Biology and Physical Sciences
Northeast College
BIOL 1308 – Introductory Biology
CRN 88398 - Spring 2016
3 Credit Hour Lecture Course
Lecture: Pinemont Center, Room 170, Tuesday & Thursday 11:00am-12:30pm
Instructor: James R. Jabbur, Ph.D.
Instructor Contact Information
Electronic-mail: james.jabbur@hccs.edu
Office Telephone: 713-718-6051
Learning Web: http://learning.hccs.edu/faculty
Prerequisites: none
Instructional Materials
COURSE TEXTBOOK: Campbell Essential Biology with Physiology, first edition,
volume 1, by Simon, Reece and Dickey. Benjamin Cummins, 2014. This is a special
edition only available through HCC Bookstores (read yellow highlighted material in
Homework Assignments, below).
MASTERING BIOLOGY HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS: Homework assignments will
be completed online through the textbook publisher’s website. It is very important you
either purchase your textbook and Mastering access code bundle from the HCC
Bookstore OR purchase these items directly online via the registration process as
detailed in the video below. HCC has custom courses set up for HCC students – if an
access code is purchased at any other retailer, it will not work. To help you register for
your Mastering course, here is a quick registration video you can view:
http://screencast.com/t/XhhEKf12B2o The Course ID is: jabbur13393.
LABORATORY MANUAL: None, there is no laboratory component for this course
SCANTRONS: Form 882E (you will require a quantity of five)
E-MAIL: Course correspondence will only be directed through an HCC e-mail address
(all students have an HCC address issued to them by the registrar). Any difficulties
should be directed to the office of the registrar for resolution.
Communication and Office Hours
Please feel free to contact me concerning any problems that you are experiencing in
this course. You do not need to wait until you have received a poor grade before asking
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for my assistance. Your performance in my class is very important to me. I am
available to hear your concerns.
Course Description
The objective of this course is to give students the basic knowledge of life sciences.
Topics include biological molecules, cell structure and function, energetics, cell division,
genetics and molecular biology (DNA/RNA structure and function) and evolution. This is
a Core Curriculum Course. It cannot be used in conjunction with BIOL 1406. The
course is an integration of 2 parts: a standard textbook and a web-enhanced, on-line
course. Students must buy and read the textbook.
Course Goal
Students will begin thinking, writing, and dialoguing creatively, critically and analytically
about biological theories, practices, history and policies.
Introductory Biology Course Student Learning Outcomes will be determined
through course examination, presentation and assignment.
1. Students will be able to explain the components of the scientific method including
developing hypothesis, and its use in the interpretation of the scientific data.
2. Students will be able to describe the structure and function of macromolecules
such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids in cells.
3. Students will be able to understand and identify differences between prokaryotic
and eukaryotic cells.
4. Students will be able to understand energy transformations and the metabolic
reactions associated with cellular activities, such as respiration, and
photosynthesis.
5. Students will be able to understand and explain cell division, DNA replication and
protein synthesis in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
6. Students will be able to explain principles of genetics and solve genetic problems.
7. Students will be able to understand the techniques used in biotechnology and
their role in the study and manipulation of genomes.
8. Students will be able to understand evolution by natural selection, and the
fundamental aspects of population genetics.
Introductory Biology Course Student Learning Objectives will be supplied in
relation to the above listed CSLOs, in accordance with the material covered in the text’s
chapters
1. To establish an understanding of the major historical events in biology and their
impact on science.
2. To describe basic cell structure, biochemistry, metabolism, nutrition,
reproduction, and genetics.
3. To demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of cellular inheritance.
4. To demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of molecular genetic
technology.
Instructional Methods
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As an instructor, I want my students to be successful. I feel that it is my responsibility
to provide you with knowledge concerning the field of biology. Accordingly, it is your
responsibility to make the effort to find enlightenment in the subject material. Read the
textbook, submit assignments on the due dates, study for the exams, participate in
classroom activities, attend class and most importantly, enjoy yourself!
I believe that engaging the students in learning is essential for teaching to be effective.
Thus, you will spend class time involved in collaborative activities. You will be involved
in discussions with your classmates and your instructor. As you will want to contribute
to these discussions, you will need to come to class prepared to discuss, analyze and
evaluate information from your text and other assigned readings. Textbook, powerpoint
aided lecture presentation, laboratory investigation, computer based tutorial and
homework assignments aid in this didactic (Socratic) methodology.
Important Dates (Regular Start – 16 weeks)
January 19
Classes begin
February 1
Official Date of Record
April 5
Last day for Administrative/Student Withdrawal (4.30PM)
May 7
Instruction ends
May 15
Grades available to students
Student Assignments
Assignments have been developed that will enhance your learning. To better
understand a topic, you will be given assignments on key information that you will need
to remember for your success in your career. Students will be required to successfully
complete the assignments designated in the Course Weekly Calendar. Assignments
are explained in further detail in Grading and Assessment (below).
Grading and Assessment
Your instructor will conduct exams and assessments that you can use to determine how
successful you are at achieving the course learning outcomes. If you find you are not
mastering the material and skills, you are encouraged to reflect on how you study and
prepare for each class. Your instructor welcomes a dialogue on what you discover and
may be able to assist you in finding resources on campus that will improve your
performance.
 Lecture Exams (80%): Out of the four regular lecture exams, one exam grade will be
dropped so three exams will count towards 80% of your grade. If you take all four
exams, your lowest grade automatically becomes your drop grade. If you miss an
exam, it automatically becomes your drop exam. If you miss a second exam, you will
receive a grade of 0% for that exam. Lecture exams will be primarily multiple choice,
but make include some true or false, fill in the blank, picture identification, and/or short
essay questions. Lecture exams will be given at the specific dates listed in the calendar.
Students with disabilities who need special help taking tests as part of reasonable
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accommodation should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities for information
regarding testing. Multiple choice questions need to be answered on a scantron.
Scantrons/pencils will not be provided; it is the student’s responsibility to have these on
the day of exams. There are no make-up examinations; a missed exam is scored as
0. There is no compensation for incorrect marking, sloppy eraser or using a pen on
the scantron.
 Compulsory Comprehensive Final Departmental Lecture Exam (10%): The HCC
district-wide comprehensive final is mandatory and cannot be dropped. Multiple
choice questions need to be answered on a scantron. Scantrons/pencils will not be
provided; it is the student’s responsibility to have these on the day of exams.
 Compulsory Mastering Biology Homework Assignments (10%): One homework
assignment per chapter will be administered through the Mastering website. It is your
responsibility to follow the registration instructions and register for the online
homework. If you have difficulty with registration or implementation, let me know. But
YOU must contact the Mastering personnel for technical assistance to resolve the
problem. These assignments are mandatory and your grade cannot be dropped;
devote time to them every week (30 minutes/chapter) as they significantly effect your
final grade!
 Grades will be available in person in the classroom. At the end of the semester, your
grade average will be presented to you. Keep track of your grades and your progress!
The final grade is posted online at www.hccs.edu or at 1-877-341-4300. The
Registrar will no longer mail the transcripts to you.
GRADE COMPUTATION
3 out of 4 Lecture exams (the lowest exam grade
is dropped)
Comprehensive Department Final exam
Mastering Biology Homework
Total
80%
10%
10 %
100 %
GRADE SCALE
A, 90% - 100%
B, 80% - 89.99%
C, 70% - 79.99%
D, 60% - 69.99%
F, below 59.99%
Fx, failure due to not attending the course
Classroom Rules and Regulations
(*any inferences to a laboratory below are intended for a course with a laboratory)
 Textbook and laboratory manual are required.
 You must read the laboratory safety rules before doing any of the lab exercises.
 Students must read the relevant lecture and laboratory assignments before class and
always bring the manual and textbook to the laboratory and lecture.
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 Lecture and laboratory material is posted on the LEARNING WEB at
http://learning.hccs.edu/; for (Professor:) enter [Jabbur].
 Eating or drinking is not allowed in the laboratory; children are not allowed in the
laboratory. Electronic cigarettes are not permitted, either.
 Any student caught cheating on an exam will receive a course grade of “F” and be
dismissed from the course.
 Attendance is mandatory! Students with more than four unexcused absences will
result in an administrative withdrawal without notification. Attend class regularly, be
on time and remain until the end of period. If you have an attendance problem please
notify me.
 Students are responsible for everything covered during their absence. If you miss
class (for whatever reason), use the syllabus and ask your classmates to “fill you in”
on missed material.
 If you are late for an exam, you will be allowed to take the exam (within the remaining
time allotted) as long as no one else has completed the exam and left the room. No
makeup exams are administered.
 All pagers and cell phones must be set on “silent mode” during lecture and laboratory.
Please be civil to me and your classmates: do not text or talk during class.
Advising and Counseling Services
Counselors and Student Services Associates (SSA) can assist students with admissions,
registration, entrance testing requirements, degree planning, transfer issues, and career
counseling. In-person, confidential sessions, can also be scheduled to provide brief
counseling and community referrals to address personal concerns impacting academic
success.
Title IX Information
HCC is committed to provide an environment that is free from discrimination on the
basis of sex, which includes all forms of sexual misconduct. Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972 requires that institutions have policies and procedures that
protect students’ rights with regard to sex/gender discrimination. Information
regarding these rights are on the HCC website under Students – Anti-discrimination.
Students who are pregnant and require accommodations should contact any of the
ADA Counselors for assistance.
It is important that every student understands and conforms to respectful behavior
while at HCC. Sexual misconduct is not condoned and will be addressed promptly.
Know your rights and how to avoid these difficult situations.
Log in to: www.edurisksolutions.org . Sign in using your HCC student e-mail account,
then go to the button at the top right that says Login and enter your student number.
(TITLE IX OF THE EDUCATION AMENDMENTS OF 1972, 20 U.S.C. A§ 1681 ET. SEQ.)
HCC Policy Statement - ADA
Services to Students with Disabilities
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Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision,
hearing, etc) needing reasonable accommodation must contact the Disability Support
Services Office each semester. System: 713.718.5165; Northeast: 713.718.8420. After
student accommodation letters have been approved by the DSS office and submitted to
DE Counseling for processing, students will receive an email confirmation informing
them of the Instructional Support Specialist assigned to their professor. Faculty is
authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support
Services Office.
HCC Policy Statement: Academic Honesty
A student who is academically dishonest is, by definition, not showing that the
coursework has been learned, and that student is claiming an advantage not available
to other students. The instructor is responsible for measuring each student's individual
achievements and also for ensuring that all students compete on a level playing field.
Thus, in our system, the instructor has teaching, grading, and enforcement roles. You
are expected to be familiar with College Policy on Academic Honesty, found in the
catalog. What that means is: if you are charged with an offense, pleading ignorance of
the rules will not help you. Students are responsible for conducting themselves with
honor and integrity in fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary
proceedings may be initiated by College System officials against a student accused of
scholastic dishonesty. “Scholastic dishonesty”: includes, but is not limited to, cheating
on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.
Cheating on a test includes:
 Copying from another students’ test paper;
 Using materials not authorized by the person giving the test;
 Collaborating with another student during a test without authorization;
 Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or
part the contents of a test that has not been administered;
 Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
Plagiarism means the appropriation of another’s work and the unacknowledged
incorporation of that work in one’s own written work offered for credit.
Collusion mean the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written
work offered for credit. Possible punishments for academic dishonesty may include a
grade of 0 or F in the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or
recommendation for probation or dismissal from the College System. (See the Student
Handbook)
HCC Policy Statements
Class Attendance - It is important that you come to class! Attending class regularly is
the best way to succeed in this class. Research has shown that the single most
important factor in student success is attendance. Simply put, going to class greatly
increases your ability to succeed. You are expected to attend all lecture and labs
regularly. You are responsible for materials covered during your absences. Class
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attendance is checked daily, tracked and reported to the business office. Although it is
your responsibility to drop a course for nonattendance, the instructor has the authority to
drop you for excessive absences.
If you are not attending class, you are not learning the information. As the information
that is discussed in class is important for your career, students will be dropped from a
course after accumulating absences in excess of four (4) class meetings. The four
meetings of class time would include any total classes missed or for excessive tardiness
or leaving class early.
You may decide NOT to come to class for whatever reason. As an adult making the
decision not to attend, you do not have to notify the instructor prior to missing a class.
However, if this happens too many times, you may suddenly find that you have “lost” the
class.
Poor attendance records tend to correlate with poor grades. If you miss any class,
including the first week, you are responsible for all material missed. It is a good idea to
find a friend or a buddy in class who would be willing to share class notes or discussion
or be able to hand in paper if you unavoidably miss a class.
Class attendance equals class success.
HCC Course Withdrawal Policy
If you feel you cannot complete this course, you will need to withdraw from the course
prior to the final date of withdrawal. Before, you withdraw from your course; please
take the time to meet with the instructor to discuss why you feel it is necessary to do so.
The instructor may be able to provide you with suggestions that would enable you to
complete the course. Your success is very important. Beginning in fall 2007, the Texas
Legislature passed a law limiting first time entering freshmen to no more than SIX total
course withdrawals throughout their educational career in obtaining a certificate and/or
degree.
To help students avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, HCC has instituted an
Early Alert process by which your professor may “alert” you and HCC counselors that
you might fail a class because of excessive absences and/or poor academic
performance. It is your responsibility to visit with your professor or a counselor to learn
about what, if any, HCC interventions might be available to assist you – online tutoring,
child care, financial aid, job placement, etc. – to stay in class and improve your
academic performance.
If you plan on withdrawing from your class, you MUST contact a HCC counselor or your
professor prior to withdrawing (dropping) the class for approval and this must be done
PRIOR to the withdrawal deadline to receive a “W” on your transcript. **Final
withdrawal deadlines vary each semester and/or depending on class length, please visit
the online registration calendars, HCC schedule of classes and catalog, any HCC
Registration Office, or any HCC counselor to determine class withdrawal deadlines.
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Remember to allow a 24-hour response time when communicating via email
and/or telephone with a professor and/or counselor. Do not submit a request to
discuss withdrawal options less than a day before the deadline. If you do not
withdraw before the deadline, you will receive the grade that you are making in the class
as your final grade.
International Students
Receiving a W in a course may affect the status of your student Visa. Once a W is given
for the course, it will not be changed to an F because of the visa consideration. Please
contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8520 if you have any questions
about your visa status and other transfer issues
Instructor’s Incomplete Policy
The only circumstances under which you can get an I (incomplete) is if you are too ill to
take the final exam. Once you receive an Incomplete (I), in order to get a grade for the
course, you will have to complete the material by the end of the next full semester. If
you do not, the Incomplete (I) will become a final course grade of F.
Final Grade of Fx
Students who stop attending class and do not withdraw themselves prior to the
withdrawal deadline may either be dropped by their professor for excessive absences or
be assigned the final grade of "Fx" at the end of the semester. Students who stop
attending classes will receive a grade of "FX", compared to an earned grade of "F" which
is due to poor performance. If you are on financial aid or an F1 student, you may be
particularly affected and could forfeit your financial aid or be out of compliance, and have
your F1 status revoked. Please note that HCC will not disperse financial aid funding for
students who have never attended class. Students who receive financial aid but fail to
attend class will be reported to the Department of Education and may have to pay back
their aid. A grade of "Fx" is treated exactly the same as a grade of "F" in terms of GPA,
probation, suspension, and satisfactory academic progress. These are serious
consequences, and it is your responsibility to maintain required attendance. Check with
your instructor about specific attendance policies. See the Student Handbook for more
details on class attendance.
EGLS3 – Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System
At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is
necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be
asked to answer a short online survey of research based questions related to
instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your
professors and division chairs for the continual improvement of instruction. Look for the
survey as part of the Houston Community College Student System online near the end
of the term.
Repeat Course Fee
The State of Texas encourages students to complete college without having to repeat
failed classes. To increase student success, students who repeat the same course
more than twice, are required to pay extra tuition. The purpose of this extra tuition fee is
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to encourage students to pass their courses and to graduate. Effective fall 2006, HCC
will charge a higher tuition rate to students registering the third or subsequent time for a
course. If you are considering course withdrawal because you are not earning passing
grades, confer with your instructor/counselor as early as possible about your study
habits, reading and writing homework, test taking skills, attendance, course
participation, and opportunities for tutoring or other assistance that might be available.
Classroom Behavior
As your instructor and as a student in this class, it is our shared responsibility to develop
and maintain a positive learning environment for everyone. I take this responsibility
very seriously and will inform members of the class if their behavior makes it difficult for
him/her to carry out this task. As a fellow learner, you are asked to respect the learning
needs of your classmates and assist your instructor achieve this critical goal.
Use of Camera and/or Recording Devices
As a student active in the learning community of this course, it is your responsibility to
be respectful of the learning atmosphere in your classroom. To show respect of your
fellow students and instructor, you will turn off your phone and other electronic devices,
and will not use these devices in the classroom unless you receive permission from the
instructor.
Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is prohibited in
classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and other locations where instruction, tutoring,
or testing occurs. Students with disabilities who need to use a recording device as a
reasonable accommodation should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities for
information regarding reasonable accommodations
Instructor Requirements
As your Instructor, it is my responsibility to:
 Provide the grading scale and detailed grading formula explaining how student
grades are to be derived
 Facilitate a learning environment through class activities, discussions, and lectures
 Describe special projects or assignments
 Inform students attendance, withdrawal, tardiness and make-up policy
 Provide the course outline and class calendar which will include a description of any
special projects or assignments
 Arrange to meet with individual students before and after class as required
To be successful in this class, it is the student’s responsibility to:
 Read and comprehend the syllabus and adhere to the deadlines for exams and
assignments.
 Attend class and participate in class discussions and activities.
 Read and comprehend the required chapters in the textbook and powerpoints prior to
the exams and assignments.
 Login to the Learning Webpage to access course material and check for updates
daily.
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 Prepare for and complete the required assignments and exams.
 Ask for help when there is a question or problem (in a timely manner).
 Keep copies of all paperwork, including this syllabus, handouts and all assignments.
Suggested Study Tips and Resources Available for this Course
 Please set aside adequate time for study. A good rule-of-thumb is to invest 2 hours
of study for each hour spent in the lecture or laboratory.
 You may find it helpful to define important terms; using flash-cards is a good way to
do this. However, facts only provide a foundation for understanding key concepts.
Comprehension should not be confused with Analysis. It is important to relate terms
to each other in order to fully understand and synthesize the information we discuss.
 To get a take on what the exams offer (in style and substance), try to answer the
questions at the end of each chapter.
 Take advantage of my Learning Web page and the supplemental materials therein
for further clarification.
 Exchange phone numbers with some of your classmates; you may want to form a
study group.
 Ask me for help when there is a question or problem (in a timely manner).
 Take advantage of the free (and awesome) tutoring service available through the
Learning Emporium on the Central College campus (available Monday - Saturday)
and the OnLine Tutoring Service (available 24/7). Refer to
http://central.hccs.edu/about-us/tutoring-central/ for more details. Remember: call to
verify the exact times a Biology tutor will be available. Also, see the tutor early and
throughout the term (certainly not the day before the exam).