BCH 4053--GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY

CLASS SYLLABUS

DR. LIGHT--SUMMER 1996

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  • Use the following links to jump to an area of interest:
  • Study Groups and Extra Credit
  • Mini-Exam
  • Grading Scale
  • Electronic Mail
  • Disabilities

  • Instructor:       Robley J. Light, 204 DLC, 644-3844
    
    Office Hours:     11:00-12:00 M,T,W,Th
                      or by appointment
    
    Help Sessions:    Wednesdays prior to Hour Tests, 5:30-7:00 pm. 
                      Others on request.
    
    Textbook:         Lehninger, Nelson and Cox, Principles of
                      Biochemistry, Second Edition, Worth Publishers, New
                      York, 1993
    

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    Extra Credit -- Optional Study Groups

    
                To encourage formation of study groups (4-5 persons),
          extra credit will be available for a group assignment.  A
          take-home, open-book, Pre-Test will be given out on the
          Wednesday of the week before each hour test.  The test is to
          be done by the group and turned in on Monday of the test week. 
          It will be graded and returned by Wednesday.  Persons not
          willing to participate in a group, or unable to take part in
          one of the exams, will have their Hour Test grade substituted
          for the Pre-Test grade.  The Hour Test grade will also
          substitute if it is higher than the Pre-Test grade.
    

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    Mini-Exam

    
                There is no provision for final exams during the summer. 
          There will be a "mini-exam" on the last day of class, with the
          length that of an hour test, that will be about 1/2 material
          from chapters 14-16, 1/2 material from the earlier chapters.
    
    

    No make-up tests.

    
                For excused absences, Mini-exam grade will be
          substituted.
    

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    Grading Scale:

    
          Grade will be based on 500 points as follows:
    
            Three Hour Tests and Mini-Exam (100 pts. each)*           400  points
            Average of Four Pre-Tests                                 100  points
              * Lowest Hour Test can be replaced by Mini-exam grade 
    
    
                Following are the minimum percentage cut-off's for a
          given letter grade, obtained by dividing the total raw score
          by 5.  Depending on test difficulty and class performance,
          these cut-off's might be lowered slightly, but they won't be
          raised.  
    
                      90-100  A or A-
                      80-89   B or B-
                      70-79   C or C-
                      60-69   D or D-BCH 4053--General Biochemistry--Summer 1996                             Page 2
    

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    Electronic Mail Communication

    
                To provide an additional means of communication between
          instructor and student and among students, students may obtain
          a computer account and register it for the class.  You are
          encouraged to use this means of asking questions, commenting
          on lectures, making appointments for help, etc.  A class
          bulletin board (newsgroup) will be set up for posting
          information and questions and for class members to ask each
          other questions.  I hope to have a class Web page set up early
          in the term.  Grades will be distributed by email rather than
          by posting.  Students will also be encouraged to explore
          resources available on the Internet.  A separate handout
          describes procedures related to obtaining and using the
          computer account.
    
    

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    American Disabilities Act

    
                Students with disabilities needing academic
          accommodations should:  1) register with and provide
          documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center
          (SDRC);  2) bring a letter to the instructor from SDRC
          indicating you need academic accommodations.  This should be
          done within the first week of class.
    
    

    Academic Honor Code

    
                Students are reminded of the Academic Honor System of the
          Florida State University.  Collaboration is permitted and
          encouraged on the group practice tests, but signing one's name
          to the group effort without having participated in it would be
          considered a violation of the honor code.  Receiving or giving
          unauthorized help on the hour tests is a violation.
    

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