This class is fully in-person. So, lectures will be live. I will try to record the audio (ONLY) from my lectures. This audio will automatically post to a shared box folder. You can access this folder from the Welcome module on Canvas. Please see Other Classroom Policies to review policies on sharing recordings. In short, don't share my recordings or materials without my permission. These recordings should be used for you to study and/or catch up if you missed lecture. If I find out that lectures are being shared without my permission, I will stop providing them for you. 

Please note, that this is a courtesy to you. There may be glitches that prevent recordings from uploading. In those events, it is your responsibility to get the notes from a classmate, just as you would in the absence of a recording. You may make your own audio recordings, but you are not permitted to take video recordings. 

Additionally, you will be provided with Powerpoint versions of the lecture ahead of class time, so that you can use them for studying/note-taking. 

Labs are in-person and are required. We will be doing dissections in this course. If that's not for you, I recommend finding a different elective to take. Students will work in groups of 3-4, so some can work on dissections while others help with the lists, going through the lab manual, etc. But, you must participate in some way, and are expected to learn the material. 

Attendance is mandatory. Unexcused absences will be deducted 7 points per lab. Please note that you are not permitted to take photos of the specimens.

Labs will be weekly as outlined in the course schedule. You will be expected to attend and participate with your lab partners. All lab instructions and materials will be provided for you on Canvas. 

Remember that you are responsible for cleaning your lab area after each lab or each time you use the lab whether I am present or not. All specimens need to be put away in their respective locations, trays and materials need to be cleaned with soap, your table should be cleaned with cleaner, and you should inspect the floor, chairs and other spaces for dirt or trash and clean that all up. It is not my responsibility to clean up after you, and we have an obligation to make sure that the lab is ready for the next course. 

The lab room schedule can be found in the Tentative Assignments and Course Schedule section of the syllabus. Note that these are times when you absolutely cannot be in the lab room. The course schedule also indicates weeks where other sections have exams and you will not have access to the room because of that. The lab room must be clean with everything put away before the start of these labs, and, again this is YOUR responsibility! I expect that the lab will clean and ready for us when we're in there, and others should have the same expectation. 

Lab Practicals will be given in lab according to the schedule. You will not have access to the lab room the week of exams, so prepare ahead of time!! Our exam schedule will not line up exactly with that of the other courses. So, you will not have access to the lab outside of class during their exam weeks either. Further there are NO MAKEUP LAB PRACTICALS except in the case of an extreme emergency. The set up for lab practicals takes a massive amount of time and  I can't re-set up the lab practical, so you'll just miss it. DO NOT SCHEDULE OTHER THINGS AT THIS TIME!!! Mark the lab practical dates on your calendars NOW. I can work around a lot, but this is not one of the things that I can reschedule.

General:

All assignments, exams, and grading will be done in Canvas. I also post announcements there for you. Keeping up with Canvas is critical to your success in the course! I do my best to keep it organized and as up to date as possible. 

Assignments (other than exams and lab practicals) will be due on Wednesday at 11:59 pm unless otherwise specified in the course schedule.

Late Assignments/Missed Exams: 

You will be given ample time to complete assignments. However, I know that life gets in the way sometimes. You have two "free passes" for the semester for any assignment other than exams, lab practicals, or rough draft submission. Here are the rules: 

1. If you don't get something in on time, email me within 24 hours of the original due date for the assignment in question (You can email ahead of time if you know you won't get it in on time).  

2. Ask to use one free pass for that specific assignment and I will reopen it for you for an additional 48 hours. 

3. There will be no deductions and no questions asked. In other words, you don't have to explain to me why you missed the deadline. 

4. If at the end of the semester, you have not used your free passes, I will add 2.5 points per remaining free pass to your overall exam grade. 

Remember that this does not include exams, lab practicals, or rough drafts. However, if you absolutely cannot make it to an exam, please notify me immediately. Failure to contact me in a timely manner, will inhibit you from being able to make up the exam. There are NO MAKEUPS FOR LAB PRACTICALS.

Introduction Survey/Syllabus Contract: 

During the first week of the semester you will be asked to complete an introduction survey. This is a short assignment on Canvas, designed to help me get to know you better. There are no right or wrong answers! 

As part of this assignment, I will ask you to stop by my office during office hours sometime in the first two weeks of school. All that is required is that you say hello and sign yourself in. This will hopefully break the ice so that you feel more comfortable stopping by when you need help. If my office hours conflict with your schedule, just email me and schedule a time to drop by my office.

The second half of this assignment is a syllabus contract. Here I will point out some specifics on the syllabus that I think are particularly important. You should read each one and initial that you understand the points outlined. If you don't understand, you should ask questions during office hours or in class. I will hold you to this! 

Ultimately, this should be an easy way to get the semester going! So, just make sure you complete all parts of the assignment! 

All assignments, exams, and grading will be done in Canvas. I also post announcements there for you. Keeping up with Canvas is critical to your success in the course! I do my best to keep it organized and as up to date as possible. 

Pop Quizzes: 

A series of pop quizzes will be given throughout the semester. These will be at random and at my discretion. They are worth a total of 50 points regardless of how many you take. One quiz will be dropped from the final scores. These quizzes will cover some of the recent material that we have discussed in class, and are open note/book.  Most often, these quizzes will be used to help students who are attending lecture on that particular day. These quizzes will be conducted at any time during class and are to be taken INDIVIDUALLY (these are not group quizzes).  If you are late, you will miss out.  There are NO MAKEUPS. I will drop your ONE lowest quiz score if more than one quiz is given. 

Paper: 

There will be one research paper that you will do this semester.  This paper will be a review paper, which will allow you to further compare vertebrate anatomy between organisms.  Details will be provided separately. The final paper will be submitted through Canvas.

Lecture Exams: 

Exams will be on Canvas and consist primarily of a mix of multiple choice, short answer, matching, and essay.  Your final exam will be all multiple choice and cumulative. 

You will take each exam IN PERSON in our classroom. As such, you will need to bring your own device (laptop or tablet - no cell phones) to take the exam on. If you don't have a device or a reliable device, please let me know the first week of classes so that I can help you figure out a solution-we have some that I can loan you. During each exam, I will give you a piece of scratch paper to use as you please during the exam. In some cases, I will print a couple of questions on the scratch paper so that you can work them out on paper first. You must write your name on the scratch paper (whether you use it or not) and turn it in at the end of the exam.

If the average exam score for the entire class is below 65%, I will give an assignment giving you the opportunity to re-answer some of the questions at a reduced point value to earn some points back. This will not be done on an individual basis.

Advance notice of missed exams must be given except in the case of a documented emergency. Without notice in advance or a true emergency, you will not be permitted to make up the exam.

Exam Rules: 

1. Come prepared with your device - make sure it is charged, you have a charging cable or whatever you need to make it work. 

2. Exams should be taken independently, and without outside resources. 

3. Questions will be randomized, but you will have access to the entire exam so you may answer questions as you see fit. 

4. If you are caught using a web-browser or any other materials during the exam, you will earn a ZERO for the entire exam. 

5. You must turn in your scratch paper and show Dr. Stokes the submission confirmation for your exam prior to leaving the classroom. 

Grading:

Your grade will be based on the number of points you earn divided by the total points for the course.  Your final grade will be percentage based. Grade appeals can only be made on the basis of miscalculation of your average and must be made to me within at least one week of grades being posted.  There will NOT be any extra credit or curving in this course.  Whatever grade you receive on exams is the grade that you get for that assignment.  Grades are rounded (by Canvas even!) as follows: 79.5%-79.9% rounds to 80%, 79.4% -79.0% rounds to 79%, etc. 

Grades are based on the following percentage scale: 

• 93-100 = A   

• 90-92 = A-   

• 87-89 = B+   

• 83-86 = B   

• 80-82 = B-

• 77-79 = C+

• 73-76 = C

• 70-72 = C-   

• 67-69 = D+   

• 63-66 = D    

• 60-62 = D-  

• <60 = F