BIOLOGY BIOL 110, Introduction to biology
Monday - Wednesday - Friday, 9:00 - 9:50 am MSB (second floor, Medical School)
Fall Semester, 2008: COURSE INFORMATION
PROFESSOR: Dr. Stark, OFFICE: Macelwane 111
OFFICE HOURS: 2-3 pm Monday and Wednesday or by appointment
Usually, drop-ins and appointments will be welcome at any time I am not "booked"
(For my schedule, go to your Google apps [mail], select "calendar" (upper left) and type my e-mail under "other calendars" (left, on "add a friend's calendar")
PHONE: 977-7151. Please DO NOT call me at home.
E-MAIL: StarkWS@SLU.EDU
HOME PAGE: http://starklab.slu.edu
HOME PAGE FOR BIO 110: http://starklab.slu.edu/Bio110/SyllabBio110.htm
TEXT: Audesirk, Audesirk and Byers, Biology Life on Earth (with physiology) 8th edition, 2008, Pearson, ISBN 0-13-195766-X

Laboratory coordinator - Chrissy Simmons, 205 Macelwane, zellecm@slu.edu, 977-7937
TAs (and office hours, office is in rm 341): Zarir Ahmed (12:30-1:30 Th), Robert Avino (2-3 W), Michael Del Core (1:45-2:45 M), Nick Guffey (11-12 M), Sean Hoge (5-6 M), Prashant Kasinadhuni (1-2 W), Matthew Mader (3:15-4:15 Th), and Daniel Uhlig (1-2 M)
TA Office: 341 Macelwane
TA office hours:

TESTS: There are 4 in-class hourly exams and a final. The dates and coverage are respectively:
FIRST IN-CLASS EXAM - Friday, September 18 (covers 8/24-9/16)
SECOND IN-CLASS EXAM - Monday, October 12 (covers 9/21-10/9)
THIRD IN-CLASS EXAM - Friday, November 6 (covers 10/14-11/4)
FOURTH IN-CLASS EXAM - Monday December 7 (covers 11/9-12/4)
FINAL EXAM - Monday, December 14, 8 to 9:50 am (cumulative, covers the whole semester)

Final exams for all courses are organized on a campus-wide basis, and I cannot change the time or offer make-ups. Each in-class hourly exam will be 50 multiple choice questions covering only the material in the immediately previous 9-10 lectures (after the previous hourly exam). You must bring a sharpened #2 pencil with an erasor, an ink pen and your student ID to the exams. Your lowest score will not be included in your final grade. This means that you can afford to miss (or do poorly on) one hourly exam. However, there are absolutely no makeups. So if you miss more than one test, a zero will be entered for the second, third or fourth tests missed. So I strongly urge you to take all tests. Also, I will use the average of the first two tests for your midterm grade (without dropping the lower score [and without incorporating your lab performance]). If you take all 4 hourly tests, then I will discount your poorest test, and you will benefit. The Final will be 100 multiple choice questions which will be "cumulative," that is covering the entire semester.

POSTING OF TEST RESULTS: Answers will be posted on the web soon after each test. You will be keeping your test booklet (which is a useful study aid), so if you mark it accurately with the answers you marked on your answer sheet, you can get immediate feedback. Scores, so that you can verify that you and I agree about how you did, and approximate grades, will be posted as soon as they are available (usually within 2 days after the test). Bring your test booklet if you want to discuss any discrepencies; since I retain the answer sheets, I can hand correct any computer scanning errors.

GRADING: The in-class and final lecture tests determine 75% of your course grade (with the lab counting 25%) since this is a four credit, three hour lecture course with a 3 hr lab. By simple arithmetic, each of the 3 in-class hourly exams which will count determine 15% of your final grade; the final counts 30%. Professors are required to state how exams will be distribured on a percent basis as part of the student-faculty contractual arrangement posted on the syllabus:
A 94-100%
A- 90-93.9%
B+ 87-89.9%
B 84-86.9%
B- 80-83.9%
C+ 77-79.9%
C 74-76.9%
C- 70-73.9%
D 57-69.9%
F 0-56.9%
The exam grades and the final course grading will almost certainly be adjusted upward to be consistent with last year's grading for this course. Exam scores were distributed on a 2.14 curve. The course curve was higher, 2.89, taking into account the lab grades (typically higher than lecture grades) and after dropping the lowest lecture exam.

TEACHER EVALUATION: The department will administer the teacher evaluation using an on-line form toward the end of the semester. I will not see those replies until after final grades have been submitted. They will be anonymous. The department will keep track of who replies and has reserved the right not to issue a grade to students who do not reply.

ASSESSMENT: See this link.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: There is a hyperlink to the academic honesty policy of the College and the statement that we are required by the administration to include in the syllabus. All suspicious incidents are reported to the Dean's office.

SPECIAL NEEDS: If you have special needs, these must be documented with the disabilities office:
Adam Meyer, Office of Disabilties Services, 977-8885, Room 36, DuBourg Hall, 221 No. Grand.; confidentiality will be observed in all inquiries.
I ask you to see me in the first two weeks of class to be certain I know what accomodations to make.

OBJECTIVES: here

CATALOG ENTRY: here

STUDYING TIPS: Tests will be based on lecture. Class attendance is the only strategic way to approach this course. Take thorough notes during lecture. The web provides outlines of each lecture. These are outlines. Only you can take notes. Many students will find it useful to bring these outlines to class in a three ring binder or on a laptop. The text figures that will be presented are clearly indicated, and you may find it useful to bring copies for note taking. At home, carefully correlate your text assignments with your notes. Friends' notes or web material can be useful study aids, but cannot substitute for your personal knowledge through attendance and note taking. The best way to justify your tuition expense and the commitment of some of the best years of your life is to share the professor's emphasis, interpretation and enthusiasm. The archive of information in the book is exciting and inviting, but it can be difficult without help. By visiting with the material in lectures, notes and reading you can make the material inviting and get the maximum benefit. There is a hyperlink for further studying tip.

Note: Saint Louis University has a tutoring center.

Good luck and best wishes for a productive semester!

This page was last updated 9/8/09

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