Syllabus

Biology 440 - Microbiology

Course objectives	Classroom Behavior
Required materials	Attendance policy
Grading	Make-up policy
Extra credit	Contacting the instructor/Special Needs
Accessing course materials	Mastering Microbiology
Navigation of Desire2Learn	Course schedule

Lecture/Lab: Monday/Wednesday 8:00am- 11:35am Rm. 416

Instructor: Lori A. Smith, Ph.D.

Note: All students will be required to complete a quiz on the syllabus. See Extra Credit section for explanation of the quiz. The syllabus quiz is due 1 week after the 1st class session at 11:30 pm in order to earn extra credit.

Course objectives:

At the end of the course, students will demonstrate the following student learning outcomes in microbiology:

Analyze the properties of microorganisms in terms of cellular anatomy and physiology.
Summarize the properties of microorganisms in terms of biochemistry and genetics and correlate these concepts to applications in biotechnology.
Apply microbiology concepts to current issues in human health and infectious diseases.
Demonstrate proper microbiology laboratory techniques involving microscopy, biochemical tests and diagnostic media to characterize microorganisms of significance to human health.
Evaluate how physical and chemical methods can be used to control microbial growth.
Explain how the human body interacts with various microorganisms through symbiotic relationships and host defenses.

Printed detailed learning objectives will accompany each chapter and will be passed out in class in a packet that includes the chapters bundled for a given exam. You should use the learning objectives as a study guide as you read the text in preparation for lecture. (See Lori's Top Ten Study Tips handout.) I will not collect the completed learning objectives but students who complete the objectives and use them to study generally do better in the course.

To help facilitate your success in the course, we will have online homework via Mastering Microbiology and electronic participation during class via a Personal Response System (PRS) called Learning catalytics where you bring your own device (smart phone, tablet or laptop). I have spare devices that can be used in class if needed.

Note: You will be required to sign a lab manual safety contract, and a lab participation contract.

Required materials:

1. Modified Mastering Microbiology website access: Note this is a different website than Mastering A&P. You will need access to the website for homework and study materials.

2. Textbook: Microbiology (Alternate Edition with Diseases by Body System) 4th edition (lime green cover with a blue stained Giardia photomicrograph)
Author: Robert W. Bauman

3. Learning Catalytics access: We will use this website as a Personal Response System (PRS) for class participation and quizzes

If you purchase a new textbook for $178.20 from the bookstore, it will come with 1, 2, and 3. The package includes the access code for the Modified Mastering Microbiology website with etext as well as the loose leaf version of the textbook and Learning Catalytics access is also included.

Standalone purchase: If necessary, you can also purchase the accesses separately online at www.masteringmicrobiology.com

There are two options for purchasing Mastering Microbiology access standalone:

Option A: with the etext and Learning Catalytics access (the entire textbook in electronic format) for about $92.70

Option B: without the etext for $60.50. Learning Catalytics access can be purchased separately through Mastering Microbiology for an additional $12 for a total of about $72.50.

Note each student must have their own access code to do their homework. Codes can't be shared. Once a student has registered with the code, the access can't be transferred to another student.

4. Lab Manual:
Brief Microbiology Laboratory Theory and Application (customized for American River College) This is a custom publication. So, you won't be able to find this outside of the ARC Bookstore.

Authors: Michael J. Leboffe and Burton E. Pierce, Custom ARC 3rd edition (Bookstore cost $44.20)

Prerequisite: Chemistry 305, 309 or 400 with a grade of "C" or better
If you have taken your chemistry at a campus other than a college in the Los Rios CC district or more than 10 years ago, be prepared to show proof of completion.

Caution: It is not recommended for students to take Bio 440 and 430 or 431 in the same semester.

Supplies:

1 box of microscope slides (at least 40 slides, no cover slips needed)
1 package of optical lens paper
Lab coat (or a large shirt that will stay in the lab)
1 roll of masking tape (1/2" to 1" wide)
1 box of vinyl or nitrile disposable gloves
1 fine or extra fine point Sharpie
Goggles

Grading:

	Contribution to Student’s Final Grade	Points
Laboratory Reports	9.3%	86
Lab Practicals	21.62%	200
Exams (4 total)	43.24%	400
Quizzes	4.54%	42
Final Exam	16.22%	150
Mastering Homework	5.08%	47
Total points		925

See the course schedule for the dates of exams. Final grades will be calculated using the following breakpoints:
925 - 823.25 points = A (100-89%)
823 - 730.75 points = B (88.9%-79%)
730 - 638.25 points = C (78.9%-69%)
638 - 545.75 = D (68.9% - 59%)
545 and below = F

Laboratory Reports: The Laboratory Reports are found at the end of the lab manual. They are usually a record of the data from the lab including your drawings. Please use color and label your drawings for full credit. Read the instructions and questions for each lab carefully. I also provide hints for the labs on the board so make sure that you read the board during lab time.

Lab Practicals: Lab practicals are lab exams that focus on the content and procedures performed during lab. We will only have 2 lab exams for the semester. I will provide a review sheet to help prepare you for the lab exam.

Quizzes: Most mornings shortly after class start time, 8:00 am, we will have a 2 point quiz. You must be present in the classroom to earn points for the quizzes. The quizzes can't be made up. The quizzes will usually cover content from the previous class or new material from the homework. We will usually use Learning catalytics for our quizzes. You may use your notes for the quiz but there will be only two minutes allotted per question and the quizzes are graded. Note: although Learning catalytics is available outside of the classroom, you will not earn points if you take the quiz from a location outside of the classroom. If you attempt the quiz from outside of the classroom, 2 points will be deducted from your grade for each "illegal attempt".

Exams: Exams will be multiple choice, true/false, fill in (with choices) and short answer. You will need a Scantronâ 882 (single strip - 100 questions) for all lecture exams (5 total). Exams will be taken without notes and without the assistance of the text, or each other. The use of cellular phones or electronic dictionaries during exams will not be allowed.

PRS participation: These are questions that are imbedded into lectures that require you to stop and think about a concept that we have just covered. We will use Learning catalytics and your device for these questions. Devices that work include: a smart phone, a tablet, or a laptop computer. I have a few spare devices for student use.

Mastering Microbiology Homework: Homework will be assigned using Modified Mastering Microbiology which will be integrated into the D2L website. Due dates for homework will be assigned accordingly via a printed schedule and announced in class. These assignments will be online and once the due date has passed, the assignment will be available for rework. Some late Mastering homework will be accepted after the due date for a maximum of 50% credit. Dynamic study modules (DSMs) must be mastered by the due date for full credit and are not eligible for credit after the due date. For more details, see the "Mastering Homework" section of the syllabus.

Current grade:

Your current grade can be viewed in D2L (Desire to Learn). When you click on "Grades" near the bottom of the page, you will see a line item that is labeled "Current grade in class". This will tell you your current percentage in the class but if you click on the calculator icon next to "Current grade in class", a pop up will appear that will show you the items that are included in that grade calculation as well as your current total points divided by the current total points possible.

Sample grade calculation:

As the semester progresses, you may want to calculate the points that you need to earn the grade that you are working toward. Use the following equation to determine the minimum percentage that you need:

X = minimum breakpoint points for desired grade - your current points

Y = 925 - the current possible points

Percentage needed = (X/Y) 100%

For example, if the total points accrued in the class is 450 and you are currently at 76% with 342 total points and you want to see what percentage you need to average to have the minimum for a "B" the calculation would be:

X = 750.5 - 342 = 408.5 (points needed) Y = 925-450 = 475 (remaining points)

Percentage needed = X/Y x 100% = 86%

Fairness to students: Out of fairness to all Biology 440 students, I must adhere to the grading scheme outlined in the syllabus (described above). All grades will be calculated the same way, regardless of extenuating circumstances you may have encountered. I cannot selectively assign additional work to only a subset of students to increase their grades. (Also see Extra Credit section.)

Note: Most nursing programs require students to earn a "B" average in their biology coursework. This includes Biology 430, 431 and 440. Since a "C" is a passing grade, students repeating a course with a previous grade of a "C" earned at ARC will automatically be dropped from the course due to "an illegal repeat".

Caution: It is not recommended for students to take Bio 440 and 430 or 431 in the same semester.

Also, if you take an exam your earned points will be recorded, I will not change your score to "0" to avoid you earning a "C" as your overall grade at the end of the semester. You may opt to not take the final exam in order to avoid earning a "C".

Extra Credit:

The break points for grades have been lowered 1% for all. In doing so, I have awarded each student 9.25 points of extra credit automatically. For example, at a straight percentage with 925 total points, the minimum for an "A" would be 90% or 832.5 points. By lowering the percent to 89%, the breakpoint becomes 823.25 points which equals 9.25 points of extra credit.

Additional extra credit options available include:

the syllabus quiz (5 points possible)
lab cleanliness points (3 points possible).

You may attempt the syllabus quiz as may times as you like until the due date. It will be worth a maximum of 5 points of extra credit.

Lab cleanliness points - there are many rules in microbiology required to keep the lab clean and safe. If you don't follow the rules, there will be deductions from your extra credit points. I will have a separate handout detailing the lab rules and where deductions will be made.

Additionally, the group activity points, quiz points, Mastering homework, and the lab points should be relatively easily earned, serving to "buffer" your grade. Please, do not ask me about additional extra credit. Also, since the breakpoints have been lowered, I will not lower them even further.

Accessing Course Materials

Most of the handouts provided in class can also be accessed online at our Desire2 Learn (D2L) course website. In addition you can view your current point total and also view and print out lecture notes prior to coming to class if you desire. I will have handouts for the lecture notes on the day that we will be covering the material so you do not have to print the handouts. The direct link is https://d2l.losrios.edu but you can also access it by using the URL http://elearning.losrios.edu. In a nutshell once the login page appears, your username is a "w" followed by your student ID number. Your default password is the same one that you use for eServices and gmail.

Note: When you send me an email through D2L, include your name because all that is shown in the "from" box is your student id number.

In the event that the elearning server is down you can access the syllabus via the instructor’s homepage http://ic.arc.losrios.edu/~smithla.

Ways to access the Internet and our course page:

a. LRC (Hours of operation Monday-Wednesday 8am-9:30pm, Friday 8am-4:30pm, and Saturday 9am-3pm)
b. Science computer lab (Room 422)
c. at home using your own internet service provider (ISP)

Navigation of Desire2Learn Course Website

Once you have logged in the Desire2Learn website and entered Bio440, you will be placed in the "Course Home".

News: These are announcements and will include updates and important info for you to know. You will automatically be placed here when you enter the course. You can return here by clicking on "Course Home"

Contents: This will include handouts that are also available in class. If you are missing a handout or want to look ahead you will be able to do that in this area.

Grades: You can access your point totals and individual grades in this area.

Note: There are other areas available that we will use less frequently.

Setting notifications in D2L: You have the option to receive notifications (email or text messages) when I post grades, news and content in D2L. You can set this up under MySettings and selecting the Notifications icon or click on the Notifications icon under the dropdown arrow in the News heading.

Classroom Behavior

While in the classroom please keep cellular phones set to vibrate. Please refrain from private discussions with your classmates. Please leave the room if you must chat. Absolutely no eating or drinking is allowed in the classroom. We will take a break from about 9:00 am to 9:10 am and an additional break between lecture and lab usually from 9:50 - 10:10 am.

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students who are academically dishonest in my class will be reported to the chief discipline officer and the Dean of Science & Engineering and will receive a zero for the assessment. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to the following:

1. Sharing answers, looking on another student’s paper or collaboration during exams, or practicals.

2. Using notes or a cell phone during exams or lab practicals. Note if your cell phone is near you during an exam, I must assume that you are using it for the exam and you will receive a zero for the exam. Cell phones should be turned off and stowed away in your backpack during exams. No smart watches may be worn during an exam.

3. Plagiarizing another student’s work or copying from the internet on a laboratory assignment. Collaboration is encouraged but the final work must be one’s own, in your own words.

4. Make sure that you go to the bathroom before an exam since leaving the room during an exam could be misinterpreted as an opportunity to cheat. You will be allowed 3 minutes to use the restroom. I will deduct one point for each minute in excess of 3 minutes. You must leave your cell phone behind if you need to use the bathroom during an exam.

5. All students must do their own work for quiz credit using the PRS (Learning catalytics) unless we are working in groups. Please let me know if you are unable to log in.

6. Getting the homework answers from another student or the internet. The research with the Mastering system has shown that students learn more and achieve a better grade in the course when they complete the homework assignments themselves. Make sure that the work you submit is your own.

7. If you are repeating the class, you still need to complete the labs and redo the lab reports. Please do not turn in old photocopied lab reports.

8. Removal of examination materials from the classroom.

Note: Completed exams must be returned after viewing. Failure to return an exam will result in a "zero" for that exam. Exams may not be copied in any way. If you need more time to view your exam please come to my office hours.

Also note: ARC is a smoke and tobacco free campus.

Attendance Policy:

During the first two weeks of class, you must let me know by email if you will be absent . If you are absent and I don't hear from you by the following morning at 8am, you will be dropped from the class. Also let me know if you do drop because often the roster I see is 2-3 days behind. This is necessary to maximize the size of the class. After the first couple weeks of class, I will take roll via a sign in sheet. Please sign your initials. The last day to drop without a grade is Tuesday November 15, 2016. After that date I will have to assign a grade in the class.

Excessive absences: The catalog defines excessive absences as 6% of the total class time which is equal to approximately 2 full classes. I have the option of dropping a student after they have missed 2 full classes. My policy is to drop a student after they have missed 4 full classes on or before the "W" date. This may be four full class absences or the equivalent of 8 lecture and lab combined absences. For example, if you miss 4 lectures and 4 labs even if they are on different days, you will be dropped from the class and not receive a grade for the class if the total occurs before the "W" date. Attendance during both lecture and lab will be tracked using Learning catalytics so make sure that you are logged in and let me know if you are not so that I can provide you with an alternate device. Any absence counts as an absence. There are no "excused absences" regardless of the circumstances.

Please note that since you must be present to earn points for quizzes and labs, poor attendance may result in a lower grade.

Make-up Policy:

Make-ups for lecture exams will be given only for special circumstances, however, in order to qualify for a make-up exam, the student must contact me within 48 hours after the original exam date. The make-up exam will be a different version consisting of mostly true/false fill-in (without choices) and essay questions. No more than one make-up exam will be allowed per semester. All make-up's for the lecture exams will be taken during finals week. The make-up for the lab practical will be an oral exam. Labs cannot be made up in their entirety since the preparation for the microbiology lab is fairly involved and is often dependent upon the subculturing of organisms. However, you might be able to report the results if you are present on that day or describe the lab if you are present for the initial set up if it is a two part lab. Labs that only take one day to complete will usually not be able to be made up. I will distribute a separate handout with lab due dates.

Late labs will be accepted with deduction (1 point for each class period that it is late). Labs must be turned in during class time. No scanned and emailed labs will be accepted.

Contacting the instructor

E-mail	smithla@arc.losrios.edu (Make sure that you put Bio440 in the subject)
Instructor homepage	http://ic.arc.losrios.edu/~smithla
Office phone	(916) 484-8504
In person office hours	Room 449 Mon.- Thurs. 12-1pm

Online office hour

Saturday 9:30am-10:30am
During this time, I will be available via email.

Please do not hesitate to ask questions about class material. It is very difficult to improve your points average after you fail the first exam in a course like microbiology. Plan on spending at the very least 20 hours per week outside of class studying. (See Lori's Top Ten Study Tips handout.)

Special Needs

If you have a health problem, a documented learning disability, or a physical need of some kind, please let me know. My goal is to assist all students in reaching their maximum educational potential. If you require accommodations due to a physical or learning disability, please contact Disabled Students’ Programs and Services at (916) 484-8545 to discuss your needs. I will help ensure that you receive any accommodations approved by DSPS. We can discuss on an individual basis in my office the best plan that will work within the curriculum of the course. This plan may be unique to microbiology since we have a required lab after the exams.

The time allowed for exams is more than the average student will need. In general, the "in class" time for lecture exams is 2 hours and the "in class" time for lab practical exams is 90 minutes. This is 1.5 times the normal time allotted since the majority of students typically complete the lecture exam in 80 minutes and the lab practical in 60 minutes.

Mastering Microbiology:

Throughout the semester, we will have Mastering Microbiology homework assignments. I will distribute a separate handout with the due dates. I will also post the due date on the board in class.

In Mastering, there are deductions for incorrect answers. You lose 100%/(# of options - 1) credit per incorrect answer on multiple-choice and true/false questions. So, if there are 5 options (answer choices) and the question is worth 1 point, you will lose 0.25 points per wrong answer. Dynamic study modules (DSM) must be mastered and completed before the due date to earn any credit.

For "regular" non-DSM homework assignments, you may still earn credit but please let me know that you have completed the assignment because I have to manually transfer the grades from Mastering to D2L. The maximum possible for late "regular homework" is 50% of the points.

You will not be able to access the Mastering Homework for rework or review until after the due date. If you try to access the assignment after you have completed the homework and before the due date, you will get a message that says "Your instructor has restricted your access..."

The Dynamic Study modules (DSMs) are sets of flash cards that you will complete for a small amount of credit. You may complete these study modules on your computer or a smart phone/tablet. The Dynamic Study modules do not allow credit for late assignments. A free App called Pearson My Lab/Mastering is available for iPhone/iPad and Android. Before using the App on your device, you will need to access them on the computer once. Additionally, you must master all of the questions in the deck to earn full credit. There is an indicator that shows you how many questions that you have mastered. You will usually have to answer a question correctly multiple times in order for the question to be mastered.

Take your time to thoughtfully complete the homework. Don't use the internet to look up the answers and don't get the answers from another student.

Course schedule

Course schedule
Monday August 22	A Brief History of Microbiology (Ch.1) Lab: Lab 1 Intro to the Microscope
Wednesday August 24	Cell Structure and Function (Ch. 3) Lab: Lab 2 Observing Microorganisms Safety in the Laboratory
Monday August 29	Ch. 3 continued/Microscopy, Staining and Classification (Ch.4) Lab: Lab 3 Airborne Microorganisms
Wednesday August 31	Ch. 4 continued/ Microbial Metabolism (Ch.5) Lab: Lab 4 Gram stain/Gram stain plates from Lab 3
Monday September 5	Labor Day
Wednesday September 7	Microbial Metabolism (Ch.5) Lab: Lab 5 Endospore stain
Monday September 12	Exam 1 (Chapters 1, 3-5) Lab: Lab 6 Acid fast Stain
Wednesday September 14	Microbial Nutrition and Growth(Ch.6) Lab: Lab 7 Sterile Transfer Techniques and Streak Plate Methods of Isolation
Monday September 19	Microbial Genetics (Ch. 7) Lab: Gram stain Lab 7 cultures
Wednesday September 21	Microbial Genetics (Ch. 7) Lab: Lab 8 Enzyme tests
Monday September 26	Recombinant DNA Technology (Ch. 8) Lab: Evaluate Lab 8 results Lab 9 Water Quality and Biochemical Tests I
Wednesday September 28	Controlling Microbial Growth in the Environment (Ch. 9) Lab: Lab 10 Biochemical Tests II Set up confirmatory test for E. coli Evaluate Lab 9
Monday October 3	Exam 2 (Ch. 6-9) Lab: Evaluate Lab 10 results Evaluate EMB (confirmatory test for Lab 9 Water Quality)
Wednesday October 5	Controlling Microbial Growth in the Body: Antimicrobial Drugs (Ch.10) Lab: Lab 11 Environment Effects
Monday October 10	Characterizing and Classifying Eukaryotes (Ch. 12) Lab: Evaluate Environmental Effects
Wednesday October 12	Characterizing and Classifying Viruses, Viroids, and Prions (Ch. 13) Lab: Lab 12 Effects of UV, Effects of Disinfectants and Antibiotic Disk Diffusion Review for Lab Practical 1
Monday October 17	Infection, Infectious Disease and Epidemiology (Ch. 14) Lab: Evaluate Lab 12
Wednesday October 19	Infection, Infectious Disease and Epidemiology (Ch. 14) Lab: Lab Practical 1
Monday October 24	Exam 3 (Ch. 10, 12-14) Lab: Lab 13 Bacterial Isolation and Identification
Wednesday October 26	Nonspecific Lines of Defense (Ch. 15) Lab: Lab 13 continued
Monday October 31 Back to Top	Specific Defense: The Immune Response (Ch. 16) Lab: Lab 13 continued
Wednesday November 2	Specific Defense: The Immune Response continued (Ch. 16) Lab: Lab 13 continued
Monday November 7	Immunization and Immune Testing (Ch. 17) Lab: Lab 13 continued
Wednesday November 9	Hypersensitivities, Autoimmune Disease and Immune Deficiencies (Ch. 18) Lab: Lab 13 continued (last day for unknowns)
Monday November 14	Hypersensitivities, Autoimmune Disease and Immune Deficiencies (Ch. 18) continued Lab: Lab 14 ELISA
Wednesday November 16	Exam 4 (Ch. 15 - 18) Lab 15 Fungi
Monday November 21	Microbial Diseases of the Skin (Ch. 19) Lab: Lab 16 Parasitic Protozoa
Wednesday November 23	Microbial Diseases of the Nervous System (Ch. 20) Lab: Lab 17 Parasitic Helminths
Monday November 28	Microbial Cardiovascular and Systemic Diseases (Ch. 21) Lab: Lab 18 Fomites and Handwashing
Wednesday November 30	Microbial Diseases of the Respiratory System (Ch. 22) Lab: Gram stain Lab 18 Lab: Review for Lab practical 2
Monday December 5	Microbial Diseases of the Digestive System (Ch. 23) Lab: Lab Practical 2
Wednesday December 7	Microbial Diseases of the Urinary and Reproductive Systems (Ch. 24) Lab: Autoclave Lab coats
Wednesday December 14	Final exam (Ch. 19-24) 8-10am

Lori A. Smith, Ph.D.
Professor Biology

Instructor's contact information
Email: smithla@arc.losrios.edu
Phone: 916-484-8504
FAX: 916-484-8725

About the Instructor

Office Location:
Science Area Room 449

Office Hours:

M-Th, 12-1pm

[ Course Home ]

Table of Contents

Contacting the instructor/Special Needs

Lecture/Lab: Monday/Wednesday 8:00am- 11:35am Rm. 416 Instructor: Lori A. Smith, Ph.D.