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Southern Utah University

Fall Semester 2026

General Biology I (Face-to-Face)

BIOL 1610-06

Course:	BIOL 1610-06
Credits:	3
Term:	Fall Semester 2026
Department:	BIOL
CRN:	30647

Course Description

This course is intended for science majors. (Non-science majors should enroll in BIOL 1010 or BIOL 1020). It provides a basic foundation in the areas of biochemistry, organization and function of cells, as well as the transmission of genetic information. Three (3) hours of lecture 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 1615 Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll General Education Category: Life Sciences

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the General Education Life Sciences requirement, students will be able to:

Apply scientific methods: Describe and apply approaches to scientific discovery and interpretation of experimental data,
Understand: Demonstrate understanding of matter, energy, and their influence on biological systems,
Apply knowledge: Describe and apply evolutionary concepts in terms of inheritance, adaptation, and diversity of life,
Explain: Explain the mechanisms of information storage, expression, and exchange in living organisms or ecosystems, and
Reflect: Reflect on the relevance of life sciences in a broader context

Required Texts

Campbell Biology 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th edition (print or e-text). You must read the textbook to be successful in this class. Refer to daily Pre-Class Work in Canvas for assigned readings.
NOTE: You are automatically enrolled to receive a digital version of the textbook through a program called Inclusive Access that costs about $40. This cost has already been billed to your student account. If you want to access the textbook in an alternative way and receive a refund, you must opt-out of Inclusive Access. For additional information, you should have received an email near the start of the semester from the SUU Bookstore with details on this program. If you did not receive this email or have questions about Inclusive Access, reach out to me.
The textbook is also available for check-out at the SUU Library. See https://www.suu.edu/library/tbird-text.html for more information.

Access to Canvas is Required
Canvas is the official online platform for this course. Students are responsible for regularly checking Canvas for time-sensitive announcements, course materials, grades, and assignment updates.

Course Requirements

Pre-Requisites: none
Co-Requisites: BIOL 1615

Requirement | Percentage of Final Grade | Due Date(s)

Pre-class quizzes | 10% | Every MWF @ 10am (some exceptions for holidays; see pre-class quizzes on Canvas)
Homework | 15% | Every TRS @ 11:59pm (some exceptions for holidays; see homework on Canvas)
Engaged participation | 15% | Must be present & actively engaged in class
In-class quizzes | 25% | Dates announced in class 3-5 days in advance
Unit Exams | 25% | Exam 1: 10/1-10/2; Exam 2: 11/4-11/5; Exam 3: 12/10-12/11
Final Exam (cumulative) | 10% | See SUU Final Exam schedule

A Note About In-Class Quiz and Exam Weighting
As indicated above, in-class quizzes collectively account for 25% of your final grade, which is a relatively high weight for this type of assignment category. I have chosen this weighting intentionally so that exams collectively account for a relatively small portion of your grade (35%). The goal is to distribute the weight of summative assessments more evenly and reduce the pressure associated with exams, which cover a large amount of material at once. In contrast, each in-class quiz covers a smaller amount of material, giving you more frequent, concise opportunities to demonstrate your learning.

Description of Course Requirements
Pre-Class Quizzes: To fully benefit from class time, students are expected to complete all assigned pre-class work, which includes readings and lecture-style videos. To assess your engagement with pre-class work, pre-class quizzes will be administered on Canvas before every class period. Quizzes are based on the pre-class work posted on Canvas. You may use any resources to complete pre-class quizzes, including Google, AI, and peers. However, the highest-performing students typically complete the assigned readings and videos rather than simply using outside resources as shortcuts to find quiz answers. Quizzes are due at the scheduled start of class every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and will not be accepted late; do them before you come to class. There will be approximately 35 pre-class quizzes throughout the semester, and your top 30 scores will count towards your final grade.

Homework: Homework assignments will be posted to Canvas to help you explore important aspects of biology in more depth than will be covered in class, to practice skills introduced in class, and/or to help reinforce concepts being taught in class. You may use any resources to complete homework assignments, including Google, AI, and peers. However, the highest-performing students typically complete homework by utilizing the textbook, lecture materials, and the instructor rather than simply using outside resources as shortcuts to find answers. Homework assignments are due at 11:59pm every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and can be submitted late with a 10% penalty per day late beginning immediately after the due date. There will be approximately 36 homework assignments throughout the semester, and your top 30 scores will count towards your final grade.

Engaged Participation: I will use a variety of in-class activities to promote active learning; examples include responding to poll questions, completing individual or group worksheets, and posting reflections or responses to Canvas discussions. To earn full points for engaged participation:

You must attend the entire scheduled 50-minute class period. In the event that you are late or leave class early, points will be deducted proportionally to missed class time.
You must actively participate in and complete the learning activities assigned during the class period. Follow all instructions given with each activity to earn full points.
You must not exhibit distracting behaviors for the full duration of class, including non-class-related device use and talking while the instructor is speaking. One warning will generally be given for distracting behavior; any subsequent distractions will result in zero participation points for that class period.
You must not complete participation activities on behalf of another student. The first infraction will result in zero participation points for all students involved. Any subsequent infraction(s) will be resolved according to SUU's Academic Misconduct policy (#6.33).

There are 36 class periods during the semester, and your top 28 participation scores will count toward your final grade.

In-Class Quizzes: Quizzes will be administered in class to assess your learning of concepts from the textbook, pre-class work, lecture materials, and homework assignments. Quiz questions consist of short answer, multiple choice, and matching type questions. Each quiz will be timed, but the exact allotted time will vary based on the number and difficulty of quiz questions. Quizzes must be completed individually and without aid from outside resources of any kind, and any suspected academic misconduct will be handled in accordance with the university’s Academic Misconduct Policy (#6.33). Quizzes will occur about every 2 weeks, though the exact dates will be announced in class 3-5 days before they occur to give me flexibility in pacing the class. Quizzes MUST be taken at the scheduled date & time discussed in class. About 10 quizzes will be given, and about 20% of the lowest scores of the total number of quizzes given over the semester will be dropped from your final grade. If 20% of the total number of quizzes is not a whole number, then I will round up to the next whole number and that number of quizzes will be dropped. For example, if 10 quizzes are given, then 20% of 10 is 2, and your lowest 2 quizzes will be dropped; if 11 quizzes are given, then 20% of 11 is 2.2, so I will round that up to 3, and your lowest 3 quizzes will be dropped.

Unit exams 1-3: Three unit exams will be administered during the semester to assess your learning of concepts from the textbook, pre-class work, lecture materials, and homework assignments. Exam questions consist of short answer, multiple choice, and matching type questions. Each exam must be completed in one sitting and within 2 hours. Exams must be completed individually and without aid from outside resources of any kind, and any suspected academic misconduct will be handled in accordance with the university’s Academic Misconduct Policy (#6.33). Approximate dates for each unit exam are listed on the Course Outline but are subject to change based on our actual progress in class. Exams will be available on Canvas and administered at the SUU Testing Center. A password is required to access the exams through Canvas, and the SUU Testing Center staff will enter that password for you. Each exam MUST be taken during SUU's Testing Center operating hours and in the scheduled two-day window discussed in class and specified on the syllabus; exceptions will ONLY be provided for legitimate emergencies, as outlined in the Emergencies Policy on this syllabus.

The following material will be covered in each exam (subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor):

Exam 1: Unit 1 (Campbell Biology chapters 2-7)
Exam 2: Unit 2 (Campbell Biology chapters 8-10; 5 (just the section on nucleic acids), 16-17)
Exam 3: Unit 3 (Campbell Biology chapters 12-15, 18)

Final Exam (cumulative): The final exam will be administered at the end of the semester to assess your learning of concepts from the textbook, pre-class work, lecture materials, and homework assignments. The final exam is cumulative, covering units 1-3, to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their overall understanding of the concepts and skills developed throughout the semester. Exam questions consist of short answer, multiple choice, and matching type questions. The exam must be completed individually and without aid from outside resources of any kind, and any suspected academic misconduct will be handled in accordance with the university’s Academic Misconduct Policy (#6.33). See SUU's Final Exam schedule for the date and time of the final exam; the exam MUST be taken at the scheduled date and time specified on the SUU Final Exam schedule; exceptions will ONLY be provided for legitimate emergencies, as outlined in the Emergencies Policy on this syllabus.

Important Exam Policies
I will apply 1 of the following 2 policies to your grade - whichever most favors your final grade:

Option 1: If higher than any unit exam percentage score, your percentage score on the final exam will replace that unit exam percentage score in your final grade. All 3 unit exam scores are eligible for replacement. The purpose of this policy is to help you remain engaged and motivated all the way through the semester. For example, if you score 60% on Exam 1, 70% on Exam 2, 50% on Exam 3, and 90% on the Final Exam, then each Unit Exam score will be changed to 90% in your final grade.
Option 2: If lower than one or more of your unit exam percentage scores, your final percentage score on the final exam will be an average of all 3 unit exam percentage scores and your initial final exam percentage score. The purpose of this policy is to take some pressure off of the final exam for students who score well on the unit exams. For example, if you score 100% on Exam 1, 90% on Exam 2, 95% on Exam 3, and 60% on your initial attempt on the Final Exam, then your Final Exam score will be changed to 86.25%. This score is calculated as follows: (100+90+95+60)/4 = 86.25.

Exam content will not be published at any time. However, you may come to office hours or make an appointment with me to review the results of your exams. I strongly encourage you to do so, as the final exam is cumulative, and identifying your mistakes on Exams 1-3 will help you prepare for the final exam. Your opportunity to review an exam expires once you have taken the next exam.

Study Advice

For many of you, this is your first semester of college. Welcome! SUU is a student-focused institution where you will have many academic and extracurricular opportunities and much support. Two things are true: 1) many college graduates remember their time in college positively, and 2) college is going to challenge you. Not only are the academic expectations different than they were in grade school, but many aspects of your personal life are new and uncertain.

I am aware that college students face many challenges, such as the high financial burden of college and technology's increasingly sophisticated ability to consume our attention. I have designed this class with those challenges in mind. My goal is not for biology to become your entire life this semester. My goal is for you to use your time efficiently, develop effective study habits, and leave this course with a strong understanding of biology while still having time for your other classes, work, family, and personal interests.

Our system of higher education has defined something called a "credit hour". This is essentially the amount of your time that a class must consume. For every 1 credit hour, a class must consume 45 total hours of your time over the course of a semester. Our semester is 15.5 weeks, so 1 credit hour requires about 3 hours of your time per week. I am required to design my class in accordance with this credit hour system (See SUU Policy 6.26).

This class is not 1 credit hour; this class is 3 credit hours. That means this class must consume 9 hours of your time per week. 3 of those hours will be spent in class, so the remaining 6 of those hours must be spent independently. These numbers are the goal for an average student. If you have an excellent background in biology and chemistry, then you might ultimately spend less than 6 independent hours per week on this class. If your background in biology and chemistry is limited, then you might ultimately spend more than 6 independent hours per week on this class.

I aim to make the 3 weekly hours of class well worth your time; here are some tips to help make the ~6 weekly independent hours well worth your time:

Complete the pre-class work before class.
- Preview the pre-class quiz; there is no time limit, and you can exit and re-enter it any time before the due date. By previewing the pre-class quiz, you can gauge your background knowledge on the topic and set your expectations for the time it will take to learn the topic realistically.
- Read the assigned textbook sections and/or watch the videos. Don't take notes constantly as you read/watch. Instead, at the end of each section or roughly every 5 minutes, pause and write a summary of the information you just consumed in your own words. Processing the information actively in this way will almost always serve you better than simply copying information into organized notes.
- Take the pre-class quiz honestly. You may use any resources to complete it, but don't use AI as a shortcut because this will prevent you from learning.
Come to class prepared to participate.
- This class is extremely content-heavy. Don't treat class as the first exposure to the material, or you will be lost within 5 minutes.
- Engage with discussions and activities, don't just treat them as hoops to jump through.
Complete the homework soon after class.
- Let yourself struggle to answer a question for several minutes before you look up the answer. The simple act of trying to remember something, whether you successfully recall it or not, will improve your long-term memory of that thing.
- Take the homework honestly. You may use any resources to complete it, but don't use AI as a shortcut because this will prevent you from learning.
Review every week.
- Don't wait until the days leading up to an exam.
- Don't re-read notes; instead, choose a topic and brainstorm everything you can remember about that topic. Then look at your notes and verify what you remember.
- Find a study partner and quiz each other. The act of designing questions for someone else to answer is an excellent way to reinforce your own knowledge.
Use office hours early.
- This class is quite fast-paced, and most topics build upon previous topics. Problems almost always become harder to fix if you wait.
- If you're confused for more than 2-3 days, seek help immediately.
- I want to help you.

Course Outline

Attendance Policy

Regular in-person attendance is required in this course; see "Engaged Participation" in the Course Requirements in this syllabus for information regarding recording and grading of your attendance.
There is no remote attendance option via Zoom or other video conferencing tools.
If you are absent for any reason, you are responsible for contacting a classmate to obtain missed notes, handouts, and/or announcements.
Upcoming in-class quizzes are announced exclusively during class.
Office hours are intended to answer specific questions about course material, not to re-teach material missed due to an absence.
Official SUU-excused absences will be handled in accordance with Policy 6.30, linked here: https://www.suu.edu/policies/06/30.html

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

This class is relatively large, so it is very time-consuming for me to fairly respond to every request for late/make-up work. Therefore, make-ups for all types of assignments will generally not be offered. Instead, I have designed policies which allow you to drop several of your lowest scores for most (but not all) types of assignments. These drops are intended to accommodate assignments missed for any reason, including illness, technical difficulties, car trouble, planned family vacations, and other personal circumstances. Because your drops are your primary protection against missed assignments, use them wisely. Keep documentation for any assignments that you miss for reasons beyond your control; if such instances surpass your allotted number of drops, then you may contact me to discuss whether an exception is warranted. Please wait to approach me until you have exhausted (or can reasonably predict that you will exhaust) all of your drops in a given assignment category. This policy enables me to apply course policies consistently to all students while dedicating my limited time to creating meaningful learning experiences for you rather than performing administrative tasks.

Assignment Type | Late Policy | Approximate Number of Lowest Scores Dropped

Pre-class quizzes | Will not be accepted late to ensure that you complete the pre-class work before class | 5
Homework | Can be turned in late up to the final day of instruction with a 10% penalty per day late, beginning immediately after the due date | 6
Engaged participation | Will not be accepted late to ensure that you complete in-class work during class | 8
In-class quizzes | Will not be accepted late | Will vary; see Description of Course Requirements in this syllabus for full details
Unit exams 1-3 | Must be taken at the scheduled time except as provided under the Emergencies Policy | drops are not applicable to this assignment type
Final exam | Must be taken at the scheduled time except as provided under the Emergencies Policy | drops are not applicable to this assignment type

Dropped scores are applied automatically to your lowest scores at the end of the semester. You do not need to request that a score be dropped.

Official SUU-excused absences will be handled in accordance with Policy 6.30, linked here: https://www.suu.edu/policies/06/30.html

Emergencies Policy

In an emergency that prevents you from completing Pre-class Quizzes, Homework, Engaged Participation, and/or In-class Quizzes, the Late/Make-Up Work Policy in this syllabus applies.
In an emergency that prevents you from completing Unit Exams and/or the Final Exam, the following policy applies:
- I am willing to consider reasonable accommodations for you, at my discretion, if an emergency arises.
- It is your responsibility to contact me about an emergency as soon as possible or as soon as you are reasonably able. Delays in notifying me may limit the accommodations that are available.
- Upon contacting me, please provide documentation of your emergency. For example:
  - If you are physically or mentally ill, please provide documentation from an appropriate healthcare provider.
  - In the unfortunate event of the death of a family member or loved one, please provide a death certificate, obituary, memorial service, or other form of documentation.
- The following list includes, but is not limited to, examples of non-emergencies: family trips (whether planned or spontaneous), inclement weather where campus remains open, roommate disagreements, weddings, your job, etc.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

You may use any resources when completing Pre-class Quizzes and Homework, including AI tools. However, the highest-performing students typically complete Pre-class Quizzes and Homework by utilizing the textbook, lecture materials, and the instructor rather than simply using outside resources as shortcuts to find answers.
Unless otherwise specified, you may not use AI tools when completing Engaged Participation, In-class Quizzes, Unit Exams, and the Final Exam.
The use of AI tools for studying, reviewing concepts, or generating practice materials is permitted; however, be cautious because AI is not always accurate.
Unauthorized use of AI will be treated as Academic Misconduct according to SUU Policy 6.33.

Contacting Me Policy

Office Hours

I encourage you to attend office hours! I want to help you with specific questions, steer you in the right direction if you don't know where to start, and get to know you.
Office hours dates, times, and location are listed at the top of the Canvas homepage.
You may attend office hours any time without notifying me in advance.
Office hours are subject to change, and I will use Canvas announcements to notify you of changes to office hours.

Email/Canvas Messages

I respond to emails and Canvas messages within 1-2 business days.
I cannot guarantee a response in less than 1 business day, so be proactive and begin assignments with plenty of time to ask me questions.
Please do not send the same message to both my email and my Canvas inbox - choose one or the other, as I monitor both.
Please include your full name, course number, and section number in your messages.
Before contacting me, please check the syllabus and Canvas, as many common questions are answered there. Emails requesting information that is clearly available in those resources may receive a lower priority than other messages.

Grading

The following grade scale will be used to assign letter grades to your work:
A: >= 94%
A-: 90-93.9%
B+: 87-89.9%
B: 84-86.9%
B-: 80-83.9%
C+: 77-79.9%
C: 74-76.9%
C-: 70-73.9%
D+: 67-69.9%
D: 64-66.9%
D-: 60-63.9%
F: < 60%

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.

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