Exploring the Natural World - BI 101
Grading Policy
Grading - Lecture
The final grade is the total number of points accumulated from all lab and lecture exercises divided by the 290 possible points (e.g., your points accumulated/290). The 290 points are divided up below among the laboratory and lecture exercises. The Final Exam is cumulative but will emphasize materials from the second exam on. It is the responsibility of each student to keep for their own records every graded assignment, quiz, exam or other materials that are returned them.
Any student who fails the first exam (exam grade is less than 60%) must seek tutoring at the ARC in Cushing hall. The student will be held sale responsible for this.
A student that is absent for an exam must have an excuse approved by the Dean of the College. Please see the Dean's office and seek their approval. Health Services does not contact the individual professors and they must contact the Dean's office if the absence is due to a medical condition. All makeup exams will be either arranged with the instructor or administered on the Reading Day at the end of the semester - see syllabus for date and time.
If you have been diagnosed with a learning disability or other learning disorder, it is your responsibility to report to the Assistant Dean, Dr. Duane Bruce. You must request that he contact me so that we can arrange any special conditions under which you can take lecture exams if you meet the appropriate criteria. It is your sole responsibility to contact the Assistant Dean and follow the appropriate procedures.
Grading - Lab
There will be 11 lab quizzes (one given at the end of each lab) and I will drop the lowest grade. Every student will have to create a lab blog that will contain basic information for each lab (see syllabus). The blog must be completed before each lab and the student must show their instructor the blog during each lab. Failure to produce a blog results in a 2 point penalty counted against the lab grade. Each student will make a 5 minute (5 minutes means 5 minutes - no longer, no shorter!!!!) presentation in each of the seminar labs (see Lab Manual Addendum for details). Grading will be based on the originality of the topic, adherence to the time limit and quality of the presentation. All students must give a presentation and attend their colleagues' presentations. Failure to attend each of the seminar labs will result in a zero for the seminar grade and 20 point penalty against the total lab grade.
Lecture | Points |
Exam 1 | 50 |
Exam 2 | 50 |
Final Exam | 100 |
Total Lecture Points | 200 |
Lab | Points |
Quiz 1 | 10 |
Quiz 2 | 10 |
Quiz 3 | 10 |
Quiz 4 | 10 |
Quiz 5 | 10 |
Quiz 6 | 10 |
Quiz 7 | 10 |
Quiz 8 | 10 |
Quiz 9 | 10 |
Quiz 10 | 10 |
Lab Seminar* | 10 |
Total Lab Points** | 100 |
Lab Blog - each student must show their instructor their blog before the end of lab. Not completing the blog assignment results in a 2 point penalty per lab quiz. | |
Grand Total Points | 300 |
Extra Credit (click for a description of each assignment below) |
Points |
Blood or Organ Donation | 1 |
Pilates/Yoga | 1 |
1 | |
Surveys - end of the year course evaluation | 1 |
Mammogram donation website | 1 |
Mastering Biology for Exam 1 - up to 3 points | 3 |
Mastering Biology for Exam 2 - up to 3 points | 3 |
Mastering Biology for Final Exam - up to 3 points | 3 |
Total Extra Credit | 14 |
BI 101 Laboratory Blog - failure to complete the blog for every lab results in -2 point penalty against your quiz grade | possible -14 points |
* - Students must attend both seminars. Missing a lab seminar without a legitimate excuse will result in a zero for the lab grade and -20 point penalty.
** - The lowest quiz grade will be dropped.