AVSC 230 SYLLABUS Animal Health and Diseases Instructor: Susan Prattis VMD Ph.D. MSNMP Dipl. ACLAM Office: Rm. 305 Wing A Agricultural Building Phone: 961 001 340460 x 4451 E mail: sp07@aub.edu.lb Office Hours: Mon, Tues, Weds 4 30 5: 30 pm Animal Health and Disease: Have you ever wondered if your dog, cat, bird or horse gets the same diseases that you and your family are susceptible to getting? Do they catch colds? Can they have cancer? Are they susceptible to the same toxins and pollution that we are as human beings? What about the way that they think and express emotion? What is it that makes us similar, and different, from other animals? In this course we will explore selected aspects of health and disease biology and management as they are expressed and experienced in humans and animals. There is no textbook but we will be reading an interesting paperback, Zoobiquity, as well as selected articles and well referenced web literature. This seminar general education course will consist predominantly of in class discussion and analysis of our readings, a midterm and final exam, a small amount of online project completion throughout the course, and an individual term paper on a topic chosen by each student. There will be one Saturday field trip towards the end of the course accompanied by a short group field trip report. This course is open to all majors within the University. Course Description and Location: 3 00 4 15 pm, Mon / Wed Rm. 325. Sept. 3 Dec.22 Animal Health and Diseases is an introductory general education course that introduces students of varying backgrounds to principles of Animal Biological and Health Sciences. We will learn about selected different commensal and pathogenic organisms causing common symptomatic and asymptomatic diseases; signs of health and disease specific to different domestic, marine mammal, fish and wildlife animal species; epidemiology of disease incidence; immunology, immune competence vs tolerance, and vaccination principles; emerging animal diseases; monitoring disease incidence using surveillance techniques; vector biology; and methods used to prevent disease occurrence including principles of management, environmental modification and nutritional support. To do this we will review textbook and article readings and set up a field trip towards the end of the semester for students to explore some of the concepts that they will have learned in the course and conduct a field experiment. A Moodle website for the course will also provide links to other interesting sites and articles on this course topic. Dr. Prattis Animal Health and Diseases GE Course Fall 2014 Page 1
Prerequisites One course in a natural science Text Requirements: Seminar Textbook: Zoobiquity The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health Barbara Natterson Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers, 2013. ISBN 10: 0307477436 ISBN 13: 978 0307477439 Websites: Worldwide Web Virtual Library: http://netvet.wustl.edu/vetmed/health.htm Center for Food Security and Public Health: http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/ National Wildlife Health Center: http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/publications/disease_emergence/ Partners in Information Access for Public Health: http://phpartners.org/veterinary.html Other Materials: Provided by Instructor Moodle: Please be sure to use the Moodle account that is set up for the class there will be information that is posted there for you to review prior to class and laboratory as well as any messages that may need to be conveyed to the class as a whole. Student Learning Outcomes By the end of the course you should be able to: Understand how to identify healthy and sick animals and the epidemiology of disease occurrence; and know etiological causes of common diseases affecting animals and humans Identify distinctive characteristics of disease causing agents and specific ways of monitoring for disease among animals Strengthen data analytical, information identification and synthesis skills in scientific inquiry, verbal and written communication To become closer observers of the natural world To be comfortable with thinking about and discussing natural science concepts as they apply to citizen duties and experiences, resulting in enhanced science literacy Assessment Tools Midterm and Final Examinations Class discussion; Midterm and Final Examinations Individual Term Paper; Final Group Topic Presentation; Field Trip and Experiment Field Trip and Laboratory Report Student Active Inquiry in Class; Debate; Readings and Online discussions Dr. Prattis Animal Health and Diseases GE Course Fall 2014 Page 2
General Education Outcomes (http://www.aub.edu.lb/units/general education/pages/learning outcomes.aspx) General Outcomes: After completing the General Education Program, students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate critical thinking abilities by making informed and logical arguments. 2. Value different academic and professional modes of ethical behavior. 3. Demonstrate intellectual independence in pursuit of knowledge. 4. Demonstrate ability to contribute effectively to teamwork. 5. Demonstrate fluency with information technology. The GE courses in the natural sciences enable students to explain how the natural phenomena in basic physical and biological systems work. They emphasize the process of science: how our understanding of the natural world advances by conception, testing, and refinement of hypotheses, and how logic, observation, and experimentation are used to disprove and support rival explanations, and how science and technology advance each other. The laboratory addresses the practice of science, professionalism in the discipline, and the diverse means of collecting and interpreting empirical data. After completing the natural sciences requirements students will be able to: 1. Explain fundamental concepts in the natural sciences. 2. Illustrate common scientific methods of inquiry. 3. Instructor/Course Policies Late Work and Late Attendance Policy Late work is strongly discouraged. Similarly, late entry into lecture is strongly discouraged. Each student is allowed one courtesy absence from laboratory OR lecture, but additional absences will result in a decreased grade. In class and laboratory attendance will be taken daily at the beginning of the class. Missed examinations can be made up at a later time only with a documented, and substantial,.reason for your absence. Cell Phones: Please turn off your cell phones and do not use them while in the classroom. Turnitin.com Policy and Process Students agree that by taking this course all required papers might be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of Turnitin.com service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site. Dr. Prattis Animal Health and Diseases GE Course Fall 2014 Page 3
The following statement must be submitted with each paper/report/presentation: I submit that this paper is entirely my own work and agree that it may be submitted to Turnitin for the purpose of checking for plagiarism and further that it may be maintained on the Turnitin database in order to check for future plagiarism. Statement of Academic Integrity Academic integrity is vital to the learning process and dishonesty will not be tolerated. Any student whose conduct involves academic dishonesty will receive a sanction appropriate to the nature and severity of the violation in accordance with the Policy on Academic Integrity, which is explained in the course catalogue. Please refer to the Plagerism Tutorial and Test which can tell you more about this important topic. A faculty member who has evidence of a student failing to adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy has a duty to report the conduct for final disposition. Academic dishonesty may result in, among other sanctions, assigning the student a grade of F for the course and/or for the particular assignment, or grade so much of the assignment that represents the student s own work, or require that the student repeat the assignment or a similar assignment. Academic Dishonesty includes: 1. Not referencing direct statements, or paraphrases, taken from other sources 2. Submitting work performed or generated by other people as your own without attribution 3. Insufficient references throughout the text body of a term paper 4. Using someone else s answers on a test, paper, assignment or quiz Procedures for Students with Disabilities Disclaimer If a student has a documented disability that may affect the student s performance in this class and the student chooses to request accommodations, the student should contact the Office of Student Affairs to discuss requested accommodations and to provide documentation. The student should do so normally no later than a second week of classes so that the student can provide the professor with an official request for accommodations. The professor reserves the right to change class assignments and/or projects or activities at his/her discretion after advance notification. It is the responsibility of the student to stay informed via AUB email and your Moodle classroom. Dr. Prattis Animal Health and Diseases GE Course Fall 2014 Page 4
SEMINAR / WRITING / PRESENTATION/CLASS DISCUSSION GRADING RUBRIC CRITERIA 1 Organization Content Knowledge Grammar and Spelling Follows Assignment References (APA/MLA) Sequence of information is difficult to follow. Criteria 1 2 3 4 Reader has Student presents difficulty following information in work because logical sequence student jumps which reader can around. follow. Student does not have grasp of information; student cannot answer questions about subject. Work has four or more spelling errors and/or grammatical Work does not follow assignment at all. Work displays no references. Student is uncomfortable with content and is able to demonstrate basic concepts. Presentation has three misspellings and/or grammatical Work has three or four areas that do not follow assignment or does not answer questions. Work does not have the appropriate number of required references. Student is at ease with content, but fails to elaborate. Presentation has no more than two misspellings and/or grammatical Work has one or two areas that do not follow assignment or does not answer questions. Reference section was completed incorrectly Information in logical, interesting sequence which reader can follow. Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required). Presentation has no misspellings or grammatical Work follows assignment perfectly/ answers all questions. Work displays the correct number of references, written correctly. Total----> Points Grading and Evaluation: Midterm Examination: 1 20 % Field Trip and Report: 10 % Individual Term Paper 20 % Group Presentation 10% Final Examination: 1 20 % Online /Class Participation 20 % Grading System: 90 100 Outstanding 85 89 Excellent 80 84 Very Good Dr. Prattis Animal Health and Diseases GE Course Fall 2014 Page 5
75 79 Good 70 74 Fair 60 69 Weak Below 60 Fail I Incomplete P Pass PR In Progress W Withdraw Guidelines for Online Class Participation 2 Participation requirements: During each forum, you should submit a total of at least six posts that are 100-200 words in length. Each student should create at least one new thread addressing the forum topic and also respond to at least 3 peer (or instructor) posts during the forum. The remaining 2 posts may be original posts or responses. Please submit your first post as a new thread or response no later than the 3 rd day after the beginning of the week in which the posts are due.. Please review the discussion forum grading rubric to familiarize yourself with how the forums will be graded. 1 Ms. Rima Dael MS, Bay Path College; 2 Troy Gearhart PhD, Frostburg State University Dates and Times of Classes and Laboratories: Lecture # Date Lecture Topic Reading Assignment // Laboratory Studies Week 1 9/3 Introduction Online Introductory Forum Week 2 9/8, 9/10 Domestic Small Animals: Pediatric Management Week 3 9/15, 9/17 Domestic Large Animals: Pediatric Diseases Week 4 9/22, 9/23 Immune System: Function, Maturation; Immunotolerance, Vaccination Due 9/8: Zoobiquity; Readings Chpts. 1 & 2 Due 9/15: Zoobiquity; Readings Chpts. 3 & 11 Due Friday 9/25: Online Powerpoint Presentation Submission; Draft Proposal, Term Paper Topic with Initial Annotated Literature Reference List Week 5 9/29, 10/1 Domestic Small and Large Animal Adults: Infectious Disease Week 6 W 10/9 Wildlife Diseases: Mammals only Week 7 10/13, 10/15 Week 8 10/20, 10/22 Wildlife Diseases: Fish and Birds Midterm Exam Due 9/28: Zoobiquity Readings Chpt 10 Online Forum Assignment Due 10/9: Online Forum Comments; Literature Reading Due 10/13: Readings, Websites, Literature Review Session 10/15 Due 10/20: In Class Exam Period 10/22: Open Topic Dr. Prattis Animal Health and Diseases GE Course Fall 2014 Page 6
Week 9 10/27, 10/29 Week 10 W 11/5 only Week 11 11/10, 11/12 Sat. 11/15 Week 12 11/17, 11/19 Environmental Toxicity: Lead and Heavy Metals; Pesticides Nutritional Diseases Disease Epidemiology Metabolic Diseases Due 10/27 - Readings - literature Due 11/5 Zoobiquity Readings Chpts 8 & 9 Due 11/10 - Field Trip and Field Experiment Readings Saturday November 15 Field Research Bus Trip Due 11/10 Zoobiquity Readings Chpts. 7 Week 13 11/24, 11/26 Disease Diagnosis and Surveillance Week 14 12/1, 12/3 Cognition, Behavior and Medications Due 11/24: First Draft Term Papers For Review ^^ Due 12/1: Zoobiquity Reading Chpt. 5; Week 15 Mon 12/8 only Topic Review Session from Submitted Questions Field Research Report Group Presentations Due 12/1: Submit Questions for Review Session Q and A Due 12/3: Review Session Q & A Field Experiment Lab Reports Due; Printed Handout from Group Presentations Due ^^ If you are satisfied with your paper grade you do NOT need to write a final draft, however, if you would like to take my comments under advisement and change your grade you can do so. Dr. Prattis Animal Health and Diseases GE Course Fall 2014 Page 7