Biology 1102, Fall 2010
Syllabus

TEXT AND LAB MANUAL

The textbook for the lectures is Explore Life by Postlethwait and Hopson (ISBN 0-03-022558-2) available at the UConn Co-op and also online book vendors. This book was originally published in 2003, so there are many used copies available at a reasonable price. It is not necessary to purchase either the CD-ROM or the "Infotrac" library offered as ancillary study aids because these are not used in this course. The used copies available are a bit beaten-up, but the price is right and the content and figures are very useful. The required lab manual is custom-published by the UConn Co-op, and is entitled Biology 1102 Laboratory Manual. Be sure to bring your lab manual to every lab and read the assigned material before starting lab.

LECTURE SCHEDULE

There are two parallel lecture sections of Biology 1102 this semester, with lectures on MWF at 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM in TLS 154. These two sections are separate; students registered for lab sections 01-08 must attend the 10 AM lecture (Dr. Taigen), those registered for lab sections 11-18 must attend the 12 PM lecture (Dr. Fry). Although the basic organization of the two lecture sections are the same, the lecturers may emphasize different examples or perhaps develop different issues, which will be reflected in differences in the exams.

LABORATORY SCHEDULE

All lab sections meet once per week throughout the semester in TLS 303 or TLS 309 (labs rotate between rooms), beginning with the second week of classes (Sept 6-10). See separate page for a comprehensive laboratory syllabus that details lab policies and grading. Please note that attendance in lab is required in this course. If you miss more than three labs, regardless of the reason, you cannot pass the course.

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

If you have special needs because of a learning disability or other kind of disability, please feel free to come and discuss this with the instructor. Also, if English is not your native language and you wish to discuss the possibility of extra time for exams, please see the instructor before the first exam.

MAKE-UP POLICY FOR MISSED LECTURE EXAMS

Makeup exams may be given at the discretion of the instructor. If you know in advance that you must miss an exam, see the instructor in advance about alternative scheduling, and bring documentation to support your anticipated absence. Makeups will include essay questions, short-answer questions, and/or multiple choice questions. Make-up exams will be given in TLS 301 at 4:00 PM on the following dates: First exam-Friday, October 8, Second exam-Friday, November 12. You must receive permission from Dr. Taigen before you can take either of the make-up exams.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN THIS COURSE

In order to succeed in this course, you should attend all lectures, take notes on important points on the handouts distributed in class, and allow time to read and study the assigned material. The best single predictor of student success in this course is class attendance. Because this is a non-science majors course, my approach to teaching involves relying heavily on examples and applications that are relevant to your life. I try constantly to make the course relevant to you and your experiences. The flip side of that coin is that I expect you to know the examples and understand the applications. This is what I will talk about in lecture, and this is what will be on the exams. Simply put, you need to be there, in lecture, every day.

You will get more out of lectures if you can skim the assigned chapter before the lecture, then analyze the relevant material carefully as soon after the lecture as convenient. We would especially encourage you to study the figures and illustrations in your textbook to expand your understanding of the material. The textbook has many terrific graphic images that can help you learn, and these may be used in lectures. You should plan on spending at least two hours of study time for each hour of lecture. Don't leave everything until just before the exam to begin preparing. It becomes overwhelming to try and memorize a huge amount of material, including new words or phrases, one after another, that you have never heard of before. Take your time early, stay current with the material, go to class, and you will be in great shape for the exams. The following resouces are offered to help you with this course.
  1. Class web site -- I will be posting materials for your use throughout the semester on the course web site. This site can be accessed by clicking on the "Biology 1102 Home Page" link found on the front panel of your HuskyCT entry for Biology 1102. These materials will include announcements, lecture notes, images and links used during lecture, and practice exam questions to help you prepare for the exams. This is also where I will post the results of the lecture exam as soon as they are available.
  2. Handouts -- Handouts will be given in lecture to help you understand the organization of the material and assist in note-taking. I provide notes to students to help them with the lectures because I know that I tend to speak fast during lecture, and the notes make that a little less irritating (only a little, unfortunately!). The notes are helpful (I hope!), but they are not complete in themselves. For every lecture, I provide additional details on the topics, or sometimes relevant examples or specific applications, that you must write down and then study when you prepare for the exams. What all this means is that the handouts will help you, but they are not a substitute for taking notes, and they cannot fill in for a missed lecture. Finally, be sure to review these notes frequently as the semester progresses-- don't just put them aside and wait until the night before an exam to look at them. When writing the exams, my rule of thumb is that anything that I mention or discuss in lecture is fair game for exam questions.
  3. Practice exam questions -- These are provided for each of the topics covered in lecture. Be sure to use them to understand what I expect from you on the exams, both in terms of the way questions are written and in terms of the material covered on the exam.
  4. E-mail -- If you have a question about the course or need to contact me or your lab TA, use the email addresses given here. You can locate your TA's email address on the laboratory index page.
  5. Office visits -- I am available for individual consultation regarding any aspect of the course, either in person, by phone, or by e-mail. If you have unanswered questions or concerns, or are in serious academic trouble, contact me! Immediately after lecture is a good time to see me; my office hours are 11-12 MWF. If those don't work for you, let me know and we'll schedule a meeting. My office is TLS 184, just inside the outside door on the first floor.