Grading
Anyone with a score of 60% or more is guaranteed at least a grade of ‘D-’, 70% or greater a grade of ‘C-’, 80% or greater at least a grade of ‘B-’, and 90% or greater an ‘A-’. However, since final grades are based on the total number of points scored on all exams and laboratory exercises, they cannot be computed precisely until the end of the course (i.e., the grading scale may be lowered, but this will NOT be determined until the end of the course).
Grade Breakdown
Lectures and Reading Assignments
You are responsible for all material, assignments, and announcements made in lecture. Attendance is required at all labs. Do not schedule events, meetings, or any other activities from 2:30 - 5:20 PM on Wednesday.
You are also expected to start and maintain an e-mail address on the Furman University e-mail system. You will be expected to check your e-mail daily during the course. You are responsible for all material, assignments, and announcements sent to you by e-mail.
Both lectures and reading assignments are fundamental parts of this course. While the lectures and reading assignments will overlap to some extent, they will not be identical. Much of the information covered in lecture will not be in the readings. Likewise, very important information may be presented only in the assigned readings. Read the material before it is covered in lecture so you can clarify any problems with the reading assignment at that time. Note that the amount of assigned reading varies from week to week throughout the course. You are responsible on the examinations for all material covered in lectures, in lab, and in the assigned readings.
Assignments due dates will be posted online. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. In other words, if an assignment is not turned in on time, you will receive a score of ‘0’ on that assignment. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Lecture outlines and PowerPoint materials, along with other course documents, will be posted on the web using Furman University’s Moodle course management system.
Students with disabilities who need academic accommodations should contact Gina Parris, Coordinator of Disability Services.
Lecture Exams
Lecture exams will be given during the lab periods on the dates noted above. Exams will consist of a combination of short essays and quantitative problems.
You are expected to take the exams when scheduled. The ONLY acceptable excuse for missing an exam is illness or family emergency that must be documented in detail by a doctor. The availability and scheduling of make-up exams (during the term) is solely at the discretion of the instructor.
Success in this course is not based on memorizing the lecture material. Many questions will require you to make novel use of the material that you have learned. Thus, exam questions may ask you to relate one concept to another, to explain why something happens in a given situation, and to predict what would happen in a given situation. Lecture and laboratory time will be spent to help you learn to do this. Many questions will also be quantitative. Handout problems will be assigned and class time devoted to giving you practice in this area as well.
Laboratories
The laboratory sessions in this course are designed to complement and supplement the lecture material. The experiments will illustrate the type of biological questions that can be addressed experimentally and will provide you with experience in using the techniques of biological inquiry. The details of the labs will be provided in class, and/or at our course site on the Furman University course management system (see above).
Writing and Data Interpretation Assignments
Perhaps the most important skills you will learn in this class relate to scientific writing, understanding biological data, and learning how to do research in biology. These are tools everyone must have, regardless of their area of specialty within biology. To do this effectively takes practice. Thus, in this course you will have many opportunities to write and have your work evaluated. Furthermore, you’ll gain experience in planning, implementing, and analyzing biologically based projects through yet more assignments. These assignments will emphasize how the aforementioned skills relate to all forms of biological research, and will thus be invaluable to you as you progress in your study of biology. Specific details on these assignments and their due dates will be presented in class.
Paper Rough Drafts and Final Papers
One of the most important assignments in this course are the papers you will write that are based on the research you conduct throughout the semester. These papers will incorporate all of the skills and knowledge you learn in this course, so they are worth a substantial portion of your final grade. To help you do this more effectively you will be asked to turn in rough drafts of your paper at various times in the semester. These will be commented on by your instructor and by peer-evaluation, providing you with useful input on how to improve your paper. When subsequent versions of the paper are turned in, you will also be expected to turn in all previous drafts of the paper, including your previously received comments. This helps your instructor ensure that you have incorporated the suggestions you previously received.
Academic Integrity
Integrity gives the educational enterprise its legitimacy. Honesty, respect, and personal responsibility are principles that guide academic life at Furman, both in and out of the classroom. Academic misconduct in any form (plagiarism, cheating, inappropriate collaboration, and other efforts to gain an unfair academic advantage) threatens the values of the campus community and will have severe consequences.
When taking this course, I will assume that when you put your name on an exam, quiz, lab paper, term paper, etc. that this is your bond to say that you have done your own work.
If you have any question about what constitutes plagiarism or any other form of academic misconduct, it is your responsibility to consult with your course instructor so that you will fully understand what I expect of you in this course. If you have any doubts, ask! You should also be familiar with the Academic Integrity & Plagiarism and Academic Integrity at Furman materials available at www.furman.edu/integrity/index.htm, found on FUNet under "Academics". Furman’s policy on academic dishonesty can be found at http://furman_notes.furman.edu/ p&p.nsf > Standard>Search>121.5.
Note that while many activities in this class are group efforts, most of the assignments and most written work is done individually. Unless specifically stated otherwise, you should assume that written papers and assignments are to be your own work, not a collaborative effort. If in doubt, it is your responsibility to ask.
As a student in this class you will adhere to a strict honor policy. You will not cheat, remove any class materials from the lab, or tolerate those who do. Cheating of any kind will result in your failing this course, regardless of your class average before being caught.