Botany/Microbiology 423G - Phycology
Instructor: Dr. Susan MeiersEmail:
Office: 205 WaggonerResearch Labs: 203 & 204 Waggoner
Office Phone: 298-2008
Lecture: M W 11:00 - 11:50 am, 202 Waggoner
Laboratory: Tuesdays 10:00 - 11:50 pm, 203 Waggoner
Texts: Sze, Philip. 1998. A Biology of the Algae, third edition. WCB-McGraw-Hill Publ.
Prescott, G. W. 1978. How to Know the Freshwater Algae. Wm. C. Brown Publ..
(ANY EDITION of either of these books will work, though if you have editions other than these, you may
need to “hunt” for tables/figures, etc. I specifically ask you to know.)
Office hours: Office hours: M 10-10:50, 2-2:50; Tues. 10-11:50am, W 10-10:50, 2-2:50, and by appointment. (don't be shy-- I am usually in my office or research lab when I’m not teaching)
I. Goals and Objectives of this Course:
The goal of this course is a survey of the principles of phycology, the study of algae. Topics to be covered:
- An introduction to algal morphology, ultrastructure, physiology, taxonomy, ecology, and evolution.
- To provide a systematic framework for comparison of algae at various taxonomic levels.
- To examine some practical benefits and problems associated with algae in human affairs, including
economic uses, environmental effects, etc.
- To familiarize you with basic collection and identification techniques used in phycology.
- To familiarize you with scientific literature and presenting a presentation based on your readings.
Undergraduate Graduate
II. Evaluation:PointsPoints
AssignmentUndergradGraduate
Lecture Exam 1100 pts100 pts
Lecture Exam 2100 pts100 pts
Lecture Exam 3 100 pts100 pts
Cumulative Exam (Take Home) 50 pts 50 pts
Lab Quizzes (5 of 6 count)100 pts100 pts
Lab Exam 1100 pts 100 pts
Lab Exam 2100 pts 100 pts
Journal Article Evaluations (total) 50 pts100 pts
Homework Assignments 50 pts100 pts
Presentations100 pts200 pts
total points850 pts1000 pts
Grades will be assigned as follows:Undergrad Graduate
A = 90.0 - 100%765.00 - 850900.00 - 1000
B = 80.0 - 89.9%680.00 - 764.99800.00 - 899.99
C = 70.0 - 79.9%595.00 - 679.99 700.00 - 799.99
D = 60.0 - 69.9%510.00 - 594.99600.00 - 699.99
F = below 59.9% </= 509.99</= 599.99
III. Grading Information
Grading Criteria:
Exams and Quizzes:
Each lecture exam will consist of a combination of multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and essay questions based on text reading assignments, discussions, and material presented in lectures as well as any topics covered in class, and may include material not included in the text. It is every student’s responsibility to be prepared for these quizzes and exams by attending every class. It is also every student’s responsibility to find out what they missed during classes for which they were absent.
Laboratory sessions will focus on observation of a wide variety of algae, especially living material, and are intended to familiarize you with some basic identification and collection techniques. You will be expected to properly use an identification key and a microscope, identify structures, etc. presented in laboratory. Lab quizzes will consist of fill-in the blank, draw-and-label, short phrase, and short answer questions. The Lab Exams will consist of a “practical” with fill-in answers based on all material covered in lab sessions. Your laboratory notebook should contain technique instructions/explanations, written descriptions and labeled diagrams of specimen observations at the macroscopic (“naked eye”) and microscopic level, and other relevant work performed in the laboratory for the semester to assist you in studying for the lab exams.
No books, notes, etc., will be allowed for any quiz or exam (see the Academic Dishonesty section below). Baseball caps must either be removed or turned so that the bill faces backwards during all quizzes and exams. Absolutely NO ACCESS OR USE OF ANY notes, “cheat sheets”, portable recorders, CD, other audio/video devices, cell phones, Blackberries, PDAs, and/or ANY electronic device will be allowed during any quiz or exam.
Show up on time for exams – students who show up after the first student has finished the exam and left the room will not be allowed to take the exam and will receive a zero.
Missed Exams Policy:
If for some reason you are unable to take an exam, you must contact me within 2 school days by phone. Failure to phone me within 2 school days of the exam can jeopardize your chance to make up that exam. I do NOT consider email or voicemail as notification of missing an exam. You must speak with me either in person or by phone. I expect documentation (a copy of hospitalization papers, accident report, arrest report, etc.) from you should you have an unavoidable legitimate (i.e., University-approved) excuse. A different, essay-format make-up exam will be available to students with excused absences up to one week after the original exam was given. It is your responsibility to make arrangements with me for the make-up exam when you contact me to state your reasons for missing the exam. After a week has passed, unless extreme circumstances exist (e.g., death in the immediate family, hospitalization, etc.), the student can no longer make up the missed exam and will receive a zero for it. Missed exams that are not excused (i.e., do not have proper documentation from the student – see attendance policy above for details) cannot, under any circumstances, be re-taken or made-up. Missed quizzes cannot be made-up for any reason. There will be NO make-up labs or exams given except in cases of serious documented situations (as per University-approved absences).
Journal Article Evaluations:
Each student will complete two journal article evaluations. The first one is due at the beginning of class on Weds. Sept. 28th, and the second is due on Weds. November 2nd. Details will be posted on Western Online.
Final Presentation:
A final research presentation summarizing some aspect of phycology will be given by each student at the end of the semester. This presentation is meant to familiarize the student and the class with an aspect of phycology that you find interesting, to become familiar with scientific literature, and to practice reading and explaining scientific articles. The presentation guidelines and the breakdown of the project’s grade are detailed in the “Final Presentation” handout, which is also posted to Western Online. You will turn in a copy of your slides at the beginning of your presentation, and will post your slides to Western Online at least 48 hours before your presentation. Presentations are given on the last 2-6 lecture days of the class, and what day your presentation will be will be randomly determined.
IV. Late Work Policy:
Assignments, written reports, postings to Blackboard, etc., will be docked 10% of its final grade per day. Any work submitted over weekends (i.e., slid under my door, in my mailbox, posted to Blackboard, etc.) will be considered to have been turned in on Monday morning (3 days late: Saturday, Sunday, Monday= loss of 30% of final grade).
V. Attendance:
In order to get the most out of your education, you are expected to attend all lectures and labs and to be on time and stay for the entire class period. Attendance for a course such as this is critical to your understanding of the material. Note that 2 or more unexcused laboratory absences will result in an automatic failure of the course. An excused absence requires proper documentation: if you are sick, provide me with a doctor’s note; if there is a family death, provide me with appropriate funeral documentation. Undocumented absences are considered unexcused by the University. Any combination of two incidences of coming to class late and/or leaving early without a valid excuse will be considered and treated as an unexcused absence. DO NOT turn in ANY assignments, quizzes, etc. for students who were not in class; let them turn them in themselves.
VI. Extra Credit:
You have the opportunity to earn points (800 for undergrads, 950 for grad students) in this course from a wide variety of activities (exams, quizzes, presentations, etc.) throughout the semester. I do NOT offer extra credit assignments – the grade you earn corresponds to the points YOU EARN. Please do not ask for extra credit assignments – none will be given.
VII. Academic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty in any form is not tolerated in this (or any) class. Doing an assignment, quiz, etc. for someone else to be turned in as theirs, turning in an assignment or quiz for someone who didn’t attend class, cheating on an exam or quiz, allowing someone to cheat off of you on an exam or quiz, copying someone else’s assignment from a previous semester and turning it in as your work, etc. are all clear violations of the Student Code of Conduct concerning Academic Integrity. Seeing that this is an upper level and/or graduate course, you are considered adults and “scientists-in-training”, a first offense of any type of academic dishonesty will result in an automatic ZERO for the given assignment, quiz, exam, etc. A copy of the Student Code of Conduct is available (for free) from your college, in the student newspaper the first week of the semester, and on the web at
Read and understand it, as you must abide by it. Note that the penalties for academic dishonesty may include failing the course and/or expulsion from the university.
Absolutely, positively, and under NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL STUDENTS BE ALLOWED TO ANSWER, USE, OR OTHERWISE HAVE ACCESS TO ANY ELECTRONIC DEVICE OR EXTRA MATERIAL OF ANY KIND DURING A QUIZ OR AN EXAM. Such use, access, and/or answering an electronic device will be considered an attempt to cheat on said quiz or exam and I will follow the stated policy regarding cheating stated in the paragraph directly above. Should you have a family emergency that may require access to a cell phone during a quiz or exam, you MUST make arrangements with me, Dr. Meiers, beforehand.
VIII. Academic Dishonesty-Plagiarism:
The faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences ascribes to a definition of plagiarism as expressed by V. E. McMillan in Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences (Bedford/St.Martin’s Press, New York, pg 16):
“Plagiarism is the theft of someone else’s words, work, or ideas. It includes such acts as (1) turning in a friend’s paper and saying it is yours; (2) using another person’s data or ideas without acknowledgement; (3) copying an author’s exact words and putting them in your paper without quotation marks; and (4) using wording that is very similar to that of the original source but passing it off as entirely your own even while acknowledging the source.”
This includes information in textbooks or laboratory manuals, honors and masters theses, all writing assignments, and images. The faculty of the Department attempt to monitor student writing assignments (essay exams, papers, laboratory reports, and other writing assignments or exercises) for incidence of plagiarism. If plagiarism is found, the faculty will discuss the situation with the student and indicate to the student the penalty for this academic dishonesty. Potential penalties include those cited in the academic dishonesty section of the WIU web page:
Plagiarism is one of the most serious crimes in academia and, certainly, in science. You are upper level and graduate students – I expect that you understand this. Anyone who plagiarizes any assignment or exam in the course will receive an “F” for the entire course. Such an infraction will be added to the student’s permanent record and, if CAGAS determines it is necessary, the student will be expelled from the university. Ignorance of what constitutes plagiarism is not possible as you are responsible for all the information in this syllabus, which includes a definition and examples of plagiarism. Plagiarism is intolerable, always and every time. If any student has questions regarding plagiarism, s/he should see me prior to turning in any assignment. You will be held to all university policies regarding plagiarism.
IX. About Western Online:
Western Online is an online platform for WIU courses. For this class, you will be using Western Online to access a copy of the syllabus , various materials, and to access grades for quizzes and exams by the last 4 digits of your ID number. You will also post a copy of your final presentation slides to the Western Online site at least 48 hours before your presentation.
Western Online can be found at:
This is the log-on page. You will need to enter your ECOM login and your password. After you log in, you should see a list of courses, including our course. If you click on our course, you will see our home page. I will post a copy of the syllabus,various handouts, and a file of all grades posted by the last 4 digits of your ID. The Gradebook section of Western Online will not be used for this class.
It is your responsibility to regularly access Western Online daily and make sure that you can access materials located there. If you have problems accessing Western Online, contact the Academic Computing desk at (309) 298-1177. Faculty do not control the software for Western Online system and so cannot solve your computer problems.
It is your responsibility to register yourself with Western Online and make sure that you can access materials on the on-line site.
X. Students with Disabilities
“In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s) you must obtain documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability Resource Center (DRC) and provide it to the instructor. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's attention, as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 298-2512 for additional services.”
XI. “Be Respectful” Policy:
Be respectful of everyone in class. Please do not disturb other students by talking unnecessarily, reading the paper, working crossword or sudoku puzzles, passing notes, etc. during the class. PLEASE TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES, BEEPERS, AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES DURING CLASS. If you repeatedly disturb the class with talking, your cell phone, etc., I will ask you to leave the class. Come to class on time and stay until the end. If you have a hard time hearing me, please don't hesitate to ask me to talk louder, or to move your seat as you need to to be able to hear better.
Tentative Lecture Schedule
Topic / Sze ChapterIntroduction- What are Algae? Diversity, and Human Uses for Algae / 1
Cyanobacteria / 2
Chlorophyta / 3
Exam 1
Ochrophyta/“Chromophyta” – Chrysophyceae, Tribophyceae, Eustigmatophyceae,
Raphidiophyceae, Diatoms, Phaeophyceae / 4
Haptophyta, Dinoflagellates, Cryptomonads, Euglenoids / 5
Rhodophyta / 6
Exam 2
Algae and Ecological Cycles
Biotic Associations / 7
Phytoplankton Ecology / 8
Freshwater Algal Ecology / 9
Marine Algal Ecology
Exam 3 and Final Exam
Important Dates for the Semester:
Date / Why it is importantMon. Aug 19 / Classes begin
Fri. Aug 23 / Last day to add a class
Mon. Sept. 2 / Labor Day Holiday
Weds. Sept 11 / Presentation topics due. See handout.
Tues. Sept. 18 / Lecture Exam 1
Tues. Oct 15 / Lab Exam 1
Fri. Sept. 27 / Journal Article 1 Assignment due
Tues Oct. 23 / Lecture Exam 2
Mon. Oct. 25 / Presentation outline due. See handout for details
Fri. Nov. 1 / Journal Article 2 Assignment due
Tues. Nov 12, 19 / Student Presentations
Tues. Dec. 8 / Lab Exam 2
Fri. Dec. 11 / Last day of classes
Weds. Dec, 14, 10-11:50 am / Exam 3; Cumulative Final Exam due (typed up and turned in by 10:00 am!)
Lab Quizzes will be on the following days during lab and cover ALL Lab material covered since the last lab exam: Sept. 6, 13, 27; Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29.