Designed for non-biology majors seeking a basic introduction to human anatomy and physiology. Outlines the basic structure and function of the body from cellular to system levels. A minimum grade of “C” (2.0 or above) must be earned in this course before it can be counted in a biological science major or minor or as a prerequisite for any other biology course. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)]
Co-requisite(s): BIOL 1025 recommended
Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll
General Education Category: Life Sciences

Required Text Visualizing Human Biology, 5^th Edition. Kathleen A. Ireland. Access to the online VitalSource Textbook integrated with your Canvas site is available HERE.

Inclusive Access: ALL students have access to the textbook via Canvas. The cost will be reflected on your next tuition/fees statement from the Bursar's Office. If you wish to purchase the textbook differently or have a hard copy you MUST OPT-OUT by clicking the textbook link and then clicking Opt-Out. The textbook is also available from the SUU Bookstore or from Wiley. Click here for other purchase options. 

Required App: iClicker Student App for Attendance; Getting Started with iClicker

Recommended: McGuire, S. Y., & McGuire, S. (2018). Teach yourself how to learn: Links to an external site. strategies you can use to ace any course at any level. First edition. Sterling, Virginia, Stylus Publishing, LLC.

This course provides students with a basic “user’s manual” for the care and feeding of the human body. It seeks to provide foundational knowledge about the structure and functions of the human body as well as equip students to critically evaluate health information. Upon completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Apply basic biological concepts.
2. Explain the relationship between the structures of the body and their function.
3. Determine the role that each body system plays in maintaining homeostasis.
4. Critically evaluate current topics in human health.
5. Apply knowledge of the human body in meaningful ways that support and enhance students’ family, educational, and career goals.

General Education Requirements - Life Sciences Learning OutcomesLinks to an external site.

• 2.3 Life Sciences: Upon successful completion of the General Education Life Sciences requirement, students will be able to:
  • 2.3.1 Apply Scientific Methods: Describe and apply approaches to scientific discovery and interpretation of experimental data;
  • 2.3.2 Understand: Demonstrate understanding of matter, energy, and their influence on biological systems;
  • 2.3.3 Apply Knowledge: Describe and apply evolutionary concepts in terms of inheritance, adaptation, and diversity of life;
  • 2.3.4 Explain: Explain the mechanisms of information storage, expression, and exchange in living organisms or eco-systems; and
  • 2.3.5 Reflect: Reflect on the relevance of life sciences in a broader context.

 Assignment Outline

Can I re-do or resubmit an assignment? No, in large college classes it is not feasible to continuously grade resubmissions. Please read the directions carefully and make sure you are submitting your best work the first time- ask questions well in advance of the due date to ensure you are doing it correctly. Because I do not allow do-overs, I do drop the lowest Discussion Board and Quiz Grades. You can not do-over, but you can do better. 

250pts 5 Discussion Boards 50pts each

One of the most rewarding experiences in taking any class is the opportunity to share with and learn from others. Discussion Boards allow you to apply concepts you have learned to current advances in science. Discussion Board content will not be on quizzes or tests. The discussion board grading rubric is available on Canvas. Discussion Boards are worth half a test grade so they require some effort but can significantly help pull up low test grades. 10 Discussion Boards are available but only the top 5 Discussion Board grades are counted toward your average. You can choose to only do 5 or you can do all 10, but only the 5 highest grades will be counted. Dropping the lowest 2 scores allows you to choose which discussion boards you want to complete based on your interest in the topic and/or time management- you can always complete Discussion Boards early! 

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) permitted with citation for Discussion Boards ONLY

Students are permitted to use AI tools to generate content for discussion board posts only. Because discussion boards require you to watch and comment on a video as well as relate your personal thoughts and experiences, be extremely judicious in how you use AI. Make sure you are answering all of the discussion board prompts and including your own personal experiences- not the robot's hallucinations! Current AI is especially vulnerable to fabricating sources- it is your responsibility to ensure your citations are accurate. 

It is important to appropriately cite any AI-generated text used in your posts. To do so, please include a statement or indicate the content was generated by an AI tool, along with the name of the tool and a link to its website (if available).

Examples of appropriate citation:

• “This post was generated using OpenAI’s GPT-3 language model (https://openai.com/).”
• “The content of this post was created with the help of Microsoft’s Bing AI (https://www.bing.com/).”

Using AI without appropriate citations is not allowed and will result in a grade of zero and a report for Academic Misconduct.

Please note that using AI tools to generate content for quizzes, exams, or other graded work is strictly prohibited. Additionally, using AI tools to generate content that violates the University’s academic integrity policy, such as plagiarism or cheating, is also not allowed. It is your responsibility to ensure that any AI-generated content you use is in compliance with these guidelines."

150pts 10 Quizzes 15pts each

Quizzes are taken on Canvas, 15 questions, 20min time limit, and open note/book/study group. All quizzes covering topics for a specific test must be completed before taking the test on that unit. Any quiz not completed will receive a grade of zero. 16 chapter quizzes are available but only the top 10 quiz grades are counted, all other grades are drop grades. Taking quizzes prepares you to take the tests. 

Troubleshooting Quizzes- if you are having ANY quiz issues, use Chrome as your browser, and clear your history (cache) and this fixes 99% of problems. If you can't see images it is because your internet is unstable/too slow. Go to an on-campus computer lab or contact the SUU Help Desk for solutions. 

500pts 5 Tests 100pts each

Tests will challenge you to apply what you have learned about each body system. Test questions may be multiple-choice, true/false, matching, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, graph/image interpretation, and critical thinking/clinical scenarios.

For Tests- You are allowed to use ONE 3x5 handwritten notecard (back & front). You may include images but they must be hand-drawn. 

There are no dropped test grades.

To increase class time for content coverage and discussion, tests will be taken on Canvas and will have a generous testing window of availability. Because of the generous testing window, make-up or late tests are not available. All tests will be taken in the Student Testing Center (Links to an external site.) with a Proctor. It is the student's responsibility to schedule their test with the Testing Center prior to the due date.  

Student Testing Center (Links to an external site.)

Hours of Operation: M-F 9:00am to 7:00pm with the last check-in time of 6:00pm. Hours may differ on days when classes are not in session.

I am always happy to arrange for you to take a Test EARLY. If you have travel plans, let me know and I'll arrange an earlier exam. 

Remote testing with Honor Lock may be available, with prior approval, for documented medical/legal reasons. Honor Lock use must be approved by the Biology Department Chair. 

Test Review is available with me and I would strongly encourage you to either come to visit during Office Hours or via Zoom so we can go over your test and discuss strategies for improvement. Please let me know if you get a weird question on a test- I will throw it out!  The opportunity to review a test during office hours expires when the next test is taken.

  Grade Scheme

All grades will be posted on Canvas. Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and legibility are required for all written work in this course. Please feel free to bring any questions about grading to your Professor. I will be happy to review your answers with you and discuss ways to improve your scores either via email or during office hours.

Any grading errors must be brought to the attention of the Professor within 1 week of the grade being posted. After 1 week, the posted grade is final. 

No grades will be adjusted or curved. If assignments are added/subtracted during the semester, the points available in the course may change, but the percentages for grade calculation will be as indicated.

 Course Assessment Table

• Start Here- Welcome to Human Biology Lecture!
  • Onboarding Module- Syllabus Quiz & Course Resources
• Unit 1- Intro, Chemistry, Cells, & Tissues
  • What is Life? Characteristics of living things, homeostasis, positive and negative feedback systems
  • Chemistry- concepts needed to understand the human body
  • Cells- parts of an animal cell and cellular exchange 
  • Tissues- anatomical regions/markings, organ systems, tissues that make up organs
• Unit 2- Skin, Bones, & Muscles
  • Integumentary System- structures and functions of the skin
  • Skeletomuscular System- structures and functions of bones and muscles
• Unit 3- Nervous Systems, Special Senses, Immunity & Lymphatics
  • Nervous System- structures and functions of brain, spinal cord, and neurons
  • Special Senses- structures and functions of seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting
  • Immunity & Lymphatics- structures and functions of the immune and lymphatic systems
• Unit 4- Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nutrition, & Digestive Systems
  • Cardiovascular- structures and functions of the heart, blood vessels, and blood
  • Respiratory- structures and functions of the respiratory system
  • Nutrition- elements of metabolism, nutrition labels, biomolecules
  • Digestive System- structures and functions of the digestive system
• Unit 5- Endocrine, Urinary, & Reproductive Systems
  • Endocrine System- endocrine glands, endocrine tissues, and hormones
  • Urinary System- structures and functions of the urinary system
  • Reproductive System- structures and functions of the reproductive system

 Professor's Response Time & Feedback

For messages sent to me, I will respond in the specified amount of time. Feedback is an important part of learning please look for feedback on your assignments that I provided in the specified amount of time, to find feedback look at this tutorial 

How do I view assignment comments from my Instructor? (Links to an external site.)

How do I view annotation feedback comments from my instructor? (Links to an external site.)

Please include your course and section number in ALL emails. If you can't remember the number the day/time of your course is fine but this helps me to help you so much faster! It is my goal to respond to student messages within 1 business day and provide grades and feedback within 5-7 business days from the due date.

Late Work/Extra Credit

Any assignment could be improved by having more time to prepare for it; any student who completes an assignment on time could undoubtedly have done a better job if given a few more days. To allow some, but not all, students extra time/credit is unfair. To treat all students as equitably as possible, all dates and deadlines are considered final and any extra credit opportunities will be available to the entire class.

All due dates are posted in the course schedule from the first day so that you are both aware of and have time to make appropriate time-management decisions. Any changes to those dates will be communicated to the entire class. You are free to work ahead and make arrangements to test early for planned absences.

Post due date completions are subject to a 10% per day late penalty- no questions asked. Assignments completed 10+ days late will receive no credit. Tests have a 3 to 5-day window of availability in the on-campus Testing Center which optimizes flexibility with your schedule. For this reason, it is extremely rare that a Test will be extended. 

The most common request for late submissions is technical issues. In almost all cases, these issues can easily be resolved if they are addressed in a timely manner and you are proactive in your communication with me. You should plan to complete assignments at least 24hrs prior to the deadline to account for time to correct any technical issues. Not understanding the assignment and/or not understanding how to submit the assignment are not acceptable excuses for turning work in late. 

Documented medical/legal emergency situations are evaluated at the discretion of the Professor with typical grade reduction penalties of 10% per day. 

Documenting Medical/Legal/Mental Health Excuses

To request an extension, please email an official medical or legal excuse to me as soon as possible. In the unfortunate event of a death in your family, please provide a copy of the death certificate, memorial service, obituary, or other evidence. 

Mental health is important and is treated the same way physical illness is- you must provide documentation for mental health issues in the same way you would provide documentation for physical health issues. 

Attendance & Active Engagement

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class using iClickers. Download the free app iClicker Student and follow these directions to create an account and register your attendance during class. We will only be using iClickers for attendance- not quizzes.

Attendance and active participation are essential to success in this course. This course will foster a community of learning where students are encouraged to share and discuss their experiences related to course content. Group and in-class activities may be graded assignments that can not be made up if you are not present. 

Attendance via iClicker is used to evaluate student attendance and participation- for example, academic alerts may be submitted for students who miss multiple classes or students whose grades are borderline may, at the Professor's discretion, receive a grade bump for good attendance. 

3 Credit(s) | $37.50 Fee

Program and Course Fees

Required Hardware/Software

• A working desktop or laptop (Macintosh or Windows) machine with a stable internet connection, webcam, and microphone OR visit an on-campus student computer lab.
• iClicker Student app for attendance
• Google Chrome internet browser and Honor Lock testing plugin (for online courses only). 

Course Content Advisory

Please be advised that this Human Biology course will cover a wide range of topics related to the human body, including all body systems, their structures, functions, diseases, and related medical information. This will include, but is not limited to, discussions and visual materials related to:

• Anatomy (structures) and Physiology (functions) of the human body
• Potentially sensitive topics and current events related to health and wellness

Some of this material may be considered graphic or may evoke emotional responses in some individuals. If you have specific concerns about the course content, please feel free to discuss them with the instructor. I aim to create a respectful learning environment for all students.

Honors Human Biology Credit

Are you in Honors? Would you like to be? No idea, but sounds interesting? Watch this Video! 

Honors Contracts- I would love to work with Honors students on a contract for this course! If you are enrolled in HONR 1040 Foundation of Honors) or have successfully passed it, please contact me and let's discuss your interests!  If you are not currently an Honor Student but are interested check out the SUU Honors ProgramLinks to an external site.! 

Communication with your Professor

Communicate early and often! It is a great idea to personally introduce yourself to your Professors- either before/after class or during office hours! It helps me to put names with faces and familiarize myself with your unique personality! I love getting to know my students! This becomes especially important when you need someone to write a Letter of Recommendation for Study Abroad or for Professional Program applications. The better I know you personally, the better the letter I can write! 

If you are experiencing issues that are or may affect your class performance, please reach out! There are more options for accommodations if I am aware of your situation early. Waiting until the last minute makes it extremely difficult for me to provide you with meaningful support. 

Electronic Devices

You are encouraged to bring your laptop/tablet for purpose of taking notes. Voice recorders are allowed in lectures. 

Computer/Internet

This course emphasizes proficiency with computers, word processing, the internet, email, and especially SUU’s Canvas System. Assignments will be submitted, and quizzes/tests taken via Canvas. Students are expected to utilize personal computers or student computer labs on campus to complete assignments. Planning is essential and “computer problems” is not an acceptable excuse for not completing an assignment by the due date.

Canvas Notifications & Email

Make sure that you are getting Assignment Submission Comments by going to Canvas: Account (top left corner): Notifications: Submission Comment: Adjust settings to receive comments.

Check your email- make sure Canvas Notifications and Announcements are going to the email of your choice. 

ADA Accommodations

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) at SUU handles support for students needing accommodations. If you feel you may need this service, please contact them as soon as possible to begin the process. 

Because not all accommodations apply to all courses, please let me know via email if you have accommodations you wish to engage for this course. Because quizzes are open note/book/study group and so many quiz grades are dropped, no additional time accommodations can be made for quizzes. I am happy to ensure you get extra time on tests. I set this up in Canvas so you do not need to test at the DRC to receive the extra time accommodation. If you need a reader or additional services, please test at the DRC. Please communicate your needs with me directly- I am happy to help you and I can usually reduce a lot of stress about this for you. 

Student Recommendations

I will provide favorable recommendations for students earning an A or a B in this course. Please provide me with a completed envelope and forms and a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice (more is preferred). If you provide me with your cover letter, resume, or short essay about your experience that highlights why you will be successful in the program to which you are applying I will be able to write a more detailed and thorough recommendation.

Required Release for Letter of Recommendation- please complete & email to me. 

Cover Letter and Narrative Essay Tips & Examples to help you Apply to Professional Programs.