There is no textbook for this course!
There is no textbook for this course! All of the reading materials you will need are provided as links on the online syllabus (web, NOT Blackboard), as downloadable PDFs, from scientific literature or e-textbooks. Additionally, all of the lecture PowerPoints will be made available online as downloadable PDFs for you to print, review, and bring to class to add your own notes. Thus, you will have all the information you need at your fingertips!

Course Objectives:
This course will provide an overview of the biological principles involved in human reproduction examined from all subdisciplines of biology, at an introductory level, including evolution, behavior, biology of beauty, genetics of sexual development, reproductive anatomy and physiology, pregnancy and birth, reproductive disorders and diseases, reproductive technology, and the effects of environmental contaminants on reproduction. It is anticipated that students in this class will have a rudimentary background in biology or chemistry. An important part of this course will be student participation and discussion. This course is intended to be educational and fun, and the topics intended to stimulate class discussions - and our discussions can be the best part of the course! It will be assumed, by your registering for this course, that you are sufficiently comfortable with the topics presented to discuss them maturely, openly, and academically in a classroom setting. Immaturity, rudeness, un-academic behavior and dialogue will NOT be tolerated and are grounds for dismissal from the course. Respect and inquisitiveness about human biology and reproduction is expected and encouraged.

Course Teaching Methods:
This course will be a three credit hour, lecture-based course without laboratories. Material will be presented in a multimedia format that will include PowerPoint's, videos, a course website, and other media resources. Supplemental reading material is provided on the course website. This science course is taught from a strictly biological approach. By enrolling in this course it is to be understood that you are comfortable learning about, and discussing human anatomy and reproduction, as well as the use of proper anatomical vocabulary and terms. Specifically, this course involves discussions of biological and evolutionary differences between males and females based on a binary sex framework. If you are uncomfortable with this content, this might not be the appropriate course for you. I strive to teach the course content from a scientific and biological framework, being as inclusive and sensitive as possible without limiting course content.

Upon completion of this course students will be:
1. Be able to understand the biological basis of sexual versus asexual reproduction, and the evolution of these forms of reproduction in different forms of life (from bacteria to animals, to humans).
2. Be familiar with basic anatomical and physiological functions in males and females.
3. Be able to describe current scientific advances in the field of reproductive biology.
4. Be able to discern how popular media (television, movies, music, art, etc ...) can be critically evaluated from a biological and evolutionary perspective on human reproduction.

Attendance
On-time attendance is required at all lectures. Reading assignments must be completed before you come to class. Lectures are designed to build on, not repeat, textbook material, so I will assume you are already familiar with the material in the text before lecture begins. There is a lot of material that I present that cannot be found in the textbook, so come to class! Additionally, I often present and discuss topics that are not found within the powerpoint, and I like to include material I might have just read in the news or other media outlets, as it pertains to the topic we're covering.

Exam Format: Exam Format: Mostly multiple choice questions, but might include several fill-in-the-blank or short answer questions. Quiz Format: Multiple choice, and matching, and some fill-in-the-blank. If you miss a quiz or exam without a legal excuse (doctor's appointment, court appointment, car problems, emergency, or verified illness), you will receive a zero. If you know you will be absent from lecture, ahead of the day of a quiz or exam, you can contact me about making up the quiz or exam within 1 week. If you do not within that time, you will receive a zero.

Writing Assignments: Two written reports are to be submitted. I expect you to write your own report, but I encourage you to discuss topics with me and your classmates. For the report you can evaluate a commercial, television show, movie, music video, or other media source (ex. YouTube) for the portrayal of topics we've discussed in lecture. I will even accept classic or contemporary artwork (paintings, digital artwork, or other) as perceptions about humans as sexual beings have been portrayed and expressed in artwork for thousands of years in one form or another. [Artwork was "media" before media was invented.] I will provide more details on what should be included in these reports in class. In the report you must cite the source for media subject you have chosen (ex. an http address, magazine, journal, etc...). You must outline what is discussed in the article or media subject, and then tell me specifically how that pertains to or reinforces a topic we have covered in class. This course is called the Biology of Sex so you must incorporate into your report what you learned about the biology of the topic. You can draw on information from class lectures and/or the reading assignments, but you must cite them within the paper (ex. lecture given on 10/22/14, OR "Biology of the Face" reading assignment). The reports should be a minimum of 2, typewritten pages, double-spaced, and with font no larger than 12 point but no smaller than 10 point. Reports need not exceed five pages. I am more impressed with the quality and content rather than the quantity of your writing. Spelling and grammar will count! The assignments are due at the start of lecture on the days stated in the syllabus. Click HERE for an example report (however, this song is off limits for use in your report.)

Courses Grades:
Grades will be based upon 3 lecture exams, 3 quizzes, and 1 written assignments.

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Grading Scale	90 - 100% A	75 - 79.4% C+	60 - 64.4% D
	85 - 89.4% B+	70 - 74.4% C	< 60% F
	80 - 84.4% B	65 - 69.4% D+

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Things to remember to do well in this course:
What you get out of this course depends on how much you put into it. The concepts presented are not particularly difficult, but there is much material and vocabulary to master.

The following points are important to remember for doing well in this course:
• On-time attendance is required at all lectures.
• Keep up with the reading for lecture material! Don't try and cram several weeks worth of material in the night before an exam. This never works!
• Come to class and take notes! Some material I present in class WILL NOT be covered in the in a reading assignment, but you are still responsible for that material on tests.
• Reading assignments must be completed before you come to class. Lectures are designed to build on, not repeat, textbook material, so I will assume you are already familiar with the material in the text before lecture begins.
• If you are having a hard time with the material presented in class, PLEASE contact me. Your success is important to me, and I will do everything I can to help you master this material, provided you do your part as well. If you recognize after the first quiz or exam that you are having trouble, that is the time to start coming for help. If you wait to seek help until the after the second exam, it is unlikely you can significantly improve your grade by that point.

There will be no exceptions to the following RULES:
•Cheating will not be tolerated. Simply come to class, pay attention, keep up with the reading and your notes, and study appropriately for each quiz and exam and you do not need to cheat to pass this course! If you are caught cheating on any quiz or exam you'll get an automatic zero for that quiz or exam. End of story. It is also my prerogative to dismiss you from the course with an F and report you to the academic affairs committee for formal reprimand.
•If you miss a quiz or exam without a legal excuse you will receive a zero. A legal excuse is a doctor's appointment, court appointment, emergency, or verified illness (with note). If you know you will be absent from lecture, ahead of the day of a quiz or exam, you can contact me about making up the quiz or exam earlier. You will be responsible for making up a missed quiz or exam within 1 week. If you do not in that time you will recieve a zero. If you fail to provide a legal excuse for an absence within a week of missing a quiz or exam you will receive a zero.
•Class assignments are due in the beginning of class on the days listed in the syllabus. If you fail to turn in an assignment and do not provide a legal excuse within 1 week, you will receive a zero. If you have a legal excuse you will turn in the assignment no more than 1 week after the due date. If you know you will be absent from class the day an assignment is due you have the option of turning it in earlier. All assginments turned in outside of class should be turned in to the Dept. of Biology secretary (LSF 204) to be put in my mailbox. PLEASE DO NOT SLIDE ASSIGNMENTS UNDER MY OFFICE DOOR.
•If you have more than 6 excused absences from lecture you can be dismissed from the course.

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ACADEMIC HONESTY: In accord with the FMU Student Handbook guidelines, any evidence of cheating or plagiarism will result in the loss of all points on that exam or assignment and appropriate disciplinary action, and may result in suspension or expulsion from Francis Marion University.

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Written by Tamatha Barbeau, 2004. This web site is for educational purposes; if you own an image on this site and would like it removed or used with permission, or if you have comments, corrections, or suggestions, please contact me.