Course Syllabus

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PCB 3044: Principles of Ecology

Department of Biology, College of Science

3 Credit Hours

 

Table of Contents

 

Instructor Information 

  • Instructor: Dr. Melinda Donnelly
    • Email: Melinda.Donnelly@ucf.edu
    • Office Location: Biological Sciences (BIO) Building, room 401A
    • Virtual Office Hours:  Mondays: 10 am to 11 am and Wednesdays: 9 am to 11 am on Chat on Webcourses or Zoom (by appointment)
      • Appointments outside of posted office hours are available and scheduled by email
  • Undergraduate Teaching Assistant: Cristina Lingvay
    • Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00-3:30 pm, on Zoom
    • Email Policies:  ALL questions regarding the class should be sent to Cristina Lingvay by using the following email: EcoTA2@ucf.edu
    • If the TA cannot answer the question, it will be forwarded by the TA to the instructor.
  • Include in your email subject: course title (i.e., Ecology) and section number (0001)
  • Include in your email: (1) your full name, (2) course title (i.e., Ecology) and (3) section number (0001-Donnelly)
  • The TA will try to respond within 48 hours, but some response times may be longer, particularly over weekends and holidays. Please plan accordingly and do not wait until the last minute to contact us with questions or concerns.
  • Grades must be discussed with the instructor by requesting a meeting on Zoom.
  • All e-mail communications must be from your Knight's E-mail addresses, any other emails will not receive a response per UCF policy.

Course Information

  • Term: Fall 2021
  • Course Number & Section: PCB 3044.0001
  • Course Name: Principles of Ecology
  • Credit Hours: 3
  • Class Meeting Days:  Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:00-4:20 PM  
  • Class Location: ENG2 102
  • Course Modality: Face-to-Face (P)

Enrollment Requirements 

Course Prerequisites: C or better in Biology II (BSC 2011C) and Chemistry Fundamentals 1 (CHM 2045C).

Course Description

This 3-credit course will examine the structure and function of ecological systems, including populations, communities, and ecosystems. Objectives for students include: (a) master major concepts and basic terminology of ecology, (b) understand how evolution and ecology complement each other, and (c) understand approaches of ecological study, including theory, observations, and experiments.

Course Materials and Resources

Textbook: Ecology 5th Edition by William D. Bowman; Sally D. Hacker; Publisher: Sinauer Associates , Sunderland, MA. Multiple versions and options for purchase and rent are available- purchasing the access code for the publisher site is recommended due to additional on-line content to support the virtual nature of this course.  

 

Internet Access and Webcourses

  • Webcourses will be used for aspects of this class, including class related material and communication:
    • Course Syllabus
    • Weekly Modules
    • Lecture Slides
    • Exam review material
    • Weekly Quizzes, Participation Assignments
    • Announcements
      • To ensure that you receive important announcements, you are required to have your announcements setting turned on. You are responsible for information sent to students via Webcourses Announcements. 
    • Grades for all course components

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Understand the basic principles of ecology as a cornerstone of a broad background in biology.
  2. Learn some of the basic ecological terminology.
  3. Appreciate and apply the theoretical concepts of ecology and the experimental evidence supporting them.
  4. Become familiar with the scientific method as applied to ecological studies.
  5. Gain an appreciation of ecology as a science and its role in understanding the man-nature interaction.

 

Assessment and Grading Procedures

Assessment Percentage of Grade
On-Line Participation 6%
Weekly Quizzes 6%
4 lecture exams (22% each) 88%
Total 100%

Final Couse Grade Rounding Policy:

If your final total across all grading components is less than or equal to one percent below a higher grade, rounding up to the higher grade will occur only if you scored at the higher grade on 3 of the 4 exams. For example, if your overall course grade was an 89% and your exam scores were 84, 91, 92, and 93, your final grade will be rounded up to an A because three of the tests scored at 90 or above. If, however your exam grades were 85, 88, 92, and 94, the grade would remain a B+ because only 2 of your 4 exam grades were 90 or above. As there are many students in this class I strive for consistency and fairness. For this reason, there will be no exceptions to this policy and no other adjustments will be made. In other words, unless the above criteria are met, a 79.99 is still a ‘C+’ and no additional curving or extra credit will be offered.

Grading Scale:

                            A                    90-100%

                           B+                    87-89%

                            B                     80-86%

                           C+                    77-79%

                            C                     70-76%

                          D+                    67-69%

                           D                     60-66%

                            F                       <60%

 

*In compliance with FERPA, no grades will be given via email or phone

    • Students wishing to discuss their grades must request an appointment with Dr. Donnelly by email.
    • Grades will not be discussed with any individual (even parents) other than the student

Course Activity Details

Attendance Verification for Financial Aid Students

  • Faculty are required to document student attendance/participation in this course so that financial aid monies are disbursed appropriately and in a timely manner.
  • To document your attendance and participation in this course you are required to complete the Academic Engagement Activity - Syllabus Quiz in Webcourses no later than Friday, August 27th.
    • Failure to complete this quiz will result in the delay of your financial aid funds
    • This quiz is related to the lecture syllabus. Your score on this quiz will count as 1 pt towards your general participation grade (described below). 

General Participation Grade (6% of semester grade)

  • Your Participation grade will be evaluated based on responses to questions embedded in weekly modules and discussion postings.  At the end of the semester, the lowest 2 participation grades will be dropped. Contact Dr. Donnelly if additional participation activities are missed; documentation may be required at the discretion of instructor for additional excused participations.
  • Extra Credit: It is not necessary to respond correctly to participation questions to receive participation credit for a particular day, but correct responses will benefit your grade via extra credit added to your overall exam average. The maximum possible extra credit is 2%. Extra credit points missed for any reason cannot be made up under any circumstance.

Weekly Quizzes (6% of semester grade)

  • There will be eleven online quizzes given through Webcourses, one per week except for the first week of classes and any week an exam is being given.
  • Each quiz will consist of multiple choice questions and short-answer questions based on module content.
  • These quizzes are intended to help you learn along the way. The quizzes are open-book and you will have 30 minutes to complete each quiz. Quizzes are open book but require prior preparation to successfully complete the quiz in the time allotted.  If you are not satisfied with your grade on a quiz it may be taken a second time prior to the due date and the best score of the two will count.
  • Your lowest (1) quiz grade will be dropped from your final grade.
  • Quizzes will be open on Mondays and close at 11:59PM on Friday.
  • Important: There are NO makeups or excused absences for missed quizzes (unless a student can provide documentation affecting them longer than 1 week, e.g. extended hospitalization, sequestered jury duty, etc. that prevented computer access).
  • If you miss taking a quiz, you will receive a zero (0) for that quiz’s grade. Therefore, do NOT wait until the last minute to take the quiz.
  • Technical or internet difficulties will NOT be accepted as an excuse for missing quizzes.
  • Students are responsible for knowing the quiz due dates which can be found on Webcourses.

  • Two common problems with quiz submission you should note are:
         1) Questions must be answered in order and you may not return to previous questions;
         2) Final submission of the quiz must occur prior to the 30-minute deadline or Webcourses will not accept it.

Lecture Exams (88% of semester grade)

  • Four exams will be given throughout the semester on-line on Webcourses during scheduled class time:
    • Exam 1: Monday, Sept. 20th
    • Exam 2: Monday, October 11th
    • Exam 3: Monday, Nov. 8th
    • Exam 4 (Final Exam Time): Wednesday, December 8th, 1 pm to 3:50 pm
  • Each exam is worth 22% of final grade- all exams count towards final grade.
  • Exam content is based on material covered in book chapters, lectures, and modules.
  • Exams are open notes and open book, however, Lockdown browser will be required when taking the exam. 
  • Failure to take the exam during the assigned date and time will result in a zero (0) grade for the exam
    • Exams 1,2, and 3 will start on Webcourses promptly at 3:00 pm and you will have 80 minutes to complete.
    • Exam 4 will occur during scheduled final exam time for this course on Dec. 8th from 1:00 pm to 3:50 pm.
  • Any students signing in late to the exam must complete the exam in the time remaining

Make-up Exams and Assignments

Per university policy, you are allowed to submit make-up work (or an equivalent, alternate assignment) for authorized university-sponsored activities, religious observances, or legal obligations (such as jury duty). If this participation conflicts with your course assignments, I will offer a reasonable opportunity for you to complete missed assignments and/or exams. The make-up assignment and grading scale will be equivalent to the missed assignment and its grading scale. In the case of an authorized university activity, it is your responsibility to show me a signed copy of the Program Verification Form for which you will be absent, prior to the class in which the absence occurs. Other absences may require documentation to be excused at the instructor's discretion. In any of these cases, please contact me ahead of time to notify me of upcoming needs.

Consult the latest Undergraduate or Graduate catalog for regulations and procedures regarding grading such as Incomplete grades, grade changes, and grade forgiveness.

Course Schedule

See the complete Course Schedule for dates and deadlines.

Weekly modules will open on Mondays and include lecture files and links to on-line resources associated with the topics included in the textbook chapters listed below. The modules are designed for you to complete at your own pace over the course of the week. On all weeks except exam weeks, quizzes will open on Monday with the module information and be due by 11:59 pm on the following Friday. Quizzes will test knowledge of material presented in the weekly module and associated textbook readings.

Any changes to the schedule will be announced to the class through Webcourses. 

Study suggestions:

This is a fast-paced class covering multiple chapters each week. To succeed it is essential that you stay caught up by reading, attending lectures, and studying the material. Students who prepare for the exams by simply attending lectures and reading their notes several times are unlikely to succeed on the exams. Although the final exam is not cumulative, concepts build on each other and understanding one chapter is essential to understanding later chapters in this course.  To succeed it is best to make your learning more active and focused. Active learning involves practicing the same skills you must perform on exams. In other words, quick recall of the appropriate information and applying it. To do this you should:

  1. Treat studying like it's a job. Set a schedule, show up for work, pay attention (i.e. no multitasking) while on the job. A general rule of thumb is 2-3 hours for every hour of class.
  2. Practice by Self-Testing. Make your own study questions: If you are like most people, you do not remember what you read/hear in sufficient detail to then be tested. However, it may be unclear which details you remember/understand and which you do not. The point in study questions is to figure out prior to an exam what you don’t understand or have trouble remembering and work on that material. You do not want to realize during an exam that you don’t understand something as well as you thought you did as it is now too late!

COVID-19 and Illness Notification

  • Based on current CDC guidelines, UCF recommends all individuals to wear masks when indoors on campus, including attending lectures and office hours, for the protection of yourselves and those around you. 
  • Vaccinations are available from UCF Student Heath Services and many other local pharmacies.  For more vaccine information, visit the UCF Vaccination Information (Links to an external site) page.
  • Students who believe they may have a COVID-19 should seek medical assistance and testing and contact UCF Student Health Services (407-823-2509) so proper contact tracing procedures can take place.  Students should not come to campus if they are ill, are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, have tested positive for COVID, or if anyone living in their residence has tested positive or is sick with COVID-19 symptoms. CDC guidance for COVID-19 symptoms is located here: (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html (Links to an external site.))
  • Students should contact their instructor(s) as soon as possible if they miss class for any illness reason to discuss reasonable adjustments that might need to be made. 
  • COVID-19 guidelines can change based on CDC and governmental public health announcements and course adjustments may be needed in order to meet safety guidelines. All course changes will be announced through Webcourses.

In Case of Faculty Illness

If the instructor falls ill during the semester, there may be changes to this course, including having a backup instructor take over the course. Please look for announcements or mail in Webcourses@UCF or Knights email for any alterations to this course.

 

University Services and Resources

Academic Services and Resources

A list of available academic support and learning services is available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Academic Support and Learning Services" on the right-hand side to filter.  

Non-Academic Services and Resources

A list of non-academic support and services is also available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Support" on the right-hand side to filter.  

If you are a UCF Online student, please consult the UCF Online Student Guidelines for more information about your access to non-academic services.

Policy Statements

 

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due