General Microbiology  BIOL 230

TERM:  Summer 2009

CREDIT HOURS:  4.0

CLASS MEETING TIME:  Class meets T and Th from 8-10AM; Lab meets from 10AM-2PM

LOCATION:  Lecture 104 Evenden Tower

INSTRUCTOR NAME:  Marsha S. Stock, Ph.D.

OFFICE PHONE:  607.746.4370

EMAIL ADDRESS: stockms@delhi.edu

OFFICE ADDRESS:  519 Exenden Tower

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  The nature of microbiological organisms: bacteria, protozoa, algae, fungi, viruses and prions. 

PRE-REQUISITES:  High school biology or the equivalent

AVAILABLE ONLINE (YES/NO):  no but some information is online.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:  To gain an understanding of organisms that are too small to see with the naked eye (microorganisms). To understand the characteristics of microorganisms and the ways they are adapted for their environments. To understand the ways that these adaptations affect other organisms such as humans and animals. For example, to understand how these microbes cause disease. To understand the ways that human activities affect microorganisms.

MEASUREMENT CRITERIA FOR OBJECTIVES:

You will be tested on your knowledge of the listed objectives in a variety of ways.

• Examinations will consist of a mixture of multiple choice, short and long discussion questions on the objectives for each unit.

• You will have a number of homework assignments that may consist of take-home essays, case studies, and other investigative assignments. These often test your ability to apply the principles that have been covered in lecture and laboratory.

• You will have four laboratory reports that are based on your ability to use the skills that you have learned in laboratory exercises.

  • One short report will be used to evaluate your knowledge of the Scientific Method by designing an experiment and carrying it out, and evaluating your results. 

  • One short report will be on the evaluation of the effectiveness of various disinfectants.

  • One longer report evaluates your ability to identify an unknown bacterium using the skills you have learned.

  • The final long report evaluates your ability to carry out laboratory procedures as well as to synthesize information using a relatively large data set generated by all of the students in the class.

TEXTS:  

1. Jacquelyn G Black. 2008 Microbiology: Principles and Explorations, 7th Ed. John Wiley & & Sons, New York.
2. Readings Book: Pamela Nagami, M.D. 2001. The Woman with a Worm in Her Head: and Other True Stories of Infectious Disease. St. Martin's Griffin, New York.
3. Laboratory Manual: Stock, Marsha S. 2008. [Note that everyone must have a NEW Laboratory Manual -- even if you have taken the course before.]

MATERIALS REQUIRED:  See laboratory information sheet for laboratory requirements.

LAB FEE:  none

CLASS SCHEDULE OF TOPICS OR OUTLINE:

The following schedule is a guide or plan for the course. Dates of quizzes, exams, and material covered may change as needed. REMEMBER: If you miss an exam you must have a written excuse that is acceptable to the instructor and you must make up the exam within a week of the scheduled date and time. Make-up exams may be entirely essays.

GRADING CRITERIA:

Lecture and Laboratory will not be separated for grading purposes.

• Exams and Quizzes: 3 hourly exams (100 points each) cover both lecture and laboratory material. 3 online quizzes (33 points each).
  • I will drop the lowest hourly exam grade OR the total of the quizzes whichever is lowest.
  • Final Exam (100 points): The final exam is comprehensive. The grade for the final exam will not be dropped. You must get at least a 60 on the final exam in order to get a C in the course. For example if you have a final average of a 71, including the final, but get a 59 on the final exam, you will get a D+, not a C in the course.
• Missed exams may be made up only with a documented, legitimate excuse such as illness or a death in the immediate family. The judgment as to the legitimacy of any excuses is determined by the instructor. They must be made up as soon as possible and will not be given later than end of the week after they were given.
• Written assignments: You will have four assignments associated with laboratory worth a total of 300 points.
  • Written assignments will be handed in as a digital or soft copy as well as a paper copy. Written assignments will be accepted up to one week late. However, 5 points will be taken off per day. Written assignments that are more than 7 days late will get a grade of a zero.
• There will be a number of short written assignments to be submitted on Vancko Hall. Many of these will be from the readings. These must be submitted on time in order to receive credit.
  • They total 70-100 points. Most will be questions on assigned readings.
•  In class participation and quiz points. 50 points may be earned by class participation and quick quizzes that are given in class on assigned lecture material. There will be some sort of quick quiz or assignment nearly every Tuesday in class. These will be based on lectures that you were to view between Thursday's class and Tuesday morning.
• Letter Grades: Letter grades will be assigned after your numerical grade is calculated. In general there will be no curve so that letter grade assignments follow the following: A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 70-79; D = 60-69; F < 60. NOTE that the exception to this is if you receive less than 60 out of 100 on the final exam. If so, you will not get a C in the course, even if your average is a 70 or above. NOTE: you must have an average of 70 or above to get a C in the course. IF I give a C- it will be LESS THAN A 70 and will not count for credit for those of you in Veterinary Science or Nursing. ALSO: I will not round up a grade of 69 point anything to a 70. You MUST have a 70 or above to get a C.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:   You are expected to be on time and prepared for each lecture and laboratory. Walking late into lecture or laboratory is not only rude, it is disruptive. Please make every effort to be on time. (See disruptive behavior below.) You are expected to attend lecture and laboratory at all times. Missing just one day of lecture/lab in summer is like missing over a week of work during the regular semester. In summer school I have a rigid attendance requirement: You may miss a total of 6 hours of Lecture/Lab without penalty. If you miss more than a total of 6 hours of Lecture/Lab, you will receive an F in the course -- unless your absence is a documented and deemed legitimate by the instructor. Excused absences must be documented their legitimacy is determined by the instructor. These would include illness or family emergency, etc.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: 

• Collaborative Learning: There are several instances where you will be handing in work that you have done in laboratory or lecture. In those cases you are free to consult with your classmates; I encourage you to do so. However, the work that you hand in must be your own and written in our own words. Work that, in the opinion of the instructor, is too similar to another student's work, may result in a grade of a zero on that assignment.
• Plagiarism: Plagiarism includes not only copying another student's work, but using the work of others, such as the author of your text, without giving proper credit. Reports and papers that are handed in must be properly referenced. Failure to do so will result as explained in the above section. See detailed instructions on scientific notation which will be handed out when you are given an assignment.
• Cheating: Copying from other students in an exam or using any kind of study aid during an exam or quiz will be punished by an zero for that quiz or exam. If a student persists in academic dishonesty such as plagiarism or cheating they may be removed from the course with an F and/or may face suspension from the college as stated in the Academic Code of the College: "Cheating (including plagiarizing) on quizzes, examinations or assignments will be met with penalties ranging in severity from a grade of zero for the work involved to a grade of F for the course and possible suspension from the college."

STUDENT CONDUCT IN THE CLASSROOM: The instructor in the classroom and in conference will encourage free discussion, inquiry and expression. Student performance will be evaluated wholly on an academic basis, not on opinions or political ideas unrelated to academic standards. However, in instances where a student does not comply with the Code of Student Behavior or with an instructor's reasonable conduct expectations in the classroom, such non-compliance can affect the student's evaluation and be cause for permanent removal from class or dismissal from College.

Disruptive behavior includes the obvious, such as talking in class, getting up and walking around when someone (student or instructor) is talking. In addition, walking into class or laboratory late is disruptive. Students will be given one warning about such behavior via an "Academic Jeopardy Early Warning Report." Subsequent infractions may result in removal from the course and the assignment of a grade of an F.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY: If a faculty member discovers that a student has committed an academic integrity violation that warrants a sanction beyond a verbal warning, such as cheating or plagiarizing, the procedures outlined in the Academic Integrity Policy will be followed: http://www.delhi.edu/academics/provost/academic_integrity.php

CELL PHONES/TAPE RECORDERS/ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM: Students are required to turn off cell phones (blackberries, etc.) in class and may not use recording devices, unless the student has a documented disability which permits recording, or permission of the course instructor. A student's refusal to turn off a cell phone (blackberry, etc.) will be cause for dismissal from class. In addition, use of ANY electronic devices (for text messaging, listening to MP3 players, inappropriate use of a laptop, etc.) which disrupt class will also be cause for dismissal from that class.

NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION LAW - ABSENCES FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS: Section 224-A allows a student to be excused from any examination or study or work requirements because of religious holidays. Each student must notify the instructor in advance so that an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirements he or she may have missed because of such absence may be given.

INCLEMENT WEATHER: SUNY Delhi is a residential campus and stays open unless the governor closes the College. Simply stated, class will rarely be canceled.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified students with documented disabilities. If you have a disability requiring accommodations in any class, contact and meet with the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities. The office is in the Resnick Learning Center in Bush Hall and the office number is 746-4593. Your request for accommodation will be discussed and if determined to be reasonable, you will be provided with the verification letter that must be taken to your course instructor for a signature and returned to the Disaqbility office within 10 days.

INTERNET/COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS:  There is extensive use of technology in the course -- especially in summer school with a compressed schedule of classes and labs. You do not have to have enormous expertise in technology but I do expect that you know the basic workings of a computer and the use of Microsoft Word or an equivalent word processing program. You should be able to use the web and save and send files using e-mail and a web-based program like Vancko Hall. You need to have access to a reliable, speedy internet connection. Some lectures will be delivered online. [They will usually also be available on the laboratory computer if you wish to burn them to a CD.] Lecture notes are available on line; as are all review materials for the course. Lab briefings and updates are online. Quizzes will be taken online. Some will have time-constraints and others will not. Some assigned readings are online.

EMAIL: You will be expected to access your College e-mail account. To access WebMail, go to the SUNY Delhi homepage (www.delhi.edu). Under Delhi Logins, select the WebMail link and log in.

SAFETY POLICY: See Laboratory Course Information Sheet