LAB PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Kris Miller
Office: Room 402, Biological Sciences Building
Office Hours: By appointment – email or call
Phone: 542-1681
E-Mail: krmiller@.uga.edu

DATA COLLECTION SPECIALIST
Ms. Yulonda Davis
Office: Room 403, Biological Sciences Building
Phone: 542-1684
E-Mail: ydavis1@uga.edu Please see Yulonda with any concerns regarding enrollment, late add to the course, withdrawal from the course, taking or removing an Incomplete (I), and any other administrative concern.

BIOSCIENCE LEARNING CENTER
The Bioscience Learning Center (BLC) is located in room 406 of the Biological Sciences Building. This facility houses computers (both MAC and PC) for use by students enrolled in courses at UGA. All BLC computers are Internet connected. The BLC charges a small fee for printing (5¢ per page) and photocopying (10¢ per page) and only accepts Bulldog Bucks for payment. Desk copies of the lab manual, corresponding lecture course text, and photo atlases are on reserve in the BLC for student use. BLC hours are from 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM, Monday through Thursday; 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, Friday. The BLC is closed on weekends.

MATERIALS FOR LAB CLASSES/DRESS CODE
1. Lab Manual – A Laboratory Manual for Principles of BIOLOGY I. Bring your lab manual to lab each week.
2. Lab Coat – You will not be admitted under any circumstances without your lab coat. The first time you forget, one will be lent to you for the lab period.* 3. Your legs must be completely covered (long pants or long skirt). Your feet must be completely covered (no open-toed or open-heeled shoes).*

*If you are dismissed from a lab because of improper dress code, it will be counted as an excused absence. You will be given one week to complete a make-up assignment. If the work is not completed in that time, you will have 20 points deducted from your total points for lab. Three or more absences, whether excused or not, will result in receiving 0 points for lab for the semester (refer to “Attendance” section below for details).

WWW ACCESS TO COURSE INFORMATION, SYLLABUS AND POLICIES
For your convenience, the Division of Biological Sciences has created a World-Wide Web page which provides you with immediate access to course information. A copy of the lab course syllabus, a list of assignment due dates and policy information is also included. From time to time, announcements associated with both the lab and lecture portions of the course will be posted on the web page. A list of Frequently Asked Questions provides the answers to common administrative problems encountered by BIOL 1107L students. The address for the Biology homepage is http://www.biosci.uga.edu. Click on the BIOL 1107 Lab statement to access information about your laboratory course.

ATTENDANCE
Attendance is required for this class. Missing even one class means that you have missed a significant portion of the course. DO NOT schedule any other appointments or activities during the time that you are scheduled to be in lab.

Missing labs with a valid excuse: A “valid” excuse is one that is written, verifiable, and covers the date and time of your scheduled lab class. Oversleeping and job conflicts do not constitute acceptable excuses. Missing a lab with a valid excuse allows you to make-up the lab provided that you contact your lab instructor within 48 hours of the absence. If you know in advance that you will miss a lab with a valid excuse, contact your GLA before the lab for reassignment to another lab period. Make-up assignments are due within a time limit agreed to between you and your GLA and may include any or all of the following evidence that you have consulted with your team members regarding missed work and data, completing the lab with a different section, submitting assignments associated with the missed lab, making up a lab assessment and/or by completing an alternate assignment designated by the GLA or course instructor.   Students who fail to complete the make-up work within the allocated time will not receive credit for the lab exercise. You are responsible for all material and data presented and gathered in lab.

Missing labs without a valid excuse: If you do not have a valid excuse for missing a lab, you will not be allowed to make up any work and will automatically receive a minimum of 20-point deduction from your total lab points; if a lab is worth more than 20 points for that day, you will lose the total number of points for that day

Tardiness and leaving lab early without permission are not tolerated in lab. Quizzes are given during the first 15 minutes of class; if you arrive 10 minutes late you will only have 5 minutes to take the quiz. If you arrive to lab more than 15 minutes late you will be marked as absent without a valid excuse and will not be allowed to take the quiz, but work that is due that day will be accepted and you will be able to stay and complete the lab for the day. If you leave lab early without permission, you will be marked as absent without a valid excuse and will receive a deduction of 20 points from your total lab points for that day (even if the lab is “worth” less than 20 points and even if you have take a quiz).

Assignments are due on the days indicated on your syllabus or by your instructor. Each day that an assignment is late, you will lose 20% of the assignment's total points.

Students who miss THREE or more labs at any point during the semester, even with valid excuses , will not be given credit (i.e., will receive 0 points) for the 1107 Lab. If a student has missed three or more labs due to extenuating circumstances and wishes to avoid a failing grade, s/he should request an Incomplete from her/his lecture instructor.  Please note that any missed lab for a valid excuse will still be marked as an excused absence, even if you make up the lab in another lab section.

PREPARATION
Read the lab exercise in the lab manual before coming to lab. You need to be familiar with procedures for each lab. You may be quizzed on your preparation for the current lab or on your understanding and analysis of the previous lab. You will need to bring your lab manual to lab with you each week.

COMPLETION OF LAB EXERCISES
Most BIOL 1107 labs are divided into two-week units.   The first week is devoted to mastering an experimental protocol and understanding the application of the technique to the organism of interest.   The second week of each unit is devoted to student-designed experiments. 

Labs are scheduled to run for two class periods (about 2 hours).   You will need this time to adequately complete lab exercises.   In order to complete an experiment, analyze the results and clarify any points with your GLA, you and your lab partner/group members will need to have your experimental protocol for student-designed experiments planned before coming to lab. You are expected to participate and carefully observe all lab exercises, making certain you fully understand the material covered.   Remember, your GLA is there to help you with the lab exercises and to evaluate your weekly performance and participation.

LAB REPORTS
You will be required to write one (1) lab report which relates to specific experiments performed in lab.   You will need to generate hypotheses relating to the experiment, and at a minimum, you are required to use your textbook and lab manual as well as two different peer-reviewed scientific articles (primary sources of literature outside of your text and manual) that you have reviewed and feel support your experiment .   World-Wide Web information, dictionaries and encyclopedias do not qualify as primary sources of information outside of your text and manual, but they can be used in conjunction with technical information from scientific papers and books.

Your lab report must be typed. A hard copy should be submitted to your GLA, AND an electronic copy should be submitted through WebCT (online submission does not apply to the library assignment). Microsoft Word, Open Office, or a compatible program is preferred. If needed, Microsoft Excel, Open Office, and other spreadsheet software can be used to create graphs that can be inserted into your document.   If you cite any articles in your report, you must either include a web-address (URL) for the article in your lab report (for on-line articles) or give photocopies of these articles to your GLA when the lab is due. If you would like assistance in preparing your report, you may contact your GLA during their office hours.   GLAs will not read or edit your lab report the day before it is due.   Plan ahead and make the most of your time with your instructor.

Late online submissions : A deduction of 10% of the total possible points for a paper will be given if papers are not submitted on time online through WebCT, even if the paper is submitted on time in class. This penalty is in addition to any other points lost on the report, including the reports being late to you on the day it is due.

TESTING
A short lab quiz will be given every other week that will cover the protocol mastered from the previous week. The quiz questions from the previous week's material may be practical in format and are specifically designed to assist you in mastering the material before designing your own experiment. Practical questions involve identification of materials that you have examined or demonstrations of skills acquired during labs, interpretation of data, plus short answers. Use your lab handouts and manual to prepare for these tests. Students who need special testing circumstances should make their GLA aware of their needs by submitting the appropriate documentation during the first two weeks of class.

GRADES
The distribution of points will be explained by your GLA. You should keep a record of all your lab grades and save your graded papers until the end of the term. ANY COMPLAINT ABOUT A GRADE MUST BE BROUGHT TO YOUR GLA's ATTENTION WITHIN ONE WEEK OF RECEIVING THE GRADE. Under no circumstance will a grade be changed at the end of the semester.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
All academic work must meet the standards contained in “A Culture of Honesty.” Students are responsible for informing themselves about those standards before performing any academic work. This information is available on-line at http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/honesty/acadhon.htm . Any form of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs

GROUP WORK
Many of your laboratory experiences in BIOL 1107L will be based upon work completed in small groups. We encourage you to interact with your GLA and your classmates when completing your in-class work and your homework. However, you are expected to complete all written assignments by yourself (i.e. showing independent thought) unless otherwise directed by your GLA.   Students often have difficulties determining how to demonstrate independent effort when they work in groups to complete assignments (i.e. “we all did the same thing so shouldn't the work that we turn in be the same?” You are encouraged to carefully review the provided handout that discusses expectations about group work and plagiarism. If you ever have a question about whether or not you have crossed the fine line between group work and independent work, ask your GLA for assistance before you hand in an assignment.