1. Attendance
Policy: Attendance is taken during each class
period. I reserve the right to withdraw any student who
has shown poor attendance. Any combination of lecture, seminar, and lab
beyond four absences is considered excessive. Poor attendance along with
poor performance may lead me to withdraw you from the course. If an absence is
anticipated, please contact your instructor ahead of time. An excused absence
in the case of recurring illness requires a note from your
physician. Good attendance is a key factor to succeeding in this course!
In case of
inclement weather or emergency: If you feel there is a possibility the college may cancel classes due to
weather, you can tune in to WLPO 1220 AM or check the college web site (www.ivcc.edu).
Be aware of the location of all exits in your classrooms and know where
you should proceed if a fire or tornado alarm sounds during class. Your
instructor will expect you to quickly and safely evacuate the building (or, in
the case of a tornado, move to the lower level of main campus) should such an
emergency or drill take place. Emergency procedures are posted near the
doorway of each classroom on main campus. In the case of a medical
emergency, you can dial 911 from any campus phone. IVCC has a team of
First Responders ready to respond to such emergencies.
2. Classroom Etiquette: IVCC has adopted official policies which
address student rights, academic integrity, and student code of conduct. These
policies are outlined in the IVCC Student Handbook and they address such
things as cheating, harassment, and verbal abuse. Please refer to the handbook
for details.
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Please be courteous to
others and
keep cell phones turned OFF or put in silent mode when class is in
session. |
3. Lecture Exams: Lecture exams are not cumulative and each exam covers only
the material presented since the previous exam. However, you are
building a foundation of knowledge as you proceed through the one-year
sequence of AP. Many things you learn will be brought up additional
times, both this semester and in BIO 1008. The knowledge you gain now
will also serve you well as you continue your education towards your chosen
health care-related profession. Lecture exams format includes mostly multiple choice, but may also include fill-in-the-blank and short answer.
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"WHAT
IF I MISS A LECTURE EXAM?": Excusably missed exams (those due to
illness or unforeseen emergencies that can be documented in writing) may be made
up with your instructor's approval.
To qualify for making up a missed exam, you must contact the instructor explaining why you missed the test within 3 school days following the
scheduled exam. Make-up exams will in most cases be essay exams.
All make-up exams will be given in the Assessment Center. Students must
call the Assessment Center at 224-0552 to make an appointment to take the exam
during their regular hours.
*Note: The above policy
applies only to lecture exams. You should consult your lab instructor if
you miss a scheduled lab practical regarding missed lab exams. |
4.
About the
Lab:
The lab component and lab exams are part of this course as a whole. Your lab
instructor is responsible for teaching labs and administering and grading
lab exams. The grades go back to the lecture instructor
and become part of your overall final grade.
Important: Lab exams (practicals) are scheduled in A-101
and will be taken during your scheduled seminar time. Students will not
be allowed in the lab during the day the lab exam is scheduled, so be sure to
make plans for additional study time in advance.
Note: Lab practicals differ from traditional paper and pencil exams. Lab practicals
involve identifying labeled structures on models, preserved cats, charts, etc...,
and answering questions related to any experiments or demonstrations conducted
during lab. In other words, you are tested on the things you SEE and DO in
the lab.
All lab materials must remain in the lab. Only AP atlases (blue books) and
your cat (with your lab partner's permission) may be
checked out.
It is in your best interest to come to lab additional hours outside of
your regularly scheduled lab time whenever possible. Biology Lab
hours will be announced the first week of classes.
5. Notice to Students with Disabilities:
If
you are a student with a cognitive, physical or psychiatric disability you
may be eligible for academic support services such as extended test time,
texts on tape, note-taking services, etc.... If you are interested in receiving
academic support services, please contact the Special Populations Office at
224-0284, office B-204, and inform your instructors.
6. Grading: Methods of instruction include lectures, laboratories,
audio-visuals (including computer demos and/or assignments), demonstrations, group
discussions, in-class exercises, and possible guest speakers. Students will be evaluated
based on total points from lecture and lab exams, weekly lecture quizzes,
and in-class activities.
Grade distribution will be as follows:
- Four lecture exams (400 total points)
- Four lab exams (400 total points)
- Lecture quizzes (generally 5-10 pts. each)
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Course grading scale:
A = 90 - 100 %
B = 80 - 89 %
C = 70 - 79 %
D = 60 - 69 %
F = below 60 % |
Note: Missed lecture quizzes and
assignments may not be made up.
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Here is a place for you to keep track of your
grades.
Enter your individual scores on the following lines: |
Lec. Exam 1_________
Lec. Exam 2_________
Lec. Exam 3_________
Lec. Exam 4_________
Lab Practical 1_________
Lab Practical 2_________
Lab Practical 3_________
Lab Practical 4_________
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Quiz 1 Date_________, Score________
Quiz 2 Date_________, Score _______
Quiz 3 Date_________, Score________
Quiz 4 Date_________, Score________Total points earned:______________
Total points:______________ |
To calculate your grade:
1. Add up the total points (lecture, seminar, and lab
combined) you earned.
2. Add up the total points possible of all your grades.
3. Take points earned and divide by points
possible and multiply by 100.
In the final evaluation of your grade, class (lecture, seminar, and lab) participation and
effort
will be taken into consideration for those students very close to having earned
the next higher grade.
7. Cadaver
Demonstrations: A human cadaver will be used for demonstration
purposes as part of the lab assignments.
8. Academic Dishonesty/Cheating:
Any student caught cheating
will automatically receive a ZERO for that exam or quiz and will be subject to withdrawal
from the course at the discretion of the instructor.
9.
IVCC Nursing Students and health professions majors in general must obtain a
minimum grade of a C to receive full course credit.
10. Auditing
the Course: Audit students are required to participate in all exams and
quizzes and must obtain a point total equal to 70% or higher at the end of the course. The
same attendance policy applies to audit students.
11. Withdrawing from Class: The final day to withdraw from the course is
Friday, November 7, 2007. Be sure to contact your instructors
before this date so they can process the necessary paperwork.
12. No Food, Drink, Tobacco,
or Children are Allowed in the Classroom.
The following quote is taken from IVCC's administrative procedures
manual: IVCC
supports families and understands the needs of students who are parents.
However, when students bring their children to class it can create a
distraction for the parent as well as for other students and the instructor.
Therefore, students are discouraged from bringing their children to
class. In a case where it is unavoidable, the instructor may grant permission.
Under no circumstances are children permitted in any labs except the
Computer Resource Centers, which are subject to instructor discretion as
outlined above. In the interest
of all concerned, students should not leave small children unattended anywhere
on campus.
13. Computer and Technology Information: Interactive Physiology
(IP) multimedia CD-ROMs
will be used for demonstrations during lecture. The IP CD is found on the
inside front cover of your textbook. You can run this CD from campus computers or on the
computers in the biology lab; however, you need to bring your
own headphones in order to hear the animations (walkman headphones will do). You may access the Internet using
your student account in the student computer lab, LRC-D. You can link to the
computer lab schedule by clicking here:
http://www.ivcc.edu/crc/Hours.html
14. Communication:
My door is always open to students with problems, questions, or concerns.
If you can't
make it to my office, the best way to reach me is by e-mail (I check it daily)
or by phone. I sincerely hope you all enjoy this class as much as I enjoy teaching it. I'm
looking forward to getting to know you all better in the coming weeks.
Mrs. Caley Opsal
STUDY TIPS
Although we all have busy lives, you
need to make this course a priority in order to succeed. Plan to spend at least 2-4 hours of additional time
studying for each hour of lecture or lab. Those of you with a limited science background may
need to devote more time to this course than others who have had some of the
suggested course prerequisites. Try to incorporate these tips into your
lifestyle:
- Read and study your textbook! Pay particular attention to tables,
summaries, charts and diagrams.
- Each week, complete at least a portion of Mrs. Caley Opsal's lecture outline by filling in definitions
and other material found in the text reading PRIOR TO coming to class. Alternatively,
there is a study guide in the IVCC bookstore that you can purchase.
- Take notes during lecture and lab and make a habit
of reviewing your notes daily outside of class. Rewriting your notes is
also helpful if you have the time to do so.
- Make a point of getting to lab to study charts and models outside of
class each week.
- Be sure to complete the assigned seminar questions, other assignments,
and view any animations from the CDs or online as suggested by your
instructor prior to coming
to class.
- Do not wait until the night before to study for an exam.
- Discuss difficult concepts
with a group of fellow classmates. The more
you engage yourself in discussions and read about the material outside of
class, the more you will "get it."
- Read the chapter summaries before you read the chapter, and after lecture
and seminar.
- Make note cards of definitions and other concepts related to each unit.
- Find a peer tutor who can work with you on material on an individual (or
group) basis.
