DEPARTMENT OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
SYLLABUS, SUMMER 2021

COURSE INFORMATION

Number: BSC 2011

Title: Biological Diversity
Section: 001
CRN: 50006
Credit hours: 3
Meeting times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-2:40pm, via Microsoft Teams

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name: Dr. Chantale Bégin

Office: SCA 329 (but meeting only via Teams in Summer 2021)
Office Hours: Tuesday 11am-noon, Thursday 9-10am, and by appointment
Email: [email protected]

TEACHING ASSISTANT INFORMATION

Name: Christyn Geniesse

Office: SCA 339 (but meeting only via Teams in Summer 2021)
Office hours: Monday 3-4pm, Wednesday 9-10am, and by appointment.
Email: [email protected]

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Biodiversity is an analysis of biological systems at the organismal level: evolution, speciation,
history of life, and ecology.

This course is designed to introduce students to the diversity of life. We will start by reviewing
evolutionary theory and then conduct an overview of the major groups of living organisms. We
will finish by looking at how organisms interact with each other and their environment and how
populations grow and interact with one another.

This course will be taught as a "flipped classroom": students will do assigned readings and
work through Canvas modules before coming to class. Class time will be spent doing
interactive activities and practice problems, with the help of the instructor and teaching
assistant, and learning assistants (basically, undergrad TAs).

COURSE PREREQUISITES, AND MINIMUM TECHNICAL SKILLS & REQUIREMENTS: 

COURSE PRE-REQUISITES : None

COURSE CO-REQUISITES : BSC 2011L

This course includes a lot of online content due to the nature of the “flipped classroom”, and
class meetings are conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams. In order to take courses online at
USF, you will need to be able to demonstrate proficiency at basic computer skills, maintain
reliable internet access, and meet the computer system requirements listed here:  
https://www.usf.edu/it/remote/requirements-for-students.aspx 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Upon completing this course, students will be able to:

1. Explain mechanisms of evolution and how evolutionary relationships are inferred
2. Discuss development of biological diversity, and relationships among the major taxa
3. Compare form and function for representative members of major taxa
4. Examine general interactions between organisms and the environment

REQUIRED CLASS MATERIAL

1) Text: Campbell Biology with access to Mastering Biology and Learning

Catalytics. Reece, Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky and Jackson, 12 th Edition,
Pearson Education 2020. You may purchase this in a number of ways: 1) as an ebook
with 18 week Mastering access code (9780136780809); 2) as an ebook with 18 week
Mastering access code with a loose leaf version of the book shipped to you
(9780136858256); 3) as an ebook with 24 month Mastering access code
(9780135855836); 4) as an ebook with 24 month Mastering access code with a loose
leaf version of the book shipped to you (9780136858263). Mastering Biology (and the e-
book and Learning Catalytics) must be accessed via the Canvas page for the course.
Navigate to the “MyLab and Mastering” tab for access. Do not try to access our course
via the Mastering Biology website. You may purchase e-books and access to Mastering
via the USF bookstore or directly from Pearson the first time you click on our Mastering
course (the latter option is cheaper).
2) Access to a computer with a webcam and a microphone, for online exams and for
interactions with your LA and teammates via Microsoft Teams.
CLASS COMMUNICATION:
Students are required to check the course Canvas site on a regular basis to keep track of
announcements, messages and upcoming assignments. You may elect to set up alerts (email,
text message or other) so that you are notified when assignments are due or when there is
relevant activity in the Canvas site. Even if you choose not to receive these notifications, you
are responsible for the information presented on Canvas.

GRADING:

The course grade will be based on lecture exams, online homework assignments, and lecture
attendance and participation. We will use a weighed gradebook in Canvas, with each
assignment category weighed as outlined below:

Exams (75%): There will be four non-cumulative lecture-period exams as well as a cumulative
final exam. Your lowest of the lecture exams grade will be dropped, and each remaining exam
will be worth 18.75% of your grade. The final exam will not be dropped and is also worth
18.75% of your grade. If you arrive late for an exam, and any students have already
completed and left the exam, you will not be allowed to take the exam. Only exams missed for
excused and documented absences will be eligible for a make-up. You must request the
make-up ahead of time if possible, and at the latest on the day of the missed exam, unless you
are physically unable to do so (e.g. due to grave illness and hospitalization). You will be asked
to present your student ID during exams. Exams will be taken online with Proctorio (see details
below under “Online exams (Proctorio)”.

Pre-class modules (10%): Students will have to complete online modules on a particular
chapter before coming to class. These will be accessed through the Canvas site for the
course. These will be due at 11:59pm two day before we are scheduled to cover a topic in
class. Completion of these modules is critical to be able to follow during class sessions.

Homework (5%): Post-class homework via Mastering Biology (5%) due at 11:59pm a few
days (exact number variable) after we have covered a topic in class. Mastering homework will
be accessed through the Canvas site for the course.

Note that the length of online assignments (both pre-class modules and post-class
Mastering homework) will vary from chapter to chapter. Plan accordingly and make sure
you have enough time to complete the assignments before they are due.

To access Mastering homework, follow the steps below:

Enter your Canvas course

1. Sign in to Canvas and click on our course.
2. Select MyLab & Mastering in the Course Navigation, and then select any course link
on the Pearson page (e.g. “Mastering Assignments”).
Get access to your Pearson course content
1. Enter your Pearson account username and password to Link Accounts.
You have an account if you have ever used a Pearson MyLab & Mastering product, such
as MyMathLab, MyITLab, MySpanishLab, MasteringBiology or MasteringPhysics.
If you don’t have a Pearson account, select Create and follow the instructions.
2. Select an access option:
Enter the access code that came with your textbook or was purchased separately.
Buy access using a credit card or PayPal account.
If available, get temporary access by selecting the link near the bottom of the page.
3. From the You’re Done page, select Go to My Courses.
Note: You should always enter your MyLab & Modified Mastering course through Canvas.

The video at this link reviews how to register for Mastering Biology: https://screencast-o-
matic.com/watch/cYjn0mE8sG.

Get your computer ready

For the best experience, check the system requirements for your product at:
http://www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com/system-requirements/
Need help?
For help with MyLab & Modified Mastering with Canvas, go to:
http://help.pearsoncmg.com/mylabmastering/canvas/student/en/index.html
Please use Chrome or Firefox browsers to register for Mastering Homework or to complete
assignments. Do NOT use Safari and do NOT use a phone.
Please note that extensions will not be granted, except for documented university-excused
reasons that cover a significant portion of the time that the assignment was available. Due
dates for all assignments for the entire semester is available on Canvas. We highly
recommend that you set up reminders to ensure that you don’t miss assignments. The lowest
homework assignment and lowest Dynamic Study Module grades will each be dropped from
the overall grade calculation.

Extra credit homework assignment (up to 1%): Five practice exams will be set up in
Canvas, which can earn students up to 1% extra credit. Each practice exam will be open for
one week and will not be reopened once it closes. Each practice exam’s worth is proportional
to the points associated with it. Note that the extra credit points will NOT be automatically
calculated in Canvas and instead will be added manually at the very end of the semester.

Attendance & Participation (10%): Given that this class is taught as a “flipped class”,
attendance and participation in the lecture is critical to success. This will be assessed largely
through Learning Catalytics, though attendance and participation is also tracked by Learning
Assistants. Access to Learning Catalytics is done via Mastering Biology. When you arrive in
class, navigate to the homepage in Mastering Biology on your device, and click on the
Learning Catalytics “join session” link which will be appear a few minutes before class.
Learning Catalytics will be used to take attendance and to record your answers to questions
during class. We will be using Team-based assessments in which you will first answer
questions on your own, then discuss each question as a team and agree on a team answer.
Your grade for each session will be split between your individual answers and your team’s
answers. Questions will be based on the worksheets that are posted to the online modules and
build on material presented in the modules. It is very important that you complete the
modules carefully and that answer worksheet questions on your own before class time,
otherwise it will be extremely difficult to answer the Learning Catalytics questions in the
time allotted in class.
Calculating your Learning Catalytics grade: For each question, you will receive 50% of the
credit for your answer in the individual round, and 50% of the credit for your team’s answer in
the team round. Note that Learning Catalytics allows any student in the team to submit
answers on behalf of the team. On any given day, your Learning Assistant will designate a
team captain who will be the student in charge of submitting answers. Nobody else
should submit answers. If a student who is not the team captain submits answers, their
overall grade will be reduced by one letter grade. Only students who are interacting with
their team in the Teams meeting in your channel are to receive credit for Learning Catalytics
team-based assessments. Students who are doing these sessions on their own will have their
Attendance and participation grade lowered accordingly (i.e. will lose the 50% credit for the
team round). The three lectures in which you earned the lowest score of the semester (i.e.
those that are most detrimental to your grade) will be dropped from your overall attendance
and participation grade. There will therefore not be further opportunities to make-up
attendance and participation points if you miss class, forget your device or if it does not work
during a given class. It is your responsibility to make sure you have a wifi-enabled device that
is working properly. The professor or lecture TA cannot fix it for you. If you miss class meetings
for a university-accepted reason (see below) and deliver the proper documentation to Dr.
Bégin before or immediately after the missed classes, you may receive attendance points for
those lectures by providing Dr. Bégin with completed worksheets within a week of the missed
class. We will work out the make-up points on a case by case basis. Your total
attendance/participation score will be taken as a percentage of all available points to make up
the 10% of the attendance and participation grades.

Note that in Spring 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we understand that some students
registered for the face to face section may have to miss class at times because they are
mandated to self-isolate due to feeling ill or having been exposed to the virus. If you are in that
situation but are still able to participate in class virtually, please 1) notify your LA via Canvas
prior to class, 2) follow class virtually via the Teams session on Canvas and chat with your
LA/teammates via the Teams chat in the Teams channel for your LA. For students in both the
face to face and the online sections: if you are so ill that you can’t participate in class, notify
your LA and your absence will be considered excused. Proceed as directed in the previous
paragraph for other excused absences.

You should obtain access to Learning Catalytics by Thursday, May 20th. We will use Learning
Catalytics on Tuesday May 18th as practice and I strongly encourage you to start using it on
this date. We will not modify grades on May 20 th because of any technical difficulties that stem
from not understanding how to use the site.

Cheating policy:
The use of someone else’s learning catalytics account is academic dishonesty. If we find
anyone doing this, all students involved will be penalized a course letter grade! A second
offense will result in an F for the class and possible further sanctions.

Forgotten device policy:

Please realize that we will be using Learning Catalytics in every class and attendance and
participation points will make up 10% of your final grade. Please remember that it is your
responsibility to come prepared to participate with a functioning device every day. However, I
do realize that difficult circumstances do arise, and for this reason I will drop the 3 lowest
Learning Catalytics sessions from your total participation grade.

Absences
If you miss a class meeting for any reason, you will be held responsible for all material covered
and announcements made in your absence. Electronic slides for most (but not necessarily all)
lectures will be posted on Canvas. It will be your responsibility to consult with students in the
class concerning what you missed.

Excused absences, which are acceptable reasons for requesting a make-up, are medical
(individual or immediate family only; documented), legal (accident or court case; individual
only; documented), funerary (immediate family only; documented), military (call to active duty;
documented), religious (customarily-observed holidays; absence pre-arranged with instructor),
and special requirements of other courses and University-sponsored events (absence pre-
arranged with instructor). You must provide documentation for excused absence for all
missed lectures or exams in order to be allowed a make-up. The reason for requesting a
make-up must relate specifically to the time periods of the missed coursework and must be
documented in writing by an involved professional, when documentation is required. The
instructor retains the right to make additional inquiries concerning the documentation. If you
are sick, you MUST contact the instructor in advance of the exam or class and then you have
one week to present a doctor’s note for ALL excused absences and still get your attendance
points or be allowed a make-up. The same holds true for other university excused absences.
Within reason, the Department accommodates students’ religious beliefs. The University
compiles a list of established religious days when classes may need to be missed for religious
observances, and only these established religious days are addressed by University policy
(http://generalcounsel.usf.edu/policies-and-procedures/pdfs/policy-10-045.pdf). Students who
anticipate the necessity of being absent from class because of the observation of an
established religious day must provide notice of the date(s) to the Instructor, in writing, by the
second class meeting. Should a student miss a class due to an excused reason, he/she
should keep up with the material covered on that day (via Panopto recordings, slide shows
uploaded to Canvas, and the textbook), and contact the instructor as soon as possible and
within a week of the absence. The student should at that point provide documentation for the
absence, and send a completed worksheet to the instructor within a week of the absence.
Once these documents are received by the instructor, the zero assigned for the missed class
will be replaced by a dash in the Canvas gradebook, meaning that Canvas will not include that
session in the calculation of the overall attendance and participation grade.

Finally, tardiness is disruptive and unacceptable. Please do not arrive late to lecture.
Moreover, Learning Catalytics questions are likely to be asked early on in a class period,
therefore attendance and participation points are likely to be missed due to tardiness.

ONLINE EXAMS (PROCTORIO)

All students must review the syllabus and the requirements including the online terms and
video testing requirements to determine if they wish to remain in the course. Enrollment in the
course is an agreement to abide by and accept all terms. Any student may elect to drop or
withdraw from this course before the end of the drop/add period.

Online exams and quizzes within this course may require online proctoring. Therefore,
students will be required to have a webcam (USB or internal) with a microphone when taking
an exam or quiz. Students understand that this remote recording device is purchased and
controlled by the student and that recordings from any private residence must be done with the
permission of any person residing in the residence. To avoid any concerns in this regard,
students should select private spaces for the testing. The University library and other academic
sites at the University offer secure private settings for recordings and students with concerns
may discuss location of an appropriate space for the recordings with their instructor or advisor.
Students must ensure that any recordings do not invade any third party privacy rights and
accept all responsibility and liability for violations of any third party privacy concerns. Setup
information will be provided prior to taking the proctored exam. For additional information about
online proctoring you can visit the online proctoring student FAQ at
http://www.usf.edu/innovative-education/resources/student-services/online-proctoring.aspx.
Final grades:
A+ 97% & above
A 93 to 96.9%
A- 90 to 92.9%
B+ 87 to 89.9%
B 83 to 86.9%
B- 80 to 82.9%
C+ 77 to 79.9%
C 70 to 76.9%
D+ 67 to 69.9%
D 63 to 66.9%
D- 60 to 62.9%
F below 60% *

* F or FF also assigned for academic misconduct

There is no curve in this course and students WILL NOT be awarded a higher letter grade simply
because they are close to the next highest grade. However, if the exams turn out to be more
difficult than anticipated, the individual exam grades may be adjusted upwards. The absence of a
curve guarantees that students who earn 93% will receive an ‘A’ regardless of the grade
distribution

CONTINUITY IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY

Weather alerts and other warnings issued by the University are not valid reasons for missing a
class: as long as the University is not closed, classes are in session, and students are
expected to attend. In the event of a campus closure resulting from a pandemic escalation or
other emergencies, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that
include but are not limited to: Canvas, Elluminate, Panopto, Skype, Teams, Blackboard
Collaborate Ultra and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It is the responsibility of
the student to monitor Canvas site for each class for course specific communication, and the
main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important
general information.

DISHONESTY POLICY:
USF expects all members to behave with academic integrity. Should we find evidence of
academic misconduct (cheating, or complicity in academic dishonesty) by a student, we will
inform the student of the action to be taken. Cheating on an exam will result in a grade of F for
the course. If the offense is extremely serious, charges against the student will be brought
before the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. This can include a punitive F that cannot
be "forgiven" from the records.

BSC 2011L LABORATORY:

Note: The laboratory for BSC 2011 is operated separately from the lecture. However, you must
be enrolled in the lecture part of this class to take the laboratory. If you withdraw from the
lecture, you must also withdraw from the laboratory.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
The Department accommodates the special needs of students with documented disabilities.
Students with special needs should meet with the Instructor, preferably during the first week of
the semester, to make arrangements to accommodate those needs. For students with special
needs, the following statement applies. “Students in need of academic accommodations for a
disability may consult with the Office of Students with Disabilities Service to arrange
appropriate accommodations. Students are required to give reasonable notice prior to
requesting an accommodation.”

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY:
Recording of lectures is permitted for personal use only. Sale of such items is forbidden.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES:
Personal computers, tablets and smart phones may be used during lectures for taking notes
and other class related activities only. Use of cell phones for activities other than class,
including texting, is prohibited at all times during the class.

COMPUTER AND NETWORK ACCESS:

The use of Canvas must be consistent with the agreement that a student signed to obtain a
NetID.

DISRUPTION OF THE ACADEMIC PROCESS:

Students are expected to show proper respect for the instructor, the teaching assistant and for
other students. Punishment will be imposed for disruption of academic process of any kind.
‘Disruption of academic process’ is defined by the University as an act, words, or general
conduct of a student in a classroom or other academic environment which in the reasonable
estimation of the instructor: (1) directs attention from the academic matter at hand (e.g., noisy
distractions; persistent, disrespectful or abusive disruptions of lecture, exam, or academic
discussions) or (2) presents a danger to the health, safety, or well-being of self or other
persons. Students coming to class late or leaving class early can be a disruption of academic
process and can be dealt with accordingly.
Department guidelines for punishment are based on University guidelines (see the current
Undergraduate Catalogue). If the unacceptable conduct is serious enough to warrant dismissal
from the course, then the student shall receive a final grade of “W,” if he/she is passing the
course, and a final grade of “F,” if he/she is not passing the course.

GENDER-BASED CRIMES/SEXUAL MISCONDUCT/SEXUAL HARASSMENT (INCLUDING

SEXUAL VIOLENCE), USF SYSTEM POLICY 0-004
USF has a commitment to the safety and well-being of our students. Please be aware that
educators must report incidents of sexual harassment and gender-based crimes including
sexual assault, stalking, and domestic/relationship violence that come to their attention. I am
required to report such incidents in order for the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities
or the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity can investigate the incident or
situation as a possible violation of the USF Sexual Misconduct/Sexual Harassment Policy and
provide assistance to the student making the disclosure. If you disclose in class or to me
personally, I must report the disclosure and will assist you in accessing available resources.

The Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention, the Counseling Center and Student
Health Services are confidential resources where you can talk about such situations and
receive assistance without the incident being reported.

Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention:

(813) 974-5757
http://sa.usf.edu/advocacy
Counseling Center
(813) 974-2831
http://usf.edu/student-affairs/counseling-center
Student Health Services
(813) 974-2331
http://usf.edu/student-affairs/student-health-services

STANDARD UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

Policies about disability access, religious observances, academic grievances, academic
integrity and misconduct, academic continuity, food insecurity, and sexual harassment are
governed by a central set of policies that apply to all classes at USF. These may be accessed
at: https://www.usf.edu/provost/faculty/core-syllabus-policy-statements.aspx
This course adheres to the instructional guidelines posted on the webpage of the Department
of Integrative Biology (http://biology.usf.edu/ib/admin/).
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (subject to change during the semester):

  Day Topic Chapters

Introduction & pre-test; LO 22.3 Describe the mechanism of natural
Tue -
18-May selection
20-May Thu Descent with modification & Evolution of populations 22-23
25-May Tue Origin of species, history of life on earth 24-25
27-May Thu History of life on earth & phylogeny 25-26
1-Jun Tue Test 1: Evolution and taxonomy; Mindomo practice 22-26
3-Jun Thu Bacteria and Archaea; Protists 27-28
8-Jun Tue Protists; Plant diversity 1 28-29
10-Jun Thu Plant diversity 1; Plant diversity 2 29-30
15-Jun Tue Plant diversity 2 30
Test 2: Biodiversity 1: Prokaryotes, protists & plants; midterm study
Thu 27-30
17-Jun skills discussion, fungi mindomo tree
22-Jun Tue Fungi & Animal diversity 31-32
24-Jun Thu Animal diversity & Invertebrates 32-33
29-Jun Tue Invertebrates 33-34
1-Jul Thu Vertebrates 34
6-Jul Tue Test 3: Biodiversity 2: Opisthokonts; intro to ecology 31-34
8-Jul Thu Intro to ecology and population ecology 52-53
13-Jul Tue Community Ecology and Ecosystem ecology 54-55
15-Jul Thu Ecosystem ecology and conservation 56
20-Jul Tue Exam 4 & review 52-56
22-Jul Thu Final Exam All