Textbooks can be obtained at the bookstore or online from vendors such as Amazon and ecampus.   Students seeking graduate medical and research careers in Neuroscience  are encouraged to purchase Principles of Neural Science as well.

Required Text	Recommended Text	Recommended Text	Recommended Text
Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain (2000) Bear, Connors, and Paradiso Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins  ISBN : 0-683-30596-4	Principles of Neural Science (2000) Kandel, Schwartz, Jessel McGraw-Hill/Appleton & Lange ISBN : 0838577016	An Anthropologist on Mars (1998) Oliver Sacks Vintage Books ISBN: 0679756973	The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (1998) Oliver Sacks     Touchstone Books     ISBN: 0684853949

Lectures will highlight key concepts from the textbook and readings on reserve in the Zuhl Library.  Students are responsible for mastering the concepts in the readings whether or not they are discussed in class by the instructor.  The instructor is available to discuss material from lectures and readings during scheduled office hours and by appointment. .

Earning Grade Points:  Grades will be calculated by adding the total points earned on the term exams, the cumulative Final Exam, the term paper, and other assignments.  A total of 1000 pts may be earned during the course. YOU MUST TAKE THE FINAL EXAM.  Any questions and concerns about grading or errors in grading should be discussed with the instructor within 2 weeks of the return date of the graded assignment.

Exams: (630 pts) There will be three in class term exams of varying length and one final exam. The final exam (255 points) includes a cumulative portion worth 170 points and new material covered after Exam 3 worth 85 points.

Term paper: (150 pts)  Topics should be selected in consultation with the instructor.  Examples of appropriate subjects for paper topics are included in the following list.  The term paper will consist of your critical summary of five original journal articles, only one of which may be a review.  Details of what should be included in the term paper and how to organize the term paper  are posted here:INSTRUCTIONS .  The term paper will be due Apr 23, 2002.

Aging and the Brain
Aging and Sensory Systems
Biomedical Engineering to the Nervous System
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Development of the Nervous System
Drugs and the Brain
Evolution of the Brain
Genetic Basis of  Behavior
Neural Basis of Attention Deficit Disorders
Neurotransmitters and Behavior
Neurodegenerative Diseases and their Genetic Basis
Sexual Dimorphism and the Brain
Signal Transduction in Sensory Cells
Stress and the Brain
Tumors, Cancer and the Nervous System
Viral Invasion of the Brain

Assignments (220 points) You will be required to complete several take home assignments.  Some of these will involve using the library and internet.  These assignments will be announced in class and some will be posted on this web site.

Grade Scale: The grade scale may be curved at the end of the semester at the discretion of the instructor.

A     900-1000 pts
B     800-899 pts
C     700-799 pts
D     600-699 pts
F     < 600 pts
S     (Satisfactory) requires a C-

S/U Option: Students must meet all requirements of the course.  A grade of C- is required  to receive an S in the course.

Attendance Students are responsible for all material covered in class as well as any previously unannounced assignments that are given out in class.  Therefore  students are expected to attend all classes.  Contact the instructor BEFOREHAND if you will be unable to attend class.

If you miss an exam...:

• If you will need to miss a scheduled exam, you must discuss your absence at least 48 hours before the exam with the instructor.  You will need to provide written documentation (medical excuse, letter from an instructor).
• If an emergency prevents you from contacting the instructor before the exam, you must contact the instructor within 48 hours after the exam with appropriate documentation.
• If you have a legitimate, written excuse and miss one term exam, the grade for the missed term exam will be determined by averaging the grades from your other three exams (midterms and final).
•  Written excuses must include an explanation for the absence signed by you and accompanied by additional documents as appropriate (parents, doctor etc.).  Acceptable excuses include documented illness, death in the family, and university business.
• Leaving early for Spring or Summer vacation does not count as an excused absence. Please make travel plans, including purchase of non-refundable airline tickets with this in mind.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Late assignments. 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.

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 you are responsible for being aware of them.

Extra Credit:    At the discretion of the instructor, it is possible that extra credit assignments may be assigned during the semester.  These will be announced in class.

Students with Disabilities:
 

• If you have, or believe you have, a disability and would benefit from any accommodation(s), you may wish to self-identify by contacting the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office located at Garcia Annex [phone 646-6840; TTY 646-1918] to register.
• 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 will be your responsibility to inform either your instructor or SSD representative (in a timely manner) if the services or accommodations provided are not meeting your needs.
• If you have a condition that may affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or that may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss any concerns with the instructor or with the SSD Coordinator.
• Feel free to call Ms. Elva Telles, EEO/ADA & 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.


Code of conduct::   Please see the “Student code of conduct” in the current “Student Handbook”.  Pay particular attention to the sections on Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism. The penalty for plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct (as defined in the Student Code of Conduct) is failure of the course: no exceptions.

OTHER:

GUIDELINES FOR CLASS DISCUSSION:  During the semester, different  opinions may be voiced in the class. You may strongly disagree with some of these, or you may find them amusing. Outbursts can be misinterpreted and are counterproductive to meaningful and thoughtful debate. Therefore, it is important that you exercise self-discipline and self-control, and treat all members of the class with the courtesy  you are entitled to receive in turn. The key words are respect and courtesy. Thank you!

XEROX and/or BACKUP all assignments before submitting them to the instructor.

SAVE xeroxes of all graded assignments and exams from this course at least until you have received your final grade.

Withdrawals:  It is your responsibility to withdraw from the course. The deadline is March 6, 2002.
.
DEPARTMENT OFFICE:     The Biology Department office is in FOSTER HALL 234, 646-3611.  The department secretaries are Ms. Gloria Valencia and Ms. Reta Akers.

DEPARTMENT CHAIR:     The Biology Department chair is Dr. Laura Huenneke.  Her office is in FOSTER HALL 234 (X63611).
 
 
 

Neuroscience

• Society for Neuroscience
• PBS series "SECRET LIFE OF THE BRAIN"starts January 22, 2002.
• International Consortium for Brain Mapping
• Comparative brain collection online!
• Neurosciences on the Internet
• Diseases and disorders of the nervous system
• Neurosciences for kids!
• Milestones in history of neuroscience
• Mind, brain, artificial intelligence, psychology links

Scholarships and Financial Aid

• "This 2001 Colleges, College Scholarships, and Financial Aid page is designed to offer college bound students, parents, and counselors easy access to information on: colleges and universities throughout the United States, free college scholarship and financial aid searches, SAT and ACT test preparation tips, and more." http://www.college-scholarships.com/
• "The mission of Scholarships.com is to assist students in obtaining scholarship awards for college using the Internet and to help them in exploring the many financial aid opportunities available to students as well as to parents. We provide information and resources necessary to discover the many local, state and national scholarship and grant opportunities available, in addition to the many Federal and private loan options for funding a college education" http://www.scholarships.com/
• "FastWeb is the nation's recognized leader in helping students make the decisions that shape their lives: choosing a college, paying for college and finding jobs during and after college.  And it's all free" http://www.fastweb.com/fastweb/content/aboutus/index.ptml?

Internships and Jobs

• Internship web site by Ashland University http://www.ashland.edu/~bfletche/biojob.html
• A searchable (by alphabetical order) database of almost 200 summer internships: http://www.life.uiuc.edu/hughes/undergrad_prog/researchopps/researchopps.dir.html   (Developed and maintained by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/UIUC Howard Hughes Program for Undergraduate Science Education Nikki Lowery <n-lowery@life.uiuc.edu>, Webmaster and Internships Coordinator)
• Internship web site by UIUC Schools of Life Sciences Advising Office: http://www.life.uiuc.edu/advising/internships.html
• Summer internships in math and science, primarily National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/~cortinas/summer_programs.shtml
• Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Website: http://www.urop.uci.edu then go to: Opportunities/Off-campus
• Undergraduate Research Programs at the University of Iowa:  http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/biosciences/summerprograms.htm
• Best Bets for Internships Abroad: http://www.cie.uci.edu/iop/internsh.html.   There are literally 100s of opportunities for internships abroad. This  page contains links to related web sites, and listings of some of the more well-known programs. The most helpful resources are noted with gold stars.
• JobWEB's Job Searching Engine: http://www.jobweb.org/search/profiles/    JobWEB provides a nationwide search engine that allows you to limit the search to internships exclusively.
• Internship Programs.com  http://www.internshipprograms.com/home.asp  "The largest internship community on the Internet!"