Faculty Syllabus

Course Description: 

A survey of the living organisms on our planet for the non-science major. Emphasis on evolutionary and natural history, structural and behavioral adaptations, biological diversity and co-evolution.

Skills Requirement: 

Reading and writing 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 Rationale:  

This course was designed for students who are primarily non-science majors. Through the use of lectures, good science videos and web-based homework assignments, students are introduced to the organisms that inhabit this planet, their characteristics, their evolutionary relationships and their adaptation to life on earth. 

Student Learning Outcomes: 

Course-Level:

Specific skills and competencies expected of students who complete this course include:

• ability to explain evolutionary relationships among different organisms

• ability to discuss adaptations, using several different examples

• ability to apply biological concepts to new examples

General Education: 

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/.  

Required Textbooks and Materials:

• The Tangled Bank, Carl Zimmer, ACC Special Edition, available under course materials, on Blackboard
• BIOL 1309 LIFE ON EARTH Study Guide, Fourth Edition, May 2017, available online ONLY, as a downloadable pdf: LOE study guide 4E May 2017.pdf

Recommended Materials:

• Laptop, charger, and headphones for occasional use during class sessions

Instructional Methodology: 

This course will consist of a lecture format, supplemented with additional readings, assigned videos, and completion of study guide materials. 

COURSE POLICIES

Attendance/Class Participation:
Regular and punctual class attendance is expected. If attendance or compliance with other course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students.

Blackboard:

Grades, the online e-book, and all other course information will be available on Blackboard.   Please check this site on a daily basis for communication from the instructor, other announcements, and all needed materials.  

Late Work:

Students will be assigned reading and/or other work that will need to be completed or finished outside of class.  Specific times and dates due will be clearly stated in the syllabus.  If an assignment is not turned in by the time it is due, the work is late.  Students MAY NOT turn in any assignment AFTER the exam for which the assignment is preparing the student.

Missed Work:

Absences:  If a student is absent unexpectedly, it is their responsibility to communicate with the instructor about what material/ information/ graded activities were missed in class.  

Missed Exams:

Missed exams will only be made up with an excused absence, communicated to the teacher before or by the exam date.  Students must make an appointment to take the missed exam within 1 class day of the exam date.   

Missed exams for which students do not follow the guidelines to take a makeup exam will be recorded as a zero.  The first missed exam which is not made up will count as the student’s one dropped exam grade.  Students missing and not making up a second exam will be in danger of failing the course and should talk to the instructor immediately.

Withdrawals:  

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the roll should he or she decides 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.

Drop Dates:

Last day to withdraw without a grade or a “W” (DROP/CENSUS DATE) is Feb. 4, 2026.   

Last day to withdraw (FINAL WITHDRAWAL DATE) is Apr. 27, 2026.

Reinstatement:  

Students will only be reinstated to a class after officially being withdrawn in the case of institutional error causing the withdrawal.

Incompletes:  

An instructor may award a grade of “I” (Incomplete) if a student was unable to complete all of the objectives for the passing grade in a course. An incomplete grade cannot be carried beyond the established date in the following semester. The completion date is determined by the instructor but may not be later than the final deadline for withdrawal in the subsequent semester.

The student must have completed at least half (50%) of the course work (labs, exams, assignments, etc.) and have a minimum grade average of 70% on all completed work.  

Giving a grade of incomplete is at the instructor’s discretion, and will require student documentation. The coursework must be completed in order for the grade to be submitted by the Final Withdrawal Date of the FOLLOWING semester.

Timely Return of Graded Materials:

Multiple choice sections of exams (80%) will be available (from the professor) within 2 days.  Short answer portions of the exam (20%) will be graded (usually) within 1 week, then overall exam grades will be posted on Blackboard.  All other grades, unless otherwise noted in the assignment directions, will be posted (usually) within 1 week of the end of the exam unit in which they belong, as part of a total unit grade.

Course Overview:

Students taking this course will be expected to make informed decisions using critical thinking.  Lectures will consist of class discussions and additional activities based upon pre-assigned reading.  This course provides a survey of the living organisms that inhabit our planet with an emphasis on evolutionary relationships, adaptive strategies, natural history, reproductive behavior, and co-evolution.

BIOL 1309 is a 3-credit lecture course. Three credits are awarded for lecture, which consists of a traditional 45 contact hours in a classroom, plus a minimum 90 hours of preparation, studying, and homework completed outside of lecture time.

STATEMENT ON STUDENT DISCIPLINE

Classroom Behavior:

To provide the best learning environment for all students, cell phones must be silenced during class, texting or social media use is not permitted during class time, and no extraneous talking will be permitted.  

Students should visit the restroom and make any important calls before class, to minimize time away from the classroom and to minimize class disruption as people enter or exit the room.  Students may lose in-class points if excessive leaving is noted.

The standard ACC food/drink policy for the classroom will be followed during lecture. 

Any students not following all behavior policies will be asked to leave until they remedy the situation.  The absence policy will then apply as appropriate.  IIf attendance or compliance with these or other course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class.

Student Responsibilities:

It is the student’s responsibility to keep up with due dates for assigned reading, videos, and study guide sections, and seek help if needed. Students who fall behind should immediately contact the instructor, who will have specific advice on how to maximize success, including strategies to prepare for exams, study tips, grade analysis, and answers to any questions. (See office hours.)  Students who put in adequate effort will do well in this course. Each student is responsible for completing pre-reading, watching assigned supplemental videos, class activities, and study guide assignments, as well as developing adequate personal study methods to obtain a thorough understanding of all topics and concepts.  

AI Policy:

In this course, the use of generative AI (GAI) technologies is strictly prohibited to preserve academic integrity and ensure the development of student competencies. 

The prohibition is in place to encourage original thought, manual problem-solving skills, and to maintain equity in educational opportunities and assessments.

Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that can generate text, images, or other content based on minimal input. This includes chatbots, image generation tools, and code assistants.

Students are not allowed to use GAI for completing assignments, projects, tests, or any form of assessment in this course.  Any violation of this policy will result in academic penalties which may include a failing grade for the activity, reporting to academic affairs, and further disciplinary action.

Exceptions to this policy will only be made under specific circumstances approved by the instructor, typically where technology is used to accommodate learning differences.

Assigned Reading:

Students will be responsible for all material in the assigned reading, videos, and study guide on exams.  (See Course Topic and Reading Schedule, under Course Subjects, for page numbers and dates for required and recommended reading.  See the posted study guide for links to required videos.)

GRADE POLICIES

Grading System:

Students may earn up to 1,000 possible points during this course.  

Grades will be assigned as follows:

900 – 1,000 points:  A   (90-100%)

800 – 899 points:    B    (80-89%)

700 – 799 points: C    (70-79%)

600 – 699 points: D    (60-69%)

< 600 points:  F     (0-59%)

Grading Breakdown:

  60 points –  Skeleton Notes

  90 points –  Topic Quizzes

110 points –  Practice Exam Questions 

140 points –  Various In-class Activities / Homework Assignments

375 points –  4 Regular Lecture Exams, 125 points each (lowest one dropped)

100 points –  Group Project

125 points –  Comprehensive Final Exam

ASSIGNMENT POLICIES

Skeleton Notes:

Students should complete Skeleton Notes each day during lecture.  The skeleton notes are worth 15 points each.  All Skeleton Notes must be turned in before the exam begins, on the day of the exam for which that section is preparing students.  

Missing sections or excessive blanks will lead to a point deduction.  Students may ask the instructor during office hours about any part of the notes they missed during class.  Absent students should check in with a classmate to get any notes they missed. 

Topic Quizzes:

Students will be responsible for studying for six topic quizzes, 15 points each.  Study guides for each quiz topic will be posted on Blackboard. Missed quizzes must be made up, by appointment, within one class period.  Failure to do so in a timely manner will result in a zero for that quiz.

Practice Exam Questions:

Students will be assigned several sets of Practice Exam Questions on Blackboard.  The available points and due dates for each set will be clearly marked.

Various In-Class Activities / Homework Assignments:

Students will be assigned sections from the ACC LOE Study Guide, which will be started in class, then completed as homework.  These assignments will serve as student study guides for each exam.  Students are encouraged to write thoughtful, thorough answers to each question.  Failure to complete study guide assignments will most likely result in poor exam grades.

Failure to participate in a graded in-class activity during the class period will result in a loss of points.  Any student absent on a day in which we do an in-class activity will not be able to make up these points.  (In class activities will rarely exceed 5 points per day.)

Directions, available points, and due dates for homework are available on Blackboard.  

Regular Lecture Exams:

Students will take 4 regular lecture exams, each worth 125 points. 80% of each exam will be in the format of multiple choice or matching, with answers recorded on a Scantron.  20% of each exam will be in the format of diagrams, fill-in-the-blank, or short answer questions, to be graded manually by the professor.  Regular exams are not cumulative, and will cover topics discussed in lecture or any assigned reading after the previous exam. (See Course Topic and Reading Schedule.)

Students will need a Scantron (available in Student Life or in the Library) and a #2 pencil for each exam.  No notes, books, electronic devices, or communication between students may be used during examinations for any reason.  Plagiarism of any kind, including copying answers from another student or resource during exams for any reason is prohibited; not following these guidelines may result in a course grade of “F.”

Group Project:

Students will complete a group project, choosing a topic for deeper study and presentation to the class, worth 100 points.  Group members will be assigned.  Topics must be approved by the instructor.  A rubric will be available on Blackboard explaining requirements, student responsibilities, due dates, and expectations. 

Comprehensive Final Exam:

The final exam will be worth 125 points, and will be cumulative of all material covered during the entire course, with all semester material weighted equally on the comprehensive final; there is no special weighting toward any specific topics.  

Questions will be similar in type to those on the regular lecture exams, in the format of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, or matching, with answers recorded on a Scantron.

Students with an overall “A” average for the first four exams (before any grades are dropped) will be exempt from the comprehensive final exam.

Extra Credit:

DO NOT ask for extra credit assignments. Students concerned about their grade should spend additional time working on any available assignments, studying for any upcoming exams, and focus on doing their best work on group projects, in order to increase their point total.

Course Schedule:

The Lecture Course Topic, Reading, and Exam Schedule contains a comprehensive list of topics to be covered during the lecture.  Exams will come from all lecture material, including assigned reading.  

This schedule may be altered at the professor’s discretion, due to weather days, supply issues, and for any other reasons in order to provide the best possible learning experience.  Students will be notified of any schedule changes.

BIOL 1309 Lecture Course Topic, Reading, and Exam Schedule