BIOG 1102 - Frequently Asked Questions
HANDOUTS:
Where can I find important handouts?
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ICLICKER:
Do I need to register my iclicker every semester?
- Your clicker needs to be registered once every semester. So if you already registered your clicker for eg. chemistry, that registration will work with BioG 1102 too.
Where can I register my iclicker?
- You can register your clicker here:
 .Do not register your clicker on the iclicker website. It needs to be registered with CIT.
What if I can not read the iclicker number?
- In an ideal world you would have written the clicker number down as soon as you purchased the clicker. The registration number of the clickers rubs off easily. If you bring your clicker to Mark Sarvary's office (1136 Comstock) during office hours (WF 1-2pm) he can get your registration number (takes 5-10 minutes). If you can not attend office hours, please contact Dr. Sarvary (mas245) to make an appointment.
Can I use my iclicker before I register it?
- Clicker registration is not urgent. The clickers need to be registered before the end of the semester. If you use an unregistered clicker during class, your answer will be recorded, so you DO NOT lose points. However if I can not link the clicker number to your name at the end of the semester, I will not know who to give the scores.
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EXAMS
How do I know where I need to go to take the exam?
You receive a handout a week before the exam that includes all the information about the prelim. I post the pdf version of it on the exam page http://courses.cit.cornell.edu/biog1102/exams.htm under Exam information pdf. You need to find the name of your TA there and the corresponding exam location. If you are lecture only, you will be taking the exam with Dr. Sarvary.
What do I need to do if I need to take the make-up prelim?
Exam conflicts: If you must miss the prelim due to a conflict with another exam or university-sponsored event
(athletics, for example) that is scheduled at the same time as our exam, we will need a note signed on
Cornell letterhead by the professor or course coordinator stating your involvement in the conflicting
event and the time and date of the event. This letter must be turned in to Mark Sarvary, the lecture
post-doc, or to the Course Office, 1140 Comstock Hall, a week before the prelim.
Otherwise, you will not be permitted to take the makeup exam.
Medical reasons: Persons having a prolonged illness who wish to take the make-up exam must obtain a note from their doctor or sign a release authorization form at Gannett Clinic and have copies of their “Office Notes” either mailed or hand-carried to our course office. The form that Gannett Clinic gives patients, which says “This is not an excuse” is not sufficient to document an illness.
Family emergencies: Other legitimate excuses are family emergencies, conflicts with other exams or Cornell-sponsored events. In all cases, appropriate documentation of your absence is absolutely required before you will be admitted to a make-up exam.
When and where are the prelims?
The dates of the prelims are listed on the syllabus, general announcements handout and on the lectures website. A week before each exam we provide you a handout that gives you more information about the exam, including the location of your exam.
EXAM DATES
The examinations are scheduled for the Spring 2009 as follows:
Exam 4: Thursday, 19 February 2009, 7:30-9:00 PM (Rooms TBA)
Exam 4 Makeup: Tuesday, 24 February 2009, 7:30-9:00 PM (Warren 245)
Exam 5: Tuesday, 31 March 2009, 7:30-9:00 PM (Rooms TBA)
Exam 5 Makeup: Tuesday, 7 April 2009, 7:30-9:00 PM (Warren 245)
Exam 6 (Final Exam): 7 May 2009, 2:00-4:30 PM (Rooms TBA)
Exam 6 Makeup (Final Exam Makeup): 11 May 2009, 9:00-11:30 AM (Rooms TBA)
Prior to each exam, a handout providing detailed information about the exam will be distributed in lecture (also available on the course website). Students must consult this handout to determine where they must go to take the exam.
When do make-up exams take place?
Make-up exams are provided approximately a week after the regular prelim (see previous question). Please consult your syllabus. You must have a legitimate reason to take the make-up exam. You must contact Dr. Sarvary before the exam in order to be put on the make-up exam list.
Can I take the exam at any other time?
We provide only 2 times for each exam: 1, the regular time of the exam 2, the make-up time, approximately a week after the regular exam, in case you couldn’t take the regular prelim due to scheduling conflicts or health issues. We can not provide the exam in any other time.
Is the make-up easier or harder than the regular exam?
We make two exams, one that we use for the prelim and one that we use as a make-up. The two exams have different questions, but they do not differ in their level of difficulty. Offering a make-up exam is just a courtesy from our part, to make sure that you do not lose points in case you have a medical emergency or another exam in the same time.
Do the exams have an essay part?
All questions are multiple choice.
Does the final exam have essay questions?
The final exam will contain multiple choice questions ONLY. BUT the final exam will include 10-12 comprehensve questions that will cover the entire semester.
When am I allowed to take the make-up exam?
Make-up exams will be given only to those persons having legitimate excuses IN ADVANCE of the exam; the course Administrative Assistants (Comstock 1140) or the Lecture Assistant, Dr. Sarvary, must be contacted in advance of, and not after, the time of the regular exams. Refer to the handout distributed in lecture prior to each exam for the deadline to request a makeup exam. Do not simply skip an exam and assume that we will automatically accept your excuse. Persons having a prolonged illness who wish to take the make-up exam must obtain a note from their doctor or sign a release authorization form at Gannett Clinic and have copies of their “Office Notes” either mailed or hand-carried to our course office. The form that Gannett Clinic gives patients, which says “This is not an excuse” is not sufficient to document an illness. Other legitimate excuses are family emergencies, conflicts with other exams or Cornell-sponsored events. In all cases, appropriate documentation of your absence is absolutely required before you will be admitted to a make-up exam. This and a few other policies are necessary in order to be fair and equitable to all students. We want to help you do your best on the exams, so please come to us in advance if you see a difficulty with the scheduled exam time. Make-up exams are like regular lecture exams in content and format; the grading of them is suitably adjusted so that scores correspond to those on the regular exams. They are administered only once at a pre-set date and time (see syllabus), usually 5-8 days after the regular exam.
How important are the exams in determining the final grade?
The percentage of the final grade assigned to each of these is as follows:
Exam 4 11 lectures 22%
Exam 5 10 lectures 22%
Exam 6 11 lectures 22%
Exam 6 Comprehensive 10%
Web quizzes 15%
Clicker Questions 5%
Explorations participation 4%
Total 100%
WEBQUIZZES
Where can I find the web quizzes?
http://courses.cit.cornell.edu/biog1102/quizzes.htm
What is the username and password for the webquizzes?
username: YOUR NETID Password: YOUR CUID
What if I can not access the webquiz?
Contact Dr. Sarvary immediately: mas245@cornell.edu
Why is the first quiz posted as quiz 14?
To make life easier, since we had 13 quizzes last semester, we just continue from 14.
How many times can I take the quiz?
You are encouraged to retake the quiz as many times as you can, BUT ONLY THE FIRST 10 SUBMITTED ANSWERS COUNT IN YOUR GRADE! You can submit 0, only 1 or all the 10 answers during a log-in. The unanswered questions will be waiting for you when you return (until the deadline date).You can log in and out as many times as you wish until the deadline date. Every time you submit 10 answers, you will receive a new set of 10 questions. This is a great way to practice, but again, only the answers for the first set of 10 questions count towards your grade.
EXPLORATIONS
What is explorations?
EXPLORATIONS is a program in which researchers and scholars from a large diversity of fields and
departments across the campus open their doors, labs, and field sites to small groups of undergraduate
student explorers in the Life Sciences. The students come from one of our introductory courses in Biology:
Introduction to Biological Science (BioG101-104) or the Introductory Biology Auto Tutorial (BioG 105-6).
In 2006-2007 there were over 89 different Explorations offered to over 600 students.
Explorations in the Life Sciences began 16 years ago with a pilot study set up by Jeffrey Kidder, a graduate
student TA in BioG101. It continues to thrive today because of the enormously strong positive response
from students. It has been one of the most successful programs we have ever had for first year students in
the Life Sciences. It encourages participation in science, it opens doors for students, it encourages
undergraduate research and exploration on this large and complicated campus, and it is fun.
Each EXPLORATION is a unique experience. The programs include field work, field trips to local faculties
off campus, and visits to labs. Some involve experimentation, observation, and a chance to work with
biological material. Others focus on discussions, a show-and-tell, or special lecture or demonstration.
The subject matters are as diverse as the Life Sciences; the programs include people from many departments
across campus.
Where can I find more information about explorations?
http://biog-101-104.bio.cornell.edu/BioG101_104/explorations/explorations.html
How does explorations affect my grade?
All students must sign-up for and attend one Exploration each semester. The Explorations program is described in the booklet that you received in the Fall semester. A Spring Explorations schedule will be handed out in lecture on Friday, 30 January. On-time registration for, attending, and submitting an acceptable evaluation form for your Exploration will contribute a total of 4% of the points in your final grade this semester. We cannot emphasize how important it is for you to register for Explorations on time! You will be informed of your Exploration assignment in laboratory the week of 9 February. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Mark Sarvary (MAS245@cornell.edu).
When can I register for the Explorations?
- The explorations schedule is online since 1/29/09: http://biog-101-104.bio.cornell.edu/BioG101_104/explorations/explorations.html
- Registration period: Monday, February 2nd, 7:30am - Friday, February 6, noon.
- Please make sure that you do not have a conflict with your lab section time or any other classes. If you make a scheduling mistake, we will not be able to reschedule your explorations program until Monday, February 9th. It means that you will have to choose from programs that have vacancies left.
MISC.
I have scientific or organizational questions about BioG1102. When can I meet the faculty?
Regularly scheduled office hours are as follows:
- Dr. Robert Turgeon (Professor): My office hours will be W 11:15 AM-12:15 PM and Friday 12:20-1:20 PM, 1122 Comstock Hall.
- Dr. Mark Sarvary (Post-Doc Lecture Assistant): W F, 1:00-2:00 PM, or by appointment (mas245@cornell.edu), 1136 Comstock Hall.
- Introductory Biology 1101-1104 Course Office (Louise Lattin) in 1140 Comstock Hall, Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-12:00 PM, 1:00-3:30 PM. E-mail: biology_1101@cornell.edu.
- Dr. Lindsay Goodloe (Senior Lecturer) coordinates two different resources that are intended for students who desire additional help in BioG 1102. Dr. Goodloe runs the Biology Learning Skills course, BioG 1001-1002, which meets weekly on Tuesday at 4:20-5:35 PM (G1 Stimson), Wednesday at 7:30-8:45 PM (3330 Tatkon Center on North Campus), and Friday 1:25-2:40 PM (G1 Stimson). Students may register on-line for the "00" class or attend without registering at any time they would like help. Dr. Goodloe also supervises the Biology Learning Strategies Center (G24 Stimson). The center has student tutors who are available M-F 1:00-5:00 PM and SU-R 7:00-9:30 PM. Finally, Dr. Goodloe also holds office hours on M-W 1:00-4:00 PM and R 3:15-4:15 PM.
- Dr. Scott Meissner has been a participant of both lab and lecture courses for many years and has recently coordinated the lectures for BioG 1107-1108 (Summer Session). This semester he will be available for questions about biology lecture or lab in room 1122 Comstock Hall Mondays, 11:15 AM-1:30 PM. He may be contacted with questions at stm4@cornell.edu.
- The Behrman Biology Center and Reserve Desk (216 Stimson) is open M-F 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
- Undergraduate-organized and staffed M.A.R.K.S. program offers tutoring in BioG 1102 and in chemistry. More information on this program will be given out in class.
I lost my cellphone, calculator, bag, wallet, head today in the lecture room. Did anyone find it?
Any personal belongings left behind after lecture will be taken to the Introductory Biology course office in Comstock 1140. Contact Dr. Sarvary [MAS245@cornell.edu] to see if we found your cell phone, clicker, etc. Personal belongings left in lab may also be picked up at the Introductory Biology course office in Comstock 1140.
Why can not I log onto the stat tutor?
Your Browser is carrying another username and password that it is automatically plugging into Stat tutor 's login carrying you to the error, or you have been using Blackboard (same issue)
So reset your browser Firefox Tools menu , Clear private data,.
Go to the bio home page http://biog-101-104.bio.cornell.edu/ ( sometimes a direct link is a problem) and click OK then on Stattutor .
The username and password were announced on the first lecture. They are the same as the username and password for the lecture slides.
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