Syllabus,
Microbiology Lab (BIOL
3561)
Fall 2008
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Course title:
Microbiology LAB, BIOL 3561
One credit.
Two hours and fifty minutes of lab per week
Class time:
Section 02: Tuesday, 1:40 –
4:30 pm
Section 01: Wednesday, 2:10
– 5:00 pm
Meeting place:
Science Center, Room B36
Instructor:
Mary Stewart, Ph.D.
Phone:
870-460-1564
E-mail:
stewartm@uamont.edu
Office:
Science Center, Room B14
Office hours:
Mon,
Tues, Wedn, & Fri: 10:00 am – 11:00
am
Thurs: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Or by appointment
Prerequisites:
There are
no prerequisites for this course.
While there are no prerequisites for this lab course, your understanding of the
topics and principles of this lab may be enhanced if you
have successfully completed prior college biology courses such as
Principles of Biology (BIOL 1053) or Introduction to Biological Sciences (BIOL
1063). Also, you may benefit
from taking Microbiology lecture (BIOL 3553) during the same semester that you
take this lab.
Required lab book:
Microbiology, a Laboratory Manual, eighth edition.
Authored by Cappuccino and Sherman.
ISBN 978-0-8053-2578-2. Cost
at the UAM campus bookstore: $82.00
new, $62.00 used*.
*Note:
If you
buy a used lab book, be sure that it contains all pages and is free of markings.
A previously marked up lab book cannot be used for this lab course.
Course description:
A laboratory course designed to supplement the basic lecture course in
microbiology with experimentation and demonstration.
Course objectives:
In this lab, students will carry out hands-on work to learn and apply lab
methods that are used to examine and identify microbes.
By the end of the semester, students should be able to:
·
Describe the parts of a microscope and their purposes.
·
Use a microscope to examine and identify microbes.
·
Prepare microscope slides and perform staining methods commonly used in
microbiology.
·
Describe the basis for how stains can be used to distinguish between different
microbes.
·
Describe the growth requirements for microbes
·
Describe and use methods designed to destroy microbes or inhibit their growth.
·
Culture microbes using aseptic technique.
·
Carry out experimental tests to identify microbes based on their biochemical
properties. Explain the biochemical
basis for the tests.
·
Distinguish between bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa
Course Grades:
The grade that you earn in this course will be based on the following:
Lab quizzes (usually given at the beginning of lab)
100 points
Attendance, participation, lab notebook & data reports
100 points
Two lab exams at 100 points each
200 points
Unknown report
100 points
Total points possible
500 points
Letter
grade and percent
A
(89.50 – 100%)
B
(79.50 – 89.49%)
C
(69.50 – 79.49%)
D
(59.50 – 69.49%)
F
(59.49% and below)
Note
that 89.49% is a B and does not round up to 89.5%.
Likewise, 79.49% is a C; 69.49% is a D and 59.49% is an F.
COURSE POLICIES FOR LAB
1.
Absolutely no food and
drink in lab.
Finish or dispose of any
food or drink before you come to
lab. Any food or drink in the lab
will be taken by the instructor and disposed of.
2.
Safety.
You are
responsible for following all safety rules.
If you repeatedly fail to follow safety rules, the behavior will be
considered as “disorderly conduct” and you may be assigned an “F” for the class
or dropped from the class.
3.
Attendance.
Attendance is mandatory. Because of
the amount of setup required for lab and scheduling issues, there are no makeups
for missed labs. If you miss lab,
you miss the possibility of points for the missed lab.
At the end of the semester, I will drop
one of your weekly lab scores (your
lowest). Thus, if you miss one lab,
your final grade will not suffer because of the points lost for that one lab.
However, on lab exams, you
still are responsible for the lab material that you missed.
Arrange your schedule so
that you are able to stay the entire 2 hours and 50 minutes in lab.
There may be times when you and/or your lab partner will need to come
into the lab outside of the normally scheduled lab time.
4.
Punctuality.
Be on
time for lab. If you are late to
lab and miss a lab quiz, you have zero points for it—no makeups for missed lab
quizzes. For every time that you
are 10 minutes or more late, your total lab score for the semester will be
docked by 5%.
5.
Makeup lab exams.
There are
no makeup lab exams unless you have an excused absence and you provide
appropriate written documentation to me.
Excused absences include participating in a UAM sponsored event, being so
ill that you visit a medical facility, or a death in your immediate family.
It is your responsibility to contact me to discuss whether your absence
is excused, to bring the written documentation and to schedule a makeup.
I reserve the right to contact the appropriate people to confirm that
your written excuse is valid.
6.
Visitors.
No
visitors allowed. Your children,
friends, parents, pets or anyone else not currently enrolled in the course will
not be allowed in lab. This policy
is for the safety of everyone.
7.
Electronics.
Turn off all electronic
devices and put them away during lab.
Turn off your cell phones and put them inside your backpack, bag or
pocket (don’t just turn them to vibrate; turn them off).
If you are expecting an urgent phone call, please let me know ahead of
time. You won’t need a computer in
the lab, so turn it off and put it away.
Even if there is down time during lab while you have to wait for
something, keep your electronic gizmos and cell phones off.
Use the down time to review lab material or work on lab write-ups.
8.
Disruptive Behavior:
Disorderly conduct is prohibited under the Student Conduct Code.
Disorderly conduct is any behavior which disrupts the regular or normal
functions of the University community, including behavior which breaches the
peace or violates the rights of others.
You may be dropped from the class for disorderly conduct.
9.
Academic honesty:
Academic
dishonesty and cheating will not be tolerated.
Cheating comes in many forms, including having a cell phone turned on and
on your person during an exam or quiz, whispering with another student during an
exam or quiz, looking at another student’s paper during an exam or quiz, using
notes or other materials not approved by the instructor during an exam or quiz,
and plagiarism. Cheating also
includes discussing an exam with someone who has not yet taken the exam.
This list is not inclusive and there are additional behaviors that
can be considered as cheating or academic dishonesty.
You may fail the class or be dropped from the class for academic
dishonesty.
10.
Students with Disabilities:
It is the policy of the University of AR at Monticello to accommodate
individuals with disabilities pursuant to federal law and the University’s
commitment to equal educational opportunities. It is the responsibility of
the student to inform the instructor of any necessary accommodations at the
beginning of the course. Any student requiring accommodations should
contact the Office of Special Student Services located in Harris Hall Room 120;
phone 870 460-1026; TDD 870 460-1626; Fax 870 460-1926.
11.
Disclaimer:
This
syllabus is a guide and I reserve the right to make changes.
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