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MCB Curriculum Policies
All students enrolled in a MCB course are assumed to have read and understood the MCB Curriculum Policies and are expected to follow these policies.
Lecture will be held 1:00-1:50 PM CST Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in 112 Gregory Hall. The first lecture will meet at 1:00 pm on Wednesday January 17.
Dr. Jim Slauch (Professor of Microbiology); slauch@illinois.edu
Office Hours: Wednesdays 5:00-6:00 pm im B203 CLSL
Dr. Anna Sokac (Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology); asokac@illinois.edu
Office Hours: Wednesdays 4:30-5:30 pm in 106 Burrill Hall
Nick Kirchner (Course Coordinator); kirchner@illinois.edu
Office Hours: By appointment (217a Burrill Hall); 244-4906
MCB Instructional Program Office: 127 Burrill Hall; 244-6239; (8:30 am–5:00
pm, M–F; closed 12:00-1:00 PM)
This semester MCB 250 will utilize the following websites:
MCB 250 Course Web site (please watch introduction video in mediaspace): www.life.illinois.edu/mcb/250
Mediaspace (where lecture videos will be housed): Dr. Slauch's Vcasts
LON-CAPA (Quiz, HW, lecture question assignments): http://www.LON-CAPA.illinois.edu
REQUIRED & RECOMMENDED MATERIALS
The following is a specific list of items required for MCB 250. These items
will only available at the Illini Union Bookstore as this is a Custom Edition made specifically for MCB 250. The text not be available at any other bookstore or any other online entity.
REQUIRED TEXTS & SUPPLIES
-
"Custom Achieve Molecular Biology" 2nd Edition
by Cox, et al. and Griffiths, et al.
Macmillan, 2022
ISBN-13: 9781319510329
-
iClicker/iClicker Mobile App (Mobile app access will be included with your textbook purchase/a physical iClicker can also be utilized for the course)
SECTION CHANGE, ADD AND DROP INFORMATION
Students may use the UI Integrate system to add or change sections in MCB 250 before 11:59 PM on Monday, January 29,2024.
Monday, January 29, 2024 at 11:59 PM is the deadline for adding the course and for changing sections in MCB 250.
Students must at all times attend the lab and discussion sections in which they are currently enrolled.
Students will not be allowed to sit in other sections at other times for any reason
Friday, March 8th, 2024 at 11:59 PM 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 email the Instructor's Estimated Grade Report section
of petitions to Nicholas Kirchner (kirchner@illinois.edu).
WHEN MCB 250 CLASSES BEGIN
MCB 250 lectures will begin on Wednesday, January 17th, 2024 and meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:00-1:50 PM in 112 Gregory Hall.
MCB 250 discussions will begin meeting starting on Thursday January 25th, 2024 and will meet in 106 Burrill Hall. Please check your course schedule to note the day and time that your discussion will meet. All discussion sessions will be held in person. You must be physically present to earn clicker points for discussion.
PROFICIENCY EXAM INFORMATION
The proficiency exam for MCB 250 will be given from 7:00-10:00 pm on Tuesday, January 23, 2024.
You may sign up for the exam using the following form [Proficiency request form] by 12:00 pm (noon) on the day of the exam.
You may not take a proficiency exam if any of the following apply:
A. You have taken the proficiency exam for the given course previously.
B. You have already completed the course.
C. You were enrolled in the course and dropped after the campus drop
deadline (eighth week of the semester) or withdrew from the course.
D. You have completed more than one course in advance of the course
(higher rubric number) in which the proficiency exam is requested. (This is stated in the Student Code 3-203, (4) as "An examination for credit in a college subject of elementary character is not granted to a student who has received credit for more than one semester of work in the subject in advance of the course in which the examination is requested.
Additional information regarding proficiency exams appears in /Article
3, Part 2, 3-203, Proficiency Examinations, in the *Code of Policies
and Regulations Applying to All Students*, which is available online at
http://admin.illinois.edu/policy/code/.
Request forms will be reviewed by the MCB Instructional Program Office (127 Burrill Hall), and students will receive a response via email.
CONTACTING MCB COURSE PERSONNEL
MCB course personnel are more than happy to assist students.
Emails to instructors, TAs, or course coordinators should come from an @illinois.edu account so that they aren't mistakenly sent to the spam folder. As a student, please remember that when you email a staff member, it is important to include all pertinent information so that we can assist you in the most efficient and effective manner possible. This information includes:
- The course rubric in the subject line
- Your full first and last name
- Your NetID (the first part of your illinois.edu email account)
- Your UIN (9 digit number that you use to register for classes)
- The course that you are concerned about (the course personnel often work with multiple courses)
- Your section letter/number
- The previous email "thread" or previous communicated information pertinent to the situation
Including the information above will help me respond quickly to your concerns.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES AND PRACTICES
MCB 250 course coordinator Nicholas Kirchner is happy to help accommodate students religious beliefs and observances. Students who may needs these accommodations should submit the Request for Accommodation for Religious Observances Form (which can be found at: www.odos.illinois.edu/studentassistance/downloads/Religious_Observance_Accommodation_Request_Form.docx) to their instructors and the Office of the Dean of Students requesting accommodation by the end of the second week of the course. Requests should be submitted in as far as advance as possible to allow for makeup work to be scheduled. If you submit a request please also email Nick Kirchner (kirchner@illinois.edu) so that he is aware of the submission
WHERE TO GO FOR HELP
If you are experiencing personal or academic challenges including, but not limited to food or housing issues, family needs, or other stressors, please fill out the MCB Student Assistance Form. We will respond to your request with further information and helpful resources as soon as possible after your submission of the request form.
DRES ACCOMMODATIONS
MCB 250 strives to accommodate all DRES students requests quickly and fairly. If you have DRES (Disability Resources and Educational Services) accommodations, please submit documentation to Nick Kirchner at that time when the accommodations are required. To expedite these requests students are encouraged to submit their letters during the first two weeks of the semester but this is not required.
If a student believes that they might qualify for DRES accommodations, they should set up a meeting with Nick Kirchner or contact DRES at disability@illinois.edu.
EXAM AND CONFLICT EXAM INFORMATION
EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
-
Exam I, II, and III will be given in person on Wednesday evenings (see Course Policies: Examinations
for exam dates). The exams will begin at 7:00 PM sharp. The
exams will cover material from recorded lectures and live lecture sessions. Please see
the MCB 250 Web site (Lecture Material/Exam sections) for any further details concerning each exam.
-
The exams will be administered in various lecture halls and classrooms on
campus and the room assignments will be posted on the MCB 250 Web site several days prior to each exam. You must
take the exam in the room to which you have been assigned.
-
Bring your University photo ID, proof of building access, 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.
-
Please do not bring to the exam any backpacks, purses, hats, bags, books,
notes, papers, clipboards, iPods, cell phones, 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, smart watches, any audio equipment,
and any other electronic devices must be turned off and placed away from student seating during the exam, this includes calculators.
The MCB 250 faculty/staff is not responsible for any of your personal belongings.
We strongly suggest you do not bring them to the exam site.
-
If you have a University course that conflicts with the exam, contact Nick Kirchner (kirchner@illinois.edu ) by 5:00 PM the Friday prior to the exam. You must submit an online conflict form before this time in order to be excused.
See the Conflict Exam Instructions
section for further details.
- If you experience an illness or emergency that causes you to miss an exam, you should refer to the MCB Curriculum Policies listed above.
-
Texting, or the use of a cell phone or any other electronic device for any purpose during an exam, is prohibited.
Doing so may earn you a zero on the exam, or a more extreme penalty at the discretion of the instructor.
CONFLICT EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
-
The conflict exam is given 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
250 Conflict Exam Request Form 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.
-
A Conflict Exam will only be given to individuals who find themselves in one of the following situations:
• A regularly scheduled course for credit at the University that takes place during the scheduled exam time
• Sporting events for University athletes and club team participants
• Employment (if possible you should reschedule your work shift)
• Travel or conferences associated with RSOs (not general meetings)
• Travel associated with job or secondary school interviews (if possible schedule interviews around exams)
• Students with DRES academic accommodations.
Please note that you will not be granted a conflict exam for conflicts associated with educational enhancement opportunities (ie, Kaplan Courses, Princeton Review)
Please email documentation supporting your claim of conflict and a copy of your course schedule to Nick Kirchner (kirchner@illinois.edu ). If you have a question about whether your conflict will qualify, please call or email Nick Kirchner in advance of the deadline.
-
Conflict exams are given in rooms to be assigned. Once you fill out the conflict request form on the course website and your conflict is approved by the course coordinator, you will be emailed notification on your conflict exam time. If you have a conflict with the regular exam time and the conflict exam times,
contact Nick Kirchner by 5:00 PM on the Friday prior
to the exam day. An alternate conflict exam time will be arranged.
EXAM ABSENCES
-
If you must miss an exam due to unforeseen circumstances, you are required to contact your course coordinator within 24 hours of the absence. You will then have 48 hours from the absence in which to submit documentation to your course coordinator. You must also submit an online Absence Form. Course personnel will evaluate documentation and decide whether or not there will be an option to compensate for the missed exam through proration. Failure to follow this procedure will result in a zero for the exam.
-
If you must miss an exam for job, graduate, or professional school interviews, the exam may be prorated. A best effort should be made to schedule these events around exams. You will need to be mindful that only one exam may be prorated in a semester for any and all absences. Documentation is required.
There will be instances when the student must make an individual choice about their ability to perform on an exam and will need to accept any and all consequences for that choice.
-
If the absence is a result of a protracted illness of 3 days or more, you should follow the procedure for obtaining a letter from the Office of the Dean of Students. The request for a letter should be made once you return to class but not more than 10 business days after the last date of absence.
-
If you miss an exam, the possibility exists to have one exam prorated with proper documentation. You must contact the course coordinator via email within 48 hours of the absence. If you do not provide documentation in a timely manner and upon receipt, there may be a negative impact on your ability to receive a prorated score. The final exam cannot be prorated. Your prorate score will be calculated based on the following formula:
Please note that the percentile used to calculate your score may be different from the percentile seen in the online Gradebook, due to the accounting for missing scores. You must complete at least two exams and the final in the course in order to earn a letter grade in the course. If you are unable to do so the instructor will recommend that you drop or withdraw from the course.
Prior to the final exam in the course, you will be given a preliminary proration of your missing score. This proration is only to give you an idea of what your missing score would be based on the other scores that we have for you at that time. Your actual proration will be done with the final exam score included. Please understand that this preliminary proration score may increase or decrease depending on your performance on the final exam. The actual proration score will be the score used to determine your final grade.
FINAL EXAM AND CONFLICT FINAL EXAM INFORMATION
FINAL EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
-
The Final Exam will be held on Tuesday May 7th, 2024 from 8:00-11:00 am.
-
Bring your University photo ID, proof of building access, 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.
-
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 250 faculty/staff is not responsible for any of your personal belongings.
We strongly suggest you do not bring them to the exam site.Cell phones, smart watches, any audio equipment,
and any other electronic devices must be turned off and placed away from student seating during the exam, this includes calculators.
-
A conflict final exam will be given only for students who have met the requirements
stated on the Conflict Final Exam Instructions
page. Please fill out the online conflict final exam request form before 5:00 PM on Wednesday, May 1st, 2024.
FINAL EXAM ABSENCE
- If you must miss a final exam due to unforeseen circumstances, you are required to contact your instructor or course coordinator within 24 hours of the absence. Absence from a final examination for any other cause is reported as a final grade of “absent” (ABS) in the course and counts as a failure for the entire course. ABS=F
- There will be instances when the student must make an individual choice about their ability to perform on an exam and will need to accept any and all consequences for that choice.
CONFLICT FINAL EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
-
A Conflict Final Exam will only be given to individuals who find themselves
in one of the following situations:
-
Students with three consecutive 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 https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article3/part2/3-201/.
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Students who have another final exam scheduled at the same time as the MCB 250 final exam.
n.
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Students who have a verified personal problem, and who have received
written permission to take the MCB 250 conflict final exam from a dean
in their college.
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Students who have DRES academic accommodations .
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Any student with one or more of the above situations should use the MCB
250 Conflict Final Exam Request Form and submit the form by 5:00 PM Wednesday, May 1st, 2024.
Students should feel free to contact Nick Kirchner with questions or concerns about conflict final exams.
-
All student requests will be reviewed and students will be contacted by noon Thursday, May 2nd, 2024 via e-mail regarding the status of their request.
GENERAL INFORMATION & POLICIES OF MCB 250
-
The course faculty and the TAs are in charge of the orderly conduct of students
in class and may exclude a student who does not comply with a reasonable
request in this regard.
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Neither food nor drink is allowed in either the lecture hall or discussion rooms; smoking/vaping is not allowed in the building
-
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: https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1/
-
Concerns over exam grading and exam absences should be addressed with the course coordinator, Nicholas Kirchner (244-4906), kirchner@illinois.edu.
-
The deadline for grade corrections on all items is one week after corrected
items are returned or grades are received no exceptions!
-
Excused class time compensating for evening exams is provided by cancellation
of lectures/optional in class reviews. On the day of exams, an optional review session will be held during the normal lecture time.
-
Reference letters and recommendation forms are to be submitted to the student's discussion TA,
whose evluation will be reviewed and countersigned by a member of the course faculty.
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The faculty and staff of MCB 250 are not responsible for any student personal
belongings during examinations or class periods.
-
In order to keep the course equitable for all students if you choose to take an exam while suffering from illness or family/personal emergency, and you choose to complete the exam, that exam determines your score and cannot be replaced.
-
Social Media Use:
- Use of any social or electronic media to share information, request information or make confidential information public is prohibited. Any use of this type may earn you a zero or a more extreme penalty at the discretion of the instructor on an assignment or exam.
- Any social media sites created in relation to MCB courses must grant access to course personnel upon request. Failure to provide access will result in a failing grade in the course for the group/site’s administrator(s).
- Course Recordings:
- Students are welcome and encouraged to make audio recordings of course lectures.
- The material recorded is intellectual and copyrighted property of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and may be made for personal use only.
- Video recordings of any kind are strictly prohibited.
- Posting of audio recordings or transcriptions on social or electronic media platforms is strictly prohibited.
ATTENDANCE POLICIES
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Regular class attendance is expected of all students at the University. (https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1/part5/1-501/)
-
Absences that may be excused without a letter include circumstances beyond the student’s control such as medical treatment, surgery related to prolonged illness or injury, pregnancy, legal matters, citizenship or naturalization processes, or acts of nature which cause destruction to a primary residence or disrupt air travel. All will require documentation.
-
Absences that may also be excused without a letter from the Dean of Students Office include job, graduate, or professional school interviews. However, a best effort should be made to schedule these events to minimize class attendance disruption. All will require documentation.
Absences that might not qualify as excused include family events such as reunions or weddings, or presence during serious illness of extended family members (aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or cousin). Please email kirchner@illinois.edu in as far as advance to discuss absences for these types of events.
Absences, when they occur after the first day of classes but prior to enrollment in the course, will require the use of dropped assigments if applicable.
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Absences will be handled according to individual course policy.
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Attendance will be recorded at every discussion session. If you are more than 5 minutes late or more you forfeit your participation points for that week, but you may stay for the class period.
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Students must attend their scheduled discussion section.
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We know that students become ill and other reasons beyond a student’s control arise. In order to accommodate absences due to minor illness or emergency, we allow that a specified number of assignments may be missed without penalty. These missed assignments can be dropped according to the criteria set forth in the Course Policies for this course. Specifically for MCB 250, a student that misses class/assignments due to minor illness (less than 3 days), chooses not to attend class or complete an assignment, and/or forgets to attend class or complete an assignment will use these specified drops. There is no distinction made between illness and missing class/assignments.
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MCB 250 course coordinator Nicholas Kirchner is happy to help accomodate students religious beliefs and observances. Students who wish to have consideration for religious observances which conflict
with exams or discussions must present verification in writing to Nick Kirchner
within one week of the first lecture (January 29th), in compliance
with the Code of Policies and Regulations Applying to All
Students. If the religious observance is such that the exact
date cannot be determined in January, contact Nick Kirchner before the deadline
and inform him about the approximate date or dates of absence(s).
-
Any student requiring special accommodations for disabilities (physical, learning
or otherwise) should request provisions for such as soon as possible from Nick Kirchner.
-
Students with conflicts with evening exams in MCB 250 must submit a conflict
exam request form on the MCB 250 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).
-
Class absences before and after vacations (e.g. Thanksgiving
Break, Spring Break) are not excusable.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU MUST BE ABSENT
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 discussions may be missed without
penalty. These missed discussions can be dropped according
to the criteria set forth in the Course Grading for this course. Refer to the MCB Curriculum Policies listed at the top of this page for further information about what to do if you must be absent from class or an exam.
Exam Proration
If you must miss an MCB 250 hourly exam, the possibility exists to have one exam prorated with proper documentation. You must contact Nick Kirchner via email within 24 hours of the absence. If you do not provide documentation to Nick Kirchner in a timely manner and upon receipt, there may be a negative impact on your ability to receive a prorated score. For more information on acceptable documentation please see the Course Policies Document at the top of the page. NOTE: The final exam cannot be prorated. Your prorated score will be calculated based on the following formula:
| {Exam A} |
{Exam B} |
{Exam C} |
| (%tile)(150) + (%tile)(150)+ (%tile)(150) |
= (%tile)= ____ points for Exam_____ |
|
(150 + 150 + 150) |
|
Please note that the percentile that we use to calculate your score may be different from the percentile seen in the online gradebook, due to the accounting for missing scores. You must complete at least two exams and the final in this course in order to earn a letter grade in the course. If you are unable to do so, the instructor will recommend that you drop or withdraw from the course.
TA OFFICE HOURS-
TA's for MCB 250 will hold their office hours in the MCB Learning Center (101 Burrill Hall).
MCB 250 WEB GRADEBOOK
The MCB 250 Web Gradebook can be accessed directly at:
https://apps.atlas.illinois.edu/Gradebook/
or through the MCB 250 Web site at:
http://www.life.illinois.edu/mcb/250
Scores on exams and assignments will be available for student review on the MCB
250 Web Gradebook. To check your scores, sign into the MCB 250 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 the TA and if immediate action is not taken, the student is
responsible for bringing this to the attention of Nick Kirchner (kirchner@illinois.edu) within one
week of receiving their graded quiz 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 pm, Wednesday, May 1st, 2024.
No Web Gradebook scores will be altered after this deadline so please be certain
to check all your scores before this time.
LON-CAPA HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
There will be 7 homework assignments adminstered in LON-CAPA to be completed online, each assignment is worth 10 points for a total of 70 points. Each assignment will cover material covered in the current and previous week of lecture please see schedule posted under Lecture Material for due dates and for lectures covered on each assignment. LON-CAPA assignments will be worth 10 points
each. They will be assigned Fridays at 2 pm and due the following Monday at 11:59 pm (you have 10 days to work on the HWs). HWs will be accessible
according to the following schedule 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 note the schedule posted above and
be sure to finish your assignments early, to avoid missing the 11:59 pm Monday deadline!
LON-CAPA Quizzes
There will be 6 timed online quizzes administered in LON-CAPA.
Each quiz will cover the lecture material as indicated on the quiz schedule. The quizzes will contain content and questions similar to what will be seen on the exams.
LON-CAPA quizzes will be worth 24 points each and at the end of the semester the lowest quiz score will be dropped.
Quizzes will be accessible
according to the following schedule. Once you sign in and begin the quiz you will have 45 minutes to complete the quiz. 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 note the schedule posted above and be sure
to finish your quizzes early, to avoid missing the deadline! A total of 120 points may be earned for quizzes (6 quizzes @ 24 points each; drop 1).
As indicated in the schedule above for quizzes 1 and 4 you will have the opportunity to retake the quiz for a higher score if you aren't happy with the score you received on your first attempt. Use this as an opportunity to improve your study skills and for practice on how to attack exam questions. If you choose to retake the quiz your highest score of the 2 attempts will count towards your final point total in the course.
LON-CAPA Lecture Question Sets
There will be 39 online lecture question sets administered using the LON-CAPA system.
Each question set will cover material from each individual days lecture. The question sets are meant to test your understanding of the content presented for each lecture.
These will be worth 2 points each. These assignments will cover the information from the lecture videos you will watch in mediaspace. You should watch the videos prior to completing the questions. Question sets will be due at 1 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. (Before each live session!).
A total of 70 points may be earned for lecture question sets (39
@ 2 points each, drop 4 lowest).
Lecture Clicker Questions
Questions will be asked at every live lecture during the semester. For the first lecture no questions will be asked and all students will receive credit for that lecture. You will receive 1 point for answering over 50% of the questions that are asked during each lecture. If you are marked as present in lecture but do not answer any of the questions asked during each live lecture you will not receive credit for that days live lecture. Clicker questions will not be graded for correctness so if you submit an incorrect answer you will not be penalized. If you have an issue with you clicker during a lecture please email Nick Kirchner immediately to inform him of your issue and if he determines your issue is excusable you must send an email to kirchner@illinois.edu no later than 24 hours after that lecture.
Discussion Worksheets and Clicker Questions
Worksheets will be posted on the lecture section of the course website in advance of each discussion section. Students will fill out the worksheet to the best of their ability before the discussion section begins. Attendance will be recorded at every discussion session. A maximum of 4 points may be earned for submitting the worksheet and attending discussion. A total of 100 points may be earned for discussion worksheets (13
@ 10 points each, drop 3 lowest). The breakdown for assigning points will be as follows
-2 points for having all questions on the worksheet completed and submitted prior to discussion.
-2 points for attending and participating in the discussion.
-Up to 6 points for participating in and correctly answering clicker questions (2 questions per discussion session) Note: You must be present to earn these points! Voting remotely will negate the points.
EXAMINATIONS
Evening exams and the final exam will be multiple choice
and administered using a scantron. Exams will be administered in various classrooms on campus. Room assignments for each exam will be posted on the course website under the Exams section. Material for evening lecture exams will be drawn from the lectures and lecture
materials.
Lecturers will provide students with information regarding the content
of specific exams.
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 Nicholas Kirchner. 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 |
February 7th, 2024 |
|
| Exam II |
7-9 PM |
Wednesday |
March 6th, 2024 |
|
| Exam III |
7-9 PM |
Wednesday |
April 10th, 2024 |
|
| Final Exam |
8:00-11:00 AM |
Tuesday |
May 7, 2024 |
COURSE GRADING
Student grades in MCB 250 will be based on total of 1000 points. Categories
listed below are approximate, but should closely resemble the final distribution.
| 3 Lecture Exams (3 @ 150 points each) |
|
450 |
|
| Final Exam |
|
150 |
|
| LON-CAPA HW Assignments (7 @ 10 points each) |
|
70 |
|
| LON-CAPA Quizzes (6 @ 24 points each; drop lowest scores at end of semester *any quiz absences whether they are excused or unexcused will be counted as a drop*) |
|
120 |
|
| LON-CAPA Lecture Question Sets (39 @ 2 points each, drop 4 lowest) |
|
70 |
|
| Discussion Worksheets (13 @ 10 points each, drop 3 lowest scores at end of semester *any discussion absences whether they are excused or unexcused will be counted as a drop*) |
|
100 |
|
| Lecture Clicker Questions |
|
40 |
|
|
| Total |
|
1000 |
points |
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 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 250 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 250 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 pointsfollow:
-
On all exams and quizzes, 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. Texting, or the use of a cell phone for any purpose during an exam or quiz, is prohibited. Doing so may earn you a zero on the exam, or a more extreme penalty at the discretion of the instructor. Use of social or electronic media to share information, request information, or make confidential information public is prohibited. Any use of this type may earn you a zero on the exam or a more extreme penalty as the discretion of the instructor.
-
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 or quiz, may result in a grade
of zero for the entire exam or a more extreme penalty at the discretion of the instructor, for all persons involved.
-
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.
-
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.
GENERAL EMERGENCY GUIDELINES
( Emergency Response Guide)
Security Threat. The Department of Homeland Security and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Office of Campus Emergency Planning recommend the following three responses to any emergency on campus: RUN > HIDE > FIGHT
Only follow these actions if safe to do so. When in doubt, follow your instincts - you are your best advocate!
RUN — Action taken to leave an area for personal safety.
HIDE — Action taken to seek immediate shelter indoors when emergency conditions do not warrant or allow evacuation.
-
Severe Weather:
- If you are outside, proceed to the nearest protective building.
- If sheltering-in-place due to severe weather, proceed to the identified Storm Refuge Area or to the lowest, most interior area of the building away from windows or hazardous equipment or materials.
-
Active Threat:
- Lock or barricade your area.
- Get to a place where the threat cannot see you.
- Place cell phones on silent.
- Do not make any noise.
- Do not come out until you receive an Illini-Alert advising you it is safe.
FIGHT — Action taken as a last resort to increase your odds of survival.
- Active Threat: If you cannot run away safely or hide, be prepared to fight with anything available to increase your odds for survival.
We Care at Illinois (http://www.wecare.illinois.edu):
Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find the appropriate resources here: http://oiir.illinois.edu/sites/prod/files/SexualMisconduct_ResourceGuide.pdf
University Police Department, Emergency, 9,-911; Non-emergency, 217.333.8911
Counseling Center, 110 Student Services Bldg., 610 E. John St., 217.333.3704
McKinley Health Center, General Information, 217.333-2701
McKinley Mental Health Center, 1109 S. Lincoln, 217.333.2705
Dean of Students, 300 Turner Students Services Bldg, 610 E. John St., 217.333.0050
Local Sexual Assault Center, RACES, 217.384.4444
Women’s Resources Center, 703 South Wright Street, 2nd Floor, 217-333-3137
For campus assistance and support:
The Office of Diversity, Equity and Access (ODEA): http://diversity.illinois.edu
Discrimination & Harassment Prevention
Title IX
Accessibility & Accommodations
Inclusive Illinois
Student Resources: for student-centered advocacy programs and services: https://mcb.illinois.edu/undergrad/advising/resources/
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