GENERAL INFORMATION FOR BIOLOGY 3190

ECONOMIC BOTANY LABORATORY

Fall 2009

Purpose and content of course: This course is designed to review principles of economic botany at an introductory level. The labs include field trips to local areas of botanical interest and laboratory exercises about plant structure and chemical analysis of economically important plants. Students will also obtain some practical experience with botanically-related tasks such as beer, wine and soap making. The course is intended for biology and environmental science majors, and requires Biology 3390 as a pre-requisite or co-requisite.

Text: Simpson, B.B. and M.C. Ogorzaly. 2001. Economic Botany: Plants in Our World. McGraw-Hill, Inc. 3rd ed., New York .

Laboratory Handouts (supplied by instructors). Students are required to have an unlined, bound laboratory notebook (e.g., Roaring Spring Composition book available in UCA bookstore).

Instructor: John S. Choinski, Jr.

Office hours: 900-1100a M, F; 130-330p T, TH

Phone: 501-450-5918

E-mail: johnc@uca.edu

Class meetings: 1100a-150p F  in LSC027

Grading: There will be semi-weekly quizzes given during the course each worth 10 points. Students are also expected to keep a comprehensive lab book (details to be described in class). The final grade will be computed based upon the percentage of the possible points achieved ~50% quizzes/~50% notebook.

Assignment of withdrawal (W) grades: For those students who are eligible for a 'WP' or "WF' grade, you will not be assigned a 'WP' grade unless you are passing at the time you officially drop the course. Note: It is UCA policy that an instructor may assign at any time a 'WF' grade to a student whom consistently misses class (refer to UCA Undergraduate Bulletin for details).

Makeup exams: NO MAKEUP QUIZZES WILL BE GIVEN. IF YOU MISS A QUIZ FOR ANY REASON, THAT WILL COUNT AS A ZERO GRADE. The result of two or more missed quizzes may be a 'WF' grade.

Attendance: Laboratory attendance will be carefully monitored. Two missed labs will result in a ‘WF’ grade being assigned.

Academic Integrity & Conduct: Students are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity. Incidences of academic dishonesty such as cheating on exams/quizzes or plagiarism on web materials will be dealt with severely. Students found in violation will be dismissed from the class with a WF and action taken in accordance with the UCA Student Handbook. Students are expected to show respect for the instructor and their fellow students while in class and (other than asking relevant questions) refrain from talking or disrupting the class. Should you be asked to leave the class for any conduct violation, you will be dropped with a WF grade.

Disclaimer: Every attempt will be made to keep within the schedules set by this syllabus. The instructor will endeavor to inform the class of these changes as soon as possible.

Disability: Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the instructor and Disability Services (Bernard 205; 450-3135) at the beginning of the semester.

Advice:  The major source of difficulty for many students is that they postpone studying until the very last minute and avoid seeking help from the professor in those areas that they do not understand. This strategy almost always leads to disappointment and the possible retaking of the class at a later date. REMEMBER: KEEP UP WITH THE MATERIAL. READ AND STUDY EVERY WEEK, NOT JUST THE FEW DAYS BEFORE AN EXAM.

Tentative Laboratory Schedule