Course Policies

 

Lectures

Monday, Wednesday and Friday, SC272

Section 1052 - 11:00-11:50am

 

Instructor

Dr. Gregory Wadsworth (SC362)
Office Phone 878-5215
e-mail: wadswogj@buffalostate.edu
Internet: faculty.buffalostate.edu/wadswogj/

 

Office Hours:

Monday and Wednesday 10:00am or by appointment

 

Required Text:           

Audesirk, Audesirk and Byers (2007) Life on Earth, Custom Edition for Buffalo State College. Pearson Custom Publishing, Bostonl.

 

Goals of Course:

BIO100: Principles of Biology is an introductory course designed for non-biology majors. It introduces students to the basic unifying principles of biology.  The course content covers four broad areas: the common molecular structure of all living things, the basic components of cellular metabolism, the structure and function of genes and Darwinian evolution.  This course is intended for non-biology majors. Most students take BIO100 to fulfill the general education math/science requirement.  Students also take BIO100 as a prerequisite for several more advanced biology courses including BIO308; Human Anatomy and Physiology

 

Required Reading:           

See on-line study guides for syllabus of topics and reading assignments. Required reading assignments are given in support of each week’s lecture materials. Students are responsible for keeping current on the reading assignments and for being prepared to discuss them in class.

Attendance:   

Attending lectures is essential for success in this course. The exams will emphasize material covered in lectures. However, there is no automatic penalty for failing to attend lectures.

 

Academic Misconduct:

All students at Buffalo State College are expected to display honesty and integrity in completing course requirements.  "Academic misconduct" refers to plagiarism or cheating on examinations or assignments, and it is inconsistent with the aims and goals of Buffalo State.  Specifically, students may neither use the work of another individual without proper acknowledgment nor perform work for another individual.  Other examples of inappropriate academic conduct include prior acquisition or possession of an examination or submission of false data.  As a result of a sustained allegation of academic misconduct, a low or failing grade for part or all of the coursework may be given to the student, at the discretion of the instructor.  No penalty for an alleged instance of academic misconduct may be imposed unless the student has been apprised of the allegation, the penalty, and the procedures of due process that are available.  Cases of severe infractions of acceptable standards may be brought before the Academic Misconduct Board, chaired by the director of academic standards, and may result in academic dismissal.

Disabilities:

Any student who requires accommodations to complete the requirements and expectations of this course because of a disability is invited to make his or her needs known to the instructor and/or to Marianne Savino, coordinator of services for students with disabilities, South Wing 130, ext. 4500.

 

Course Evaluation

Final course grades will be based on two types of evaluations, take-home chapter quizzes and mid-term examinations.

 

Chapter Quizzes           

Take-home quizzes will account for 37% of your final grade. There will be a quiz assigned for each of the 15 chapters in the syllabus.  The quizzes must be downloaded from the course web site.  Each quizzes will be worth 20 points.  The quizzes will be due at the beginning of class on the date noted at the top of the quiz.  Late quizzes will not be accepted.  Together, the 15 quizzes will be worth a total of 300 points during the course of the semester.

 

Exams:           

There will be a total of five exams, four during the semester and one during CEP. Each exam will focus on the lectures and reading material which preceded it. See online study guide for tentative dates of exams. Each exam will be worth 100 pts.  No make-up exams will be given, except under extreme circumstances. Together, the 5 exams will be worth a total of 500 points or 63% of your grade.

 

Final Grade:

The scores of the each of the 15 quizzes and the five exams will be totaled and the sum will be divided by 8.  The resulting score will determine the final grade using the following scale.  There will be no curve or alteration of the point distribution when calculating final grades.

 

 

        Points       Grade

                                92-100     A

89-91       A-

                                86-88       B+

                                82-85       B

                                79-81       B-

                                76-78       C+

                                72-75       C

                                70-72       C-

                                67-69       D+

                                60-66       D

> 60%       E