Senior Seminar Biology 494 Cr Hrs 1 2008-09
InstructorT. Keiser Office Hrs. daily CALL FOR APPOINTMENT 419.772.2327 Meyer 118
Students enrolled in Senior Capstone Seminar (Biology 494) should carefully note and follow these guidelines.
1. You will select a literature research project, then have it approved by a faculty member, fill out the appropriate form in the dept. office and proceed to prepare a written paper on that topic. The first draft paper (10 page minimum, dbl-spaced) will be presented to your faculty research sponsor for review and comment by the end of week 3 of the term. The final paper will be presented to your faculty research sponsor no later than the Monday preceding the oral presentation. The oral presentation will be presented to faculty and students at the regularly scheduled course meeting time. A rubric for grading that presentation is available on the P DRIVE with this course info. Scheduling the date of your presentation is available for your information in the departmental office. There will be no deviation from your scheduled presentation time. Any questions can be addressed to the department office and/or the course instructor.
2. An abstract (format described in the Capstone Booklet)
( must be printed and posted at least 5 days prior to the oral presentation date. These are to be posted on all of the 494/495 bulletin boards located throughout the department. Five primaryreferences must be listed with the abstract. Your actual presentation will be limited to 10 minutes with a 5 minute question period for a total of 15 minutes. The grading rubric for the oral presentation is available on the P-drive.
PowerPoint procedures may be used in your presentation but you will need to arrange a time and date early in the term and meet with Mrs. Brown of the department office for instructions on use of the equipment. If you have not made these arrangements in the appropriate timely fashion, you will not be able to use the departmental equipment.
3. All students in the 494 course will be required to complete the Educational Testing Service Major Field Test in Biology (MFT) to successfully complete the course requirements. The MFT will be given during the 9th week of the term at a specified time to be determined. It most likely will be during a late afternoon (4-6 p.m.) time environment. It is an on-line test (2 hrs) comprised of 150 questions covering various areas of biology. You need to make every effort to do well on this exam since scores will be shared with all departmental faculty and it will count towards your final grade in this course [15%]. [It may also be recorded on your transcript. This is currently under consideration]. Your score could have a significant impact on their (faculty) ability to write positive recommendations for graduate and professional schools as well as employment references. You can go online at for further information and test question examples. Examples of MFT questions and other MFT information are also available on the P drive in the same area as this information. There are also published materials available in the bookstore or via online sources that will assist you in preparing for this exam. These study efforts will also greatly assist you in preparing for the GRE or other pre-professional entrance exams. The grading rubric and point assignment for the MFT is on the P-drive.
4. General Test. This test is given on Thursday of the last week of the term. The time will be at 4 p.m. The student must answer 5 questions based on concepts covered in the first year core courses [121,122,123]. These questions will be selected from questions collaboratively designed by faculty groups associated with the topic areas: (1) cell/molecular biology (including microbiology & genetics); (2) organismic biology (plant & animal anatomy and physiology);
(3) ecology (including field based concepts); and (4) systematics/evolution/diversity. All questions (and expected answers) have been approved by all faculty and questions pertaining a fifth (5) topic area “general biology” were designed and agreed upon by all faculty. In addition, the student must answer an analytical question. Grading of the questions will be by all faculty involved in the question preparations. The question grade will be the average of the scores of all graders.
Preparation for the senior test can be accomplished by: independent review of general principles answerable by most “full year length” general biology texts such as BIOLOGY (7th Edition) by Neil A. Campbell and Jane B. Reece; attending and participating in BIOL 490 (Analysis of Integrative Biological Concepts); and by review of sample test questions (on the department web page) and discussion with appropriate faculty.
5. Grading
Overall grading for the course is as follows: 5% of the grade will be based on the written paper; 20% of the grade based on the oral presentation, 15% based on the score of the MFT and 60% on the general department test. Note: the student must achieve a minimum collective score of 70% with ALL course components being completed. Failure to achieve this 70% minimum or to complete ALL course components will result in failure.
Assuming the 70% score on the General Test is achieved, grades will be assigned as:
A= 90-100; B=80-89; C=70-79; D=60-69; 59 and below = F
Attendance at scheduled seminars is MANDATORY. Each unexcused absence will result in a 5% reduction in the final point total for the course.
Academic dishonesty, as defined in the ONU Student Code of Conduct (Student Affairs Office), will be dealt with in the prescribed manner indicated.
ADA issues should be discussed with the instructor.
Other matters to be considered: All students in this course that have goals of graduate or professional schools must submit scores of GREs, MCATs, etc. to the DEPARTMENTAL OFFICE. Faculty will not provide recommendations for these various programs until this is completed. Please cooperate with these instructions. These test scores are required by our accrediting bodies regarding our program assessment.
This course 494 will only be offered this term and winter term.