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The University of Montana - Missoula

Heather Davis, Instructor
Office: HS208
Office Hours: Wednesday 1:00 - 2:00 P.M.

Phone: 243-6834
heather.davis@mso.umt.edu

Course Policies

a picture of a model of the interior of the human body

BIOL 112 - Human Form and Function

Brief Course Description

This is the first semester of an introductory, year long series lecture course designed to meet the needs of the student who has minimal background in chemistry and biology, but an interest in the form and function of the human body.  Lectures emphasize the origins of common anatomical terms as well as the principles, facts and concepts needed to appreciate the normal organization of the human body. Basic cellular structure is addressed first, to be followed by a systems macroscopic approach emphasizing the integumentary, musculoskeletal and nervous systems. The relationship between the muscles, bones and joints of the axial and appendicular skeleton receive particular attention. The basic gross anatomy of the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems is also introduced. (Lecture Only)

 

Course Objectives

This course will provide you with conceptual and practical information regarding the anatomy and physiology of the human organism. At the completion of this course, you should be able to 1) correctly identify and express terminology and abbreviations associated with the disciplines of anatomy and physiology, 2) interpret the inseparable relationship between the structure and function of the human organism, and, 3) have gained a strong background of the biological concepts related to the study of human anatomy and physiology.

Teaching Methods

Lecture and occasional pro-section demonstrations

Course Requirements

You will be expected to complete readings from the text book and other sources. Regular attendance at all lecture meetings is required to successfully complete this course. There are four scheduled days this semester during which we will be making cadaver lab visits to view material; attendance is required and the material presented will be "fair game" for quizzes and/or examinations. You must also accept the responsibility to ask questions if you do not understand the concepts. If absence from lecture is necessary due to illness, it is your responsibility to obtain notes from another student.

Evaluation Methods

Your course grade will be determined by your performance according to the following evaluation methods:

Take home assignments and quizzes 200 pts.
Two Lecture examinations 200 pts.
Final examination        100 pts.

Total: 500 pts.

(Please note the final examination policy from the University of Montana Undergraduate Course Catalog 2008 - 09 - "Students may seek relief from writing more than two examinations during the same day. Students who are scheduled for more than two examinations may contact the appropriate faculty to arrange an alternate testing time during the scheduled final examination period." (http://www.umt.edu/catalog/academic/policy.htm) For BIOL 112, any "alternate testing time" will be scheduled after the originally scheduled final examination, and will require documentation of more than two final examinations on a given day.)

Grading System

Grades will be calculated based upon the following system:

A = 90%
B = 80%
C = 70%
D = 60%
F < 60%

Final grades will be based upon 500 total points.

Please be aware that this course does not use a +/- grading system.

Credit or No Credit

Students opting to be graded on a pass/not pass system should take note of the University policy that "a CR is given for work deserving credit (A through D-) and an NCR for work of failing quality (F)". Additionally, as noted in the 2008- 09 Undergraduate Course Catalog, "election of the credit/no credit option must be indicated at registration time or within the first 15 class days on CyberBear. After the fifteenth day, but prior to the end of the 30th day of instruction, an undergraduate student may change a credit/no credit enrollment to an enrollment under the A F grade system, or the reverse by means of a drop/add form."

Please also note:

"The University cautions students that many graduate and professional schools and some employers do not recognize non traditional grades (i.e., those other than A through F) or may discriminate against students who use the credit/no credit option for many courses. Moreover, students are cautioned that some degree programs may have different requirements regarding CR/NCR credits, as stipulated in the catalog. "

Audit

Students opting to audit BIOL 112 should take note of the University policy that a change of grading option to audit is not allowed after the 15th instructional day.

Incompletes

Students opting to request an "incomplete" should be familiar with the University policy that "the incomplete is not an option to be exercised at the discretion of students. In all cases it is given at the discretion of the instructor within the following guidelines:

 

  1. A mark of incomplete may be assigned students when:
    • They have been in attendance and doing passing work up to three weeks before the end of the semester, and
    • For reasons beyond their control and which are acceptable to the instructor, they have been unable to complete the requirements of the course on time. Negligence and indifference are not acceptable reasons.
  2. The instructor sets the conditions for the completion of the course work and notes these conditions on the final grade report.
  3. When a student has met the conditions for making up the incomplete, the instructor will assign a grade based upon an evaluation of the total work done by the student in the course.
  4. An incomplete which is not made up within one calendar year automatically will revert to the alternate grade which was assigned by the instructor at the time the incomplete was submitted.
  5. An incomplete remains on the permanent record and is accompanied by the final grade, for example, IA, IB, IC, etc.

 

For additional grading information please refer to the University of Montana Undergraduate Course Catalog 2008-09 (http://www.umt.edu/catalog/academic/policy.htm).

Examinations

Students are expected to prepare and be present for examinations on the scheduled dates, and at the scheduled time.

The first two lecture exams will consist of 50 questions, and cover only the new material presented since the previous exam.

The final exam will include 25 questions covering only the material since the last exam, as well as 25 cummulative questions.

All exams will be drawn from lecture material, assigned reading, and pro-section material.

Quizzes will be short answer and/or multiple choice, and will be practically based, covering the lecture material, assigned readings and pro-section material.

If a dispute should arise regarding the answer to an examination item, the judgment of the faculty member will be final. This dispute must be communicated within five (5) class days after the grades are posted. Under no circumstances will examination grades be reconsidered after this time.

Make-up Examinations

Make-up examinations are reserved for those students who are prevented from taking an examination on the originally scheduled date due to:

•  a documented illness,

•  or documentation of participation in a University-sanctioned activity

•  Documentation of participation in a University-sanctioned activity requires written communication from the University of Montana Office of Academic Advising.

•  Student athletes must provide this documentation to me within the first week of classes.

Students must call or email the course instructor (Heather Davis at 406-243-6834 or heather.davis@mso.umt.edu) before examination time in order to communicate the nature of the problem they feel precludes them from taking a test. (If you are unable to speak with me personally, leave me a message on the voicemail. Also, please note that simply informing me that you will be absent does not constitute an excused absence.) Based upon this communication, I will decide whether a make-up test is merited. (Make-up examinations may have different test items, and a different format than the original examination.) If a make-up test is not provided, the student will receive a zero (0) as a score for that examination. If a make-up test is provided, the recorded score is the score received.

Make-up (Extra Credit) Assignments

Under no circumstances will any additional assignments/projects be provided. For all students, the final grade for the course will be determined solely by performance on the evaluation methods mentioned above.

Dropping and Adding Courses or Changing Sections, Grading or Credit Status

I will adhere to the clear instructions regarding these academic policies and procedures outlined in the University of Montana Undergraduate Course Catalog 2008-09 (http://www.umt.edu/catalog/academic/policy.htm). Please consult the registrar's list of important registration and fee payment deadlines when planning your schedule: http://cyberbear.umt.edu/instructions/calendar_autumn_2008.htm

Important dates to consider when reading this information are the following:

2008 Fall semester fifteenth (15 th ) instructional day - 9/12/08

2008 Fall semester thirtieth (30 th ) instructional day - 10/3/08

Student Conduct

As stated in the University of Montana Undergraduate Course Catalog 2008-09: "The Student Conduct Code, embodying the ideals of academic honesty, integrity, human rights and responsible citizenship, governs all student conduct at The University of Montana-Missoula. Student enrollment presupposes a commitment to the principles and policies embodied in this Code." Students may access the University of Montana Student Conduct Code at http://life.umt.edu/SA/documents/fromWeb/StudentConductCode1.pdf or download it in PDF format here.

Plagiarism Warning

Plagiarism is the representing of another's work as one's own. It is a particularly intolerable offense in the academic community and is strictly forbidden. Students who plagiarize may fail the course and may be remanded to Academic Court for possible suspension or expulsion. (See Student Conduct Code section of this catalog.)

Students must always be very careful to acknowledge any kind of borrowing that is included in their work. This means not only borrowed wording but also ideas. Acknowledgment of whatever is not one's own original work is the proper and honest use of sources. Failure to acknowledge whatever is not one's own original work is plagiarism

Disabilities

I am committed to creating an environment of equal access for students with and without disabilities. In an attempt to be fair to all students, I will adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act by only making accommodations based upon guidance received from the staff of the University of Montana Disability Services for Students (DSS) (http://life.umt.edu/dss). Before these accommodations can be suggested and granted, "DSS requires comprehensive documentation of a disability and its impact on learning."

Lecture Instructor

Lectures for BIOL 112 will be presented by Heather Davis, M.S.

I received my B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and my M.S. from the University of Montana, Missoula. As an undergraduate, I worked as a research assistant in the paleontology department of the CU museum and worked extensively with the fossilized remains of ungulates and primates. Since then, while I have worked with many different types of vertebrates, the common themes of form and function have remained my primary interests. My thesis research dealt with the kinematics of terrestrial birds as they employed a stereotypical locomotor strategy known as wing-assisted incline running, and the implications of that particular movement pattern to the evolution of avian flight. For the last six years, I have taught multiple sections of the BIOL 312/313 Human Anatomy and Physiology labs, and now serve as the lead lab instructor and coordinator. I am the lab manager at the University of Montana's Research Station at Fort Missoula, and also work part time as an EMT-B with Missoula Emergency Services Inc. This is my fourth year teaching this course, and I am looking forward to working with an enthusiastic group of students.

Location

My office is at the Fort Missoula Field Research Station. However, I will be available for office hours in HS 208 (Find the Health Sciences Building on the campus map at http://www.umt.edu/reslife/Images/UniversityMap.jpg .)

Phone

My office phone number is 406-243-6834, but email is quicker and much more reliable.

Email

My email is: heather.davis@mso.umt.edu

Office Hours

My office hours are: Wednesdays 1-2pm in HS 208

Other times by appointment