BSC1011 Laboratory Syllabus

A Word of Advice

This is a demanding course. You should expect to spend the college recommended two (2) hours studying for each semester hour of credit. Since this class is 1 semester hour lab which meets 3 hours per week, you should be studying a minimum of 2 hours outside this course. You should come to lab prepared by thoroughly reading your assignment before each lab and reviewing your notes prior to lab. Ask questions, form study groups, and seek the help of your instructor.

Lab Manual

Vodopich DS, Moore R. Biology Lab Manual to Accompany Brooker Biology, 2008. McGraw-Hill: Boston. 581 pp. ISBN: 978-0-07-332398-5

Required Materials

Lab coats and safety glasses are required for all labs, including laboratory practicals.

Short scantrons and a test taking pencil (# 2 lead or softer)

CPS RF CLicker available at the bookstore. Your textbook will have a "free" enrollment card within it. You will need to register your clicker at www.einstruction.com. When you register your clicker, you will be asked for a class key. Your class key for BSC1011Lis M46516D164.

Return to Top

Syllabus

Return to Top

Grading Policies
How Your Grade Will Be Determined

• You grade is based on lab quizzes, lab participation and lab practicals. The lab quizzes are administered at the beginning of every lab period except the first lab period and after every practical. The quizzes are 10 points each. Lab practicals are 50 points each. If you miss a lab, you will not be allowed to take the quiz for that lab!
• You will need the short scantrons and a test taking pencil (#2 or softer lead) for all quizzes. Lab practicals are fill-in-the-blank and the instructor will provide the test form for those. Spelling counts on lab practicals and if you do not spell the word correctly, 1/2 point will be deducted for each answer for each misspelled word.
• There will be no makeup assignments available. The use of notes, books, binder, texts, etc. is not permitted for any quiz.
• I reserve the right to modify the testing in the class based on circumstances which may arise. This includes the number of exams/quizzes, type of quiz or exam (multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, true/false, essay, etc.).
• From time to time, bonus points will be available in the lab using the clicker system of einstruction. You are responsible for bringing your clicker to lab. If you do not bring it to lab, you are not eligible for bonus points.
  

Lab Participation and Attendance Policy

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 online 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 online week. Frequency and quality of participation may effect your grade.

Participation:
Active participation is expected of all students in this course. Check your email and course discussions regularly. Ask questions. Post and respond to messages.

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. It is doubtful a passing grade can be earned with excessive absences.
• Roll will be taken. Do not come into lecture/lab late or leave early. If you are absent and miss an quiz/practical, that represents a drop grade for you.
• You are responsible for material covered in lab. If you miss a lab, you are responsible for finding out what was covered, any assignments or any special instructions or announcements before the next session. This includes homework, handouts, and other assignments.
• Please do not come to lab late. You may miss special instructions or guidelines. If you do show up for lab, please plan to remain for the entire lab. If you cannot attend lab, be sure to get the notes from someone who did attend. I will not allow anyone in lab late. I consider an individual late the moment I begin my instructions. Unfortunately, none of the clocks on campus are synchronized, so it's better to show up early rather than late.
• 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 the instructor and not your classmates. Any disruption in lab will result in your being asked to leave the lab.
• Turn off all beepers, cellular phones, and alarms on watches before you come into lab! If your 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 lab in is session. The only computers you are allowed are those provided in lab.
• College policy prevents guests or children in the lab.
  Return to Top

Faculty Contact Information

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

Return to Top

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 for 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

Return to Top

Course Prerequisites

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 and a statement it is an online course. If this is not provided, your email will not be opened.

Return to Top

Other Policies and Procedures

Special Needs | Academic Honesty | Emergencies | Copyright | Withdrawals/Audits | Logging Off | Communiations

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.

Return to Top

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.

Copyright:
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.

Return to Top

Withdrawals and Audits:
No withdrawals will be give for any reason. It is the student's responsibility to withdraw from this class by the withdrawal deadline if you are not earning the grade you want or will not be able to complete the course. To view important dates (including withdrawal deadlines) for this semester, visit the college calendar on line.

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 attempt at this course will result in a grade. 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 after the first exam, 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".
You may be penalized on your grade(s) if you do not conform to all the above.

Return to Top