MBI 111 Microorganisms and Human Disease

Micro FAQs

Reports

Remember, your oral report date is the one that determines what your topic must be (since that's when you will be presenting in class), so ... check out the lecture topics for the day you are scheduled to present your oral report, and use that information as your guide in selecting your article.

The following paragraph is an example of a thoughtful relevance statement for an article report:

When I first saw this article, I thought it would be a great topic for my written report and oral report to the class. It ties in tremendously well with infectious diseases and this course as well. Since the article is about an infectious disease, otherwise known as smallpox, it is extremely relevant to the subject matter we are discussing today. The article gives not so much information on the background of the disease, but rather the effects of the disease. It discusses how smallpox has affected society over the centuries, what was done to end the spread of the disease, what was done with the smallpox virus, variola, to store it for possible use in future research, and how this virus may be used for bioterrorism and/or biowarfare. Not only does this article relate to infectious diseases, but also to this course, since it considers many aspects of how smallpox has affected society in the past, and how it may affect society in the future. This approach of learning about several aspects of the impact of one disease is consistent with how we are learning to think critically. This article will also help educate other students in the class about a subject they may not know much about, and will aid them in their understanding of the different stages in the extermination (or perpetuation) of infectious diseases.

Withdrawal Policy

The full text of the new withdrawal policy that goes into effect this term, excerpted from Registration Proceedures: Section 1.2.C in the 2008-2009 Student Handbook, is reproduced here:

Withdrawing from a Course. Withdrawing from a course is a formal administrative procedure; merely ceasing to attend class is not the same as withdrawing from a course. Before withdrawing from a course, a student should consult with his or her instructor and academic adviser.

A student may withdraw from a course after the first 20 percent of the course and, ordinarily, before the end of 60 percent of the course (see the academic calendar). A grade of W will appear on the student's official record; a W is not calculated in the student's grade point average. Refunds follow University policy, available via the Office of the Bursar website at www.muohio.edu/bursar/refund.

After the first 20 percent of a course through the end of the first 60 percent, a student may withdraw from a course with a signature of acknowledgement from the instructor.

After 60 percent of the course is complete, a student may no longer withdraw from a course, unless a petition is approved by the Interdivisional Committee of Advisers. The petition must include the signatures of the course instructor and the student's academic or divisional adviser. The petition must also describe and document the extenuating circumstances (extraordinary circumstances usually beyond the student's control) that form the grounds of the petition. If the petition for withdrawal is approved, the student will be withdrawn from the course with a grade of W. If the petition is not approved, the student will be expected to remain in the course (see Section 1.3.E).

Only in rare circumstances will a petition to withdraw from a course after 60 percent of the course is complete be approved for reasons of academic performance alone.

When possible, a student should continue to attend class until the Interdivisional Committee of Advisers has acted on his or her petition. Non-attendance does not void financial responsibility or a grade of F.

If a student is found guilty of academic dishonesty in a course, and withdraws from the course, the student will receive the grade W(AD) for the course, and a grade of F will be calculated in the student's grade point average (see Section 1.5.D).

Credit/No-Credit Courses

Warning: Nationwide studies have shown that credit/no-credit grades on your academic record may be a negative factor in evaluation of your application for admission or employment by most professional schools (law, medicine, etc.), by many graduate schools, and by some employers and undergraduate schools. Before enrolling for courses on a credit/no-credit basis consider what effect it may have upon your career goals.

Students should consult with the chief departmental adviser of the student’s department of major with regard to questions pertaining to courses that may be taken on a credit/no-credit basis.

• 01.208.A. All students not on academic probation may register for courses on a credit/no-credit basis, except as noted below.
• 01.208.B. Eligible students may enroll in any course on a credit/no-credit basis excepting courses used to meet department field of concentration and major requirements and the core courses at the Dolibois European Center. However, departments may specify field of concentration and major requirements that can be met with “credit” in a specified course.
• 01.208.C. No more than 25 percent of the total credit hours earned at Miami University may be earned in courses taken on a credit/no-credit basis.
  • 208.C.1. Freshmen may register for courses on a credit/no-credit basis providing they are concurrently enrolled for 12 hours for grades. During the summer term, freshmen may register for courses on a credit/no-credit basis providing they are concurrently enrolled for four semester hours for grade. If at any time during the semester, a student drops below 12 hours for grade (four hours for the summer term), the credit/no-credit status will be removed. Courses offered only on a credit/no-credit basis are not affected.
  • 208.C.2. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors may register for one or more courses per semester on a credit/no-credit basis.
• 01.208.D. Students may not enroll on a credit/no-credit basis in any course in which they have previously earned credit.
  • 208.D.1. A student may not enroll for grade in any course for which they have received “credit” on the credit/no-credit basis.
• 01.208.E. “Credit” (X) will be granted for grades C through A; “no-credit” (Y) will be granted for grades C- or less.
• 01.208.F. The instructor will report to the Registrar the normal letter grade, which the Registrar will convert to the respective credit/no-credit symbol.
• 01.208.G. Courses taken on a credit/no-credit basis are disregarded in the computation of grade point averages.
• 01.208.H. Course status may not be changed from credit/no-credit to letter grade nor from letter grade to credit/no-credit after 20 percent of the class meeting times have elapsed.
• 01.208.I. Registration in a course on a credit/no-credit basis requires the permission of the instructor except in Miami Plan or University Requirement courses.

Q: I am beginning to prepare for out first exam in your MBI class. I have been reading the assigned readings and taking notes in class. However, I find that I understand the material better when you go over it in class. Should I focus attention on material in the book that you do not cover in class? This would help be know where to concentrate my studying.
A: A really good way to approach the material is to use the study guides as a framework (because they contain the basic factual information) and write your own version of the course subject matter by integrating the notes you took in class (including notes on oral presentations), the material from the informative articles and the material from the assigned readings in the textbook. This will allow you to integrate the information and synthesize it into a conceptual whole that you will understand and remember.

Q: I was just wondering if there was any advice you could give me on how to study for the tests. I read the study suggestions on your web page, but I'm a little confused with exactly what we should know for the test. Do we need to know all the symptoms associated with each of the diseases, how long the diseases last, and how they can be treated/prevented? Or, should we just have a pretty good understanding of each one of the diseases, making sure to not get too caught up in all the details? If you had any other suggestions to give me, I would really appreciate it. Thank you.
A: It will be most helpful to you if you learn all the information posted on the Study Guide web pages as well as the information that I present in lecture. There will also be questions that cover the information presented by you and your classmates during oral reports. Further, don't forget to read the Informative Articles and integrate their information into what you know about these topics as well.

Q: How do I find out the dates that my oral and written reports are due?
A: The Report Due Dates web page has that information.

Q: I was wondering if your examinations put more emphasis on class lectures compared to what is said in the readings?
A: The exams are focused a bit more on class lectures and the study guide, but the informative articles will also be sources of questions ... as will presentations made by students during the group discussions of various topics. Take a look at the Sample Questions for information about testing format and potential content.

Q: What is the best way to study for this course?
A: Check out the Study Tips and do what it tells you. The tips about using writing to integrate diverse ideas and synthesize them into your own working model is my favorite. Another very helpful approach is to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the material, then discuss it with other students to help you look at it from different viewpoints to make sure you understand it and that you have not just memorized the information.

Q: How many points do I have?
A: Check out the Evaluation web page for the grade determination guidelines, then check out your current grade.