- Biology 1005 Course Syllabus
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General Biology
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20152 Winter 2015; session 2
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BSC1005
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506683
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Instructor Name:
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Juanita Farmer
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Office Phone:
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BConline Campus Phone:
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954-201-7900
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Fax:
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954-201-7937
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Email:
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Please use BConline
(D2L) email. Use my BC email ONLY
if you are unable to access the course
email: jfarmer1@broward.edu
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Office Hours:
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Office: By
appointment only
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Online Office Hours:
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Email as needed
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BC Safety Phone #:
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954-201-HELP (4357)
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This course is designed
to give students an understanding of biological principles, while focusing on
the nature and activities of living organisms. This course is primarily
designed for non-science major students.
By the end of the
course, students should be able to:
1.
Clearly communicate in
writing information derived from course related readings the major concepts and
themes in the biological science.
2.
Recognize the basic
characteristics of life and describe the scientific process.
3.
Explain the structure of
atoms, chemical bonding, properties of water, and the groups of organic
molecules associated with life.
4.
Describe a theory of the
origin of cells, distinguish prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, list cell
organelles and their functions, describe membrane function, and detail the
phases of mitosis and their significance.
5.
Explain the energy
requirements of cells, the central role of ATP, the generation of ATP during
cellular respiration, the production of food by photosynthesis, and the role of
enzymes in controlling chemical processes in cells.
6.
Understand the
principles of heredity as first worked out by Gregor Mendel and extended by
others both in regard to chromosome behavior and to the statistical ratios of
traits among offspring.
7.
Understand the chemical
and physical structure of the gene and its operation in the synthesis of
polypeptides.
8.
Discuss various aspects
of topics in biology (selected by the instructor) based on information from
class, peer reviewed journals, mass media, text, and/or electronic resources.
To maximize your chances
for success in this course, make sure that you meet the following course
prerequisites:
- Course Prerequisites and Co-requisites: None
- Computer Knowledge and Skills:
- Students in this course should be familiar with the following computer skills.
- File Management - You should be familiar with finding and saving files on your computer.
- The Internet - You should be familiar with connecting to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider or Network Connection.
- Web Browser Software - You should be familiar with using web browser software to navigate the Internet and locate information.
- Email - You should be familiar with sending and receiving email messages.
- Discussions - You should be familiar with posting and reading discussion messages in a threaded format.
- Attachments - You should be familiar with sending email messages with attached files.
- Word Processing - You should be familiar with creating, editing, saving, and printing documents using Microsoft Word.
- Other Requirements
- Obtain a County Library Card or University/College Library Card. You will need either a County Library Card which you may obtain at either North Campus or South Campus Library or a University/College Library Card from the Central Campus Library. These cards will allow you to use select library databases. (optional)
- Log into Course
- The direct link for login is https://bconline.broward.edu.
Attendance/Withdrawal
Policy:
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During the first week
of class, you must complete the online orientation or you
will be reported as a no-show and be withdrawn from the course.
Simply logging into the course during the first few days of the semester will
not satisfy your attendance during this time. As with on-campus courses,
students who are reported for non-attendance in an online course and
withdrawn are still responsible for paying for the course. The only way
to receive a refund is for you to drop the course within the first week
(the official add/drop period). If you do not complete the
requirements of the first few days of class, you should drop the course by
the deadline. The deadline to complete the Orientation activities is Sunday 01/11, 2015 at 11:59 PM. If you have not completed these activities by
the deadline, you will be dropped from the course. Refund until 01/12/2015.
It is very important
for you to actively participate in this online class. If you stop
participating in class discussions, do not submit assignments, or fail to
take quizzes or tests for two weeks prior to the withdrawal date (02/06, 2015), you will be withdrawn from class
and receive a W or, if it is your third attempt, an F.
If you stop participating for two weeks after the withdrawal date (02/06, 2015), you will receive an F. To avoid this situation, you should remain an active learner in this class and always communicate extenuating circumstances to me. Ongoing communication with the instructor is critical to your course success. I will use completion of tests, assignments, and other class activities as indicators of your participation in order to satisfy this reporting requirement. |
Participation:
Regular, active, and
meaningful participation in online learning activities is a critically
important component of this course and is essential to your success. It is
recommended that you log into the course several times during the online week.
Frequency and quality of participation may affect your grade.
- Active participation is expected of all students in this course.
- Check your email and course discussions regularly. Ask questions.
- Post and respond to messages.
You are responsible for
being familiar with all BConline policies and procedures related to your
activity in this course.
Broward College Policies
- Review the Broward College Policies on topics including disability services, academic honesty, privacy, and critical event procedures.
BConline Policies
- Review the General Course Policies page for topics including rules for netiquette, definition of participation, and other information.
Proctored Exam Policy
- This course has proctored exams that must be taken at a campus eTesting Center. For detailed instructions please visit our Proctored Exam Policy page.
Technical Requirements
- Students taking an online course are expected to be moderately proficient in using a computer. Please go to the Technical Requirements page for a complete list of computer skills and technical requirements.
Communication
- Use the course email tool only for private, personal, one-to-one communication with a specific individual, or groups of individuals. Do not send course related emails to the instructor's BC email address.
- In the event that the course communication tools are unavailable for more than 24 hours, the instructor will communicate with students (if necessary) via their BC email address. Access your BC email account at http://www.outlook.com
Faculty Response
- Course emails and discussion posts will be answered within 48 hours. Emails and submissions sent on Saturday or Sunday, or holidays may not be answered until the next school day. It is recommended that you post course-related questions in the discussion area. Other students may have the same questions as you or may even be able to answer your questions. If you need info related to a test or assignment, plan ahead and submit your questions well ahead of the due date. Your instructor is not online 24 hours per day, so please allow time for responses.
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Required Text: Biology: Concepts & Investigations 3rd Ed. (2014) by M. Hoefnagels. McGraw
Hill
ISBN: 0073525545
Books for online courses are available at the Central Campus bookstore A. Hugh Adams Central Campus Bookstore Admissions & Student Service Center - Bldg. 19 Tel: (954) 201-6830 Fax: (954) 201-6895 |
This is a 3-credit hour
course. Normally, a 3-credit hour course would meet two or three times each
week (during a 16 week term of a regular semester) for a total of 3 hours per
week or 48 hours per term. This is a fully online course with no required
on-campus meetings. However, the
exams must be taken on Central Campus at the e-Testing Center (second floor of
Library, Room 220) or at the North Campus testing center (bldg. 62, room 135). You will be expected to engage in online
discussions with other students in the class. You will also take online quizzes
and turn in assignments weekly. See the Course Schedule for a detailed
description of learning activities. Students are responsible for regularly
reviewing the Course Schedule and completing all required assignments.
Read and refer to this
document regularly. It will tell you what assignments you should complete, and
how to complete them.
- Orientation:
The first few days of classes you should complete the "Orientation" module in order to have access to the course.
- Allocate quite an amount of your time to read over the "Orientation" module.
- You will need to read the course syllabus thoroughly and complete the "Syllabus Quiz" (Assessment). It is worth 10 points of your grade. It is important to complete the Syllabus Quiz by Sunday 01/11, 2015 with a score of 10.0 in order to have access to the weekly lessons and other activities. If you score less than 10.0, you must take the quiz again until you score a 10.0. Only when you have scored a 10.0 will you have access to Unit 1 content, the first Quiz (Quiz 1) and the first assignment (Assignment #1).
- You should post a discussion. It is worth 5 points. In this discussion you will introduce yourself to the class by following the directions on the post, and you should comment on two other students' posts by the Orientation deadline (Sunday 01/11, 2015 at 11:59 PM).
- In order to practice how to use the BConline email, you will email the instructor using the subject "Orientation Email" and a brief message about you. Use the Roster tool from the blue Navbar and click my name. Do not type my BC email address on the "To" field. This email is worth 5 points of your grade. The deadline to send the email is Wednesday 01/14, 2015 at 11:59 PM. If you send this Orientation email to my BC email address, it will count as 0. This activity is also mandatory.
- It is important to complete this Orientation early during the first few days of classes in order to have access to the learning modules sooner rather than later. You will only have access to Unit 1 content, Quiz #1 and Assignment #1 once you have completed the mandatory Orientation activities.
- If you don't complete these Orientation activities before Sunday 01/11, 2014 at 11:59 PM you will be dropped from my course. No exceptions! All activities must be completed by the deadline in order to avoid being dropped from the course.
- All assignments are to be completed and turned in ON TIME in order to receive any extra credit.
- Instructions for Discussion Postings:
- In addition to the Orientation Introduction Discussion, there will be a total of 4 unit discussions in this course. The unit discussions are worth 10 points each. The discussions require the student to do a little bit of research.
- In order to receive full credit on your discussion, you should publish your post within 3 days after the discussion has opened. Students that wait until the very last day/hour to publish their information will be penalized in their grades.
- The topic of the discussion will be posted at the beginning of the week in which that particular posting is due (see the schedule below).
- As a student in this course you should make a meaningful and insightful contribution to the topic being posted as well as to reply to at least two classmates' posts. Spelling and grammar will be graded. Reliable references must be cited. No plagiarism will be tolerated; it constitutes cheating and is in violation of the Academic Honesty policy.
- Instructions for Quizzes:
- There will be a total of 10 online quizzes. Each quiz will consist of 10 questions and each quiz will be worth 10 points.
- The quizzes will be posted every week on Monday and the deadline will always be on the following Sunday at 11:59 PM. You can access the quiz in the "Assessments" tool.
- You will have 20 minutes to complete the quiz.
- You will only have ONE attempt at the quiz.
- If your Internet connection stops working or your computer freezes while you are taking the quiz, it will count as an attempt and no make-ups are offered. NO EXCEPTIONS!
- This assessment is an individual activity. Working with another person will constitute cheating and will be in violation of the Academic Honesty policy.
- Posting quiz questions on the Discussion board is unacceptable and will be in violation of the Academic Honesty policy.
- The quizzes are not meant to be open-book quizzes. You should have deep knowledge of the material before attempting the quiz so you can use your allowed 20 minutes wisely. Twenty minutes is plenty of time to complete the quiz if you master the material and don't need to rely heavily on your notes.
- If you start navigating the course while the Assessment screen is open, an Unexpected Error will occur and you will not be able to finish your quiz.
- Instructions for Tests:
- There will be 4 unit exams and an optional final exam. Each exam is worth 100 points.
- Missing any exam constitutes a '0' on the exam. If you miss an exam, you will take the final to replace the missed test. Only one exam can be replaced. You may also choose to take the final to replace your lowest test grade, if you have participated in all exams. The final exam is cumulative and will be 100 questions.
- The exams must be taken at the Central Campus e-Testing Center which is located on the second floor of the Library (Building 17, Room 220). You can also use the North Campus e-Testing Center(Bldg. 46, room 245). You will have one hour and 15 minutes to complete the proctored exam. Please click the links to the e-Testing Centers so that you are aware of their rules and hours of operation.
- The exam will be available from Thursday until Sunday of the week in which there is an exam (see schedule below).
- Do not plan any vacations during the course. No make-ups are offered if you are on vacation; that does not constitute an official college-approved absence.
- Talking to other students about the test constitutes cheating and will be in violation of the Academic Honesty policy.
- Posting exam questions on the Discussion board is unacceptable and will be in violation of the Academic Honesty policy.
- In order to check the questions that you answered incorrectly on the test, you need to make an appointment with me and we will meet in my office.
- Instructions for Assignments:
- There will be a total of 10 assignments on this course. Each assignment is worth 5 points.
- The deadline of the assignments will be on Sunday at 11:59 PM of the week in which the assignment is due.
- The assignments must be submitted before the deadline in order to receive credit. If no assignment is received by the deadline you will receive a "0".
- The answers to the assignment questions MUST be typed on the Comment box before you submit the assignment. D2L will ask you to attach a document. You can attach a blank document. I WILL NOT OPEN ANY DOCUMENTS THAT ARE ATTACHED. Make sure all your answers are typed on the comment box so you can get credit. Failure to follow directions, will result in a 0 for the assignment.
- This assessment is an individual activity. Working with another person will constitute cheating and will be in violation of the Academic Honesty policy. Identical assignments will receive a '0' and will face disciplinary actions.
- When answering the questions, use your own words. Copying from the textbook (even if you are citing the pages) or from another source is considered plagiarism.
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Learning Outcomes
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Learning Materials
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Assignments & Assessments
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Mon. 01/06 - Sun. 01/11
at 11:59 PM
ORIENTATION ACTIVITIES
This is a six week
course, due dates for assignments will overlap.
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UNIT 1: CHAPTERS 1, 2,
3
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Mon. 01/12 - Sun. 01/18
Chapter 1:
When you have
completed this chapter, you should be able to:
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Mon. 01/12 - Wed. 01/21
Chapter 2:
When you have
completed this chapter, you should be able to:
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Mon. 01/19 - Fri. 01/23
Chapter 3:
When you have
completed this chapter, you should be able to:
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Wed. 01/21 -
Sun. 01/25
Exam #1 (Unit 1) - Complete Exam at Testing Center by 01/25
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UNIT 2: CHAPTERS 4, 5,
6
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Mon. 01/26 -
Sun. 02/01
Chapter 4:
When you have
completed this chapter, you should be able to:
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Thur. 01/29 -
Wed. 02/04
Chapter 5:
When you have
completed this chapter, you should be able to:
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Mon. 02/02 -
Sun. 02/08
Chapter 6:
When you have
completed this chapter, you should be able to:
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Thu.02/05 -
Thur. 02/12
Exam #2 (Unit 2) - Complete Exam at Testing Center by 02/12
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UNIT 3: CHAPTERS 7, 8
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Mon. 02/09- Sun. 02/15
Chapter 7:
When you have
completed this chapter, you should be able to:
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Mon. 02/16 -
Fri. 02/20
Chapter 8:
When you have
completed this chapter, you should be able to:
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Thu. 02/19 -
Mon. 02/23
Exam #3 (Unit 3) - Complete Exam at Testing Center by 02/23
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UNIT 4: CHAPTERS 9, 10
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Mon. 02/16 -
Sun. 02/22
Chapter 9:
When you have
completed this chapter, you should be able to:
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Mon. 02/23 -
Sun. 03/01
Chapter 10:
When you have
completed this chapter, you should be able to :
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Thu. 02/26- Sun. 03/01
Exam #4 (Unit 4) - Complete Exam at Testing Center by 03/01/2015
Monday XX/XX - Wednesday XX/XX - OPTIONAL Cumulative Final Exam (Not available on six week term) |
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- Assignment Submissions
- The assignments will be due on a Sunday at 11:59 PM of the particular week in which there's an assignment posted. The assignments must be submitted using the "Assignments" tool.
- Quizzes Submissions
- The deadline for the quizzes will be always on Sunday at 11:59 PM . You will have 20 minutes to complete the quiz, and you will only have one attempt. The quizzes are not meant to be open-book quizzes otherwise you will run out of time.
- Exams
- No make-ups are offered. Exams are available from Saturday until Friday at the Central Campus e-Testing Center or the North Campus e-Testing Center.
- This course requires the completion of 4 proctored, on-campus exams.
- Tests may be taken anytime during the dates indicated above (see Course Schedule and Assignments). Tests will not be administered before or after the dates and times indicated on the syllabus. Missing any exam constitutes a '0' on the exam. Missing two exams constitutes an "F" on the course.
- The BC e-Testing Center is located on Central Campus Building 17 (library) Room 220 or North Campus (Bldg. 46, room 245) . Before taking your exams, visit the e-Testing Center websites to confirm their hours of operation. Allow plenty of time to complete your test prior to the scheduled closing time of the e-Testing Center. When the e-Testing Center closes, tests must be submitted whether they have been completed or not. You will not be able to return to complete the test at a later date. Fridays and Sundays are the e-Testing Center's busiest days so you may have to wait for a seat. Children, visitors, cell phones, beepers, food and drink are not permitted in the e-Testing Center.
- You will need to show a BC identification card or picture ID in order to be able to take the test in the testing center.
- Online quizzes will be delivered online via BConline in a multiple-choice, matching, true-false, short answer, and fill-in-the blank format.
- The use of notes, books, binder, texts, etc. is not permitted for any test. A student caught with notes or browsing any windows on the computer other than the exam will receive a '0' on the exam, a failing grade on the course, and referral to the Dean of Student Affairs.
- Make-up Exam Policy
- Make-up exams will be permitted only with prior notification and documentation of a college-approved absence (original funeral notice, original doctor note, original court papers, etc.). Please note that being on vacation is not a college-approved absence.
- The instructor reserves the right to create alternate make-up exams for students who are not able to take the scheduled, on-campus exams.
- Exams cannot be made up after the exam date has passed unless prior arrangements have been made due to a college-approved absence.
- Discussion Postings
- The deadlines are on the Sunday at 11:59 PM of the particular week in which there's an assigned discussion topic. No plagiarism will be tolerated; it constitutes cheating and is in violation of the Academic Honesty policy.
- Late Submissions
- Assignments submitted after the due date and time will not be accepted and will result in a score of zero.
- Online quizzes cannot be completed after the due date and time. The quizzes will be online. Remember to allow time to complete these quizzes. A missed quiz will result in a score of “zero." I am not always available on the weekends to answer questions about the quiz/assignment. Please, plan accordingly.
- The discussion post will be closed right after the deadline. If you don't contribute to the discussion post before the deadline you will receive a zero.
- There will be no makeup assignments, quizzes, or discussion posts available.
- Extra Credit:
- The only extra credit offered in this class is the Learn Smart activities through the Connect website of McGraw Hill. If you have a code (bundled with textbook at Central Campus bookstore), you can register your code using this link. You will be able to complete the Learn Smart modules for each chapter before each exam. The chapter modules have deadlines and corresponding chapters must be completed before you take each exam. You will receive 2 points of extra credit per chapter completed with a score of 100% (this is a total of 20 points of extra credit). Do not wait until the end of the term to buy a code and attempt the Learn Smart modules. These are intended to help you understand the concepts and be better prepared for each exam. You will not be able to complete modules after the deadline has passed. No additional extra credit is offered. No exceptions.
- View your Grades
- Exam and online quiz scores will be available within 48 hours after the submission deadline.
- Grades for assignments will be posted within 48 hours after the submission deadline.
- Grades for discussion postings will be posted within 48 hours after the discussion has closed.
- How your Grade will be Determined
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Assessment
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Graded
Points
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Percent
of Final Grade
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Syllabus Quiz
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10
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1.6%
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Orientation Email
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5
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0.8%
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Introduction Discussion
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5
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0.8%
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Quizzes (10 at 10 pts each)
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100
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16%
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Assignments (10 at 5 pts each)
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50
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8%
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Discussions (4 at 10 pts each)
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40
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6.5%
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Exams (4 at 100 pts each)
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400
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65.5%
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Total
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610
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100%
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Grading
Scale
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Grades
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Percentage
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Grade
= A
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90-100+%
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Grade
= B
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80-89%
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Grade
= C
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70-79%
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Grade
= D
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60-69%
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Grade
= F
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59%
and below
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Special Needs - Students having special needs as defined by the Americans with
Disabilities Act should:
- Notify the Office of Disability Services as early in the term as possible. It is the student's responsibility to contact the Disability Support Office prior to document disability prior to receiving services.
- Notify the instructor after you have contacted the Office of Disability Services so that the instructor can consult with the Office of Disability Services to discuss what reasonable accommodations would be appropriate for your situation.
Academic Honesty
- Each student's academic work must be the result of his or her own thought, research, or self-expression.
- Cheating includes, but is not limited to copying the work of another person (plagiarism) or permitting your work to be copied by another person, discussing test answers or questions with people who have not completed the test, distributing assignment materials to other students, poses sing course materials that have not been formally released to students in the course, and collaborating on the completion of assignments not specifically designated in the syllabus as being group projects."
- Cheating will be considered a breach of BC's Academic Code of Conduct and may result in academic penalties (zero points on the assignment/test in question, a failing grade for the course), disciplinary action, and/or a referral to the Dean of Student Affairs. Examples 1). If it appears that two or more students have submitted the same material for any solo assignments, each student involved will receive zero points for that assignment. 2) If it appears that a student has copied an assignment from published material (including Internet sites), the student will receive zero points for that assignment.
- Any student caught cheating or copying will receive an "F" on the course and will be referred to the Dean.
Critical Event Procedure
- In the event of a school closing due to weather or other major event that might impact class schedules, the instructor will post an announcement indicating what changes, if any, the event will have on the course schedule and due dates.
Logging Off
- Security Warning: If you don't close your browser or log off, a person using that machine after you will have access to your course materials, could send e-mail to me in your name, and view your confidential student record. Protect your password. Click "Logout."
Changes to the Syllabus
- The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus. In the event that changes become necessary, students will be notified through course email.
Technical Resources
- Password Reset
- If your password does not work or you forgot it, click this link to reset it: Student Password Reset.
- If you need further support, please contact the BC helpdesk at 954-201-7521 or helpdesk@broward.edu.
- Technical Problems
- If you need help using BConline (D2L), you can review the step-by-step tutorials
- For year-round, 24 hour technical assistance, please visit the 24/7 Help Desk page
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