Course: BIOLOGY 315, Section 800 "Genetics"
Semester: Fall, 1998
Time: M.W.F. 11:30 A.M. - 12:25 P.M.
Place: Lanigan 105

I will be happy to discuss any aspect of the course or your performance with you briefly after class meetings or BY APPOINTMENT during scheduled office hours. You can also make an appointment to see me at times OTHER THAN SCHEDULED OFFICE HOURS. You should come to me as soon as you perceive that you are having difficulty. Too frequently, students wait until it is late semester and I am unable to be much help. Please bring your notebook and other relevant course materials to our meetings.

NOTE: If you do not have an appointment, I may not be able to meet with you even during scheduled office hours.

IMPORTANT: If you can not keep an appointment, please let me know by phone or in person as soon as possible (24 hour notice is best).

LECTURES

Material presented by me in lecture may or may not be highly correlated with assigned readings. We will discuss topics in class that are not covered in the text and vice versa. You must be familiar with information from all sources to successfully complete this course. The emphasis in lectures will be to familiarize you with key concepts, techniques and ideas relevant to genetics and will include in-class discussions. READ ASSIGNED READING BEFORE CLASS. Every effort will be made to make a clear presentation of material. ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND!

TEXTS

Texts provide background information and specific detail.

Required:

Principles of Genetics. 6e. Robert H. Tamarin. WCB/McGraw Hill, 1998.

River Out of Eden. Richard Dawkins, Basic Books, 1995.
Science as a Way of Knowing. J.A. Moore. Harvard, 1993.
Diversity of Life. Edward O. Wilson. Norton, 1992.
Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge. E.O. Wilson Knopf, 1998.
Full House. S. J. Gould. 1997.
Our Stolen Future. Theo Colborn et. al. Dutton, 1996.

Student Study Guide to Principles of Genetics. R.H. Tamarin, WCB/McGraw 1998.
Genetics. 3e. W.L. Stansfield. McGraw Hill. 1991.

"CLASS SCHEDULE/ TENTATIVE SYLLABUS" below and should be completed before coming to class. They refer to the TAMARIN text. The TAMARIN text is well organized and readable. Most students need to read the text materials more than once. Creating chapter outlines and vocabulary lists is highly recommended, if not essential.

ATTENDANCE

COLLEGE POLICY

The College "Class Attendance Policy" is expressed in 4 paragraphs in the Student Handbook (1997-98), page 50; and in 9 paragraphs in the Professional Staff Handbook (1994), Section V, pages 5-6. Paragraph three (3) states that:
" An absence from class or other assigned educational activity results in lessening, to some degree, the student's progress. It is, therefore, the responsibility of each student, insofar as possible, to become acquainted with the concepts and to attain the skills developed in the period or periods missed."
The 1997-98 Undergraduate Catalog (p. 31) states, among other things, that: " Regular attendance is obligatory. An instructor may recommend that a student be dropped from a course for poor achievement due to excessive absence."

MY POLICY

It is essential that you attend and be prepared to participate in each class meeting. I expect you to attend class and to participate in all lectures/discussions, and to take exams and hand-in written assignments on the dates specified by me. Attendance will be recorded regularly, usually at the beginning of the class period. If you arrive late, you may be charged with an unexcused absence unless you advise me of valid reasons for your tardiness. It is not my goal to coerce you to attend this class or to punish you for missing a class. Come to class by choice. However, I have little tolerance for distractive or disruptive behavior from those who choose to attend class. Disruptive students will be asked to leave class.
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to obtain any notes, handouts, etc. that you have missed.

ADD/DROPS/LATE WITHDRAWAL FROM COLLEGE

You may add or drop this course, without academic penalty, during the limited "Add/Drop" period (Last day to ADD is Thursday, September 10, 1998; Last day to DROP is Tuesday September 22, 1998). After September 22, 1998, you can withdraw from this course only by:
1). withdrawing from school (SEE "Withdrawal from College" in the 1997-98 Undergraduate Catalog, p. 37), or by
2). following the "Late Withdrawal Policy" (SEE 1997-98 Undergraduate Catalog p. 37). It states, in part, that:

"... you may petition for late withdrawal from a course only for documented extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control which occurred after the drop date."

INTELLECTUAL DISHONESTY: CHEATING/ PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of intellectual dishonesty carry serious penalties (SEE "College Policy on Cheating / Plagiarism" beginning on p. 34 of the 1997-98 Undergraduate Catalog). If you behave in a manner that leads me to believe that you are not doing your own work, I will respond appropriately. Please do your own work and encourage others to do likewise.

HANDICAPS

If you have a physical or mental handicap, a diagnosed learning disability or concerns that may affect your progress in my course, please discuss this with me in private immediately. It may be possible for me to help you obtain special assistance to facilitate your successful completion of this course.

COLLEGE SMOKING POLICY

Please observe "no smoking" signs in classrooms and other designated no smoking area.