Hello, and welcome to the course policies page for Human Anatomy & Physiology I! Most of your questions about how the course works will probably be answered on this site. Use the links below to quickly find the information you are looking for.
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Course Objectives
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Class Schedule
The primary class schedule can be found in the Course Syllabus in Canvas. That schedule is kept up to date with any deadline changes and is comprehensive, including ALL deadlines, assignments, exams, etc. Please check it regularly! I also provide a printable schedule overview for your use during the quarter. Please keep in mind that this schedule overview may not be updated as the quarter progresses and does not show assignment deadlines.
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Grading
Description of grading components: Your grade in this course will be based on three lecture exams, three lab practical exams, lecture preparation assignments, group work, and course participation. There will also be an optional final exam; if you choose to take the final exam, your score on the final will replace the lowest of your first three lecture exam scores. Please see the section on exam policies.
Weighting of grading components: The grade components will be weighted as follows:
Lecture exams |
40% |
Lab practical exams |
30% |
Lecture preparation |
10% |
| Group work | 10% |
| Participation | 10% |
Your final grade will be determined by the total weighted percentage of points you earn for the class. You can check your grade at any time during the course. Visit the "Grades" area in Canvas. Your total percentage and your grade point will be displayed in the upper right hand corner of the Grades area. Please see the "Resources" module in Canvas for a table associating grades, percentages, and grade point scores.
Communicating with me about your grades: I cannot legally discuss your grades with you over the telephone or via email without verifying your identity. If you email me with questions about your grade, I will probably ask that you come to office hours, make an appointment to talk to me , or we can use Canvas's messaging function. If you want to get in touch with me via email, please use my Shoreline email address. Please remember that you should not give out your email password to others, or leave your account open where others may gain access to it.
Policy on extra credit: The only extra credit that will be awarded in this class will be in the form of occasional one or two point extra credit questions on exams or quizzes and a single extra credit participation point which will be available during the last week of class. I will not agree to requests for extra credit to boost a grade that is lower than the student prefers.
Policy on late & missed work: I understand that sometimes you need to turn work in late. Most assignments allow work to be turned in up to a week late, with a small penalty which is outlined in the assignment rubric. In addition, I am flexible about allowing short extensions when appropriate. Please read the guidelines below about missed assignments, and check out my section on make up exams for missed exams:
If you encounter a situation that isn't covered by the guidelines listed above, please get in touch with me as soon as possible to discuss potential solutions. My general operating principle is to ensure fairness to all and to make sure that your learning and that of others isn't compromised.
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Laboratory
Getting ready for lab: Before working on each lab, you should check the appropriate module in Canvas and make sure you've reviewed the Lab Information page. The Lab Information page has the list of lab learning objectives, a lab guide to help you you work with the LOs, and a collection of online resources. It will help you be more successful if you review all of this material carefully.
Practical exams: Practical exams are the primary way you will be tested on laboratory material. Specimens (bones, models, microscopes etc.) will be presented, marked with flags or arrows indicating the structure you're identifying. Any topics listed on your lab learning objective sheets are fair game for the lab practical. Practical exams will be conducted in person using real specimens, models, and microscopes; some material may be presented using printed images or a PowerPoint show on the screen at the front of class. The exams will typically consist of 50 questions, plus two additional points worth of extra credit.
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Exam Policies
Rules in effect during and after the exams: Please read the following carefully so you aren't surprised by any of the rules below when exam day comes. I know the list may seem kind of tedious, but most of the items are fairly common-sense ways to protect the integrity of the exams. That works to your advantage if you are one of the vast majority of students who are working hard to have a productive learning experience :).
Use of materials during the exam: You may have one 3" x 5" index card with you during your lecture tests with anything you like written on it (as long as it was written by hand). You may use both sides of the card. Write your name in the upper left corner of the card. I will ask you to turn the card in before the exam begins so I can look it over. The index cards will be returned once exams are handed out. If you don't have an index card, let me know and I will give you one. No notes are allowed during lab practical exams.
Spelling: For all exams in both lecture and laboratory, correct spelling of anatomic terms is expected. I will allow one- or two-letter errors in most cases, so long as the word, if read aloud, is easily understood (e.g. stommach instead of stomach would likely earn full credit, but auxilliary instead of axillary would not). Spelling errors more significant than than this will result in points being deducted. One-letter spelling errors that change the word into a new word will receive no credit (e.g. ileum instead of ilium).
Make up exams: Examine the course schedule carefully and note the exam dates on your calendar for future reference. Contact me by the end of the first week of class if you have a conflict on one of the exam dates and I will work with you to make alternative arrangements.
If you are ill or have an emergency on an exam day, you have a few options:
Other important information about making up exams:
Exam debrief assignment: Careful consideration of your test performance is a powerful tool to help your learning. An "exam debrief" can identify problem areas in your understanding of the material, study habits, or test-taking strategies. Correction of the problems will lead to improved exam scores. If you score less than 100% on the first lecture exam, you can earn back some points on your test for doing an exam debrief. I will return up to 30% of the points you lose. More details about this option can be found in Canvas. Please note that this option to earn back points is only available for the first lecture exam -- it is not available for practical exams, or for the second or third lecture exams.
Debriefs for exams other than Lecture Exam 1: While I don't award points back for lab practicals or for lecture exams 2 and 3, you are encouraged to use the exam debrief format to review your test performance. I'm happy to talk to you in office hours or via email if you think it would be helpful to you after any of our exams.
Regrade requests: You will have the opportunity to submit a "regrade request" for any exam or quiz if you feel that my grading on a particular question has been unfair or that I have misunderstood your answer. Regrade requests must be submitted no later than the end of the class period following the one in which the exam was returned. This deadline is firm, even if you were absent from class on the day the test was handed back. The entire exam may be regraded to assess whether relevant information is present in another question on the test or if I have totaled points incorrectly. Regrade requests must be posed in writing, explaining why you should be given additional credit for the item in question. My decision about whether to award you extra points will be based on how well you present your views, so you should be as clear and complete as possible and include references if necessary. Successful regrade requests are typically a paragraph or two in length per question and must include the following:
Exams written fully or partially in pencil or erasable pen, with white-out on them, or showing signs of erasure will not be regraded.
If I have added your point total incorrectly, simply show me the exam in class or office hours within one week after the exam was handed back to the class and I will make the correction. If you do not pick up your test until after this deadline, you must show me any addition errors at the time I return your test (during that class period or office hour visit, for example).
Final exam: This exam will be cumulative, covering all the lecture learning objectives. It will be very similar in structure to the regular lecture exams but it will be longer. All exam policies listed above for lecture exams will also apply on the final exam. In addition, there are a few special policies for the final:
There are some circumstances where you will not be eligible to take the final exam:
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Participation
Overview and importance. Participation points are a way for me to encourage you to do things that will help you learn. That means that earning points in this category can help your grade in more than one way!
My own data shows that students who complete more of the Participation activities such as lecture worksheets, office hours, etc. tend to learn more and be more successful in the class than students who don't do these activities. Many of the activities for which you can earn credit are specifically designed to help you prepare for the exams.
Your Participation point score directly contributes to your overall course grade. Though it might not seem like much, it can actually mean the difference between having to retake the class or earning a 2.0, or between earning a B grade vs. an A grade.
You are responsible for gathering 30 "Participation points" over the course of the quarter. You earn Participation points by engaging in the activities listed below. There are far more points possible than I am asking you to earn. If you make an effort to earn 3 points per week, you will stay on track for the quarter.
I recommend that you record each Participation point you turn in by date and category. That way, if there are any discrepancies between my records and yours, we will know where to look to resolve it. You will also have a better idea of which categories you've "used up" and which are still available to you.
Limitations on Participation points. You may turn in up to six Participation points per week. This limit is intended to encourage you to start earning points early in the quarter, and to participate on a regular basis. In addition, certain categories of Participation have limits on the maximum number of points that can be earned in that category per quarter. Consult the table below for details.
Due dates and availability of Participation scores. All Participation points are due at 4 pm on the last day of instruction (the day before Prep Day -- you can consult this page or or check Canvas for the date this quarter). You can see your Participation point totals in the Canvas gradebook. I update the Participation point totals Canvas weekly, usually on Mondays.
Participation point exemption. At the end of the quarter, if your Participation point score is lowering your overall grade rather than boosting it as intended, I will exempt all Participation. The result will be that your exams will have a greater weight than they would under normal circumstances. Even though I offer this option, I strongly recommend that you focus on earning as many Participation points as you can -- it will definitely help you be more successful!
Ways to earn Participation points. Each of the activities listed below will earn you one (1) Participation point. Some Participation categories have limits on the maximum number of points that can be earned per quarter. If you have suggestions for activities to add to this list, feel free to let me know; please note, however, that I will not offer the option of writing a term paper or essay.
| Category |
Instructions |
Points earned | Max per quarter |
| Lecture worksheet | Each lecture topic has an associated online practice worksheet, completed using Google Forms. You must complete the online version to earn a point. Links to the online worksheet will be posted in a weekly Announcement. All worksheets for the week are due on Sunday by 11:59 pm (with the usual grace period). | 1 per worksheet | N/A |
| Office Hour | Come and meet with me during my office hours. You can even come in just to chat! I'll note the date and time of your visit and give you a Participation point. | 1 per visit | 3 |
| Learning Objective | Break down a complex learning objective into a series of at least three brief questions. Full instructions are available in the Resources module on Canvas, on the page "Learning Objective Practice." | 1 per LO | 3 |
| Study Group | Attend a study group (two person minimum). Using the online self-report form, log the time and place of the meeting, how long it lasted (one hour minimum), and which learning objectives you reviewed on the online form in the Resources module. Each student must turn in a separate log. | 1 per session | 5 |
| Open Lab | Study lab learning objectives during open lab (see lab door for schedule). One hour minimum, one visit per day. There is an attendance sheet on the bench near the door. You must sign the attendance sheet before you leave. | 1 per visit | 5 |
| Study Reflection | Complete the Study Reflection assignment on Canvas. | 1 per week | 6 |
| Exam Review |
Ask a relevant question about material covered by the lecture LOs, and then attend the review session to get your answer. Use the online Exam Review Question form in the Resources module in Canvas to ask your question. Your question must be posted no later than 11:59 pm on the night before the review. |
1 per review | N/A |
| APR Self-Test | The optional Anatomy and Physiology Revealed (APR) resource has excellent self-tests available. Take one of the "Lab Practical" style self-tests with a minimum of 10 questions, score 75% or higher, use the "Save Results" button to download your results PDF, and email me the file. One file per email, please. | 1 per test | 3 |
| Stump the Teacher | Students often ask interesting questions in lecture that I'm not able to answer. When that happens, I'll post the question in Discussions and give you a few days to answer. For credit, answers must address the question as it was asked, must be in your own words and must be accompanied by a citation of the source you used to answer the question. No direct quotations are allowed. You MUST summarize in your own words. | 1 per discussion | 3 |
| Concept Map | There is information on concept mapping in Canvas and online. If you like the technique, you can turn in concept maps for participation points. You must get the topic approved with me before you turn it in, and I may ask you to revise maps that don't meet my standards (links should be accurate, arrows labeled, all important concepts represented). Points per map vary (usually one or two points). | 1-2 per map | 5 |
| Seminar | Lectures and workshops on topics relevant to this course are available in person and online (e.g. TED talks, live virtual seminars, etc.). If you'd like to attend one for credit, please check with me first to confirm that the seminar you've chosen is eligible. I typically require that seminars or workshops be at least 30 minutes in length. Using online self-report form, describe the seminar's main points and tell me what you found most interesting or most relevant to the class. |
1 per seminar (topic must be approved first) |
5 |
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Email Policy & Course Web Component
Email policy: I encourage you to use email as a primary means to communicate with me. I am far more accessible by email than phone, and can sometimes reply to you in the evening and on weekends when I wouldn't normally be checking my phone messages. You can also send any member of the class an email from the Canvas site. This function can be found in the "People" section.
Guidelines for emails you send to me:
What you can expect from me in response to your messages:
Web component: Announcements, assignments, quizzes, etc. may be posted on the Canvas site for the course. You are responsible for checking Canvas frequently and reading the Announcements I post in a timely manner (I recommend you check at least three times weekly, or every other day except on weekends). For assignments or assessments (tests & quizzes) that require you to upload files, you are responsible for selecting the correct files and for checking your work to make sure you have uploaded the correct items. If you upload the incorrect file and don't discover it before the due date for the assignment, you are responsible for the consequences (e.g. late penalty, zero for the assignment, etc.).
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Classroom Recording
Lectures may not be recorded in any medium without my prior permission. The content may not be published in any form other than what I provide. That is, you may not record and post the material anywhere else.
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Academic Responsibility
In order to help you make the most of your experience in this class, I am including a section that clarifies your responsibilities as a student and my responsibilities as an instructor.
It is my job to select and interpret the information covered in the course. This means that I decide what is most important for you to learn, and I present it to you in the manner I feel will best promote your understanding of it. I will make myself available to you during class and during my office hours, and after hours via email and the discussion boards on Canvas. I will offer review sessions and other supplemental exercises. I am committed to helping you master the challenging subject matter in this course.
The rest is up to you -- with as much help as I'm able to offer :). No matter how much I may try, it's not possible for someone else to make you learn. Instead, learning is an activity that YOU do! I am happy to provide support, to make suggestions, and to spend time with you. I will provide a number of resources to help you make the most of your time this quarter. If you are having difficulties, it's important to let me know. Sometimes you must be the one to seek me out and ask for assistance, because I cannot always know what troubles are standing in your way. Please come and talk to me! I enjoy talking to students. I've chosen this job because I like students and I like helping them learn.
The Writing & Learning Studio (TWLS) provides instructional handouts and texts and drop-in tutoring for students in any discipline who want to work on college reading strategies, study skills, research papers, essays, or other kinds of writing assignments. For more information, visit the TWLS website at http://www.shoreline.edu/twls/.
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Academic Dishonesty
My expectations. I expect everything you turn in for this class to be written in your own words. One rule of thumb is that if you use more than four words from a source, it requires quotes and a citation. However, it's very rare for work you turn in for this class to include quotes or citations. Instead, I want you to learn about the topic, digest the information, and put it down on paper in your own words, not someone else's. Nearly all the information in this class falls into the realm of "common knowledge", which requires no citation. "Stump the Teacher" questions require you to provide a link to the source you used to answer the question, but you should still use your own words and not quotations.
What is plagiarism, and how do you avoid it? Plagiarism is when you use another author's words and present them as if they were your own. Copying sentences but changing a word here and there is still plagiarism. For example, if your source says: "The surface of the cerebellum is covered with finely spaced parallel grooves, in striking contrast to the broad irregular convolutions of the cerebral cortex" (from this Wikipedia article), then it is not okay for you to write "The surface of the cerebellum has finely spaced channels, in contrast to the large uneven convolutions of the cerebral cortex." An appropriate rewording might be "While the cerebral cortex has thick gyri, those of the cerebellum are thinner and more numerous."
I realize that many students struggle in learning to paraphrase what they read without plagiarizing. It is a skill like any other; it can be learned but you must practice it consciously. The best advice I can give you is to take the following steps:
Read the material you plan to paraphrase. You may need to read it more than once before you feel like you understand it sufficiently. You may need to consult the textbook glossary or other resources to help you with the vocabulary.
Give yourself a few minutes to let the material sink in, and then put the material away or cover it so you can't see it.
Write about the topic in your own words. You might even say it out loud, pretending that you are explaining the ideas to a friend. This will help you to choose your own words.
If you need to, check your work against the original material to correct errors.
In an even simpler form, follow this rule: never write anything that you are going to turn in as your own work while you have your book or notes open. If you follow this rule, you will protect yourself from almost every form of plagiarism.
Still have questions? Here is a helpful resource that outlines what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid plagiarizing sources that you might use in your learning. I encourage you to read the web page carefully, paying attention to the examples the author presents.
What is cheating? Cheating is unethical behavior that gives you an unfair advantage over others on an assignment or test. When you cheat, you are making a false representation of what you have learned. Here are a few examples of cheating behavior:
Consequences of academic dishonesty. I won't tolerate academic dishonesty, whether the point values involved are large or small. Please be aware that you are responsible for understanding what academic dishonesty entails. It would be a very good idea for you to read Shoreline's policy on the matter; this information is also available in your college catalog in the section titled Policies for Students. Instances of academic dishonesty will be pursued as stringently as allowed by Shoreline policy. Please see below for a description of the consequences.
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In order to discourage cheating, a number of policies will be in effect during quizzes and exams. Be certain you have read and understand the exam policies before you start the quiz or exam!
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Withdrawal Policy
Please pay careful attention to the deadlines for withdrawing from the course and for changing to a P/NP option. These are listed in the this Important Dates document. I will adhere to these deadlines, so please take time to review them. After the final withdrawal date has passed, your only option to avoid receiving a numeric grade for the course is to apply for a hardship withdrawal (Z grade). Hardship withdrawals are offered to cover unanticipated crises where you are unable to attend class or to perform at the same level as you had been prior to the hardship. Contact me if you would like to discuss this option.
If you're involved in an academic dishonesty issue, certain additional conditions will apply to my approval of your withdrawal from the class:
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Classroom Behavior
Please do not talk over others. Please do not interrupt or belittle your classmates, or disrupt the class with your speech or activities. During online sessions, please mute your microphone when you are not speaking. Show me and your classmates respect, and we will show respect for you.
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Waitlists
If you are on a waitlist for this class, you must check in with me on the first day of class, or you will risk losing your rank on the waitlist. I will add students to the class in the order they appear on the waitlist, so long as they check in with me. Final decisions about who will be allowed into the class will be made no later than the 6th day of Shoreline classes (generally one week after the first day of class).
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Suspended Operations Policy
Unless the college has suspended operations, we will have continue class as posted in the schedule on Canvas. If the college has suspended operations, you should consult the Canvas site for further instructions. I may still ask you to turn in work, watch lectures, etc. in an online format even if the physical campus is closed. You can check the college homepage, call the college at 206-546-4101, or tune in to local media for information about the college's status. Details about these information sources can be found at the college's web page for Suspended Operations.(top)
ADA Accommodations
Students with learning, health, sensory, physical, psychological or temporary disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodations to ensure access to programs and facilities at Shoreline Community College. To receive reasonable accommodations, students are responsible for requesting accommodations and documenting the nature and extent of their disability in a timely manner. To request accommodations, contact the office of Student Accessibility Services at 206-546-4545 or by email at sas@shoreline.edu.
I can only offer accommodations that are specifically communicated to me in writing by the Student Accessibility Services office at Shoreline. Please work with that office if you would like to receive formal accommodations. If you plan to use your accommodations on an exam (such as extra time, quiet room, large type, etc.), please let me know at least one week in advance of the exam so that I can make appropriate arrangements.
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Reasonable accommodations for faith & conscience
Students who will be absent from course activities due to reasons of faith or conscience may seek reasonable accommodations so that grades are not impacted. Such requests must be made within the first two weeks of the quarter using the Faith and Conscience Absence Form.
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