Syllabus – General Biology 2

Fall 2022 – Spring 2023

BRONX COMMUNITY COLLEGE CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION:

4 credits/ 2 lect hrs / 4 lab hrs

General Biology II: Continuation of BIO 11 with emphasis on plant and animal development, Mendelian and molecular genetics, evolution, animal and plant diversity, and ecology. Prerequisite: BIO 11

BIOLOGY 12 LEARNING OUTCOMES: General Biology II fulfills general education requirements for the CUNY Pathways Flexible Common Core, specifically for the Scientific World requirement. A student will:

• Conduct laboratory investigations according to given experimental procedure, collect and analyze resulting experimental data, and formulate valid conclusions based on the results.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between structure and function in living organisms and relate this to their ecological niches in a laboratory setting.
• Demonstrate an ability to formulate a hypothesis and conduct an experiment to test it: collect and analyze data and interpret results in a laboratory setting.
• Identify basic principles, and the values of natural diversity, and apply them to problems or issues of a scientific nature.
• Explain the basic tenets of Mendelian genetics and demonstrate an understanding of the basic techniques used in molecular genetics in both the laboratory and lecture setting and assignments.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the forces of evolution and how they shape the development of life on Earth.
• Apply the scientific method to a scientific inquiry.
• Distinguish between scientific and nonscientific explanations of natural phenomena.
• Perform calculations using biological data with integers, fractions (rational numbers), decimals, ratios and percentages (e.g., Hardy Weinberg theorem).
• Generate and apply conclusions based on pattern recognition (e.g., patterns of genetic inheritance).
• Locate, evaluate, and apply information from a variety of resources into laboratory assignments and answers to short essay questions to relate biology to everyday life situations and public concerns.
• Demonstrate an understanding of how industrialization and biotechnology have impacted global ecology and human health in lab and lecture assignments.

CLASS SCHEDULE: You are expected to complete the required work for the class in which you are enrolled. Any holidays or unusual class days (for example holding Monday classes on a Thursday) are listed on the BCC Academic Calendar. Changes due to weather or other emergencies will be communicated through the BCC homepage, BCC email Broadcasts, and the CUNY Alert system, when appropriate.

REGISTRATION: Check your computer printout carefully. Be certain that you are registered for this section of BIO 12. You MUST be officially registered to continue attending this class. Instructors are not authorized to issue notes to permit your enrollment. It is the policy of the Department of Biological Sciences we do not over-tally for Biology 12. DO NOT attempt to register for a full section through the Biology Department or the Registrar.

General Biology 2 (Biology 12) Lecture Syllabus – 2022-2023

Required Lecture and Lab Text: Biology 2e by Mary Ann Clark, Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi, second edition, published by OpenStax, Print ISBN 1947172514, Digital ISBN 1947172522, www.openstax.org/details/books/biology-2e

General Biology 2 (Biology 12) Laboratory Syllabus – 2022-2023

Required Lecture and Lab Text: Biology 2e by Mary Ann Clark, Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi, second edition, published by OpenStax, Print ISBN 1947172514, Digital ISBN 1947172522, www.openstax.org/details/books/biology-2e

Optional Lab Notebook: Student Lab Notebook: 70 to 100 carbonless duplicate sets, bound, by Hayden-McNeil Publishers, or similar DO NOT BUY THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE AN IN-PERSON LAB AND YOUR INSTRUCTOR INDICATES IT’S REQUIRED.

Visual Lab Supplement (in 4 parts): available as a download from https://sites.google.com/site/bio1112atbcc/bio-12-visual-lab-supplements

Please note: Laboratory activities (including the Labster simulations suggested below and the in-person activities detailed later in this Course Materials and Study Guide) are determined by your individual laboratory instructor. Your instructor will explain what activities you are required to complete in order to learn each lab topic in the syllabus below.

GENERAL INFORMATION

WORKLOAD AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Students should be aware of the challenge that this course will place upon their time and effort. This is particularly true for those who lack previous educational background in the sciences, and more specifically in the biological sciences. Your success will be dependent upon your willingness to commit yourself to the necessary effort and to make use of the tools available to you. These tools include lecture and laboratory outlines and reading assignments, and laboratory exercises.

ADDITIONAL LEARNING RESOURCES:

• Your professor may provide additional resources through Blackboard.
• The department study lab on the fourth floor of Meister Hall (ME418) is currently CLOSED due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If circumstances significantly improve during the semester, the department study lab may re-open.
• There is a companion website to this guide with links to relevant animations and videos: https://sites.google.com/site/bio1112atbcc/
• The BCC library has a dedicated page for the biological sciences with study aids, enrichment materials, and multimedia resources. They also have lists of COVID-19 resources and online services that they offer.
• The free human anatomy browser allows you to explore and study human anatomy by just signing up and logging into BioDigital Human at https://www.biodigital.com/
• The Department of Biological Sciences phone number is (718) 289-5512.

ATTENDANCE POLICIES:

Attendance Records: To obtain a passing grade, it is necessary and important that students participate in class and complete the required work. It is your responsibility to keep track of the required work and to be aware of the calendar of class meetings for your section. The Department of Biological Sciences currently requires your instructor to take and file attendance records for every class; if you are unclear how the instructor is counting attendance for your online class, ask your instructor to clarify the requirements. Please discuss any problems with your professor privately after class. If you have different professors for laboratory and lecture, BOTH PROFESSORS must take attendance.

Absences: Excused absences are at the discretion of the professor. Instructors also have the right to mark students absent in an online class if they do not complete classwork in a timely manner. 

W, WN, and WU Grades: If a student does not attend ANY sessions of the class or complete any required work during the first three weeks, the student will be marked as NEVER ATTENDED (WN) and removed from the class roster. The student CANNOT return to class once this has occurred. If a student stops attending class and completing required work, the student will be assigned an F at midterms and a WU at the end of the semester when final grades are submitted. Students may withdraw between the third and tenth week of the semester. Students must fill out an online withdrawl form and submit the form online in order to be assigned a grade of W. Please note, the student DOES NOT need approval from the professor to withdraw.

Excessive Absences: The Department defines an excessive absence record as unexcused absences of more than 20% of scheduled class time. Students with an excessive absence record will receive an automatic grade of F in the course. Total scheduled class time includes lab, lecture, and online attendance, as required by the particular course.  Instructors are not required to grade tests and other forms of assessment of students with an excessive absence record. Instructors are also not required to offer makeup exams for students absent from scheduled exams.

GRADING AND EXAM POLICIES:

1. There is no extra credit given in Biology 11 or 12 in lecture or lab. You must have a passing grade on examinations and required assignments.
2. In-person lecture sections will have 3 exams plus a final exam, while in-person lab sections will have 4 exams and no final exam.
3. For online and hybrid sections, the number of exams and assignments is at the discretion of the instructor; however, all content on the syllabus will be assessed through either exams or assignments.
4. The final exam in lecture will be cumulative.  That means you will be tested on the material from the first to the last class and you are responsible for everything in the lecture syllabus on the final examination.
5. It is the policy of the Biology 11 and 12 professors that exam grades will never be dropped.
6. The student’s final grade in Biology 12 is an average of their laboratory and lecture grades (50% for each).
   1. Lecture (50% of total)
      1. formative lecture grades like quizzes, Dbs, wikis, etc. (0 to 6% of total)
      2. Lecture Exam 1 (8 to 10% of total)
      3. Lecture Exam 2 (8 to 10% of total)
      4. Lecture Exam 3 (8 to 10% of total)
      5. Lecture Final Exam (20% of total)
   2. Laboratory (50% of total)
      1. formative lab grades like quizzes, Labster, lab notebooks, etc. (10% of total)
      2. Lab Exam 1 (10% of total)
      3. Lab Exam 2 (10% of total)
      4. Lab Exam 2 (10% of total)
      5. Lab Exam 2 (10% of total)

Academic Integrity Policy: Academic Dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York. Penalties for academic dishonesty include academic sanctions, such as failing or otherwise reduced grades, and/or disciplinary sanctions, including suspension or expulsion. See the following website for a description of the CUNY academic dishonesty policy: https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/policies-procedures/academic-integrity-policy/ Unless you are informed otherwise by your instructor, exams taken in an online or face-to-face environment are closed book; this means you should not be accessing information from any source (textbook, website, notes, other individuals, etc.) while taking the exam. Your instructor will inform you if a quiz or exam is intended to be open book and what types of behavior are permissible. For assignments and laboratory reports, your professor will tell you when sources must be cited, when individual (your own) work is required, and when group work is acceptable. If you are unsure about the expectations for an assignment, ask your professor for clarification.

Accommodations/Disabilities: Bronx Community College respects and welcomes students of all backgrounds and abilities. In the event you encounter any barrier(s) to full participation in this course due to the impact of a disability, please contact the disAbility Services Office as soon as possible this semester. A disAbility Services specialist will meet with you to discuss the barriers you are experiencing and explain the eligibility process for establishing academic accommodations for this course. You can reach disAbility Services by email at disabilityservices@bcc.cuny.edu and phone at (718) 288-5874. You may also reach disability Services through Microsoft Teams: log in using your CUNYfirst login and join Disability Service – Student Center. 

DISTANCE LEARNING & TECHNOLOGY

Distance-Learning: If this section is listed as a fully online or hybrid course, then at least 50% of the course content will be taught online. You cannot pass this class if you do not complete all of the assigned work. To participate in this course, you must have active BCC E-mail and Blackboard accounts (which is accessible through CUNYfirst) and access to a computer and the internet. Your instructor may choose to use either the asynchronous or the synchronous online learning mode; however, your instructor should make clear what activities you are expected to complete each week and how those activities will affect your grade. All instructors should cover all of the material on this syllabus. . Completely in-person sections may still require that you access materials through Blackboard.

Digital Syllabus: An ebook version of this General Biology II Syllabus may be accessed at https://cuny.manifoldapp.org/projects/general-biology-2-syllabus

Digital Course Materials and Study Guide: An ebook version of the General Biology II Course Materials and Study Guide may be accessed at https://cuny.manifoldapp.org/projects/general-biology-2

Labster: This course may use Labster for some of the required laboratory activities. You will be accessing the Labster simulations through the course Blackboard website. In order to see and successfully complete these simulations you must have access to a desktop or laptop computer. These simulations will not work on a tablet or phone.

Proctoring: Instructors may require the use of proctoring software, like Respondus or Proctortrack when students take exams. Proctoring software requires the use of a computer and a webcam. Chromebooks or tablets will work with some software packages.

Recording of Class Sessions: Students who participate in this class with their camera on or use a profile image are agreeing to have their video or image recorded solely for the purpose of creating a record for students enrolled in the class to refer to, including those enrolled students who are unable to attend live.  If you are unwilling to consent to have your profile or video image recorded, be sure to keep your camera off and do not use a profile image. Likewise, students who un-mute during class and participate orally are agreeing to have their voices recorded.  If you are not willing to consent to have your voice recorded during class, you will need to keep your mute button activated and communicate exclusively using the "chat" feature, which allows students to type questions and comments live.

Technology: CUNY has created a student technology needs assessment and request form that should be visible when you long into CUNYfirst. Fill this form out to request a loan of a computer or other necessary technology, if you need it.

We expect most class sessions to take place in an online environment in Fall 2022. Some classes are scheduled to have in-person or hybrid labs. Here are the GENERAL BIOLOGY LABORATORY POLICIES:

1. Please turn off all cell phones, etc., before coming to class. The official policy of BCC is that you may not have them on during exams.
2. Do not eat, drink or chew gum in class since there are some chemicals we use in these laboratories that you do not want in your mouth!
3. You may not bring children or anyone else to class or leave them outside in the hallway – this is for the safety of your children so please adhere to this policy.

POTENTIAL IN-PERSON LABORATORY ACTIVITIES

Check your class schedule. If this class session is scheduled for in-person or hybrid laboratory sessions, you will use many of the laboratory activities in the Bio 12 Student Study Guide. (Online laboratory sections will not have any in-person lab classes.) Your instructor should provide you with a schedule of activities (that conforms to the Laboratory Syllabus earlier in this document) and indicate which laboratory activities will be performed in-person and which activities will be performed in an online setting.

The COVID-19 EMERGENCY and ON-CAMPUS RULES

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS: All students registering for a fully in-person or hybrid class for the 2021 Fall Term and thereafter must be fully vaccinated to attend in-person classes unless you have been granted a religious exception or medical exemption. For more information, visit the BCC webpage https://www.bcc.cuny.edu/covid-19/. Requests for religious exceptions or medical exemptions must be submitted via the CUNYfirst Vaccine Verification Form. The CUNY mandates are explained here: https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/.

CAMPUS REOPENING PLAN:

New Covid-19 health and safety protocols have been implemented to facilitate a safe return to campus.  BCC’s reopening plan can be found http://www.bcc.cuny.edu/bcc-return-to-campus-safely-re-occupancy-plan/   The science indicates that the best protection against the virus is to receive the vaccination for Covid-19, continue masking indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces, and continue practicing social distancing.  Information on the testing locations and other frequently asked questions can be found HERE. 

CAMPUS REENTRY: CUNY is using the Cleared4 system for campus access. Having both the Cleared4 app and the BCC app may be useful when verifying your access to the campus. See this webpage for more details about how to get back on campus: https://www.bcc.cuny.edu/covid-19/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidance: Federal guidelines inform CUNY and BCC public health policy. The CDC Covid-19 website is the best source of information from the federal government about the pandemic: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

If you test positive for COVID while taking this course: 

• Using your BCC email account, please email all your in-person and/or hybrid professors of your status
  • Please include your emplid # and current phone number in your email
  • You can also email your information to healthservices@bcc.cuny.edu
  • Your professor will work with you to complete class work while you are in quarantine.

• You will be called by a Health Services staffer.  It is critical that you connect with them in a timely matter for contact tracing information.
• You will need to submit a negative COVID test to HealthServices (healthservices@bcc.cuny.edu) before you are allowed access back to the campus.​