BIOL 4848 - Course Policies

Initially Posted: January 16, 2007
Revised/Updated: January 30, 2007

Course Policies for

Biology of Fungi - BIOL 4848/6948

Spring 2007 Semester, Course Codes 0396 and 0430

Resources Used By The Course Instructor:

Unless otherwise noted by Dr. Cooper, all material presented to students in this course represents either i) selected portions of information contained within the course’s textbook(s) or supplementary material, ii) information published in the scientific literature, iii) current issues reported by the news media, or iv) knowledge otherwise commonly known to professional microbiologists or mycologists. Dr. Cooper makes no claim of “ownership” of facts and/or ideas presented in this course unless specifically noted. All facts and/or ideas are used solely for educational purposes. Dr. Cooper makes every effort to appropriately attribute facts and/or ideas to their proper sources.

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Academic Dishonesty:

Academic dishonesty, in any form, will not be tolerated in this course.

Students are urged to read the section on “Academic Honesty” as printed on page 40 of the YSU Undergraduate Bulletin, 2006-2007. Students should also be aware of pertinent sections in The Code (the latter is a PDF document).

Any student enrolled in BIOL 4848/6948 shown to have committed academic dishonesty in this course is deemed solely accountable for his/her actions and will receive a final course grade of “F”. Additional sanctions may also be sought, i.e., a recommendation by the instructor for dismissal of the student from the University.

Be aware that this policy includes unauthorized access of computer files associated with this course. The web site files associated with BIOL 4848/6948 are monitored for unauthorized access. Entering these files even by “accident” will be considered a violation of academic integrity.

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Disability Statement:

In accordance with University procedures, students who have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal acess in this course must contact Dr. Cooper privately to discuss the individual's specific needs. Persons enrolled in this course and currently having a documented disability must notify Dr. Cooper of their needs no later than January 31, 2007. In addition, students having a disability must be properly registered with the Disability Services Office (Beeghly Hall, Room 3310; telephone 330.941.1372). Also, to be properly registered, a letter of accommodations verifying the student's eligibilty must be provided. Individuals who develop a disability during the semester must notify Dr. Cooper within one week after being properly registered with the Disability Services Office. Students with disabilities are reminded that in addition to certain rights and privileges covered by law and University policy, they also have obligations and responsibilities that must be met. Students are strongly encouraged to review these rights and responsibilities as outlined on the Disability Services Office web page.

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Course Calendar:

Calendars containing the essential elements of the lecture portion of this course is available through the buttons provided below as well as along the right side of this web page. In addition, for graduate students only, a separate calendar detailing the laboratory exercises for BIOL 6948 is available through the the button provided below as well as to right side of this web web. Please refer to the Syllabus Disclaimer statement regarding changes to the calendar.

Link To Lecture Section Calendar:

Link To BIOL 6948 Laboratory Calendar:

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Attendance:

While attendance will not be taken, students are expected to attend all lectures. Likewise, graduate students are expected to attend all laboratory sessions. Arriving late to lecture or laboratory is not an acceptable practice for students in this course. The lecture for this course begins promptly at 2:00 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the semester. The laboratory section for graduate students begins promptly at 3:30 PM on Tuesdays. (NOTE: This course operates on “Ward Beecher Time” which may or may not correlate to the time that exists at other places on campus. Students are strongly encouraged to synchronize their timepieces.)

Special Attendance Note #1: Except for extenuating circumstances, it is generally unacceptable for a student to request to take an examination at a time other than the scheduled date. Having a second examination the day before, the day after, or on the same day is absolutely certain not to evoke any sympathy from Dr. Cooper (after all, the nickname given to him by his admirers is BOB, an acronym for Bastard of Biology!). Please do not even ask for special dispensation for such a reason. However, Dr. Cooper is willing to listen (and perhaps chuckle to himself) other reasons that a student may deem to be extenuating (please note - havng in excess of two grandmothers die during the semester will be considered suspicously gratuitous). The decision regarding the student's reasoned argument/request for a change in the examination date/time is solely at Dr. Cooper's discretion and, once rendered, is final.

Special Attendance Note #2: It is entirely unacceptable for any student to request that he/she be permitted to take Examination II earlier than March 8th or the OPTIONAL final examination prior to May 8th in order to shorten their time on campus or to leave for another commitment (e.g, vacation, start a job, etc.). Such requests will not only be acidly received, they will be strongly rebuked. Dr. Cooper's advice - Don't Mess With BOB.

Special Attendance Note #3: Attention Graduate Students!!! It is possible that the actual day that the laboratory section meets may be changed to a time more suitable for everyone's academic/teaching schedule. Also, some laboratory exercises will require time outside the scheduled session. The proper and successful completion of your work will depend upon your dedication to this course and its attendance requirements.

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Required MyYSU Mail Account:

All electronic communications with students enrolled in BIOL 4848/6948 will only be made using the University’s MyYSU Email system. All BIOL 4848/6948 students must establish their MyYSU Email accounts if they have not done so already. To activate your free MyYSU Emaill account, go the following URL: http://helpdesk.ysu.edu. Please note that a MyYSU Email account does not have to supplant your current non-MyYSU Email service. A feature MyYSU Email is that all incoming messages can be forwarded to another email account. Hence, you can retain your present services and still receive all communications from Dr. Cooper.

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Distribution of Course Material:

All original material on the BIOL 4848/6948 course web site, as well as all original material presented in either the classroom or laboratory, including orally-transmitted lectures, is considered protected by a copyright held by Dr. Cooper. In general, students enrolled in BIOL 4848/6948 have permission to download, print, and distribute materials copyrighted by Dr. Cooper without his expressed written permission so long as such materials are not used for activities i) associated with the commission of academic dishonesty, ii) intended to circumvent course policies, iii) which result in monetary profit by either the student or others, and iv) that do not violate copyright protections. For further information, please see Copyright Restrictions.

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Other Responsibilities/Expected Behavior:

Electronic Communication/Data Storage Devices. During lecture and laboratory, all cellular telephones, pagers, or other electronic communication devices must be turned off or set in the quiet/vibration mode of operation. Data storage devices (e.g., personal desk assistants, lap top computers, etc.) may be used during lectures and only if they do not cause distraction to other students or the course instructor. Students failing to meet this expectation will be invited to leave the classroom until such time that they comply with this policy.

During examinations, quizzes, etc., all electronic devices (including cellular telephones, personal desktop assistants, computers, etc.) are strictly prohibited. Students violating this policy will be suspected to have committed academic dishonesty.

Recording of Lectures. Students are reminded that Dr. Cooper’s lectures are copyright protected (see Distribution of Course Material above). However, students are permitted to electronically record lectures in the classroom provided that: i) such activity is not disruptive to the instructor or fellow students; ii) the recording is used solely for the personal study of the student making the recording; iii) the recording is not sold or transmitted to others in any form without the expressed written permission of Dr. Cooper; and iv) the recording does not serve as a substitute for attending class or actively participating in the lecture.

Examinations and Quizzes. Specific dates for lecture examinations have been scheduled in advance (see Course Calendar). All students are expected to be in attendance unless prior arrangements have been made with Dr Cooper.

Examinations are to be taken without assistance from other students. If you are aware of any student cheating or having a copy of the current exam, please contact the instructor. Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated in this course. Penalties for such action will be enforced (see Academic Dishonesty above).

Decorum. At all times, students are expected to exhibit behavior appropriate for young (or even older) adults. Such behavior is delimited by University policy. Inappropriate behavior, including disrespect for Dr. Cooper, is subject to expulsion from one or more lecture sessions without the opportunity to begin or complete the assigned exercises. In cases of extremely inappropriate behavior, Dr. Cooper will recommend more severe sanctions (including dismissal from the University).

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Turnitin.com:

Throughout the semester, students will be submitting a number of written assignments for grading. To help improve your writing and research skills, encourage collaborative online learning, and to ensure originality of student work, these assignments will be submitted electronically via Turnitin.com. To begin the process of electronic submission, students need to login to Turnitin.com and create a User Profile. It may be helpful to download the Turnitin Student User Guide (this is a PDF document) for detailed instructions regarding this activity.

To briefly summarize the process, students should point their web browser to http://www.turnitin.com to begin the login process. Follow the instructions starting on page 4 of the Turnitin Student User Guide. For your email address, you may use any active account. However, remember that Dr. Cooper will only communicate with students via their MyYSU Email account. Follow the process stated in the Turnitin Student User Guide to join my class, “Biology of Fungi”. The class/account ID is 1784807 and the join/enrollment password is “biol4848” (“biol” is all in lower case; the password is case-sensitive). Once you have established your account, you are now ready to submit copies of your assignments.

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Grading:

Grading Scale for Undergraduates. A student’s final grade in BIOL 4848 will be based upon scores earned by different evaluation schemes throughout the semester. There are a total of 400 points available for the student to earn. Final course grades will be assigned based upon the following scale:

To Earn a Grade of:	You Must Earn:
A	360 points or more
B	320 to 359 points
C	280 to 319 points
D	240 to 279 points:
F	Less tha 240 points
NOTE: This scale is absolute. You must have earned the required number of points to receive the desired grade. In other words, a student earning 359 points will receive a grade of "B". No exceptions will be made except in cases of mathematical error on the part of the course instructor. Moreover, proof of error rests entirely with the student. Any requests for additional points, "curving", or consideration for so-called extenuating circumstances will be resoundly rejected.

Grading Scale for Graduate students. A student’s final grade in BIOL 6948 will be based upon scores earned by different evaluation schemes throughout the semester. There are a total of 650 points available for the student to earn. Final course grades will be assigned based upon the following scale:

To Earn a Grade of:	You Must Earn:
A	585 points or more
B	520 to 584 points
C	455 to 519 points
D	390 to 454 points:
F	Less than 390 points
NOTE: This scale is absolute. You must have earned the required number of points to receive the desired grade. In other words, a student earning 584 points will receive a grade of "B". No exceptions will be made except in cases of mathematical error on the part of the course instructor. Moreover, proof of error rests entirely with the student. Any requests for additional points, "curving", or consideration for so-called extenuating circumstances will be resoundly rejected.

Incomplete Grade. An incomplete grade can only be given when requested by a student having an approved extenuating circumstance (as deemed justifiable solely by Dr. Cooper) as well as a passing grade of "C" or better. An incomplete grade must be resolved within the guidelines established by the University. For specific information, see page 36 of the 2006-2007 version of the YSU Undergraduate Bulletin.

Grade Components. The following table lists the different components that comprise the total available points in this course. Please note the different components for undergraduates enrolled in BIOL 4848 and graduate students enrolled in BIOL 6948.

Grade Component:	Points:
Take-Home Examination I (BIOL 4848 Only)	75
Take-Home Examination I (BIOL 6948 Only)	100
Take-Home Examination II (BIOL 4848 Only)	75
Take-Home Examination II (BIOL 6948 Only)	100
Take-Home Examination III (BIOL 4848 Only)	75
Take-Home Examination III (BIOL 6948 Only)	100
Examination IV - In-Class (All Students)	50
Mycology Essay (BIOL 4848 Only)	75
Mycology Essay (BIOL 6948 Only)	50
In-Class Presentation (All Students)	50
Laboratory Research Paper (BIOL 6948 Only)	100
Laboratory Notebook (BIOL 6948 Only)	100
Total Available Points - BIOL 4848	400
Total Available Points - BIOL 6848	650

BONUS POINTS: A one-time opportunity to garner ten (15) bonus points will be offered as desribed below.

The following information provides a description and important information regarding each of the above grade components:

Examinations: Four examinations have been scheduled (see Course Calendar for specific dates/times). Students should expect to be tested over all the material covered in lectures as well as that contained in the assigned readings. Typically, Dr. Cooper does not take examination questions from material outside of that covered in lecture unless he specifically informs students that they are responsible for the information from other sources such as the reading assignments.

Examination questions may be of any type, including essay, short answer, fill-in-the-blank, true/false, multiple choice, and/or matching. Examinations I-III, which are take-home examinations, will be all essay/short answer type questions. Examination IV, which will be taken in class, may have a variety of question formats.

Finally, an OPTIONAL final examination will be offerred on Tuesday, May 8th. This examination will be comprehensive consisting of all essay/short answer questions and worth 275 points for undergraduates and 350 points for graduate students. This examination will replace all the scores of Examinations I-IV. If a student commits to this opportunity, then the final examination score will be the total points recorded for the previous scores. That is, the student doesn't have the choice of taking the best score of the Examination I-IV total or the opition final examination. Only the latter will count. Students wishing to take the optional final examination must notify Dr. Cooper no later than 5:00 PM on

Mycolgy Essay: Based upon your reading of Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard, you will write and submit an essay. Details will be provided by Dr. Cooper.

In-Class Presentation: The final few weeks of the course, students will provide lectures based upon selected chapters from Fungal Biology. Details will be provided by Dr. Cooper.

Laboratory Research Paper and Notebook (BIOL 6848 Students Only): Graduate students must submit a research paper on the topic of their laboratory work to Turnitin.com by 11:00 AM on May 4th and a hard copy to Dr. Cooper by 12:00 PM on the same day. The laboratory notebook that the student kept is due at that time as well. Specific details as to the composition of the paper and notebook will be provided by Dr. Cooper early in the semester. The research paper is worth up to 100 points and the notebook is worth up to 100 points of a student's course score/grade.

Bonus Point Opportunity: QUEST, the annual research colloquim for YSU students, will be held on Tuesday, April 3rd. There will be no lecture that day. However, students are encouraged to attend the colloquim. In addition, a bonus point exercise based upon the QUEST presentations will be available for up to 15 points towards a student's course score. Details will be provided by Dr. Cooper.

Extra Credit: As in the Capital One commercial, "The answer is always NO!" Other than those possibly provided through examinations and quizzes, as well as the Bonus Point Opportunity, there is no extra credit opportunities in this course. Do not even think of asking Dr. Cooper for such an opportunity. Again, Don't Mess Wtih BOB.

Return of Scores. Dr. Cooper makes every effort to return examination scores, quizzes, etc., in a reasonable time frame. Please be patient. Grading assignments/tests by hand is a rather time consuming exercise and machine-graded examinations/quizzes often are delayed due to mechanical problems or delays with the campus mail.

Examinations, quizzes, etc. will be returned at the end of a particular lecture after the scores have been recorded. A student absent from class when a graded paper/examination is returned must see Dr. Cooper during his scheduled office hours or otherwise make an appointment to meet with him.

Re-grading. Though it does not happen often, errors in grading do occur. In addition, badly worded questions sometimes are incorporated into an examination or quiz. Other errors or omissions can also occur such as the absence of any possible answers to multiple-choice questions. Students who believe that an error has been committed are always able to appeal their case to Dr. Cooper. However, students requesting a review of grading or scores are apprised of the following conditions:

All requests for re-grading/re-scoring must come within 72 hours (not including holidays and weekends), of scores being returned or posted, whichever comes first. Requests that are submitted beyond that time frame will not be honored.

Frivolous requests for re-scoring/re-grading items will be rejected without further appeal. The determination of "frivolous" is entirely at Dr. Cooper's discretion.

Students must present written arguments for re-scoring/re-grading an item. The argument must describe the nature of the dispute and have supported reasons why an item should be re-scored/re-graded. The determination if an argument is justified and actionable is entirely at Dr. Cooper's discretion.

On any appeal for re-grading or re-scoring, Dr. Cooper reserves the right to re-grade and/or re-score the entire examination, quiz, etc., being questioned.

Decisions to re-grade or re-score any item are entirely at the discretion of Dr. Cooper. Once a decision has been made not to honor an appeal, or once a decision has been made that does not favor the student's argument, that decision is final. No other appeals by that student pertaining to that particular examination, quiz, etc., will be heard.

Students are strongly encouraged to consider the above conditions prior to making an appeal for re-grading or re-scoring of an item.

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Permission to Post Grades/Scores:

On a periodic basis, Dr. Cooper will post current scores on this web page (click on the “Current Grades” button that is usually located near the top of each web page or on the one below). However, to have your grades/scores posted, you must give Dr. Cooper your explicit permission to do so using the Grade Posting Permission Form (downloadable as a PDF file) on which you must provide an unique personal identification number (PIN) of your own choosing. These details will be covered in a handout given to students during the first meeting of the course. A student's permission to post his/her grades/scores is revocable upon receipt by Dr. Cooper of a written request to do so. Please Note: Once a student grants permission to post his/her grades/scores, provided that Dr. Cooper and the University take all reasonable security precautions, they shall hold no responsibility for the misappropriation of this information by other individuals.

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Acknowledgement of Syllabus:

Students are required to submit a signed and completed Syllabus Acknowledgement Form to Dr. Cooper no later than 2:00 PM on January 30th. This form can be accesses as a PDF document through the button link below and elsewhere in the course web site. Failure to properly submit this form will cause Dr. Cooper to withhold the administration of any examinations, quizzes, etc., as well as the recording of any scores/grades to the student(s) who do not comply with this requirement. Should a student have any questions or concerns about this document or its contents, please contact Dr. Cooper.

Course Policies Web Page
Table of Contents

To access a general topic, click on the mini-Pete logo to the left of the section you wish to visit. To go to a specific topic, chose the appropriate "click here" link or the underline topic itself.

Resources Used By The Instructor

Academic Dishonesty

Disability Statement

Course Calendar

Attendance

Required MyYSU Email Account

Distribution of Course Material

Other Responsibilities/Expected Behavior