Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

General Biology Lab I (Face-to-Face)

BIOL 1615-13

Course: BIOL 1615-13
Credits: 1
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: BIOL
CRN: 30979

Course Description

Instructor: Dr. Xiaoben Jiang
Office: SC 131C
Email: xiaobenjiang@suu.edu
Office Hours: 
·        11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Monday  

This lab to accompany BIOL 1610. One two-hour meeting per week. 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 1610 Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll General Education Category: Life Sciences

Required Texts

None – Handouts on Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

ESSENTIAL LEARNING OUTCOMES (ELOs):

1)      Demonstrate disciplined processes of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.

2)      Demonstrate productive interaction with others (in or out of class) to complete assignments, tasks, or projects.

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES (SLOs):

3)      Students will be able to apply scientific methodology while designing and conducting experiments.

4)      Further develop scientific writing skills, data analysis, and data presentation.

5)      Students will further develop their critical thinking skills.

6)      Students will further develop their teamwork skills.

 | Learning Objectives | Course Assessments/Evaluations
 | In-Lab Activities | Pre-Lab Quizzes | Writing Assignments | Group Presentation
 | ELO 1 | X | X | X | X
 | ELO 2 | X | X |   | X
 | SLO 3 | X |   | X | X

Course Requirements

At the end of this semester, you will be required to create an accompanying presentation with your group.
Co-Requisite: BIOL 1610
General Education Course: Life Science Knowledge Area

Course Outline

Doing well in this course begins with coming to lab ready to work and using lab time wisely. Be sure to ask questions as needed, but please understand that you should not expect your instructor to give answers to lab activities and assignments. This lab is designed help reinforce lecture content, to train you in how to think as a scientist, design experiments, analyze data, write better, and present information in a clear and concise way. This lab is a foundational lab to other biology courses, so the goal is to develop these skills to aid you as you progress in your scientific training. However, even if you are not currently planning on a career as a scientist, this lab is designed to help you develop skills important to all fields (i.e., critical thinking, teamwork, writing, and presentation skills).

To facilitate learning, please be respectful of your classmates by adhering to the following:

·        Read the week’s lab before coming to the lab, and bringing a printed copy or your laptop with you to lab every week in order to complete the lab.
·        Do not be late for the lab.
·        Stay on task during lab.
·        Silence all noise making electronic devices, and do not be distracted by them during lab.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Course grades will be based on the following (600 points total):
| Assignment Type | Total Points | % of Course Grade
| Lab Worksheets (10 @ 20 pts ea.) | 200 | 33.3%
| Pre-Lab Quiz (10 @ 10 pts ea.) | 100 | 16.7%
| Writing Project | 250 (TBD) | 50.0%
| Group Presentation  | 50

Grading Scale

The standard Canvas scale, shown below, will be used to assign letter grades to your work this semester:
 | 94-100 A | 87-89.9 B+ | 77-79.9 C+ | 67-69.9 D+ |  
 | 90-93.9 A- | 84-86.9 B | 74-76.9 C | 64-66.9 D | < 61 F
 |   | 80-83.9 B- | 70-73.9 C- | 61-63.9 D- |  

Tentative Lab Schedule

| Week | Dates | Lab | Topic
| 1 | Sep 1-5 | Experimental Design | ●       Drunk Goggles
| 2 | Sep 8-12 | Macromolecules | ●       Macromolecules
| 3 | Sep 15-19 |  Microscopes & Cells | ●       Microscopy Skills
| 4 | Sep 22-26 | Osmosis & Diffusion | ●       Osmosis & Diffusion
| 5 | Sep 29-Oct 3 | Enzymes | ●       Enzyme Background ●       Data Collection Basic ●       Design Next Week
| 6 | Oct 6-10 | Cellular Respiration  | ●       Background ●       Data Collection Basic ●       Analyze Data
| 7 | Oct 13-17 | Fall Break | ●       No Labs This Week
| 8 | Oct 20-24 | Flex Lab | ●       TBA
| 9 | Oct 27-31 | Photosynthesis | ●       Data Collection Basic ●       Analyze Data
| 10 | Nov 3-7 | The Cell Cycle | ●       The Cell Cycle
| 11 | Nov 10-14 | Inheritance | ●       Inheritance
| 12 | Nov 17-21 | DNA Extraction & Gel Electrophoresis | ●       Gel Electrophoresis (40min) ●       DNA Extraction (40min – do while gel is running)
| 13 | Nov 24-28 | Thanksgiving Break | ●       No Labs This Week
| 14 | Dec 1-5 | Assessment  | ●       Presentations or Final
| 15 | Dec 8-12 | Finals Week | ●       No Labs This Week

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

You should always turn your assignments in on time. Late assignments will not be graded. Makeup homework will be only allowed for excused absences.

Attendance Policy

You should consider lab attendance to be mandatory. Excessive absences WILL lower your grade. Missing two labs or more without “legitimate reasons” (this means two quizzes and/or two pre-lab assignments) will result in an automatic F for the lab portion of this course. The instructor reserves the right to give extensions on lab work on a case-by-case basis due to COVID-19, so if you are having difficulties, please contact the instructor.

Do not come to class if you are sick! Even if the time is after COVID, sharing germs is not desired. If you feel sick, it is important for you to stay home and rest so you can recover more quickly (and not share germs). Your health is most important! While you will not be penalized for not attending class in-person, please let me know if you will be missing class due to an illness. This will let me know (1) to provide additional resources/time needed to complete coursework and (2) to check in on you if I do not see or hear from you in a while to see how you are doing. 

Late Work: You should always turn your assignments in on time. Late assignments will not be graded. Makeup homework will be only allowed for excused absences.

Grading Policy: The TAs and I grade assignments as quickly as possible. Assignments are typically graded within 1 week, except writing assignments can take 1-2 weeks to be graded.

Language Expectations: All students are expected to write and speak in standard English for all course related activities.

Safety Expectations: You are expected to read and abide by safety rules, and to sign a safety contract for lab classes.

Disclaimer: Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.