General Microbiology
BIOL 207
Fall 2008 Course Information and Syllabus
|
|
|
|
Instructor |
Dr. King |
|
Office |
205E TCNW |
|
Telephone |
745-6910 (Office, please leave message) |
|
|
rodney.king@wku.edu |
|
Office Hours |
8:00-8:45 T,H; 1:40-2:30 M,W and by appointment |
|
Homepage |
http://bioweb.wku.edu/faculty |
|
Lecture Hours |
MWF 12:40-1:35p.m. |
|
Lecture |
224-TCNW |
|
Prerequisites |
None |
|
Required Text |
Microbiology, A human perspective, Nester et. al., 5th edition. McGraw-Hill |
COURSE
OBJECTIVES:
An introduction to microorganisms and their
importance to humans (for non-biology majors). Approximately one third of the
course is devoted to each of three major areas of microbiology: organismal, environmental, and medical. Lecture: three
hours (May be taken with or without the correlated laboratory course, BIOL 208,
depending upon the student's curriculum requirements).
At the end of this course, students will have a greater appreciation and understanding of microorganisms (particularly prokaryotes) and the many fascinating roles that they play in the biosphere. Students will see how our knowledge of prokaryotes is applied to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases in plants and animals, to the food, biotechnology and pharmacy industries and to our understanding of biogeochemical processes. Some of the most important discoveries and advancements in our civilization have been made possible through our understanding of the biology of microorganisms.
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance to lectures is STRONGLY
recommended. Much of the lecture material will be taken from the course text, however, information from other sources will also be
presented. Success is strongly correlated with punctual and regular
attendance.
GRADING: Four (4) examinations and (4) quizzes will be given during the semester. Each exam will cover approximately 25% of the total course material. A final examination will also be administered and will cover all the material presented during the semester which includes lecture material as well as reading assignments. The student must provide a Scantron Form 882-ES (blue-green color) for each exam and quiz (when required). Scantrons may be purchased at the University bookstore. Also, prompt attendance to the examinations is required. No examination will be distributed if any examination has been completed and submitted for grading. Dates for examinations are as follows: Exam I, September 17; Exam II, October 13; Exam III, November 5; Exam IV, December 5; Final Examination: Tuesday, December 9, 1:00-3:00p.m., TCNW 224. Assignments and Quiz Dates will be ANNOUNCED IN CLASS. Scantron answer sheets will be returned to the students after the grades have been recorded. Answer keys to exams will be available from the instructor for one week following each examination. It is the responsibility of the student to seek the correct answers to questions she/he has missed on an examination or quiz.
The student will
elect one of two (2) options to calculate his/her final numeric grade.
Option 1 allows the student to elect not to take the final examination if the
student has completed all four (4) examinations and is satisfied with
his/her final numeric grade. Under Option 1 the final numeric grade will be
calculated as follows:
Exam I
50
pts
Exam II
50 pts
Exam III
50 pts
Exam IV
50 pts
Quizzes
60 pts
(15 pts each)
Assignments
20 pts
-----------
Total Points Possible: 280 pts
Final Grade = Total points earned (see the
grading scale below)
Option 2 is composed of Option 2a and Option 2b.
Option 2a can be used by students who have completed all four (4) examinations
and all quizzes. Under Option 2a the student elects to take the final
examination. The lowest recorded examination score is dropped and the final
numeric grade is re-calculated as described below.
Option 2b must
be taken by students who, for whatever reason, miss an hourly examination. Under Option 2b the final examination must be taken to
prevent a zero (0) from being averaged into the final numeric grade. Under
Option 2b the final numeric grade will be calculated as follows for poor
performance or missed Exam II (for example):
Exam I
50
pts
Exam II ------
Exam III
50 pts
Exam IV
50 pts
Final
Examination
50 pts
Quizzes
60 pts (15 pts each)
Assignments
20 pts
-----------
Total Points Possible: 280 pts
Final Grade = Total points earned (see the scale
shown below)
GRADING SCALE:
A: 280-252 points, B: 251-224 points, C: 223-196 points, D: 195-168 points, F: 167 and less.
MAKE-UP
EXAMINATIONS:
The student should make every effort to attend
and complete all examinations. A student will be allowed to complete a make-up
examination provided the following criteria are met: 1) the student informs the
instructor the he/she will be absent from the examination prior to the
start of the examination 2) the student provides sufficient written proof
that their absence from the examination was unavoidable and 3) the student
completes the make-up examination at a time agreeable with the instructor within
five (5) regularly scheduled school days for the hourly examinations or within
24 hours for the final examination. If any of the above criteria are not
met the student will receive a zero (0) for the examination and is committed to
Option 2b. For any examination given outside the normal examination period the
instructor reserves the privilege to administer any examination of his
choosing. This typically means that make-up examinations are of the
"essay" format.
NOTE: The best way to contact the instructor
is at 745-6910, the voice mail system will automatically record
the time and date of the telephone call.
POSTING OF
EXAMINATION RESULTS:
Examination results or final grades will not
be given out over the telephone. All examination results will be available to
the student at the following site: http://ecourses.wku.edu. The instructor’s homepage contains a link to
this page labeled "Student Login". Please login as directed on the
page. Click on the course you wish to access (i.e. Biol
207). You may (and should) change your password by clicking on the Student
Tools option. Grades are available under Student Tools.
ADD /DROP
/WITHDRAWAL
The instructor will drop from the class register any
student who is included in the official class register and does not attend
either of the first two lectures of the course. This will be the only action
taken by the instructor to add or drop students from the class register.
CHEATING/PLAGIARISM
This course adheres to the University policy on
cheating and plagiarism. These activities will not be tolerated and
could result in your dismissal from the course and/or the University.
Students with
disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary
aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student
Disability Services, in DUC A-200 of the
This Syllabus and the associated Lecture and Examination schedule are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.
Syllabus Statement Linking Course with General Education Goals and Objectives:
This course fulfills the D.1. (Science/Mathematics) general education requirement. It will help you attain this general education goal and its corresponding objectives, which are, in part, 1) an understanding of the scientific method and a knowledge of natural science and its relevance in our lives, and 2) a development of knowledge in one or more of the sciences, including theories, concepts, and principles that explain observations and make predictions.
To
complete the assessment go to http://bioweb.wku.edu/courses/Biol115/Wyatt/Sci_method/Sci_method1.asp