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MCB 251: EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Nicholas Kirchner (Course Coordinator) 241 Davenport Hall; kirchner@life.uiuc.edu
Course Office: 252 Davenport Hall; 244-6239; (8:30 AM–5:00 PM Monday–Friday)
MCB 251 COURSE WEBSITE
Course Web site: www.life.uiuc.edu/mcb/251
Course Gradebook: https://gradebook.atlas.uiuc.edu/courses/mcb251/fall08/index.html
REQUIRED & RECOMMENDED MATERIALS
The following is a specific list of items required or recommended for MCB 251. These items
should be available and should be listed correctly at the Illini Union Bookstore (IUB). They
may not be available and it is not guaranteed they will be listed correctly at
any other bookstore. Please pay careful attention to dates and editions when purchasing these
items. Any items (other than those specifically named below) listed by bookstores as optional
or recommended have not been previously approved by the course faculty.
REQUIRED TEXTS & SUPPLIES
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"MCB 251 Laboratory Exercises: Experimental Techniques in Molecular Biology, Fall 2008"
N. Kirchner, editor
Stipes Publishing
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"Biology Laboratory Notebook"
M. Michael, editor
Stipes Publishing
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I-card, used to check out kits and microscopes
RECOMMENDED TEXT
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"Molecular Biology of the Gene, 6th Ed."
by Watson, Baker, Bell, Gann, Levine, and Losick
Oxford University Press 2008
SECTION CHANGE, ADD AND DROP INFORMATION
Students may add, drop, or change MCB 251 sections
before 5:00 PM, Monday, 8 September 2008.
Students must at all times attend the laboratory sections in which they are currently enrolled.
Students will not be allowed to sit in other sections at other times for any reason without
permission from the Course Staff in 252 Davenport Hall.
Friday, 17 October. 2008 is the last day to drop the course or to elect the
Credit/No Credit option.
To elect the Credit/No Credit option, students must apply in their College Office.
To drop the course after the drop deadline, students must petition a Dean in their college
office and bring petitions to Nicholas Kirchner, 241 Davenport Hall, for completion of attendance
and grade information.
WHEN MCB 251 CLASSES BEGIN
MCB 251 laboratories will begin the week of Monday, 25 August 2008 in 243 A-C Davenport Hall.
PROFICIENCY EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
The MCB 251 proficiency exam will be given on Thursday, 4 September 2008 from 7-10 PM. Students may sign up for the exam until 12:00 PM
on the day of the exam in 252 Davenport Hall.
EXAM AND CONFLICT EXAM INFORMATION
EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
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Exams I and II will be given on Wednesday evenings (see Course
Policies: Examinations for exam dates). Arrive early; the exams
will begin at 7:00 PM sharp. The exams will cover material from
laboratory. Please see the MCB 251 Web site or the glass case outside
of 252 Davenport Hall (MCB 251 Information Case) for any further
details concerning each exam.
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The exams will be administered in various lecture halls and classrooms on campus and the
section location assignments will be posted on the MCB 251 Web site, in the laboratories,
and in the MCB 251 Information Case several days prior to each exam. You must take the exam
with your assigned section.
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Bring your University photo ID, several sharp #2 pencils, and an eraser.
You will not need a calculator to complete these exams. No calculators will be allowed
in the exam room.
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Please do not bring to the exam any backpacks, purses, hats, bags, books, notes, papers,
clipboards, musical instruments, or anything other than the items listed in number
3 above; you will NOT be allowed to enter the exam room with these items. We
urge you not to bring valuables to the exam room. You will be asked to place all jackets/coats
completely under the chair in which you are seated. In the case that the floor of the exam
room is wet, you will be allowed to place jackets/coats at the front or back of the room
during the exam.
The MCB 251 faculty/staff is not responsible for any of your personal belongings. We strongly
suggest you do not bring them to the exam site. The Illini Union Bookstore has lockers available
for temporary storage of such items if you are unable to leave them at home prior to an
exam.
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If you have a University course that conflicts with the exam, contact Nicholas Kirchner
or the MCB 251 staff in 252 Davenport Hall by 5:00 PM, the Friday prior to the exam. See the
Conflict Exam Instructions section for further details.
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If you are ill or incapacitated on the day of an exam, you are urged to seek assistance
at McKinley Health Center or elsewhere as needed, and to miss the exam (your score will
be prorated if your absence is excused). Do not call your TA. Call Nicholas Kirchner or the
MCB 251 Staff (244-6239) and advise them of your situation. When you are well enough to
return to classes, go to the Office of the Dean of Students. It is are located in various
rooms of Turner Student Services Building, 610 E. John Street, Champaign; 333-0050. Inform
the Deans that you need confirmation of a confining illness to be sent to the MCB Core Curriculum Office.
NOTE: If you choose to attend an exam while suffering from illness, and you complete the
exam, that exam determines your score.
CONFLICT EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
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Conflict exams are given from 5:00–7:00 PM on the regular exam day. You must make
arrangements to take a conflict exam by 5:00 PM, the Friday prior to the exam day. Use the
MCB 251 Conflict Exam
Request Form or go to the MCB 251 Office in 252 Davenport Hall to make these arrangements.
You must make these arrangements for each exam. Your request for a conflict exam will not
be carried to subsequent exams.
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If your conflict is a regularly scheduled course for credit at the University, we will
confirm your conflict on Banner. If your conflict is caused by anything other than
a University course, please bring written documentation supporting your claim of conflict.
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If you have a conflict with the regular exam time and the conflict exam time, see Nicholas Kirchner in 241 Davenport Hall by 5:00 PM on the Friday prior to the exam day. An alternate
conflict exam time will be arranged.
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You will be required to remain in the exam room until exactly 6:50 PM. Students taking
the conflict exam are given the same exam as students taking the exam at the regular time.
In order to protect the integrity of the exam, conflict exam students are held until 6:50
PM. If you wish to use the remaining 10 minutes to complete your exam, you may.
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Students taking the conflict exam will not be allowed to take their exam booklet with them
when they leave the exam room. These booklets will be available for pick-up in 252 Davenport
Hall by Noon on the day following the exam.
FINAL EXAM AND CONFLICT FINAL EXAM INFORMATION
FINAL EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
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The Final Exam time will be determined and posted on the MCB 251 web site and in the glass
case.
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The exam location(s) will be posted on the MCB 251 Web site and in the MCB 251 Information
Case no later than the week prior to the exam.
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Bring your University photo ID, several sharp #2 pencils and an eraser. You will not need
a calculator to complete this exam. No calculators will be allowed in the exam room.
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Please do not bring to the exam any backpacks, purses, hats, bags, books, notes, papers,
clipboards, musical instruments, or anything other than the items listed in number
3 above; you will NOT be allowed to enter the exam room with these items. No one will be monitoring who deposits and collects
these personal effects, so thefts and mistaken identification of bags can occur. We urge
you not to bring valuables to the exam room. You will be asked to place all jackets/coats
completely under the chair in which you are seated. In the case that the floor of the exam
room is wet, you will be allowed to place jackets/coats at the front or back of the room
during the exam.
The MCB 251 faculty/staff is not responsible for any of your personal belongings. We strongly
suggest you do not bring them to the exam site. The Illini Union Bookstore has lockers available
for temporary storage of such items if you are unable to leave them at home prior to an
exam.
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In case of illness or personal emergency the day of the exam, contact a dean in your college.
Only a dean can excuse a student from a final exam.
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A conflict final exam will be given only for students who have met the requirements stated
on the Conflict Final Exam Instructions page. Contact Nicholas Kirchner (241 Davenport Hall) to arrange a conflict final exam.
CONFLICT FINAL EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
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A Conflict Final Exam will only be given to individuals who find themselves in one of the
following situations:
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Students with three final exams scheduled within a 24 hour period as defined in Section
82.A.4). Final Examinations of the Code of Policies and Regulations Applying to All
Students which can be found at www.uiuc.edu/admin_manual/code/.
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Students who have another final exam scheduled at the same time as the MCB 251 exam.
The conflicting course's enrollment must be lower than the MCB 251 enrollment in order
for you to take the MCB 251 conflict final exam. Please see the MCB 251 Staff in 252
Davenport Hall for enrollment information.
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Students who have a verified personal problem, and who have received written permission
to take the MCB 251 conflict final exam from a dean in their college.
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Any student with one or more of the above situations should use the
MCB
251 Conflict Final Exam Request Form on the MCB 251 Web site and submit the form by
5:00 PM Wednesday, 10 December. 2008. Students should feel free to contact the MCB 251 office
with questions or concerns about conflict final exams.
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All student requests will be reviewed and students will be contacted as soon as possible
via telephone or e-mail regarding the status of their request. Qualified students will be
informed of the Conflict Final Exam time and location on Thursday, 11 December 2008 before
1:00 PM.
THE MOST DIRECT ROUTE TO 252 DAVENPORT HALL
Enter Chemistry Annex through the main doors on the north side of the building, off
the brick walkway between Chemistry Annex and Noyes Laboratory. Take stairs just inside the main doorway to the second floor. Walk straight ahead down a short corridor through two doors. The second door you will
pass through is 243 Davenport Hall. Rm. 252 Davenport Hall is the first door on your right.
Wheelchair Access
Enter Chemistry Annex through the wheelchair access ramp on the southeast corner of
the building. Take the elevator from the basement to the second floor. Turn right out of the elevator
and right again to go down a short corridor. The second door you will pass through is 243 Davenport Hall. Room 252 Davenport Hall
is the first door on your right.
For further information call 244-6239.
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GENERAL INFORMATION & POLICIES OF MCB 251
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The course faculty and the TAs are in charge of the orderly conduct of students in discussions
and may exclude a student who does not comply with a reasonable request in this regard.
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All students are assumed to have read and understood the Code Of Policies And Regulations
Applying To All Students, University of Illinois, and will be expected to act accordingly.
The Code is available online at: www.uiuc.edu/admin_manual/code/
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Concerns over exam grading, discussion teaching or grading, and exam or discussion absences
should be taken up with Nicholas Kirchner 241 Davenport Hall (kirchner@life.uiuc.edu).
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The deadline for grade corrections on all items is one week after corrected items are returned
or grades are received.
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Reference letters and recommendation forms are to be submitted to the student's TA, whose
evaluation will be reviewed and countersigned by a member of the course faculty.
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The faculty and staff of MCB 251 are not responsible for any student personal belongings
during examinations or class periods.
ATTENDANCE POLICIES
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Procedure for Absences
Absence from Class
We know that students become ill and that family emergencies arise. In
order to accommodate absences due to illness or emergency, we allow that a
specified number of assignments and/or quizzes may be missed without
penalty. These missed assignments and/or quizzes can be dropped according
to the criteria set forth in the Course Policies for this course.
Extended Absence from Class
If you experience an illness (chronic; recurring or lasting three days or
more) or other circumstance that causes an extended absence from class
(lasting three days or more), please contact the Office of the Dean of
Students. The office of the Dean of Students is located in the Turner
Student Services Building, 610 E. John Street, Champaign, 333-0050. A
representative of that office will provide us with the necessary
information to address your circumstance. Please fill out an online
absence form for your course which can be found on the course web site.
Absence from an Exam
If you experience an illness that causes you to miss an exam, you should
go to McKinley or your private physician to seek assistance. Whether it
is an illness or an emergency that prevents you from taking your exam at
the appointed time, you should then contact the Office of the Dean of
Students. The office of the Dean of Students is located in the Turner
Student Services Building, 610 E. John Street, Champaign, 333-0050. A
representative of that office will validate your visit to McKinley or your
private physician and then provide us with the necessary information to
address your circumstance. Please fill out an online absence form for
your course which can be found on the course web site.
Absence from a Final Exam
If you should experience an illness or emergency that prevents you from
taking your final exam at the appointed time, you should contact the
Office of the Dean of Students at 333-0050. If this occurs during normal
business hours, you call will be answered by staff. If this occurs after
hours, you will be given a phone number for the emergency Dean on call.
There will always be someone available for you to call. Please fill out
an online absence form for your course which can be found on the course
web site.
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Attendance will be recorded at every lab session.
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Students must attend their scheduled lab section unless they are assigned to a make-up
lab.
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Make-up labs are assigned by Nicholas Kirchner 241 Davenport Hall or the MCB 251 Staff
in 252 Davenport Hall. Only students who can provide an acceptable and documentable reason
for absence will be eligible to make up a missed discussion. Documentation should be dated
and presented in writing to Cindy Badger, Nicholas Kirchner or the MCB 251 Staff. Make-up
labs are not guaranteed to be available, as there is a limit to the number of
students allowed in the discussion classroom. If you have an acceptable reason for absence,
we will make every effort to accommodate you.
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TAs cannot reschedule students to other discussion sections, including their own.
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Although the UI Code of Policies and Regulations states that "no absence is ever
excused," students who provide acceptable written, dated documentation of personal emergency
or confining illness in a timely fashion may be allowed to make up missed work for
credit. Documentation must include relevant names, times, and dates, and an explanation
of the date(s) and reason(s) for absence.
All documentation regarding exam and discussion absences should be presented in writing
to Nicholas Kirchner in 241 Davenport Hall.
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McKinley Health Center Visit Records are not acceptable verification for absence. Students
who visit McKinley Health Center must provide verification through the Office of the Dean
of Students. The Office of the Dean of Students is located in the Turner Student Services
Building, 610 E. John Street, Champaign, 333-0050.
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Form letters (regarding student absences) generated by the Emergency Dean's Office are
not acceptable verification of an excusable absence. The Dean of Students Office will send
notification to Nicholas Kirchner regarding the absence.
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Students who have knowledge in advance of events which conflict with attendance in MCB
251 must present acceptable documentation of such events prior to their absence.
Assignments which would have been due during the period of absence must be completed and
turned in prior to the student's absence.
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Students who wish to have consideration for religious observances which conflict with exams
or discussions, must present verification in writing to Nicholas Kirchner
within one week of the first lecture, in compliance with
the Code of Policies and Regulations Applying to All Students (Rule 34.B.4). If the
religious observance is such that the exact date cannot be determined in January, contact
Nicholas Kirchner before the deadline and inform her about the approximate date or dates of
absence(s).
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Conflicts with evening exams in MCB 251 should be presented to Nicholas Kirchner by 5:00 PM
on the Friday immediately prior to the exam so that a conflict exam
can be arranged. Written evidence of the conflict must be provided (see Examinations
section).
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Class absences before and after vacations (e.g. Thanksgiving Break, Spring Break)
are not excusable, except as aforementioned.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU MUST BE ABSENT
Due to a "Confining Illness:"
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Go to McKinley Health Center or
your private physician and seek assistance.
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Fill out and submit the
MCB 251 Absence Report Form on the MCB 251 Web site to inform Nicholas Kirchner and the
MCB 251 Staff about your absence. You may call the Nick Kirchner(244-4906) if you have
questions or concerns.
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Send your assignments to class or to 252 Davenport Hall to be time and date stamped and
placed in your TA's mailbox that day or as soon after the absence as is reasonably
possible. Do not wait to be excused to turn in your work.
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Contact the Office of the Dean of Students and
request that verification of your confining illness be sent via e-mail to Nicholas Kirchner.
The Office of the Dean of Students is located in the Turner Student Services Building, 610
E. John Street, Champaign, 333-0050.
Due to "Personal Emergency:"
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Fill out and submit the
MCB 251 Absence Report Form on the MCB 251 Web site to inform Nick Kirchner and the
MCB 251 Staff about your problem, and to inquire as to whether your situation qualifies
as an excusable absence, and arrange make-up work as needed.
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Send your assignments to class or to 252 Davenport Hall to be time and date stamped and
placed in your TA's mailbox that day or as soon after the absence as is reasonably
possible. Do not wait to be excused to turn in your work.
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Obtain written, dated documentation of the problem.
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Contact the Office of the Dean of Students and
request that verification of your personal emergency be sent via e-mail to Nicholas Kirchner.
The Office of the Dean of Students is located in the Turner Student Services Building, 610
E. John Street, Champaign, 333-0050.
MCB 251 WEB GRADEBOOK
The MCB 251 Web Gradebook can be accessed directly at:
https://gradebook.atlas.uiuc.edu/courses/mcb251/fall08/index.html
Scores on exams and assignments will be available for student review on the MCB 251 Web Gradebook.
To check your scores, sign into the MCB 251 Web site and click on the Gradebook link and follow
the instructions presented there. All students are responsible for checking their scores on
the Web Gradebook after each exam and assignment is returned to them. Each student is responsible
for reporting possible discrepancies to their TA and if immediate action is not taken, the student
is responsible for bringing this to the attention of Nicholas Kirchner within one week of receiving
their graded paper or exam score. Students are encouraged to keep all graded papers returned
to them until after final grades are issued.
The final deadline for Web Gradebook corrections is 5:00 PM, Wednesday,
10 December 2008.
No Web Gradebook scores will be altered after this deadline so please be certain to check all
your scores before this time.
Laboratory Notebook Assignments
All MCB 251 students are required to keep a laboratory notebook. See
Required and Recommended Materials section for the exact make of notebook
required. The lab notebook assignments will be collected the week following
the lab as per your Teaching Assistant's instructions. Keeping a thorough
lab notebook is an essential part of scientific study and research.
Your notebook should be legible and thorough enough for someone else
to read and understand exactly what you did. Your laboratory notebook
will be worth a total of 350 points this semester. There will be 8 notebook
assignments each worth a total of 50 points, and the lowest score will
be dropped (excluding exercise 5).Notebook assignments accompany the following laboratory exercises:
Exercise 1 Introduction to Microbiology/Microbiological Techniques
Exercise 2 Genetic Regulation
Exercise 3 Isolation of Spontaneous Mutations
Exercise 4.1 Plasmid Prep and Restriction Mapping
Exercise 4.2-4.4 Cloning, Transformation, Selection for Antibiotic Resistance
Exercise 4.5 Determining Orientation by Restriction Analysis
Exercise 4.6-4.7 PCR, Electrophoresis of PCR products
Exercise 5 Uknown Plasmid/Restriction Mapping
The point breakdown for each notebook assignment follows:
Pre-lab: To be completed before coming to class
6 points = Learning goals for the experiment; relevance of
topic, data tables, procedure/protocol section
Post-lab:
4 points = proper format for the entire notebook assignment
15 points = data presentation and results section
25 points = conclusions and questions answered
The goals/relevance, procedure/protocols sections and data tables for
results must be written in your notebook before coming to the lab. Data
presentation, results and conclusions should be written in the notebook
during and after the lab. The following guidelines are designed to ensure
an accurate and detailed record of your laboratory experience. Your TA
will provide you with specific details about exactly what is expected in
your section.
1. All laboratory notebook assignments must be hand-written in the
required Biology Laboratory Notebook. No typed assignments will be
accepted. No credit will be given for computer-generated tables, graphs,
or images.
2. Clearly write your name, section letter, TA's name and course number on
the cover of your lab notebook. There are hundred of students in this
course who are all using the same type of notebook, and should it be
misplaced, we will be able to return it to you.
3. Notice that this notebook is carbonless. There are white and yellow
sheets each with the same page number. Both sheets should be placed on
top of the cover before you begin writing. Turn in the white pages of
your notebook assignments and keep all yellow pages in your notebook for
reference and proof of your assignment should it be misplaced. These
pages must be in the notebook and in the natural order of the exercises to
be useful should another copy of your assignment be needed. If you choose
to prepare your assignments in some other way, you will bear the
consequences should something become misplaced. The notebook carbons in
sequence in your notebook are the only form of copies that will be
accepted for credit.
4. Include a running table of contents at the front of your laboratory
notebook so that experimental results can be located quickly and easily.
Update the table of contents each time you begin a new laboratory
exercise.
5. Write your name, section letter, TA's name, week number and date on the
top of every page.
6. Errors should be crossed out with a single line so they remain legible.
Do not erase or scratch out errors or tear pages out of your notebook.
When an error is made, include a comment on what went wrong and what you
would do differently if the experiment was repeated. This can allow you
to figure out what actually happened even long after completing the
experiment.
7. Each laboratory notebook assignment must include the following sections:
Goals/Relevance of Topic: Begin with a short explanation of the goals
of the
laboratory exercise. Be certain to consider how one exercise
relates to those you
have done in the past and to those you will do in the remainder of
the course. If
plausible correlate what is being done in lab with topics and
techniques that
have been discussed in MCB 250 lecture.
Procedure/Protocol: Include a detailed description of what you actually
did. This is an excellent opportunity for you to read the protocol as it
appears in the manual and then process the information by writing it in
brief using your own words. Provide sufficient detail so someone could
repeat the experiment exactly the way you did it. You should not re-write
the procedure directly from the manual. It is very unusual for a
procedure to be performed exactly as written, so you must specify any
changes or differences (accidental or intentional) between the procedure
and what you actually did in the lab. It is good scientific practice to
record any deviations from the standard procedure so that the experiment
can be duplicated exactly. Careful notes can prevent similar problems
from occurring in a repeat experiment. Show all calculations that are
necessary to proceed through the experiment. For example, indicate how
dilutions are done. Do not count on your memory, write all observations in
your notebook while you are doing the experiment.
Data Presentation/Results: Include the actual raw data in your
notebook as well as any graphs, photographs, tables or calculations
based on the data. Affix any supporting materials (e.g.
photographs, print-outs, or graphs) directly into the notebook. All
attachments should include the date and details about how they were
obtained (e.g. how long a photograph was exposed, the settings and
type of the spectrophotometer, etc.) A photocopy of your lab
partner's table or graph is unacceptable even if you participated in
the collection of the data. You must always present the data in
your own, original way.
Conclusions/ Questions Answered: Include a summary of the conclusions.
What were the controls? Did the controls work? What were the varied
elements? How were they varied and why? What do the results mean? Are
they the results that you predicted/expected?
Current Events Presentation
During several labs throughout the semester, each set of lab partners will
do one 8-10 minute presentation about a current event in science or
medicine. A sign up sheet and additional information will be provided during the semster. The presentation will be worth 40 points.
LON-CAPA Pre Lab Assignments
These will be open 24 hours before your lab section
meets each week and will be worth 3 points each. There will be 12 prelab quizzes (drop 2 lowest). Questions will cover
content from the weekly video lectures and the background reading in the
lab manual for each respective exercise. Once you start the quiz you will
have 10 minutes to answer and submit questions. A total of 30 points may be earned for LON-CAP prelab quizzes.
LON-CAPA Post Lab Assignments
These will be 11 post lab assignments at the end of each exercise
and will be worth 13 points each (drop lowest). Questions will test your understanding
of the lab exercises and be conceptually based. Post-Lab questions will
be opened at the end of your respective lab sections and closed the
following week at the beginning of your next lab. You may work on these
questions from any computer that has internet access. Please be advised
that difficulty accessing the server, inability to find an open computer
lab, or other computer issues will not suffice to extend this deadline.
Please be sure to finish your assignments early, to avoid missing the
deadline! A total of 130 points may be earned for LON CAPA assignments.
LON-CAPA can be accessed directly at:
http://www.lon-capa.uiuc.edu
Instructions for LON-CAPA access can be found on page I-23 of the course
policies.
EXAMINATIONS
Evening exams and the final exam will be a combination of multiple choice, true-false, matching, and short answer format. Material for evening lecture exams will be drawn from the, laboratory lecture videos, laboratory presentations,
discussions, laboratory notebook, and assigned readings, if any. Material for the
final exam can be drawn comprehensively from all material covered in the course. TAs will provide
students with information regarding the content of specific exams.
All short answer questions are graded by the Exam grader and the grades are entered into the Web Gradebook.
Once the exams have been administered, they become property of the students. It is the student's
responsibility to make certain that the grade on the Web Gradebook is correct. If a student
believes that an error has been made, it should be brought to the TA's attention immediately.
If an explanation cannot be found, the student and/or the TA should bring the problem to Nicholas Kirchner or the MCB 251 Staff in 252 Davenport Hall. All student scantron sheets are retained
for grade confirmation if necessary. All students are urged to keep their errata sheets until
a final grade has been issued for the course.
The final exam is the property of the course and is not returned to students, nor are answers
posted or made available in any way. Should a student feel that an error has been made in the
grading of the final exam, that student should contact Nicholas Kirchner.
EXAM DATES
| Exam |
Time |
Day |
Date |
 |
| Exam I |
7-9 PM |
Wednesday |
October 8, 2008 |
|
| Exam II |
7-9 PM |
Wednesday |
November 19, 2008 |
|
| Final Exam |
TBA |
TBA |
TBA |
COURSE GRADING
Student grades in MCB 251 will be based on total of 1000 points. Categories listed below are
approximate, but should closely resemble the final distribution.
| 2 Laboratory Exams(150 points each) |
|
300 |
|
| Final Exam |
|
150 |
|
| Lab Notebook Assignments |
|
350 |
|
| LON-CAPA Pre Lab Assignments |
|
30 |
|
| LON-CAPA Post Lab Assignments |
|
130 |
|
| Current Events Presentation |
|
40 |
|
|
| Total |
|
1000 |
points |
All point totals are estimates and may be altered slightly throughout the course of the semester.
The point totals contained in the following table represent the use of the plus/minus grading
system coupled with a 4.0 grade point system. The grade point values shown for each letter grade
have been assigned by the University. Students who earn the points shown below (out of 500 possible
points), will be guaranteed the indicated letter grade. At semester's end, after the final exam,
the faculty will analyze the course grade distribution, and may decrease (to accommodate poor
class performance on an examination), but will not increase the points needed for each grade.
MCB 251 Standard Grade Scale
|
Letter Grade
|
Point Ranges
|
Grade Point Value
|
|
A+
|
1000–920
|
4.000
|
|
A
|
919–883
|
4.000
|
|
A-
|
882–850
|
3.667
|
|
B+
|
849–817
|
3.333
|
|
B
|
816–783
|
3.000
|
|
B-
|
782–750
|
2.667
|
|
C+
|
749–717
|
2.333
|
|
C
|
716–683
|
2.000
|
|
C-
|
682–650
|
1.667
|
|
D+
|
649–617
|
1.333
|
|
D
|
616–583
|
1.000
|
|
D-
|
582–550
|
0.667
|
|
F
|
549–0
|
0.000
|
STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
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Science cannot exist without honesty. The faculty and staff of MCB 251 require students,
as scientists-in-the-making, to hold the highest standards of scientific and academic conduct.
Any form of cheating on any graded work in this course is unacceptable, and will be dealt
with as outlined below, and in accordance with the University-wide standards in the Code
of Policies and Regulations Applying to All Students.
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We require that all graded work be entirely your own, and that anything you write using
the words of other writers be correctly attributed. Some specific points follow:
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On all exams, the answers that your turn in for grading must be your own, formulated
during the exam from your own understanding of the material and without any supporting
information, be it written, verbal or electronic. Copying the work of another student,
or allowing another to copy your work, or copying work from any other source, is unacceptable.
Since we can not always monitor you as you complete your work, we must rely upon appearance
of your work from which to judge. If the work you submit resembles that of another student
or another source too closely, we may conclude that it was not your original work. Always
make a conscious effort to complete your work on your own and to protect it from the
view of others, in order to ensure that it will be seen as your own. Failure to adhere
to these standards, for any portion of an exam, may result in a grade of zero for
the entire exam, for all persons involved.
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On assignments, the answers that you turn in for grading must be written in your own
words, formulated from your own understanding of the material. Copying or paraphrasing
the work of another student, or allowing another to copy or paraphrase your work, is
unacceptable. Since we can not monitor you as you complete your work, we have only the
appearance of your work from which to judge. If the work you submit resembles that of
another student too closely, we may conclude that it was not your original work. Always
make a conscious effort to complete your work on your own and to protect it from the
view of others, in order to ensure that it will be seen as your own. Failure to adhere
to these standards may result in a grade of zero for the entire assignment, for all
persons involved.
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On assignments, if you use a statement taken directly from any book or other publication,
including the course textbook, you must provide a citation. That is, you must
put the text in quotes and put the author of the publication in parentheses after the
quotation. Failure to do so will result in zero credit for that answer. Further,
using only the words of another author as your entire answer or as the majority
of your answer to any question is never sufficient to earn credit. If the majority
of your work has been taken directly from a publication, you are likely to receive no
credit for the work, since you would not be demonstrating knowledge beyond the ability
to copy. Even if you quote another, your answer must be substantially your own words,
drawn from your own understanding of the material.
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