Biology 2050 – Microbiology
Syllabus for Spring 2008
Instructor: Dr. Molly Smith
Office: 139A / 223A
Phone: 285-6138
E-mail: msmith@waycross.edu
Office Hours: These are the times you will find me in my office (pending extenuating circumstances). If you have any questions about the class or material, feel free to drop by. If you need extra help, it is best to make an appointment.
Monday:
Tuesday and Thursday:
Friday:
(
Other office hours by appointment only
NOTE: I may also be located within the biology lab/prep area (223A). If I am not in my office, please check with the secretary. I will always let her know where I am.
Texts: Nester, Eugene W., et. al. 2007. Microbiology: A Human Perspective, 5th edition.
Morello, Josephine and Helen Mizer. 2000. Laboratory Manual and Workbook in
Microbiology: Applications to Patient Care, 8th edition. WCB/McGraw-Hill.
Prerequisite: Biology 1107, with a C or better, or consent of instructor
Course Objectives: The primary goal of the microbiology course is the development of the student's understanding of microorganisms, their physiology, and their relation to human diseases at a level consistent with the needs of students in allied health fields. Laboratories are designed to familiarize the student with the basic techniques used by microbiologists to identify organisms.
A secondary goal of this course is the development of the student’s ability to communicate with others through written explanations of physiological processes and laboratory procedures.
Attendance: Students are responsible for attending class and for the material presented in all classes. There will be NO MAKE-UPS of missed labs, quizzes, and other assignments.
Students who have missed 20% of regularly scheduled class meetings may be dropped by the instructor and assigned a grade of WF. If such excessive absences are the result of extenuating personal hardship, the withdrawal grade will be either a W or WF, depending upon the students’ status at the time the drop occurred.
Tardiness: Class will begin on time. Students are expected to remain in class until dismissed by the instructor. Two tardies and/or two early departures will count as one absence.
Classroom Conduct: This course will involve working with various microorganisms in lab and sometimes frank discussions of the human body. It is not a suitable environment for children. Please do not bring them to class. If a student exhibits disruptive behavior, he/she will be asked to leave the classroom or laboratory. Disruptive behavior includes talking while the instructor is talking, gathering belongings before class has been dismissed, sleeping in class, and /or possession of activated pagers, beepers, or telephones in class.
Exams/Grading:
There will be a total of five (5) unit exams, each worth 100 points. They will
contain a mixture of short answer and essay questions stressing concepts in
microbiology and microbial physiology. Some of the questions on each exam will
be challenging; as an allied health student you should learn to think about the
material, not just memorize it. The dates of these exams appear on the class
schedule and will not be changed. DO NOT MISS THESE EXAMS—THERE WILL BE NO
MAKE-UPS.
There will be nine 25-point quizzes over assigned groups of diseases. It will be your responsibility to cover the material and prepare yourself for these quizzes. There will be about one quiz each week during lab time. THESE QUIZZES CANNOT BE MADE UP.
There will also be an objective-style comprehensive final exam worth 200 points at the end of the semester. If your score on the final is higher than your average score on all unit exams, you may replace your lowest lecture exam with the score achieved on the final. It is possible to earn bonus points. There will be a question on each exam that may be answered for extra credit. Also, there may be an occasional pop quiz over lecture material that will be counted as bonus points.
Participation in laboratories is worth an additional 300 points to be distributed as follows: 150 points for the isolation and identification of two unknown organisms supplied by the instructor (50 points for the first and 100 points for the second), 100 points on a laboratory exam, and 50 points for an organized laboratory notebook. The identification of your unknowns is YOUR PROJECT and will involve extensive library research during YOUR free time. Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology has been placed on reserve in the library for your use.
EXAMS 5 x 100 500 pts.
QUIZZES 8 x 25 200 pts.
LABORATORY 300 pts. Unknown organisms 50 and 100 pts.
Organized notebook 50 pts.
Laboratory final 100 pts
COMPREHENSIVE FINAL 200 pts.
1,200 pts.
Once the total number of points has been determined, the following grading scale will be used:
1080-1200 (90%) A
960-1079 (80%) B
840-959 (70%) C *
720-839 (60%) D
0-719 (<60%) F
*Most allied health programs require at least a “C” in this course
To increase your chance of success on exams and quizzes, it is recommended that you answer questions at the end of the chapters and be able to discuss the objectives at the beginning of each chapter.
Mistakes in grading: If you believe a mistake has been made regarding the grading, please do not be afraid to bring it to the attention of the instructor; however, asking for additional points on a question will also give the instructor the option of re-grading the entire exam.
Policy on missed exams: NO UNIT EXAMS WILL BE MADE UP. For students who have missed unit exams, there will be a comprehensive and cumulative make-up exam given the day following the last scheduled class meeting. It will include discussion questions addressing each chapter we have covered this semester. If you know that you will be absent on a scheduled exam day, you have the option of taking the exam early or the make-up. DO NOT miss the final exam. ALL REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURSE MUST BE MET IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A PASSING GRADE.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism, both intentional and unintentional, is prohibited. Plagiarism is defined by Webster as the stealing and passing off of the ideas or words of another as one’s own. Further, the MLA Handbook states, “Plagiarism may take the form of repeating another’s sentences as your own, adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own, or even presenting someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a thesis as though it were your own.”
Alleged violations involving plagiarism and other academic misconduct will be handled according to the procedures outlined in the Waycross College Student Handbook.
Dropping a Course Without Penalty: In order to officially drop a course without penalty, a student must obtain and fill out a drop/add form from the Registrar’s Office, acquire the appropriate signatures, and return the completed form to the Registrar’s Office before the designated date published in the academic calendar in the Waycross College Catalog. NON-ATTENDANCE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE WITHDRAWAL.
Incompletes: The grade of incomplete is given to students who for reason of illness or accident are unable to complete a segment of the course. At least 75% of the course requirements must be met with a passing grade before an incomplete will be considered. In no case will the grade of Incomplete be given to avoid a failing grade.
Laboratory Access: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO ENTER THE LABORATORY AND BEGIN WORK WITHOUT THE SUPERVISION OF THE INSTRUCTOR. SINCE THERE ARE DANGEROUS BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL MATERIALS PRESENT, THIS IS FOR YOUR PROTECTION.
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