BIOLOGY 1360 – NATURE, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND ECOLOGY 
                                                       
                                            COURSE SYLLABUS 
                                                       
             INSTRUCTOR:        John Placyk, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology 
                                Office – HPR 110   Office Phone – 903-566-7147 
                                Office hours – T/R 2:00 – 3:00 PM and by appointment 
                                E-mail – jplacyk@uttyler.edu 
              
             MEETING TIME AND PLACE:  Tuesday/Thursday 11:00 AM – 12:20 PM in HPR 262  
              
             REQUIRED MATERIALS:  Essential Environment: The Science Behind the Stories by Withgott and Laposata.   
                                      Fifth Edition.  2015.  Pearson. 
              
             COURSE DESCRIPTION:  This course fulfills the STEM core requirement by offering students a broad overview 
             of the field of environmental studies. This course emphasizes local, regional and global concerns and welcomes 
             students from all areas. This course satisfies the STEM requirement of the Core Curriculum. 
              
             STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES:  Upon completion of BIOL 1360, the student should be able to 
              
                  describe the field of environmental science 
                  diagnose and illustrate major pressures on the global environment 
                  articulate the concept of sustainability 
                  define ecosystems and evaluate how living and nonliving entities interact in ecosystem-level ecology 
                  explain the process of natural selection and cite evidence for this process 
                  perceive the potential impacts of invasive species in communities and offer solutions to biological 
                   invasions 
                  describe environmental policy and assess its societal context 
                  describe the scope of human population growth 
                  explain the challenges of feeding a growing human population 
                  evaluate the primary causes of biodiversity loss 
                  summarize the ecological and economic contributions of forests 
                  explain the goals of environmental health and identify major environmental health hazards 
                  characterize the environmental and social impacts of mining 
                  assess problems of water supply and propose solutions to address depletion of fresh water 
                  characterize the scope of air pollution and assess solutions 
                  suggest and assess ways we may respond to climate change 
                  assess concerns over the future decline of conventional oil supplies 
                  discuss reasons for seeking alternatives to fossil fuels 
                  delineate the scale of the waste dilemma 
                  analyze environmental impacts and advantages of urban centers 
              
             GRADING POLICY:  The final grade will be determined as follows:  
                 
                Exams: Four (4) exams will each be worth 20.0% of the final grade.  Exam questions will be multiple 
                choice, true and false, matching, labeling, and short answer, and will be taken from the text and lectures. 
                    
                Quizzes:  As many as eighteen (18) quizzes worth a total of 10.0% of the final grade will be administered in 
                class the day following the completion of each chapter.  The three quizzes with the worst grades will be 
                dropped.  These in-class quizzes cannot be made up unless accompanied by documentation of a valid excuse 
                (e.g., a doctor’s note, jury duty, death in the family, etc.). 
                 
                Book Review:  Students will need to choose one book (see list below) to read and review by April 27th.  
                Reviews should consist of a summarization of the book and any personal thoughts on the material read and will 
                be worth 10% of the final grade.  Reviews should be 3-4 double-spaced pages with no bigger than 11 point 
                font.  Recommended books include:  The Song of the Dodo by Quammen, Silent Spring by Carson, Half-Earth 
                by Wilson, The Future of Life by Wilson, Biophilia by Wilson, A Sand County Almanac by Leopold, Walden 
                by Thoreau, Nature by Emerson, or another pre-approved book that fits the topics covered in class. 
                 
                       Extra Credit:  Students will have the opportunity to gain 5 extra credit points in one of two ways:  1) by 
                       reading and reviewing approved supplementary articles on the topics covered in the class or 2) by attending and 
                       summarizing Biology Department seminars; a list of Spring 2017 departmental seminars can be found on 
                       Blackboard in the Biology Department Seminar Schedule section.  You may submit a maximum of 4 extra 
                       credit assignments for a total of 20 points, which will be added to your exam point total when calculating final 
                       grades.  All extra credit assignments will be due on April 27th, but students are encouraged to submit them 
                       throughout the semester. 
                    
                       Letter grades will be assigned according to the following scale:              
                        
                       A = 90-100             B = 80-89         C = 70-79         D = 60-69         F = below 60 
                                                                                                     
                   Academic Misconduct: Submitting plagiarized work to meet academic requirements including the representation of 
                   another’s work or ideas as ones own; the unacknowledged word for word use of another persons ideas; and/or the 
                   falsification, fabrication, or dishonesty in reporting research results shall be grounds for charges of academic 
                   misconduct.  Any cheating or other type of academic misconduct will be reported to university administration and at 
                   minimum will result in automatic failure of the course. 
                    
                   Students Rights and Responsibilities 
                   To know and understand the policies that affect your rights and responsibilities as a student at UT Tyler, please 
                   follow this link: http://www.uttyler.edu/wellness/StudentRightsandResponsibilities.html 
                    
                   Grade Replacement/Forgiveness 
                   If you are repeating this course for a grade replacement, you must file an intent to receive grade forgiveness with the 
                   registrar ASAP.  Failure to do so will result in both the original and repeated grade being used to calculate your 
                   overall grade point average.  Undergraduates will receive grade forgiveness (grade replacement) for only three 
                   course repeats; graduates, for two course repeats during his/her career at UT Tyler. 
                    
                   State-Mandated Course Drop Policy 
                   Texas law prohibits a student who began college for the first time in Fall 2007 or thereafter from dropping more 
                   than six courses during their entire undergraduate career. This includes courses dropped at another 2-year or 4-year 
                   Texas public college or university.  Exceptions to the 6-drop rule may be found in the catalog.  Petitions for 
                   exemptions must be submitted to the Registrar's Office and must be accompanied by documentation of the 
                   extenuating circumstance.  Please contact the Registrar's Office if you have any questions. 
                    
                   Disability Services 
                   In accordance with federal law, a student requesting accommodation must provide documentation of his/her 
                   disability to the Disability Support Services counselor.  If you have a disability, including a learning disability, for 
                   which you require an accommodation, please contact the Disability Support Services office in UC 282, or call (903) 
                   566-7079. 
                    
                   Student Absence due to Religious Observance 
                   Students who anticipate being absent from class due to a religious observance are requested to inform the instructor 
                   of such absences in a timely fashion (e.g., in advance of the actual absence).   
                    
                   Student Absence for University-Sponsored Events and Activities 
                   If you intend to be absent for a university-sponsored event or activity, you (or the event sponsor) must notify the 
                   instructor at least two weeks prior to the date of the planned absence.  At that time the instructor will set a date 
                   and time when make-up assignments will be completed. 
                    
                   Social Security and FERPA Statement: 
                   It is the policy of The University of Texas at Tyler to protect the confidential nature of social security numbers.  The 
                   University has changed its computer programming so that all students have an identification number.  The electronic 
                   transmission of grades (e.g., via e-mail) risks violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; grades 
                   will not be transmitted electronically. 
                    
                   Emergency Exits and Evacuation: 
                   Everyone is required to exit the building when a fire alarm goes off.  Follow your instructor’s directions regarding 
                   the appropriate exit. If you require assistance during an evacuation, inform your instructor in the first week of class.  
                   Do Not re-enter the building unless given permission by University Police, Fire department, or Fire Prevention 
                   Services. 
                                                                                         TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE 
                             DATE                         LECTURE                                                                                                                                   CHAPTER 
                             JAN            17            Syllabus Review 
                                                          Science and Sustainability: An Introduction to Environmental Science                                                                                    1 
                                            19            Science and Sustainability: An Introduction to Environmental Science                                                                                    1 
                              
                                            24            Environmental Systems: Matter, Energy, and Ecosystems                                                                                                   2                     
                                            26            Evolution, Biodiversity, and Population Ecology                                                                                                         3                     
                                             
                                            31            Evolution, Biodiversity, and Population Ecology                                                                                                         3 
                             FEB            2             Species Interactions and Community Ecology                                                                                                              4       
                                             
                                            7             Species Interactions and Community Ecology                                                                                                              4 
                                            9             EXAM 1                                                                                                                                                  1-4 
                                             
                                            14            Economics, Policy, and Sustainable Development                                                                                                          5 
                                            16            Economics, Policy, and Sustainable Development                                                                                                          5 
                                             
                                            21            Human Population                                                                                                                                        6 
                                            23            Soil, Agriculture, and the Future of Food                                                                                                               7 
                                             
                                            28            Soil, Agriculture, and the Future of Food                                                                                                               7 
                             MAR  2                       Biodiversity and Conservation Biology                                                                                                                   8 
                                             
                                            7             Forests, Forest Management, and Protected Areas                                                                                                         9 
                                            9             EXAM 2                                                                                                                                                  5-9 
                              
                                            14            SPRING BREAK                                                                                                                                             
                                            16            SPRING BREAK                                                                                                                                             
                              
                                            21            Environmental Health and Toxicology                                                                                                                     10 
                                            23            Geology, Minerals, and Mining                                                                                                                           11 
                              
                                            27            LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW 
                                            28            Fresh Water, Oceans, and Coasts                                                                                                                         12 
                                            30            Fresh Water, Oceans, and Coasts                                                                                                                         12 
                                             
                             APRIL 4                      Atmospheric Science, Air Quality, and Pollution Control                                                                                                 13 
                                            6             Global Climate Change                                                                                                                                   14 
                              
                                            11            Nonrenewable Energy Sources, Their Impacts, and Energy Conservation                                                                                     15 
                                            13            EXAM 3                                                                                                                                               10-14 
                              
                                            18            Renewable Energy Alternatives                                                                                                                           16 
                                            20            Managing Our Waste                                                                                                                                      17 
                              
                                            25            The Urban Environment: Creating Sustainable Cities                                                                                                      18 
                                            27            Epilogue: Sustainable Solutions                                                                                                                          
                                                          Extra Credit due 
                                                          Book Review due 
                              
                             MAY  2-6                     EXAM 4                                                                                                                                               15-18