Welcome to BIO 2100

I am Prof. Ortiz, and I am your instructor for this course (lab and lecture). Please read on for important details and information.

BIO2100 is a one-semester Biology majors’ course. This semester this course is hybrid. Lab is in person. Lecture is asynchronous online. In addition to the material in this section (Course Syllabus, Class Policies, etc.) all the course material for each week is in a folder for that week (ex. Week 1, Week 2, etc.) in the panel to the left. Announcements and emails will be sent out at the beginning of each week to help you keep pace with the course. I welcome any/all questions/concerns/input you may have. If you receive accommodations and would like to use them, please let me know so we can work together to implement them. If you have a preferred pronoun (ex. he, she, they, etc.), please let me know so that I may address you according to your preference(s). I look forward to hearing from you.

About Your Professor

Prof. Ortiz is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Kingsborough Community College. I am a Biomedical Engineer with research interests in Microbiology, Marine Biology, and Biomedical Engineering. I also have experience and interest in space science and pre-hospital medicine. I have taught at KCC since 1993 and enjoy working with students. I look forward to working with you this semester.

The best way to contact Prof. Ortiz is through my email: Mary.Ortiz@kbcc.cuny.edu

How This Course Works

This is a 12-week course that begins on September 9, 2022 and ends on December 20, 2022.
The course will be taught in a hybrid format. There will be an online asynchronous portion taught in Blackboard (Bb) and a lab portion that will be taught in person on Thursdays from 12:40 PM – 4 PM.
The required text: Vertebrates – Comparative Anatomy, Function, Evolution, 6th edition. The 6th edition of the text is available for free as a PDF, but you may use any of these editions: 4^th – 8^th editions. The text may take a few moments to load before you can download it. It will also be available inside your Blackboard course.
The required lab manual – Comparative Anatomy Lab Manual, is available as a free PDF file in your Blackboard course. There will also be videos you’ll be asked to watch at no cost to you.
You will learn in a supportive community and you’ll have opportunities to collaborate and work together each week.
This course is organized into one-week modules. We start our class week on Thursdays and there will be an announcement that will be sent to your KBCC email about the work for the week.
Assignments/Projects are due as indicated on the Course Calendar. You will be submitting all assignments through Bb as MS Word documents. Photo Labeling Assignments and the Bird Research Project will also be submitted in hard copy. I will grade them and return them to you in a timely fashion.
Remember to ask for help or guidance whenever you need it!

My Commitment to You

I recognize that this is an especially stressful time to be a student. COVID-19 has added significant stress and trauma to all of our lives, some more than others. While racial injustice is not new in our country, it is more visible. Our lives feel heavier and, in turn, you are coping with a lot more than you might even realize. These stressors may affect your ability to process information and manage your learning. Give yourself grace as you try your best. Throughout this course I will do my best to support you towards your academic success. I believe in you and I’m in this with you!

My Teaching Philosophy

I believe the differences each person brings into a course enrich the learning of the group. Each person learns at a unique rhythm. I design my courses to showcase and celebrate the diversity of the members of our learning community and to encourage each student to connect our course content to their own life.

Our Pact

What you can expect from me:

What I will expect from you:

I’ll treat you with dignity and respect and try to support your individual needs.
I’ll provide you with a clear, organized course that is designed to ensure you meet our course outcomes in a meaningful manner.
I’ll provide a variety of assignments to ensure your learning needs are met.
I’ll be actively present in your learning.
I’ll provide a supportive and safe environment for sharing ideas.
I’ll reach out to you when I sense that you need support.
I won’t be perfect. I’m human and will make mistakes. I’ll view them as an opportunity to learn and grow.

You’ll treat me and your peers with dignity and respect.
You’ll strive to be an active participant and to meet due dates.
You’ll keep an open line of communication with me, so I know how to support you.
You’ll contact me if you have a concern with meeting a due date.
You’ll strive to regularly contribute to collaborative activities, so members of the community have time to read/listen, reflect, and respond to your ideas.
You’ll do your best to have patience with tech. We’ll get through hiccups together.
You’ll give yourself grace. Mistakes are part of learning and growing.

Equity & Inclusion Statement

In an ideal world, science would be objective. However, much of science is subjective and is historically built on a small subset of privileged voices. I acknowledge that much of scientific research and publications have been the work of white men. With that in mind, I have tried to select topics and activities that broaden the voice of science as well as consider and respect difference. However, although I have tried to address inequities in science, there may be both overt and covert biases in the materials you read during the course. Please contact me if you have any suggestions to improve the quality of the course materials. One of my teaching goals is to create a learning environment that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives, and experiences, and honors your identities (including race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, ability, etc.). To help accomplish this:

I will ask you to tell me the name and/or set of pronouns you would like me to use to address you.
I want to be a resource for you. If you feel like your performance in the class is being impacted by your experiences outside of class, please don’t hesitate to connect with me to talk about it.
Like so many people, I am still in the process of learning about diverse perspectives and identities. I will make mistakes!

How to Be Successful in Online Courses

Research on student learning has determined the ingredients for successful online students. Some of these ingredients are:

self-directed
good managers of time and create a schedule for weekly work
motivated to work on their own
able to effectively communicate their ideas in writing

To get you started, watch these videos about online learning:

Introduction to Online Learning (9:45 min.) Start at 1:50 min.
Getting Tech Ready (10:51 min.) Start at 56 seconds.
Communication Skills for Online Learning (8:22 minutes)
Online Reading Strategies (5:06 minutes)

KCC’s Are Your Ready? course has videos that can help you get ready for your online classes. Some of them may make you wonder if you are ready to take an online course. The answer is yes!! The most important thing to remember is if you need help, immediately ask.

Week 1 Success Plan – you got this!

Getting off to a good start is the best way to prepare yourself for success. Read this page carefully and you’ll have all you need to start this course on the right foot.

If you haven’t already read through this online liquid syllabus, be sure to do so by the first Monday of our semester. Then, log in to our course and read the Announcements page. Next, select (click on) the START HERE – COURSE INFO page and read through all of the content on that page. Watch the videos on how to be a successful online student (these videos are optional). Look at the Week 1 folder. It contains the Assignments for the first week, notes for the first lecture chapters, links to the readings for lab, Due: Read Liquid Syllabus, Start Here – Course Info page and Announcements in Bb.

How to Get Your Questions Answered

Need individual help or guidance with our class? I am here for you!

I prefer that you contact me through CUNY email at Mary.Ortiz@kbcc.cuny.edu. I will respond to emails Monday – Friday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please give me 24-48 hours to respond to your email. However, don’t be surprised if I respond on the weekend or in less than 24 hours!

If you are interested, we can meet using zoom.us or have a telephone conversation to discuss any course topics or other issues you might have.

On holidays and weekends, I need a break too, so I may be slower, or I may not respond until Monday. If you prefer to meet with me in real time, please email me with a few time options when you are available. Once we find a time that works for both of us, we can meet in Zoom or via phone.

Need assistance/help that is not specific to our course?

Visit one of the KCC web pages below and if you’re still not sure who to contact, let me know and I’ll steer you to the right resource!

Current Student Resources: https://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/studres/index.html

Campus Resources: https://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/arc/campus.html

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