MCB 253
Experimental Techniques in Cell Biology
School of Molecular and Cellular Biology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
blinstru@life.uiuc.edu
course home pagecourse contactUniversity of Illinois

 
Course Information

Elizabeth Blinstrup (Instructor); blinstru@life.uiuc.edu
Office: 342A NHB

MCB Core Curriculum Office:   252 Davenport Hall; 244-6239; (8:30 AM–5:00 PM Monday–Friday)

MCB 253 WORLD WIDE WEB SITE

Course Web site: www.life.uiuc.edu/mcb/253
Course Gradebook: https://gradebook.atlass.uiuc.edu/courses/mcb253/fall08/index.html

REQUIRED & RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

The following is a specific list of items required or recommended for MCB 253. 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

  1. "Molecular Cell Biology", 6th Edition, 2007
    by Lodish, et.al.
    W.H. Freeman Publishers

  2. "Laboratory Exercises for MCB 253: Experimental Cell Biology", Fall 2008
    Elizabeth Blinstrup, editor
    Stipes Publishing

  3. "Biology Laboratory Notebook" (carbonless)
    M. Michael
    Stipes Publishing

  4. Sharpie Ultra Fine Point Permanent Marker (black)
    Sanford

RECOMMENDED TEXTS & SUPPLIES

There are no recommended texts or supplies for MCB 253, Fall 2008.



SECTION CHANGE, ADD AND DROP INFORMATION

Students may use UI Integrate to add or drop MCB 253, or to change MCB 253 laboratory sections before 5:00 PM, Monday, September 8, 2008.

Monday, September 8, 2008 at 5:00 PM is the deadline for adding the course and for changing sections in MCB 253.

Students must at all times attend the lab section in which they are currently enrolled. Students will not be allowed to sit in other sections at other times for any reason.

Friday, October 17, 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 Elizabeth Blinstrup, 342A NHB, for completion of attendance and grade information.



WHEN MCB 253 CLASSES BEGIN

MCB 253 laboratory classes will begin on Monday, August 25, 2008, at 2:00 PM in 338 NHB.



EXAM AND CONFLICT EXAM INFORMATION

EXAM INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Exams I and II will be given on Tuesday 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 253 Web site or the glass case outside of 252 Davenport Hall (MCB 253 Information Case) for any further details concerning each exam.

  2. The exams will be administered in various lecture halls and classrooms on campus and the section location assignments will be posted on the MCB 253 Web site, in the laboratories, and in the MCB 253 Information Case several days prior to each exam. You must take the exam with your assigned section.

  3. 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.

  4. 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 be allowed to enter the exam room with these items, but they will be placed away from student seating during the exam. No one will be monitoring who deposits and collects these personal effects, so thefts and mistaken identification of belongings 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. Cell phones and calculators are prohibited.

    The MCB 253 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 and the Illini Union have lockers available for temporary storage of such items if you are unable to leave them at home prior to an exam.

  5. If you have a University course that conflicts with the exam, use the MCB 253 Conflict Exam Request Form on the MCB 253 Web site or go to the MCB Office in 252 Davenport Hall to make these arrangements before 5:00 PM, the Friday prior to the exam. See the Conflict Exam Instructions page for further details.

  6. 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. Complete and submit an Absence Report Form on the MCB 253 Web site. When you are well enough to return to classes, go to the Office of the Dean of Students, which is located in Turner Student Services Building, 610 E. John Street, Champaign; 333-0050. Inform one of the Deans that you need confirmation of a confining illness to be sent to Elizabeth Blinstrup. If you choose to attend an exam while suffering from illness, and you complete the exam, that exam determines your score.

CONFLICT EXAM INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Conflict exams are given on the regular exam day. You must make arrangements to take a conflict exam by 5:00 PM on the Friday prior to the exam day. Use the MCB 253 Conflict Exam Request Form on this Web site to make these arrangements. You must make these arrangements for each exam for which you require a conflict—your request for a conflict exam will not be carried to subsequent exams.

  2. If your conflict is a regularly scheduled course for credit at the University, we will confirm your conflict on UI Integrate. If your conflict is caused by anything other than a University course, please bring written documentation supporting your claim of conflict. If you have a question about whether your conflict will qualify, please call the MCB Office in advance of the deadline.

  3. If you have a conflict with the regular exam time and the conflict exam time, contact the MCB Office staff in 252 Davenport Hall by 5:00 PM on the Friday prior to the exam day. An alternate conflict exam time will be arranged.

  4. Conflict exams are given in a room to be assigned.

  5. You will be required to remain in the exam room until exactly 6:50 PM if you take a conflict from 5-7 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.

  6. 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 10:00 AM on the day following the exam.



FINAL EXAM AND CONFLICT FINAL EXAM INFORMATION

FINAL EXAM INSTRUCTIONS

  1. The Final Exam time will be determined and posted on the MCB 253 Web site and in the MCB 253 Information Case. The exam will be held during the week of December 12-19.

  2. The exam location(s) will be posted on the MCB 253 Web site and in the MCB 253 Information Case by Friday, 5 December 2008 at 9:00 AM.

  3. 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.

  4. 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 be allowed to enter the exam room with these items, but they will be placed away from student seating during the exam. 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.

    Cell phones and calculators are prohibited.

    The MCB 253 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 and the Illini Union have lockers available for temporary storage of such items if you are unable to leave them at home prior to an exam.

  5. 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.

  6. A conflict final exam will be given only for students who have met the requirements stated on the Conflict Final Exam Instructions page. Complete and submit a Conflict Final Request Form on the MCB 253 Web site before 5:00 PM on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 to arrange a conflict final exam.

CONFLICT FINAL EXAM INSTRUCTIONS

  1. A Conflict Final Exam will only be given to individuals who find themselves in one of the following situations:

    • 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/.

    • Students who have another final exam scheduled at the same time as the MCB 253 final exam.

    • Students who have a verified personal problem, and who have received written permission to take the MCB 253 conflict final exam from a dean in their college.

  2. Any student with one or more of the above situations who would like to take a conflict final must submit a MCB 253 Conflict Final Exam Request Form on the MCB 253 Web site before 5:00 PM Wednesday, 10 December 2008.

  3. 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. Following the review of all requests, a conflict exam time and location will be determined, and qualified students will be informed of their eligibility before noon on Thursday, December 11, 2008.



THE MOST DIRECT ROUTE TO 252 DAVENPORT HALL

  1. Enter Chemistry Annex through the main doors on the north side of the building, off the brick walkway between Chemistry Annex and Noyes Laboratory.

  2. Take stairs just inside the main doorway to the second floor.

  3. 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

  1. Enter Chemistry Annex through the wheelchair access ramp on the southeast corner of the building.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

map


GENERAL INFORMATION & POLICIES OF MCB 253 LABORATORIES

  1. Neither food nor drink is allowed in any of the laboratories; smoking is not allowed in the building.

  2. Bare feet are not allowed in the laboratories.

  3. Students need their current University of Illinois photo ID for each lab so that they may check out kits of equipment and materials. Students who do not have their UIUC I-card may not be allowed to check out materials which are necessary to complete the laboratory exercises. MCB 253 Staff are not able to accept other forms of ID or personal items in exchange for kits of equipment and materials.

  4. Coats (or extra apparel), backpacks, and bags must be hung on the hooks provided, and not left on benches, chairs or the floor.

  5. The floor area must be completely clear.

  6. Students must clean the labs after each exercise. This includes the lab tables, the sink, and, if necessary, the floor.

  7. Computer software may not be copied. Software piracy is a crime.

  8. Students may not make changes to computer settings, folders, or programs. Students may not load software to course computers.

  9. Any student who does not adhere to the lab policies may be ejected from the lab, may be disallowed from participating in labs in this course, and may not receive a grade for work in those labs.

  10. The course faculty and the TAs are in charge of the orderly conduct of labs and discussions and may exclude a student who does not comply with a reasonable request in this regard.

  11. 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/

  12. Concerns over exam grading, lab teaching or grading, and exam or lababsences should be addressed to Elizabeth Blinstrup.

  13. The deadline for grade corrections on all items is one week after corrected items are returned or grades are received.

  14. Excused class time compensating for evening exams is provided by cancellation of labs.

  15. Reference letters and recommendation forms are to be submitted to the student's lab TA, whose evaluation will be reviewed and countersigned by a member of the course faculty.

  16. The faculty and staff of MCB 253 are not responsible for any student personal belongings during examinations or class periods.



ATTENDANCE POLICIES

  1. Attendance will be recorded at every lab session.

  2. Students must attend their scheduled lab section unless they are assigned to a make-up lab.

  3. Make-up labs are assigned by Elizabeth Blinstrup. Only students who can provide an acceptable reason with supporting documentation for an absence will be eligible to make up a missed lab. Documentation should be dated and presented in writing to the MCB Staff. Make-up labs are not guaranteed to be available, as there is a limit to the number of students allowed in a lab session. If you have an acceptable reason for absence, we will make every effort to accommodate you.

  4. TAs cannot reschedule students to other lab sections, including their own.

  5. All documentation regarding exam and lab absences should be presented in writing to Elizabeth Blinstrup in 342A NHB.

  6. Students who wish to have consideration for religious observances which conflict with exams or labs must present verification in writing to Elizabeth Blinstrup within one week of the first lab (before 2 September 2008), 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 August, contact Elizabeth Blinstrup before the deadline and inform her about the approximate date or dates of absence(s).

  7. Any student requiring special accommodations for disabilities (physical, learning or otherwise) should request provisions for such as soon as possible from Elizabeth Blinstrup.

  8. Students in evening lab sections, who have evening exams in other courses, do not qualify for make-up labs. The Code of Policies and Regulations Applying to All Students states that regularly scheduled classes take priority over evening exams (Rule 83.E.3).

  9. Students with conflicts with evening exams in MCB 253 must submit a conflict exam request form on the MCB 253 Web site 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).

  10. 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

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, your 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.

 



MCB 253 WEB GRADEBOOK

The MCB 253 Web Gradebook can be accessed directly at:

      https://gradebook.atlas.uiuc.edu/courses/mcb253/spring08/index.html

Scores on exams, quizzes, post lab assignments, laboratory notebook and journal assignments will be available for student review on the MCB 253 Web Gradebook. To check your scores, sign into the MCB 253 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 laboratory 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 Elizabeth Blinstrup 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. Students are encouraged to keep an intact laboratory notebook of all their assignment carbons until after final grades are issued.

The final deadline for Web Gradebook corrections is 5:00 PM, Wednesday, December 10, 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 253 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 320 points this semester. There will be ten notebook assignments each worth a total of 40 points. The eight highest scores will be used in calculating your grade.

Notebook assignments accompany the following laboratory exercises:

Lab 1 Cellular Organelles
Lab 2 Native Protein Electrophoresis
Lab 3 & 4 SDS-PAGE/Western Blot and Detection
Lab 5 Unknown Protein Identification
Lab 6 RBC Permeability
Lab 7 Neurophysiology
Lab 8 Cell Surface Receptors
Lab 10 Fibroblast Adhesion
  Lab 11   Actin Staining
Lab 12 Mitosis and Meiosis

The point breakdown for each notebook assignment follows:

4 points = proper format for the entire notebook assignment
3 points = purpose of experiment; relevance of topic
3 points = procedure/protocol section
10 points = data presentation and results section
20 points = conclusions and questions answered

The purpose/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 many students in this who are all using the same type of notebook, and should it be misplaced, we will be able to return it to you much more easily.

  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 were 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:

    • Purpose/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.

    • 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. Templates for data tables are found in your lab manual. These should be used as a guide for creating your own data tables in your lab notebook to organize your data in a meaningful way. Cutting out the data table templates in your manual and pasting them into your notebook is unacceptable.

    • 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? Incorporate answers to the discussion questions into your conclusion.



PRELAB QUIZZES

A total of eleven prelab quizzes will be given online before lab. Each quiz will be worth 10 points. The lowest score will be dropped resulting in 100 points of your total grade coming from quizzes. The quiz format will be true/false, fill in the blank, matching and/or short answer.



POSTLAB ASSIGNMENTS

A total of twelve postlab assignments will be given online after each lab. Each assignment will be worth 10 points. The two lowest scores will be dropped resulting in 100 points of your total grade coming from postlab assignments. The assignment format will be true/false, fill in the blank, matching and/or short answer.



CURRENT EVENTS PRESENTATION

Once during the semester, each lab group(partners) will do a current events presentation.  Students will do a 5-8  minute presentation on a current event in science and research and be graded by the TA and their peers.  Students will be graded on the appearance, content, and format of their presentations.  The presentation will be worth 30 points.



EXAMINATIONS

Evening exams and the final exam will be in the multiple choice and/or true-false format. Material for evening lecture exams will be drawn from the laboratories, laboratory materials, associated text readings, and reserved reading, if any. Material for the final exam can be drawn comprehensively from all material covered in the course. Teaching assistants will provide students with information regarding the content of specific exams.

All exam grades are entered into the Web Gradebook electronically. Once the exams have been administered, they become property of the students. Within one week of each exam, answers are posted, and errata grade sheets are provided to 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 Elizabeth Blinstrup in 342A NHB or the MCB 253 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 Elizabeth Blinstrup.



EXAM DATES

Exam Time Day Date
Exam I 7-9 PM Tuesday 21 Oct 2008
Exam II 7-9 PM Tuesday 2 Dec 2008
Final Exam Time and Date to be announced


COURSE GRADING

Student grades in MCB 253 will be based on a total of 1000 points. Categories listed below are approximate, but should closely resemble the final distribution.

  2 Exams   300  
  Final Exam (cumulative)   150  
  Laboratory Assignments   320  
  Prelab Quizzes   100  
  Postlab Assignments   100  
  Currrent Events   30  

  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 University has assigned the grade point values shown for each letter grade. Students who earn the points shown below (out of 1000 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 253 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

  • Science cannot exist without honesty. The faculty and staff of MCB 253 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.

  • 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:

  • On 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 cannot 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.

  • On notebook assignments, quizzes and journals, 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 cannot 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.

  • On notebook assignments, if you use a statement taken directly from any book or other publication, including the course textbook or lab manual, 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.

  •