Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Entomology Lab (Face-to-Face)

BIOL 3435-02

Course: BIOL 3435-02
Credits: 1
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: BIOL
CRN: 31075

Course Description

Lab to accompany BIOL 3430. One three-hour meeting per week. Longer field trips may be scheduled. 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 - Odd Years) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Co-requisite(s): BIOL 3430

Required Texts

Kaufman Field guide to Insects of North America by Eric R. Eaton and Kenn Kaufman is required.

Optional texts:

  • Borror and Delong’s Introduction to the Study of Insects
  • Daly and Doyen’s Introduction to Insect Biology and Diversity

Learning Outcomes

  • To gain factual knowledge of human populations and the natural world (this will be the focus of all units and will be assessed in all quizzes and exams)
  • To gain critical thinking skills (this will be covered specifically in Labs 1, 2, and 4 and in other labs throughout the course)
  • To learn teamwork

Course Requirements

The lab will consist of a couple of field trips, but students will need to travel to other field locations on their own throughout the semester to collect insects for their collections.

Course grades will be based on the following (350 points total):

  • Five quizzes worth 10 points each (50 points total)
  • Three mini insect behavior reports worth 10 points each (30 points total)
  • Insect collection worth 120 points
  • Final insect behavior report with presentation worth 50 points
  • Midterm and final exams worth 50 points each (100 points total)

Final grade percentages break down as follows:

93 - 100 = A

80 – 82.9 = B-

67 – 69.9 = D+

90 – 92.9 = A-

77 – 79.9 = C+

63 – 69.9 = D

87-89.9 = B+

73 – 76.9 = C

60 – 62.9 = D-

83 – 86.9 = B

70 – 72.9 = C-

<60 = F

Course Outline

Aug 28

Introduction to lab and collecting jars

Sept 4

Field trip (wear long pants and long sleeves)

Sept 11

Introduction to insect mounting and preservation

Sept 18

Field trip

Sept 25

Major insect orders 

Oct 2

Primitive insect groups

Oct 9

Collection workday

Oct 16

Mid-term exam (in lab)

Oct 23

Orthopteroidea

Oct 30

Hemipteroidea

Nov 6

Research Symposium (work on collections)

Nov 13

Holometabola

Nov 20

Final reports (oral and written)

Nov 27

Thanksgiving – no lab

Dec  4            Final Exam (in lab)

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

Due to the nature of the majority of these labs, no lab make-ups can be given outside of the scheduled lab periods. If you miss a lab for a valid reason (e.g., illness), you must notify your regular lab instructor immediately and you must attend another lab section during that same week to make up the work (see attached schedule for available days). Missing more than two scheduled labs may result in an automatic F for the laboratory portion of this course.

Quizzes may not be announced ahead of time. When given, they will occur at the beginning of lab covering material since the previous quiz or exam.

POLICY ON LATE WORK: All assignments are due on the day posted on Canvas. If you have made arrangements to attend lab at a different time, your assignments are still due at your regularly scheduled time. All students who are absent from a specific lab due to an emergency or SUU sponsored activity must attend another lab section. Labs cannot be made up.

EXTRA CREDIT: There will be no extra credit.

Attendance Policy

Attendance at scheduled lab sessions is required. No lab make-ups are given outside the scheduled lab periods. If you miss a lab for a valid reason (e.g., illness), you must notify the instructor immediately and attend another lab section during that same week to make up the work. Missing more than two scheduled labs may result in an automatic F for the laboratory portion of this course.

Course Fees

Some basic insect collecting equipment is being provided to you. It is yours to keep but please take good care of the items. You may return them at the end of the semester for other students to use. If they are lost, you may need to buy your own replacements.

Laboratory Safety and Responsibilities

You are required to leave your lab table clean and materials for your table set up as you found them when you came into lab that day. If anything is broken or missing, notify your instructor or teaching assistant immediately. Research supplies (e.g., specimens, chemicals, rulers etc.) are shared among lab sections, and you must put back these supplies in their proper place when you are done with them.

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.