Biology 211g (GENERAL EDUCATION
COURSE ) FALL 2004
Section 2
Dr. Serrano
COURSE WEBSITE: http://biology-web.nmsu.edu/serrano/courses/211g_f2004/211g.html
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BIOLOGY 211G is designed to provide students with a thorough
foundation in contemporary cell biology, genetics, and organismal
biology. It is a prerequisite for many Biology courses, and as such, it's objective is to prepare students for upper division
courses in Biology. The course is suitable for non-majors with
sufficient chemistry background who are interested in principles of biology
as they apply to genes, cells, and organisms. A major goal of Bio211G is to
foster an understanding of science and the process of scientific inquiry, and
to provide an in depth appreciation of biological systems. When
combined with the Biol 211L lab, the course meets
the requirements for General Education in the category of Basic
Natural Sciences. |
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CHEM 110G or CHEM 111 or consent of instructor |
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Room: |
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Bio211G, Bio211L |
§ Biology 211G is being offered as two
separate and independent courses. Section 01 is offered by Dr. Shuster and
Section 02 is offered by Dr. Serrano. § You must take exams and complete
assignments with the section for which you are registered. § You will not receive credit for assignments
completed in a section for which you are not registered. § The lab course, Biology 211L, is another
independent course for which you must complete assignments. Dr. Marion (646-3611) is the Laboratory
Coordinator for the course and your lab session will be administered by a
Graduate Assistant. |
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§
Required: Lewis et al. (2004) Life,
5th edition §
Website : http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072919183/student_view0/index.html §
Textbooks can be obtained at the bookstore or online from
vendors such as Amazon
and ecampus or Best Book
Buys. §
Do not purchase the clicker for Dr. Serrano’s class, section 02!. You will not need it! |
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§ You may earn a total of 400 points by
taking four midterm exams (and an optional Final worth 100 pts) that will
test your knowledge of the material in the course. . § When you take an
exam your name will be checked against your student identification card and
against class enrollment lists. § You must bring
the following to the exams: 1) a #2 soft pencil and eraser 2) your student ID card 3) your own blue NMSU test score sheet to the exam. The
score sheet is available at the bookstore.
Purchase the score sheet labeled NCS
Trans-optic MB01-16184-1514 A2804-8. Score sheets will NOT be available from the
INSTRUCTOR at the exam. |
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FINAL EXAM |
The final is optional. Students who are satisfied with the points
they have earned by completing the 4 midterms and extra credit assignments,
do not need to take the final. If a student takes the final exam,
points earned on the final exam will be used to replace the points from the
lowest exam score the student has earned during the 4 midterms. There
will be no makeup exam if you miss the final exam. The Final Exam given
during finals week will be cumulative and will cover the material in the
ENTIRE course. |
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GRADE SCALE |
Grades will be calculated based on extra credit assignments, and the best four scores from the four semester exams and the optional final exam. Your grade will be calculated based on a total of 400 points according to the following scale: A 360-400 pts (> 90%)
B 320-359 pts (80%-89.9%)
C 280-319 pts (70%-79.9%)
D 240-279 pts (60%-69.9%)
F < 240
pts (<60%) Exam scores and other information will be posted in a bulletin board
located in a glass case outside the Biology Department Office. Note: The grade scale may be
curved at the end of the semester at the discretion of the instructor |
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You must earn at
least a C- |
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Your points earned
will be posted online after each exam, using the last four digits of your
social security number. |
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§ There will be no makeup exams. Don't miss an exam. §
No
exams will be given at times other than the announced exam times (Exception:
Students with Disabilities). If you have an unexcused absence,
you will receive a zero for the exam. § If you are ill, or must miss an exam for a
university-sanctioned function, you must inform the instructor in writing
before the exam. Leaving early for a vacation does not count as an excused
absence. Please make travel plans, including purchase of non-refundable
airline tickets with this in mind. § If you have an emergency that prevents you
from notifying the instructor in advance, contact the instructor within 48
hours of the exam. § All absences from exams must be documented in
writing with an explanation, signed by you, and additional documents as
appropriate. § If you miss ONE exam with a
legitimate excuse, the score from the other three midterm exams will
be used to calculate a pro-rated score for the exam. § If you miss TWO exams with a
legitimate excuse, you must take the Final Exam. Your score on
the final exam will be multiplied by two and registered as your substitute
score for the 200 points on the exams you missed. |
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Under university policy, Incompletes may be given only if a student has passed the first half of the course, and is precluded from successful completion of the second half of the course by a documented illness or family crisis. Therefore, only students who have taken the first two exams and missed the last two midterms and the Final with a legitimate excuse, will be eligible to petition for an Incomplete. If you receive an Incomplete, you will need to repeat the entire class (most likely with a different instructor), and you will need complete all new exams and assignments as required by that class. |
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You are not
required to attend class but it is to your advantage to do so if you wish to
pass the course with a C- or better. |
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Deadline to withdraw from courses is Friday, October 15.
It is your responsibility to withdraw from the course. The instructor will
not automatically drop you from the course for failure to attend class or to
complete exams or assignments. Failure to fill out the paperwork may
result in an F grade. |
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§ You will have the opportunity to earn extra
credit during the semester. Extra credit assignments will be announced
in class. § Some extra credit will be earned for
in-class activities. Other extra credit assignments will require you to
use the library or the Internet. § Extra credit points are added to your
points earned as bonus points. All extra credit assignments must be turned in
on or before the due date. Be sure to Xerox and keep a copy of any
assignment you hand in for this class. §
Extra
credit due dates are Friday 10/1 and Friday 11/12. |
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10% of the total points will be deducted for each week the assignment is late. Assignments will not be accepted if handed in more than 2 weeks after the due date. |
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Review sessions
will be held prior to all exams. Locations and times for the
review sessions will be arranged prior to exams and announced in class. |
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§ Please see the “Student code of conduct”
in the current “Student Handbook” http://www.nmsu.edu/~vpss/03-04handbook.pdf. § Pay particular attention to the sections on
Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism. § The penalty for cheating, plagiarism and
other forms of academic misconduct (as defined in the Student Code of
Conduct) is failure of the course: no exceptions. |
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§ If you come to class, stay the duration; if
you must leave early, sit near an exit so that minimal disturbance results
when you leave. § In this large room, even whispering to your
friend makes it difficult for those in back to hear. Don't crinkle your
Roundup as you read it, please. § Please turn off cellular phones and pagers
so they do not ring in class § We are at full capacity in this room, when
you enter, please take a seat in the middle of the row. |
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If you have or believe you have a disability and would benefit from
any accommodations, you may wish to self-identify by contacting the Services
for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office located at Garcia Annex (phone: 646-6840). If
you have already registered, please make sure that your instructor receives a
copy of the accommodation memorandum from SSD
within the first two weeks of classes. It is your responsibility to
inform either your instructor or SSD representative
in a timely manner if services/accommodations provided are not meeting your
needs. If you have a condition which may affect your ability to exit safely
from the premises in an emergency or which may cause an emergency during
class, you are encouraged to discuss any concerns with the instructor and/or
Mr. Michael Armendariz, SSD
Coordinator. Feel free to call Ms. Angela Velasco (Interim EEO/ADA and Employee Relations Director) at 646-3333 with
any questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All medical information will be
treated confidentially. |
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BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT INFORMATION: |
DEPARTMENT OFFICE: The Biology Department office
is in FOSTER HALL 234, 646-3611. The department secretaries are Ms.
Gloria Valencia and Ms. Jennifer Miera. Extra copies of any handouts will be
available in the office. Exam scores and other information will be
posted in a bulletin board located in a glass case outside the Biology
Department Office. DEPARTMENT HEAD: The Biology Department Head is
Dr. Dan Howard. His office is in FOSTER HALL 234 (X63611). |
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SYLLABUS MODIFICATION: |
The instructor reserves
the right to modify this syllabus during the semester as considered necessary
to enhance the quality of the instruction, to meet the needs of students in
the class, and to achieve course objectives. Any changes to the syllabus (or
to the course schedule) will be announced in class and the student
is responsible for being aware of them. |
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How to pass this course with a "C" or better: |
1. Attend all lectures. 2. Plan your time, allow at least one hour of
study time outside of class for each hour in class. 3. Read the chapter before coming to class,
asking yourself, "what is the major point of
this chapter?" Examine illustrations and tables. Take good
notes during lecture, then read the chapter carefully, again asking the same
questions of sections of the chapter. 4. Answer self study questions in back of each
chapter. Learn the meaning of the terms in bold letters. 5. Rewrite or re-edit your lecture notes
within 48 hours of a lecture. By doing this, you will identify areas of
the lecture that you did not understand, and you will dramatically decrease
the time needed to master the lecture material prior to an exam. 6. Get a study partner and/or form a study
group. Discussing material
out loud will help you remember the information. 7. Review study guides and
attend review sessions prior to exams. 8. Keep up with the material. Don't wait until the weekend before
the exam to prepare. 9. Schedule time with the course Instructor
and Bio 211G and Bio 211L TAs. We are here to help you master the
material. 10. Visit the Center for Learning Assistance http://www.nmsu.edu/~cla/ to improve study skills. Courses and
workshops are FREE! |