1 NATURAL SCIENCES 104 LIFE ON EARTH Spring, 2011 Professor Davis, Office Hrs MW 2:00, GLD-S 344, [email protected], (621-7953) 621-6000 Welcome to NATS 104 - Life on Earth! In this course, you will learn about biological systems, from molecular to global. You will gain firsthand knowledge about the processes of scientific investigation and communication. You will gain a basic understanding of biological systems, how biological systems are studied and how biological systems change. Our goal is to prepare you to understand and evaluate the continuing developments and controversies in biological that affect your life. GENERAL POLICIES 1. Learn Biology! Attend all lectures and workshops on time, complete the readings before lecture, and complete all assignments as soon as they are available. 2. Don't Cheat! Your grade must reflect your understanding of biology. Cheating prevents learning, makes your grade meaningless, and hurts your classmates. Read University Code of Academic Integrity (link). All the material you submit must be entirely your own words, written for this class and not handed in for any other class, including previous sessions of NATS104. (citation added 03/04/11 !) Copying material from any source is cheating unless it in quotation marks followed by a citation. Cheating also includes giving your assignments to another person to copy, because it causes that student's grade not to reflect their understanding of biology. Cheating will result in the sanctions determined by the (faculty-student conference) as set forth by Dr. Carol Thompson [email protected], Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students, and Associate Dean Kendall Washington White [email protected]. 3. Be Prepared! Read the assigned material including instructions and readings before class starts. Prepare for exams using practice exams as many times as possible. Don't put things off to the last minute. D2L assignments are available for several days. Complete them as soon as they become available. Written or printed copies emailed or delivered to the instructors do not constitute on-time submission for materials assigned to be submitted electronically. (clarification added 01/21/11) Attendance is required; don't be tardy, the class starts on the hour and end 10 minutes before the hour. See “attendance” below 4. Be Responsible! You are responsible for understanding and following all of the rules outlined in this syllabus. You are responsible for bringing a pencil and eraser to the exams. Do not disrupt class by talking, by using your cell phone, or by using your laptop except in assigned areas. (link) These are serious infractions (UA policy). NATS104 follows the 3-strikes2 policy of the Dean of Students: in addition to zero credit for attendance that day, “step 1” is an email written record of your FIRST warning. “Step 2” is the same penalty and an email serving as a written record of your SECOND warning. “Step 3” is a written complaint (form) to the Dean of Students asking that you be placed on academic probation. ●Never behave in a threatening manner. This is a very serious infraction (UA policy). ●Sleeping during lecture is rude, you will not receive attendance credit if you sleep in class. ●Email Requirements: Always put "NATS104" in the subject line of emails to us, and always use your UA email account in all communications particularly when setting up and interacting with D2L, TurnItIn and other Nats 104 internet programs. Retain all of the previous text in emails regarding ongoing issues. If you cite an issue that involves persons other than the email recipient, be sure to include them in the cc line. Our policy is to add their addresses to replies involving those persons. ●Check your grades frequently on D2L and report any discrepancies within two weeks of the due-date for the material. CLASS WEB PAGE, AND READINGS The NATS104 D2L home page includes CURRENT ANNOUNCEMENTS and a schedule that outlines the topics that we will cover in lecture and in the workshops, and provides links to the online reading assignments. The assigned readings are due before lecture. You may communicate with any of us at any time (see D2L home page for email addresses) and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We strongly encourage you to use email to ask for clarification about the course material, to make appointments, or for any questions relating to class. ATTENDANCE Attendance is required. The lecture notes and readings are posted online, but neither gives the emphasis and explanations provided in lecture. By missing lectures, you will miss any additions, corrections or clarifications that are made in lecture. You will also lose attendance credit. Attendance will be monitored by assigned seating. You will be marked absent (-1 pt) if you do not sit in your assigned seat, for any reason Read UA Policy on Excused Absences (link). If you arrive late, leave early, use your cell phone or laptop without permission, or sleep in class, you will not receive attendance credit for that day. Illness-related, family-emergency and academically-sanctioned absences must be explained in writing to retain attendance credit. (emphasis added03/21/11) If you wish to change your seat, in order to use your computer in the back rows or other reasons, contact Prof. Davis (odavis@email...). There are NO MAKE-UPs for Workshops or Lecture Quizzes. See "Don't put things off to the last minute," above. If you will miss an EXAM you must either notify us two weeks BEFORE the exam in writing (by email), or afterward submit convincing evidence for a valid excuse. Valid excuses submitted before or after the exam are limited to major health-related emergencies (read MORBYMORT) or academically-sanctioned absences (requires Dean-of-Students' written excuse). Make-ups for missed exams will be D2L practice exams taken the Prof. Davis’ office within one week of the missed exam. The Final Exam (30 points) cannot be made up in this way and the final grade will be calculated without those points.3 Academic Contestants, Student Athletes, Greek Life, Special Needs (DRC): Every student in this class has the same opportunities and obligations. "Dean's excuses" issued for sporting or academic events do not remove responsibility for assignments, and do not excuse late submission unless the excuse covers the entire period the exercise was available. See UA Policy (link) and UHAP