BIOL-1000
Instructor: Amanda M. Talbot-Ward

Welcome to
General Biology

Instructor Information

Amanda M. Talbot-Ward

• E-Mail: talbota@macomb.edu
• Phone: 586.445.7300 Ext. 3059
• Office: B 304-4
• Office Hours: By appointment
• Mailbox: B-304

Biology by Sylvia Mader, 9th Edition.
Laboratory Exercises in Biology 1000 by MCC Biology Staff.

No make-up exams or quizzes are given so plan accordingly.
Quizzes will be given during the first 15 minutes of lab and will contain 1/3 lab material and 2/3 lecture material. They will be a mixture short answer, fill-in-the-blank, true and false, multiple choice questions. 
Lab practicals will be given on the date specified. Scantrons will be required for lab practicals; the student must purchase them from the bookstore. Providing 2 scantrons by Thursday, August 31 will allow you to start the semester with 5 extra credit points (do not write your name on them!!!!)
Examinations typically consist of multiple-choice questions with 10-25 points of short answer/essay questions.  The multiple-choice section will consist of an excess of questions of which you will choose a set number to answer.  (Example 70 questions provided and you would answer 60 you know the best).  The final exam will be partially cumulative. 

Grading

Your final grade will be based on the following:

Points can and will be removed from final grade if proper microscope storage is not followed.  The first occurrence will be a warning, second will be minus 2 points, third minus 4 points and so on.
         
Small increments of extra credit are given randomly; do not ask for more!!
Your final grade will be based upon a percentage of those accumulated points as follows:

Keep track of your grades on grading sheet. Discussion of grade will not occur unless sheet in completed.

Cheating

Cheating will not be tolerated. Any student found cheating, will be required to meet with the appropriate administrator before returning to class. The result of cheating can include a zero grade for the assignment(s) and possible dismissal from class. Plagiarism is a form of cheating, do not do it. If you need help learning the difference between plagiarism and summarizing please see me.

All assignments must be completed (and stapled) and turned in before the class begins on the date specified. Failure to do so will result in a lower grade for the assignment. All work must be neat.

Attendance is not mandatory. However, if you miss a class session, it will be your responsibility to get the notes from a fellow student. I suggest that you trade phone numbers so that you will be able to contact a classmate. Keep in mind that lab sessions cannot be made up. Tardiness – excessive lateness will require a written explanation or a 10-point reduction in the final grade score will occur.

Lecture text, lab manual, #2 pencils, pens, syllabus & grading sheet, index cards (or 3X5 pieces of paper notepaper) and notebook.

Note: Tape recorders, battery-powered, are permitted. All classroom discussions are held in the realm of academic freedom.

The college has an official withdrawal policy that must be followed. Failure to do so could result in an “E” grade. Check with the Registrar's Office in G-312.

Many student services are provided at little or no cost. To name a few – Learning & Academic Assessment Center, Peer tutoring, Academic Advising, etc.

Wandering in and out of the room while class is in session is rude, unless an emergency warrants such actions. Please plan to stay for the entire period and prepare yourself. Please mute cell phones and pagers.

Biology 1000 is a structured course covering plenty of intense information. The general rule is for every contact hour per week the student should be putting in 2 hours of outside studying. Notes should be recopied and organized into a notebook to keep the student ready class. Students should be prepared for all classes by reviewing previous notes and reading chapters to be covered. Another common notion is reviewing copied notes 30 minutes a day 6 times a week, on top of studying around exam time.

*Have you evaluated your schedule of courses? Will you have enough time to read, study and prepare yourself to achieve a level of comprehension to pass this class?

Note: The following items are provided in Adobe PDF format. If you do not have the Adobe Reader plug-in installed on your computer, click here to go to Adobe's web site and download it for free.

TENTATIVE EXAM SCHEDULE

TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE

LAB SCHEDULE

GRADING SHEET