BIL 151 - Course Policies and Requirements

You may not change your laboratory section after the second week of laboratories. Within that time span, however, you may change lab sections by going through "Drop and Add" via the Registrar. Note that NO OVERRIDES will be given for laboratories that are full to capacity.

LAB MANUAL
The laboratory manual for this course, Go Figure, is available free online. Just hit the link to get to the download page.

YOU MUST BRING YOUR LAB MANUAL WITH YOU TO THE FIRST EVERY LAB, whether in hard copy or on your laptop computer. It will be your guide through the Wonderful World of Biology.

RESEARCH SYMPOSIA
The culmination of the experiments you design and perform in some of the laboratories for this course will be a PowerPoint presentation that you and your teammates will create and present to your classmates/colleagues in laboratory.

There is a lab manual chapter in Go Figure that will explain how to make an effective presentation, but remember that since this is a scientific presentation, it should be constructed as you would construct a scientific paper, with

ABSTRACT, a very short (one paragraph) overview of the entire experiment, from introduction through discussion.

INTRODUCTION, in which you will explain the reason for the experiment and all background information

METHODS, in which you will explain precisely how you performed the experiment and what statistics you will use to analyze your data

RESULTS, in which you will present your data and findings in neat, interpretable form

DISCUSSION, in which you will explain your observations.

LITERATURE CITED, a listing of all the sources you used to obtain background information on your topic.

ATTENDANCE AND MAKE UP ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMS
Attendance in laboratory is MANDATORY. On the first day of labs, your TA will be explaining very important lab policies, his/her own grading scale, and other information that you will need for the rest of the semester. DO NOT MISS YOUR FIRST LABORATORY. You alone are responsible for understanding your instructor's requirements, due dates for assignments, and all course policies.

Labs are completely dismantled every Friday. Therefore, if you miss a lab (even for medical or religious reasons), you must make it up in the same week. Please be sure to plan ahead! There are no make up labs after the last lab of the week is over.

If you anticipate having to miss a lab (due to a religious holiday, for example), NOTIFY YOUR TA IMMEDIATELY so that arrangements can be made in advance for you to make up the lab (either before or after your regularly scheduled lab). Make up exams/quizzes must be arranged between you and your TA.

GRADING
Your grade in BIL 161 will be based upon

Lab #1 Mini report (15)
Enzyme Experiment Design and Execution (25)
Enzyme Experiment PPT Presentation (25)
Genetics problems (15)
Lab Exam I (100)
Metabolism Experiment Design and Execution (25)
Metabolism Experiment PPT Presentation (25)
Photosynthesis Experiment Design and Execution (25)
Photosynthesis Symposium (25)
Quizzes (80)
Lab Exam II (100)
Discretionary points (40)
TOTAL POSSIBLE: 500

Grades will be assigned on the basis of a normal curve of your TA's students' scores. In general, the grade distributions are as follows:

Top 10-13% - A
next 15-18% - B
next 50-55% - C
next 5-10% - D
bottom 5-10% - F

Your TA may have slightly different grading policies than those outlined above, and it is your responsibility to find out what they are and abide by the rules of your particular instructor.

For due dates, point values, and other information regarding these assignments, please refer to your BIL 151 Syllabus.

Your TA will give you more specific instructions on each of these requirements--especially the nature of the symposium presentations, midterm and final exams.