LAB OUTLINE AND SUMMARY OF POINT VALUES (BIOL 1108L/2108L)

BIOL 1108L/2108L is a required component of BIOL 1108, a course in organismal biology for science majors.  An introduction to Earth’s biodiversity will be presented in the context of habitats (lakes and forests) in order to identify adaptations to those environments and to study interactions among organisms.  The approach will be inquiry-based, will feature cooperative learning, and will use the scientific process and writing to encourage critical thinking skills.  Please read the Introductory Material in your Lab Manual before the first lab.  The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary. 

BIOL 1108L/2108L is a Writing Intensive Lab Course. It closely follows the guidelines established by The University of Georgia’s Writing Intensive Program (WIP).  Our goal in following these guidelines is to help you become better writers in your academic field of science, as writing and thinking are parallel cognitive (learning) processes. Writing engages individuals in the information being studied and therefore results in better retention of this subject material.

INSTRUCTORS:
Graduate Laboratory Assistant (GLA): GLA names, specific teaching assignments and email addresses will be posted outside of room 403 (The Biology Instruction Office is located on the 4th floor) and on the Biology Almanac web site [http://www.biosci.uga.edu/almanac].  Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to discuss course material directly with their lab instructor during office hours.

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

DATA COLLECTION SPECIALIST
Mrs. 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:
1. Lab Manual - A Laboratory Manual for Principles of BIOLOGY II, 4 th ed. Bring to lab each week. 

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. If you arrive to lab more than 15 minutes late you will be marked as absent with a valid excuse but will be allowed to hand in work for that lab as well as stay and complete the lab. If you leave lab early without permission, you will be marked as absent without a valid excuse and will automatically receive a 20-point deduction from your total lab points for that day.

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.

GRADES
Total points assigned in the following categories are given below.  More detailed point assignments are given in the Lab Outline.

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.

GROUP DYNAMICS
You will be working in groups throughout the semester, and some weeks will require you to submit work, for a grade, as a group. If you are experiencing problems with one or more group members, please inform your GLA so that s/he may take this into consideration when they evaluate each student 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 1108L 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.