Miller 161 Course Policies

Health Sciences I
NAS 161 Syllabus
Part I: Course Policies
Instructor: Cindy Miller

Any information in this syllabus is subject to change according to the needs of the class and at the discretion of the instructor

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MATERIAL AND COURSE DIRECTIONS CONTAINED WITHIN THIS SYLLABUS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY.

General Course Purpose NAS 161-162 is a college transfer-level course designed to meet the needs of students pursuing programs in various health technology fields. The course consists of formal lectures, demonstrations and laboratory activities which examine the microscope and gross anatomy of the systems of the human body and their physiology. Microbiology and pathology are integrated and emphasis throughout is on integrated operation of the body systems. This course is a requirement of many of the health technology curricula and may be completed prior to entry into the curriculum of choice.

Prerequisite: BIO 101 or NAS 150 or division approval. The prerequisites can also be met by one of the following: High school biology and chemistry within the last ten years, Biology 01 and Chemistry 06 at NVCC. Other course information is found at http://www.nvcc.edu/depts/academic/coursecont/summaries/nas161-2.htm
E-mail: lmiller@nvcc.edu e-mail is checked daily and questions, concerns, etc will be answered. Please enter your LAST name as the first entry in your emails, followed by 161. Be concise in adding anything else you think is relevant. I am likely to delete WITHOUT READING emails that have blank subject lines or subject lines are not specific (e.g. Hello, test, etc.) or that have attachments. Sign your emails by typing your full name at the end of your message. Note that it is a requirement of NVCC that you use VCCS email account for this course. It is the only way that I can initiate emails to you. Be aware, however, that you may go into your VCCS account and authorize a forwarding of your emails to a different account. You must initiate emails to me from your VCCS account.

Office CS 116; drop–in hours as follows: Monday—11 am to 1 pm; Tuesday, 2 to 4 pm; Wednesday 11 am to noon.

Blackboard Site: Your grades and other components of this course will be available Blackboard. To access Blackboard course site, go to http://learn.vccs.edu/ and follow the directions from there. Help with this can be obtained at http://tac.nvcc.edu/blackboard . If you do not have a computer at home, you may use one in the library or in any of the computer labs on campus. There is a new open computer lab CT 105. You can check your grades by going to the Bb site, clicking on ‘tools’ and then on ‘my grades.

Lecture Materials required
Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 11th Edition. Tortora and Derrickson
Microbiology, An Introduction, 9th Edition. Tortora, Funke, and Case
An Introduction of Chemistry for Biology Students, any edition. George L. Sackheim (optional)

Lab Materials Required
Laboratory Manual for Anatomy and Physiology, Allen and Harper
Health Science I and II Laboratory Supplement (2006 edition) Department of Biology
A small (no larger than 1”) loose-leaf notebook

Attendance is expected by me and by the college. If you do not attend class for 4 consecutive sessions and have not contacted me, then I will withdraw you if it is before the last day to withdraw. If it is after the last day to withdraw you will receive whatever grade you have earned for the course based on the work you have done. I will not contact you. Tardiness is not expected, but sometimes unavoidable. Please do your best to be on time, and if you need to be late, then please exercise common courtesy when you do enter. (Refer to learning statement below)

Student Considerations: If there are any students in this class who have special needs because of learning or any other kind of disability, please feel free to come and discuss your situation with me. Sometimes special accommodations can be extended only to students who have documented disabilities.
Please Read and heed this Learning Environment Statement. This is a statement of expectations developed by the Annandale Campus Council for all Members of the campus community.

Academic Integrity. Any cheating will be rewarded by a failing grade for the course. Cheating can extend to plagiarism, copying, improper collaboration, etc. Please familiarize yourself with the NVCC Student Handbook, page 63, Section VI: Academic Dishonesty. You can find an on line version of the handbook at http//:nvcc.edu or by clicking on the external links button of your Blackboard site.

Evacuation Procedures: In case of emergency please follow the emergency procedure as discussed on the first day of class and as posted in this classroom. We are to have a meeting point outside should an evacuation become necessary, and that will be the bench by the bus stop that is across the main access road and in front of the lake. Please do go there so that I can be sure everyone has evacuated the building.

Lecture Requirements: There are 3 non-cumulative lecture exams, 12 non-cumulative quizzes and a project on muscles. Exams are given in class and are untimed. However it is necessary to finish them within the class time. They will be of mixed formats and you will need to obtain a Scantron® form of the type that allows both objective (fill in the circles) and essay answers on the same form. Exams missed because of an unavoidable situation (in my opinion) that can be documented by a doctor’s note, or similar document, may be made up within one week in the testing center. This is a privilege given once in the semester. A second missed exam cannot be made up.
Quizzes will be announced and may be in class, or may be on Blackboard. More information to follow.

Lab Requirements: There are 3 non-cumulative lab exams and you are required to maintain a lab notebook. Additionally attendance is required at lab sessions. Missed Lab exams are not possible to make up. If you have a legitimate (in my judgment) and documented excuse then you may take the lab during the spring semester.
Your lab notebook will contain lab work that I assign as the course progresses. It must be completed and handed in at the beginning of each lab exam. Assignments from the lab book will be included, and these will need to be neatly removed from the lab book, punched and inserted into your lab notebook. Drawings will be assigned, and these also must be inserted into your lab notebook. The notebook must be in the order in which the work was assigned. . DO NOT USE THE SAME NOTEBOOK AS YOUR CLASS NOTES. DO NOT HAND IN THE LAB MANUAL ITSELF. I WILL NOT ACCEPT LATE LAB BOOKS, Failure to follow these directions will result in a 5 point deduction from your lab book score. If the book is in complete disarray it will not be graded at all; you will receive a zero.

Grading –these tables should be self-explanatory

Gradable Event	How often?	Points each?	Total
Lecture exams	3 times	130	390
Lecture Quizzes	12 times	20	240
Muscle Book Project	1 time	30	30
*Lecture total*			*660*
Lab Exams	3 times	75	225
Lab Book checks	3 times	20	60
Attendance at lab	11 times	5	55
*Lab total*			*340*
Course Total			1000

Grade	Points
A	895 points or more
B	795 – 894
C	695 - 794
D	595 - 694
F	Fewer than 694 points

What if I need help—I’m just not getting this? Tell me immediately—I can’t help you if I don’t know you are in trouble. Join a study group (probably the most valuable thing to do), or seek tutoring. The tutoring center is on the 4th floor of the Godwin Building, and often they can help you.

Is there any extra credit? Yes: The Extra Credit Challenge: If you ask a question during lecture or lab that I cannot answer I may offer it for extra credit. If you accept it, then you must turn in a one page (completely filled, no larger than 12 point font) paper answering the question, with at least 2 sources cited. You will receive a maximum of three points for each extra credit you submit up to a maximum of 15 points. You will receive no points for a print out of a web page.

Is this going to be on the test—Yes! Any material that is covered in lecture or lab is ‘fair game’ for an exam question.

Is it OK if I am late everyday or leave early every day because of my job (etc.) schedule? No, its not.

How many points to I need to get on this test to get an A (or B, etc.)? Refer to the grade table in your syllabus.

Will you write a letter of recommendation for me? I am usually quite happy to write you a letter of recommendation. However, you must come to my office during regular office hours to request it and this must be done at least two weeks before you need it or two weeks before the end of the semester. When you come in be prepared to provide me with a list of criteria for the position for which you are applying. Please also provide me with a copy of your application letter or personal goals statement and a list of courses and dates they were taken in your major program. Indicate the grades you received for these courses! I always appreciate an email to let me know what happened to your application.