GN703: Population and Quantitative Genetics

Syllabus and Policies

Reading

Relevant textbooks available at DH Hill Library:

• Population Genetics: A Concise Guide by John Gillespie
• A Primer of Population Genetics by Daniel L. Hartl
• Genetics of Populations, Fourth Edition by Philip W. Hedrick
• Introduction to Population Genetics by Richard Halliburton
• Principles of Population Genetics, Fourth Edition by Daniel L. Hartl and Andrew G. Clark

Online resources:

• Population genetics by Matthew B. Hamilton. Available electronically to NCSU students and staff.
• Theoretical Evolutionary Genetics notes by Joseph Felsenstein of the University of Washington. Felsenstein kindly provides these free of charge at: http://evolution.genetics.washington.edu/pgbook/pgbook.html
• Evolution and Selection of Quantitative Traits by Bruce Walsh and Michael Lynch. While this book is in draft form it is available from Bruce Walsh's web page at: http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/zbook/NewVolume_2/newvol2.html (Bruce Walsh's web page is in general a fantastic source of information on all things population/quantitative genetics).
• GIGA Graduate Course in Quantitative Genetics 23 May - 3 June, 2011, University of Liege taught by Bruce Walsh and Peter Visscher. http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/workshops/GIGA/GIGA2011.html.

Other sources relevant to the lecture material will be announced as the semester progresses.

Grading

The class will be graded according to the following scheme.

Exams will include material drawn from lectures as well as assigned readings. Grading will be on a plus/minus letter system. Final grade will be based on performances in the examinations and the homework and computed based on the distribution of total scores. There will be no make-up examinations except for valid medical reasons certified by written documentation from the University Student Health Service. Incomplete grades and late assignments are discouraged and must be discussed with the instructors on an individual basis.

Class courtesy

Please arrive in class on time. Late arrivals distract the teachers and the other students. Also, please turn off cell phones during the class meeting times.

Academic integrity

The university has a Code of Student Conduct(POL11.35.01) to which we expect all students to adhere. As a graduate student, the sole purpose of taking a course is to learn the material (not to collect points or grades). Cheating in no way serves this objective.

Disabilities

The instructors enthusiastically endorse the following official NCSU statement on disabilities that they copied from http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-07 . This statement reads: "Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with Disability Services for Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515-7653. For more information on NC State's policy on working with students with disabilities, please see the Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Regulation (REG02.20.1)"

Attendance

This is a graduate level course and, other than students' required presence during in-class exams and quizzes, attendance is solely at the discretion of the students. Students are responsible for all material presented in lectures and for turning in assignments on time (see grading policy above). For University policies on attendance, see http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-03.