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Department: Biology

Course location and times:

Alief Campus (Hayes Road) Tuesdays: 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Room D104 (Lab) Thursdays: 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Room B121 (Lecture)

Course credit: 4 semester credit hours

Course contact hrs: 96 total hours; 48 hrs lecture, 48 hrs laboratory

Course length: 16 weeks

Instruction type: In-person, Lecture–Lab

Instructor: Wendy Sera, Ph.D.

Phone: 713-718-6936 (office at Alief campus). Not a good way to contact me! Leave a message if I don’t answer.

E-mail address: wendy.sera@hccs.edu (best way to contact me!)

Office location and hours:

Northwest College, Alief Campus (Hayes Road), Room A110. Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11 AM to Noon (no appointment necessary!). Your performance in my class is very important to me. I am available to discuss your progress or course topics. Feel free to come by my office anytime during these hours. See me after class or send an e-mail to set up an appt. at other times.

Course Description: A contemporary course, including applications of the scientific method, cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, classical and human genetics, and virology. Core Curriculum Course. Cannot be used in conjunction with 1308. Credit: 4 (3 lecture, 3 lab) Course Prerequisites: College reading skills (college reading level as determined by SAT, ACT, TASP; or successfully passing ENGL0305 with a ―C‖ or better. One year of high school biology and one year of high school chemistry with a “B” or better are highly recommended. Course Goals: This course is intended for BIOLOGY or HEALTH SCIENCE MAJORS. The coursework and readings are geared toward students who intend to pursue biology (or a related discipline such as the health sciences) as a major. If you are not majoring in biology (or a related science/health discipline), you should enroll in BIOL 1308, the first semester of our biology for non-majors sequence. The overall goal of Biology 1406 is to prepare the student for advanced coursework in biology such as Anatomy & Physiology.

Biology 1406: General Biology I (for Majors) Spring 2015

Wendy Sera, PhD CRN # 43800

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Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLO) for the Biology Discipline: PSLO #1 – Students will display an understanding of biological systems and evolutionary processes spanning all ranges of biological complexity, including atoms, molecules, genes, cells, and organisms. PSLO #2 – Students will integrate factual and conceptual information into an understanding of scientific concepts by written, oral, and/or visual communication. PSLO #3 – Students will demonstrate proficiency and safe practices in the use of laboratory equipment and basic laboratory techniques. PSLO #4 – Students will apply principles of the scientific method to problems in biology in the collection, recording, quantitative measurement, analysis, and reporting of scientific data.

Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLO) for Biology 1406: CSLO #1 – The student will be able to describe the characteristics of life: its unity and diversity and the evidence for evolution through genetics, variation, and natural selection. (PLSO #1) CSLO #2 – The student will be able to understand the basic requirements of life: explain atomic structure, types of chemical bonding, properties of water, and the structures/functions of the macromolecules of life: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. (PLSO #1) CSLO #3 – The student will be able to compare and contrast structures, reproduction, and characteristics of viruses, prokaryotic cells, and eukaryote cells. (PLSO #1) CSLO #4 – The student will be able to identify the substrates, products, and important pathways in the metabolic processes of energy transformation, cell communication, cellular respiration, fermentation, and photosynthesis. (PLSO #1) CSLO #5 – The student will understand the cell cycle and be able to differentiate between the processes and functions of mitosis and meiosis. (PLSO #1) CSLO #6 – The student will understand the principles of genetics/inheritance and be able to quantitatively solve classical genetics problems. (PLSO #1) CSLO #7 – The student will demonstrate knowledge of DNA structure, its replication, the flow of genetic information from gene to protein, gene expression, and ultimately their methodologies and applications in biotechnology. (PLSO #1) CSLO #8 – The student will develop critical thinking skills and habits of active collaborative learning by successfully participating in an INSPIRE (Innovative Science Program Initiatives to Reform Education)-oriented case study module(s). (PLSOs #1, 2, 3) CSLO #9 – The student will utilize the scientific method, as well as quantitative and empirical skills to collect, record, measure, analyze, and communicate scientific data. (PLSOs #2, 3, 4) CSLO #10 – The student will exhibit competence in the laboratory by appropriate use of the light microscope and other laboratory equipment to collect and analyze data. (PLSO #3, 4)

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REQUIRED Instructional Materials:

Required Textbook: Reece, J. B, et al. 2014. Campbell Biology, 10th edition (Volume I—Biology 1406) (Custom Edition for Houston Community College), Pearson. Get the NEW book available at HCC bookstores bundled with a PearsonMastering.com access code. ISBN: 978-1-26988114-2 (HCC custom package). I highly suggest you buy a NEW version of the textbook because it will come with the Modified Mastering (pearsonmastering.com) access code you will need to do your online homework and quiz assignments, as well as the e-text. If you purchase a used book, you will need to purchase the access code online (but you will likely pay more overall)! Required Lab Manual: Houston Community College. 2012. Biology 1406 Laboratory Manual. 2nd Edition. bluedoor, LLC. ISBN-978-1-59984-510-4. Required Textbook Web Resources: PearsonMastering.com – The Modified Mastering Biology platform is an online study guide, tutorial, homework, and assessment system for biology. Students are required to purchase an access code to use PearsonMastering.com this semester. If you purchase your textbook new at an HCC bookstore, this code along with the e-text will be bundled with it at no extra charge. If you purchase a used book from any vendor, you will be responsible for purchasing an access code at additional expense. There is also a 2-week ―trial‖ available. Registering for PearsonMastering.com:

Go to: www.pearsonmastering.com

Under ―Register,‖ click STUDENT. Then on the next page, click the green button on the right hand side of the page that says, ―OK! Register now.”

Next, enter the Course ID: sera73122

Create a Pearson account by filling in your information or sign into your Pearson account if you already have one.

Select one of the following options: If you have an access code that was packaged with a new textbook, click the Access Code button (which also includes the e-text) OR if you need to purchase access online, click either the button that says $50.00 for Mastering access only (without the e-text) or $100.00 for Mastering access with the e-text, (if you don’t want a paper copy of the book). They accept a credit card or PayPal account as payment.

Sign in by going to www.pearsonmastering.com and click the sign-in button.

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Instructional Methods: The course is built around the chapters in the textbook. However, there is a fair amount of material in the textbook that we will not cover, and some material from the lectures that you will not find in the textbook. About 95% of the exam questions will come from the lectures and classroom/laboratory learning activities. There is a strong correlation between a student’s final grade in this course and his or her attendance. Attendance alone is no guarantee of passing, but it certainly cannot hurt! Please, do not become an academic fatality by not attending class! Study Methods: You will be spending a good deal of time, energy, and money on this course – please, make the most of your investment! Plan to spend AT LEAST 12-18 hours PER WEEK outside of class working on materials for this course. Note that this is a total of 196-216 minimum hours for the semester! To pass, you must study biology on a regular basis. Do not wait to the last minute and try to cram for the exams. All-nighters before an exam will not help you in this course—in fact, it will probably do more harm than good. The course has an overwhelming amount of information that must be digested. The best study approach is to read the textbook, complete your PearsonMastering.com homework, and then review the chapter summaries quickly before class. Your goal is to get a good idea of what will be covered so you are not hearing it for the first time in lecture. After class, read your lecture notes, jotting down questions over areas that you are confused about and filling in the holes in your notes. Lastly, take the assigned PearsonMastering.com quiz before the next class period. Lastly, bring your remaining questions to the next class period! In addition, one of the most helpful study methods is to get together with another student or a small group of students to study on a regular basis. Cooperative learning is one of the most efficient ways to tackle difficult material! Please feel free to contact me concerning any problems you are experiencing in this course. Do not wait until you have received a poor grade to ask for assistance or advice!

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Course Calendar: Lab Schedule

(Tuesdays; D-104)* Lecture Schedule

(Thursdays; B121)**

Week

1 (January 20 & 22)

Course Introduction—Syllabus Ch. 1—Introduction: Themes in the Study of Life

Ch. 1—continued Ch. 2—The Chemical Context of Life

2 (January 27 & 29)

Introduction to Labs—Laboratory Safety Lab 1—Basic Chemistry

Ch. 3—Water & the Fitness of the Environment

3 (February

3 & 5)

Lab 2—Properties of Water Ch. 4—Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life Ch. 5—The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

4 (February 10 & 12)

Lab 3—Biochemistry: Detection of Biological Molecules, Scientific Method, & Experimental Design

Ch. 5—continued

5 (February 17 & 19)

TBA Review for Lecture Exam #1

Lecture Exam #1—Chapters 1-5 Ch. 6—A Tour of the Cell

6 (February 24 & 26)

Lab 4—The Care and Feeding of the Microscope

Ch. 6—continued Ch. 7—Membrane Structure and Function

7 (March 3 &

5)

Lab 5—Cell Structure Ch. 7—continued Ch. 8—An Introduction to Metabolism

8 (March 10

& 12)

Lab Exam #1—Labs 1-5 Lab 6—Diffusion and Osmosis

Ch. 9—Cellular Respiration: Harvesting Chemical Energy

Spring Break! March 16-20

9 (March 24

& 26)

Ch. 9—continued Lab 8—Respiration/Fermentation

Ch. 10—Photosynthesis

10 (March 31 & April 2)

Lab 9—Photosynthesis & Spectrophotometry Review for Lecture Exam #2

Lecture Exam #2—Chapters 6-10 Ch. 11—Cell Communication

11 (April 7 &

9)

Ch. 12—The Cell Cycle Lab 10A—Cell Division (Mitosis only) Last Day to Withdraw is Tuesday, April 7 by 4:30 pm

Ch. 13—Meiosis & Sexual Life Cycles Lab 10B—Cell Division (Meiosis)

12 (April 14 &

16)

Ch. 14—Mendel and the Gene Idea Lab 11—Genetics (worth 2 lab report grades & 1 lab quiz grade!)

Ch. 15—The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance Lab 11—continued

13 (April 21 &

23)

Lab 11—continued Ch. 16—The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

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(April 28 & 30)

TBA Review for Lecture Exam #3

Lecture Exam #3—Ch. 11-16 Ch. 17—From Gene to Protein

15 (May 5 & 7)

Ch. 17—continued Lab 12—DNA to Proteins

Lab Exam #2—Labs 6, 8-12 Ch. 19—Viruses Ch. 20—Biotechnology (select topics) Review for Final Exam

16 (May 12 &

14)

NO CLASS Final Examination—Comprehensive (covers entire semester)

*Lab numbers refer to lab exercises in the lab manual that you should read before attending labs on the date indicated (to prepare for Lab Reading Quiz). **Chapter numbers refer to chapters in Reece et al.’s Biology, 10

th edition that you should read

before attending class on the date indicated.

Evaluation: Be sure to arrive early for your examinations. Both lab and lecture exams will usually be followed about additional lecture and/or lab work. There are time limits for exams. You will not be granted extended time for testing if you arrive late! Entering and exiting the lecture room or lab room is not permitted once exams have begun. Please be sure to use the bathroom before the exam begins! Several different instruments will be used to assess your performance in this course. The objective is to diversify the methods used to evaluate you with the hope of maximizing your performance in the class. Lecture exams will include multiple-choice questions and essay/short answer questions. Many of the multiple-choice questions will stress understanding, comprehension, and analysis rather than just memorization. You will need a #2 pencil and the appropriate scantron for all lecture exams and the final exam. The final exam will be comprehensive of the entire course, both lecture and lab. More on the final exam when the time comes. Lab exams may include multiple-choice, matching, true-false, essay/short answer, problem-solving, as well as identification and/or labeling of models, specimens, or other materials used in the laboratory exercises. You will need a #2 pencil and a scantron for both lab exams. You may request a make-up lecture or lab exam IF you have a documented illness, death in the family, or other unavoidable emergency. You may take a make-up exam only if you request it prior to the exam. Obviously, this may not be possible for some types of emergencies and the instructor will take that into consideration. Only one make-up exam per semester will be allowed per student (with proper documentation). The instructor reserves the right to administer an alternative exam to anyone requesting a make-up exam. I will use five kinds of multiple-choice questions, which range from very easy to very difficult: 1. Knowledge—the recalling of information (a favorite of students because no thinking is

required!). 2. Comprehensive—a basic understanding of concepts 3. Application—applying concepts learned to a new situation

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4. Analysis—breaking down of conclusions into the underlying assumptions and interrelationships

5. Evaluation—making judgments based on certain facts and assumptions Here are a few tips on taking multiple-choice exams: 1. Read the question carefully and read all the possible answers. 2. The correct answer is both true and relevant. There may be several true answers, but they

may not be relevant to the question. 3. After completing the exam, check for mechanical mistakes. 4. Don’t make the questions harder than they are by looking for trick answers. There will be a

range of questions from hard to easy, but there will not be ―trick‖ questions or answers! 5. Don’t change you answers without very good reason. If you are unsure of an answer, your

first ―guess‖ or instinct is usually best. Laboratory Reading Quizzes: During each laboratory period, usually at the beginning (but not necessarily—quizzes may be given at any time during the laboratory period!), you will take a ―reading‖ quiz over the chapter in the lab manual assigned for reading that day. The quizzes will usually consist of fill-in the blank, true/false, or matching, similar to questions you will see on the lab exams. At other times, quizzes might be short answer/essay/problems. During the course of the semester, you will be given 11 Laboratory Reading Quizzes worth 5 points each. If you are absent, late for lab, or leave lab early before a quiz is given, you may not make it up. THERE ARE NO MAKE-UP LAB READING QUIZZES, EVEN FOR AN EXCUSED ABSENCE. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE. However, your lowest quiz grade for the semester will be dropped! Chapter Homework in PearsonMastering.com: For each chapter that is assigned as reading in Reece's textbook, you will complete an untimed homework assignment that will be submitted via PearsonMastering.com prior to the date of the lecture on that chapter. Therefore, most PearsonMastering.com homework will be due on Tuesdays or Thursdays before 7:00 AM on the due date (see due dates in PearsonMastering.com). Late homework will not be accepted even for an excused absence. Homework assignments are late after 7:00 AM and will not be accepted by PearsonMastering.com; therefore, there is no conceivable reason to skip lecture to complete them! Your lowest homework grade will be dropped. In addition, there will be optional extra credit ―Adaptive Follow-up‖ exercises for each chapter (usually due one week after the homework is due). Chapter Quizzes in PearsonMastering.com: For each chapter that is assigned as reading in Reece's textbook, you will complete a timed quiz (10 multiple-choice questions in 20 minutes) that will be submitted to your instructor via PearsonMastering.com prior to the date of the next lecture period after that chapter is covered in lecture. Exact due dates are always listed under ―Assignments‖ in PearsonMastering.com. Therefore, most PearsonMastering.com chapter quizzes will be due on Tuesdays or Thursdays before 7:00 AM on the due date (see due dates in PearsonMastering.com). Late quizzes will not be accepted, even for an excused absence. Quizzes are late after 7:00 AM and will not be accepted by PearsonMastering.com; therefore, there is no conceivable reason to skip lecture to complete them! Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

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Basis of Grading:

Lecture Exam 1—Chapters 1-5 100 points

Lecture Exam 2—Chapters 6-10 100 points

Lecture Exam 3—Chapters 11-16 100 points

PearsonMastering.com Online Homework (lowest score will be dropped)—weighted based on length of assignment.

150 points

PearsonMastering.com Online Quizzes (lowest score will be dropped)

100 points

Total Lecture Points: 550 points (57% of final grade)

Lab Reading Quizzes (11 @ 5 pts each; lowest score dropped)

50 points

Lab Exam 1 (Labs 1-5) 50 points

Lab Exam 2 (Labs 6, 8-12) 50 points

Lab Reports (12 lab reports @ 15 pts each; lowest score dropped)

165 points

Total Lab Points: 315 points (33% of final grade)

Departmental Comprehensive Final Exam 100 points (10% of final grade)

Total Course Points 965 points

HCC Grading Scale:

A = 90-100% (at least 868.5 points) B = 80-89% (at least 772 points) C = 70-79% (at least 675.5 points) D = 60-69% (at least 579 points) F = less than 60% (less than 579 points) Instructor’s Incomplete Policy: The only circumstance under which you can get an ―I‖ (Incomplete) is if you are too ill to take the final. Once you receive an ―I‖, in order to get a grade for the course, you will have to complete the material by the end of the next full semester. If you do not, the ―I‖ will convert to whatever grade you earned in the course.

Lecture Attendance Policy: Attendance at lectures is required (attendance will be taken daily) and attendance at exams is mandatory. Classroom doors will be closed at 8:00 AM promptly; late students will not be admitted to class after 8:05 (unless they contact the instructor prior to class to gain permission to be tardy) until the next break. The exception is exam days—please enter the classroom even if you are late! However, under no circumstances will late students arriving after the first person in the class completes their exam be allowed to take the exam. The bottom line: tardiness is disruptive and rude to

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both your instructor and your classmates! Don't embarrass yourself and come to class late! In addition, your full attention during lecture and lab is essential to success. It is in the student's best interest to attend class because students who miss class do poorly on exams. Absence at an exam will result in a grade of zero for that exam unless arrangements are made with the instructor at least one day prior to the day of the exam, except for unavoidable emergencies, in which case, contact Dr. Sera by e-mail that same day or ASAP. Such arrangements will generally only be made in the case of documented illness, death in the family, or unavoidable emergencies. Lab Policies: Lab safety is outlined in your lab manual. Lab rules and regulations will be discussed during the first lab and should be adhered to at all times. There is no food or drinks allowed in the laboratories! Each student is responsible for cleaning up after labs, this includes glassware, utensils, specimens/models, and other material used during lab time (no, there is no one else to clean up after us in the labs!). Attendance at laboratory sessions is required to gain credit for that lab. Students who are absent from a lab session will not be allowed to hand-in the lab report or other assignment for the missed lab. Therefore, absence from a lab (or any part of that lab) will result in a grade of zero for that lab. THERE ARE NO MAKEUP LABS IN THIS COURSE. In the case of an excused absence, individual arrangements must be made with the instructor at least one day prior to the day of the lab. Such arrangements will only be made in the case of documented illness, death in the family, or unavoidable emergencies. If you are not in lab when it starts, then you will be considered absent even if you show up later! Because of the nature of the laboratory exercises, it is essential that you arrive for lab on time—please be considerate to your fellow students and your instructor! Phones/Electronic Devices: Absolutely no phones or other personal electronic devices are to be used during class (lecture and lab). This includes making or taking a call, reviewing messages, texting, playing games, checking e-mail, surfing the Web, anything that involves a phone or other personal electronic device. If your work or family situation requires that you be available via phone, your phone can be on vibrate mode and you can take the call during our regular scheduled breaks, or in the case of an emergency, you may exit the class to review the call. Notify your friends, family, employers, and anyone else who regularly contacts you that you will be in class and that you should be contacted only when absolutely necessary. The taking of calls during class is not only disruptive, but it is also discourteous to classmates and the instructor. Cell phone use during examinations is considered cheating and will result in course failure.

Biology Department: Tutoring

Online tutoring is available free to all HCC Biology students at: http://hccs.askonline.net/. Apparently, there will be no in-person biology tutoring at Northwest College this year.

Biology Department: Lab Review 24/7

These Biology Lab Study pages (http://hccs.edu/biologylabs) are for HCC students to review lab materials 24/7. The pages include models, microscope slides, experiments, dissections, animations, and practice quizzes.

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HCC Policy Statements

Access all Student Services Policies in the HCC Student Handbook: http://www.hccs.edu/district/students/student-handbook/

HCC Policy Statement: Students with Disabilities

Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Instructors are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office. If you have any special needs or disabilities that may affect your ability to succeed in college classes or participate in any college programs or activities, please contact the DSS office for assistance. At Northwest College, contact: Mahnaz Kolaini, ADA Counselor Spring Branch Campus, RC 14 Phone: 713-718-5422 Fax: 713-718-5430 TTY: 713-718-5697

HCC Policy Statement: Internet Outage Policy

If your professor experiences an Internet service outage or a power outage that significantly affects the timing of distributing online assignments, or in any way appreciably hinders the professor in communicating with students, adjustments to due dates and/or grades will be made appropriately. If there is any official notification from HCCS concerning downtime of the Eagle Internet course server that would affect distributing assignments, or in any way appreciably hinders the professor in communicating with students, adjustments to due dates and/or grades will be made appropriately. This policy pertains only to the professor’s Internet service or to HCCS’s Internet course servers, not the students’ computers or Internet access. No one at HCCS can monitor or verify outages at student sites and student access is not the responsibility of HCCS. Students are responsible for making sure that they have continuous, reliable Internet access in order to complete this course.

HCC Policy Statement: Academic Honesty

A student who is academically dishonest is, by definition, not showing that the coursework has been learned, and that student is claiming an advantage not available to other students. The instructor is responsible for measuring each student's individual achievements and also for ensuring that all students compete on a level playing field. Thus, in our system, the instructor has teaching, grading, and enforcement roles. You are expected to be familiar with the University's Policy on Academic Honesty, found in the catalog. What that means is: If you are charged with an offense, pleading ignorance of the rules will not help you. Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity in fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary

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proceedings may be initiated by College System officials against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty. ―Scholastic dishonesty‖: includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. Cheating on a test includes:

Copying from another students’ test paper;

Using materials not authorized by the person giving the test;

Collaborating with another student during a test without authorization;

Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the contents of a test that has not been administered;

Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.

Plagiarism means the appropriation of another’s work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one’s own written work offered for credit. Collusion mean the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit. Possible punishments for academic dishonesty may include a grade of 0 or F in the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for probation or dismissal from the College System. (See the Student Handbook.)

HCC Policy Statement: Student Attendance, 3-peaters, Withdrawal Deadline

Attendance It is important that you come to class! Attending class regularly is the best way to succeed in this class. Research has shown that the single most important factor in student success is attendance. You are expected to attend all lectures and labs. You are responsible for materials covered during your absences and it is your responsibility to consult with the instructor for make-up assignments, if available. Class attendance will be checked daily. Although it is your responsibility to drop a course for non-attendance, the instructor has the authority to drop you for excessive absences. A student will be dropped from a course after the student has accumulated absences in excess of 12.5% of the hours of instruction (including lecture and laboratory time). Note that 12.5% is 4 classes or labs for a 4-semester hour course like this one. You may decide not to come to class for whatever reason. As an adult making the decision not to attend, you do not have to notify the instructor prior to missing a class (except when an exam is being administered). However, if this happens too many times, you may suddenly find that you have ―lost‖ the class. Poor attendance records tend to correlate with poor grades. If you miss any class, including the first week, you are

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responsible for all material missed. It is a good idea to find a friend or a buddy in class who would be willing to share class notes or discussion or be able to hand in paper if you unavoidably miss a class. Habitual tardiness will not be tolerated. Students are expected to be in attendance for the entirety of the scheduled class and are responsible for completing assignments scheduled during their absence/s. It is the responsibility of each student to amend their professional/personal schedule to meet the class schedule. Class attendance equals class success! Repeaters Students who repeat a course for a third or more times face significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. Please ask your instructor/counselor about opportunities for tutoring/other assistance prior to considering course withdrawal or if you are not receiving passing grades. Withdrawals Withdrawal from the course after the official day of record (February 2) will result in a final grade of ―W‖ on the student transcript and no credit will be awarded. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a request for withdrawal from any course. Students will be required to formally request a withdrawal from their instructors prior to the administrative withdrawal date deadline (April 7 at 4:30 pm). Abandoning the course or failing to formally drop or withdraw will result in a grade being given based on the work completed for the entire course (including missed exams). The State of Texas has begun to impose penalties on students who drop courses excessively. For example, if you repeat the same course more than twice, you have to pay extra tuition. Beginning in fall 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a law limiting first time entering freshmen to no more than SIX total course withdrawals throughout their educational career in obtaining a certificate and/or degree. Receiving a "W" in a course may affect the status of your student Visa. Once a W is given for the course, it will not be changed to an F because of the visa consideration. Please contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8520 if you have any questions about your visa status and other transfer issues

Biology Department: Behavior Policy

As your instructor and as a student in this class, it is our shared responsibility to develop and maintain a positive learning environment for everyone. Your instructor takes this responsibility very seriously and will inform members of the class if their behavior makes it difficult for him/her to carry out

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this task. As a fellow learner, you are asked to respect the learning needs of your classmates and assist your instructor in achieving this critical goal.

HCC Policy Statement: Safe and Secure Learning Environment

It is the policy of HCC to provide a safe and secure environment within which learning can take place effectively. Accordingly, disruptive, threatening, or violent behavior in the classroom will not be tolerated. Disruptive, threatening, or violent individuals will be asked to leave the classroom for that day. Failure to comply with this request may lead to removal and/or arrest by the police. This is in addition to any college disciplinary action to which the individual might be liable.

EGLS3 -- Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System

At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community College Student System online near the end of the term.

The Instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus when necessary with adequate

notification to the students

Have a GREAT SEMESTER and please remember to e-mail me with any questions!

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Biology 1406—Dr. Sera

Spring 2015—TTh 8-11

REQUIRED Acknowledgement Page

I acknowledge that I have read the syllabus for Biology 1406 and

understand the requirements of the course and the effort and time

commitment necessary to succeed in this science major’s class (12-18

hours per week!).

Print Name________________________________________________

Sign Name________________________________________________

Date__________________

E-mail Address ____________________________________________

Current Phone # ____________________________________________

Please PRINT OUT THIS PAGE and SUBMIT by the 2nd

class meeting.