Columbia Union College

Fall 2006

BIOL 410: Developmental Biology

TR 11:15am - 12:35pm (S107)

W 2:05 – 4:50pm (lab)

 

 

Course Description: BIOL 410 Developmental Biology (4):  An examination of the processes of embryonic development at the molecular, cellular, and organismic levels.  The lecture will cover experimental studies of the biological mechanisms controlling developmental processes, while the laboratory will stress descriptive studies of embryonic structural development.

* Three lectures and one laboratory period per week.

* Prerequisites: BIOL 162 with a minimum grade of "C;" BIOL 305 & BIOL 405 recommended.

 

General Objectives:

The general objectives of the course include the following:

 

Course Requirements:

Students are expected to:

1.       attend, participate, and contribute to all classes and labs.

2.       be prepared for each class and lab by reading, reviewing, and/or completing all scheduled assignments prior to each class period.

3.       submit all assignments – homework, extra credit, lab write-ups, and pre-labs – at the beginning of each lab or class session.

 

Grading:

The final grade for the class will be based on lab and lecture as follows:

Lab write-ups	35%
Exams	35%
Quizzes	15%
Class Assignments	5%
Research paper	10%

 

The specific date for exams will be announced in class at least one week before each exam.

There will be an average of one quiz per week during lecture; the lowest quiz score will be dropped at the end of the semester.

Grades will be assigned according to the following scale:

 

Please note:  Students whose career goals include professional or graduate school must view a “C” in this course as a partial-passing grade.  A partial-pass will only assist students in progress toward their career goals if it is matched by an “A” in another science course.  In short, a science GPA of 3.0 should be viewed as an absolute minimum for satisfactory progression.

 

Regrade Policy:

Quizzes, exams, or lab reports may be returned for regrading only if the total points were incorrectly totaled, or if your answer can be documented by text materials.  Answers which were misinterpreted due to sloppy handwriting, poor organization, or incorrect terminology will not be considered; be clear and concise the first time.  A paper must be returned for a regrade within one week (7 days) of its return to you.  It must be accompanied by a TYPED concise, brief summary or rebuttal with reference to your textual sources.  Quizzes or exams written in pencil will not be considered for regrading.

 

Academic Integrity:

It is assumed that your work is your own.  Class discussions and lab projects are joint efforts, but each write-up must be your own interpretation and analysis; this will aid you in establishing collaborative efforts, while learning to interpret and defend your own work.  Be sure to give credit where credit is due: science builds on the work of others, so be clear with references and citations.  PLAGIARISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

For further details, please see the CUC policy on academic integrity, as stated in the 2006-2007 College Bulletin, pp. 54-57.

 

Attendance:

Attendance at all class and lab sessions is required.  Please be prompt, as important announcements are generally given at the beginning of lecture/lab.  Late-comers will not be allowed to take exams or quizzes.

Due to limited resources and space, make-up labs will not be allowed.  Make-up exams and quizzes will only be allowed if the absence is unavoidable and documented.  If an exam is missed, it must be rescheduled immediately upon return to class, and is generally expected to be taken within 24 hours of your return.  Notification before the missed exam is requested.

Please turn off cell phone ringers during class time.

Please note: During exams & quizzes, ALL cell phones and beepers must be COMPLETELY OFF, and stored in backpacks, bags, purses, etc.  In case of emergency, cell phones may be left with the instructor.

 

Late Work Policy:

Assignments are due on time, regardless of whether or not you are present in class/lab.  Written assignments will lose 15% of the total point value for each week overdue.

 

Changes in Course Policy:

It is possible that certain changes in these policies may become necessary.  Any changes will be announced in class, and will become part of, and supersede, the course policies described here.

 

Laboratory:

Lab reports will be written on an individual basis, and will follow a basic journal article format: Introduction/Objective, Materials & Methods, Results & Discussion.  Include citations where appropriate.  Reports must be turned in by the beginning of the following lab to avoid a late penalty.  Note: Failure to pass (70%) the lab segment will result in failure to pass the class.

 

Paper:

One major written paper will be required.  The topic of the paper should be some issue that is relevant to developmental biology, and MUST be approved by the professor in advance.  Specific requirements will be presented in class, and will follow the tentative schedule outlined below.  The final paper is due no later than DECEMBER 5, 2006, and is worth 10% of the final grade.  After the due date for the final draft, late papers will lose ten (10) percentage points per calendar day from the total grade of the paper.  All final drafts must be submitted in hard copy, and via Turnitin.com.  The final draft of the paper will not be graded until the originality report from Turnitin.com is received.

 

Paper Schedule:

Proposal............................................................................................................................. September 26, 2006

Outline.................................................................................................................................... October 10, 2006

Rough Draft......................................................................................................................... November 14, 2006

Feedback............................................................................................................................. November 21, 2006

Final Draft.............................................................................................................................. December 5, 2006

 

Additional Items:

1.) Please do not hesitate to see me for any questions regarding the syllabus or course content.

2.) If you spend 2 hours in study for each hour in class, you will have no problems keeping up with the course and getting the grade you want.

3.) Throughout the semester, pertinent course information will be posted on Desire2Learn.  This includes, but is not limited to, individual grades, important news items (extra credit), reference materials, due-date reminders, etc.  It is the student’s responsibility to regularly check Desire2Learn in order to obtain this important information.

4.) All students will need to have a Turnitin.com account in order to submit the final paper.  If you cannot access your Turnitin.com account, please see me.

5.) Expected classroom behavior: on-going conversations, answering cell phones, and wearing ear-plugs (unless it is a hearing-aid) will not be tolerated.  The instructor reserves the right to ask you to leave the classroom if your deportment is disruptive to the learning environment.

Lecture Schedule (tentative):