Life Sciences Core Curriculum Office, Life Sciences 2305
This office (AKA: LS Office, LS Core Office, Core Office) provides administrative support
for Life Sciences 1, 2, 3, 4, 15 & 194. The office is opened Monday – Friday from 8:30am to
5:00pm, unless otherwise posted.
Things you might want from us: Textbooks, course materials, rosters, copy code, copy
machine, review session rooms, audio visual supplies and equipment, supply codes,
administrative advice, help with the MYUCLA Gradebook, etc.
What we do for your courses: Everything! Schedule the courses, order books and readers,
schedule introductory TA meetings, order audiovisual (AV) equipment, help students with
enrollment issues, copy course materials for instructors, make midterm announcements,
copy and prepare exams, keep official rosters of student scores, acquire exam rooms and
review session rooms and provide administrative help to students, TAs and instructors.
The LS Core Office:
Annie Alpers, Executive Manager of Student Affairs, LS 2305B, (310) 825-8445,
anniea@lifesci.ucla.edu. Annie works behind the scenes on everything. She is here to help
you with extreme situations such as problematic student relations or issues with a fellow TA
or instructor.
David King, Student Affairs Officer, LS 2305, (310) 825-6614, davidk@lifesci.ucla.edu.
David can help you out with a number of things: audio visual requests, student grade
management, posting notices to the course web pages, textbooks and readers as well as assist
you with general administrative questions.
Tammy Johnson, Student Affairs Officer, LS 2305, (310) 825-6614,
tammyj@lifesci.ucla.edu. Tammy can help you with procedural, scheduling and facilities
questions, obtaining review session rooms, problematic student relations or issues of
academic integrity/dishonesty.
LS Core Academic Administrators:
Steve Strand, Chair, Life Sciences Core Curriculum, Director of the Ocean Discovery
Center. Life Sciences 2129, (310) 825-0376, strand@biology.ucla.edu. Steve teaches LS 1 and
LS 15. He is very concerned with the quality of the LS Core Courses, which are constantly
evolving and improving (hopefully!). If you ever have a concern or suggestion regarding one
of the courses, please feel free to contact him.
Lianna Johnson, Academic Administrator. Life Sciences 2127, (310) 206-0343,
ljohnson@ucla.edu. Lianna teaches LS 3 and 4. She has developed the instructional CDROM for LS 4 and is currently working on a similar program for LS 3. She is an excellent
resource for just about any question relating to LS 3 or 4. (She will be on sabbatical in the
2001-2002 school year and will not be teaching.)
Jay Phelan, Academic Administrator. Slichter 2867 (310) 825-0149, jay@ucla.edu. Jay
teaches LS 1, 2, 4 and 15. He is a great person to go to for teaching advice and tips.
Staff & Facilities:
Kuei-Chiu Chen, Academic Lab Coordinator, Young Hall 2340 , (310) 794-4113
kueichiu@lifesci.ucla.edu. Kuei-Chiu manages the labs for LS 2 & LS 3. She runs the Lab TA
meetings and oversees all procedure. She also assists in the maintenance of the LS 1 labs.
Rhonda Murotake, Lab Technician, Young Hall 2360, (310) 825-5886 or 794-4170,
rhondam@biology.ucla.edu. Rhonda keeps the labs supplied and running! She orders
supplies and does the set-up and stocking of the LS 2 and 3 labs and assists with
maintenance of the LS 1 labs.
Richard Campbell, Assistant Lab Technician, Young Hall 2360, (310) 794-4170
rcampbel@ucla.edu. Richard works with Rhonda in the set-up and stocking of the LS 2 and
3 labs.
Scheduler, Lisa Darby, LS 2110, (310) 825-1268, lisad@lifesci.ucla.edu. Go to Lisa if you
need office hour space. See her as early as you can because space is limited! She also keeps
the room keys for the office hour rooms.
Store Room, LS 2204. Hours: 8-12, 1-5 daily- they ALWAYS close for lunch. The
storeroom guys are; Manny, Humberto and Pablo. Remember: you may only purchase
items necessary to the instruction of your course and only during the quarter you are
teaching!
Payroll Office, LS 2203. Ming, Rod, Theresa and Sandy. You will see Ming and Rod for
TA related payroll questions. They can help you set up your pay for automatic deposit and
can help you with parking.
** Please give your departmental address for your pay-stub if you
choose to have your pay automatically deposited!! This will
greatly increase the likelihood of you actually getting it!! **
Course Websites are managed by Kristin Hartman, LS 1152A (310) 794-9177
webteam@lsic.ucla.edu. Contact Kristin if you have trouble accessing the course webpage
for the course you are TAing, or have questions about the operation of the webpage.
Computer Lab, LS 1154. The lab is opened M-F 8am-7pm. If you have questions
regarding the computer lab, contact Kevin Tamm, ktamm@ucla.edu.
Student Psychological Services
4223 Math Sciences Building, 825-0768
A3-062 Center for the Health Sciences (CHS) 825-7985
LS Core FAQ’s
How do I get an office hour room?
Go see Lisa Darby in LS 2110 as soon as you can. Space is limited! Lisa also keeps
the keys to the office hour space which you will need to be checked out before your
office hours and PROMPTLY returned when your office hours are finished.
How many office hours do I have to have?
Two (2) hours per week. The best option is to have one on Monday, Wednesday or
Friday and one on Tuesday or Thursday (for example: W 2-3 and R 11-12). If you
choose to have them all on one day, try to begin on a half hour and end on a half
hour (for example: W 2:30-4:30) so you are available to as many students as possible.
If you have a student who can not make any of your office hours, you may need to
make special arrangements to see that student.
What if I need to change my office hours?
Just make sure your students know and notify the LS Office of the new time and
location immediately.
How do I get rosters of my sections?
You can access the rosters for your sections through your MYUCLA webpage or in
the LS Office in the afternoon on the first Monday of the quarter (October 1 for Fall
20001
What if a student who is not on my roster claims to be enrolled?
For the first two weeks of the quarter, students are allowed to enroll into any section
where there is space- this includes wait lists. MYUCLA rosters are updated every
morning and are the most accurate. Print rosters are generated on the prior Saturday,
so it’s possible that the student is correct. By the end of week 2, most of the moving
will have quieted down.
What if a student asks to switch into my section or for a PTE number?
For Life Sciences 2 & 3 the enrollment cap of 18 is strictly enforced. If a student
who is enrolled in your section, wants to switch places with a student from another
section, you (the TAs) need to keep record of that yourselves. Those students do
NOT need to officially switch on URSA. Life Sciences 1 & 4 are more flexible. It’s
up to the TAs to decide if they want to accept students who want to switch. Keep in
mind though, you are responsible for grading of those students. You do NOT have
to allow students to switch into your sections if they are officially enrolled elsewhere.
TAs do not usually distribute PTE (permission to enroll) numbers.
How do I keep track of my student’s section scores/grades?
You may purchase a grade book from the storeroom (LS 2204) or you may keep
your grades in excel (or another computer program). Please keep an extra copy of
everything!! Grade books get lost and computers crash!! At the end of the quarter
after you’ve entered each student’s total score into the official grade roster, please
give a copy of your students’ scores to the LS Office. Remember to keep your grades
for at least a year!
Where do I enter grades?
The official grade rosters are kept in the LS Office or on the MYUCLA Gradebook.
After midterm exams, scores are entered into the official rosters. At the end of the
quarter, you will be responsible for entering each of your students’ section score total
if you have not been entering them into MYUCLA Gradebook. Final exam scores
will also need to be entered.
Where do students pick up their midterms?
Midterm exams are handed out TWICE in lecture before the LS Office will begin
to hand them back to students. This is to encourage students to pick up their exams
when they are passed back in lecture the first time. After they have been passed back
twice in lecture, the LS Office will make them available to students.
What if a student asks me to re-grade their exam?
Most instructors will set a re-grade policy. This policy should be strictly
enforced.
Never re-grade an exam that was written in pencil or erasable ink.
NEVER add points to a students exam/assignment and send the student to the LS Office
for the points to be changed. If you add points, notification should come to the LS Office
directly from YOU! We need to know what the original score was and what the
revised score is.
NEVER look at a graded assignment and say “I don’t know why points were taken
off, it looks right to me.” If you feel there was a mistake in grading a question that
you did not grade, tell the student to submit a re-grade request, OR collect the exam
and ask the TA who graded that question to explain the grading to you.
Can I make photo copies of course related material for my students?
Yes, you can make handouts for students. Be sure to share handouts with your
fellow TAs so the information can be made available to all students. With the large
volume of course related copying, the LS Office can’t be responsible for replenishing
your handouts if students run out. Also, course related materials ONLY please! If a
student forgets their lab book, it is not your responsibility to make a copy for them.
What photo copy machine should I use?
There is a machine in LS 2305 (LS Office) that you can use during business hours.
What if I can’t access the course webpage?
E-mail Kristin Hartman at webteam@lsic.ucla.edu or call her at 794-9177.
How do I arrange for audio visual equipment?
See David in the LS Office and he will make the necessary arrangements. Remember,
for Audio Visual, 24 hours in advance IS the LAST MINUTE!! AV requests
should be made 4 days to a week in advance!
Where do I get dry erase markers or chalk?
Chalk should be available in the class room. There is “fat” chalk in the LS Office.
Dry erase markers (for the whiteboards) can be obtained in the LS Office or
Storeroom (LS 2204).
Who do I go to if I have a conflict with a co-worker?
Relating to the labs: see Kuei-Chiu Chen.
Relating to fellow TAs: the course instructor or the LS Office.
Relating to the course instructor: the LS Office or Steve Strand.
What if I am unable to attend lecture or the TA meeting?
Please notify the instructor ahead of time and arrange for a fellow TA to complete
any tasks that you usually perform for the instructor in lecture.
We understand that things may come up in the quarter that you are unable to
control. If you have an interview, medical appointment, family/personal emergency
it is acceptable for you to make the necessary arrangements to be away. However,
under NO circumstances should you miss any aspect of your teaching duties for
extracurricular personal activities.
What if I am unable to teach my own section?
If you know ahead of time, please arrange for one of your fellow TAs to cover your
sections for you and notify the instructor (and lab coordinator if you miss lab)of the
arrangements and your reasons for missing your section.
If you have an emergency, if possible call the LS Office at (310) 825-6614 or if it is
after hours call (310) 825-8445 to leave a message.
How do I reserve a review session room?
E-mail Tammy tammyj@lifesci.ucla.edu in the LS Office several days in advance.
Include the date, time, number of students and any AV needs.
What do I do if a student has an emotional problem?
Refer them to Student Psychological Services immediately. They are opened M-F
8am to 5pm. The phone numbers are: 825-0768 (Math Sciences) or 825-7985 (CHS).
What do I do if a student has academic problems?
There is tutoring available on campus.
College Tutorials at Covel Commons
825-9315 or www.college.ucla.edu/up/ct/
Honors & Undergraduate Programs
Counseling, Mentoring & Trio Programs
1209 Campbell Hall
Letters and Science Counseling
A316 Murphy Hall
What do I do if I suspect students are cheating?
Academic dishonesty (cheating) comes in many forms: plagiarism, sharing/copying
exam answers or homework, turning in the same papers or another student’s work
from a previous quarter, copying lab work, just to name a few. All are serious
offenses.
If you witness academic dishonesty during an exam, immediately consult the
proctoring tips that are always included in the box of exams. They will instruct you
on how to proceed. A student caught cheating during an exam should ALWAYS
finish the exam in question!
If you believe an assignment was copied or plagiarized, take it to the instructor
or the LS Office. It is not your responsibility to take action or reprimand a
student- there are people who will do that for you!
REMEMBER!! It is easier to prevent academic dishonesty than to take action
against it. Encourage your students who are friends to sit apart during exams and
quizzes. Explain ahead of time what is acceptable and what is not with regard to
working together. This may be obvious to you, but your students might not think
sharing their work is a ‘big deal’.
What do I do if a student misses class or an exam?
Send them to the LS Office. There are very few acceptable excuses for missing class
or an exam. If the student had a medical excuse, it needs to be documented by a
physician (not a family member) or Student Health. Other excuses such as a family
emergency need to be documented as well. All documentation should be turned
in by the student to the LS Office.
What if a student has an exam conflict?
Dates and times of exams are printed in the schedule of classes and are available
when students register on line. There is no excuse to have an exam conflict. Work is
not an acceptable conflict. If the student can not avoid the conflict, send them to the
LS Office.
Things to REMEMBER!!
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Enroll in your classes!! If you are not a full time graduate student by the end of third
week, your fee remissions will be returned to Graduate Division!!
Don’t forget that you will have evening midterms and an evening final exam to
proctor! Put them in your schedule right away!
Check the UCLA campus directory on-line at www.ucla.edu. Look yourself upremember that students can (and will!) do the same! You may choose to restrict your
address and phone number access through URSA. I suggest a partial (phone number &
address) rather than a full (FERPA) restriction.
Get your rosters BEFORE your sections meet in first week!
Don’t be overwhelmed by all of this- it’s not as bad as it seems!