171 Lecture

BI 171 - Biochemistry, Form, & Function

Spring 2019 Syllabus

Instruction Team:

Lectures:
BI 171-01: Tues and Fri 9:30-10:45 a.m. - NHS 224
BI 171-02: Tues and Fri 12:30-1:45 p.m. - NHS 224

Course Goals
BI 171 is the second semester of the three-semester introductory biology course. Two professors will team-teach the course, each from his or her own area of expertise. Dr. Andersen will be leading the Biochemistry and Plant Physiology portion of the course and Dr. Walker will be leading the Animal Physiology portion of the course. We will focus our attention on the unifying themes of biology using a variety of teaching tools including lectures, group discussions, interactive computer activities, and investigation-based laboratories.

As in General Biology I, our specific goals are as follows:

* To build a knowledge base and acquire the intellectual tools necessary to succeed as a biologist.
* To become comfortable with the scientific process that biologists use (formulating and testing hypotheses) as they attempt to answer questions about the natural world.
* To appreciate why evolution is the "core theme of biology."

Labs
Students are assigned to a required three-hour laboratory period that meets once per week. Attendance to your assigned lab section is REQUIRED, and will be recorded at each meeting. You must pass the laboratory section in order to pass the class.

Peer Learning Groups (PLGs)
Students have been assigned to one of 10 PLG sections. Each PLG section is limited to 10-12 students and is led by an upper division biology major. These sessions are designed to be small learning communities in which students can work together throughout the semester to become comfortable with the lecture material through problem-solving and other activities. Attendance to your assigned PLG section is REQUIRED, and will be recorded at each meeting.

Required Material (available at bookstore):

• Biological Science, Sixth Edition (2017), Scott Freeman, with Mastering Biology access
• BI 171 Lab Manual (required for the laboratory portion of the course)
• A marble composition-style laboratory notebook (required for the laboratory portion of the course)
• Laptop, smartphone, or tablet with internet access for in-class polling questions
• Lab coat to be worn at all times in the laboratory

Required Online Course Material

Lecture slides, class announcements, and PLG assignments will be posted in Blackboard, which can be accessed through my.fairfield.edu.

All online quizzes and in-class polling questions will be available through the Mastering Biology website: http://www.masteringbio.com. Access to this site is restricted to members of the course, and requires a password that is provided in your textbook. This password and course ID (see below for your section ID) will allow you to register. The Mastering Biology site will include links to the required quizzes, in addition to many other helpful study aids. It is the student's responsibility to check this site regularly between classes and take quizzes within the allowable window of time. In-class polling questions can be accessed through the Learning Catalytics link in Mastering Biology.
Course ID for 171-01 (9:30 AM section): BI171SPRING201901
Course ID for 171-02 (12:30 PM section): BI171SPRING201902

Grading

• In-class exams (35%): The first exam will carry slightly less weight (8%) than the other three (each worth 9%).
• Final Exam (25%): A cumulative final exam, prepared jointly by the two professors. The final exam is required to pass the course.
• Laboratory (25%): This portion of your grade includes assessment of your laboratory notebook, lab report, lab quizzes, a scientific publication review, a formal lab report and poster presentation, and a lab practical (see Laboratory Syllabus). You must pass the lab to pass the course.
• Mastering Biology Online Quizzes & Assignments (8%) Online Mastering Biology quizzes will be assigned for each chapter, and will be due by midnight before the next class period.
• Peer Learning Group Participation (5%): Perfect attendance and active participation in the PLG sessions will earn students the FULL 5%. Points will be lost for absences and/or non-participation.
• In-Class Question Polling Reponses (2%): These activities will be given at the discretion of the instructor using Learning Catalytics feature of Mastering Biology. Attendance and correct answers will be scored.

Course Policies

• Class Cancellation: In case of class cancellation, the lecture material or exam scheduled for the missed day automatically moves to the next class meeting.
• Attendance: Attendance at each exam is required. There will be NO MAKE-UP EXAMS - INCLUDING THE FINAL! Pay attention to the date and time of the final exam, since no exams will be administered early. You must attend and take exams during your assigned lecture section.
• Incompletes: The Biology Department strictly follows the University regulations for giving a grade of incomplete (I). An incomplete will be given only if the final exam cannot be taken for good reason (e.g. illness or conflict with other exam) and only if arrangements are made beforehand with the professor. IN NO CASE WILL AN INCOMPLETE BE GIVEN TO AVOID AN UNSATISFACTORY GRADE.
• Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the appropriation of ideas, data, work, or language of others and submitting them as one's own to satisfy the requirements of a course. Plagiarism constitutes theft and deceit and will not be tolerated. When the ideas or writings of others are presented in assignments, these ideas or writings should be attributed to that source. Make sure all writing is in your own words - do not simply cut and paste. When using materials from ANY source, appropriate documentation is always essential.
• Academic Honesty: Consistent with the policy of the university, any form of cheating is a violation of academic honesty and integrity, and will jeopardize your grade in this class and, possibly, your standing at the university. . Please see the University Honor Code and stance on Academic Honesty.
• Cell Phones: The use of cell phones or stereo headphones/music devices in class is disruptive to others. Cell phones may ONLY be used for Learning Catalytics questions.

Resources

Resources such as the DiMenna-Nyselius Library (Ext. 2178; http://www.fairfield.edu/library/) and the writing center are available to assist you in your academic endeavors.

Peer Tutoring - The office of Academic Support and Retention offers peer tutoring services for this introductory series of courses. The schedule for peer tutoring is posted on OrgSync, where you can sign up. We strongly encourage students to take advantage of this on a regular basis, as many students wait until the session immediately before the exam, which is often too late. If the scheduled peer tutoring sessions conflict with your schedule, please contact the office for exploration of alternatives.

Student Accessibility - Fairfield University is committed to achieving equal educational opportunities, providing students with documented disabilities access to all University programs, services and activities. In order for this course to be equally accessible to all students, different accommodations or adjustments may need to be implemented. If you require accommodations for this course because of a disability, please contact Accessibility within the Academic and Career Development Center as early as possible this semester, as they are the designated department on campus responsible for approving and coordinating reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Accessibility will help you understand your rights and responsibilities under the American with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and will provide you further assistance with requesting and arranging accommodations for your courses. Once you receive your accommodations letter, please make appointments to meet with Dr. Andersen (first half of the semester), Dr. Walker (second half of the semester), and your lab professor as soon as possible so that we can review your accommodations together and discuss how best to help you achieve equal access in this course this semester. Accessibility in the Academic and Career Development Center: Location: Kelley Center; Phone: 203-254-4081; Email: acdc@fairfield.edu

Spring 2019 Lecture Syllabus

Catherine Andersen's Lectures

Brian Walker's Lectures

170 Lecture | 170 Lab | 171 Lecture | 171 Lab
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