COURSE INFORMATION 

Section/Synonym: 003/ 62901

Mode of Instruction: 5 week Lecture/ Lab (In Person)

Lecture: MWF 9:00am-11:40am Room Riverside RVSA 2257 ; Lab: T/TH 9:00am- 1:00pm Room Riverside RVSA 2219

Instructor: Jaime Cantu, MS, MBA

Email: Jaime.Cantu@austincc.edu*

Office: Riverside Campus RSVA 2296

Office Hours: Monday – Thursday, 7:00 am - 9:00 am*

     *Best way to contact me is through Email. I answer Emails within 24 hours during the workweek.

     ** Please let me know and we can set up an appointment. Office hours will be conducted through Zoom.

Skills Requirements: Reading, writing, and mathematics proficiency as determined by the COMPASS or ASSET test,  or by the statewide THEA test, or by providing an official transcript from another college. 

Course Prerequisite: High school biology with proof of competency through ACC department exam.

Managing the Prerequisite Course Load: Many ACC Health Sciences programs require BIOL 2401, BIOL 2402, and  BIOL 2420 as prerequisites. Due to the rigorous nature of each of these courses, it is not recommended to take two  of them in one semester. The Biology department recommends taking these courses in the following sequence in  order to balance the course load:

Semester 1: BIOL 2401 – A&P I

Semester 2: BIOL 2402 – A&P II

Semester 3: BIOL 2420 – Microbiology for the Health Sciences

Course Rationale: This course is designed for students entering professional programs. It provides a foundation  for the clinical topics covered in those courses by requiring mastery of factual material, laboratory techniques, and  problem-solving skills. This course is a prerequisite for Introduction to Microbiology (BIOL 2420) and Anatomy and  Physiology II (BIOL 2402) and is intended to adequately prepare students for these courses and for health sciences  programs.

Required Textbooks and Materials:

This course has First Day Access, which means that the cost of the digital textbook is paid in your tuition and fees for the course. You may access the textbook via Blackboard on the first day of class in the MyLab & Mastering tab. The First Day Book charges opt-out refund request period begins on the course start date and ends on 06/02/2023. The option to opt out only applies if you have already paid for your First Day Book charges or already have a payment plan in place. Requests to opt-out must be submitted by 5pm on 06/02/2023 for the semester or additional session. Refunds will be issued 15 days after the last day to opt-out. To opt-out of the First Day book fee submit your request through your course’s site via Blackboard. Information about First Day Access can be found here: https://www.austincc.edu/academic-and-career-programs/first-day-classes.

Required Textbooks and Materials:

• Required Textbook: Pearson’s My Lab & Mastering for Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th ed.) by Marieb & Hoehn (Pearson). While you may opt out of purchasing the required text, I highly discourage this. Many lab and study materials come from My Lab & Mastering, which is only available electronically.
• Computer/IPad with internet access and the capability of having Respondus Lockdown.
• Goggles/Eyewear for lab

Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes: Specific skills and competencies expected of students who complete  this course include the following: 

Learning Outcomes for Lecture: Upon successful completion of this course, students will:  • Use anatomical terminology to identify and describe locations of major organs of each system  covered. 

• Explain interrelationships among molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ functions in each system.

 • Describe the interdependency and interactions of the systems. 

• Explain contributions of organs and systems to the maintenance of homeostasis.

• Identify causes and effects of homeostatic imbalances. 

• Describe modern technology and tools used to study anatomy and physiology. 

Learning Outcomes for Lab: Upon successful completion of this course, students will: 

• Apply appropriate safety and ethical standards. 

• Locate and identify anatomical structures. 

• Appropriately utilize laboratory equipment, such as microscopes, dissection tools, general labware,  physiology data acquisition systems, and virtual simulations. 

• Work collaboratively to perform experiments. 

• Demonstrate the steps involved in the scientific method. 

• Communicate results of scientific investigations, analyze data and formulate conclusions.

• Use critical thinking and scientific problem-solving skills, including, but not limited to, inferring,  integrating, synthesizing, and summarizing, to make decisions, recommendations and predictions. 

General Education Learning Outcomes: As a Core Curriculum course, students completing this course will  demonstrate competence in:

• Critical Thinking - Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information. • Interpersonal Skills - Interacting collaboratively to achieve common goals.

• Quantitative and Empirical Reasoning - Applying mathematical, logical and scientific principles and  methods.

• Written, Oral and Visual Communication - Communicating effectively, adapting to purpose, structure,  audience, and medium.

Departmental Common Course Objectives: The ACC Biology Department has specified the content for this course  in the departmental common course objectives. The departmental objectives are located at  http://sites.austincc.edu/biology/common-course-objectives/. 

GRADING

• Lecture Unit Exams: There are four timed unit exams worth 110 points each (for a total of 440 points). Unit exams may consist of a combination of multiple choice, fill in the blank, free response, critical thinking, and application questions.  Material for unit exams will come from the course objectives (lecture). Lecture Exams will be administered a bit different than the traditional way. Student will have a certain amount of time to do the exam individually, this will account for 75% of their lecture exam grade. Then the professor will collect the exam and make copies. A copy will be given back to the students and they will work for a specific amount of time with a group to correct the exam. They may NOT use notes or outside sources only their group members. The “group” helped copy of the exam will count for 25% of the grade. If a student misses more than one exam, it is recommended to drop the course. MAKE UP EXAMS: There will NOT be any make-up exams.

• Lab Exams: There are four (4) lab Exams worth 70 points each for a total of 280 points. Material for lab practical comes directly from the lab objectives and activities. Lab Exams may be multiple choice or fill in the blank. Mostly fill in the blank dealing with the anatomy. You will use Respondus Lockdown. This will be taken during class time on your individual computer.

• Lecture  Pop Quizzes: There will be quizzes to cover the material that students should have gone over during the week. The quiz will be timed. You will use Respondus Lockdown. This will be taken during class time on your individual computer.

• Mastering A&P: There will be weekly assignments that will need to be completed through Mastering A&P. This platform is a way for you to practice your knowledge of the content. These assignments are posted on Mastering A&P Platform.

 • Class Preparation Assignments (CPA): A class preparation assignments are assignments that help you understand the material before you come into class. We will not be following the traditional lecture format of college courses. Instead, we will engage with the content, thus you need to be prepared ahead of time as to what the subject of the day is. There will be 11 CPAs. The CPAs will consist of a 5-10 questions on the topic to be covered the following class period. The due date will always be the before the following “lecture” class. You will turn in the assignment through Blackboard. You will also bring a copy of the assignment to class, to clear up any misconceptions or add to your answers. The way this assignment will be graded will be through three aspects; a good faith effort on the questions, submission through Blackboard, and attendance in the class period that they are due for. Failure to do any of the three aspects will result in no credit.

• Lab Assignments: There will be several lab assignments throughout the semester that will count towards your grade. The total points for all of the assignments will be 50 points. Number of points will be clearly stated on assignment. These assignments will help you understand the material and may sometimes need to be done after lecture/lab. I will be clear about due dates on these assignments.

• Disease Podcast/Public Service Announcement: This assignment is worth 50 points and will be due Friday June 30, 2023. I will demonstrate samples of Podcasts during the explanation of the assignment. You will also have the option to do an infographic Public Service Announcement instead of the Podcast. Rubric to both assignments will be on Blackboard tab (Podcast/PSA)

• Extra Credit: There will be opportunities for extra credit. These will be announced with sufficient time to complete the extra credit. The extra credit will be available to everyone, but will require outside class time to complete.

• • Course Evaluation: Towards the end of the semester, you will be given the option to fill out a course evaluation about my course. Submitting proof that you have completed will give you extra credit.
  • Other Extra Credit: I will announce the extra credit and requirements prior to the due date. Extra credit is at the discretion of the professor.

The final course grade is determined by the total number of points earned by the students with the following letter  grade equivalents: (THERE IS NO ROUNDING, make sure you do all assignments)

Due to ACC policies concerning the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), instructors cannot post grades  or call or email students with information about their grades. The instructor will post grades on Blackboard; in  Blackboard, students can only see their own grade.

Attendance/Class Participation: Attendance is required because of the pace of the class. Regular and punctual class and laboratory attendance is expected of all students. Most students do better on the exams if they attend the class regularly. Students are responsible for all materials, activities, assignments, or announcements covered in the class, regardless of the reason for being absent. Lecture/Lab attendance will be constantly monitored. Lab sessions will consist of review, lab activities, lecture activities, and weekly quizzes. Students are expected to actively participate. The CPA (Class Preparation Assignments) will only receive credit if you are present in class when they are due.

Missed or Late Work: As a rule, late work is not accepted. However, I understand that things happen and requests  to submit work late will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the professor. If you missed an assignment, a valid excuse with documentation will allow you to turn it in without penalty.

Lecture Exams/Lab Exams/ Lecture Quizzes: All module lab exams, and quizzes must be taken in Blackboard using Respondus LockDown Browser in person. All lecture module exams will be taken on paper in person. No outside resources (e.g. notes, book, websites) are allowed to be used on  the exams/quizzes. Students may not discuss the exams/quizzes with any other students if not permitted during individual examination. Students are expected to practice and comply with all ACC Scholastic Integrity policies. Failure to do so will result in a grade of zero and possible withdrawal from class. Module exams are composed of a combination of multiple choice, fill in the blank,  and application.

Lab Policies:  Students are expected to direct their own learning, dissect in groups, and perform experiments as teamwork in the lab. Students must bring required materials to the lab, such as books, handouts, atlases, safety equipment. Also, students cannot attend the lab if they miss any safety training at the beginning of the lab or they don’t wear closed-toed shoes to the lab. There are NO makeups for missed labs.

Academic Integrity (Cheating): All academic integrity expectations that apply to in-person quizzes and exams also apply to online quizzes and exams. In this course, all work submitted for quizzes and exams must be yours alone. Discussing or communicating about quiz or exam questions with anyone without having the instructors permission during the quiz or exam period violates academic integrity expectations for this course. If a suspected case of academic miscount occurs, the instructor will notify the student and have a meeting. If the academic integrity violation is evident then the student will receive a zero (0) for that assignment/quiz/exams. If the violation is less evident then in the meeting the student will be ask questions that pertain to the quiz/exam that they are suspected of the academic misconduct. If the student cannot answer the questions, a zero will be given for that particular quiz/exam. If a similar situation happens again, the student will be reported to the dean for academic misconduct.

• Using Websites: Using websites that charge fees or require uploading of course material (e.g. Chegg, Course Hero) to obtain exam solutions or assignments completed by others and present the work as your own violates academic integrity expectations in this course and will be reported to the dean. This is not limited to using AI to complete assignments/quizzes/exams.

Official Biology Department Policy Concerning Student Use of Organisms in the Classroom and Laboratory: Most ACC biology classes, particularly those with laboratory components, use actual organisms during instruction in addition to images and models. ACC students generally are preparing for real-world careers requiring workers with hands-on experience. These careers include health care, veterinary work, horticultural and agricultural work. Other students plan to transfer to four-year colleges and will be participating in biological research where hands-on experience is equally important.

Organisms used at ACC are fundamental in biology instruction and they are utilized to teach specific skills and knowledge. Their condition and usage varies from course to course. Students will be expected to actively participate in these activities. Students with particular concerns in this matter should consult with their instructor and/or departmental officials before enrolling in a course so that they can know what will be required of them. Some organisms are observed alive while others are dead and preserved in various ways. Student manipulation of organisms ranges from culturing living organisms to dissecting preserved ones. Some examples include, but are not limited to: bacterial culturing for microbiology courses; cat, pig or rat dissection for anatomy courses; skeleton and pelt examination for field biology; and use of frogs in physiology experiments.

Withdrawals: It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the roll  should he or she decide to withdraw from the class. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a  student should he or she feel it is necessary. If a student decides to withdraw, he or she should also verify that the  withdrawal is submitted before the Final Withdrawal Date. The student is also strongly encouraged to retain their  copy of the withdrawal form for their records. Students who enroll for the third or subsequent time in a course taken since Fall 2002, may be charged a higher  tuition rate for that course.

State law permits students to withdraw from no more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career at  Texas public colleges or universities. With certain exceptions, all course withdrawals automatically count towards  this limit. Details regarding this policy can be found in the ACC college catalog.

Withdrawal Dates:

Last day to withdraw from course without W appearing on transcript Friday 06/02/2023

Last day to withdraw from course with W appearing on transcript Monday 06/23/2023

Instructor-Initiated Withdrawal of Student: The instructor may drop the student from the course at any time  without prior warning for any of the following reasons: missing two or more lecture exams; poor attendance (not turning in assignments);  disciplinary issue (e.g., scholastic dishonesty, disruptive behavior, violation of ACC policies); not completing mandatory online orientation. Students that do not complete the MANDATORY online orientation by the end of the first week, may be withdrawn from the course.