POLICIES
Class Policies
Grading (750 points total)
- Lecture (500 points)
- Point Assignment
|
Regular Session |
Summer Session |
|
Test 1 = 75 pts |
Test 1 = 75 pts |
|
Test 2 = 100 pts |
Test 2 = 150 pts |
|
Test 3 = 100 pts |
Exam = 175 pts |
|
Exam = 125 pts (cumulative) |
|
|
Class activities = 100 pts |
Class activities = 100 pts |
- Testing Procedure
- My guiding principle is that tests should be a learning experience as well as an evaluation tool. Toward that end, although I do not return test booklets, I encourage students to come by my office to review tests as soon as possible after the grades are distributed.
- Although the hourly tests will be objective, they will often emphasize the application of physiological principles to solve problems not discussed in class.
- To encourage students to teach themselves, self-selected study groups (e.g. lab groups) of no more than six nor fewer than three students will be required to work together on the class activities (above).
- To encourage development of good note-taking skills, students may use their notes and textbook during the final exam.
- Since another class usually immediately follows BIO 270, all students must stop working when time is called at the end of the class period whether or not the test is completed. Since continuing to work after time is called could result in an academic advantage, failure to turn in the test, at that time, will be considered to be a violation of the honor code.
- Each student will be given a unique test and answer grid, and will be personally responsible for returning the test booklet as well as the answer grid at the end of the test. Once issued, the test must remain in the student's possession at all times. It only takes a momentary lapse for a test to fall victim to a test thief. If a test is stolen, the student to which the test was issued will still be responsible.
- Five points will be deducted from the test score of any student who does not fill out the id number properly.
- Five points will be deducted from the score of any student who marks the test booklet. However, students may use scratch paper, provided the paper is turned in with the exam.
- The only basis for a grade appeal that I will entertain is a documented error in a recorded grade. I use only objective criteria in assigning grades. The fact that a certain grade is needed for acceptance into a program or perceived hard work are subjective and are not considered in assigning grades, nor do they provide a basis for an appeal.
- Owing to the excessive demands, I will not discuss grades or their calculation by e-mail,
- Laboratory (250 points) – Points assigned by laboratory instructor
- Letter grades will be assigned according to the following table. Total points will be converted to a percentage for this purpose. To arrive at your grade, total all your points, divide by 7.5, and look up the number in the table below. For example, any number greater than or equal to 73 but less than 77 is a "C". A score of 76.9999…. is a "C", not a "C+". Remember, for you lecture tests, use the raw score (points earned), not the percentage. This is the most common place where students make errors in arriving at their grades.
|
0 |
F |
|
60 |
D |
|
67 |
D+ |
|
70 |
C- |
|
73 |
C |
|
77 |
C+ |
|
80 |
B- |
|
83 |
B |
|
87 |
B+ |
|
90 |
A- |
|
93 |
A |
- I do not "grade on the curve". My computer calculates the averages and looks up the corresponding letter grade according to the table above. This way, I am not influenced by personalities, and you will know exactly where you stand. Although I do not "curve", as a bonus for class attendance, if the class average is less than 75%, I will subtract the class average from 75 and add that difference to each person's final average. However, for every absence more than two, I will reduce this bonus by one point. For example, suppose the class average is 69%. The average would be 6 points less than 75, so I would add 6 points to everyone's average. Now, suppose a particular student is absent five times. That student's bonus would only be 3 points (3 absences more than 2 subtracted from 6). In no case will a student's actual average be lowered. Only the bonus is reduced. The two absences are for students' discretion, and exceptions to the two-absence policy will not be made for any reason, including illness and death in the family.
Attendance
- Everyone is expected to attend and participate in all lectures and labs. Success cannot be assured without regular class attendance. I will circulate a class roll sometime during lecture, and it is the responsibility of every student to sign the roll indicating that they attended the lecture. Signing for someone else, changing an earlier entry, and signing then leaving before attending lecture are violations of the Honor Code.
- Living or freshly sacrificed animals may be used in lab following Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and National Institutes of Health guidelines, but no student will be required to sacrifice an animal. Therefore, if you are required to take this course and have strong moral objections to these experiments, you must make alternative arrangements with the instructor before the first lab session. Students with similar convictions, but for whom the course is elective, should not take the course.
Late Work will be subject to a penalty of 10% per day or fraction of a day, starting when the assignments are collected.
For your information, below is the grade distribution for Spring 2002. Note that the higher % of "C's" resulted largely from their being shifted from "D's" and "F's" (>13 %). Two of the three "F's" were "earned" by students, who stopped taking the tests. The final class average was 75%.
|
Grade |
Number |
~% |
Expected % |
|
A |
9 |
5.3 |
7 |
|
B |
34 |
20 |
24 |
|
C |
97 |
57 |
38 |
|
D |
27 |
16 |
24 |
|
F |
3 |
1.8 |
7 |
Withdrawal/Late Additions:
New University Withdrawal Policy ( p.19 of 2004-05 catalog). A grade of “W” is possible between last day to add classes (8/27) and end of the course adjustment period (10/21). "WP" and "WF" grades thereafter are at the instructor’s discretion. I choose not to issue “WP” and “WF” grades. In addition, as a matter of university policy, effective spring semester 2005, the university will not allow late registrations or course additions. The practice of late course additions (formerly allowed by petition) will no longer be permitted. Students are responsible for registering for classes and for verifying their class schedules on e-campus. Late course additions will not be permitted. The deadline for adding a spring semester class without instructor and academic unit head signature is Tuesday, January 18, 2005. Between Tuesday, January 18, 2005 and Thursday, January 27, 2005, instructor and academic unit head signatures will be required to add a class for spring semester 2005. No student will be allowed to register for a spring semester class after Thursday, January 27, 2005.
Lab Vouchers: Purchase of a Laboratory Voucher from the JMU bookstore, to cover the cost of consumable laboratory supplies, is required. The forms are available at the bookstore, and the vouchers must be purchased before the end of the first week of classes. Students who fail to make the purchase will be administratively dropped from the class.
