ClassroOm Policies

Regular class attendance is expected of all students enrolled in the college.  Participating in all BIOL B32 class meetings is absolutely mandatory. There is a direct correlation between your attendance and your grade in the course, and you will not pass if you fail to show up. 

You are allowed to miss a total of three (3) class meetings throughout the semester; however, a student who is absent from more than three class meetings (i.e. the equivalent of two weeks of instruction) will be dropped from the class for non-participation. If you are sick or experience symptoms of an illness, please stay at home and email me as soon as possible and before the start of class. If you visit the doctor while sick, please obtain a doctor’s note for your records. If you decide that you want to drop the course at any time before the drop deadline, you are required to do so yourself.

Make-up assessments (quizzes or exams) and labs are not generally allowed. There are few exceptions for makeups, at the instructor’s discretion, and you must notify instructor PRIOR to missed assessment/lab. Missed quizzes, labs, and exams without instructor approval will be assigned a grade of zero.

Lastly, promptness is expected of you. Should you arrive late to take the exam or quiz, no extra time will be given. Exams and quizzes are kept on a very strict time window for all Biol B32 courses at Bakersfield College.

Please understand that I have not created these guidelines to be overly stern or stringent but instead to emphasize the importance of time management in a learning environment that may be new to you.

I LOVE hearing from my students! No question or concern is too small, and there's no such thing as a "dumb question." 

Office hours will be held in my office on the main campus in SE-336 and CTEC (Rm 156) on the days indicated at the top of the syllabus. These hours will be posted to the Canvas homepage. Additionally, online hours will be offered via Zoom by appointment. To schedule a Zoom, you must send me an email and include your name, CRN and what days and times work for you. I typically set up appointments via Zoom as soon as possible, however, please allow me up to 48 hours to get you on my schedule. 

As this is a challenging and fast-paced course, I cannot stress how important it will be for students to communicate with me directly. This means if you have any issues with the learning environment, time conflicts, require DSPS or need any additional help with the material it is your responsibility to speak to or email me. Because I have the Discord Server, I do not mind replying to direct messages there for simple clarifications, however, please use email for any major concerns or questions. This will ensure you get a prompt, detailed response from me. I check my emails at least once per day, so please allow at least 24 hours for me to reply. Always include your name and CRN when sending emails.

Direct messages and/or emails regarding review of the material will not be answered the night before or day of exams/quizzes. It is essential to stay up to date with your studying and reviewing, so please plan accordingly.

My communication to you will be primarily through Class Time (In-Person) + Discord, but I will make sure to relay any important messages via Canvas Announcements and/or email. I highly recommend you turn on notifications in Canvas or make sure Canvas is forwarding updates to your email. Class updates, changes to the schedule, information about assignments, quizzes and exams will always be posted on Canvas. Please get into the habit of checking both Canvas, Discord and your email at least once per day. 

Academic dishonesty in any form (including, but not limited to, cheating, using a textbook, notes or generative artificial intelligence for online assessments, copying test answers or outside assignments, sharing answers, using cell phones, smart watches, or any other electronic device during an assessment, plagiarism, etc.) will not be tolerated. Generative Artificial Intelligence tools, like ChatGPT, are not permitted for any stage or phase of work in this class. If you use these tools, your actions would be considered in violation of the academic integrity of the Student Code of Conduct (KCCD Board Policy 5500). Also, it is your responsibility as a student to not only refrain from acts of academic dishonesty but also refuse to aid any other student in these acts and notify your instructor and/or appropriate administrators about observed incidents of academic dishonesty. If any academic dishonesty is discovered, it is grounds for immediate failure of the class assignment and/or assessment with a grade of F and serious disciplinary action by both me and the college. 

Often referred to as "netiquette," here is a gentle reminder of the interaction practices and rules we'll follow in all our interactions in this course.

If you ever feel that someone is not following these rules, please send an email to me using the Canvas Inbox and describe your concerns.