SPRING 2009
ANNOUNCEMENTS!!!
You can check your final grade here. Please contact me (Dr. Fishman) if you have serious questions about your grade. Please do not contact me to dicker over a few points here or there, as we were quite generous on exam grading, HWs, and participation points.
Here is the distribution of grades overall, which approximately followed the standard 90/80/70 percentage cutoffs.
INSTRUCTORS
Jan-Feb
Dr. Lila Fishman (lila.fishman@mso.umt.edu)
HS309A, 243-5166Office Hours: MWF 9-11 & by appt.
March
Dr. Frank Rosenzweig (frank.rosenzweig@mso.umt.edu)
HS416, 243-4834April-May
Dr. Art Woods (art.woods@mso.umt.edu)
BRL 005, 243-5234
TEACHING ASSISTANTS
Ellen Cheng – ellen.cheng@umontana.edu
Office hours: W 9-11, FOR311A
Lindy Mullen – lindy.mullen@umontana.eduOffice hours: M 1-3, BRL 013
Jon Sprague – jonathan1.sprague@grizmail.umt.edu
Office hours: M 1-3, BRL 013
TEXTBOOKS
Genetics: Analysis & Principles, Chs 1-8, R.M. Brooker, 2nd ed., 2005.
Evolutionary Analysis, S. Freeman & J.C. Herron, 4th ed, 2007.
Clickers: iClicker (ISBN: 0-7167-7939-0)
Register iClicker Here!! http://iclicker.com/
INTRODUCTION
Evolution is the unifying concept in biology. All organisms share basic cellular and genetic properties that allow (and make inevitable) evolutionary change through time. As the source of the amazing diversity of living organisms, evolution touches all other fields in biology. Genetic change is the basis of evolution, so an understanding of evolution requires basic knowledge of genetic principles. The converse is also true. We are now entering the era of personal genomics, in which vast amounts of genetic information on individuals (including YOU) will soon become cheaply available. Dealing with this data, from both individual and societal perspectives, requires an understanding of its evolutionary origins. For example, most of the 48 page paper on the first complete human genome (Venter et al., 2001, Science) focused on applying principles of evolution to interpret the sequence and understand the functional basis of differences among individuals.
The first third of this course focuses on the basic principles of genetics, beginning with the classic work of Mendel and continuing through modern genomic mapping. The remainder of the course deals with evolution. We will first cover the basic processes that result in genetic change within and among populations, and then explore how these processes generate patterns of organismal diversity. We will also discuss applications of evolutionary and genetic knowledge to diverse applied fields (e.g., wildlife conservation, pharmacology, and crop breeding).
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
This course will emphasize biological principles, scientific concepts, and the synthesis of information. Expected outcomes are to understand the fundamental mechanisms of inheritance, to understand the mechanisms of evolution, and to have a basic knowledge of the history and diversity of life on Earth. Exams and homeworks are designed to encourage synthesis of subject matter to solve complex problems, and not to simply test your ability to recall details.
COURSE WEB PAGE
This is the central location for all course-related information and materials. Notes pages and PowerPoints will be posted after each lecture. Please let Prof. Fishman (or current lecturer after the end of February) know if the web page is not functioning properly or you cannot access the materials.
LECTURES: MWF, 8:10 a.m., NULH101
Attendance at lectures is an important part of this course, and all students are expected to attend lectures regularly. Your grade will include points from participating in iClicker questions during lecture. Videos will also be used during some lectures; examples presented in these videos will sometimes be used as a basis for exam questions.
DISCUSSION GROUPS
The topic in these groups will vary from week to week, as shown on the discussion group schedule. Prior arrangements should be made with the teaching assistant if a discussion meeting will be missed. Your grade in the discussion group will be based on homework assignments, attendance, and participation in class discussions. Homework assignments will be available on Monday mornings in class and on the class web page; these assignments must be returned in lecture one week later on the following Monday. Answers to the homework assignments will be available by noon on Monday on the course web page so late assignments will not be accepted.
Q & A SESSIONS
Optional weekly review sessions will meet on Thursday evenings in HS 411. These provide an additional opportunity to ask the professors questions on the lectures, readings, or problems.
OFFICE HOURS
Prof. Fishman will have office hours 9-11 MWF (after lecture) until the end of February. Office hours for the other professors and for the TAs will be announced in lecture and/or discussion sections and posted in course web page when relevant.
Prof. Rosenzweig will have office hours 12-2 MWF through the first week in April. His office is located in Health Sciences 416; his laboratory is Health Sciences 301.
Prof. Woods will have office hours 12 - 2 M and 1 - 2 W in BRL005 (BioResearch Labs). In addition, feel free to contact him by email to set up an appointment.
POLICIES
- DSS Accommodation - Accommodations to ensure accessibility of students with disabilities will be gladly made, but to qualify you must be registered with Disability Services for Students (DSS). Arrangements for accommodations on exams must be through DSS.
- Academic Integrity -- Academic misconduct will be reported and handled as described in the University of Montana Student Conduct Code. All students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an academic penalty by the course instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the University. All students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code.
http://ordway.umt.edu/SA/VPSA/index.cfm/name/StudentConductCode - Students are encouraged to work together to solve problems in the weekly homeworks and the take-home exams. However, the assignments turned in must represent individual student effort.
- Drop-Add/Grade Change Requests -- Dropping course or changing grading status will strictly follow the University policies and procedures, which are described in the catalog. Students should note that they cannot change to an audit after the 15th day of instruction. In addition, dropping the course or changing the grading status (to CR/NCR) are not automatically approved after the 30th day of the semester; these may be requested by petition, but the petition must be accompanied by documentation of extenuating circumstances. Requests to drop the course or change the grading status to benefit a student's grade point average will not be approved.
EXAMS/GRADING
Make-up exams in case of emergency or illness will only be given if arrangements are made prior to the exam. You must contact the professor to make alternative arrangements one week prior to the Exam if planned University activities (e.g., ROTC, athletics) take you off-campus at an exam time. Missing exam dates for non-University activities is highly discouraged, but arrangements for alternative testing (which may be in an alternative format) may be made in advance in exceptional circumstances.
Final grades will be based on your total points as a percentage of the 650 total points possible. Assignment of letter grades will be determined by the empirical distribution of total scores, following these guidelines:
- The top 10-20% of scores in the class will receive a grade of A or A–.
- The class median score will approximately define the partition between B and C grades.
- A total score of 325 points (50%) or less is guaranteed to be a failing grade (F).
Plus and minus graades will be used (A, A–, B+, B, B–, C+, C, C–, D+, D, D–).
Grades will be based on:
(1) iClicker participation in lectures (50 pts.). These are strictly participation points.
(2) Discussion groups/Homework assignments (150 pts.). Eleven sets of homework problems worth 10 points each will be assigned throughout the semester. A possible 90 points of your discussion group grade will come from your nine highest homework scores. The remaining 60 points will be based on attendance/participation in discussion groups. We will take attendance in discussion sections with an in-class problem/exercise each week (not graded for correctness). Please tell your TA beforehand if you are not able to attend a meeting; those points will be subtracted from your grade for each discussion meeting you miss without informing the TA.
(3) 2 Mid-term exams (200 pts. total, 100 each).
(4) Comprehensive final exam (175 pts). About half of this exam will focus on material from the last third of the course; the other half will test material from throughout the semester.
(5) 3 Take home exam questions (75 pts total, 25 pts. each). Instead of a HW assignment, a longer (open-book) take-home exam question will be due each exam week.
| Grading element | Points |
|---|---|
| iClicker points | 50 |
| Discussion group participation | 60 |
| HW assignments (top 9 @ 10 pts each) | 90 (top 9) |
| Midterms (2 @ 100 pts each) | 200 |
| Final | 175 |
| Take-home exams (3 @ 25 pts each) | 75 |
| Total | 650 |