COURSE POLICIES BIO
200 for Section A - Dr. Herreid
2007
(Click Here for Section C Course Policies- Dr. Fourtner)
TEXTS AND LAB MATERIALS (at University Bookstore)
The URL for the course website is http://www.bio200.buffalo.edu
* To access the visual files the username is BIO200 and the password is darwin
A recording is made of every lecture. The recordings may be played on the website and the PowerPoints used by the instructor are posted there. Practice quizzes, lab reviews, and old examinations are also on the website.
* To access audio files UBIT name and your UB password (same as e-mail).
CLICKERS
Personal Response System clickers work like a remote control device, you will use them in each class to record your presence in class and respond to questions given by the instructor. Points will be awarded for attendance and correct answers to questions.
1. There will be four (4) examinations during the course: a practical exam over laboratory material, two (2) midterms and a final exam. The midterms will be given in the evening from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 28th and Friday, November 2nd. NOTE: There are no alternate times available. If you have any conflicts, you must make necessary arrangements or drop the course. The practical will be given Saturday or Sunday (Dec. 8 or 9). There will be a choice of times from which to choose.
2. All exams will cover the material from the beginning of the course, i.e., exams are cumulative.
3. You are responsible for everything that happens in the course. Exams will cover material from the textbook, the laboratory, the lecture and special assignments such as the paper (see below).
4. Midterm and the final examinations will include both “objective” and “subjective” questions. Therefore, expect multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank and matching questions as well as definitions, short essays, problems and calculation questions.
5. There will be no make up examinations. Anyone not taking an examination without a valid excuse will receive a zero for that exam. The only valid excuse is a medical excuse signed by a physician. Anyone not taking the final or the practical without a valid excuse will receive “F” in the course. Anyone not taking the final or practical, with a valid excuse will receive an “Incomplete” in the course. They will have to make up the “Incomplete” the next time the course is taught.
LABORATORY WORK
Lab work, including a practical examination, counts about 40% of the course grade. Your lab performance will be evaluated on the basis of quizzes, class discussion, lab reports and other assignments. Also, and don’t miss this, hard work, cooperation with the instructors, and intelligent mature behavior in the lab also figure into the grade. Teaching assistants under faculty supervision are in complete charge of the lab and will make the grade determinations.
Anyone absent from two (2) labs without a valid excuse will fail the course.
Dissections: Several labs will involve the dissection of preserved animals. All students are required to participate fully in these labs.
Laboratory Fee: There is a lab fee associated with this course. You must pay this fee at the University Bookstore. The cashier will give you a certificate saying that you paid this fee. You must bring this certificate and receipt to lab and present this to the TA within the first three weeks, otherwise you must drop this course.
Extra Credit: If you wish to give an oral presentation with a team from your lab on an evolutionary topic, you can earn up to 25 pts. each. More information will be given to you in lab. Also, if you bring in wild fungi for the Fungus lab you can earn up to 10 pts. extra credit.
Any paper or assignment that is less than a week late (without a valid excuse) will receive one-half credit. Work later than one week will be corrected but no credit will be given.
1. Your final course grade will be determined largely upon the total number of points you will accumulate during the semester.
| 1st Exam | = | 50 points |
| 2nd Exam | = | 100 points |
| Final Exam | = | 200 points |
| Laboratory | = | 200 points |
| Laboratory Practical | = | 100 points |
| Clicker attendance/quizzes | = | 50 points |
| 700 points |
2. At the end of the semester, all of the students’ cumulative points will be arranged on a spread sheet and the faculty will determine the approximate cut off levels between letter grades. Between letter grades there will be “gray zones.” Students whose scores fall into these zones will have their laboratory work (especially the subjective points) carefully scrutinized to determine if their performance (attendance, work quality, cooperation, team work, etc.) is excellent enough to justify giving them a higher grade.
3. Any student failing the laboratory part of the course will receive an “F” for the entire course regardless of his/her exam performance.
4. If you are doing poorly, do not expect to drop the course with an incomplete. An “Inc” may not be given if a student is failing and may only be given when the work can be made up. If you are doing poorly, the only solution is to work harder. Make flash cards for definitions. Practice answering the questions at the back of each chapter. Do not be misled by this course. There is an enormous amount to learn.
A WORD ABOUT HONESTY
Unless we give specific instructions to the contrary, all of your work must be yours alone. There must be no collaborations between you and other people on tests, homework or papers. We assume you to be competent and creative enough to do your own work and not copy from books or anyone else’s paper or tests. If this is not the case, drop the course now. If there is any breach in honesty, you will fail the course. Science depends upon a total and complete devotion to truth, honesty and integrity.
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