Division: Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Department: Biology
BIOL 2420: MICROBIOLOGY
FALL 2011
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
This course for a student majoring in the Biological or Health Sciences
Course Title:
Microbiology
Course Number:
BIOL 2420 51164
Credit Hours:
4 semester credit hours
Prerequisites:
BIOL 1406
Class Days and Times:
M - W 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Class Room Location :
Room 529 Lec. Wed - Room 529 Lab Mon
Instructor:
Dr. William Cotton
Office:
Meeting place arranged by instructor
Office Hours:
By Appointment Only
E-mail: 1. Eagle Online course
website email
2. William.cotton@hccs.edu
Office Phone:
Leave Msg. With dept. Secretary
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ADA STATEMENT:
The HCC colleges are dedicated to providing the least restrictive learning environment for all students. The college
district promotes equity in academic access through the implementation of reasonable accommodations as required
by the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title V, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
(ADA) which will enable students with disabilities to participate in and benefit from all post-secondary educational
activities.
If you require reasonable accommodations because of a physical, mental, or learning disability, please notify the
instructor of this course before the end of the first two weeks of class to arrange for reasonable accommodations.
For our new students please be advised that you are responsible meeting assignment deadlines according to the
syllabus. Please schedule your study time accordingly to meet the deadlines. No work will be accepted late. If testing
accommodations are required you will be allowed to take your exams at the college testing center on the day
scheduled for the exam.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
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1. Retrieve, organize, interpret, and analyze information.
2. Use oral and written communication as appropriate to audience, occasion and purpose.
3. Solve problems using qualitative and quantitative strategies.
4. Appreciate and respect differing points of view/philosophies.
5. Formulate hypotheses and evaluate arguments logically.
6. Understand how disciplines are inter-related.
7. Develop the ability to make aesthetic judgments.
8. Set realistic personal and career goals including the ability to prepare for career choices
9. Continually expand and renew knowledge base.
10. Accept responsibility for self.
11. Value self, and others.
12. Establish a work ethic.
13. View learning as a life long process
14. Manage personal time and resources effectively
15. Interact with others, cooperate, collaborate, and communicate
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Course includes classification, history, taxonomy, structure and physiology of bacteria and viruses,
immunology, genetics, microbial control, pathogens, infectious diseases and epidemiology.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Text book - FOUNDATIONS IN MICROBIOLOGY BASIC PRINCIPLES INTRODUCTION by Kathleen Park
Talaro, eighth edition
Lab Manuel – LABORATORY MANUAL MICROBIOLOGY 2420 BIOLOGY editors Keating & Attish 2002
EGLS3 -- Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System
At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve
teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of researchbased questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your
professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston
Community College Student System online near the end of the term.
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OPTIONAL MATERIALS OR REFERENCE TEXTS:
THIS COURSE IS TAUGHT AS WEB-ENHANCED SO ANNOUNCEMENTS, ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS WILL BE
CONDUCTED ON THE EAGLE ONLINE WEB-SITE. CHECK THE WEB-SITE FOR COURSE UPDATES
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EVALUATION:
 Lecture exams may be composed of multiple choice, matching, true-false, fill in the blank and essay. Lecture,
reading and laboratory material are covered on lecture exams.
 No make-up lab practicals will be given.
 Grades are NOT CURVED
 The comprehensive final is mandatory.
4 lecture exams
= 60%
Homework
= 15%
2 lab exams
= 25%
Class Grade Average
= 100%
Extra points added to final grade max 3pts.
= Final Grade
LETTER GRADE ASSIGNMENT:
A
B
C
D
F
(90-100%)
(80-89%)
(70-79%)
(60-69%)
(<60%)
PLEASE NOTE LAST DATE TO DROP CLASS HAS CHANGED TO EARLIER IN THE SEMESTER. PLEASE CHECK THE
SCHOOL CALENDER FOR THE EXACT DATE.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Attendance policy will be in accordance with the student handbook. Each student is expected to be present and on
time for ALL lecture and laboratory sessions. Attendance will be taken during both lecture and lab. If an
emergency arises and you miss a class, it is the student’s responsibility to contact your classmates for missed
assignments and notes. Final exam attendance is mandatory. If you must miss a class due to illness you must
contact me prior to class time informing me of the circumstances. After 3 missed classes a student is subject to
instructor withdrawal from class.
ASSIGNMENTS:
See Blackboard website for a schedule of assignments. All assignments are due posted in the correct assignment
section on the blackboard website under the tab assignments, in either .txt file format or pasted directly into the html
section, before the day and time specified. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS BEYOND THE LATE DATE AND TIME
POSTED ON BLACKBOARD WILL BE ACCEPTED.
MAKE-UP EXAMS:
There will be NO LABORATORY MAKEUP’S, and written exams may only be made up with approval from the
instructor and must be completed within 1 week of the original exam date.
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WITHDRAWAL POLICY:
Withdrawal from the course after the official day of record (see current catalog) and prior to the last drop date will
result in a final grade of “W” on the student transcript and no credit will be awarded. It is the student’s
responsibility to initiate and complete a request for withdrawal from any course. Non-attendance does NOT
automatically withdraw one from this course!!! Students not withdrawn from class by last drop date will be given a
failing grade for the class if they fail to complete all course work by the date of the final exam. Instructor will not
withdraw students for non-attendance but a grade of WF will be given.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
HCCS is committed to a high standard of academic integrity in the academic community. In becoming a part of the
academic community, students are responsible for honesty and independent effort. Failure to uphold these standards
includes, but is not limited to, the following: plagiarizing written work or projects, cheating on exams or
assignments, collusion on an exam or project, and misrepresentation of credentials or prerequisites when registering
for a course. Cheating includes looking at or copying from another student's exam, orally communicating or
receiving answers during an exam, having another person take an exam or complete a project or assignment, using
unauthorized notes, texts, or other materials for an exam, and obtaining or distributing an unauthorized copy of an
exam or any part of an exam. Plagiarism means passing off as his/her own the ideas or writings of another (that is,
without giving proper credit by documenting sources). Plagiarism includes submitting a paper, report or project that
someone else has prepared, in whole or in part. Collusion is inappropriately collaborating on assignments designed
to be completed independently. These definitions are not exhaustive. When there is clear evidence of cheating,
plagiarism, collusion or misrepresentation, a faculty member will take disciplinary action including but not limited
to: requiring the student to retake or resubmit an exam or assignment, assigning a grade of zero or "F" for an exam
or assignment; or assigning a grade of "F" for the course. Additional sanctions including being withdrawn from the
course, program or expelled from school may be imposed on a student who violates the standards of academic
integrity.
SOFTWARE PIRACY:
Law strictly prohibits unauthorized copying of software purchased by Houston Community College System for use
in laboratories. Houston Community College - NW administration will take appropriate disciplinary action against
anyone violating copyright laws.
COMPUTER VIRUS PROTECTION:
Computer viruses are, unfortunately, a fact of life. Using the diskettes on more than one computer creates the
possibility of infecting computers and diskettes with a computer virus. This exposes the computers of the college,
your personal computer, and any others you may be using to potentially damaging viruses. The college has
aggressive anti-virus procedures in place to protect its computers, but cannot guarantee that a virus might not
temporarily infect one of its machines. It is your responsibility to protect all computers under your control and use
and ensure that each diskette you use, whenever or wherever you use it, has been scanned with anti-virus software.
Since new viruses arise continually, your anti-virus software must be kept current. And, since no anti-virus software
will find every virus, keeping copies of data (backups) is extremely important.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT:
It is the policy of the Houston Community College System to provide equal employment, admission and educational
opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
HCCS colleges strive to provide an excellent learning environment free from harassment or intimidation directed at
any person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Any form of harassment will not be
tolerated.
TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE:
See the attached calendar.
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LEARNING RESOURCES:
TUTORING AND OPEN STUDY LABS ARE OFFERED DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AS SCHEDULED BY THE
DEPARTMENT
Tentative Class Schedule by week
Class Period
The Main themes of Microbiology. And Chemistry chapter 1-2
1.
Lab
2.
Procaryotic profiles: The Bacteria and Archaea
Lab
3.
Eukaryotic cells and Microorganisms
Lab
4.
Microbial Growth
Lab
5.
Exam 1 - Elements of Microbial Nutrition, and Growth
Lab
6.
Microbial Metabolism. Genetics
Lab
7.
Lab
8.9.
Genetics
Lab Exam 1
Exam 2 Physical and Chemical Control of Microbes Exam 2
Lab
10.
Antimicrobial Drugs
Lab
11.12
Epidemiology/Microbe-Human Interactions
Lab
13
Exam 3 The Nature of Host Defenses
Lab
14.
Lab
15.
Viruses
Lab Exam 2
Final Week of December 18,2011
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