Dr. Carrie Weaver Bottoms

Faculty Lecture Syllabus

Course Number:                      BIOL 2421.P01, P02

Course Title:                            Microbiology

Course description:                 Classification, cell structure, metabolism, and historical concepts of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, Chlamydia, and Rickettsia.  Infectious diseases and immunology will be emphasized.  Practical microbiology will include diagnostic microbiology of water, food, sewage, soil, and industrial applications.  Laboratory methods are stressed, and experimentation with pure cultures of medical, environmental, and industrial importance is used extensively.  Lab required.

Course Credit Hours:              4 hours                        Lecture Hours: 3         Lab Hours: 1

Prerequisite:                            Biol 1406, Biol 2401, Biol 2402

Co-requisite:                            None

College Repeat Policy:            A student may repeat this course only once after receiving a grade, including a “W”.

Instructor’s Information:        Dr. Carrie Bottoms

Office Number:           D-218

Office Hours:              MTWRF: 9am – 10 am, or by appt

Contact information:   Phone: 972-377-1534

Email: cbottoms@ccccd.edu,

Dept Office contact: Laurie Tonian, 972-377-1006

Class Information:

            Class Meetings:           Sec P01: MWF 10am-10:50am

                                                Sec P02: TR 10am – 11:15am

            Class Locations:          Sec P01: D-241

                                                Sec P02: D-241

Textbook:                                Microbiology, 2^nd edition, by Bauman

Supplies:                                  None

Student Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this course, the students should be able to do the following:

1.      Describe the distinctive characteristics of prokaryotic cells, and the diverse growth requirements of prokaryotic organisms.

2.      Explain different ways that microbial growth can be controlled, and define the importance of selective toxicity in terms of treating infectious diseases.

3.      Explain the unique characteristics of bacterial metabolism and bacterial genetics, and discuss how antibiotic resistance and virulence mechanisms evolve in bacteria.

4.      Compare the characteristics and reproduction of acellular infective agents (viruses and prions) with cellular infectious agents (bacteria, fungi, and protozoans).

5.      Describe the function of host defenses and the immune system in combating infectious diseases, and explain how immunizations protect against specific diseases.

6.      Explain the transmission and virulence mechanisms of cellular and acellular agents, including key microbes such as HIV, Influenza A, Staphylococcus aureus, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Course Requirements:             Lecture exams will be scheduled covering the text and lecture topics.  Group discussions will be held on assigned topics.  The laboratory grade will be integrated with the lecture grade to produce the overall course grade at the end of the semester.  (Lecture = 65%, Lab = 35%)

Method of Evaluation:            5 lecture exams (100 pts each)            500 pts

                                             Semester Project                                 100 pts

                                             Weekly Journals                                  100 pts

                                                                                Total                700 pts           

Attendance Policy:                 Punctuality is mandatory.  Nothing is more distracting to the students and professor than a person who walks in late.  Be in your seat, ready to start when class begins.

Religious Holy Days – please refer to the current Collin Student Handbook.

ADA Statement:                     It is the policy of Collin County Community College to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals who are students with disabilities.  This college will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal educational opportunity.  It is the student’s responsibility to contact the ACCESS office, SCC-G200, or 972.881.5898 (V/TTD: 972.881.5950) in a timely manner to arrange for appropriate accommodations.

Academic Ethics:                    The College District may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty.  Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts, or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work material that is not one’s own.  Scholastic dishonesty may involve, but is not limited to, one or more of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion, use of annotated texts or teacher’s editions, and/or falsifying academic records.

Plagiarism is the use of an author’s words or ideas as if they were ones own without giving credit to the source, including, but not limited to, failure to acknowledge a direct quotation.

Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an unauthorized manner during an examination, illicitly obtaining examination questions in advance, copying computer or internet files, using someone else’s work for the assignments as if it were one’s own, or any other dishonest means of attempting to fulfill the requirements of the course.

Collusion is intentionally aiding or attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to, providing a paper or project to another student; providing an inappropriate level of assistance; communicating answers to a classmate during an examination; removing tests or answer sheets for a test site, and allowing a classmate to copy answers.

Addt’l. Class Information:    

Semester Projects will be the focus or our next to last exam (#4).  These will be group presentations over specific bacteria or viruses.  Information about the semester projects will be available online on my website. (http://iws2.ccccd.edu/cbottoms)

Journals:  During the course of the semester, you will be turning in 10 e-journals.  These e-journals will be due Saturday night by midnight and must be sent to my e-mail (cbottoms@ccccd.edu).  There are 4 topics for which you may write: 1) You may rant about the class or anything that is bothering you, 2) you may discuss current information that you found in the news (pertinent to microbiology), 3) you may discuss your study habits and learning styles or how you have changed them, 4) or you may talk about how this class is affecting your life.  The first journal will be due on (or anytime before) Saturday, September 6^th at midnight. 

Websites: All of the notes that we discuss this semester will be available on my website.  In addition, all of the powerpoints will be available on my website.  Each will be accessible on the Lecture Schedule page of my website.

Testing will be done in class.  Test material will cover all notes, handouts and any information that is discussed during class times (which may not be covered in handouts or notes). 

Grading is done as quickly as possible.  The professor will grade the exams and hand them to the students for their perusal and to ask any questions.  All questions will be directed to Dr. Bottoms AFTER class time and before 1 week has elapsed.  Exams are to be handed back to Dr. Bottoms immediately after the student’s perusal.  Grades will then be entered.  (If you do not hand back the exam, you do not get a grade.)

Cell phones etc.:  All cell phones, pagers, blackberrys, etc. must be turned off.   If a cell phone rings during class, a POP quiz will be given immediately.  If you have a legitimate reason to keep your phone on (sick child, etc.), please place it on vibrate and you may leave the classroom quietly to answer it.

FAQs

1.      What do we call you?  Dr. Carrie, Dr. B or Dr. Bottoms

2.      Is the textbook required? All of the information that is needed for the class will be provided on my website.  However, if you purchase the hardbound textbook or the A La Carte textbook, you will also be provided an access code to www. MicrobiologyPlace.com (same for www.coursecompass.com) which is an on-line website with 24-hour tutoring, quizzes, fantastic animations, etc.

3.      Do you require the lab manual?  Yes, we have a lab manual that we prepared specifically for Collin College Microbiology laboratory classes.  This lab manual is now only available FREE online at http://iws2.ccccd.edu/dcain/CCCCD%20Micro/index.htm.

4.      Is there any extra lab time?  We do not have any extra lab time for you to come into the lab.  However, there is an excellent tutorial website for you to peruse 24/7.  The website can be located on Dr. Bottoms’ website under the Lab Schedule webpage.  It is titled CCCCD Microbiology Home page.

5.      Are we required to have the notes before we come to class?  YES, if you want to use the notes.  You are responsible for printing out the notes BEFORE you come to class.  If for some reason the link is not working or I have made adjustments to the notes, I will provide the notes for the entire class.

6.      How do we get in touch with you?  I prefer email, cbottoms@ccccd.edu

7.      Do you offer any extra credit? This will be discussed in class

8.      Do you drop the lowest test score?  No, please do not ask.

9.      Do you have test reviews before the exams?  No, this is a sophomore-level course and I expect you to be able to learn sophomore-level material without a review. 

10.  What format are your exams?  I have exams with various formats.  I like to include short answer, fill-in-the-blank, true/false, some drawings, listing.  I rarely have multiple choice.

11.  Is the final comprehensive?  No, it will be covering the last material for the semester, Microbial Control.  However, it will require you to understand information about various microbial characteristics that we will learn over the course of the semester.

12.  Any questions that I have not covered?  Please feel free to email me and let me know what you want to see on FAQs.

Tentative Course Calendar: