BSC
1005
General Biology for Non-Majors
Welcome to BSC1005 General Biology for Non-majors. If you are a pre-professional
student in medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary science, 4-year nursing
or physical therapy, then this is NOT the course you need. Instead, you
need Introduction to Biology I (BSC1010). If, however, you are a non-science
major in art, literature, education, business, etc., then this is the
correct course.
To graduate from college in Florida, you need one science lab. Biology
lab is not required, but most students who take biology eventually take
the biology lab to satisfy that particular graduation requirement. You
do not have to take the lab at the same time you take the lecture. However,
the lab (BSC1005L) does have a prerequisite or corequisite of BSC1005.
Just don't try to take the lab first.
The tests are not open book nor open notes. You may
not receive outside help on the tests. You are on your honor
as a BCC student (see Academic Honesty
statement) when taking the tests. I reserve the right to change the format
of the test to accomodate the material. Although I primarily give multiple
choice tests, you may also have matching, short answer, true/false, essay,
or any other format I deem appropriate for the course.
Biology is a difficult subject. It goes into detail on a large number
of topics. A large part of the course is vocabulary and definitions. There
is a lot of memorization in this course. However, let me point out that
AFTER you have mastered the material, you will be required to synthesize
answers from the material presented. College is not just simple reguritation
of material. You will be required to think, analyze, and synthesize information
on the tests.
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Course
Participation and Attendance Policy
Regular,
active, and meaningful participation in learning activities is a critically
important component of this course and is essential to your success. It
is recommended you check into the course site several times during the
week. Frequency and quality of participation may effect your grade.
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Attendance
Important Notice: Starting Fall 2007, faculty will report
student non-attendance. If you stop submitting assignments or fail to
take tests prior to the withdrawal date, you will be administratively
withdrawn from class and receive a W or, if it is your
third attempt, an F.
If you stop participating after the withdrawal date, you will
receive a WF that will then be computed as an F
in your GPA. To avoid this situation, you should remain
an active learner in this class and always communicate extenuating circumstances
to me. Ongoing communication with the instructor is critical to your course
success. I will use completion of tests, homework, and other class assignments
as indicators of your participation in order to satisfy college reporting
requirements.
Regular, active and meaningful participation in class is critically important
and essential to your success. It is recommended you check into the course
web site several times during the week as well. Most correspondence will
be through BCC email. Frequency and quality of participation will affect
your grade.
- Participation
- Active participation is expected of all students in this course.
- Check your email and course content often. Ask questions.
- Post and respond to any messages.
- Submit all assignments in a timely manner.
- BCC Attendance Policy: Please familiarize yourself with BCC's Attendance
Policy. In addition, the following policies are required for my course.
- Regular attendance is strongly encouraged.
- Do not come into lecture late or leave early. If you are absent
and miss an exam, that represents a drop grade for you. You only
get one drop exam during the semester. You must take the
final during the regularly scheduled exam week. No exceptions are
allowed. Check the BCC final exam schedule for this semester in
the college catalog.
- You are responsible for material covered in lecture. If you miss
a lecture, you are responsible for finding out what was covered,
any assignments or any special instructions or announcements before
the next class session. This includes homework, handouts, and other
assignments.
- Please do not come to class late. You may miss special instructions
or guidelines. If you do show up for class, please plan to remain
for the entire class. If you cannot attend class, be sure to get
the notes from someone who did attend class. I will not allow anyone
in class late. I consider an individual late the moment I begin
my lecture. Unfortunately, none of the clocks on campus are synchronized,
so it's better to show up early.
- Sleeping or loud behavior will not be tolerated. If you need sleep,
please go home. If you doze off, I will ask you to leave. If you
don't hear something, please ask me and not your classmates. Any
disruption in class will result in your being asked to leave the
class.
- Turn off all beepers, cellular phones and alarms on watches before
you come into class! If you beeper or cell phone beeps or rings
during class, you will be asked to leave. Text messaging is not
allowed in class. No earphones while class is in session.
- College policy prevents guests or children in the classroom.
Phone: (954) 201-8902 | FAX : (954) 201-8975 | Email: Fred
Searcy
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Withdrawals and Audits
Please note the State of Florida mandates students will be allowed three
(3) attempts to successfully complete this course. This includes your
original grade, any audits, and any withdrawals. The third withdrawal
from this course automatically becomes an "F". The state policy
for remedial courses is more stringent.
You are responsible for changing to audit or withdrawal. If you simply
quit attending without officially withdrawing or auditing, you will be
awarded an "F" at the end of the term. To withdraw or audit,
you must go to the registrar. After the date to withdraw or audit has
passed, you will receive a grade in the course, no exception.
To audit, you must have my permission, attend lab or class regularly,
take all quizzes, exams, practicals, etc., and complete all assignments.
Failure to do so will result in a grade of "W".
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Academic Honesty
Broward Community College expects its students to be honest in all of
their course work and activities. Breaches of academic honesty include
cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation, bribery, and the unauthorized
possession of examinations, papers, or other class materials that have
not been formally released by professors. A student's academic work must
be the result of his or her own thought, research, or self-expression.
Breaches of Broward Community College's Policy on Academic Honesty may
result in academic penalties and/or disciplinary action. At the discretion
of the professor, academic penalties may include a failing grade for a
particular assignment or a failing grade for a particular course. In addition,
a professor or another BCC employee may refer a student to the Dean of
Student Affairs for student suspension or
expulsion from the college.
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Faculty
Contact Information
- Office
Phone: 954-201-8902
- Department
Phone: 954-201-8965
- Email:
fsearcy@broward.edu
- Department
Fax: 954-201-8975
- Office
Hours: Click "Office Hours" to see posted hours.
On
occasions, I have meetings that may conflict with office hours. I encourage
you to call to set up an appointment to ensure I am in the office.
- BCC's
Emergency Hotline Number: 954-201-4900
Instructor
Biographical Information
Fred Searcy
earned his BA and MS in biology from the University of Mississippi and
an MLS in Library and Information Science from Florida State University.
He came to BCC in 1985 to initiate the botany and zoology courses on
South Campus. He spent four years in the military as a radioman in U.S.
Coast Guard copying Morse code. He was stationed in Corpus Christi,
Texas aboard the CGC Reliance and at Radio Communications Station
New Orleans. His resume includes a stint as a plant ecologist for the
Bureau of Land Management in Miles City, Montana; a park manager at
Golden Memorial State Park in Walnut Grove, Mississippi; and high school
and community college teacher in northeast Mississippi. He was selected
as "Educator of the Year" for Itawamba County and Professor
of the Year for BCC South Campus in 1989 and 2007. He received the Sensormatic
Endowed Teaching Chair in 1999 and the Emil Buehler Endowed Teaching
Chair in 2007. He is also past President of the BCC Faculty Senate and
past President of the United Faculty of Florida, BCC Chapter.
Faculty
Web Site: www.broward.edu/~fsearcy
Course
Prerequisites
- Course
Prerequisites and Corequisites: REA0006C
COLLEGE PREPARATORY READING I.
- Computer
Knowledge & Skills:
Students in this course should be familiar with the following
computer skills:
- File
Management - You should be familiar with finding and saving files
on your computer.
- The
Internet - You should be familiar with connecting to the Internet
through an Internet Service Provider or network connection.
- Web
Browser Software - You should be familiar with using web browser
software to navigate the Internet and locate information.
- Email
- You should be familiar with sending and receiving email messages.
- Attachments
- You should be familiar with sending email messages attached with
files.
- Word
Processing - You should be familiar with creating, editing, saving,
and printing documents in Microsoft Word.
- Other
Requirements
- You
will need a BCC
email address to access the online portion of this course.
- Obtain
a County Library Card or University/College Library Card. You may
get one at either South Regional, North Regional, or Central Library.
These cards will allow you to use select library databases.
Course
Hardware and Software Requirements
To
complete the online segments of this course, you must have access to computer
hardware and software that meets or exceeds BCC's minimum hardware and
software standards* for e-learning courses. It is strongly recommended
you check your computer to verify its hardware and software configuration
meets or exceeds the BCC standard.
*
BCC's hardware and software standards can be found at http://www.broward.edu/flexible/student.jsp.
Click on "Computer Checkup" then carefully read and follow the
directions on "Browser Tune up."
- Important!
You must enable the pop-up feature for your browser. If you
are using Netscape or Internet Explorer, you will not be able to access
some information unless this feature is enabled.
- Attention
AOL Users:
Students using AOL should pay particular attention to the section addressing
issues related to AOL. To avoid AOL dropping your connection, set up
a private chat room to suspend AOL's idle timer. See AOL's help function
for more details.
- Attention
Windows XP Users:
Users who have upgraded to Windows XP from Windows 95,98,ME,NT,2000
do not need to download any additional files. Windows XP does not include
the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). The JVM is used by some tools within
the course. Students with new machines or who perform a clean installation
of Windows XP will automatically be offered the choice to perform a
one-time download of the virtual machine the first time you try to access
any tool within tye course that uses Java. You must download the entire
file before continuing to use the college web site.
- Technical
and Access Problems
If you attempt to use hardware or software which does not meet the BCC
standard, it is possible you will encounter technical difficulties when
accessing your online course which could interfere with your ability
to view content or complete assignments. If you encounter difficulties
accessing content in WebCT or in logging in, please contact the Help
Desk at http://www.broward.edu/webct/help.jsp.
To avoid unforeseen technical complications which may occur, even when
you think everything is working well, it is strongly recommended you
complete and submit your assignments well ahead of schedule.
If you do not have access to a computer which meets or exceeds BCC's
minimum hardware and software standards, you can use an "open lab"
computer at any BCC Learning Resource Center. Check your campus for
the hours of operation of the LRC Open Computer Lab at http://www.broward.edu/libraries/index.jsp.
Please remember the computer lab attendants are there to ensure the
computer equipment is working properly, not to help you with your assignments.
Direct all questions regarding this course to your instructor.
Lack of access to a computer which meets BCC's hardware and software
standards or difficulty connecting to the Internet are not a valid excuse
for failure to complete the online portion of course requirements on
time.
- Additional
Software Required for this Course
You will be required to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed
on your computer. It is a free download found at www.adobe.com.
Any word processing documents you may be required to submit for this
course must be submitted in Microsoft Word format. (Not Microsoft
Works, text, not ascii, not PDF, etc.) If you do not have proper
software on your computer, you can use the Microsoft Word program
on any of the "open lab" computers at any BCC Learning Resource
Center.
Only word processing documents in Microsoft Word format will
be accepted. Please virus check documents before sending them. Panda
Software offers a free online virus check.
Any
email you send to the instructor via BCC or the college server must include
a subject category which includes the name of your class.
If this is not provided, your email will not be opened.
Other
Policies and Procedures
Special
Needs | Academic Honesty | Emergencies
| Copyright | Withdrawals/Audits
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Special Needs: Students having special needs
as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act should notify the Office
of Disability Services as early in the term as possible. It is the student’s
responsibility to contact the Disability Support Office prior to document
disability prior to receiving services.
Notify the
instructor after you have contacted the Office of Disability Services
so the instructor can consult with the Office of Disability Services to
discuss what reasonable accommodations would be appropriate for your situation.
Academic
Honesty (Cheating):
Each student's academic work must be the result of his or her own thought,
research, or self-expression.
Cheating
includes, but is not limited to: copying the work of another person (plagiarism)
or permitting your work to be copied by another person, discussing test
answers or questions with people who have not completed the test, distributing
assignment materials to other students, poses sing course materials that
have not been formally released to students in the course, and collaborating
on the completion of assignments not specifically designated in the syllabus
as being "group projects".
Cheating
will be considered a breach of Broward Community College's Code of Conduct
Policy and may result in academic penalties (zero points on the assignment/test
in question, a failing grade for the course), disciplinary action, and/or
a referral to the Dean of Student Affairs. Examples 1) If it appears two
or more students have submitted the same material for any solo assignments,
each student involved will receive zero points for that assignment. 2)
If it appears a student has copied an assignment from published material
(including Internet sites), the student will receive an zero points for
that assignment.
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Critical
Event Procedure:
In the event of a school closing due to weather or other major event that
might impact class schedules, the instructor will post an announcement
indicating what changes (if any), the event will have on the course schedule
and due dates.
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The materials used on this course Web site may be protected by copyright
and are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for the purposes
associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.
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Official
College Outcomes & Objectives of Course
Click on the above link for the pdf file of the official college outcomes
and objectives for this course.
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