BIO 453L - Fall 2007
ENTOMOLOGY
Syllabus
Uniques 53435 & 53440

Instructor: Dr. John Abbott, PAI 1.28 and BFL 104/107
Phone: 471-5467 (PAI), 232-1896 (BFL) - note:  you will generally find me at BFL
email: jcabbott@mail.utexas.edu
Office hours: By appointment.

Home page for J.C. Abbott courses: http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/jcabbott/courses
Course Web Page: http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/jcabbott/courses/bio353web

Lecture:

Please turn off your cell phone BEFORE entering the lecture room. I reserve the right to get angry and confiscate them!

Laboratory:

NOTE: WE WILL NOT HAVE LAB THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES
Laboratory Room: ESB 130
Laboratory Time: Either Wednesday or Thursday 1:00 - 4:00p. Be prompt.  Attendance is absolutely required for class and lab. Attendance may be taken in both. 

Collection: A collection of arthropods assembled or caught during the course is required and comprises a major portion of the laboratory grade. Please be aware that dishonesty regarding label information on insects is grounds for an F grade for the class.  Additional stipulations regarding the collection are outlined on the laboratory syllabus.

Field Notebook: You will be required to keep a field notebook throughout this class.  This notebook can take several forms, but must contain some basic information as outlined on a separate handout.  This notebook can be a continuation from a previous class and will be handed back to you at the end of the class.

Textbooks:

The Insects: An Outline of Entomology 3rd edition (required) by Gullan & Cranston.

An Introduction to the Study of Insects 7th edition (optional but encouraged) by Triplehorn & Johnson.

Required Accounts:

E-mail account and an individually-funded (IF) account. If you do not have either of these, you need to get them ASAP. Instructions for setting up an e-mail account can be found at http://www.utexas.edu/cc/umbs . Information and instructions for setting up an IF account on the web are at http://www.utexas.edu/cc/account/steps/ . The people at the Student Microcomputing Facility (SMF) in the Flawn Academic Center (FAC) or the Computation Center (CC) in WC Hogg can help you get started. 

Field Trips:

There will be a number of opportunities to go on field trips with the express purpose of collecting insects for your laboratory requirement.  These trips are outlined on the class schedule and on the field trips portion of the course web site.  Some trips will be over night while others will be day trips.  Your participation in these trips is strongly encouraged.  They provide an opportunity for you to learn about insects in the field with your instructors.  Participation in these trips will be used to help make decisions about border line grades.

Examinations:

A total of three in-class exams will be given to cover the lectures.  The third test will count twice as much as the previous two tests and will be administered on the date of the final exam.  This exam will concentrate primarily on new material, but will also test your comprehension and understanding of key topics discussed earlier in the semester.  Exams typically take the form of short answer questions, labeling and or drawing of diagrams, and matching questions.  There will be no makeup tests.  If you miss a test and have a verifiable medical excuse, see me within one week after the exam to arrange alternative credit.  

Grading:

The breakdown of your grade in this course will be as follows:

Academic Integrity:

You are expected to uphold the high standards of academic integrity as outlined in the Student Judicial Service's web pages.  Please pay careful attention to the sections on unauthorized collaboration and plagiarism.  Your TA's will go over academic honesty and integrity as it applies to the insect collection you will be working on.  Examples of dishonesty include, but are not limited to, falsifying collection locality and date information, collector information, and steeling insects from the lab or another person.

Penalties levied for scholastic dishonesty in this class may range from zero on an assignment up to an F for the entire course.  Please do not think we take this lightly!

You can check your grade at anytime via the UT eGradeBook.

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