BIOLOGY 111 -- General Biology I

Instructor: Dr. Bruce Gillingham

Office: N203M

Phone: 362-7241

E-mail: bgillingham@cfcc.edu

Office Hours: MWF: 11 am - 1 pm, 2 pm - 2:30 pm; T and Th: 8:45 am – 9:30 am, 10:45 pm – 11 am, 1 pm  – 2 pm
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This is the first semester of a two-semester sequence that covers the fundamental characteristics of living things. This course represents a general survey of living systems with emphasis on processes at the cellular level. The basic foundations of science as a process, biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and genetics and evolution are presented as they apply to all living organisms. This course serves as a foundation for Bio 112: General Biology II, which completes the General Biology sequence.

REQUIRED TEXT: Audesirk, T and G. Audesirk (2005). Biology: Life on Earth (8th edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall 

REQUIRED LAB MANUAL: There is no lab manual.  Descriptions of lab exercises will be posted on Campus Cruiser and/or handed out in class.

HOURS, CREDITS, PREREQUISITES:

Course Hours Per Week: 6 (3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab)

Semester Hours Credit: 4

Prerequisite: Eligible to take English 111

GRADING POLICY:

Students will earn grades by their performance on lecture tests, laboratory exercises, and a final exam. The four lecture tests and one final exam given during the semester will count 75% of your final grade (each of the four lecture tests is worth 16.25%, while the final exam is worth 10%). Laboratory exercises (including quizzes, lab reports, and lab practicals) will be worth 25% of your final grade. The grade earned on the comprehensive and multiple-choice final exam also will be substituted for a lower grade earned on a lecture test during the semester. Thus, the final exam cold count 26.25% toward the final grade. Final grades are based on the percentage of possible points earned. CFCC has a standardized grading scale that must be used by all instructors:

A = 92-100% B = 84-91% C = 76-83% D= 68-75% F = Below 68%

W = withdraw: not computed in to the grade point average, requires instructor's signature, last date on which you can receive this grade is 9/18/08

WP = withdraw passing: not computed into the grade point average, requires instructor's signature, last date on which you can receive this grade is 11/7/08

WF = withdraw failing: computed as an "F", requires instructor signature, last date on which you can receive this grade is 11/7/08

I = incomplete: agreement with instructor must be completed within six weeks following the end of the semester
 

GENERAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

We will cover material during each lecture and lab session. Class lectures will follow the lecture schedule attached, with lab work designed to reinforce lecture topics. Videos, slides, readings, and living material will be used throughout the course to help you to understand the material. You are expected to have read any appropriate material before coming to class. If you are going to miss a class, you should get a classmate to pick up any handouts that I may give out during that class meeting. I do not keep extra copies.

ATTENDANCE:

According to CFCC policy, you must attend at least 80% of class hours to be eligible to receive credit for the course. We meet a total of 85.3 hours. That means that you must attend at least 68.3 hours of class to receive credit. The class will start and end on time. It is your responsibility to sign the role sheet at the beginning of each class and you may not sign in another student. Showing up late and/or leaving early will count against you. An absence from class is calculated as an absence, regardless of the reason.  

MAKE-UP POLICY:

There are no make-ups. No test, for whatever reason, may be "made-up". However, a comprehensive exam on lecture material will be given on the last day of class to replace one test. Any additional missed exams will be treated as a grade of 0%. There are also no make-ups for labs or lab practicals. You must rely on you lab group for missed information. Missing a lab practical will be treated as a grade of 0%.

POLICY ON CHEATING:

Any student found cheating will receive an “F” on that assignment.  A second occurrence of cheating will result in an “F” for the course.

CFCC General Education Competencies Will Incorporate All or Some of the Following:

Written Communication, Oral Communication, Critical Thinking, Basic Computer Usage, Understanding Social Structure, Problem Solving, Understanding Scientific Concepts and Application

 

Campus Cruiser Statement:

Every student has an official CFCC-provided email account that is to be used for all email correspondence with your instructors and with CFCC staff.  Some information from CFCC will be emailed to this address ONLY and not sent through postal mail, so it is very important that you check this account periodically.  To access this account, please visit the CFCC website www.cfcc.edu and click on the CampusCruiser link; then follow the directions to log in.  Your email address is yourloginID@email.cfcc.edu.  This email account is for your use while you are attending classes and will still be active until one year after your last class.  Your account may be used for personal email as well as academic email  and is subject to the CFCC Acceptable Use Policy.

 

DISCLAIMER

Information contained in this syllabus was, to the best knowledge of the instructor, considered correct and complete when distributed for use at the beginning of the semester.  The instructor reserves the right, acting within the policies and procedures of Cape Fear Community College, to make changes in course content or instructional techniques without notice or obligation.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

No late work is accepted.

Please place your section number on all tests and any other work that you turn in to me.

Read over material to be covered in class BEFORE class. It will make more sense.

Please review the CFCC Work Ethic Policy as to your responsibility as a CFCC student.