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Elizabeth Good (Instructor); blinstru@illinois.edu
Office: 241 Davenport
MCB Core Curriculum Office: 252 Davenport Hall; 244-6239; (8:30 AM–4:30 PM Monday–Friday)
MCB 253 WEBSITE
Course Web site: www.life.illinois.edu/mcb/253
Course Gradebook:
https://gradebook.atlas.illinois.edu/courses/mcb253/spring12/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
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"Molecular Cell Biology", 6th Edition, 2007
by Lodish, et.al.
W.H. Freeman Publishers
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"Laboratory Exercises for MCB 253: Experimental Cell Biology", Fall 2011
Elizabeth Good, editor
Stipes Publishing
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"School of MCB Laboratory Notebook" (carbonless)
Stipes Publishing
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Sharpie Ultra Fine Point Permanent Marker (black)
Sanford
RECOMMENDED TEXTS & SUPPLIES
There are no recommended texts or supplies for MCB 253, Spring 2012.
SECTION CHANGE, ADD AND DROP INFORMATION
Students may use UI Enterprise to add or drop MCB 253, or to change MCB 253 laboratory and discussion sections before 5:00 PM, Monday, January 30, 2012.
Monday, January 30, 2012, 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 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 9, 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 Good, 241 Davenport Hall, for completion of attendance and grade information.
WHEN MCB 253 CLASSES BEGIN
MCB 253 laboratory classes will begin on Monday, January 23, 2012, at 2:00 PM in 243A-C Hall.
EXAM AND CONFLICT EXAM INFORMATION
Exam Instructions
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Exams I and II will be given as Practical examinations during your regularly scheduled lab time (see Course Policies: Examinations for exam dates). Arrive early for your assigned lab practical time; if you arrive after the start of your scheduled exam time, then it will be up to Elizabeth Good’s discretion whether or not you will be able to complete the lab practical exam. If you are allowed to take the practical, then you will automatically forfeit the points associated with the timed stations that you missed. The exams will cover material from the laboratory. Please see the MCB 253 Web site for any further details concerning each exam.
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The exams will be administered in 243 A-C Davenport Hall. You must take the exam with your assigned section at your scheduled time. Students will be allowed to enter the laboratory at 5 minutes before their scheduled testing time. The door will close at the start of the exam. If you arrive after the lab door is closed, it will be up to Elizabeth Good’s discretion whether or not you will be allowed to take the exam. If you are allowed to take the exam, you will automatically forfeit the points associated with the timed lab stations that you missed.
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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.
-
All personal belongings must be hung up on the hooks in the lab. The only thing you may have at your desk is a pencil. If you have a phone, a calculator, or any other electronic device with you at your desk, you will automatically get a zero on the lab practical exam.
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If you have an MCB-approved conflict during your scheduled exam time, use the MCB 253 Conflict Exam Request Form on the MCB 253 Web site or go to the MCB 253 Office in 252 Davenport Hall to make these arrangements before 5:00 PM on the Friday prior to the exam week. See the Conflict Exam Instructions page 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. If you are going to miss an exam, contact Elizabeth Good via email as soon as possible. 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 Good. 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 Monday- Friday during the lab practical exam week. You must make arrangements with Elizabeth Good (blinstru@life.illinois.edu) to take a conflict exam by 5:00 PM on the Friday prior to the exam week. Use the MCB 253 Conflict Exam Request Form on the MCB 253 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; however, you may submit all of your conflict exam requests at once.
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A Conflict Exam will only be given to individuals who find themselves in one of the following situations:
• 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)
Please note that you will not be granted a conflict exam for conflicts associated with educational enhancement opportunities because the University does not require us to grant conflicts for these requests (ie, Kaplan Courses, Princeton Review, IEMs, MCAT exam).
Please bring written documentation supporting your claim of conflict and a copy of your course schedule to 252 Davenport Hall to be time/date stamped and placed in Elizabeth Good’s mailbox. If you have a question about whether your conflict will qualify, please call the MCB Office in advance of the deadline.
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All conflict exams must be completed before 5pm on the Friday of the exam week. If you cannot complete a lab practical because of an MCB approved conflict, then one lab practical may be prorated at the end of the semester. You must take at least one lab practical and the final examination in MCB 253 in order to earn a letter grade in the course. If you are unable, the instructor will recommend that you drop or withdraw from the course.
FINAL EXAM AND CONFLICT FINAL EXAM INFORMATION
FINAL EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
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The Final Exam date/time will be determined and posted on the MCB 253 Web site. The exam will be held during the week of May 4-11, 2012. Do not make plans to leave campus until after May 11, 2012!
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The exam location(s) will be posted on the MCB 253 Web site by Friday, April 27th.
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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 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.
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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.
Complete and submit a Conflict
Final Request Form on the MCB 253 Web site before 5:00 PM on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, 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
253 final exam.
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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.
- Any student with one or more of the above situations who would like to take
a conflict final must submit an
MCB 253 Conflict Final Exam Request Form on the MCB 253 Web site before 5:00
PM Wednesday, May 2, 2012.
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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. 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, May 3, 2012.
THE MOST DIRECT ROUTE TO 252 DAVENPORT HALL
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Enter Chemistry Annex through the main doors on the north side of the building,
off the brick walkway between Chemistry Annex and Noyes Laboratory.
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Take stairs just inside the main doorway to the second floor.
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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
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Enter Chemistry Annex through the wheelchair access ramp on the southeast
corner of the building.
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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.
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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 253 LABORATORIES
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Neither food nor drink is allowed in any of the laboratories; smoking is not
allowed in the building.
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Bare feet are not allowed in the laboratories. You must wear closed toed shoes at all times.
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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.
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Coats (or extra apparel), backpacks, and bags must be hung on the hooks provided,
and not left on benches, chairs or the floor.
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The floor area must be completely clear.
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Students must clean the labs after each exercise. This includes the lab tables,
the sink, and, if necessary, the floor.
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Computer software may not be copied. Software piracy is a crime.
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Students may not make changes to computer settings, folders, or programs. Students
may not load software to course computers.
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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.
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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.
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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, lab teaching or grading, and exam or
lab absences should be addressed to Elizabeth Good.
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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
lab 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 253 are not responsible for any student personal
belongings during examinations or class periods.
- Laptops and cell phones are not allowed in the lab unless otherwise specified by MCB staff or TAs.
ATTENDANCE POLICIES
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Attendance in lab is mandatory and will be recorded at every lab session. If you are absent from lab, you must notify Elizabeth Good via email (blinstru@life.illinois.edu) within 48 hours of your missed lab in order to arrange a make-up lab, make-up work, or take a conflict exam if possible. Please note that missing assignments will result in missing scores that may be prorated at the end of the semester only if you have contact Elizabeth Good within 48 hours of your absence. If you are unable, the instructor will recommend that you drop or withdraw from the course.
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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 Elizabeth Good in 241 Davenport Hall; TAs do NOT have the authority to schedule make-up labs. 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 Elizabeth Good or put in her mailbox in 252 Davenport Hall. 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.
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TAs may not reschedule students to other lab sections, including their own. If you attend another lab section without the approval of Elizabeth Good, you will receive a zero for all work related to that lab exercise as well any work you were to submit on that day from the previous week’s lab.
- All documentation regarding exam and lab absences should be presented
in writing to Elizabeth Good in 241 Davenport Hall or time/date stamped and placed in her mailbox in 252 Davenport Hall.
- Students who wish to have consideration for religious observances which conflict
with exams or labs must present verification in writing to Elizabeth Good
within one week of the first lab (before January 30th), 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 Good before the deadline
and inform her 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 Elizabeth Good.
- 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).
- Conflict exams are given Monday- Friday during the lab practical exam week. You must make arrangements with Elizabeth Good to take a conflict exam by 5:00 PM on the Friday prior to the exam week. Use the MCB 253 Conflict Exam Request Form on the MCB 253 Web site to make these arrangements. 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, 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. If you miss a lab exercise because of an excused absence, you must contact the course coordinator within 48 hours of the absence in order to schedule a make-up and possibly complete any missed work. Please fill out an online absence form for your course which can be found on the course web site under the “Forms” link.
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. It is the student's responsibility to provide their course coordinator and/or instructor with all of the documentation received from the Dean's office. In addition to submitting your documentation (electroinc email copy is fine), please fill out an online MCB
253 Absence Report Form for your course which can be found on the course web site.
Students must attend and fully participate in 9 out of the 11 laboratory exercises, including make-up labs, in order to receive a letter grade in MCB 253. Note that this applies to both excused AND unexcused absences. If you are unable, the instructor will recommend that you drop or withdraw from the course.
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. It is the student's responsibility to provide their course coordinator and/or instructor with all of the documentation received from the Dean's office. In addition to submitting your documentation (electroinc email copy is fine), please fill out an online MCB
253 Absence Report Form for your course which can be found on the course web site. Only a dean in your college can excuse a student from a practical exam or a final exam.
If possible you will be assigned a conflict exam. All conflict exams must be completed before 5pm on the Friday of the exam week. Please note that if you take a conflict exam after an absence, you will not be assigned an exam score until Elizabeth Good receives a letter from the dean excusing you from the exam. If proper documentation is not received before the final exam in the course, then you will receive a zero on the missed exam despite taking a conflict exam. Final grades can be amended should proper documentation be forth coming.
If you cannot complete a lab practical because of an MCB approved conflict (ie, excused by a dean), then one lab practical may be prorated at the end of the semester. You must take at least one lab practical and the final examination in MCB 253 in order to earn a letter grade in the course. If you are unable, the instructor will recommend that you drop or withdraw from the course.
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 under the “Forms” link.
NOTE: The documentation for an absence must include relevant names, times, dates, and an explanation of the date(s) and reason(s) for absence. Without this information, you may not be excused from class. In order to receive a letter grade in MCB 253, students must attend and fully participate in 9 out of the 11 laboratory exercises during the semester, including make-up labs. Note that this applies to both excused AND unexcused absences. In addition, you must take at least one lab practical and the final examination in MCB 253 in order to earn a letter grade in the course. If you are unable, the instructor will recommend that you drop or withdraw from the course.
MCB 253 WEB GRADEBOOK
The MCB 253 Web Gradebook can be accessed directly at:
https://gradebook.atlas.illinois.edu/courses/mcb253/spring12/index.html
Scores on exams, quizzes, worksheets, laboratory notebook assignments and presentations 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 Good 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. 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, May 2, 2012.
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 within the first 5 minutes of class; if you turn your lab report in after the first 5 minutes of class then it is considered late and you will receive a zero on the assignment. 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 180 points this semester. There will be six notebook
assignments each worth a total of 30 points.
Notebook assignments accompany the following laboratory exercises:
| Lab 2 |
Native Protein Electrophoresis |
| Lab 3 & 4 |
SDS-PAGE/Western Blot and Detection
|
| Lab 5 |
Unknown Protein Identification |
| Lab 6 |
RBC Permeability |
| Lab 8 & 9 |
Fibroblast Adhesion
|
| Lab 10 |
Actin Staining |
The point breakdown for each notebook assignment follows:
2 points = proper format for the entire notebook assignment
2 points = purpose of experiment; relevance of topic
2 points = procedure/protocol section
8 points = data presentation and results section
16 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. Your TA will check your work and sign off on it before your begin your lab exercise. If your prelab is not completed before you begin, you will lose 4 points from your lab report grade. 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Write your name, section letter, TA's name, week number and date on the top
of every page.
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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.
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Each laboratory notebook assignment must include the following sections:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 ten prelab quizzes will be given online before lab. Each quiz will be worth
10 points. The quiz format will be true/false, fill in the blank,
matching and/or short answer.
In class worksheets
Some of the laboratory work will involve experiments that are more simplified in both methods and results. For these experiments (Labs 1, 7 and 11), students will analyze their results by completing a worksheet to be submitted for grading by their TA at the end of the lab exercise. Each worksheet is due at the end of the lab period and is worth 30 points (total of 90 points for the semester from worksheets).
PRESENTATION
Students will present their lab data/results once throughout the semester for a total of 30 points. You will receive information about the presentation during the first few weeks of class.
EXAMINATIONS
Lab practical exam questions will include the following: multiple choice, true/false, matching, fill in the blank, free response, and identifying figures, lab equipment and specimens. The final exam will be in the multiple choice and/or true/false format. Material for 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 topics to be covered on 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, scores will be posted in the Web Gradebook. 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 on the grading of their lab practical, then they have one week to fill out a “Request for Exam Regrade” form on the course website. The student should fill out the form and then submit the form, stapled to their exam, to Elizabeth Good’s mailbox in 252 Davenport Hall. All students are urged to keep their exams and any regrades 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 Good.
EXAM DATES
| Exam |
Time |
Date |
 |
| Lab Practical I |
In class |
Feb. 27-March 2 |
|
| Lab Practical II |
In class |
April 23-27 |
|
| 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 Lab Practical Exams |
|
400 |
|
| Final Exam (cumulative) |
|
200 |
|
| Laboratory Assignments |
|
180 |
|
| Prelab Quizzes |
|
100 |
|
| In class worksheets |
|
90 |
|
| Presentations |
|
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.
Texting, or the use of a cell phone 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.
On notebook assignments, quizzes and postlabs,
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.
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