BL 440 Senior Project or Internship (honors option) (3)
Fall 2007
Montreat College
_____________________________________________________________________
Instructor / Supervisor: Mark Lassiter
Office Hours: Mark Lassiter is on sabbatical and
will not hold regular hours. Appointments will be the responsibility of
the students.
Course Description:
Students are responsible for a project/internship design and proposal. Employment is pursued through a student job search. This project is typically developed during the junior year, employment is during the summer, and the final project presented during the senior year. A research-based project will be considered for honors recognition. All proposals and evaluation of porjects will be approved through the Environmental Studies Review Committee.
Class Meetings: Students will work independently and provide a real time log record of their time. This is to be emailed to the faculty each Friday of each week in an excel document. Class attendance will not be taken since there are not regular hours, but the logged time must provide for an excess of class seat hour time designated for this class.
Course Goals:
1. Students
will be able to develop an independent research topic that will be successfully
explored in the laboratory investigations with instruments that they become
proficient in operating and maintaining. The students will prepare a proposal
for the department of their work and a scientific format paper followed by a professional presentation.
Goal:
Independent inquiry skills including the maintainence of records and the
development of a written scientific document. Educational Objectives:
2,3, 4, 5
Biology Program
Goal (3) Students will receive
professional skills and multiple engagement tools to expand and give application
to their opportunities while at Montreat College and after
2. Students will be able to develop a project that is based upon their personal interests and master the operation of an analytical instrument to complete the foundation investigations using this instrument.
Goal: Application of foundational concepts and skills
in advanced application to the field of biological critical thinking, reflection,
communication, and investigation.
Educational Objectives:
2,3,4,5,7
Biology Program Goal (1) Students will be trained
in the broad foundational concepts and skills of biology.
Course Components:
-Each student will develop and be engaged in independent research that focuses on one or more lab instruments to understand the details of the instrument and the specific study opportunities using that instrument.
-Instruments available for this Fall 2007 course include the gas chromatograph, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, Capillary Electrophoresis, High Pressure Liquid Chromatography, FT Infrared Spectrophotometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Micro-titer Plate Spectrophotometry, and many other analytical instruments in our laboratories.
-Students will develop a research project proposal to be submitted to the department.
-Students will complete a report and a presentation will be completed during the course.
-After the initial meeting with supervisor to determine the task and direction of research, the student will work independently. The students self initiative is required and is necessary for the student to complete this course. Tasks of the course are in no way the responsibility of the professor. Weekly progress of the student will be sent by email each Friday by 5:00 p.m. Personal meetings are arranged with professor every two weeks and are included in the log as record of this accomplishment.
-Midterm evaluations will be completed by the student and submitted to the professor. This provides for dual accountability of student and professor so that any changes can be easily made before project reaches its final stages.
Course Steps:
1. Meet with faculty for general work with all instruments.
2. Select one or more instruments and began study of each instrument.
3. Run tests to calibrate each instrument and check accuracy.
4. Determine project to complete using instruments and develops a proposal.
5. The project proposal is to be submitted to the Department for approval.
6. Complete a report [electronic and paper] of the research in scientific format.
7. Create a presentation about research and instruments used for the project.
-Participation: Each student must record hours as accountability of attendance and participation, because of independent nature of the course. [Log to include: student time and weekly report, meetings with professor, record of stages in the project development, mid-term evaluation]
-Once the student has selected a specific project, the student is only to work with instruments and research for that project, so that time and energy is not lost on side studies. [An instrument Log is also to be maintained for that instrument and kept at that instrument.]
-The students respect for the professors advice and the professors respect for the students interest of study are key for the success of this course.
Grading:
| -Instrument Log: | 5% |
-Participation |
|
| Hours Log: | 5% |
| Weekly Reports: | 10% |
| Meetings with Faculty: | 5% |
| Mid-term Evaluation: | 5% |
| -Proposal of Project to the Department | 10% |
- Final Project |
|
| Report: | 40% |
| Presentation: | 20% |