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Biol 3400: Vascular Plant Taxonomy: Attendance

STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND ALL LABORATORIES FOR THE FULL TIME SCHEDULED and please be on time. No one likes night labs, so help us start promptly so that, should you complete the work early, you can leave early. You are welcome to bring food to class and eat it during the first part of the lab. I would far rather that you did this than came late. I think your fellow students would agree.

There are a couple of additional incentives for being on time. One is that quizzes will start promptly at 5.30, with no extra time being given to late arrivals. If there is no quiz, the introduction to the day's material will be presented starting promptly at the scheduled time for the beginning of the lab. Another reason for this emphasis on timeliness is to ensure that the work can be completed within the scheduled period. Neither I nor Lara will stay late to accommodate students that are tardy (nor those that do not make good use of their time). You will be allowed to leave earlier than 8.30 p.m. if you can demonstrate that you have completed, and learned, the material.

You are also expected to attend all lectures, but it is easier to make up a lecture than a lab because the labs are 'hands on'. They are where you become familiar with the core element of this class - plants. Most of the course time will be spent in the laboratory; lectures will often refer to material that has been presented in the laboratory session. Another reason for being really conscientious about lab attendance: a high proportion of your grade is based on the material studied in the laboratory (not lab attendance, on material presented during lab).

If you have obligations that will prevent you from attending all laboratory sessions for the full time period, please do not enroll or enroll on pass/fail or audit. Experience indicates that your grade point average will suffer severely, which will probably have a deleterious effect on your happiness and mine. ['Sitting in' on the class is not an option; you must be formally enrolled to attend].

There will be no make up labs. If, for reasons beyond your control, you miss a laboratory session, you are responsible for making up the material covered. I shall try to have extra material available for your study in the herbarium, but do not guarantee to be able to do so.