COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will provide a general understanding of environmental toxicology. Fundamental toxicological concepts will be covered, including dose‐response relationships, absorption of toxicants, distribution and storage of toxicants, biotransformation and elimination of toxicants, target organ toxicity and teratogenesis, mutagenesis, carcinogenesis and risk assessment. The course will examine chemicals of environmental interest and how they are tested and regulated. Case studies and special topics will be critically reviewed.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Describe attributes and characteristics of harmful chemicals.
2. Be able to demonstrate knowledge effects in the human body associated with exposure to toxic agents.
3. Critically evaluate the occurrence and significance of major environmental toxicants and be able to apply that knowledge in the context of the environmental quality, public health, sustainability, regulatory science, and public communication.

TextBook                Patricia Frank and M. Alice Ottoboni, The Dose Makes the Poison, 3rd Edition, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., ISBN: 978-0-470-91844-9

Online Readings      ToxTutor: This is a free online text with links provided in each Blackboard Module           

Course Grade 

This is how your course grade will be determined:

Monitor your progress

You can check your grades throughout the course by selecting the My Grades link in the menu.

I will provide the feedback for each assignment in one week after your submission.

GRADING POLICY

Grades for the course will be based on the following:

Course Grade = 500 Total Possible Points From:

300 points – 3 Exams (100 points each)

300 points – 6 Assignments (60 points each); Lowest 1 dropped. 

Two exams will be given during the semester, of which the four highest will count toward the final course grade (thus students may drop their lowest exam grade – only one!)  The course will be graded on a standard grade scale (70- 79% = “C”; 80-89%= “B”, etc.). There will be no large curve at the end of the course to drastically alter averages and “save the day”.  Regardless of how convincing the arguments or how much you feel you deserve it, I do not “give” grades not earned. I simply do the math at the end of the semester and what you earned is your final grade.

Exam Structure: Each exam is 25 questions.  The exams require solving quantitative and qualitative problems and may contain multiple-choice and matching type questions. The tests are timed and generally you will be given 40 minutes to complete exams.  Each exam is a standalone measure of how well you have learned the material covered in the designated chapters. When appropriate, and related to the material covered, questions from previous exams may be included on subsequent exams.   The final exam is not comprehensive, but the material does build on itself, so don’t clear your memory after each exam!

Final Exam: All three exams must be taken to pass the course.  

No Makeup Exams: There are no makeup exams – If you miss an exam and have a valid reason, I may allow you to take the exam late.  A valid excuse must be written, signed (by the student), involve a circumstance(s) beyond your control to anticipate, be supported with written documentation (please do not disclose or provide medical information or privacy protected information.  If you are unsure what documents are covered by privacy, please check with prior to submitting the documents.

Withdrawals: Any student who withdraws from a class has the responsibility to ensure that their name is removed from the roll. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to withdraw a student should he or she feel it is necessary. A student who decides to withdraw must verify that the withdrawal is submitted before the Final Withdrawal Date. The student is also strongly encouraged to retain their copy of the withdrawal form for their records.

Students who enroll for the third or subsequent time in a course taken since Fall, 2002, may be charged a higher tuition rate for that course. State law permits students to withdraw from no more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career at Texas public colleges or universities. With certain exceptions, all course withdrawals automatically count towards this limit.  Details regarding this policy can be found in the ACC Catalog at http://www.austincc.edu/catalog/.

Incompletes: An instructor may award a grade of “I” (Incomplete) if a student is unable to take the final examination or complete an end-of-the-semester assignment because of extenuating circumstances, such as death of a loved one or illness. A student must request an incomplete in writing with documentation of the circumstances justifying it. The student must complete the examination or assignment by a date set by the instructor. This date shall not be later than the course withdrawal deadline in the subsequent semester.

Wise Advice: If you are having trouble (more than one exam is below the grade level you are happy with) or have any questions, seek help from me immediately. Don't wait until the last weeks of the semester, or the last test, to become "concerned" - it will do no good.

Keep up with the reading. Read the chapters before the test is posted.

Studying for exams: 1). Reread the chapter. 2). Review the bold terms in the chapters as well as all figures: 3). Answer the review questions at the end of each chapter. (Repeat as needed.)