Syllabus for Biology 171 GENERAL BIOLOGY Fall 2009. The version of this syllabus is at http://www2.hawaii.edu/~rsnider/171syl.htm and will contain any updates or corrections.

Section 32220 Meets MW 12:15 - 1:30 in Mamane 104

Section 31123 is available in Laulima 24/7 http://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/

Instructor: Hank Snider Office: Koki'o 202K Office Hours: Daily 10 - 12 AM, or whenever present. You are welcome.

Email: rsnider@hawaii.edu I respond to emails frequently.

TEXTBOOK: BIOLOGY, 8th. ed., by Campbell, Neil A. & J.B. Reece, et al., Benjamin/Cummings, 2008. Any version is acceptable. The looseleaf product has been chosen for the KCC campus for the convenience of the F2F students.

The instructor's website is at http://www2.hawaii.edu/~rsnider/

INSTRUCTION METHOD: You are expected to read the assigned material in the textbook as scheduled. Classroom lecture and discussion are illustrated with PowerPoints, online linkss, DVDs, videotapes, and other materials. Each lecture and discussion is recorded and available through Laulima. Previous recorded versions are also available. These recordings are supplemented with other recorded lessions, games, internet links, etc. available in Laulima. You can reach these materials through the course menu and chapter links in Laulima. You will find in the Laulima Menu is a link called Tasks Tests and Surveys that gives you access to the chapter quizzes, each worth 2.5 points. You make take these chapter quizzes as many times as you like, and the items are drawn from a set of about 60 questions. Your highest score on each quiz is retained. Class activities may include reading current science news articles on the internet, discussing them on online bulletin boards, and perhaps taking quizzes on them for extra credit. Remember that you are NOT competing with each other for grades (see below) so any help that you give others will benefit you as well, probably more than the one you help GRADING: The course grade will be determined by scores on various activities, chiefly online quizzes on each chapter, 8 Exams and a Final Exam. Your Laulima participation will be graded both quantitatively and qualitatively. In other words you are rewarded for more and better contributions.

Tests will be taken in your campus computer testing lab. They will consist of about 25 online multiple choice questions from the online quizzes and about 25 questions from another test bank that you have not seen. The questions are selected randomly, so each individual test is unique. Test dates are shown in the course schedule, and include some flexibility. If you have a problem meeting this schedule, emailt the instructor and we will make adjustments.

All your scores in the course will be immediately available within Laulima. You should know your standing in the course at all times.

Alphabetical grades will be given as follows:

• The "A" grade represents outstandingly high achievement, above 90% of the possible points.
• The "B" grade indicates above average achievement, above 80%
• The "C" grade indicates average achievement in point totals, usually clustering around 75% of the total possible points.
• The "D" grade indicates below average achievement, generally below 70% of the possible points.
• The "F" grade indicates low achievement in point totals, usually with scores below 60% of the total possible points

Course Policy Statements:

• The student must learn all lecture material and readings, with such learning to be evaluated by written objective testing in class and online.
• The student will demonstrate regular, punctual attendance in class. Online students are expected to work in the Laulima course on a regular basis, and to keep up with the quiz schedule. The student is expected to initiate arrangements for taking a make-up exam if one is missed.
• Student conduct: Appropriate student conduct as defined by the Kapi'olani Community College Student Conduct Code will be expected of students at all times. The student will behave, in a mature, honorable, honest and thoughtful manner. All students are honor bound to complete exams independently, without assistance of anyone else, and without accessing written or online assistance.
• Please do not bring children to class, or to the online testing lab.
• If the instructor is more than 15 minutes late, you need wait no longer, and may consider the class to be cancelled.
• If you decide to withdraw from the course, the paperwork must be completed by Tues October 27th, the LAST DAY FOR ALL WITHDRAWALS. If you simply disappear without withdrawing, you will receive an F for the course.
• Withdrawals after Tues October 27th will be allowed only in cases of extreme or unusual circumstance. Examples are a certified medical condition, or a death in the immediate family. Grade-related excuses are unacceptable.
• Incomplete (I) grades: Students must present the "Request for Incomplete" form PRIOR TO THE LAST DAY OF INSTRUCTION, Thurs Dec 10th. "I" grades will be given only to students who are doing "C" work or better, AND are very close to completing the course, AND have a very good reason for not being able to complete all the work on time, such as a certified medical reason or a death in the immediate family.
• Kapi'olani Community College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution.
• Extended time in a distraction-free environment is an appropriate accommodation based on a student's disability. If you do have a disability and have not disclosed the nature of your disability and the support you need, you are invited to contact the Special Student Services Office, 734-9552, ‘Ilima 105.
  These and all other course materials are available in alternative formats.
• Students are expected to attend all classes for which they are registered. If a student is unable to attend class, he or she should contact the instructor in advance to give notification of the absence and make the necessary arrangements.
• For those students who receive financial aid and fail to attend the first week of classes without making arrangements with the instructor, the instructor will submit the student's name to the Financial Aid Office. The student will be denied financial aid for the class that he/she is not attending. In addition, it is solely the student's responsibility to withdraw from the class or attend the class and pay tuition.Disability access statements.
• The electronic communications policy adopted in December 2005 establishes the University of Hawai'i Internet service as an official medium for communication among students, faculty, and staff. Every member of the system has a hawaii.edu address, and the associated username and password provide access to essential Web announcements and email. You are hereby informed of the need to regularly log in to UH email and Web services for announcements and personal mail. Failing to do so will mean missing critical information from academic and program advisors, instructors, registration and business office staff, classmates, student organizations, and others.