Absences

Student absences from classes and field trips are not permitted unless you approve them. You should instruct the student to report their illness to the lab manager once you’ve excused them.

Class Schedule and Enrollment

A class roster of students enrolled in your course is provided at check-in. Please communicate any discrepancies or changes in student enrollment status immediately to the office associate.

A typical class schedule is 8-11:30am and 1-4pm. However, many one-week courses schedule evening sessions to meet the required number of contact hours to receive credit. As professor, you have discretion to alter your schedule as appropriate, e.g., an evening session, a night collecting trip, a morning or afternoon off for individual projects or to make up for an evening, etc.

Field Trips

Field trips are arranged through submission of Faculty Forms prior to the summer. Instructors must request changes at least 48 hours in advance to ensure availability of boats and vans. Requested changes are approved based on existing schedules. Last-minute changes to field trips may not be accommodated.

If using vans, you must complete a driver registration form in advance of the trip.

Field trips to South Bass Island using rowboats need to be communicated to Stone Lab staff so that these vessels can be reserved. Please notify staff of any changes.

When utilizing large research vessels be prepared to depart on time to avoid causing delays for other classes or scheduled groups.

Field trips to Pelee Island or Point Pelee (Canada) are not permitted.

All trips to any state-owned lands (parks or wildlife areas), including Green Island, require prior permission in writing. This should be done prior to arrival and is the responsibility of the faculty.

During storms, high winds, or inclement weather, the boat captain will make final decisions regarding extent, duration, and location of field trips.

Due to safety reasons, no swimming is permitted from boats or island docks.

Each course is limited to two mainland field trips. Typically, mainland field trips depart Gibraltar Island at 7:30am in order to make the 8am Miller Ferry to Catawba. Staff will have vans ready for faculty on South Bass Island. All mainland field trips must return no later than the 4pm ferry. If you are going to be late or miss a ferry, please call the Bayview office immediately at 419-285-1800.

Sack Lunch Requests: You must inform Stone Lab dining staff at least two days in advance of an all-day field trip to allow them adequate time to prepare lunches for your class. Sack Lunch Request Forms are provided at the beginning of the course and should be submitted to Stone Lab dining staff. Most all-day field trips are planned so that students can eat breakfast and dinner at the laboratory.

Grading and Evaluation

Grading is left to your discretion. You are responsible for posting final grades on the university electronic system. For non-OSU faculty this will require you to activate your Name.#.

Evaluation links (i.e., Qualtrics) will be provided to students at the end of your course(s). These tools needed to evaluate the overall course (e.g., workload), faculty (e.g., preparedness), TAs, facilities, meals, and services. Please encourage your students to complete these surveys prior to departing the island.

Guest Lecture and Research Brief Series

Stone Laboratory offers a Summer Research Lecture Series on Thursday evenings from 7-8 p.m. The research lecture will be given by a scientist working in the region or Stone Lab faculty. Please encourage your students to support and attend these programs as part of the total learning experience.

Scientific Collector’s Permits

Stone Laboratory has obtained a general Scientific Collecting/Education permit for all approved courses, workshops and field trips from the Department of Natural Resources for the purposes of collecting and observing animals (with the exception of birds and mammals). Therefore, there is no need to apply for this document for activities pertaining to your course. Note, however, there are separate permits required if you plan to collect in a State Natural Area or Preserve, in a State Park or on State Property. Stone Lab does NOT obtain these permits and it is up to the professor to procure these documents prior to the start of your course.

Stone Laboratory also has a general Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocol (IACUC protocol) for the laboratory’s approved courses. The IACUC protocol ensures that Stone Lab and its faculty/staff/students meet federal regulations regarding only approved activities involving animal collection and observation and ensures that the university’s facilities are in compliance with regulatory requirements.

This IACUC does NOT cover any other specific research activities associated with vertebrate animals outside the aforementioned activities (i.e., collection and observation). Therefore, any faculty wishing to conduct any type of research activity outside these two previously approved activities must have an Ohio State-approved IACUC, and are encouraged to speak with Dr. Kristin Stanford for questions or assistance with this requirement.