Anthrax bacteria and while blood cells in the lung
Photo Researchers, Inc./A.B. Dowsett/Science Source

MIC 205A: General Microbiology
M-W-F    11-11:50    Harvill 150

MIC 205L   Lab syllabus   Lab schedules    On line lab manual linked to Lab Schedule

Lecture Schedule, Fall 2007

*Required text is Cowan and Talaro, Microbiology A Systems Approach, McGraw/Hill, New York, 2005.
** SB, Dr. Stephen Billington

Syllabus

Introduction and Course Goals

Welcome to General Microbiology! MIC 205A is a 3-credit introductory course offered to meet the needs of students interested in all aspects of microbiology, especially those related to health. The course provides an introduction to the diverse lifestyles of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoan parasites, their importance in the biosphere, and their roles in human and animal diseases. Microbiology majors should be concurrently enrolled in MIC 205B (discussion). MIC 205L offers laboratory exercises in microbiology. Prerequisite(s): MCB 181R or PSIO 201 AND CHEM 101B or CHEM 103A. In the past, students who have not had at least one course each in university-level biology and chemistry have not done well in this course! Please see the instructor if you have any questions about prerequisites. If the course is over-enrolled, students without prerequisites may be dropped. When you finish this course, you should be able to:

Grading

Why do we give grades (called assessment in educational jargon)?

Acquiring FACTS is just the beginning of learning. Some of the facts you learn in microbiology this year will not be facts next year or the year after. More importantly, knowing facts without being able to apply them is "inert knowledge", good for Micro Trivial Pursuit but not much else. Educational skills I want to you acquire include the abilities to apply, analyze, comprehend, synthesize, and evaluate information in microbiology. The longer I teach, the more convinced I am that the amount of active participation by the student determines how much effective learning takes place. I am also convinced that for material to be learned in such a way that it is useful to you during the course and after the course is over, it must be learned stepwise (not the night or weekend before an exam). Although later exams will emphasize more recent material, exams will be cumulative throughout the semester.

Attendance, Make-up Policies, Incompletes and Withdrawals. Class sessions will involve activities that are designed to help you understand, remember, and use course material, so attendance and participation are important for you to do well in the course. You will need a pack of white 3 x 5" index cards; you will use them for submitting quiz answers and course feedback most days of the course. Scores will be kept for these cards and will be considered if you are within one percentage point of the next highest grade at the end of the course.

Since more exams are available than will be counted, make up exams will NOT be given. Exceptions will be made only for students observing organized religious holidays or absences pre-approved by the UA Dean of Students that occur on exam dates. The grade of "I" (Incomplete) requires instructor approval and will be awarded only when all but the final exam has been satisfactorily completed. Withdrawal ("W"): prior to the end of the fourth week of classes (9/14), official withdrawal on WebReg (drop) cancels the registration for the course. During weeks five through eight (9/15-10/12), instructor's signature is required on a Change of Schedule form. The grade of W is awarded to students who are passing at the time of withdrawal; the grade of E is awarded to students not passing at the time of withdrawal. The last day of classes, 12/5, is the last day to completely withdraw from all classes for Fall 2005; see your college advisor for a complete withdrawal. Students who wish to audit the course must register.

Honors Contract for MIC 205A. Students who are already in the Honors College may take MIC 205A for Honors credit by completing an Honors Contract. Go to the Honors College web page http://www.honors.arizona.edu/HonorsStudents/contracting.htm and update your information with the Honors College.  Then print the contract. Fill it out; under the section on work required for Honors credit, include the following information:

For Honors credit in MIC 205A, the student will do library research and write a term paper about an area of microbiology that interests her/him. The paper will be 6 pages double-spaced, excluding bibliography; a minimum of ten sources must include at least 2 articles from professional journals. The student will consult with the professor at least monthly about progress on the paper, which will be due the last day of class.

Hints on how to do well in this class:

Classroom Behavior and Academic Integrity Courtesy is required in the classroom; I will treat you with respect and expect you to be respectful of me and your fellow classmates. All cell phones and pagers must be turned off in the classroom, and conversation should be limited unless you have been instructed to participate in an active discussion. Talking in class will result in your being asked to leave the classroom. Threatening behavior as described at http://policy.web.arizona.edu/threatening.pdf is prohibited. Students are encouraged to share intellectual views and freely discuss the principles and applications of the course work. However, index card quizzes and examinations must be written independently. This course operates under the UA Code of Academic Integrity available on line at http://dos.web.arizona.edu/uapolicies/. All forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited, including (but not limited to): cheating, fabrication, academic dishonesty, plagiarism, modifying any academic work to obtain additional credit without approval of instructor, or attempting to carry out any of the above. Committing any of the above will result in sanctions being imposed on the student's scores or grade up to and including the assignment of an "E".

RESOURCES

YOU, the Student: Learning is not a Spectator Sport! How do you learn most effectively? Reading? Listening to lecture? Flash cards? Taking notes? Discussing the material with a study group? Writing a paper? In general, people learn most effectively when they do something. In this class, you will be doing a variety of things (because different activities work better for different learners) to help you learn microbiology (and also enjoy doing so). What I expect of you:

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Last modified December 7, 2007