There are two syllabi on this page.  The first is the lecture syllabus and the second is the lab syllabus. 

ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY 101

Lecture Syllabus

Fall 2008                                          

INSTRUCTOR

Steven Clark

Office: APH 203F

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 9-11.  I’m usually on campus everyday and can meet with students.  The 9-11 is simply a time when the likelihood of my being available is high.  It would be best to call me or make an appointment.  Drop-ins at any time are welcome.

E-mail: sclark@clark.edu

Mailbox: APH Science Office

My website address is: http://web.clark.edu/sclark/

LECTURE INFORMATION

• This is part of the BIO 101 lecture/lab course.  There are no independent lab or conference credits (0 credits).  The lab is the three hour part of this class on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.  The conference is the one hour part of this class on Friday.

• Lecture is from 11-12:20 Tuesdays and Thursdays APH 201

• Our text is Essential Environment (3^rd edition) by Withgott and Brennan. 

• Students will be expected to use the book’s companion website.  This means you will need to get logged in familiarize yourself with the site.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This five credit course is designed to introduce non-science majors to the concepts of environmental science.  We will study how nature works—this will involve biology and ecology.  We will also study the ways in which humans interact with nature.  Finally, we will study how humans can interact with the natural world in a manner that can be sustained in the future.

The 101 course (lecture, lab and conference) fulfills five credits of the science distribution requirement at Clark.

COURSE POLICIES

Preparation for Class and Class Attendance: A tentative schedule is included in this syllabus.  The Weekly Reading Study Guides will help you to stay abreast of the reading topics.  Reading before class will enhance your comprehension during lecture.  It also allows you to bring any questions with you to class for clarification.

In the event of snow or any other odd occurrence that may impact class, look at my web site.

I will not take formal attendance for the lecture portion of the course.  If you are absent, it is your responsibility to get copies of any handouts from another student or from me.

I walk around during lecture.  I also ask students to write questions and answers on scratch papers during lecture.  Occasionally I will ask students to cluster together during lectures to work on some task.  To facilitate these lecture activities I will need students to sit in specific areas of the lecture hall (close to the front, leave spaces so I can move among the seats, etc.)  I may design a seating pattern soon and expect students to help make that seating design work.

I will help any student in any way I can.  Call me, email me, meet with me, study with me, let me improve your note-taking skills or anything you and I can think of.  I am good at trouble shooting low grades and love to help out.

Missed Tests:

1. There will be no makeup tests. If you miss an exam, that will be the low score that you drop.  I reserve the right to develop an alternative grading strategy in the event of extreme personal circumstances.

2. Students may not drop the final exam.

3. If class is canceled for any reason, expect that scheduled activities will take place at the next class meeting.

Missed and Late Assignments:  If you are absent for a lecture, you are still responsible for any assignments made during the class. If class is canceled for any reason, then assignments will be collected at the next class period. All assignments are due on time (that may be at the beginning of class or by the end of class, depending on the assignment) and no late assignments will be accepted.  Please do not ask me to accept a late assignment.

Class Participation: I like students to be engaged by questions coming either from me or from other students.  Conversation, questions and comments are a welcome part of this class.  The success of these interactions is enhanced by students reading their text before class.

Student Conduct: Clark College has a student code of conduct that all students ought to be aware of.  [On the Clark website, navigate to: Clark College-About Clark-Policies and Procedures-Student code of conduct].

Academic Honesty: Academic honesty is required at all times.  Cheating will result in a zero for that particular test/exam/assignment and may also result in a dismissal from the course with a failing grade.  Plagiarism, which is representing another’s work as your own, is considered academic dishonesty.  If you intend to quote someone’s idea or sentence, use quotations or a footnote or a parenthesis to tell me what you are doing.  If you don’t declare where the idea or sentence came from, it looks like copying or plagiarism and you will be held accountable for that.  In addition to helping you to footnote properly, I would be happy to help you become skilled at reading someone’s work then closing the book and developing your own opinion honestly and confidently.

Classroom Behavior: Students engaging in disruptive behaviors during class will be asked to leave the classroom.  Repeated occurrences will lead to dismissal from the course. You may not leave and reenter the classroom during a test or exam so take care of any bathroom needs before tests begin.  

Dropping the course: Students will be allowed to drop a class, without instructor signature, through the seventh week of the quarter. (Note: Classes that meet less than 10 weeks, including summer classes, will have a pro-rated deadline.) Students who drop after the 10th day of the quarter receive a 'W' grade on their transcript, which does not affect their GPA. No drops will be allowed after the seventh week. Students who feel they have extenuating circumstances may appeal this policy by contacting the unit dean before the end of the last scheduled day of the quarter (before finals). The refund policy remains the same.  [This is Clark College policy].

Disability Support Services: Clark College and the Disability Support Services assist those with disabilities in pursuing their educational goals.  Their phone number is 992-2314.

GRADED ITEMS

Lecture Quizzes

• Lecture quizzes will be given about every other week (this is flexible and dependent on class pace).

• These quizzes/tests are worth 50 points each.

• Usually 50% of the quiz questions will be provided on my website beforehand as study tools.

  • About 50% of the questions on the quiz will be randomly selected from the study topics/questions.

• Your lowest lecture quiz score will be dropped. 

• There will be no make-up quizzes.

Comprehensive Final Exam

• 100 points

Community Service [See further description of Community Service below]

• 50 points

• Extra credit (10 points)

Lab Points [Detailed description of labs and conference will be provided in your lab session]

• 245 points

Final Grade

Your final grade will be based on the percentage of the total class points that you earned.  The table below gives an estimate of the total points possible.

Grade Scale:

            92%-100% = A                                               78%- 79% = C+

            90%- 91% = A-                                               72%- 77% = C

            88%- 89% = B+                                              70%- 71%   = C-

            82%- 87% = B                                                60%- 69% = D

            80%- 81% = B-                                               Below 60% = F

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Students are expected to complete 7 hours of community service that benefits the natural environment during the quarter.  I will provide you with multiple contacts and opportunities to complete these hours but you are responsible for contacting the organization to coordinate your volunteer times.  Your verification form is due October 30^th.  Your service hours must be complete and turned in to me or be in my box (APH 203) by 4 PM the last day of lecture (Thursday, Dec. 4).  See my website for a list of possible volunteer opportunities. 

• Verification form 10 points.  Verification form points will not be counted if no community service was done. [See web site]

• Completion Form 10 points [See web site]

• Summary Write-up 10 points [See web site]

• Community Service Work 20 points

• 10 Extra Credit points are available for students who have their verification form to me by October 16 (week 4). 

CLARK COLLEGE ABILITIES AND OUTCOMES

Clark College has identified key abilities that it wants students to acquire through their education.  Similarly, the science department has identified education requirements that are important to the sciences.  The table below shows how this class will address the goals of the college, the science department and of the Biology 101 class.

In addition to learning specific biology subject matter, Clark College has identified six campus-wide Student Learning Outcomes or Abilities that form the foundation of our educational emphasis: 1) critical thinking/problem solving, 2) information/technology, 3) communication, 4) life-long learning, 5) effective citizenship, and 6) global/multicultural awareness.  Although we will involve aspects of all of these abilities during the quarter, I will specifically promote critical thinking, citizenship and communication (through class discussions, small group discussions, reading assignments, and video presentations).  The table below shows how I will endeavor to promote specific Student Learning Outcomes in this class:

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (I expect this to change but it may give you a feel for our pace, reading requirements and our topics.  Revisions will be posted on my website).

BIOLOGY 101B

Lab Syllabus

Fall 2008

INSTRUCTOR

Steven Clark

Office: APH 203F

Monday and Wednesday 9-11.  I’m usually on campus everyday and can meet with students.  The 9-11 is simply a time when the likelihood of my being available is high.  It would be best to call me or make an appointment.  Drop ins at any time are welcome.

E-mail: sclark@clark.edu

Mailbox: APH Science Office

My website address is: http://web.clark.edu/sclark/  Syllabus updates will be posted on my website.

LAB INFORMATION

• This is part of the BIO 101 lecture course.  There are no independent lab or conference credits (0 credits).  The lab is the three hour class and the conference is the one hour class on Friday.

• Labs will meet in APH 108 and off campus.

• Conferences are on Fridays in APH 108.

·         All lab students must be concurrently enrolled in BIOL 101.

·         In week 8, the Tuesday lab students will need to attend a different lab.  In week 10 the Wednesday lab students will need to attend a different lab.

Course Information and Philosophy

Environmental biology is a five credit class with a lecture, lab and conference component. Successful completion of all components of BIO 101 fulfills the 5-credit laboratory science distribution requirement for the associate of arts degree.  Please note that the lab is not a separate entity from the lecture.  One grade is given for class and lab assignments although the grading rationale on this syllabus describes the lab/conference assignments only. Labs focus on hands-on learning of key concepts. Conferences will be used to introduce/review labs, take quizzes, participate in additional activities, and hold small group discussions.

This is a fascinating course to teach.  In my opinion, managing resources (those used by humans or any other organism in the world) is one of the most critical issues of our day.  This lab gives students introductions to the issues and also allows students to consider ways in which the biology of our environment can be studied and maintained.  I look forward to your creativity.

Textbook and Support Services, Etc.

Our text is Essential Environment (3^rd edition) by Withgott and Brennan. 

Other readings will be distributed when they are assigned.  Bring your textbook to lab.

Please bring a calculator to labs.

Support Services such as Library, Disability Support Service and Tutoring /Writing Center can be accessed online at http://www.Clark.edu.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of BIOL 101 lab and conference, students will be expected to:

COURSE POLICIES

Off Campus Labs

On several occasions we will meet outdoors and off campus.  Here are some things that I value in those situations:

·         I value students who do our lab activities energetically despite the weather.  Dress well so that you don’t feel inhibited from joining in any of our outdoor activities (walking in wet grass, sampling insects from a stream, touring a wildlife refuge etc).

·         I value carpooling.  In fact it is a way to exercise some of the solutions to conserving resources.

·         I value promptness when others are involved in an activity.

Lab Grades

·         At the end of each lab, students will receive either a ✓+, ✓or ✓– .  

o   Completed labs will receive a ✓+ or ✓.

o   Incomplete, poorly completed labs will receive a ✓–.

o   Labs will be worth 15 points. Lab points are deducted for labs that do not receive a ✓+.

§  ✓: minus 5 points.

§  ✓–: minus 10 points.

§  Absent from lab: minus 20 points (it is possible to earn negative points for labs by the end of the quarter).

·       If you know ahead of time that you will miss a lab check with me to see if you can make-up the missed lab by attending another section of lab for that week.

·       There are no make-up quizzes, so if there is a quiz, you will miss that point opportunity. 

Student Conduct: In the appendix of the Clark College catalogue is a section on student conduct (G3-G11) that all students ought to be aware of.  I’ll highlight a few pieces of that appendix below.

Academic Honesty: Academic honesty is required at all times.  Cheating will result in a zero for that particular test/exam/assignment and may also result in a dismissal from the course with a failing grade.  Plagiarism, which is representing another’s work as your own, is an example of academic dishonesty.  If you intend to quote someone’s idea or sentence, use quotations or a footnote or a parenthesis to tell me what you are doing.  If you don’t declare where the idea or sentence came from, it looks like copying or plagiarism and you will be held accountable for that.  In addition to helping you to footnote properly, I would be happy to help you become skilled at reading someone’s work then closing the book and developing your own opinion honestly and confidently.

Classroom Behavior: Students engaging in disruptive behaviors during class will be asked to leave the classroom.  Repeated occurrences will lead to dismissal from the course. You may not leave and reenter the classroom during a test or exam so take care of any bathroom needs before tests begin.

Missed and Late Assignments:  If you are absent for a lab, you are still responsible for any assignments made during the class. If class is canceled for any reason, then assignments will be collected at the next class period. All assignments are due on time and no late assignments will be accepted.  Please don’t ask me to accept a late assignment.  Note: This policy may differ from that of other instructors teaching this course.

Cancelled Class: In the event of snow or any other odd occurrence that may impact class, look at my web site.

Grading and Graded Items: The box below is tentative; some items may change.  The purpose of the box is to give students a feel for how their work will be evaluated.

Your final BIOL 101 grade is a combination of lab points and lecture points.  Your lab points (up to 275 points) will be roughly 45% of your BIOL 101 lecture/lab grade. 

Environmental Issues Project and Presentation: Early in the term, students will select an issue that is of interest to them.  Working in groups of two to four people, students will research their given issue.  The working groups will be established be matching students with similar research interests.  Students will present the results of their research during a teaching presentation during week 8 of the quarter.  Each group will be required to submit a written summary (abstract) as well as an outline and bibliography of their research.  This will be a large project that will require out of class time with your group.  I will give you detailed instructions in class.  The project is worth 65 points.

Dropping classes: Students will be allowed to drop a class, without instructor signature, through the seventh week of the quarter. (Note: Classes that meet less than 10 weeks, including summer classes, will have a pro-rated deadline.) Students who drop after the 10th day of the quarter receive a 'W' grade on their transcript, which does not affect their GPA. No drops will be allowed after the seventh week. Students who feel they have extenuating circumstances may appeal this policy by contacting the unit dean before the end of the last scheduled day of the quarter (before finals). The refund policy remains the same.  [This is Clark College policy].

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Labs in bold are off-campus. This schedule is tentative-expect changes.  Changes will be posted on my website.