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Prerequisites: CHEM 1113 (General Chemistry II) and CHEM 1131 (General Chemistry II Lab).

Note: For this class, you will need to do basic math and algebra without the aid of a calculator. You cannot use a calculator on quizzes and exams in this class, so I recommend that you do practice work without a calculator.

Required textbook: Essentials of Genetics, Sixth Edition, by Klug, Cummings and Spencer. Published by Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0-13-224127-7. Cost at the UAM campus bookstore = $98.00 used, $130.00 new.

Course description: Principal laws of heredity, including Mendelian, molecular and cytogenetics.

Course objectives: This course has a lecture and a lab component. By the end of the semester, students should be able to

· Discuss inheritance in populations.

Demonstrate a working knowledge of the theoretical and technical applications of laboratory methods and experiments.
Critically evaluate, analyze and interpret data.
Communicate experimental results in written and verbal formats.

Course Grades: The letter grade that you earn in this course will be based on your lecture and lab scores. Your lecture scores will count for 2/3 of your final grade and your lab scores will count for 1/3 of your final grade.

*There really will be 120 points possible in the “other items” category. However, your lowest scores on two 10-point items in this category will be dropped and will not count into your grade. (Note that not all items in the “other” category will be worth 10 points apiece; some may be worth more than or less than 10 points. Scores on items worth less than or more than 10 points will not be dropped).

Even if you do all of the 10-point items in the “other items” category, your lowest scores on two still will be dropped. They will not be counted as “extra credit”. For example, if you do all 10-point activities/assignments and your two lowest scores are 7 points and 8 points, I will drop those points. I will not add 15 points to your total score.

Note that 89.49% is a B and does not round up to 89.5%. Likewise, 79.49% is a C; 69.49% is a D and 59.49% is an F.

Lecture Exams: Some or all lecture exams will have problems to work. Exams may have multiple choice, true/false or matching questions. Exams also may contain question types such as essay, short essay, short answer or application questions (you will need to apply knowledge and reasoning to a problem and explain your reasoning), questions that ask you to outline or draw a process, or other types of questions that require that you demonstrate your knowledge in a way that doesn’t involve simply recognizing or guessing the correct answer choice.

Makeup lecture exams and early lecture exams. See the “Course Policies for Lecture” section below.

Lab Exams: Lab exams will be at the beginning of the lab period. After the exam, it is possible that you may need to do some lab work that day.

Lab exams may be of a mixed format. Some of the types of items on lab exams are listed below, but this is not an all-inclusive list.

· You may need to examine a specimen and identify or discuss some feature of the specimen.

· You may need to write answers to essay questions or other types of questions.

· Given a starting piece of information, you may need to come up with a hypothesis and explain the experimental approach that you would take to test the hypothesis.

Makeup lab exams. There are no makeup lab exams unless you have an excused absence and you provide appropriate written documentation to me. Excused absences include participating in a UAM sponsored event, being ill and visiting a doctor, or a death in your immediate family. It is your responsibility to contact me to discuss whether your absence is excused, to bring the written documentation and to schedule a makeup. I reserve the right to contact the appropriate people to confirm that your excuse is valid.

Scores on lecture and lab exams will be posted by a code outside my office door (Science Center, Room B14) or on my web site (once I have a web site set up) unless you give me a written and signed request to not post your exam scores. Other papers such as assignments, quizzes, etc. will be handed back in class and the scores will not be posted. I strongly suggest that you retain these papers so that you can keep track of your own scores. If there is a difference between what you think your final course grade should be and what I record as your final grade, it will be to your benefit to have kept the papers. If you cannot produce the paper, then your grade will be based on the scores I recorded, not on what you think your score was on a paper that you no longer have.

Excused absences. Excused absences from class include items such as participating in a UAM sponsored event (you must provide me with written documentation from the UAM event sponsor), being so ill that you visit a medical facility, and a death in your immediate family. It is your responsibility to check with me about whether your absence is considered excused, to provide me with written documentation of the event such as a doctor’s note, and to schedule any makeup work. For any excused absence, I reserve the right to contact the appropriate people to confirm that your written excuse is valid.

Unexcused absences. Unexcused absences include items such as going on vacation, going out of town, having to work, oversleeping, you had a paper due in another class, etc.

2. Punctuality. Be on time for class and don’t take off early. If you show up just long enough to take a quiz or see if there are some points for that day and then leave, you will be considered as being absent for the entire class period and you will receive zero points for the activity, even if you did it. If you miss all or part of an activity or quiz at the beginning of class or are late for it, you will earn zero points for it.

· If you finish the exam before the end of the class period, you can turn in your exam and go.

· If you arrive late on a lecture exam day, you will not be allowed to take the regular exam if other students have already completed the exam and left the room. Contact me after class is over to discuss whether you can take a makeup. If you arrive late and are allowed to take the exam, you will have only whatever time is left in the class period to complete the exam. You will not receive additional time.

· If you are eligible to take a makeup or early exam, please contact me in advance of the date you wish to take the exam.

· Makeup exam for an unexcused absence: Each student can take one makeup exam during the semester with an unexcused absence. Past the one makeup exam for an unexcused absence, any additional unexcused absences for exams will result in a score of zero for those missed exams. Makeup exams for unexcused absences may be largely essay exams, which most students find harder than the regularly scheduled exams. I recommend that you make every effort to take the regularly scheduled exam!

· Makeup exam or early exam with an excused absence. You may take one makeup exam (or early exam if applicable) with an excused absence. This is in addition to the unexcused absence exam that you can take if you wish.

Makeup exams or early exams for excused absences may not be the same as the regularly scheduled exam. The makeup or early exam may contain more essay/short essay questions, contain other question formats and/or contain different questions than the regular exam.

· Early exams for unexcused absences. There are no early exams for unexcused absences.

4. Makeups for in-class work other than exams. Makeups for non-exam in-class activities (quizzes, in-class work, in-class problems, etc.) are possible only if you have an excused absence and an appropriate written excuse. For the possibility of earning points on makeup work, you must make up any class activities within one week (seven calendar days) of your return to class. It is your responsibility to contact me to see if you missed any class activities that you can makeup and to schedule a time with me to do the makeup work.

5. Late assignments. Be sure to turn assignments in on time. If an assignment is due at the beginning of class and you turn it in after class begins, the assignment will be considered as one day late. Late assignments will be accepted, but there will be a 10% deduction per calendar day unless you have an extreme situation (what counts as “extreme” is at my discretion).

6. Courtesy. Turn off your cell phones and all other electronic devices, including computers. Don’t just turn your cell phone to vibrate. If you expect an urgent call, please let me know ahead of time.

7. Disruptive Behavior: Disorderly conduct is prohibited under the Student Conduct Code. Disorderly conduct is any behavior which disrupts the regular or normal functions of the University community, including behavior which breaches the peace or violates the rights of others. You may be dropped from the class for disorderly conduct.

8. Academic honesty: Academic dishonesty and cheating will not be tolerated. Cheating comes in many forms, including having a cell phone turned on and on your person during an exam or quiz, whispering with another student during an exam or quiz, looking at another student’s paper during an exam or quiz, using notes or other materials not approved by the instructor during an exam or quiz, and plagiarism. Cheating also includes discussing an exam with someone who has not yet taken the exam. This list is not inclusive and there are additional behaviors that can be considered as cheating or academic dishonesty. You may fail the class or be dropped from the class for academic dishonesty.

9. Students with Disabilities: It is the policy of the University of AR at Monticello to accommodate individuals with disabilities pursuant to federal law and the University’s commitment to equal educational opportunities. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any necessary accommodations at the beginning of the course. Any student requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Special Student Services located in Harris Hall Room 120; phone 870 460-1026; TDD 870 460-1626; Fax 870 460-1926.

10. Disclaimer: This syllabus is a guide and I reserve the right to make changes.

1. Absolutely no food and drink in lab. Finish or dispose of any food or drink before you come to lab. Any food or drink in the lab will be taken by the instructor and disposed of.

2. Safety. You are responsible for following all safety rules. If you repeatedly fail to follow safety rules, the behavior will be considered as “disorderly conduct” and you may be assigned an “F” for the class or dropped from the class.

3. Attendance. Attendance is mandatory. Because of the amount of setup required for lab and scheduling issues, there are no makeups for missed labs. If you miss lab, you miss the possibility of points for the missed lab. At the end of the semester, I will drop one of your weekly lab scores (your lowest). Thus, if you miss one lab, your final grade will not suffer because of the points lost for that one lab. However, on lab exams, you still are responsible for the lab material that you missed.

Arrange your schedule so that you are able to stay the entire 2 hours and 50 minutes in lab. There may be times when you and/or your lab partner will need to come into the lab outside of the normally scheduled lab time.

4. Punctuality. Be on time for lab. If you are late to lab and miss a lab quiz, you have zero points for it—no makeups for missed lab quizzes. For every time that you are 10 minutes or more late, your total lab score for the semester will be docked by 5%.

5. Makeup lab exams. There are no makeup lab exams unless you have an excused absence and you provide appropriate written documentation to me. Excused absences include participating in a UAM sponsored event, being so ill that you visit a medical facility, or a death in your immediate family. It is your responsibility to contact me to discuss whether your absence is excused, to bring the written documentation and to schedule a makeup. I reserve the right to contact the appropriate people to confirm that your written excuse is valid.

6. Lab reports. Two lab reports will be graded during the semester. More information on the format and content of the reports will be handed out and discussed in lab. Late lab reports will be docked by 10% per calendar day. Lab reports will be considered as one day late if they are handed in on the due day, but after the due time. For example, if a lab report is due at the beginning of lab on Monday and you hand it in Monday after lab begins, your report will be considered as one day late.

7. Visitors. No visitors allowed. Your children, friends, parents, pets or anyone else not currently enrolled in the course will not be allowed in lab. This policy is for the safety of everyone.

8. Electronics. Turn off all electronic devices and put them away during lab. Turn off your cell phones and put them inside your backpack, bag or pocket (don’t just turn them to vibrate; turn them off). If you are expecting an urgent phone call, please let me know ahead of time. You won’t need a computer in the lab, so turn it off and put it away. Even if there is down time during lab while you have to wait for something, keep your electronic gizmos and cell phones off. Use the down time to review lab material or work on lab write-ups.

9. Disruptive Behavior: The policy on disruptive behavior in lab is the same as for lecture.

10. Academic honesty: The policy on academic honesty in lab is the same as for lecture.

11. Students with Disabilities: It is the policy of the University of AR at Monticello to accommodate individuals with disabilities pursuant to federal law and the University’s commitment to equal educational opportunities. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any necessary accommodations at the beginning of the course. Any student requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Special Student Services located in Harris Hall Room 120; phone 870 460-1026; TDD 870 460-1626; Fax 870 460-1926.

12. Disclaimer: This syllabus is a guide and I reserve the right to make changes.