MONROE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BIO 155-200: General Biology I
Course Information Sheet and Tentative Schedule
Spring 2008
Course Description
Principles of biology with an emphasis on cellular structure and function, and organic evolution.
Topics will include cellular metabolism, molecular genetics, gene expression, Mendelian
genetics, natural selection and speciation. The laboratory features activities and experiments
that reinforce the concepts presented in lecture. This course is the first in a two-semester
sequence in introductory biology for science majors or science-interested students. This course
may also fulfill a natural science elective for science-interested students. Two class hours, one
conference hour, three laboratory hours. 4 Credits. (SUNY-NS, Writing Intensive)
Pre-requisites
High school biology with a grade of B or better or BIO 120 with a grade of C or better, and high
school chemistry with a grade of C or better or any college chemistry course with a grade of C or
better.
Faculty Information
Judy Kaufman, Ph.D.
Office:
8-226
Phone:
292-2730
Email:
jkaufman@monroecc.edu
Office hours: Mon.
12:00 – 12:50
Tues, Thurs:
11:00 – 12:30
Friday:
11:00 – 12:00
Other times by appointment.
Course Meeting Places and Times (you pick lecture, 1 lab, and 1 conference)
Lecture:
Laboratory:
Conference:
Section 200: MW
Section 205: T
206: W
207 R
Section 230: F
231: F
232 F
1–2
2–5
9 – 12
1–4
1–2
2–3
3-4
REQUIRED Materials
Text: Biology, 7th ed., N. Campbell/J. Reece. Benjamin-Cummings © 2005
Lab book: Investigating Biology Lab Manual, 5th ed, J. Morgan/E. Carter © 2005 Custom Edition
for Monroe Community College.
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Course Materials Accessibility
Course materials will be located on the M-Drive, at:
M:\Courses\BIO\Bio 155 General Biology I \Kaufman
Or, at the MCC homepage, click on
Current Students, then on the left, click on course access. You then need to enter your pin
number and find the course.
Grading Policies and Procedures
(Note: the actual number and weight of quizzes/homeworks/exams will be determined at the
discretion of the instructor)
Lecture Unit Examinations
There will be five (5) unit examinations given throughout the semester. Exams may include
both objective and essay questions. No makeup exams will be given however your lowest
unit exam will be dropped.
Cumulative Final Examination
A cumulative final examination will be administered during the final exam week. You MUST
take the final examination to pass this course. If you do not show up for the final exam, you
will receive a grade of “F” for the course. The date of the final examination period for this
course will be announced in class when the information becomes available.
Quizzes
Quizzes over current material will be given randomly throughout the semester, usually
during the first 10 minutes of class time (lecture, lab, or conference). Alternately, pre-lecture
quizzes may be given through Course Compass prior to the class. You must be present
when the quiz is distributed to receive credit for it. No make-up quizzes will be offered.
You will be responsible for thoroughly reading each lab exercise before coming to laboratory;
you may be taking a pre-lab quiz over the basic lab protocol before each lab exercise.
Homework
There will be homework assignments relating to course material throughout the semester. Each
homework assignment will be described on a separate handout with instructions and a due date
for the assignment. Late assignments will be accepted at the discretion of the instructor and will
receive a minimum 20% grade reduction.
Laboratory Component
The laboratory portion of your grade will be based upon 2 laboratory practical examinations.
You will be expected to answer questions based on materials and/or concepts covered during
the course and displayed at various stations and/or with power point projections. The laboratory
examinations will not be cumulative, and NO LAB EXAM GRADES WILL BE DROPPED. Makeup lab exams will be permitted only with a valid, written excuse (police report, court documents,
doctor’s note. etc.). Should a documented absence occur during a laboratory examination, you
must notify me within 48 hours of the exam to be eligible to take a make-up lab exam. The
format of the make-up lab exams (e.g. practical stations, essay or oral questions) will be at the
discretion of the instructor.
 Make-up Laboratory Exercises
It is your responsibility to contact me as soon as you know you will miss a laboratory
exercise. Laboratory work will be made up at the instructor’s discretion and depends
upon the availability of materials and laboratory space.
BIO 155-200, Spring 2008
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 Laboratory Report
You will be responsible for writing one formal laboratory report during the semester. This
report will require you to collect and analyze data, the results of which will be
incorporated into your report. A handout providing detailed instructions for this project
will be distributed in class.
Grade distribution for this course :
Cumulative Final Exam:
Lecture Exams (4):
Lab Practicals:
Laboratory Report:
Lab attendance:
Quizzes/ Homework
Assignments:
15% of your final grade
30% of your final grade
15% of your final grade
15% of your final grade
5% of your final grade
20% of your final grade
Your overall percentage will be converted to a grade
according to the table at the right →
At the end of the semester, don’t ask me to add points
to the total number of points you earned, so you can pass
the course, remain in school, get your employer to pay
for the class, retain a scholarship, etc. Remember, you
will earn a grade in this course.
Overall
Percentage in
BIO 156
93
90– 92
87 – 89
83 – 86
80 – 82
77 – 79
70 – 76
68– 69
66 – 67
62 – 65
60 – 61
59
Letter Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Record Keeping
Please save all graded material. This is especially important where credit may have been
allowed after a paper was initially scored and recorded. In the absence of your papers, my
records will be considered correct.
Attendance and Withdrawal Policy
Please use the college policy and dates with respect to withdrawal from the course. You are
expected to attend all scheduled classes and arrive on time. In the event you are late, please
enter the classroom quietly. Students who are very late may be considered absent. If you miss 6
or more hours of class in any combination of lecture, conference, or laboratory hours you may be
withdrawn from the course or receive a deduction in your grade which can result in a failing
grade. Be aware that a withdrawal from this course (or any course) may have an impact on your
financial aid. See a financial aid officer for more information.
Students with Special Needs
Please notify me of any documented special needs you may have. It is your responsibility to
communicate this information to me by the end of the first week of class. In accordance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, we can then make
arrangements with the proper individuals to ensure that these needs are met.
BIO 155-200, Spring 2008
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Academic Honesty Policy
The course will adhere to the Monroe Community College academic honesty policy, as outlined
in the MCC Catalog and Student Handbook for the current academic year.
Student Responsibilities
It is your responsibility to keep up with the reading and lecture material daily and participate in
all conferences and laboratories. Your success will depend on you taking an active role in the
learning process. It is recommended you review the assigned chapter in the textbook before
coming to class. Assigned laboratory material must be read prior to the laboratory meeting. You
are responsible for all class material and assigned work, even if you are absent from class.
Obtaining missed lecture notes, assignments, and scheduling adjustments is your responsibility.
Do not contact the instructor to ask what you missed.
Learning Centers
Monroe Community College has a number of Learning Centers at Brighton and at Damon (e.g.
the Integrated Learning Center, Electronic Learning Center, etc.). Learning centers are staffed
with instructional personnel and may be equipped with computers and software to assist
students. It is recommended you use the Natural Science Education Center (NSEC), located in
room 9-129, for additional help with concepts covered in the course.
Cellular Phones/Pagers
Cellular phones and pagers must be silenced during class meetings. Failure to comply with this
may result in you being asked to leave the classroom. In an emergency, individuals may contact
Public Safety (292-2911) and a message will be delivered to you at the classroom.
Emergency Closings
If the College is closed due to inclement weather or some other emergency, all Rochester area
radio and television stations will be notified no later than 5:30 a.m. In addition, the homepage on
the MCC website (www.monroecc.edu) will display a message indicating that the College is
closed. Please do not call the College to avoid overloading the telephone lines.
Class cancellation information is available daily on the web or through the telephone. Simply go
to the MCC website (www.monroecc.edu) and under the “Quick Links” window on the
homepage, click on “Class Cancellations”. Additionally, class cancellation information is
available by dialing 292-2066, press “1” for the Brighton Campus and “2” for the Damon
Campus. If possible, please use the web as there could be delays in the voice recordings based
on the number of cancellations.
Note: The schedule below is tentative. Although every effort will be made to adhere to the
schedule as written, the instructor reserves the right to alter any part of the course information
sheet or schedule at her discretion. If such alteration is necessary, students will be notified of
changes in class.
BIO 155-200, Spring 2008
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HotChalk.com
Class Registration Instructions
Class Name: Bio 155 General Biology
Class Security Code: FWFAD0K4Z
For Bio 155 General Biology, we will be using HotChalk to manage our class work online. You'll
have access to resources, materials, grades, assignments, and homework for this class. I also have
the option to distribute certain assignments through HotChalk, which you can complete and
submit back to me online. In order to participate, you'll need to register with HotChalk.
To create a new HotChalk Student account:
1. Go to http://app2.hotchalk.com/register/student
2. Create a username and password, enter your email (twice), agreed to the terms of services
and privacy policy, then click "Create Free Account"
3. Once logged into HotChalk, you will be asked to join a class.
4. Enter this Class Code: FWFAD0K4Z
5. Success!!
BIO 155-200, Spring 2008
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Dear BIO 155-200 Student:
In this class you will be using a supplemental website that includes animations, flash cards,
exercises, an ebook, and book-specific quizzing and testing resources that accompany Biology,
7/e by Campbell and Reece. This supplement is required, and you will be using it to take
quizzes and complete your lab report this semester.
Before you begin:
To register for the Biology, 7/e CourseCompass website, you will need:
 A valid email address
 Your school’s zip code: 14623
In addition, your instructor will provide you with:
BIO 155-200, Spring 2008
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 A CourseCompass student access code
 A “Course ID”: 66079
Registration:
 Go to http://www.coursecompass.com/
 Click Student Registration under “First-time users.”
 If you have your student access code and course ID, click Register.
 Click the “Next” button.
 Select “No, I am a New User” and type in your Access Code in the fields provided (use




one “word” per box).
Enter your school’s Zip Code, select your Country, and click Next.
Enter your instructor’s Course ID and click Next.
Enter your Name and Email and select Your School.
Create your Login Name and Password, answer the Security Question, and click Next.
If successful, you will receive a Confirmation Screen with your information (this information will
also be emailed to you).
Logging in and returning visits
Once you have registered for CourseCompass, simply use your own login name and password
to access the website.
 Go to http://www.coursecompass.com/
 Under “Returning Users” click Student Login.
 Enter the Login Name and Password you created and click “Log In.”
 You will see your Course listed under Courses You Are Taking.
 Click on this Course and you are ready to access your resources!
System requirements and technical support:
To take full advantage of the features in this course, be sure you have the
right technology. Log in to your Campbell homepage to review Minimum
Requirements, check browser settings, and access the software needed to
use these resources.
BIO 155-200, Spring 2008
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Course Compass Pre-Lecture Quiz Information:
Course Compass quizzes for the chapters listed below will open at 9:00 a.m. on the dates listed.
Each quiz will close at 9:00 a.m. on the date listed.
You may take the quiz any time during the ‘open’ period for that quiz.
Quizzes may only be taken one time; they cannot be repeated.
Once a quiz is begun, it must be finished at that sitting.
There is a one hour time limit for each quiz.
If you do not take a quiz, a grade of zero (0) will be entered for that quiz and will
contribute to the calculation of your final grade.
6. Quiz grades are automatically entered into my gradebook. You will be able to view your
own Course Compass quiz grades by clicking on the gradebook.
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Chapter
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001
002
003
004
005
006
007
008
009
010
012
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015
016
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020
021
022
023
024
025
Quiz Opens
On:
Quiz Closes
On:
Course Compass Peer Review for Formal Laboratory Report:
You will also be using Course Compass as your place to review and edit your formal laboratory
reports throughout the semester. You will be assigned to a group of 3 students, and will provide
constructive feedback and suggestions to your group members regarding the development of
their lab report. I will be reviewing all postings to these group work areas, and part of your
laboratory report grade will depend on your participation in this process.
BIO 155-200, Spring 2008
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