Marine Mammals and Oceanography Valencia College – Winter Park Campus CRN 17877 – Fall 2006

 

LOCATIONS:      Valencia Community College                SeaWorld Adventure Park

                                  Winter Park Center                              Education Department

                                  850 West Morse Boulevard                 7007 Sea World Drive

                                  Winter Park, FL  32789                       Orlando, FL  32821

           

CREDIT:                3 credit hours

                                                                                                                       

You will be parking in Lot G and entering the park through the Education or Sea Harbor Gate.  Make sure that your SeaWorld parking pass is clearly displayed on your dashboard.  It is IMPERATIVE that you arrive on time for every class.  The Sea Harbor Gate stays locked at all times.  Once we enter the park as a class, there will be no way for you to enter the park on your own should you arrive late.  We will be spending much of our time in the park.  Please wear comfortable walking shoes and clothing.  Umbrellas, hats, sunglasses, and water bottles are all encouraged.  Class will not be cancelled due to inclement weather.  Please be prepared for the possibility of encountering large crowds while in the park. 

 

PROFESSORS:  Lynn Dorn                                            David N. Schindler

                          Professor                                              Adult Education Specialist

                                 LDorn@valenciacollege.edu                        David.Schindler@SeaWorld.com

                                 (407) 299-5000 ext. 2201 Work         (407) 363-2396 Work

                                 (407) 582-8920 FAX                          (407) 370-1390 FAX

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

A general course designed primarily for those students not majoring in biology.  The course includes a study of plate tectonics, winds, waves, currents, and tides.  The course also includes interactive learning about marine mammals at SeaWorld Adventure Park Orlando.  This is a three-credit hour, semester-long course condensed into five weeks.  As a result, you will be expected to spend more time in class (approximately 10 hours per week) and out of class reviewing and studying course material. 

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

 

 VALENCIA STUDENT CORE COMPETENCIES:

These core competencies are complex abilities that are essential to lifelong success and which must be developed over a lifetime.  They enable students and faculty to set learning goals and then to assess that learning.  Ultimately, these competencies aid students in taking responsibility for their own education.  A description of these competencies follows, but a more detailed description of the Valencia’s student core competencies can be found at the following website: http://faculty.valencia.cc.fl.us/association/corecomp.htm

 COMPETENCIES OF A VALENCIA GRADUATE:

While the implementation of explicit Valencia Graduate Competencies will be detailed at the end of each topic, it will be stated below how Valencia Graduate Competencies may be met throughout the entire course.

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY:

All course work and papers submitted must be your own original work.  Plagiarism and/or other forms of academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade for the class.  If you are unclear as to the exact definition of plagiarism, please consult Valencia’s Student Handbook or a dictionary for an explanation.

  

Academic Honesty – Valencia Policy

Policy Number: 6Hx28: 10-16

All forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited at Valencia College. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, furnishing false information, forgery, alteration or misuse of documents, misconduct during a testing situation, and misuse of identification with intent to defraud or deceive.
All work submitted by students is expected to be the result of the students’ individual thoughts, research, and self-expression. Whenever a student uses ideas, wording, or organization from another source, the source shall be appropriately acknowledged.
Students shall take special notice that the assignment of course grades is the responsibility of the students’ individual professor. When the professor has reason to believe that an act of academic dishonesty has occurred, and before sanctions are imposed, the student shall be given informal notice and an opportunity to be heard by the professor. Any student determined by the professor to have been guilty of engaging in an act of academic dishonesty shall be liable to a range of academic penalties as determined by the professor which may include, but not be limited to, one or more of the following: loss of credit for an assignment, examination, or project; a reduction in the course grade; or a grade of “F” in the course. At the option of the professor, the campus provost may be furnished with written notification of the occurrence and the action taken. If such written notice is given, a copy shall be provided to the student.
Students guilty of engaging in a gross or flagrant act of academic dishonesty or repeated instances of academic dishonesty shall also be subject to administrative and / or disciplinary penalties which may include warning, probation, suspension and / or expulsion from the College.
The student may appeal action taken by the professor under the provisions of either Policy 6Hx28: 10-13 or 6Hx28: 10-15 as determined by the nature of the action taken.

 

SCHEDULE: 

DATE	TIME	LOCATION	ASSIGNMENT/TOPIC
Saturday September 2	8:30 a.m. to  5:30 p.m.	VCC-WPC	Course Introduction Discuss Topics 1, 2, and 3
Thursday September 7	5:00 p.m. to  9:00 p.m.	SeaWorld	Education Program Fee Due Introduction to Marine Mammals
Thursday September 14	5:00 p.m. to  9:00 p.m.	SeaWorld	Order Sirenia Order Carnivora
Saturday September 16	8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.	VCC-WPC	Dorn Test 1 (Topics 1, 2, and 3) Discuss Topics 4, 5, 6, and 7
Thursday September 21	5:00 p.m. to  9:00 p.m.	SeaWorld	SeaWorld Mid-Term (Mammals) Order Pinnipedia
Thursday September 28	5:00 p.m. to  9:00 p.m.	SeaWorld	Order Cetacea
Saturday October 7	9:00 a.m. to  5:30 p.m.	SeaWorld	SeaWorld Final (Marine Mammals) Dorn Test 2 (Topics 4, 5, 6, and 7)

 

 

EVALUATION:

 

The percentage breakdown and VCC grading scale are as follows:

 

ASSIGNMENT	PERCENT		PERCENT	GRADE
ATTENDANCE/PUNCTUALITY	15%		90 - 100	A
TEST 1 (Oceanography)	20%		80 - 89	B
TEST 2 (Oceanography)	20%		70 - 79	C
TEST 1 (Biology)	20%		60 - 69	D
TEST 2 (Biology)	15%		Below 60	F
SeaWorld Class Assignments	10%
TOTAL	100%

 

We welcome your attendance at each of the three Saturday sessions and the four Thursday sessions.  It is most important that you are present for each session.  The format of this class is structured in such a way that attendance is mandatory.  Please give careful consideration to your options the first day of class.  Please be advised that regular attendance and punctuality are essential for your success.  It is imperative that you contact the appropriate instructor to report any missed class time.  Missed class time will not be excused if you do not receive a verbal confirmation from the instructor PRIOR to your absence.  An excused absence will still count against you in the attendance and punctuality portion of your grade.  You will be allowed to make-up course material (i.e. activity, test), but you will not have the opportunity to make-up class time at SeaWorld.  Your instructors reserve the right to drop you from the class for excessive absenteeism (more than 4 hours of missed class time).

 

You will be in class a total of forty hours.  For each hour you are not in attendance, points will be deducted from your grade.  If you are absent for any fraction of an hour, this time will be rounded up to one full hour.  Following are some examples of how the attendance/punctuality portion (15%) of your grade will be determined:

 

 

You will have two tests on Oceanography and two tests on Marine Mammals.  Both test 2’s are NOT cumulative.  The oceanography tests are multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank; the marine mammalogy tests will be primarily short answer and diagrammatic identification. SeaWorld class assignments may include the completion of activity sheets and possibly quizzes.

 Student Code of Classroom Conduct - Valencia Policy

Policy Number:  6Hx28: 10-18

Activities which disrupt the classroom setting and which are in violation of this Student Code of Classroom Conduct are those that, with or without intent to do so, are disruptive of the essence of the educational process.  Faculty members are authorized to define, communicate, and enforce appropriate standards of decorum in classrooms, offices, and other instructional areas under their supervision.  In the case of the violation of the Student Code of Classroom Conduct, the faculty member may initiate personal conferences, verbal and written warnings, referral to the director of student services for counseling, and removal from the classroom pending disciplinary action under policy 6Hx28: 10-04.  Examples of such disruptive or distracting activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Violation of the Student Code of Classroom Conduct shall constitute grounds for student disciplinary action as provided in Policy 6Hx28: 10-04.   

 

EDUCATION PROGRAM FEE:

A $35.00 education program fee is due on the first night of class (September 7th).  Please pay with personal check made payable to SeaWorld Adventure Park. Please provide your current address and driver’s license number.  Students who do not pay the education program fee will have their VCC account placed on hold and will be unable to get their final grade or register for future courses until the fee is paid.

 WITHDRAWAL POLICY:

Students receive a “W” or withdrawal from the course if the student request is processed by the official withdrawal deadline (September 22, 2006). The withdrawal can be done via ATLAS, but do it early in the event you have any computer-related challenges and need to come in person before the office closes.  After the specified deadline, students who process a request to withdraw after the deadline will receive either a WP (withdraw passing – based upon the last date of attendance) or a WF (withdraw failing – based upon the last date of attendance).   Please refer to the College catalog for more details.

 

 NO SHOW STATUS POLICY:
Class attendance is required beginning the first week of the term. If you do not attend class during the first week, you may be withdrawn from the class as a "no show". In this event you will be billed for the class and a "W" will appear on your transcript for the course.

 

INSTRUCTORS’ NOTES: 

Come prepared for class and have your materials ready before class begins.  Keep in mind that this course has been condensed into 5 weeks and may require additional effort to maximize your experience.  Tardiness is not permitted.  General announcements are often made at the beginning of each class period.  You are responsible for inquiring about announcements in the event that you are late for class.  As a courtesy to the instructors and fellow classmates, please refrain from individual conversations during instruction.  Talking during a test will be considered cheating and will result in a 0% on the test.  Any student that misses a scheduled make-up exam will be given a zero for that test.  No food or drinks are allowed in class.  We are primarily concerned with your intellectual development and your personal growth.  Our job is to create a positive learning environment.  Your job is to take responsibility for your own learning.  Remember, the student is responsible for making up any missed assignments and contacting the instructors prior to an anticipated absence.  Otherwise, those absences will be considered unexcused.  We have high expectations for your achievement in this course.  Please do not hesitate to approach us with any questions or concerns, academic or otherwise.  Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a letter from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor, preferably within the first two weeks of class.  The Office for Students with Disabilities determines accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities (Winter Park Campus, Room 203, Phone: 407-582-6887).  We ask that you follow college policy relating to children on campus.  Please make arrangements for childcare outside of classrooms or labs.  Please make note of evacuation route from your Valencia classroom in case of an emergency.  Interpret all audible alarms as valid and act accordingly.

 

APPOINTMENTS WITH THE PROFESSOR:

If necessary, appointments can be made by contacting the professors by E-mail or telephone.  The appropriate contact information has been provided on page one of this syllabus.  Normally, David Schindler is most available during weekday mornings.

 DISCLAIMER:

The above information as well as the course schedule is subject to written or verbal change at the discretion of the professor.