BIOL 121 W1 Biology 1 Lab: SMCC, Spring 2013
Dr. Peter Harvie
SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine 04106
Course: Biology 1 Lab
Credit hours: 1
Total contact hours: 30
Course/section: BIOL 121 W1
Class time: Wednesdays, 4:00-5:50 PM
Room: 102 Hildreth Science Center
Instructor: Dr. Peter Harvie
Contacts:
Email: pharvie@smccme.edu
Phone: 741-5509
Office: 110A Marine Science Center
Office hours: By appointment
Course description: This is the first semester laboratory of a two-semester Biology sequence
intended for biology/science majors or students looking to transfer laboratory science credits
This laboratory component is intended to provide students with experiential learning in support
of concepts and principles introduced in the lecture class. Prerequisite(s): ENGL-050, ENGL075, MATH-050 Corequisite(s): BIOL-120
Course objectives: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the following topics:
 chemical hypothesis
 cellular and molecular structure and function
 basic metabolism; cellular respiration, transcription and translation, operons
 cell replication
 Mendelian genetics
2. Access primary scientific literature
3. Evaluate a scientific essay or article
4. Perform basic lab skills including pipetting, dilution, use of spectrophotometer,
electrophoresis, microscopy
5. Produce a research project relevant to course material
Text: No lab manual is required for this section
Course policies:
Student responsibilities:
Preparedness: Students must come to class having completed all assignments and readings. This
course is meant to be an interactive course and the only way students can participate fully is to
come to class prepared. As is typical of science courses, each topic builds on material covered
previously. If you get behind, it will be very difficult or impossible to catch up.
Participation: Students are expected to participate in class discussions and activities. Some of
the work we’ll do this semester will be done in groups and will require cooperation and active
participation by all.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at every class. A sign-in sheet will be
provided and it is the student’s responsibility to sign in either before or after (i.e. not during)
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BIOL 121 W1 Biology 1 Lab: SMCC, Spring 2013
Dr. Peter Harvie
class. Students are not penalized for legitimate, unavoidable absences (e.g. illness, legal/medical
appointments). It is the student’s responsibility to provide proper verification for these absences
(e.g. doctor’s note). Each student can have one unexcused absence for the semester; after that,
each absence will result in a 3% deduction from the student’s final average. In addition, it may
be difficult or impossible to make-up missed lab work. This can result in an inability to
complete assignments which, in turn, can lead to a significantly lower grade for the course.
In addition, students can be assigned a grade of AF (academic failure) as the consequence of
missing three consecutive class sessions at any time during the course without notifying the
instructor beforehand or contacting the instructor to provide a legitimate reason for the absences.
Students can contact the Registrar and request an AF grade be changed to "W" (withdrawn) if
done before the final drop date. Students earning an AF are still financially responsible for the
course.
Coming to class late on a regular basis is not acceptable. It is disruptive to those who are
responsible enough to come on time. Should you on rare occasions come to class after it starts,
enter quietly and sit down. It is your responsibility to obtain any information you missed after
class either from other students or the instructor. Make-up exams are given only for legitimate
and documented reasons. Make-up exams must be taken within one week of the original exam.
It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor to make arrangements in a timely
manner to accommodate that requirement. Make-up exams may be entirely essay. Leaving
class prior before the end of the scheduled period is not acceptable unless prior arrangements
have been made with the instructor. The exception to this is, of course, if you become ill during
class. If you must leave for that reason, please see the instructor before the next class meeting to
explain the situation. Classes may on occasion end before the fully allotted class time. Do not
plan on this, however. Expect to spend the full class period in class each day.
BlackBoard and email: This course is ‘web-enhanced.’ Assignments and related material will be
posted on the Blackboard site for this course. All students will be expected to access
BlackBoard and to be able to utilize those BlackBoard functions that are introduced during class.
Students are also expected to use their official SMCC email account for all course email
correspondence.
Instructor responsibilities:
Preparedness: An instructor is responsible for being prepared for all classes and labs.
Direction: Students have a right to understand what the instructor expects them to do, know, and
accomplish during the course. If at any time it is not clear to you what is expected, please do not
hesitate to ask for clarification.
Availability: An instructor must be accessible to students. You can contact me before or after
class, or by email, by phone, or by appointment. I will make every effort to schedule
appointments with students at a time that is convenient for them.
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BIOL 121 W1 Biology 1 Lab: SMCC, Spring 2013
Dr. Peter Harvie
Return of assigned materials: All assignments handed in will be corrected and returned to the
students in a timely manner. This usually will mean no later than one week from the time the
work was handed in.
General College policies:
ADA Syllabus Statement
Southern Maine Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and
employer. For more information, please call 207-741-5798.
If you have a disabling condition and wish to request accommodations in order to have
reasonable access to the programs and services offered by SMCC, you must register with the
disability services coordinator, Mark Krogman, who can be reached at 741-5629. There will be
some documentation for your teachers that must be supplied before accommodations can be
given. Further information about services for students with disabilities and the accommodation
process is available upon request at this number.
SMCC Pay-for-Print Policy
Students can print up to 150 pages or $15.00 in value per semester free of charge. If you print
over these quotas, you will be charged 10 cents per page to your student billing account for
tuition and fees. Leftover pages or value will not be rolled over to the following semester.
The College’s pay-for-print system monitors printing on all public printers (i.e. those in general
access labs, library printers, and Academic Achievement Center, Noisy Lounge and technology labs).
Each time you log-in to the system, the print station displays the remaining print quota. Once the
printing quota has been exceeded, users will be charged on their student accounts on a monthly basis
at the rate of $.10 per page or $.05 per page if the printer prints on both sides (duplexing). Color
printouts will be charged at 11 page units. This means each color printout will count as 11 pages
toward the quota and will cost $1.10.
Add-Drop Policy
Students who drop a course during the one-week “add/drop” period in the fall and spring
semesters and the first three days of summer sessions receive a 100% refund of the tuition and
associated fees for that course. Please note any course that meets for less than the traditional
semester length, i.e., 15 weeks, has a pro-rated add/drop period. There is no refund for nonattendance.
Withdrawal Policy
A student may withdraw from a course only during the semester in which s/he is registered for
that course. The withdrawal period is the second through twelfth week of the fall and spring
semesters and the second through ninth week of twelve-week summer courses. This period is
pro-rated for shorter-length courses. To withdraw from a course, a student must complete and
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BIOL 121 W1 Biology 1 Lab: SMCC, Spring 2013
Dr. Peter Harvie
submit the appropriate course withdrawal form, available at the Enrollment Service Center (no
phone calls, please). The designation “W” will appear on the transcript after a student has
officially withdrawn. A course withdrawal is an uncompleted course and may adversely affect
financial aid eligibility. Failure to attend or ceasing to attend class does not constitute
withdrawal from the course. There is no refund associated with a withdrawal.
Plagiarism Statement
Adherence to ethical academic standards is obligatory. Cheating is a serious offense, whether it
consists of taking credit for work done by another person or doing work for which another
person will receive credit. Taking and using the ideas or writings of another person without
clearly and fully crediting the source is plagiarism and violates the academic code as well as the
Student Code of Conduct. If it is suspected that a student in any course in which s/he is enrolled
has knowingly committed such a violation, the faculty member should refer the matter to the
College’s Disciplinary Officer and appropriate action will be taken under the Student Code of
Conduct. Sanctions may include suspension from the course and a failing grade in the
course. Students have the right to appeal these actions to the Disciplinary Committee under the
terms outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.
Cell phones. Cell phones are not to be used during class for calls or texting except for
emergencies. Please put your cell phone on vibrate during class time.
Late work and missed tests. Work turned in after the due date will be assessed a 20% grade
reduction for each day it is late. No late work will be accepted after the assignments are returned
to the rest of the class. There are no make-up quizzes.
End-of-Course Evaluation
In order to gain access to final course grades, students must complete evaluations for each course
attended at SMCC. Evaluations are submitted online and can be accessed through the student
portal site. Students can access the course evaluation report beginning two weeks before the end
of classes. The deadline for submission of evaluations occurs 24 hours after the last day of
classes each semester. Instructors will announce when the online course evaluation is available.
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BIOL 121 W1 Biology 1 Lab: SMCC, Spring 2013
Dr. Peter Harvie
Course evaluation: The final grade for BIOL 121 is calculated as follows:
Lab write-ups
Lab quizzes/exercises/homework
60%
40%
Letter grades are assigned according to the following:
A = 94-100%
A- = 90-93%
B+ = 87-89%
B = 83-86%
B- = 80-82%
C+ = 77-79%
C = 73-76%
C- = 70-72%
D+ = 67-69%
D = 63-67%
F = below 63%
Incomplete grades. As stated in the SMCC Campus Handbook, a grade of ‘incomplete” is
granted to a student “when an extraordinary event occurring late in the semester prevents a student
from completing all required assignments. The purpose of an incomplete grade is to give students an
opportunity to earn the grade they would otherwise have received had the event not occurred. The
purpose is NOT to give students more time to improve their grade.” In keeping with this policy, no
grades of incomplete will be granted for reasons outside of the limited scope described above. As an
adult learner, it is a student’s responsibility to manage his/her time effectively and to make
appropriate plans to accommodate his/her life situations. Students should not expect to be given an
incomplete to compensate for poor time management skills or to provide extended time for academic
work because of ongoing competing time demands from other responsibilities, no matter how
legitimate those additional time demands are. In those situations where it is appropriate to request an
incomplete grade, the student must obtain a request form from Student Services and have it signed by
both the course instructor and the Department Chair.
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