CONSERVATION OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES 2403 (Internet Enhanced--Computer Use REQUIRED) COURSE SYLLABUS – SPRING 2008
Instructor: Bruce G. Stewart, B.S.Ed., M.S., Certified Wildlife Biologist
Office Location: LS 118 Telephone: 371-2371 Ext. 225 (Voice Mail Available) E-mail: bstewart@mscok.edu Home page:  http://www.mscok.edu/~bstewart/bstewart/index.htm Click Here to see my weekly schedule.
Final Exam Schedule:  Tuesday, May 6th -- 3:00-4:50pm
CURRENT GRADES: Click Here for Current Grade Records (After 1st Exam)

I. CATALOG DESCRIPTION OF COURSE COURSE NAME: Conservation of Wildlife Resources 2403 PREREQUISITES: General Botany 1114 or General Zoology 1114 DESCRIPTION: This course is presented from a conservation ecology perspective. The history and importance of the conservation movement is reviewed, and important conservation agencies and organizations are presented. Coverage of fundamental concepts of wildlife management are integrated in units on the structure and function of a wide rage of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Special problems such as endangered species preservation, genetic diversity conservation, predator management, designing wildlife preserves, and affects of chemical pollution are also addressed.

CLOCK HOURS A WEEK: Three lecture hours a week CREDIT: Three semester hours

II. COURSE CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES

A great deal of the justification for the study of wildlife conservation is derived from the philosophy described by Perry. Not only is wildlife study interesting and satisfying, it is extremely important as a component of the environmental awareness that is necessary for monitoring and maintenance of healthy ecosystems on earth.

Conservation of Wildlife Resources 2403 will give you an introduction to 1) conservation philosophy and history, 2) ecosystem ecology, 3) scientific approaches to wildlife and conservation biology (including habitat analysis, population ecology, natural history and behavior, etc.), and 4) wildlife conservation issues, problems, and possible solutions (e.g. tropical rainforest destruction, overgrazing in Oklahoma, and a host of other environmental concerns). The following table presents the textbook readings and topics that will be covered through the semester.

III. MATERIALS OF INSTRUCTION

• TEXTBOOK: Cox, George. 1997. Conservation Biology: Concepts and Applications, 2nd ed. Wm. C. Brown Publishers. Dubuque, IA. 362pp. ISBN 0-697-21814-7.
• REFERENCES: Required readings from MSC library and the instructor's personal reference library sources will be provided.
• INTERNET:  USE CAUTION!  According to the American Library Association, 83% of websites are commercial, the best search engines can track only 16% of web pages, and according to a 1999 study by Johns Hopkins and Ohio State universities, 70% of health and medical information on the web is wrong or misleading!  However, there are official sites of some scientific societies (e.g. The Wildlife Society) that are reliable, and there are educational sites of some institutions that are good for general information.
• FIELD TRIPS: It is a reality that serious wildlife students need to participate in professional wildlife-related activities. Aside from academic preparation, there is probably no other aspect of your training that is more important. How does one accomplish this? Attend professional and student society meetings. Volunteer at parks, refuges, or wildlife management areas. Spend time in the field with wildlife professionals and other students. I recommend that every student become a student member of the such as The Wildlife Society, the Oklahoma Academy of Science, the Oklahoma Ornithological Society, and the Southwestern Association of Naturalists. Click on the links above to find out more. I will provide information to you on activities of these societies, as information becomes available to me. Active , interested, responsible students always get better letters of recommendation!

IV. METHODS OF PRESENTATION AND COURSE OUTLINE

This sophomore-level course has freshman course prerequisites designed to give you a basic biological science foundation which should prepare you for a more sophisticated approach to learning. CON 2403 is designed and will be taught in a reading/discussion format. Both students and instructor will carefully read, in advance of each class, an assigned chapter and/or other supplemental readings such as scientific journal articles according to the schedule and outline provided in this syllabus. Be prepared on a daily basis to begin with a 15-20 minute writing exercise designed to prompt you to articulate your thoughts about some aspect of the readings (and to make sure you have indeed read them!). This writing exercise will be followed by a discussion moderated by the instructor or on assigned occasions by a student. You absolutely must do your reading conscientiously and in advance of the class. Daily grades will be assigned based on the quality of your in-class written assignment and on the level and quality of your participation in discussions.

You will be expected to thoroughly study, learn and understand the concepts and terms included in the readings. Traditional exams will test your ability to demonstrate the degree with which you master these materials. Order of chapter readings is given on an attached page. I will keep you abreast of exact dates of activities and reading assignments as the semester progresses.

My previous and ongoing experiences in field biology will hopefully allow me to enrich our course with first hand information. Examples of these experiences include 1) environmental consulting as a wildlife ecologist for a private firm and 2) personal research and conservation activities (for example I have served on the Executive Board of the Oklahoma Ornithological Society for over 10 years including two years as president). Photographic slides from many travels will be used to supplement topics covering in class (e.g. rainforests of southern Mexico and representative biomes of the southern US and of Mexico).

My philosophy of teaching is described in detail at the following link, and it is required introductory reading for this course:

• My Philosophy of Teaching

V. EVALUATION OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

• GRADING: Grading will be based on a "Total Point System". Points will be awarded for performance on 1) approximately four lecture/discussion exams, 2) thoroughness, accuracy, and organization of the student in-class writing exercises and discussion 3) homework assignments and quizzes, 4) a term paper and/or take-home essay assignments. Some opportunities for a small number of bonus points may be available for participation in optional field and meeting activities. All points (excluding bonus points) will be totaled and each student's semester grade will be determined by the percentage of the possible points she/he has attained (including bonus points) as follows: A 90-100%, B 80-89%, C 70-79%, D 60-69%, F 0-59%. The possible points value on each exam may or may not be adjusted to reflect test difficulty, current class performance, and past class performance on each exam type. The possible point value for each exam will be announced when the graded answer sheet is returned to you.
• EXAMS: Major exams will consist a variety of question types including, essay, multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching, etc. Scantron (computer graded) answer sheets requiring that you use a soft-lead pencil may be used for some exams. Thus, bring a pencil for each exam. Writing will be emphasized.
• HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS AND QUIZZES: Unless an excused absence is approved, you must be present to receive the assignments in order to get credit for turning them in. Assignments are due at the beginning of the class meeting on the due date.
• ABSENCES AND TARDINESS: YOU ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND EVERY LECTURE AND FIELD TRIP SESSION OF THE COURSE. The following is quoted from the Murray State College catalog: "Absences in excess of one hour of class time for each hour of course credit are considered sufficient to seriously affect academic achievement in class. Whenever any student's absences in a course are so excessive that in the judgment of the instructor a satisfactory degree of progress cannot be expected, the student may be DROPPED from the class." Thus, CON 2034 students who are absent more than two times without a VALID reason (in the instructor's judgment) will be asked to drop the course or receive a grade of "F". Just as absences will not be tolerated, habitual tardiness will not be tolerated. Each three (3) instances of tardiness will be counted as an absence.
• EXCUSED ABSENCES AND MAKEUP EXAMS: Absences will be considered unexcused unless a valid reason is provided IN WRITING by the student. Validity of the reason will be determined by the instructor in accordance with the policy stated in the Murray State College catalog; however, as a general guide, the following may be considered valid: 1) a signed memorandum from the Dean of Arts & Sciences indicating that the student was gone for an approved college function, or 2) a signed note from a doctor or her/his staff on office stationary stating the student was unable to attend class for health reasons. THE THREE ALLOWABLE ABSENCES SHOULD BE RESERVED BY THE STUDENT TO TAKE CARE OF DENTAL APPOINTMENTS, OVERSLEEPING, ETC.
• Absolutely no makeup exams will be given if the student missed due to an unexcused absence. Make up exams, which may be totally essay in nature, must be taken on or before the first regular class day upon the student's return unless other arrangements are made with the instructor.

VI. CLASS BEHAVIOR AND ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT POLICY

Any student leaving class, even temporarily, without prior approval will be counted absent for that day. A student who creates a distraction by talking, throwing things, or other juvenile/rude behaviors will be warned once and have a point deduction of ten (10) points from his/her total points and may be moved to an assigned seating location.   A second offense at any time during the semester will result in an official documentation and recommendation for counseling with the MSC Counseling Center; the student will be dropped from the course with a W or WF unless there is specific evidence that the student is likely to correct the inappropriate behavior.

Cellular telephones ringing in class are considered an inappropriate distractions (also annoying and RUDE in many public places) unless prior arrangements with me are made (e.g. in the case of volunteer firemen, law enforcement officers on call, and impending medical situations such as child birth).  Don't be inconsiderate of others by interrupting activities just so you can talk at your convenience!  Regardless of the situation, cell phones are not to be placed in visible locations where text screens can be read.    Point deductions as noted above for other distractions may be assessed at my discretion if this becomes a problem.

Please remember, that orderly class discussion using common courtesy in addressing the class or the instructor is encouraged. The above-stated policy is not intended to discourage good class participation.

Unethical behavior will not be tolerated in this class. If you feel inclined to circumvent the system to avoid doing the work required to become an excellent nurse, wildlife biologist, teacher, etc., then I will feel inclined to keep you from receiving credit for any such unethical activity. The following is the policy adopted by the Department of Science. It will be applied in this class.

Definition: Activities considered to constitute "Academic Misconduct" shall include, but are not limited to:

1. falsification or false report of any document, assignment or task either in or out of the class,
2. copying of other's work (exams, papers, etc.) to be submitted as your own, either in or out of the class,
3. providing your work for copying by others, as in above (b),
4. using "crib" sheets or any other un-authorized aids^* during performance of assigned work (^* = as defined by the instructor and/or proctor)
5. plagiarism of published and printed materials (which may be checked with academic honesty/teaching software, particularly Turnitin.com. Click on this icon,and read the section defining and explaining plagiarism.

Disciplinary Action: Disciplinary actions will be applied as follows:

1. for the first "minor" offense, the student will receive a "zero" score on the work involved. Where a "dropped low score" is a class option, the "zero" score will not be dropped.
2. for the second "minor" offense or first "major" offense (such as not doing your own work or having plagiarized material in the term paper), the student will be dropped from the course with an "F"
3. disciplinary action applied under this policy will not in any way exclude application of misconduct policies defined for other divisions, programs, or the student's major.

Where the Policy Will Apply: This policy will be enforced in all classrooms and common areas on the MSC and AHEC campuses. It will applied to any location whether the student is doing work whether at home or otherwise.  All faculty, staff, students, or any reliable person may report any incident observed in any area. Evidence indicating any off-campus violations will be used to enforce this policy.

Reporting of Incidents Covered by this Policy: Reports concerning details (person or persons involved, when, what and where of incident) of academic misconduct and application of disciplinary action will be filed with appropriate administrative offices (e.g. the MSC Provost) and your academic advisor.

VII.  AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES STATEMENT

    I believe strongly in the Americans with Disabilities Act.  I personally know of several instances in which ignorant discrimination was prevented or discouraged because of this act.  Murray State College is committed to providing equal access to College programs and services for all students.  Under College policy and federal and state laws, students with documented disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodation to ensure the student has an equal opportunity to perform in class.  If any member of the class has such a disability and needs special academic accommodation, please report to the Counseling Center before the end of the first week of the semester.  Reasonable accommodation may be arranged after verification of your situation.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any assistance in this process.

VIII. STUDENT CLASS CONTRACT

I, the undersigned, understand the absenteeism, tardiness, class behavior, academic misconduct, grading, and other policies and expectations given in the course syllabus for Conservation of Wildlife Resources. I have had the opportunity to ask questions about any of the policies for this class.

I understand that these policies and expectations are meant to create a good learning atmosphere and experience for me in CON 2403. I understand that Professor Stewart, will inform the entire class in a timely manner should there be a need to modify portions of this syllabus during the semester, as often happens. I understand that there will be no bonus points to artificially inflate any student's grade and that the grade I earn will to the greatest extent possible be based on an objective evaluation of my performance using on the criteria presented in the course syllabus.

I agree to follow the terms and policies presented the CON 2403 course syllabus and to adhere to all other standard academic ethics expected of higher education students. I also realize that Professor Bruce G. Stewart is committed to adhering to the terms of this syllabus and to demonstate sound teaching ethics and professionalism in CON 2403.

Finally, I understand that I have the rights of due process as outlined in the MSC Student Handbook and/or other college policies.

SIGNED________________________________

DATE__________________________________

Note: You can compute your overall % (and thus letter grade) at any time by adding the columns and dividing your total points by the overall possible points as follows: Your % = Your Total Points/Total Possible Points

Cited Literature Related to Chief Seattle Speech

Museum of History and Industry. 1990. Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens & Chief Seattle. Museum Display.

The eJournal website. 2007a. Territorial Governer Isaac Stevens & Chief Seattle. http://www.synaptic.bc.ca/ejournal/muhisind.htm (24 October 2007).

The eJournal website. 2007b. Chief Seattle Speech: Washington State Library. Letterhead from Nancy Zussy, State Librarian. http://www.synaptic.bc.ca/ejournal/wslibrry.htm (24 October 2007).

Zussy, Nancy. 1993. Letter on Chief Seattle Speech. State Librarian, Washington State Library.