Biol 259: Cell Biology
Fall 2007
11:00am to 11:50pm, MWF and 1:00pm to 1:50pm, R
Academic Integrity Policy :
The goal of an academic integrity policy is to achieve the highest level of integrity without need to invoke procedures or sanctions. I have adopted the following policy for all of the courses I teach. This policy was drafted by a sanctioned committee of Harding University students, faculty, and administrators. "Honesty and integrity are characteristics that should describe each one of us as servants of Jesus Christ. As your instructor, I pledge that I will strive for honesty and integrity in how I handle the content of this course and in how I interact with each of you. I ask that you join me in pledging to do the same. Academic dishonesty will result in penalties up to and including dismissal from the class with a failing grade and will be reported to the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs. All instances of dishonesty will be handled according to the procedures delineated in the Harding University catalog." |
Course Objectives:
This course is designed to aquaint biology students with the foundational topics and theories needed to develop an in-depth understanding of the discipline of Biology. Mastery of the material covered in this course is absolutely necessary for students planning careers in any and all biologically related fields. This course is designed for students majoring in a science field. Therefore, it is anticipated that those enrolled in this course are committed to putting forth more than average effort, and devoting more than average time to mastering the topics that will be covered. The discipline of cell biology is changing and advancing at a very rapid rate. As a result, the expanding bank of knowledge, facts, relationships, etc., regarding cellular components places students in a position of needing to learn, well... a lot!! |
You will be required to purchase Lecture Notes and a text for this course. The lecture notes will be available from the instructor at a cost of $8.00. Quiz and test material will be taken from these notes. The textbook chosen for this course is very good. You will be expected to read the text and your instructor will refer to it often during lecture. Click on the text image at the right for publisher information. Text: The World of the Cell. 6th edition. Becker, Kleinsmith and Hardin. 2006. ISBN: 0-8053-4680-5 |
Jo M. Goy, M.S. |
Cell Phone Policy:
A cell phone ring always brings class lecture to a screeching halt. Avoid bringing cell phones to class. At the minimum, silence your phone before class begins. Receiving cell phone calls or text messages during the class period is an overt act of selfishness. Your instructor reserves the right to dismiss from the course any student who repeatedly ignores this directive. Cell phones must be stowed in an out of sight location during quizzes and exams and are not permitted to be on the desktop, handled, nor answered during testing periods. Students who disregard this policy will receive a grade of zero for the quiz or test taken during the offense. |
Course Content:
We will cover as many chapters in the text as time permits. I recommend that you take your class notes directly onto your copy of the Lecture Notes. The course text is excellent, so read it thoroughly. Consider all the material in the text as “need to know” unless otherwise stated during lecture. Much of the material presented during lecture is available on HU Blackboard. Therefore, during the first week of the semester make certain your HU username and password is operative. If you experience problems accessing BlackBoard you should contact the Office of Student Technology Services at 279-4545. I continually update the material covered in this course. Therefore, you should expect new note pages to be handed out at various times throughout the semester. Success is best accomplished when you realize that you can not master course material during classroom lectures. Instead, true understanding and mastery of the concepts and facts comes from dedicated, intense study of class notes and the text. Do not simply read the text and notes...instead, study so that you can communicate the facts and theories verbally in a complete and well-integrated manner. Be sure that you can properly use the terms and phrases that are contained in the material. To this end, the following study tips may be of benefit to you: 1. Stay caught up...study each week for the next quiz/exam. 2. Begin an intense preparation for each exam at least a week before the test date. 3. Study with someone and verbally quiz one another. 4. When studying, put less emphasis on memorizing facts and terms, and much emphasis on 5. The material covered in this course does not necessarily lend itself to memorization as do the structure and names of organic compounds or the structures of the human body....LEARN THE MATERIAL, DON'T JUST MEMORIZE TERMS. |
Quizzes: If you are a member of a Harding University varsity sports team which is routinely away from Searcy on Tuesdays you must see me during to first week of the semester for possible accommodation. There will be a total of 11 weekly quizzes, each worth 15 points max. Your 9 best scores will be summed to give a maximum 135 point quiz score (2 of the 11 will be dropped.) All missed quizzes will be recorded as a grade of zero points earned. There will be no makeup exams given for missed quizzes, regardless of the reason for the absence. Dropping two quizzes is designed to allow for illness and unexpected problems. In general, quizzes will concentrate on topics covered since the prior quiz. However, all material covered and/or assigned prior to the day the quiz is given will be potential for quiz questions. Please note that this includes pertinent textbook reading, video presentations, CD-ROM presentations and all material presented during class. Quiz format will vary, but will primarily consist of fill in the blank and short answer. Quizzes will not be scored on Scan-Tron. As often as possible quizzes will be returned or made available before the upcoming test. Exams: |
How your grade will be determined:
Final grades will be based on the percentage of points earned out of the total points possible during the semester. Scores will be rounded to the nearest whole number and grades awarded according to the scale below. Do not expect grades to be curved. There will be no extra credit assignments offered. Bonus credit for attending departmental seminars may be offered. Such offering is at the discretion of the instructor and will depend on several factors, including the nature of the talks presented during the semester's seminar series. Exam 1 100 A: 90 - 100% Exam 2 100 B: 80 - 89% Exam 3 100 C: 70 - 79% Final 100 D: 60 - 69% Quizzes: 9 X 15 pts = 135 F: 59% and below |
Students with disabilities:
It is the policy for Harding University to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal and state law. Therefore, any student with a documented disability condition (e.g. physical, learning, psychological, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations, must contact the instructor and the Disabilities Office at the beginning of each semester. (If the diagnosis of the disability occurs during the academic year, the student must self-identify with the Disabilities Director as soon as possible in order to get academic accommodations in place for the remainder of the semester.) The Disabilities Office is located in Room 102 of the Lee Academic Center, telephone, (501) 279-4019. If you have special testing needs you must discuss them with me prior to the first exam. |