Office: Room # 526

Office Phone: 219-886-8734

E-mail: afdasilva@aol.com

Home Phone: (optional) Office Hours: By appointment

Course Time: Independent Study

Course Description:

This course will cover the basic concepts of ecology, interactions between human and natural environmental issues in our society.

Prerequisites:

Prerequisites MTH 095 or equivalent and high school biology or BIO 100

Textbook:

Ecology of a Changing Planet, Bush, 1997

Statement of Plagiarism:

If an instructor or other Calumet College of St. Joseph personnel find that a student has plagiarized or been involved in another form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may elect to bring the matter up for judicial review. The maximum penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. The procedures for judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses student grievances.

Calumet College of St. Joseph adheres to citation guidelines as written in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fourth Edition. A copy is available from the Calumet College of St. Joseph bookstore. This text outlines how to cite references from a variety of sources, including electronic media.

Withdrawal from Classes Policy:

After the last day for class changes has passed (see College calendar), students may withdraw from a course in which they are registered with permission from the faculty member conducting the course. A written request detailing the reason(s) for the withdrawal must be filed with the Registrar. Written request for withdrawal must be received by the Registrar by the last day of classes prior to the final examination dates specified in the catalogue. Written requests may be mailed to the Registrar or faxed to the College fax number 219-473-4259. Students are to make note of the refund schedule when withdrawing from courses. The request is forwarded to the faculty member, who makes the final determination to accept or deny the request. If the request is honored, the student will receive notification of official withdrawal; if denied, the notification will indicate why the withdrawal is disallowed. Note: Degree Completion Division (DCD) students should consult the DCD Student Handbook for information on DCD withdrawals.

An official withdrawal is recorded as a "W" grade on the student's transcript. Dropping a

course without written permission automatically incurs an "F" grade for the course (see

Refund Schedule).

Class Policy on Attendance:

Attendance is 10% of the grade.

Class Policy For Assignments:

Assignments that are turned in late will be reduced 10% for each week and will not be accepted after the 2^nd week.

Course Objectives:

Students are EXPECTED to:

Attend class in a timely manner and participate in class discussion.
Come to class fully prepared, i.e., read all materials thoroughly, be prepared for discussion with professor and with other classmates, having completed all and any assignments for the period, etc.
Complete all assignments and examinations per the professor’s instructions.
Notify the professor of any extenuating circumstances that may affect the students completion of assignments and participation, BEFOREHAND, AND NOT ON THE DAY THE ASSIGNMENT IS DUE OR AFTERWARDS.
Comply with any other requirements set forth throughout the semester.
Address any other questions to the instructor with respect to the grading of a specific assignment/exams within two weeks of the assignment/exam being returned to the student.

EXAMINATION POLICY: THERE ARE NO MAKEUP EXAMINATIONS UNLESS A DOCTOR’S EXCUSE IS PROVIDED OR THERE IS A DOCUMENTED DEATH. NO EXCEPTIONS.

THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ALTER THE COURSE REQUIREMENT, I.E., TO ADD REQUIREMENTS OR TO ELIMINATE REQUIRTEMENTS THROUGHTOUT THE SEMESTER, WITH VERBAL NOTIFICATION TO THE STUDENTS. IN ADDITION, THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO INCREASE OR DECREASE A STUDENT’S FINAL GRADE DEPENDING ON THE STUDENTS’S PARTICIPATION. EXCESSIVE ABSENCES WILL RESULT IN A DECREASE IN THE STUDENTS’S GRADE BY AT LEAST ONE LETTER. EXCEPTIONAL PARTICIPATION ONLY WILL BE REWARDED AT THE INSTRUCTOR’S DISCRETION.

Additional materials will be assigned throughout the semester. YOU will be responsible for the copying costs of these materials.

Students in this course will:

Learn about the overall environment and environmental issues. Acquire an appreciation of their geographic area.

Assessment:

Exams (Midterm, Final, Quizzes) 60 % of grade

Best of 10 labs 15 % of grade

2 lab exams 25 % of grade

Grading Scale:

Grades will be awarded according to the official grading policy of Indiana University, therefore:

A = 4.0 A- = 3.7 B+ = 3.3 B = 3.0 B- = 2.7

C+ = 2.3 C = 2.0 C- = 1.7 D+ = 1.3 D = 1.0

D- = 0.7 F = 0.0

Format for Written Assignments:

A list of topics will be distributed

Class Assignments:

The following is a tentative schedule for class lectures. Any changes made in the schedule will be announced in class. No other notification will be provided to students. YOU are responsible for keeping up with reading assignments, which will be assigned in class.

Class Date Topic-Assignment

Week	Chapter	Topic
1	1	Ecology and Our Environment
	2	Natural Selection

2	3	The Ecological Efficiency of Living Things
	4	Climate and Ecology

3	5	Ecosystems : Getting to the Root of Productivity
	6	Aquatic Ecosystems

4	7	Population and Resources
	8	Who needs Sex anyway

5	Exam 1	Ch. 1-8

6	9	Predators, Parasites, and More
	10	Species

7	11	Ecological Succession
	12	Tropic Biodiversity

8	13	People Earth
	14	Human Disease

9	Exam 2	Ch 9-14

10	15	Feeding the World
	16	Pollution

11	17	Tropical Development
	18	Habitat Fragmentation

12	19	Save Biodiversity
	20	Atmosphere

13	Exam 3	Ch 15-20

14	Project and Paper Presentation
15	Final Exam