SAMPLE
WILL BECOME BIO 101
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
The City University of New York
New Course Proposal
When completed, this proposal should be submitted to Caroline Mc Mahon, Director of Curriculum
and Undergraduate Services in the Office of Undergraduate Studies for consideration by the College
Curriculum Committee.
1.
Department (s) proposing this course: Sciences
2.
Title of the course: BIO 101. Paced Modern Biology IA
Abbreviated title (up to 20 characters): Paced Modern Biology IA
3.
Level of this course:
__X_100 Level
____200 Level
____300 Level
____400 Level
4.
Course description as it is to appear in the College bulletin:
(Write in complete sentences except for prerequisites, hours and credits.)
Paced Modern Biology 1A is the first course in the two-semester alternative to Modern
Biology I for those students who do not place into Biology 103. The series is an in-depth
exploration of the basic properties of living systems on the molecular, cellular, and organismic
levels. Topics in Biology 1A include cell structure and function; structure and function of
macromolecules; energetics; cellular respiration and photosynthesis.
The entire 101/102 series must be completed in order to receive credit as a science equivalent.
5.
Has this course been taught on an experimental basis?
_ _No
_ X_Yes: Semester (s) and year (s): Fall 2006, Spring 2007
Teacher (s): Dr. Nathan Lents
Enrollment (s): 54, 19
Prerequisites (s): BIO 101 is available to students who do not place into
Biology 103.
6.
Prerequisites: BIO 101 is available to students who do not place into Biology 103.
7.
Number of: class hours_3
8.
Brief rationale for the course:
lab hours__0__
credits_2___
Successful completion of the core courses in the Forensic Science major is crucial for
advancement in the program. Students who lack an understanding of the basic principles in the
sciences perform very poorly in the advanced courses and if they complete the major do so with
very weak academic records. Data prepared by the Departments of Institutional Research and
Freshman Services indicate that there is correlation between verbal scores on the SAT (520 and
higher) and biology regents (80% and higher) and successful completion (grade of C or better)
of Biology 103. BIO 101-102 is a two-semester, slower-paced alternative to Modern Biology I
1
Bio191 Syllabus: Spring 2007, John Jay College
SAMPLE
WILL BECOME BIO 101
for those students who do not place into BIO 103. Presenting the material at a slower pace in
conjunction with instruction on study skills, note taking, and time management provides
students with the knowledge and skills to successfully complete the 101/102 series as well as
the subsequent Modern Biology II (Biology 104) course. Compact and CUE monies were used
in Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 to fund the implementation of other pedagogical tools including
tutors and a custom-designed Blackboard course management system. The Blackboard course
contains an e-Book; text graphics; activities and simulations; diagnostic and practice quizzes;
and an online grading book. The BIO 101-102 series would provide students with the
knowledge and skills to successfully complete the series as well as the subsequent Modern
Biology II (BIO 104) course. We believe that the implementation of these changes would
underscore John Jay’s commitment to access and excellence.
9a.
Knowledge and performance objectives of this course:
(What knowledge will the student be expected to acquire and what conceptual and
applied skills will be learned in this course?)
Knowledge and performance objectives: Students will understand the basic concepts in the
field of modern biology:
 structure of atoms and molecules
 cell structure
 structure and function of macromolecules
 cellular respiration and photosynthesis
9b.
Information literacy:
(Indicate what sorts of information seeking skills will be enhanced by this course,
e.g., use of the internet, access to specialized data bases, literature search skills, etc.)
Students will broaden their knowledge of modern biology by exploring sites on the Internet,
utilizing the textbook online resources (www.campbellbiology.com), the custom-designed
Blackboard course management system, and the Library’s General Science Abstracts and
Science Direct holdings. Students will hone their problem solving skills through the use of
interactive problem solving tutorials.
10.
Recommended writing assignments:
(Indicate types of writing assignments and number of pages of each type. Writing
assignments should satisfy the College’s requirements for writing across the
curriculum.)
Students will be required to re-copy lecture notes onto notecards/flash-cards. This is NOT
extra credit, and will count five points toward each exam grade. Students will be encouraged to
develop their own style for making these cards, but they will be collected on the day of each
exam, and graded for completeness. Strategies and guidelines for these cards will be discussed
on the first day of class.
Throughout the semester, students will be assigned short writing assignments, one for each
exam section of the semester. These assignments will be posted on Blackboard at least one
week before they are due, will be graded for correctness, and will count as five points toward
each exam grade.
2
Bio191 Syllabus: Spring 2007, John Jay College
SAMPLE
WILL BECOME BIO 101
11.
Will this course be part of any major (s) or program (s)?
___No
_X_Yes. Major or program: Forensic Science
What part of the major? (Prerequisite, core, skills, etc.)
Core courses in the major and prerequisite for BIO 102
12.
Is this course related to other specific courses?
___No
_X_Yes. Indicate which course (s) and what the relationship will be (e.g., prerequisite,
sequel, etc.).
BIO 101 is the prerequisite for BIO102. The 101-102 series is a slower-paced
alternative to BIO 103 and a prerequisite for BIO 104.
13.
It is strongly advised to meet with a member of the library faculty before answering question
14.
If this course was taught on an experimental basis, were the existing library, computer, lab or
other resources adequate for this course?
_X_Yes
___No. With whom has this been discussed? What has been recommended?
The resources necessary for the course were discussed with Katherine
Killoran. The Library’s General Science Abstracts and Science Direct holdings in
conjunction with the resources packaged with the textbook and the custom-designed
Blackboard course management system will enable students
to explore topics of interest and master key concepts in biology.
If this course was not taught on an experimental basis, are library, computer, lab or other
resources necessary for this course?
___No
__ Yes. With whom has this been discussed? What has been recommended?
14.
Syllabus and bibliography:
Attach a sample syllabus for this course. It should be based on the College’s model syllabus.
The sample syllabus must included a week by week or class by class listing of topics, readings,
other assignments, tests, papers due, or other scheduled parts of the course. It must also include
proposed texts. It should indicate how much various assignments or tests will count towards
final grades. (If this course has been taught on an experimental basis, an actual syllabus may
be attached, if suitable.)
The Spring 2007 syllabus for BIO 191, the experimental BIO 101 course, is attached.
In addition, a bibliography in APA format for this course must be attached to this proposal.
15.
This section is to be completed by the chair (s) of the department (s) proposing the course.
Name (s) of the Chairperson (s): Dr. Lawrence Kobilinsky
Has this proposal been approved at a meeting of the department curriculum committee?
___No
_X_Yes: Meeting date: February 7, 2007
3
Bio191 Syllabus: Spring 2007, John Jay College
SAMPLE
WILL BECOME BIO 101
Signatures: ________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
When will this course be taught?
Every semester, starting _ _____________
One semester each year, starting __ Fall 2007 ______________
Once every two years, starting ________________
How many sections of this course will be offered? ____3___
Who will be assigned to teach this course? Full-time faculty and adjuncts.
Is this proposed course similar to or related to any course or major offered by any other
department (s)?
_X No
___Yes. What course (s) or major (s) is this course similar or related to?
Did you consult with department (s) offering similar or related courses or majors?
_X_not applicable
___No
___Yes
If yes, give a short summary of the consultation process and results.
Will any course be withdrawn if this course is approved?
_X_No
___Yes, namely:
Signature (s) of chair of Department (s) proposing this course:
Date: ___________________
Revised: September 15, 2000
4
Bio191 Syllabus: Spring 2007, John Jay College
SAMPLE
WILL BECOME BIO 101
JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
BIOLOGY 191: SPRING 2007
Instructor: Dr. Nathan Lents
Room: 4203-N
Tel: 646.557.4504
AIM: JJDrLents (available during office hours and other times as announced)
Email: nlents@jjay.cuny.edu
Office hours: Wednesday 11:00a-1:00p, 4:00p-6:00p, and by appointment
_______________________________________________________
Section 01
Lecture: 6th Period Tu/Th
Room 3416-N
_______________________________________________________
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Biology 192 consists of lectures covering topics in modern biology. Grades are
derived from homework assignments and lecture exams, as detailed below. There are four (4) lecture exams.
There are no make-up exams. If you miss an exam and do not have a valid written excuse, you will receive a
score of zero (0%). All exams count; no grade is dropped. In addition, there are eight separate homework
assignments. Four of these are to complete notecards, which will count as five points toward the exam.
Additional homework assignments, one for each exam section, will be in the form of short essays and writing
assignments. They will also count as five points toward each exam grade.
Blackboard: Important course announcements, suggested homework assignments, review questions, a
discussion forum for Q and A, and other resources will be posted to the course Blackboard. Please check
regularly. Furthermore, students are responsible for checking their John Jay e-mail account regularly for
important announcements. Contact DoIT, not your Bio instructor, for help with e-mail or Blackboard.
TEXT/STUDY GUIDE PACKAGE: Campbell, N. & Reece, J. (2005). Biology (7th ed.) New York: PearsonBenjamin Cummings. (Available in the Bookstore)
KNOWLEDGE AND PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:
Students will understand the basic concepts in the field of modern biology:
 structure of atoms and molecules
 cell structure
 structure and function of macromolecules
 cellular respiration and photosynthesis
Statement of the College Policy on Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas,
words, or artistic, scientific, or technical work as one’s own creation. Using the ideas or work of another is
permissible only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct
quotations, require citations to the original source. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of
dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism.
It is the student’s responsibility to recognize the difference between statements that are common knowledge
(which do not require documentations) and restatements of the ideas of others. Paraphrase, summary, and
direct quotation are acceptable forms of restatement, as long as the source is cited.
Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult with their instructors.
The library has free guides designed to help students with problems of documentation.
5
Bio191 Syllabus: Spring 2007, John Jay College
SAMPLE
WILL BECOME BIO 101
Important Policies
ATTENDANCE: You are required to attend the lectures. An attendance sheet will be circulated during class. It
is your responsibility to sign the sheet during class. You will not be permitted to sign the attendance sheet after
the class has been dismissed. More than four (4) unexcused absences are considered excessive and you will
receive a grade of F.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS: Students are required to re-copy lecture notes onto notecards/flash-cards.
This is NOT extra credit, and will count five points toward each exam grade. Students are allowed to develop
their own style for making these cards, but they WILL be collected on the day of each exam, and graded for
completeness. All lecture notes should appear on notecards, in some form. Strategies and guidelines for these
cards will be discussed on the first day of class.
Through the semester, students will be assigned short writing assignments, one for each exam section
of the semester. These assignments will be posted on Blackboard at least one week before they are due, will
be graded for correctness, and will count as five points toward each exam grade.
EXAMS: There are four in-class lecture exams, the last of which, although not cumulative, will occur during
finals week at the scheduled time. All exams are of equal weight and all will count. No, repeat, NO drop test in
this class.
If you miss an exam (or foresee that you will miss an exam) for any reason, you MUST contact the
instructor as soon as humanly possible. At the discretion of the instructor, you may be allowed to take the
exam late (or early). However, you are ONLY eligible for this one-time consideration if you contact the instructor
immediately and you arrange to take the exam BEFORE the corrected exams are handed back to the class. In
all other cases, the missed exam WILL count as a ZERO. (Exception: a documented medical or family crisis
may result in being excused from an exam, but this will only be allowed ONCE. Further missed exams will
count as a zero, regardless of the reason.)
LECTURE GRADES: Lecture exams will consist of two parts: Fifty (50) multiple-choice questions, and one or
two short answer questions. The short-answer question(s) will be taken from a list that is given ahead of time
and count for five points (of 55) on the exam. The four exams divide the course into four parts or “sections,” and
the grading for each of those sections is as follows:
In-class Exam:
Multiple Choice (50 questions)
50 points
Short Answer (1-2 questions)
5 points
Homework
Notecards
5 points
Writing Assignments
5 points
Total = 65 points for each section (x 4 sections = 260 points)
Once these grades are totaled, the score will be expressed as a percentage and the final letter grade will follow
the official John Jay grading scale. There will NOT be a CURVE!!!
You must check blackboard and your John Jay E-mail account regularly.
You are responsible for any and all course information, announcements, and
communication that occurs through blackboard and/or your email account.
6
Bio191 Syllabus: Spring 2007, John Jay College
SAMPLE
WILL BECOME BIO 101
John Jay College: CUNY, BIOLOGY 192, SPRING 2007
7
Bio191 Syllabus: Spring 2007, John Jay College
New Course Proposal, Page
Week
_
1
2
3
Date
JAN 30
FEB 01
FEB 06
FEB 08
FEB 13
DAY
LECTURE
TUES
THURS
TUES
THURS
TUES
CHAPTER 1:
CHAPTER 2:
CHAPTER 2:
CHAPTER 2:
CHAPTER 3:
8
PAGES
INTRO TO THE STUDY OF LIFE
THE CHEMICAL CONTEXT OF LIFE
CONTINUED
CONTINUED
WATER AND ENVIRONMENT
2-29
32-46
47-57
Thursday, Feb 15: CLASSES FOLLOW MONDAY SCHEDULE!!!
4
5
6
7
8
9
140
FEB 20
FEB 22
FEB 27
TUES
THURS
TUES
CHAPTER 3:
CHAPTER 4:
CHAPTER 4:
MAR 01
THURS EXAM #1:
MAR 06
MAR 08
MAR 13
MAR 15
MAR 20
MAR 22
MAR 27
TUES
THURS
TUES
THURS
TUES
THURS
TUES
MAR 29
THURS EXAM #2:
CONTINUED
CARBON & MOLECULAR DIVERSITY 58-67
CONTINUED
WEEKS 1-4 CHAPTERS 1-3
CHAPTER 5:
CHAPTER 5:
CHAPTER 5:
CHAPTER 6:
CHAPTER 6:
CHAPTER 6:
CHAPTER 7:
MACROMOLECULES
68-91
CONTINUED
CONTINUED
THE CELL: STRUCTURE&FUNCTION 94-123
CONTINUED
CONTINUED
MEMBRANES: STRUC/FUNCTION
124-
WEEKS 5-8 CHAPTERS 4-6
** SPRING RECESS APR 02 – APR 10 **
10
11
217
APR 12
APR 17
THURS
TUES
CHAPTER 7: CONTINUED
CHAPTER 11: CELLULAR SIGNALLING
201-
** APR 18 LAST DAY TO RESIGN WITHOUT ACADEMIC PENALTY**
12
159
13
180
14
15
200
16
APR 19
APR 24
THURS
TUES
CHAPTER 11: CONTINUED
CHAPTER 8: INTRO TO METABOLISM
141-
APR 26
MAY 01
THURS
TUES
CHAPTER 8:
CHAPTER 9:
160-
CONTINUED
CELLULAR RESPIRATION
MAY 4 THURS EXAM #3:
WEEKS 9-12 CHAPTERS 7,11,8
MAY 8
MAY 10
MAY 15
TUES
THURS
TUES
CHAPTER 9: CONTINUED
CHAPTER 9: CONTINUED
CHAPTER 10: PHOTOSYNTHESIS
MAY 17
THURS
CHAPTER 10: CONTINUED
FINALS WEEK
EXAM #4:
TUES
181-
WEEKS 13-16 CHAPTERS 9-10
MAY 23 10:15AM-12:15 PM
8
Rm 1311-N
Bio191 Syllabus: Spring 2007, John Jay College
New Course Proposal, Page
9
How to pass Biology 191

In-class

Show-up, stay awake, LISTEN, bring your book!!!

Take careful notes, but still listen!!!

Don’t write ONLY what is on the lecture slides… listen carefully and jot down any point
that I make that helps explain something.

Homework

Complete the assigned reading BEFORE class!

Re-read your notes as soon as possible (that night if you can!)

Make notecards (flashcards) of everything in the notes

It is best NOT to wait until exam time to do this!

Take the flashcards with you everywhere you go… in the subway, on the bus, at
home, in between classes, TV commercial breaks…


But even if you DO wait until the exam, still… make the flashcards!

Complete the writing assignment when you are studying that section

If you are struggling with a concept, come see me!!!
Exam Studying

Read the notes yet AGAIN

Study your flashcards. Drill them MANY times until you REALLY know them all.

Go over the writing assignment that you completed.

Prepare answers to ALL of the possible short answer exam questions.

Study the figures from the book that I used in class.

Take the “self-quizzes” at the end of each chapter. Go find the answers.

Use the textbook CD and try the activities.

Only study in groups if you stay focused the whole time
9
Bio191 Syllabus: Spring 2007, John Jay College
New Course Proposal, Page
10
Flash Cards
“Flash Cards” should cover all topics covered in class. This must be done for each and every exam, for a
total of 20 points of the lecture grade.
The flashcards will be graded for completeness (0-5), and must be turned in on exam day to receive any
credit whatsoever. They will NOT be accepted late.



On exam day:

Turn in “flash cards”

These count for five points on the exam!

These will be graded for completeness (0-5)

Must use a rubber band.

The top flashcard should have your name on it
To make flash cards:

Read through the notes

Transfer notes to note cards, one concept at a time

All exam material must be on the note cards
Good Flash Cards:

Definitions

Lists
10
Bio191 Syllabus: Spring 2007, John Jay College
New Course Proposal, Page
11
Bibliography
Campbell, N. & Reece, J. (2005). Biology (7th ed.). New York: Pearson- Benjamin
Cummings.
Cundell, D.R. (2006). Science as a borderless discipline. Thought & Action: The NEA
Higher Education Journal, 22, 41-48.
Lanza, J. (2006). New designs for bio-explorations (2nd ed.). New York: PearsonBenjamin Cummings.
Waterman, M. & Stanley, E. (2005). Biological inquiry: A workbook of investigative cases for
Campbell- Reece Biology. New York: Pearson- Benjamin Cummings.
11
Bio191 Syllabus: Spring 2007, John Jay College