Instructor: Rana Tayyar, Ph.D. Email: rana.tayyar@rcc.edu Website: http://websites.rcc.edu/tayyar/ Office: MTSC 320 Class Location: MTSC 401 Lecture time: Tuesday and Thursday: 2:00-3:25 PM Biology 1 General Biology, Lecture Sections: 47231, 47237 and 48854 Fall 2017 Office Hours: Textbook: Monday: 11:15 AM 12:45 PM Tuesday: 8:00 AM 9:00 AM Wednesday: 8:00AM - 9:00AM, 11:15 AM 12:45 PM Also by appointment Starr, Cecie, Christine A. Evers and Lisa Starr. 2018. Biology, Concepts and Applications, Tenth Edition. Cengage Learning. Objectives of the course: Welcome to Biology 1! The goal of this introductory course is to provide you with basic knowledge and understanding about biological principles with an emphasis on the diversity of life at various scales, cellular and molecular biology, genetics, evolution, and ecology. By the conclusion of this course, students should be able to: 1. List the steps of the scientific method and understand the process of science. 2. Recognize the components and organization of the cell and how cells and multi-cellular organisms acquire and utilize energy. 3. Comprehend and describe the steps involved in cellular reproduction. 4. Compare and contrast individual organisms and population dynamics that include heritability, adaptation, and evolutionary principles. 5. Understand the ecosystems and explain the dynamics of the biosphere. 6. Relate biological principles to your lives and interpret their place in the environment. 7. Use appropriate biological terminology in discussing biological principles and relationships. Although introductory, this biology class covers a wide variety of topics. The amount of information you need to assimilate will build up very quickly. You should know that, for many students, this is not an easy course. Please be prepared and committed to spend enough time studying in order to succeed. Some suggestions for study habits will follow in the Study Tips for Biology 1 section. Take your job as a student seriously and you will be successful! Grading: This introductory biology course is a combination of a lecture class and a laboratory class. You must be enrolled in both classes. Sixty percent of the total grade in this course is earned from the lecture class while the remaining 40% is earned from the laboratory class. The tentative distribution of points in the lecture portion of the course is as follows: *Lecture Exam I: 100 points *Lecture Exam II: 100 points *Lecture Exam III: 100 points *Lecture Quizzes and other assignments: 100 points Regularly scheduled lecture quizzes may be given! If so, no make-up quizzes will be allowed. Additional assignments will be discussed in class and must be turned in on time for full credit. *Final Exam (cumulative): 200 points
Approximate Lecture Subtotal: 600 points Approximate Laboratory Subtotal: 400 points Approximate Course Total: 1,000 points You are responsible to keep track of your grade during the semester. Save all your graded material as documentation. Course grades will be based upon the following approximate scale. % Grade 90 100 A 80 89 B 70 79 C 60 69 D <60 F Exam Policies: * Please note that all exams count and that there are no make-up exams except under extreme circumstances (e.g., documented medical emergency). I reserve the right to make the final judgments. If you cannot notify me ahead of time, you have 24 hours after the exam begins to contact me if you wish to be eligible for a possible make-up exam and documenting the extreme circumstances. * If a make-up exam is allowed, it is the student s responsibility to schedule a mutually agreeable time with me and the exam may be entirely essay in format. Students are allowed, at most, one make-up exam. * There are no make-ups for the final exam - it must be taken at the scheduled time. * Exams are based on material covered during lecture, assigned readings and class activities. Exams may consist of multiple-choice, short-answer, true or false, fill in the blank and essay questions. You may also be required to draw and label diagrams, notate chemical equations and perform basic mathematical calculations. * Exams will be taken on ParScore forms. You will be required to turn in 4 blank ParScore forms by the end of the second week of class. Please write your name, your lab day and your student ID number on a piece of paper and fold that paper around your forms (do not staple!) before turning them in. * On exam day, you will be issued a blank ParScore for your use. Please be on time. You must bring your RCC issued photo ID card to each exam and you must present the ID when you turn in the exam. Other forms of ID will not be accepted. You are also required to bring a pencil and an eraser. Your backpacks, purses and other belongings such as books, notes, cell phones and headphones must be left at the front of the room during the exam. * There are no bathroom breaks during exams unless you have a medical condition and documentation. * Those students who have been considered absent for fewer than 6 hours of class and lab, and who do not ask for a make-up exam may be allowed to use the percentage earned on the final exam to replace the lowest of the three exam scores. You may not replace a zero, so an exam cannot be skipped and then replaced with the final. If you have missed more than 6 hours of class or have taken a make-up exam, you will not be able to replace your lowest exam grade. There will be no exceptions to these policies. * You will have the entire class period to complete each exam. Attendance: You must be present at the time attendance is taken on the first day of the class to be admitted to the course. Otherwise, you may be dropped and waitlisted students who are present may be issued add codes to take your place. Parking, traffic, and personal issues are not acceptable excuses for missing or being late to the first day of class. You must be present in both lecture and lab during the first week to remain enrolled. If you fail to attend lab during the first week, regardless of your lecture attendance, you may be dropped and replaced.
Attendance is mandatory and will be recorded during each lecture. Missing more than six hours of lecture and/ or lab will put you at a risk of being dropped from the class. Coming to class late, leaving early or falling asleep are considered absences. However, please do not assume that you will be dropped if you miss numerous lectures. Please make sure to sign the attendance sheet during each lecture period. Do not sign for a classmate, otherwise you and your classmates are held liable (ten points will be taken from your overall grade) Extra Credit: You may get extra points by correctly answering the bonus questions that are included on the lecture exams. No other forms of extra credit are available for the lecture portion of the course. Classroom Conduct and Policies: * Please be in the classroom on time for each lecture. * As a courtesy to others, cell phones must be turned off or set to silent mode during class. Text messaging during class will not be tolerated. * Please be respectful to yourself, to your instructor and to your classmates. Any student who shows disrespectful behavior will be asked to leave the classroom. * Avoid side conversations and whispering. Please remember that all students in the class have the right to an environment free of distraction. * No food or drink is allowed in the classroom. * You may not use any dictionary, translation devices or calculators during lecture exams or quizzes. You may not use laptops or any other computer devices, including smartphones, during lecture unless you make prior accommodations through Disability Resource Center (DRC). * Please see me to discuss the circumstances under which you may record the lectures. I reserve the right to revoke recording privileges at any time during the course. * Please be interactive, feel free to ask questions at appropriate times and participate. Academic integrity: You will be expected to adhere to the College s policies on academic honesty at all times. Anyone caught cheating on exams, quizzes, assignments or any other work for this course will be removed from this course and subject to severe institutional disciplinary action according to RCC policies. Board Regulation 6080, Section III: C. 1 and 2, approved on January 25, 2005, states: For instances of academic dishonesty, a faculty member may take any one of the following actions: The faculty member may reduce the score on tests or assignment(s), reduce the grade in the course, fail the student in the course or recommend to the appropriate administrative officer that the student be suspended from the course. If course suspension is recommended, the administrative officer will review the information regarding the instance of academic dishonesty, notify the student, and will prescribe appropriate due process procedures. The administrative officer will make note of the offense in the student s educational records. A second instance of academic dishonesty may result in expulsion proceedings. Any tuition and applicable fees will not be refunded as a result of disciplinary action for academic misconduct. Unless specifically designated, all work shall be done independently (without the assistance of others). Please note that plagiarism is a form of cheating. Make sure that your work is original. Any time you use someone else's work and do not give that person credit, it is plagiarism. Accommodations: If you are a student with a documented physical, psychiatric/emotional, medical, or learning disability that may impact your ability to carry out assigned course work, Riverside Community College has a Disability Resource Center (DRC) with well-trained staff that may be able to help you. The office is located in the new CAK Building Room 130. The phone number is (951) 222-8060. DRC staff will review your concerns and determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation are confidential.
Name Change: It is your responsibility to notify me if you change your name during the course of the semester. The college does not notify faculty of name changes. Letters of Recommendations: I would be happy to write you a letter of recommendation if you satisfy the following criteria: You have completed the class and received a final grade of A or B. You were an active participant in lecture and lab. You have asked my permission before you give my name out as a reference. You have provided me with information about the application, institution, program, etc. You have provided me with a personal statement including your academic accomplishments and interests. Please allow me two weeks time to write the letter. Study Tips for Biology 1 This class can be very challenging because you are introduced to a large number of terms and concepts at a rapid pace. Success in this class requires more work than most students initially realize. 1. Read the chapter(s) assigned for each lecture before class. Lectures make more sense if you read ahead. 2. Attend each lecture, pay attention and be an active participant. Take thorough lecture notes and feel free to ask questions when they arise. Please realize that most exam questions are taken from lectures. 3. After lecture, rewrite or type your notes (preferably within 24 hours). Please refer to your textbook. Please mark any questions or unclear points that you might have. Reorganize the material so that it makes sense to you. Some students find flash cards very useful. 4. Use office hours productively. Come prepared with questions or concerns. 5. Form a study group (even two is a group). Find a few friends who are also in the class and are willing to meet regularly to discuss the material covered in lecture and to prepare for exams. 6. Tutors are available on campus if you need extra help. Tutorial services office is located in the MLK Building, Room 232, phone #: (951) 222-8170. Services are free for enrolled students. 7. No matter what you do or how you study, PLEASE DO NOT FALL BEHIND! Please come see me if you are having difficulties. 8. Stay healthy and get enough rest. I hope your experience will be both educational and fun. I hope you will feel comfortable to share with me any concerns you might have about the class. Please do not hesitate to email me or come to office hours. This allows me to get to know you better and also help you in a more effective way. Communication is a key to success (for both students and instructors). Together we can make this class an interesting and enjoyable one!
Tentative Lecture Schedule You are responsible for any changes in the syllabus Week Dates Topics Chapter 1 8/28-9/1 Introduction; Invitation to Biology, Life s Chemical Basis 1,2 2 9/4-9/8 Molecules of Life 3 3 9/11-9/15 Cell Structure; Ground Rules of Metabolism 4, 5 4 9/18-9/22 Photosynthesis 6 5 9/25-9/29 How Cells Release Chemical Energy; DNA Structure and Function 7, 8 6 10/2-10/6 From DNA to Protein; Control of Gene Expression 9, 10 7 10/9-10/13 How Cells Reproduce, Meiosis 11, 12 8 10/16-10/20 Patterns in Inherited Traits 13 9 10/23-10/27 Human Inheritance; Biotechnology 14, 15 10 10/30-11/3 Evidence of Evolution; Processes of Evolution 16, 17, 18 11 11/6-11/10 Viruses, Bacteria, and Archaea; Protists 19, 20 12 11/13-11/17 Plant Evolution 21 13 11/20-11/24 Fungi; Animals I 22, 23 14 11/27-12/1 Animals II; Animal Behavior, Population Ecology 24, 25, 26 15 12/4-12/7 Community Ecology; Ecosystems; Human Effects on the Biosphere 27, 28, 30 16 12/14 2:00-4:30 PM Final Exam All chapters covered Exam I: (Chapters 1-5): 9/28/17 Exam II: (Chapters 6-12): 10/26 Exam III: (Chapters 13-20): 11/21 Last day to add: 09/08/17 Last day to drop without W : 09/10/17 Last day to drop with W : 11/17/17 Holidays: Labor Day: 09/04/17 Veterans Day: 11/10/17 Thanksgiving: 11/23/17 and 11/24/17