BSCI 124 – Plant biology for non-science majors

GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION for Section 1001:

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Course Description: Welcome to BSCI 124! This is a three-credit course in Plant Biology, designed for the non-science student.

CORE Lab Science Requirement: PLEASE NOTE that Lecture and Lab Courses, BSCI 124 (Plant Biology for Non-Science Students) and BSCI 125 (Laboratory in Plant Biology) must be taken together in the same semester to count for CORE Lab Science. BSCI 124 taken alone will NOT count as a non-lab science for CORE

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Textbook: Plants and Society, by Estelle Levetin & Karen McMahon.
2002, 3rd Edition. Readings from the textbook will be listed on the Lecture Schedule. Reading the textbook before and after each lecture is strongly recommended.
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WebCT: For BSCI 124 course announcements, syllabus, sample exam questions, grades, quizzes, Plant Journal extra-credit project information, etc., we’ll be using WebCT. All students must make sure to have a University of Maryland e-mail account and password, in order to gain access to WebCT. More on WebCT will be announced during lecture.

Course Website: The class syllabus, course policies, sample exam questions, extra credit assignments and other links will be available on the Web at:
www.life.umd.edu/cbmg/faculty/moctezuma/bsci124

Also, general lecture outlines for the different topics covered during class can be found in:
www.life.umd.edu/classroom/bsci124/main.html

Also useful is the textbook’s website: www.mhhe.com/botany

Please note that the material in these websites is intended as additional supplements to the course, and not as a substitute for attending lectures.

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EXAMS AND GRADES
Exams: Three mid-term exams and one final exam will be given (i.e. one exam for each unit), each worth 100 points. All exams will be held on the days given in the Lecture Schedule. All exams are non-cumulative and will focus on material presented in lecture. Exams start on time. If a student arrives late, after another student has finished the exam, the late-arriving student will not be permitted to take the exam.

Final Grade:

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Final letter grades: The grade for the total number of points accumulated in the class will be assigned as follows:

Point scoresheet – please keep track of your exam points in the following boxes:

Exam makeup: If absent from an exam, you must present an official, university-approved excuse, accompanied by appropriate written and verifiable documentation. If absent from exam due to serious illness, please contact the instructor within 24 hrs. of the exam. Be ready to present proper documentation (a generic time-stamped visit verification slip from the Student University Health Center won’t be accepted). Upon acceptance and verification of a written excuse for absence from an exam, a makeup exam will be given (different from the regular exam).
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COURSE POLICIES:

Lecture Preparation and Attendance:

1. Attend every lecture meeting. Attendance is strongly correlated with your grade! Many announcements will be made only in lecture and all students will be held responsible for these announcements. Quizzes and other extra credit assignments will also be given during lecture only. Additionally, a significant amount of material is covered only during the lecture. Exams will be testing material covered in lecture.
2. Arrive to class on time and do not leave class early.
3. Complete assigned readings prior to their discussion in lecture. The material presented in the course can be difficult, but it’ll be easier to understand if you read the book first.
4. Religious observances and accommodations for students with disabilities: students should bring documentation outlining their needs to Prof. Moctezuma as soon as possible, but no later than February 6, 2004.

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Academic Honesty and Classroom Conduct:

1. By enrolling in this course you agree to abide by the University’s Code of Academic Integrity. The Code prohibits students from cheating on exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting fraudulent documents, and forging signatures. See Chapter 4 of the Undergraduate Catalog for additional details.
2. PLEASE TURN OFF ANY CELL PHONES, PAGERS, BEEPERS, ETC. DURING CLASS! They are disruptive and annoying to the class.
3. Eating and drinking are not permitted during lecture.
4. Reading the newspaper or other materials not related to the course is not permitted during the lecture.
5. Please refrain from talking during lecture. Even quiet conversations become disruptive when multiplied by the large number of students in class. Students who disrupt the ability of others to concentrate will be asked to leave the lecture room.

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Spring 2004 LECTURE SCHEDULE - BSCI 124

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Spring 2004
Dr. Edgar Monctezuma

Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics
College of Life Sciences | University of Maryland, College Park