SYLLABUS

GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION

BIOLOGY 2306, INTRODUCTION WILDLIFE

SPRING

 

 

Instructor:  David R. Etheredge

Office:  Science Building S-142

Office Telephone:  894-9611 ext. 2319

E-mail Address:  dethered@SPC.CC.TX.US

                          

Purpose:  Introduction to the ecology and management of wildlife populations.  Stresses principles, life histories, and management techniques.

 

 

COURSE IMPLEMENTATION:

PREREQUISITE:  Biology 1413 General Zoology or Biology 1407 General Biology I

CREDIT:  Three semester hours

TEXT:  None

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES: 

A.  To introduce the basic principles of wildlife biology.

B.  To acquaint the students with wildlife management techniques.

C.  To instill an appreciation and respect for wildlife. 

D.  To allow individual laboratory and field investigation of wildlife.

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Punctual and regular class and lab attendance is required of all students.  Students are responsible for all class work covered during absences from class, even in cases in which they are able to satisfy the instructor that the absence was unavoidable.

 

When unavoidable situations such as illness, weather, an official college trip, or a death in the family causes absences, the instructor may permit the student to make up class work missed.  In such cases it is the student's responsibility to complete the work missed within one week of their return to class.

 

Whenever absences or tardies become excessive and, in the instructor's opinion, minimum course objectives cannot be met, the student will be withdrawn from the course.  In addition, an instructor is required to initiate a student's administrative withdrawal when the student has missed every class during a fourteen consecutive calendar-day period excluding holidays.

 

Should a student, for any reason, delay in reporting to a class after his/her official enrollment, absences will be attributed to the student from the first meeting of the class.

 

EXAMINATION POLICY:  Two major exams will be given during the semester.  The exams will be announced in advance.

 

If it is known in advance that an absence will occur on an exam date, and the instructor is notified ahead of time, it may be possible, under special circumstances, to take the exam at an alternate time.  Otherwise the missed exam will count as a zero when computing the semester average.    DO NOT MISS EXAMS ! ! !

 

SPECIMEN COLLECTION, JOURNAL & CATALOG:  All students are required to prepare scientific specimens.   Examples of the type of specimens will be mammals (skin and skull), mammal skulls and/or skeletons, birds, amphibian or reptile specimens.  (The number of required specimens will be announced at a later date during the semester)  All animals will be collected under the instructors supervision.  If the student prefers, there will be time on the long field trips to prepare some specimens, or the student may prepare them in the lab after the trip.  A Journal, recording the activities of the collecting trips and a catalog of the prepared specimens will be required by all students.  Detailed information about specimen collection, and the Journal and Catalog will be given out during class.

 

GRADING POLICY:  The following point system will be used to determine the final course grade.

 

Major Exam Grades............................................................200 pts.

Specimen Collection, Journal & Catalog.................…...…..100 pts.

Specimen descriptions (5 at 10 pts. each)...................….......50 pts.

Class Participation................................................................50 pts.

Bird Assignment, list, quizzes……………………………….50 pts

                                                                        Total.........….450 pts.

 

Final point total of 405 or above           =  A

Final point total of 360 to 405               =  B

Final point total of 315 to 360               =  C

Final point total of 270 to 315               =  D

Final point total below 270                    =  F

 

THERE IS NO CURVING OF GRADES

 

DISMISSAL POLICY:  A high standard of conduct is expected of all students.  It is assumed that obedience to the law, respect for properly constituted authority, personal honor, integrity, and common sense will guide the actions of each member of this class.  Any student who fails to perform to expected standards will be asked to withdraw from this class.

FIELD TRIPS:

 

Day Trips - Several day trips are planned around the Levelland area.  For example, one trip will be to the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge at Muleshoe, Texas.  We will go on these trips during the regular class time.  Some of the day trips may take more than the allotted class time.

 

            * Everyone is required to go on all day trips.

 

Long Trips *(weekend trips) - Two long trips have been planned during the semester.   Transportation and housing will be provided by SPC.  Detailed information about each trip will be given out at least a week before the trip.  There will be some camping out.

 

Long Trip Dates:       TBA

 

 

Everyone is required to go on 1 of the 2 long trips, but welcome on both!