Tutoring Statement

The Supplemental Instruction & Tutoring Program at TSTC offers free tutoring and academic support services to help you achieve your academic and career goals. You can access the Tutoring Schedule, as well as MyTSTC Video Tutor Library, by visiting: https://portal.tstc.edu/student/Student_Learning/Pages/Tutoring.aspx (shortened link: goo.gl/Z9vJvY ).

For more information, please contact Norma A. Salazar@ 956-364-4557.

Learning Resource Center

The Learning Resource Center provides online and in person library resources and services.  Go to tstc.libguides.com to find help with your assignments, projects, and papers.  Clicking the Student tab will allow you to find resources, homework help, tutorials, and real time chat to answer your questions.

COVID-19 Safety Procedures

For the latest information on COVID-19 safety and protocols, visit tstc.edu/coronavirus.

Wearing a face mask while indoors is strongly encouraged.

Should you, or someone with whom you have had close contact, have shown any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 please stay home and let us know as soon as possible by filling out this simple form. We will contact you to provide you with further guidance on when you may return to campus.

Emergency Assistance Available

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as food insecurity, housing, transportation, and childcare concerns, or you may be unable to pay your bills. These stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. TSTC offers emergency aid and services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. Please contact the TSTC Advocacy & Resource Center. You can reach a coach here: http://bit.ly/ARCCoach

Title IX

Texas State Technical College (TSTC) seeks to provide an environment that promotes equal opportunity free from discrimination and harassment.

If you have been a victim of sexual harassment, sexual harassment, sexual assault, or any other form of protected class discrimination, we encourage you to make a report. If you report to a faculty member, she or he must notify TSTC’s Title IX Coordinator about the incident. You may also make a confidential report to TSTC’s Counselors.

All students (including pregnant and parent students), regardless of their legal status are entitled to protections under TSTC’s policy.

For more information about Title IX or sexual misconduct, as well as your options, please visit https://www.tstc.edu/student_life/titleix.

For information about equal opportunity and civil rights policies, visit https://www.tstc.edu/governance/sos.

• Course Introduction
• Chapter 1. The Main Themes of Microbiology
• Chapter 2. The Chemistry of Biology
• Chapter 3. Tools of the Laboratory

• Chapter 4. Bacteria and Archaea
• Chapter 5. Eukaryotic Cells and Microorganisms
• Chapter 6. Viruses and Prions

• Chapter 7. Microbial Nutrition and Growth
• Chapter 8. Microbial Metabolism: The Chemical Crossroads of Life
• Chapter 9. Microbial Genetics
• Chapter 10. Genetic Analysis and Genetic Engineering

• Chapters 18 - 24. Infectious Disease of the Organ Systems
• Chapter 24. Microbes in the Environment
• Chapter 25. Applied Microbiology and Food and Water Safety

Inclusive Access

The textbook in ebook form and Connect access will be available to you once you access the course. This inclusive access will appear as a course fee on your tuition statement. You may obtain a physical copy of the book if you would like to, but it is not required for the course. If you personally purchase the book with Connect access, you will need to opt out of inclusive access once the semester starts.Instructions for inclusive access: 1. There is a “RedShelf” link in the Moodle course.  You are already opted in to inclusive access by being enrolled in the course, so you will have instant access to the textbook and Connect when the course begins.  Just click on the “RedShelf” link and follow the instructions given.  As stated above, if you already have access to the exact same book and Connect for this course, then you will need to click the button to opt out in the “RedShelf” link. Once you have clicked on this link to activate access, you will not need to click on it again.  You will access the textbook through the link described below. 2. There is also an “MH Campus” link in the Moodle course.  This link is how you will register for and access the Connect course where most of your assignments will be completed.  After you have clicked on the “RedShelf” link, click the “MH Campus” link and follow the instructions to access your Connect course. You will access the textbook and the Connect course through this link throughout the semester.

Course Delivery

Delivery of the course will be completely online using TSTC Moodle (https://mycourses.tstc.edu) and McGraw-Hill’s Connect (connect.mheducation.com). The course’s Moodle website can be accessed through Portal.tstc.edu or mycourses.tstc.edu. If you have difficulty with this site, technical support is available by phone at 800-592-8784, by email at tstchelpdesk@tstc.edu, or via Google Hangouts at tstchelpdesk. The Moodle course contains the official gradebook for the course, the course calendar, notifications, assignment instructions, and study aides to help you successfully complete the course.  Also, the unit discussions will be completed in Moodle.  Connect is the site where your other assignments will be completed, but please do not think that you can simply go to Connect for everything and ignore the resources in Moodle.  If you try that approach, the course will be much more difficult for you and you will be much less likely to successfully complete it.

Structure of Course

This course is divided into units that contain individual chapters.  Lecture units will be released on the TSTC Moodle course website. Each unit will have links containing the learning objectives and details for the chapters in that unit, as well as resources to help you complete the work in the unit. These links are your guide for completing each unit.This course is divided into six lecture units. Each unit will involve completion of chapter assignments, quizzes, and a discussion. Grades will also be determined by completion of other assignments, and end-of-unit assessments. At the end of each unit you will complete an assessment on the material covered in that unit, and possibly previous units.

Student Responsibilities

Purchase required text/courseware for the course. Maintain a stable technology environment to work from that includes consistent connectivity and hardware and software specifications for the course. Submit all work by the due dates specified in the Course Calendar and in Moodle and/or Connect.  Do not fall behind! It is very easy, since online classes are so flexible, to get behind in your work. Do not let this happen. Be self-motivated. In an online class, you do not have certain times every week to meet. This is one of the advantages of online classes, but it is also one of the reasons that you must be self-motivated in order to be successful in the course. Be active on the course website. This includes participating in discussions when assigned, and responding to the posts of other students. If you do not log on to the course on TSTC Moodle and participate in the introductory activities during the first week of class, you will be considered a NO SHOW for the course. Save all work at your local computer.  Do not depend on the instructor to produce lost work. This includes all discussion postings, assignments, projects and any other required submissions. Respond to any instructor initiated communication within 48 hours. This time frame does not supersede any due dates previously set. Always include your name, student ID, course number and section, and phone number in any written or verbal communication with me. Contact me if you have any questions about anything. I am here to lead you through the course. Never feel like you are in this alone.

Assignments & Due Dates

The due dates for every discussion, quiz, assignment, assessment, and exam are very clearly stated in the course calendar, which is found in the Getting Started links in Moodle, so there should be no question of when anything is due. Waiting until the last minute to submit work is not a good idea and it is not a situation that I have to accommodate. If something goes wrong at the last minute, then you will know to submit your work well before the deadline next time. Online assignments, quizzes, and exams will deactivate if they are not completed by the appropriate deadline. While you will be able to review your work after the due date, you will not be able to complete the assignments once they have deactivated. Updated grades will be posted in Moodle within a week after each due date.  The exceptions to this are manually graded assignments, which will be graded as soon as possible.

Introductory Assignments

Your first assignments in the course will consist of at least a syllabus agreement and an introduction discussion forum, with other possible assignments included at the discretion of your instructor.  The syllabus agreement will ask you to agree to abide by the contents and policies described in the course syllabus, which you must read in its entirety before completing the agreement.  The introduction discussion forum will require you to introduce yourself to the class, and respond to the introductions of at least two of your classmates.  If you do not complete the syllabus agreement and introduction forum posts, you will be marked as a “no show” for the course, which can affect your financial aid status.  Specific  instructions about these assignments will be provided in the Moodle course.

Assignments & Assessments

Chapter Assignments: For each chapter in the course, you will have to complete a graded chapter assignment in Connect.  More instructions will be given in the Moodle course about these assignments.

Quizzes: There will be a graded quiz to complete in Connect after completing each chapter assignment.  More instructions will be given in the Moodle course about these quizzes.  

Discussions: Graded discussion forum posts will be required in each unit of the course.  These discussions will cover topics from that unit of the course.  More instructions will be given in the Moodle course about these posts.

Assessments: There will be a graded assessment at the end of each unit of the course evaluating your mastery of at least the course outcomes covered in that unit. Some outcomes from previous units may also be covered. These assessments should be completed after all other work for the unit is due. Specific instructions for these assessments can be found in the Moodle course.

Extra Credit: There is no departmental policy to extend extra credit. Embedded within the course are many opportunities to achieve your desired grade.

Participation

You are expected to participate in this course by interacting with your instructor as well as other students in the class. Lack of participation will adversely affect your grade.  You are expected to spend at least the same amount of time on this course as you would any traditional college course. That means that for a course that meets 3 hours per week and has six hours of homework, you would be spending 9 hours per week on the course. Since class time and homework are combined in an online course, expect to spend at least 9 hours total on your online course per week.  

Academic Honesty

All work that you submit for this course must be your own and no one else's, unless it is group work of some kind. Copying anything is considered plagiarism. Even copying something from another student, from your textbook, or from your own work completed for a previous course is considered to be plagiarism.  All forms of scholastic dishonesty described in the TSTC handbook are forbidden in this course. For more information see the student handbook at http://www.tstc.edu/student_life/catalog. Students found engaging in forms of dishonesty may receive a zero on the work, an F in the course, and/or be reported to college administration.

Copyright Information

The materials used in the course (textbooks, handouts, media files (podcast, MP3, Videos, RSS Feeds), and all instructional resources on the colleges Learning Management System (Moodle)  are intended for use only by students registered and enrolled in this course, and are only to be used for instructional use, activities associated with, and for the duration of the course. By "handouts," this means all materials generated for this course, which includes but are not limited to syllabi, quizzes, exams, lab problems, in-class materials, review sheets, and any additional materials. These materials may not be retained in another medium or disseminated further. They are provided in compliance with the provisions of the Teach Act. These materials may not be reproduced, displayed, modified or distributed without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder or TSTC. For further information contact your instructor.

Communication

All students have a TSTC MyMail account. All official messages sent by the instructor will be directed to the student's MyMail account, so students should be checking messages regularly.  Your Mymail TSTC College student e-mail account will be the only way to receive official notices from the college. If you choose to forward your e-mail to another account, please be advised that all communication from and within the college will use your Mymail student e-mail. Your instructor will correspond with you through email at eformaciosern@tstc.edu and within your TSTC Moodle course via the Announcements Forum, Discussion Forums, and Messages. Although you may receive messaging notifications to your personal email account, your responses should be made within the Moodle environment by responding to the appropriate Discussion Forum post. It is your responsibility to log in to Moodle and check for updated information on a daily basis. All correspondence to the instructor at eformaciosern@tstc.edu must come from your TSTC student mymail.tstc.edu email address and must contain the course you are enrolled in within the email subject line (BIOL 2320 20Z5). You may email me or come to my virtual office hours if you need to contact me. If you email me, I will try my best to get back to you as soon as I can.

Enhanced Discussions

A virtual meeting room where students can come together (Hangout) and engage in discussions with faculty and other students about concepts and material not fully understood. Time and dates for discussions will be announced the first week of the semester through Moodle/Canvas.

Technical Support

Questions concerning any technical issues with Moodle should be directed to the TSTC Help Desk through the following methods:Call: 1-800-592-8784 Email: tstchelpdesk@tstc.edu Google Hangouts: tstchelpdesk. Technical issues concerning Connect should be directed to Connect technical support through the following methods: Call: (800) 331-5094Email & Chat: https://mhedu.force.com/CXG/s/Contact Connect Monday –Thursday: 24 Hours Friday: 12 am –9 pmSaturday: 10 am –8 pmSunday: 12 pm –12 am (All times USA Eastern Time)If you have problems with your home technology that are affecting your work in the course, please notify the appropriate technical support provided above, and then contact me via phone or email (including a screenshot showing the issue as well as the customer service ticket information) as soon as possible.

Office Hours

I will have virtual office hours on the TSTC Moodle course website multiple times a week. See the Moodle course for specific times.  During these times I will be able to answer questions and forum posts immediately through email, and/or a virtual meeting room such as Google Meet. Any e-mail sent at other times will be answered as soon as possible, I always try to respond to all e-mails right away. If you feel that you have not grasped a concept completely, please email me and ask for help. If my office hours do not work for you, just email me and we can set up a virtual meeting at a time more convenient for you.

Emergency Safety Plans

In the event of an emergency, students should familiarize themselves with building and classrooms emergency exits/evacuation routes and be able to locate the nearest fire extinguisher. When an emergency alarm is activated, students should immediately leave the classroom, exit the building, and go to a designated safe area until clearance is given to go back into the building. Students should also register and be familiar with the Emergency Notification System.  TSTC Harlingen faculty, staff, and students are asked to report all threats, perceived or real, immediately to College Police located in the Auxiliary Building. If the threat is imminent, the College Police emergency phone line at 364-4911 or 911 should be called. College Police will then coordinate the proper response in accordance with state and federal laws and TSTC System/College rules and regulations. Much of the above information only applies if you happen to be on campus, but even when you are not on campus regularly, you should be certain to keep your contact information in the Emergency Notification System up to date.

Digital Citizenship

This refers to network etiquette. We will not “see” one another therefore, it is important to remember that we are all human beings and should be treated with respect. The following are general rules of netiquette, some of which were excerpted from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea. These are rules you should always abide by in this course. 1. Remember that even though you are “speaking” to someone online – they are a human being. Think about how and what you are “saying” to someone online. Ask yourself whether you would speak to a person in this manner if you were face-to-face. 2. Pay attention to your spelling and grammar. Others (including the instructor) are reading your work: therefore, make sure that you are not making it difficult for them by using poor spelling and grammar choices. In addition, there is no place for inappropriate language in this course. 3. Be willing to share your knowledge with others in this learning environment. When it comes to discussion boards – post comments in a timely manner. Other course members may be waiting for you so they can post replies or finish an assignment – do not make them wait until 11 pm when the deadline is midnight. This is not fair and also shows that you are not setting aside appropriate time for your coursework.

Departmental Philosophy

The TSTC Biology Instructors' philosophy of education is that the classroom situation is a cooperative relationship between the teacher(s) and the student(s), with both teacher(s) and student(s) sharing responsibility for the learning adventure.  The teacher is expected to lead the group in the learning process by providing expertise, experience, enthusiasm, guidance, organization, interest, and cohesion to the process, along with respect for students and colleagues. Students are expected to provide enthusiasm, cooperation and participation, including, and not limited to, logging into the course room regularly, turning in all assignments, studying, paying attention, participating, being polite and respectful of self and others and of the subject being studied.