Students who take the lecture online get the material from this course web site; these are the same web pages I cover in class. The material is posted on a continuous basis as the semester progresses - I hope to have each lecture posted at least a day or so in advance of when that lecture is given in class.

Students taking this course on-line should check in with me by e-mail by the end of the first day of class, and provide me with an e-mail address they use routinely. You should check in with the course Announcement page at least every other weekday (say, M, W, and F). You are responsible for information I post there. Of course I am happy to discuss anything related to the course or course material either in person or by email. Drop by my office, or send an email with your question, & I'll write you back either with an answer or we'll schedule a time to meet & discusss it. You also have the chance to talk with me in the labs.

All students, including those taking the course on-line, are required to register for and attend one of the lab sections.

Students taking the course on-line wherever possible take the same tests at the same time and place as the other students in the course. Alternative test time & place will be arranged for on-line students with scheduling conflicts if the student makes these arrangements in advance.

I recommend any student that possibly can to take the traditional lecture, section 001. You should not take the online lecture section if your background in Microbiology, Genetics or Biochemistry is weak. This should not be your first online course.

If you take the online lecture section, it is critically important that you keep up with the material. I cannot and will not police you, but if you wait until the last minute to study the material for exams, you will perform poorly.

Students who wish to take the course online (dispite the issues discussed above) will need to get my permission in person (in my office) or by email (james_brown@ncsu.edu), and register in the Microbiology Office.