Prerequisites
All students who declared Microbiology & Immunology as their graduate program must take this course. Students taking the course should have a robust knowledge in cell biology, immunology, and pathophysiology. Students will be required to complete
a self-assessment and a final evaluation form about the course at the end. If the evaluation form is not received, an “I” incomplete grade will be reported to the Office of Enrollment Services. If the course requirements are not completed
within 30 days, the grade automatically converts to a grade of F.
Outcomes
This sixteen-week course is the foundational and discipline-specific course of the Microbiology & Immunology graduate program curriculum. The course is aimed at students who want to gain an advanced knowledge in virology & viral immunology and
want to strengthen their critical thinking skills. By the end of the course the students should have an understanding of the fundamental tenets of virology as a scientific discipline while also becoming aware of the opportunities and challenges for
virology research. This course will contribute to the program’s overall goal of training highly skilled biomedical researchers who possess a cohesive and mechanistic understanding of the molecular aspects of virology, transmission and pathogenesis
of viruses and diagnostics and countermeasures; students will also learn the methodological and teamwork skills necessary to translate basic scientific knowledge into improvements in public health.
Objectives and Teaching Style
- Instructional sessions will be based on review of textbook chapters and faculty-designed lectures so students can learn fundamental knowledge in virology as well as cutting-edge research and challenges.
- Students will explore and apply concepts in virology through a range of learning modalities such as in class discussions, written exams, oral presentations, and small group learning activities.
- Students will learn to articulate and critique state-of-the-art topics in virology by a faculty that is actively engaged in innovative and competitive research in relevant areas.
Workload
- Four hours per week in class time
- Two hours per class of pre-class reading and studying of learning material.
- A significant amount of time needs to be committed on preparing the final project (presentation and paper) towards the end of the project.
Course Grade
The course grade will be determined as follows:
- Course Participation - 10%
- Exam I - 20%
- Exam II - 20%
- Exam III - 20%
- Final Project - 30%
Final course grades will be determined with the following grading scale:
| Letter Grade | Percentage |
| A | 90%-100% |
| B | 80%-89% |
| C | 70%-79% |
| F | 69% or below |
The expected performance to meet the expectations of the M&I program would generally fall between 80%- 92%. Scores above this are considered to exceed expectations. Students may challenge a grade on any graded component. Any appeals for grading changes
must be submitted to the faculty responsible for the writing and grading of the question(s) within 5 business days after the return of the graded examination to the student.
Grading procedure
Student assessment will be multi-modal and linked to defined competencies of a virologist. The following rubrics will be used to assess submitted work products, presentation performances, or projects. M&I rubrics outline sets of criteria that are
used to evaluate learner efforts towards attaining the competencies expected of graduate school researcher. We review and revise existing rubrics to ensure they continue to support the learning goals of any assignment. Grading is based on a three-tier
system: A (100%-90%) = Exemplary (above expectations); B (89%-80%) = Competent (meets expectation); C (79%-70%) = Developing (below expectations) or D. The following are examples of general rubrics to be used in our course.
*Students are strongly encouraged to complete an overall course evaluation form at the end of the term. The constructive comments and critiques will remain anonymous and will be released to the course directors after all the grades are finalized.
Attendance & Class Participation
Becoming a researcher is a professional career commitment. Students are expected to attend class and be on time. Students are expected to read material that is assigned as well as peripheral materials as is necessary to develop a comprehensive understanding of the virus or scientific problem. This will maximally prepare individuals for discussion of the issues in the field. If absences are necessary due to illness or other justifiable circumstances, the faculty in charge of the class should be notified as early as possible. Appropriate make-up work may be provided for students at the discretion of the co-directors. Arrival 10 minutes into the lecture will constitute an absence. Two (2) unexcused absences will result in a 5% decrease in the final grade score. The GSBS policy states that students taking a full-term graduate course offering are allowed up to three (3) excused absences from any required activity and is determined at the discretion of the course directors. Once a student exceeds and misses more than allowed for the length of the course, the course directors must notify the GSBS Student Affairs Dean, who will then contact the appropriate Program Director.
Missed exams/assignments, late policies
Contact the course directors in advance if you are going to be late or miss an assignment. The directors will review late requests and circumstances on a case-by-case basis and make decisions accordingly. Make-up tests or make up oral presentations will only be allowed in emergency situations which would preclude the student from physically being present. Emergencies are defined as anything which is serious and unexpected. Emergencies cannot be written on the calendar in advance. Examples of emergencies: a serious health crisis of the student or in the student's immediate family, family emergencies. Examples of non-emergencies: experiments, weddings, vacations, conferences, or any other event which can be planned around. are defined as an.
Standards for academic honesty
Violations of the Honor Code are cause for disciplinary actions imposed by the appropriate honor council. Possible violations include but are not limited to the following:
Giving and/or receiving unauthorized aid on an assignment, report, paper, exercise, problem, test or examination, tape, film, or computer program submitted by a student to meet course requirements. Such aid includes the use of unauthorized aids which may include crib sheets, answer keys, discarded computer programs, the aid of another person on a take-home exam, etc.; copying from another student’s work; unauthorized use of books, notes, or other outside materials during “closed book” exams; soliciting, giving, and/or receiving unauthorized aid orally or in writing; or any other similar action that is contrary to the principles of academic honesty.
Plagiarism on an assigned paper, theme, report, or other material submitted to meet course requirements. Plagiarism is defined as incorporating into one’s own work the work or ideas of another without properly indicating that source. A full discussion of plagiarism and proper citation is provided in the section below.
Failure to report a known or suspected violation of the Code in the manner prescribed.
Any action designed to deceive a member of the faculty, a staff member, or a fellow student regarding principles contained in the Honor Code, such as securing an answer to a problem for one course from a faculty member in another course when such assistance has not been authorized.
Any falsification of class records or other materials submitted to demonstrate compliance with course requirements or to obtain class credit, including falsifying records of class attendance, attendance at required events or events for which credit is given, or attendance or hours spent at internships or other work service.
Submission of work prepared for another course without specific prior authorization of the instructors in both courses.
Use of texts, papers, computer programs, or other class work prepared by commercial or noncommercial agents and submitted as a student’s own work.
Falsification of results
Altering a previously graded examination or test for a regrade.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
All work submitted in this course is to be done entirely by students. This includes all process work, drafts, and final works, whether in group or individual work. The following are violations of academic honesty: using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Scite.ai, Jenni.ai, having other people or entities do any portion of a graded assignment, whether for hire or not.
General Virology Course Syllabus