Microbiology

Course Details

Course Number: 2144  Section Number: 101

Fall 2010

Location: Bolin Hall

Classroom Number: 100

Days & Times:

MWF (11:00 – 11:50 am)

Course Attachments

BIOL 2144-101 Fall 2010Microbiology syllabus   2144 Syllabus F10 pub.pdf

Class Schedule  2144 F10 Lecture Schedule-20120405-113132.pdf

Textbooks

Microbiology with Diseases by Body System, 2nd Ed.  ISBN: 978-0-321-51341-0

Microbiology Laboratory Theory & Application
Brief Edition. Must be new.
  ISBN: 978-0-89582-705-0
MSU Faculty Member
Dr. James Masuoka   
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Course Objectives
  • Appreciate the scope of Microbiology as the study of all microbial life, including viruses, prokaryotes and eukaryotes
  • Describe microbial cell structures and relate these structures to function
  • Understand the relationship between microbes and the human host, both in a beneficial and pathogenic sense
  • Appreciate the variety of diseases caused by microbes
  • Relate microbial biology to means of identification, classification and host defense mechanisms
  • Understand how microbial genetic information flows and is shared

Course Expectations

Texts:

Microbiology: with Diseases by Body System by RW Bauman. 2nd Edition. Pearson Benjamin Cummings, 2009.

Microbiology Laboratory Theory & Application: Brief Edition by M J Leboffe & B E Pierce. 2nd Edition. Morton Publishing Company, 2008.

 

Each student is required to complete all exams and laboratory assignments.

There will be 3 midterm exams worth 120 points each.

There will a comprehensive final worth 240 points.

As stated below, the laboratory portion of the course is worth 400 points (40%).


Final Exam12/6/2010  10:30 am

Submission Format Policy


Note: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.

Late Paper Policy

There are no papers or assignments other than exams associated with the lecture portion of this course.


Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism is the use of someone else's thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")-whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not.

Student Honor Creed

As an MSU Student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else do so."

As students at MSU, we recognize that any great society must be composed of empowered, responsible citizens. We also recognize universities play an important role in helping mold these responsible citizens. We believe students themselves play an important part in developing responsible citizenship by maintaining a community where integrity and honorable character are the norm, not the exception. Thus, We, the Students of Midwestern State University, resolve to uphold the honor of the University by affirming our commitment to complete academic honesty. We resolve not only to be honest but also to hold our peers accountable for complete honesty in all university matters. We consider it dishonest to ask for, give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to use any unauthorized material in examinations, or to present, as one's own, work or ideas which are not entirely one's own. We recognize that any instructor has the right to expect that all student work is honest, original work. We accept and acknowledge that responsibility for lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty fundamentally rests within each individual student. We expect of ourselves academic integrity, personal professionalism, and ethical character. We appreciate steps taken by University officials to protect the honor of the University against any who would disgrace the MSU student body by violating the spirit of this creed. Written and adopted by the 2002-2003 MSU Student Senate.

Students with Disabilities The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Support Services in Room 168 of the Clark Student Center, 397-4140.

Safe Zones Statement The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor's expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.

Contacting your Instructor All instructors in the Department have voicemail in their offices and MWSU e-mail addresses. Make sure you add your instructor's phone number and e-mail address to both email and cell phone lists of contacts.

Attendance Requirements

Students are expected to attend all meetings of the classes in which they are enrolled.
Although in general students are graded on intellectual effort and performance rather than
attendance, absences may lower the student’s grade where class attendance and class
participation are deemed essential by the faculty member. In those classes where attendance is
considered as part of the grade, the instructor should so inform students of the specifics in
writing at the beginning of the semester in a syllabus or separate attendance policy statement.
An instructor who has an attendance policy must keep records on a daily basis. The instructor
must give the student a verbal or written warning prior to being dropped from the class.
Instructor’s records will stand as evidence of absences. A student with excessive absences may
be dropped from a course by the instructor. Any individual faculty member or college has the
authority to establish an attendance policy, providing the policy is in accordance with the General University Policies. [MSU Student Handbook, p. 39]
 

Absences will be excused for:

  1. Death of an immediate family member.  An immediate family member is considered to be a grandparent, parent, sibling, spouse, in-law, aunt, uncle, or child.
  2. Summons to appear in court or jury duty. A copy of the summons is required.
  3. Call to military service.  A copy of your orders to report is required.
  4. University sponsored event. Members of athletic teams, college bowl participants, etc. will be excused with proper notification.
  5. Debilitating illness or disability.Illnesses will be addressed on an individual basis. If a student is affected by an illness that is not debilitating, (i.e. flu, virus infection) which may result in the student missing one or more consecutive class sessions, that student will be marked as unexcused for the amount of days missed unless a doctor’s note is provided.

Attendance is not a direct component of your course score. However, continual tardiness – and the subsequent class disruption due to coming in late – will be taken into account and may have an effect on your final points awarded.


Other Policies

Classroom expectations and policies:

  • Students are expected to be prepared for lecture and lab by: 1) reading the text, lab manual and handouts prior to coming to class; 2) having paper and pen at hand
  • Students are expected to arrive a few minutes early in order to mentally prepare. If late arrival is unavoidable, the student should enter the class in a manner that creates as little disruption as possible.
  • Personal electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, MP3 players, etc.) must be turned off/silenced and stowed out of sight for the duration of class or lab.
  • Points will be deducted from assignments turned in late.
  • Food and beverages are prohibited in the lab (see the Laboratory Safety section in the Laboratory Manual for additional safety issues).
  • Student Conduct: Please refer to the MSU Student Handbook for university policies related to student responsibilities, rights and activities. For example, see page 41 for valid grounds for an instructor drop (excessive absence, indifferent attitude, disruptive conduct, failure to meet class assignments), page 70 for the university's policy on classroom conduct, and page 71 for definitions of academic dishonesty that may be subject to disciplinary action (cheating, plagiarism, and collusion).
  • Students with disabilities: It is the responsibility of the student to first contact Disability Support Services and then the instructor to determine what accommodations might be made for a disability. It will be the responsibility of the student to make arrangements to acquire notes. Any requests for accommodations must be made 2 weeks prior to the first exam.

E-mail Policy:

I will respond to e-mail during regular school hours (8:30 am – 5:00 pm M-F). I will make every effort to respond to e-mail sent during the week within 24 hours. Those sent over the weekend will be attended to on Monday.

Always include a subject line in your e-mail messages. It would be particularly helpful to include in the subject line the course number & section (i.e. BIOL 2144).

 

Exam Make-Up Policy:
Makeup exams will be given in case of excused absences only (see above). You must notify the instructor of problems prior to the start of the exam. Midterms allowed will be essay exams taken in the final week of the semester. The grade earned will be substituted for the one exam missed. There will be no makeup for final exams.
 

Grading:

All exams and assignments count toward your final grade in the course and so it is important to do the best that you can on everything you turn in. If you find yourself having difficulties, please come to me for help early in the semester so that you give yourself time to improve.

This course is not graded on a traditional curve, but it is scaled to where the students are. This allows for any adjustments that the instructor deems necessary. The course is worth approximately 1000 points. Grade categories and equivalent percentages are as indicated: A (90-100%); B (80-89%); C (70-79%); D (60-69%); F (59% and below). Passing requires 60% of the points (unadjusted) for the course, or 600. Fractional percentages will be rounded at the end of the semester.

Lecture constitutes approximately 60% of the BIOL 2144 grade. There will be three midterm exams, each worth 120 points. The final exam will be worth 240 points. Each exam, including the final, will focus on what was covered since the previous exam. However, each exam will also be cumulative in that each section of the course builds on what came before. The final will also be more typically cumulative in that it will cover the entire semester, focusing on material that needs to be reviewed (i.e. the majority of the class got it wrong the first time around).

Lab constitutes approximately 40% of the BIOL 2144 grade. Specifics for lab exercises, assignments and grading will be provided during the first laboratory session.

Note:

1) No regrades will be provided for exams done in pencil.

2) Misspelled words (esp. organism names) and incorrect taxonomic nomenclature will result in ¼ point deductions for each instance.


Writing Proficiency Requirement All students seeking a Bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University must satisfy a writing proficiency requirement once they've 1) passed English 1113 and English 1123 and 2) earned 60 hours. You may meet this requirement by passing either the Writing Proficiency Exam or English 2113. Please keep in mind that, once you've earned over 90 hours, you lose the opportunity to take the $25 exam and have no option but to enroll in the three-credit hour course. If you have any questions about the exam, visit the Writing Proficiency Office website at http://academics.mwsu.edu/wpr, or call 397-4131.