BIOL2610_2610L_22442_22443_McCaw_Sp20_Syllabus.pdf

ENMU Ruidoso Branch Community College

Principles of Biology: Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution

Course Syllabus

Course information:

Semester: Spring	Year: 2020
Course #: BIOL 2610U/BIOL 2610LU	Title: General Biology Organismic
CRN #: 22442 (Lecture) 22443 (Lab)	Credits: 4 Credits (3 Lecture, 1 Lab)

Meeting Times/Places: Lecture: MW 10:00 to 11:15pm Room 120

Lab: W 2:30 to 5:00 pm Room 110

Instructors’ information: Jack H. McCaw III, Professor

Office: Ruidoso Instructional Center, Faculty Offices #154

Email: Jack.McCaw@enmu.edu

Office Telephone: 575-257-2120 x387

Office Hours: M,T,W,R 9:00am-10:00am

T R 2:30-4:30pm

F 8:00-10:00am

Rationale for student taking this course:

Principles of Biology: Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution is a lab science course for biology or science majors, including wildlife science. This course is accepted by all New Mexico institutions of higher learning. However, it is important to check with the institution to which you are planning to transfer to determine transferability. Planning for course credit transfer is ultimately the student’s responsibility. All students are encouraged to keep the course syllabus, as it will help determine the transferability of this course credit to another institution.

Course description:

Lecture: This course is an introduction to the dynamic processes of living things. Major topics include the mechanisms of evolution, biological diversity, population genetics, and ecology.

Concurrent enrollment BIOL 2610L required.

Laboratory: This laboratory course is an introduction to the dynamic processes of living things. This course introduces students to the methods used in the study of evolution, ecology, and biological diversity. Designed for students continuing in life sciences.

Concurrent enrollment in BIOL 2610 required.

Text(s)/Study Guides(s), Manuals:

Required: https://openstax.org/details/books/biology

This textbook is a free, open resource textbook, saving you more than $250 for the average Biology textbook. You may view the entire text online, download a pdf file, read the text on your AMAZON Kindle device or Apple iPad. Additionally, the entire text is found in your Canvas course.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Understand the scientific method and apply it to biological topics of genetics, evolution, ecology, and biodiversity.
Apply quantitative reasoning and scientific thinking to real world
Identify and describe the basic principles of
Analyze the relationships between the genetics of populations and
Analyze the processes of
Describe how the hierarchical classification scheme is used to categorize
Describe how DNA research has modernized bio
Compare and contrast the general characteristics of each of the living domains and
Relate the structure of organisms to the way they
Explain how the life histories of organisms are adapted for different
Relate the complexity of behavior to the overall complexity of an
Describe the ecological roles played by organisms in each
Compare basic ecological principles at the population and community levels of
Describe and compare energy relationships and the cycling of materials in

Requisites for the course:

Prerequisite: None Corequisite: BIOL 2610 Lab

In addition to the content of this course, ENMU-Ruidoso requires incorporating at least 2 of the following 5 essential skills as measureable outcomes in this course. The “X” shows which essential skill you can expect will be focused on in this course.

Essential Skill	purpose for the state outcome	focus	evaluated activities and assignments
Communication	To prepare students to become versatile communicators who can respond to a diverse range of situations with appropriate written, oral, visual, or digital texts and performances.	X	Students will write essays, create and deliver presentations and write lab reports.
Critical thinking	To prepare students to evaluate and connect information and ideas, and construct arguments.	X	Students will complete problem-solving, active-learning assignments both individually and in groups.
Information & Digital Literacy	To prepare students to research and communicate information ethically, within multiple digital environments.	X	Students will write essays using appropriate citations for all their writing and case study assignments.
Personal and Social Responsibility	To prepare students to work productively in groups. In addition, this skill prepares students understand and engage with a range of social challenges, perspectives, and world views with an eye toward creating and proposing sustainable solutions and productive interactions.	X	Students will participate in groups to accomplish classroom assignments and work as partners on laboratory assignments. Students will explore the role humans play on ecological systems.
Quantitative Reasoning	To prepare students to represent and communicate quantitative information, analyzing and formulating quantitative arguments, and solving quantitative contextual problems.	X	Students will collect and analyze data in real world context.

Attendance Policy:

Regular attendance is advantageous and expected of all students in every course. While instructors may keep track of attendance in multiple ways, the college asks instructors to report their students’ attendance for financial aid and retention purposes. For instance, ENMU-Ruidoso uses DropGuard, a student retention program, to track attendance in all courses.

To be considered ‘present’ or actively participating in an online class, students must log in and complete at least one assignment each week. If a student fails to submit any work in a given week, the instructor will mark the student absent and record this information in DropGuard; this information will be shared with the student’s Academic Advisor and the Student Success Coordinator. Each instructor has a late assignment policy outlined in the syllabus, as well, and students should familiarize themselves with these policies at the beginning of the semester.

To encourage attendance and participation, roll will be recorded during each lecture session. Students will earn one (2.5) points for participation in each classroom session. Students who do not arrive on time or who leave early will forfeit their participation points for that day.

Course Grading Policy:

LECTURE

Anticipated points for the course include the following:
Exam #1 ………………………………… 100 pts.
Exam #2 ………………………………… 100 pts.
Exam #3 ………………………………… 100 pts.
Comprehensive Final Exam ………..…… 200 pts.
Outside Assignments/Quizzes …….…….. 450 pts.

Participation Points …………..……….….. 75 pts

To receive a passing grade in BIOL 2610, the student must receive 70% of the total possible points for the course.

Exams: Students are required to take the chapter exams during specified times. No late tests will be administered unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor, and or legitimate reasons. Points will be deducted on exams taken late.

Outside Assignments/Quizzes:
1. Essays, presentations, and other in-class assignments (100 pts)

Unit Review Assignments (100 pts) Students are to submit a review/outline that will contain responses addressing the specific course objectives of each chapter.
There will be a 15-25 point quiz for each chapter covered. (250 pts.)

LABORATORY

Student Learning Outcomes

Describe and apply the scientific method to generate testable hypotheses in evolution and
Design and conduct laboratory experiments using relevant laboratory equipment and
Analyze and report data generated during laboratory activities and
Communicate scientific results from experiments in evolution, ecology, and

LABORATORY Grading Policy

Anticipated points for the course include the following:
Weekly Lab Exercises/Quizzes ……….…. 275 pts.
Comprehensive Lab Final Exam……….… 100 pts.
Attendance …………………………….…..75 pts.

To receive a passing grade in BIOL 2610L, the student must receive 70% of the total possible points for the Lab. Lab grades are separate from lecture grades, and you must pass both courses to satisfy the lab science requirements for all degrees.

Attendance: Attendance is required at all scheduled laboratory sessions. Team participation is strongly encouraged. Each student/team is expected to remain in the laboratory for a time sufficient to perform the exercise(s) assigned. At the completion of the laboratory exercise, each student/team is requested to put away any extra materials/apparatus obtained for the performance of the exercise, clean the area, and check out with the instructor.

Students will earn five (5) points for participating/completing in each lab session. Students who miss their regularly scheduled lab session will not have an opportunity to make up their lab.

Lab Quizzes: A short quiz or written assignment will be given over laboratory exercises each week. Quizzes may be given at the beginning of the lab session with 10 minutes allowed for completion. Any student arriving more than 5 minutes late forfeits quiz points for that lab session. Quizzes may also be given at the end of the lab session. Students who leave prior to the completion of the laboratory exercise will forfeit the points earned from that day’s laboratory quiz, along with that day’s attendance points.

Lab Final: A 100-point comprehensive, practical laboratory final will be administered during the last lab session of the semester.

Tentative Course Outline:

NOTE: The following course outline is tentative and subject to change.

Week # Beginning	READING SCHEDULE Chapter Topics	Lab Topics	Obj
1-Jan 13	Ch 20 Taxonomy, Systematics, and Phylogeny	Lab Safety Measurement/Conversions Lab	1, 2, 3, 5
2-Jan 20	Ch 21 Viruses Ch 22 Prokaryotes: Bacteria, and Archaea	15 Bacteria and Protists	1, 2, 3, 4, 13
3-Jan 27	Ch 23 Protists	16 Fungi	1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10
4- Feb 3	Ch 24 Fungi	EXAM 1 (Ch 20-23)	1, 7, 8, 9, 12
5- Feb 10	Ch 25 Seedless Plants	17 Nonvascular Plants and Seedless Vascular Plants	1, 8, 9, 12
6- Feb 17	Ch 26 Seed Plants	18 Seed Plants	1, 8, 9, 12
7-Feb 24	Ch 30 Plant Form and Physiology	19 Organization of Flowering Plants 22 Reproduction in Flowering Plants	1, 8, 12
8-Mar 2	Ch 32 Plant Reproduction	EXAM 2 (Ch 24-26, 30, 32)	1, 8, 12
9-Mar 9	Spring Break	No Lab	1, 9
10-Mar 16	Ch 28 Invertebrates	23 Introduction to Invertebrates	8, 9, 12
11-Mar 23	Ch 29 Vertebrates	24 Invertebrate Coelomates	8, 9, 12
12-Mar 30	Animal Behavioral Ecology	25 Vertebrates	1, 8, 9, 12
13- Apr 6	Ch 18/19 Speciation and Evolution of Populations	EXAM 3 (Ch 27-29, Behavior)	1, 2, 10, 11
14- Apr 13	Ch 45 Population and Community Ecology	Lab LQ 13 Population Dynamics	1, 2, 12, 13
15- Apr 20	Ch 46 Ecosystems	Ecological Methods Lab	1, 2, 12, 14
16-Apr 27	Ch 47 Conservation Biology and Biodiversity	Lab Practical Exam Wed April 29	1, 2, 12
17-May 4	Comprehensive Final Exam Monday, May 4 @ 10:15 am	NO LAB

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Student Success Emporium (Room 100) - The Student Success Emporium of ENMU- Ruidoso is available to all ENMU-Ruidoso students with services and resources dedicated to your personal development and academic achievement. Studying is an essential aspect of academic success. It is generally recommended that for every hour spent in class, at least one hour be dedicated to studying outside of class and that amount of time will change with the difficulty of the course and development of study skills. The Student Success Emporium offers spaces to study and get tutoring or participate in study groups. The development of study skills takes time and practice. Tutoring and academic coaching are available through the Student Success Emporium. Tutors are available daily throughout regular business hours. The Student Success Center also offers academic workshops and supplemental instruction to assist in the development of study skills and reinforce classroom learning. Career presentations are another feature offered through the Student Success Emporium allowing students and community members to explore various professions.

Exam Week – ENMU-Ruidoso has instituted an exam week the last week of the semester around which all finals will be organized. The table below shows the final exam schedules for any semester. Exams will be held in the regularly scheduled lecture/lab room. CHECK FOR CONFLICTS EARLY. Any students having more than three examinations scheduled in any one day may notify the instructor of the last examination listed and ask for alternate arrangements. Final exams for weekend and online courses will be held on or before the last day of class.

Exam Week Schedule
If class meets…	Exam will be held…
	Monday
8 a.m. classes MTWR	8-10 a.m.
10 a.m. classes that meet MW	10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
1 p.m. classes that meet MW	1-3 p.m.
5:30 p.m. classes that meet M	5:30-7:30 p.m.
	Tuesday
9 a.m. classes MTWR	8-10 a.m.
10 a.m. classes that meet TR	10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
1 p.m. classes that meet TR	1-3 p.m.
5:30 p.m. classes that meet T	5:30-7:30 p.m.
	Wednesday
11:30 a.m. classes that meet MW	11:30a.m.-1:30p.m. or 1-3 p.m.
5:30 p.m. classes that meet W	5:30-7:30 p.m.
	Thursday
11:30 a.m. classes that meet TR	11:30a.m.-1:30p.m. or 1-3 p.m.
5:30 p.m. classes that meet R	5:30-7:30 p.m.

Student Complaint Process – If a student is engaged in academic conflict that the student feels is not being fairly managed, the student may file a formal complaint to resolve that conflict with the Vice President of Student Learning. To start the process, please visit the administrative offices or call (575)527-3006.

No Smoking on Campus – Effective June 15, 2007 the Dee Johnson Clean Indoor Air Act prohibits smoking at all workplaces and public facilities. In order to comply with the provisions of the law, smoking is banned inside, or within 30 feet of any entrance way.

Required Supervision of Minors on Campus:

Minors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult unless enrolled in a course, an approved activity, or has legitimate business with ENMU -Ruidoso. In addition, minors are not allowed in the classroom or on campus while the responsible adult is attending courses. The responsible adult must provide appropriate supervision, even if this means the adult must leave class and the campus.

Academic Integrity and Standards of Behavior – For the complete guide to services available to students and the academic and non-academic rules and regulations governing ENMU-Ruidoso students please refer to the Student Handbook available at http://www.ruidoso.enmu.edu/docs/studenthnbk.pdf .

Instructors at ENMU-Ruidoso will not tolerate poor student behavior including plagiarism. Plagiarism is:

Offering the work of another as one's own;
Offering the work of another without acknowledgment or
Failing to give credit for quotations or essentially identical expressions of material taken from books, encyclopedias, magazines, other reference works, term papers, reports or sources of any other individual.

Punishment is left up to the instructor and may range from a written warning to expulsion from the university.

Americans with Disabilities Act:

If you have physical or learning needs that require accommodation, contact your instructor or Monica Gonzalez, Student Success Emporium Advocate (257-2120) at the beginning of the semester. All efforts will be made to accommodate these needs or to provide equipment necessary to accomplish the requirements for this course. Discussions and documentation will be kept confidential.

Inclement Weather Closing Policy:

Students should always assume that classes are meeting as scheduled unless a campus closure notice is posted on the ENMU-Ruidoso website or announced on the radio or television. In the event of a closure due to inclement weather or other emergency, faculty will attempt to notify students in advance of the class meeting. Refer to the website for the complete Inclement Weather Closing Policy and Procedure.

Class Cancellation Policy:

Class meetings may not be cancelled by the instructor. If the instructor is ill or unable to hold class for reasons beyond his or her control, a substitute instructor will hold class or students will be given the opportunity to make up missed class time through an alternative meeting time (agreeable to all students) or by completion of an outside assignment.