Syllabus

Dr. Steven J. Wolf
Office: Naraghi 269
Office Hours: MWF 9:00 - 10:00 a.m., and and by appointment
Phone: 667-3489
Email: swolf@arnica.csustan.edu
Lectures: MWF 8:00 - 8:58 a.m. in N-101

Course Prerequisite: A or B in high school Biology, or Biology 1010 or equivalent. 

Course Web Page: http://arnica.csustan.edu/boty1050. Consult it often for important, up to the minute information.

Texts: Biology of Plants by Raven, Evert & Eichorn 7^th Ed. and Introduction to Botany laboratory by T.L. Carosella. Always bring both to lab. It is also recommended that you bring your Raven text to lecture since many of the illustrations will be used in class.

Labs (Boty1052): No food or drink is permitted in the labs. The lab grade constitutes of more than 30% of your grade in this course so you should take the labs very seriously. 

Grading: There will be two (2) midterm exams and a one-hour exam (8:30 am May 23) covering lecture material. Your lab grade will be derived from quizzes and assignments. There will be a 10 pt. quiz on the previous weeks material at the beginning of every lab. There are no makeup quizzes and if you are late you will have less time to complete the quiz.

The instructor reserves the right to reduce your grade due to excessive absences and/or tardiness.
You will receive only one warning. Each successive warning will result in 10 points being deducted from your grade total.

Exams: Exam questions come directly from the lecture notes and the threaded discussion. Exams may consist of multiple choice, matching, short answers, diagrams and short or long essays. Always bring a #2 pencil and Scantron form 883E to the lecture exams.

You must not leave the room during an exam without the instructors permission. You must turn off cell phones and remove baseball caps during exams. If your cell phone rings during an exam two (2) points will be deducted from your score. Failing to follow the instructions written on your exam will result in two (2) points being deducted for each violation. No food or drinks are permitted during exams. Cell phones must be put away during exams. Taking out a cell phone during an exam is considered cheating, your exam will be confiscated, and you will receive a grade of F for that exam. 

It is your responsibility to notify the instructor prior to missing an exam and to supply him with a valid, written excuse. There will be no extra credit nor makeup exams. All requests to take exams at other than scheduled times must be in writing to the instructor at least one week prior to the scheduled exam. If an emergency suddenly arises causing you to miss an exam it is your responsibility to notify your instructor via phone or email as soon as practical. Failure to do so will result in a 0 for that exam.

The instructor reserves the right to give unannounced quizzes if it becomes apparent that students are not keeping up with the material and/or there are an unacceptable number of absences. If you happen to be absent that day you will receive a grade of 0 for that quiz.

Note: the Scantron machine sometimes makes mistakes, particularly when you change an answer and do not completely erase the other choice. In order to verify these mistakes you must also circle the correct answer on the question sheet. Challenges to the machine's accuracy will not be accepted if you did not do so. You have until the next class period, after the exam is returned, to challenge its accuracy. 

Grades: A = 100-90%, B = 89-80%, C = 79-70%, D = 69-60%, F = <60%, CR = > 69%, NC = < 70%.

Grading Options: April 30, 2 pm, is the last day you may change your grading option. No exceptions. To do so you must have your instructor sign a yellow add/drop form. It is your responsibility to turn this form in to Admissions and Records. Your instructor will strictly follow the grading option indicated on the final grade sheet supplied by Admissions and Records. Consult with your advisor before making your decision. Grades will not be changed once they have been submitted.

 IMPORTANT DATE:  MARCH 11 IS LAST DAY TO DROP THE COURSE.

Teaching philosophy: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime" - Confucius. Your instructor is here to teach you to fish, i.e. think. Therefore, a question may sometimes be answered with a question. As long as you make an honest effort to answer the question you need not be embarrassed. However, if you are not keeping up with the material then you may indeed be embarrassed.

Student Conduct: In such a large crowded class it is essential that students respect the rights of others. Therefore, those who disrupt the class by talking or any other means will be asked to leave. Repeat offenders will be turned over to the appropriate student disciplinary committee. Turn off your cell phones.

Cheating: There is a zero tolerance policy. Any cheating whatsoever will result in an automatic F in the class and the matter will be turned over to the appropriate student disciplinary committee.

Evolution is the unifying theme of biology and it will be the central theme of this course. If you have an open mind, which is what college is all about, and you understand the first lecture, you should not be threatened by it, regardless of your religious beliefs. Please remember that your beliefs are but one of dozens. If you wish to argue for them or you feel the instructor has disrespected them then please see him personally.

Study skills: This course is designed to introduce you to plants and "plant like" organisms as well as the basic principles and processes of biology which provide a foundation for further study in the major. The lectures will cover only selected topics from the text chapters listed below, supplemented by additional material from many other sources. Therefore perfect attendance is a virtual necessity if you expect to pass the course.

To gain the most from lectures, it is best to read relevant text material beforehand and make a few notes or prepare questions for especially difficult material. Do not be overly concerned if you do not immediately grasp the material, if it were that easy we would not need lectures. During class pay attention and take complete and orderly notes. Exam questions come directly from my lecture notes! Do not assume you will remember things because they are easy or obvious; several weeks later when you are preparing for an exam they may not seem so easy or obvious. Pay particular attention to diagrams, lists and terms written on the board as well as anything the instructor clearly emphasizes by tone of voice.

During lecture do not hesitate to ask questions, the only "dumb question" is an un-asked one! Very soon after class you should re-read the text material along with your notes. You may find you missed something in lecture or the text, and very frequently you may find misspellings in your notes. Make frequent use of your text glossary and index for further explanations on a subject you still don't understand. Ask the instructor to clear up any problems you may still have. The instructor needs your feedback in order to know if the class is encountering any problems.

The above schedule and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.

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