Individuals with disabilities who need to request accommodations should contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Student Center 255, 678-466-5445, disabilityservices@clayton.edu.
Course description:
Number and title: BIOL3380 (CRN 53228), Evolution & Population Biology
Credit hours: 3.0 semester credit hours
Catalog description: Principles of evolutionary biology including discussions of natural selection, adaptation, population genetics, speciation, and phylogeny reconstruction. The applications of evolutionary biology to areas such as conservation biology, medicine, and agriculture are discussed.
Course prerequisite: BIOL1108/L with a C or higher.
Computer Requirement: Each CSU student is required to have ready access throughout the semester to a notebook computer that meets faculty-approved hardware and software requirements for the student's academic program. Students will sign a statement attesting to such access. For further information on CSU's Official Notebook Computer Policy, please go to http://itpchoice.clayton.edu/policy.htm .
Computer skill prerequisites: You must be able to use Windows, Microsoft Word, Outlook Express (including attaching and retrieving files via e-mail), a Web browser, Adobe Acrobat Reader, and Microsoft Excel.
In class use of Student Notebook Computers
Computers may be used for some in-class activities, and students will use their computers outside of class for assignments, to access the internet, and to communicate with the instructor. Computers may only be used during class when specified by the instructor; use of a computer during any other time is forbidden and will result in a loss of points. During times when computers are permitted, students who are found using their computer for activities not related to the course (including, but not limited to checking email, web surfing, instant messaging, etc.) will have their computer confiscated for the remainder of the class period and will NOT be allowed to use the computer in class in the future. This same limitation applies to the use of any other electronic devices in class (including, but not limited to cell phones, personal digital assistants, etc.).
Course objectives:
Outcomes:
BIOL3380 supports outcomes 1, 4, 5, and 7 of the biology major.
Instructor information:
Dr. Stephen Burnett
phone: 678-466-4774
fax: 678-466-4899
e-mail: sburnett@clayton.edu
internet address: http://a-s.clayton.edu/burnett/Office: Arts and Sciences Building, G110F
Office hours:
3:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. I may also be available during some lab times and by appointment outside of my office hours.
During office hours, I may be found in either my office (A&S G110F), the Biology lab rooms (C23, C29, or C32) or in the Biology research rooms (C60 or C62). If I am not in my office, I will leave a note on my door indicating where I am.
Class meetings: Classes will meet in the University Learning Center room 268 from 1:30 am to 3:50 p.m. on Tuesday, and Thursday.
Textbook information:
Required texts:
Freeman, S. and Herron, J.C. 2007. Evolutionary Analysis, 4th. ed. Prentice Hall
Victoria E. McMillan. 2006. Writing papers in the biological sciences, 4th edition. Bedford/St. Martin's. New York.
Evaluation and grading:
Tentatively, the points will be distributed as follows:
Item Points 3 exams (50 pts each) 150 Class Assignments 50 Class project 50 final examination, comprehensive 100 TOTAL 350
Your final grade will be determined as follows:
Grade Points A 315 - 350 (90-100%) B 280 - 314 (80-89%) C 245 - 279 (70-79%) D 210 - 244 (60-69%) F Below 210 points
The mid-term grade in this course which will be issued by June 23rd, reflects approximately 20% of the entire course grade. Based on this grade, students may choose to withdraw from the course and receive a grade of "W." Students pursuing this option must fill out an official withdrawal form, available in the Office of the Registrar or online, by mid-term, which occurs on June 27th.
Course schedule
The course schedule is listed on a separate page. Be sure to check it often to keep track of any changes in the due dates of assignments and exams during the semester. Due dates for assignments may be changed at the instructor's discretion. You are responsible for keeping track of due dates and turning in your work when it is required.
Please note that the schedule is tentative and the dates of the exams and the chapters that each exam will cover are tentative and subject to change. Exam dates are not set until they are announced in class. The exam date will generally be announced one week in advance.
Course policies:
General policies
Students must abide by policies in the Clayton State University Student Handbook. Students are also expected to abide by the guidelines in the "Basic Student Responsibilities" document on the registrar's web page.
Visitors (friends, children, etc.) are strictly prohibited from attending class without the permission of the instructor.
No smoking, eating or drinking is permitted at any time in the classroom.
Academic integrity
Cheating in any form will not be tolerated; all work that you turn in must be in your own words and must be your own work. If your brainpower did not generate what you turn in, it is considered cheating. The following are examples of cheating: copying the work of another person, allowing another person to do your assignment, sharing your work with another student, working in a group on a graded item, copying or closely paraphrasing referenced sources, falsifying any information provided on course assignments, using anything but your brainpower on an exam, etc. Cheating in any form will result in a zero on the assignment for all students involved and academic misconduct forms will be filed with the Office of Judicial Affairs for any violation. Judicial procedures are described on the webpage of the Office of Judicial Affairs.
Disruption of the Learning Environment
Behavior which disrupts the teaching–learning process during class activities will not tolerated. This includes belligerent, abusive, profane, and/or threatening behavior. A student who fails to respond to reasonable faculty direction regarding classroom behavior and/or behavior while participating in classroom activities may be dismissed from class.
Examples of disruptive behavior:
Common examples of behaviors that may be disruptive include, but are not limited to:
- Refusal to comply with faculty direction
- Monopolizing classroom discussions
- Talking when the instructor or others are speaking
- Failing to respect the rights of other students to express their viewpoints
- Constant questions or interruptions that interfere with the instructor’s presentation
- Creating excessive noise
- Use of electronic devices (pagers, iPods, MP3 players, or cell phones) in the classroom without the instructor’s approval
- Overt inattentiveness (e.g., sleeping or reading the paper in class)
- Inordinate or inappropriate demands for time or attention
- Routinely entering the class late or leaving early without instructor permission.
- Leaving and re-entering the class during lecture.
- Verbally abusing an instructor or student (i.e. cursing or extremely loud talking directed at a particular person)
- Threatening to physically harm an instructor or student through verbal or body gestures.
- Intimidating through body gestures and/or posture.
Students exhibiting these types of behaviors can expect a warning from the instructor or dismissal for the class period in which the behavior occurred. Failure to correct such behaviors can result in dismissal from the course.
More extreme examples of disruptive behavior include, but are not limited to:
- Use of profanity or pejorative language
- Intoxication
- Verbal abuse (e.g., taunting, badgering, intimidation)
- Harassment
- Threats to harm oneself or others
- Physical violence
A student who is dismissed from a course for unacceptable and/or disruptive behavior is entitled to due process and will be afforded such rights within 3 class days following dismissal. If found in violation after the review process, the student’s dismissal will be upheld and a grade of WF may be issued for the course.
A more detailed description of examples of disruptive behavior and appeal procedures is provided at:
http://a-s.clayton.edu/DisruptiveClassroomBehavior.htm
Attendance
Attendance is expected at all class meetings. Attendance will be taken at each class meeting with the student's signature on the class roll. Quizzes and tests will be given at the beginning of the class; if you arrive late, you may be permitted to take the quiz/exam as long as the materials have not been collected from the class. However, you will be required to turn in the assignment at the same time as the rest of the class - NO extra time will be given. Exceptions to this policy can be made only under extenuating circumstances and with a WRITTEN excuse or explanation for tardiness or absence. Some class assignments may be given during class time and absence from that class period will result in a zero for that class assignment. If you have an acceptable excuse, those points will not count in your grade. Assignments will not be announced in advance, so do not ask for that information.
Absences from tests must be accompanied by a note from a competent authority (doctor, judge, etc.). The excuse must specifically indicate the dates that are to be excused, must be presented upon the first class day that the student returns to school. In general I do not give makeup exams, instead the points do not count in your final grade (which means that the remaining graded work will be responsible for a greater weight in determining your final grade). You are only permitted one excused absence from class exams. If you miss more than one exam, you will automatically receive a zero (0) on the second exam. You will probably need to seek a hardship withdrawal as the exams are the majority of the points in the class. In addition, excuses will not be accepted for routine procedures (checkups, teeth cleanings, eye exams, etc). Students should not schedule such appointments for class times.
NO electronic devices including cell phones, palm pilots, pagers, calculators, etc. are allowed during exams or quizzes unless otherwise specified. Unauthorized possession and/or use of these items during an exam or quiz will result in an automatic zero on the graded activity.
For other class assignments, unless otherwise specified, all work is due in class on the due date. Any work that is turned in after the set time will be considered late and penalized 20%. Assignments will be penalized an additional 20% for each extra day late.
Each student must activate his/her e-mail account at Clayton State University. The class list serve will be the only method for communicating with the class by email. Important announcements will be sent to the class on the class list serve. You should also check my web page regularly for new postings. Handouts given in class and other important items will be posted on the web page for this class.
This page last updated July 29, 2008