lab during the semester. There are no exceptions to these rules!

All lab sections meet in TLS 303. There are no food or drinks allowed in the laboratory due to safety requirements mandated by University, State, and Federal laws. No sandals or open-toed shoes are allowed. Please dress conservatively in lab and don't make your fellow students or TAs ucomfortable by wearing clothes that expose your undergarments in the laboratory (e.g., giant baggy pants, open shirts etc.) . Laboratory Syllabus, Laboratory Policies, Lab Meeting Times

GRADING (70% lecture, 30% lab)

The lecture portion of this course is worth 70% of your final course grade.
You are required to take all lecture exams.
There are NO extra credit assignments.

Note: There is NO Curve in this course. Letter grades will approximate the following total course percentages (70% lecture and 30% lab). Use these numbers to estimate your expected (earned) letter grade in the course.

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 = 0-59%

As indicated in the lecture syllabus, exams are scheduled for XXX, XXX, and XXX. On the days of the exams, lab sections XXX will report to TLS 154. Lab sections XXX will report to XXX,

The fourth and final lecture exam will be given during final exam week and will cover the final 25% of the course. The time and location of the final exam will be announced later. Each exam will be based primarily on lecture notes and may consist of multiple choice, matching, short answer, long answer, drawing, essay questions or any combination of these. Plan to bring a UConn picture ID and a number 2 pencil to every exam.

In addition to the lecture exams, I reserve the right to give unannounced lecture quizzes, homework assignments, and to take attendance in lecture. These activities will be used to monitor your progress in lecture and to help you prepare for the exams. There are no make-ups for missed lecture quizzes, homework assignments, or attendance in lecture. I will consider this information when assigning student grades at the end of the semester. Such information could be important when deciding student grades that are on the boundary between letter grades or +/- designations.

You may also take an Optional Comprehensive Lecture Final (OCLF), which could allow you to improve your grade in the course. The OCLF includes material covered on the first three exams only. The OCLF is taken directly after the Final Exam during the same time period and in the same room. A higher score from the OCLF can be used to replace the lowest of your first three exam scores. The OCLF cannot be used to replace the Final Exam score. Be advised that because the OCLF is comprehensive, it is typically a difficult exam with an average score in the 60s. Consider the decision to take the OCLF carefully because it can indirectly hurt your course grade by reducing your study time for the Final Exam, which cannot be replaced. You must take Exams 1, 2, 3, and the Final Exam to qualify for the OCLF! In other words, If you miss an exam, you cannot use the OCLF to substitute for your 'zero' score.
Please note: If the OCLF exam score is lower than any of your first three exam scores it will not count against you!

The remaining 30% of your final course grade will be determined by your performance in the laboratory, as described in the laboratory policies

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

If you require extra time for exams, a note-taker, or have any other special needs, please come and discuss this with me. Any information provided to me will remain strictly confidential. Also, if English is not your native language and you wish to discuss the possibility of extra time for exams, please see me before the first exam.

MAKE-UP POLICY FOR MISSED LECTURE EXAMS

Makeup exams are available only to students who have a legitimate, documented excuse for missing an exam, such as illness, representing the university at sanctioned events, or death in the immediate family. If you know in advance that you must miss an exam, see me in advance and bring documentation to support your anticipated absence. Do not ask IF you should bring documentation to me, just BRING it. If you miss an exam unexpectedly because of last-minute illness or accident, contact me as soon as possible and bring documentation for your situation. Makeups will include short-answer, essay, and/or multiple choice questions--the final format is usually not decided upon until the day of the exam.
Make-up exams will be given in TLS 303 (the lab room) at 4:00 pm on the following dates: Makeup for first exam XXX, Makeup for second exam XXX, Makeup for third exam XXX. Please note: You must receive permission before you can take a make-up exam. All makeup exams must be completed within one week of the regularly scheduled exam. If this is not possible, you must see me to discuss an alternative.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN THIS COURSE

In order to succeed in this course, you should Attend All Lectures, complete your lecture outlines, and allow ample time to read and study the lecture material. Attend all labs, read the lab manual before lab so you can do well on the quizzes, and complete lab homework assignments to the best of your ability.

To do well on the lecture exams, I recommend reading your complete set of lecture notes 5 nights per week. Treat school like a real job. If you attend lectures and labs, and study regularly from a complete set of notes, you should have no problem succeeding in this course.

  1. Class Web Site. In the event of an emergency school closing, please check the course website within 24 hours for instructions. You are expected to be aware of any course announcements posted to the course website. You should also check the course website once per week anyway to see if there have been any new announcements. Access the course website by clicking the "Courses" button on the website: www.eeb.uconn.edu. Or enter through your HuskyCT accounts
  2. E-mail. You are provided with a free e-mail account upon enrolling at the University of Connecticut. I use e-mail daily, and can often reply to individual questions more efficiently and quickly than by phone. Please check your email regularly in case I or your TAs have contacted you.
  3. Office hours. My office is in TLS 308 across from the lab room. I am happy to meet with any of my students regardles of how they are doing in the course. If you have unanswered questions, concerns, are in serious academic trouble, or need to speak with me for any reason, Please do! I will help in any way that I can as long as it maintains fairness to all students in the course.
  4. Setting reasonable goals. Aim high. For example, if you simply must earn a B in this course to maintain honors status, get into the business school, maintain your GPA, prevent yourself from going on academic probation, or whatever, then do not aim for a B. Aim for an A. That way, if you make mistakes or have difficulties, you will still have some chance of getting the grade you want. It is not unusual in such a large class for a student who needs a C, to aim for a C, make mistakes, and not get the C. Better to over-prepare, than under-prepare.
  5. I am here for two reasons: to Teach You the foundations of biology and to Help You succeed in this course, use me if you need me!

This class is for everybody, even if you think you can't do Biology.
Make the effort and I'll show you.