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This page describes the materials needed by students to be successful in both the lecture and laboratory sections of this course.  Please note that this page is divided into separate sections: i) materials required for lecture and ii) materials required by students enrolled in the traditional laboratory section (BIOL 3702L).

General Information

YSU encourages students to purchase all course materials through the Youngstown State University Official Bookstore.  However, students are always encouraged to comparison shop for required course materials.  If a student does purchase the required materials from another vendor, BE CERTAIN TO PURCHASE THE CORRECT MATERIALS.  See the pertinent details below.

Please note, students must possess the required course materials by the end of the first week of class or face significant achievement barriers.

Lecture Materials

Face Coverings:  As noted in the Coronavirus Information section of this syllabus, properly worn face coverings are required to be worn during lecture.

Desktop/Laptop Computer:  Students are required to have access to a desktop/laptop computer.  If a laptop is available, students are strongly encouraged it to class. 

Most students already possess their own desktop/laptop computer.  The type, model, etc., is not critically important.  What is important is that it be able to easily connect to the University’s WiFi system and be relatively efficient (i.e., not a “chugger” when it comes to downloading information.)  If a student is concerned that their laptop is not operating efficiently or effectively, it is recommended that the YSU IT Services Desk be consulted. 

The laptop will be used for interacting with CONNECT, this course’s electronic learning platform (see below), for taking exams and quizzes, doing homework, accessing lectures and documents, etc. 

Please take note of the following: Information regarding the software/hardware requirements for CONNECT can be found at the highlighted link.  In addition, all exams and other selected assessments will be taken via Proctorio, an add-on system designed to monitor student activity during an assessment.  Your laptop MUST be Proctorio enabled.  See the essential Proctorio requirements at the highlighted link.

However, Dr. Cooper recognizes that not all students may own a laptop/computer or one that meets the above requirements.  There is a solution for such students.  Should a student not have a suitable computer/laptop, nor can afford to purchase one, the University’s Information Technologies Services (ITS) has a laptop loan program for students.  However, there will be limited number available.  A student needing this service is strongly encouraged to contact ITS as soon as practical.  A loaner request can be made at the following web page: https://ysu.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/2000/Portal/Requests/ServiceDet?ID=43861. 

CONNECT Subscription.  For both the lecture and laboratory sections of this course, students are required to purchase a CONNECT subscription associated with the required textbook.  This subscription is part of a student’s First-Day Ready program of the YSU Bookstore, unless the student opted out of this program.  Hence, most students should be able to immediately access CONNECT.

The subscription, which is valid throughout the semester and slightly beyond, will be used to supplement student learning, provide assessment of student learning, and enhance laboratory experiences.  Moreover, the subscription comes with the eBook version of the required text.  Should a student desire a “hard copy” of the textbook, the First-Day Ready package permits students to purchase a paper version of the text from the YSU Bookstore for a significantly reduced price.  Alternatively, the CONNECT subscription provides the opportunity to rent a copy.

If a student opted out of the First-Day Ready program, the CONNECT subscription can be purchased directly by accessing the course site (https://connect.mheducation.com/class/c-cooper-spring-2022).  Alternatively, a temporary 14-day subscription can be obtained if circumstances do not permit immediate purchase of the subscription.  Instructions for temporary access can be found at the following URL: https://mhedu.force.com/CXG/s/article/What-is-Temporary-Access.

TAKE NOTE: This course shall require the use of the program Proctorio for some quizzes and all examinations.  The Chrome browser is required for using Proctorio, which is a proctoring system embedded with CONNECT.  This program will monitor a student’s activity while taking a quiz, examination, etc.  However, due to continuous bookstore oversight despite my semester-to-semester request, the cost of this program was not included in the First-Day Ready Program.  Therefore, as a student logs into CONNECT for taking a proctored exam/quiz for the first time, a pop-up screen will appear prompting the student to pay for Proctorio.  The cost is $15.00 and can be paid by credit card.  Please be prepared to do so.

Again, please note that the Chrome browser is required for Proctorio assignments.  However, if desired, other browsers can be used with CONNECT for non-Proctorio assignments.

For information regarding Proctorio support, go to https://proctorio.com/support.

·      SPECIAL NOTE #1: Prescott’s Microbiology (11^th ed.) by Willey et al. (2020) is the official edition of the textbook for this course.  If a student incorporates a different edition of Prescott’s Microbiology in their studies for this course, Dr. Cooper is in no way responsible for any for material differences or correlations between editions.  Moreover, it is significant to note that that the current 11^th edition of the textbook is also used for Advanced Microbiology (BIOL 5840) and Environmental Microbiology (BIOL 4801) courses at YSU.  If students are inclined to take either of these courses, the purchase of Prescott’s Microbiology (11^th ed.) may be beneficial.

·      SPECIAL NOTE #2: If a student is not familiar with CONNECT, once registered with this electronic education platform, the student should use the “help” section to get an overview of how it functions.  The link for the “help” section will be revealed by clicking the student’s name at the top left corner of the CONNECT learning platform. 

·      SPECIAL NOTE #3: Dr. Cooper is not responsible for any circumstances that prevent the on-time completion of CONNECT assignments (e.g., power outages, loss of internet connections, computer freezes, the dog ate my mouse, etc.).  Students are strongly encouraged to be sure to find an appropriate and supported environment to complete the CONNECT assignments.

PLEASE NOTE THE INFORMATION BELOW AND KEEP IT HANDY:

For technical issues, please contact the CONNECT Customer Experience Group for support either online at https://mhedu.force.com/CXG/s/ContactUsWebForm or via telephone at 800.331.5094 (toll-free).  The telephone support hours (all Eastern Time) are: Sundays, 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM; Mondays through Thursdays, 24 hours/day; Fridays, 12:00 AM – 9:00 PM; and Saturdays, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM.  Students can also seek support via their CONNECT subscription.  In addition, when a student contacts CONNECT support, Dr. Cooper suggests that the student request the support team to send him an email to verify any problems and possible solutions.

·      SPECIAL NOTE #4: For help regarding any technical problems with the CONNECT subscription, DO NOT ASK DR. COOPER.  He can only address those issues with assignment deadlines, assignments not yet posted, or similar circumstances.  For help with a technical issue, please contact the CONNECT Customer Experience Group as indicated in the shaded box above.

To clarify, Dr. Cooper is not responsible for software issues, power outages, loss of internet connection, computer freezes, etc., that may occur during the use of CONNECT.  To avoid some of these issues, take note of the following suggestions:

1)    When possible, particularly for quizzes and exams, use the on-campus internet connection which tends to be reliably stable.

2)    When moving from one campus location to another, it is suggested that the computer be shut down prior to arrival at the location where CONNECT will be accessed, then re-boot the computer prior to opening the CONNECT learning platform. 

Lecture Notes.  Lecture notes are a privilege, not a right, nor are they required.  Nonetheless, Dr. Cooper usually makes PDF copies of his PowerPoint lecture slides freely available to students.  These PDF documents can be accessed through the “Files” section of the CONNECT learning platform associated with this course.  They are saved with the general file name of “3702ChX”, where “X” is the chapter number.  At times, the notes may not be available until just prior to lecture, but Dr. Cooper will do his best to notify students via email regarding recent postings of lecture notes.  Also, students should consider the ecological impact of printing lecture notes.  

BIOL 3702L Laboratory Materials

Face Coverings:  As noted in the Coronavirus Information section of this syllabus, properly worn face coverings are required to be worn while working in the laboratory.

Laboratory Manual.  A FREE on-line laboratory manual for students enrolled in BIOL 3702L is available through this web page.  It contains all downloadable laboratory exercises, supporting videos, documents, etc., that hopefully shall make this an outstanding laboratory experience.  Any corrections, suggestions, etc., are welcome by sending an email to Dr. Cooper at crcooper01@ysu.edu.

Laboratory Coat/Smock.  This required item does not have to be an “official” lab coat.  It can be any garment (e.g., old sweatshirt) that shall protect an individual from common laboratory hazards (e.g., stains, spills, etc.) and which can be disposed.

Protective Eyewear.  The University’s safety program requires that safety glasses be worn when working in a laboratory (https://ysu.edu/eohs/eye-safety-program-academic).  Regular eye glasses will not suffice as a substitute.  Neither will the “side shields” for normal eyewear qualify as sufficient eye protection.  Students must obtain approved protective eyewear to be worn properly at all times in the laboratory.  As an alternative to eyewear, students may consider the use of an approved face shield that covers the entire face.  It is recommended that a mask be worn underneath the shield.  However, when the shield is raised to conduct an activity (e.g., viewing a specimen through a microscope), a mask must be worn.

Sharpie Marker.  Students should acquire a permanent marker (any Sharpie-like brand) of any color will suffice, although black or blue is preferred.  This marker shall be used in place of tape labels by permitting students to write directly on glassware/plasticware.  NOTE:  BE SURE TO PLACE YOUR NAME ON THE MARKER AND DO NOT SHARE IT SO AS PREVENT THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS AND OTHER TYPES OF NASTY MICROBES!

Note: Surgical gloves are NOT provided for students except in special circumstances.  Nor are surgical gloves required.  In fact, gloves can not only be a nuisance at times, but also may contribute to spills and breakages – they become slippery when wet.  Nonetheless, some students feel more secure if they have gloves available.  Hence, students desiring to wear disposable gloves shall need to purchase their own.  For safety considerations, non-disposable and/or heavy-duty cleaning gloves are NOT to be used in the laboratory.  In addition, once worn surgical gloves must not be re-used, but properly discarded in the appropriate manner.

Laboratory Notes.  Laboratory notes are a privilege, not a right, nor are they required.  Nonetheless, Dr. Cooper usually makes PDF copies of his PowerPoint lecture slides freely available to students via the Laboratory Schedule or the laboratory exercise web pages.  At times, the notes may not be available until just prior to the laboratory meeting, but Dr. Cooper will do his best to notify students via email regarding recent postings of laboratory notes.  Also, students should consider the ecological impact of printing lecture notes.  

Laboratory Videos.  Links to most of the videos used in the BIOL 3702L lectures are available on a separate web page: http://crcooper01.people.ysu.edu/microlab/videos.html.  Please note that many of these videos are the copyrighted property, whereas others are available to the general public via the internet and vary in copyright protections.  Regardless, the videos posted on the above web page are solely for educational purposes of students enrolled in BIOL 3702L and others who are interested in the microbiological sciences.

Lab Fee.  There is a fee for BIOL 3702L which helps defray the costs of materials.  The fee is included in a student’s semester charges billed by the University.

Please report any “broken” links to Dr. Cooper