Animal Science/
Food Science and Technology 307

Summer 2008

• Instructors
• Time and location
• Objectives
• Attendance Policy
• Expectations
• Lecture Outline
• Examinations
• Laboratory Schedule
• Laboratory Policy, Grading, and Materials

Instructors

Lecturer

Jeff W. Savell, Room 348 Kleberg Center; Phone: 845-3935 (W), 693-8906 (H); E-mail: j-savell@tamu.edu

Substitute Lecturers

Lyda Garcia, Room 322 Kleberg Center, Phone: 845-3957, E-mail: lydarraider@hotmail.com

Ray R. Riley, Room 101A Rosenthal Center; Phone: 845-5651; E-mail: ray-riley@ansc.tamu.edu

Lab Instructors

Section 201, MW 2-5 PM

James Dillon, Room 322 Kleberg Center, Phone: 845-3957, E-mail: jamdl4@neo.tamu.edu

Sarah West, Room 322 Kleberg Center, Phone: 845-3957, E-mail: swest_03@hotmail.com

Section 202, TR 2-5 PM

Scott Langley , Room 101C Rosenthal Center, Phone: 845-0416, E-mail: gigem2003@tamu.edu

Tiffany Muras, Room 120 Rosenthal Center, Phone: 862-4125, E-mail: tmmuras@tamu.edu

Lecture Assistants

Dan Genho

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Time and location

Section 201: Lecture MTWR 12 to 1:15 PM; Lab MW 2 to 5:00 PM
Section 202: Lecture MTWR 12 to 1:15 PM; Lab TR 2 to 5:00 PM

Room 100 Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center

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Objectives

1. To impart knowledge relating the live animal to its ultimate value as a food product.
2. To relate breeding, feeding, selection and management to changes in the ultimate composition of meat animal products.
3. To develop technological and manipulative skills in the slaughter and cutting of meat animals and the processing of meat products.
4. To introduce anatomy, muscle structure and function, chemical composition and physical characteristics of carcasses and cuts as determinants of live animal and meat quality.
5. To teach the skills of carcass identification and grading to facilitate descriptions and definitions of quality and cutability in meat animal products.

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Attendance Policy

Attendance for Major Examinations is MANDATORY. There will be NO makeup examinations. For students with an authorized excuse, the grade for a missed Major Examination will be determined by averaging the scores for the Major Examinations that were taken. The only absences which will be authorized are:

(a) ABSENCE FOR A UNIVERSITY-APPROVED FIELD TRIP OR ACTIVITY - These must be cleared one week in advance of the exam to be missed or a grade of zero will be assigned for the missed examination.

(b) ABSENCES FOR A DEATH OR SERIOUS ILLNESS IN THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY - This must be verified by a letter of explanation from the physician or minister who attended the patient or was in charge of the funeral, respectively, on official letterhead stationery. This letter must be within 14 days following the missed examination or a grade of zero will be assigned.

(c) ABSENCES RESULTING FROM PERSONAL ILLNESS WHICH REQUIRES CONFINEMENT IN A HOSPITAL - This must be verified by a letter of explanation from the hospital on official letterhead stationery. This letter must be received within 14 days following the missed examination or a grade of zero will be assigned.

Any major examination missed for any other reason will not be excused and a grade of zero will be assigned for that examination.

IMPORTANT
In order to encourage attendance, the final examination will be optional for those students who do not have unauthorized absences in lecture and in laboratory. Students who are tardy three times will be considered absent. Students exempt from the final will be allowed to take the final to improve their grade if necessary.

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My Expectations of Students

Class begins at 12:00 noon sharp! I expect you to be in your seats ready to begin at that time. Stragglers are disruptive to those who are in their seats and ready to go at noon. Being prompt in laboratory is also important. Be on time!

While I am lecturing, I expect students to be listening, writing, reading, etc., but not talking to each other. Talking in class disrupts those around you who are trying to listen and it disrupts me as I lecture. Thanks!

I believe in class attendance. If you have three (3) unexcused absences, I will notify the undergraduate counselor in your department to inform him/her. This is more for preventive, rather than punitive, action so as to keep students from failing. The failure rate for those students who do not come to class is quite high.

ANSC 307 is one of the most expensive courses on campus to teach. It is imperative for you to be in the lab because of the use of live animals, carcasses, processed meats, etc.

ANSC 307 is a course of facts. Therefore, you are expected to have knowledge of the facts we discuss in lecture and lab for testing purposes. I make the lecture portion of the tests using the notes provided to you. This ensures that you have the material you are held responsible for testing purposes in your possession from the first day of class. Because of the size of the class, objective, short answer, matching, true/false questions are used. Please be prepared to learn the material in enough detail to do well on the tests.

I have a joint appointment with Texas A&M to do both teaching and research. I travel a great deal working on the research part of my job, and giving presentations to groups across the United States. By having a high visibility with the industry, more job opportunities for students has resulted over the years. I attempt to be at all lectures, but many other duties will prevent me from doing so. Those who work with ANSC 307 are committed to the student receiving the best education possible; Ray Riley, who substitutes for me while I am gone, has taught ANSC 307 since the early 1980s. His experience, knowledge, and care for the needs of students allows me to know that the class is in excellent hands while I am away on other university business.

Because I travel 40 to 50% of the time, I am not in my office often. Please feel free to call my home if you need to speak with me; my wife knows where I can be reached. It is easier to address a problem while it is occurring, rather than at the end of the semester. Please come see me or call me if you need to talk to me.

ANSC 307 is a tough and complex course. I will not apologize for this. I attempt to be fair to all students, which, at times, may seem unfair to individual students. Everyone is required to take the tests and turn in the homework when scheduled. Every semester, I receive requests from students to postpone tests because they have two or more on the same day. I have not in the past and will not in the future postpone an individual's test due to multiple tests on the same day.

No student will be forced to slaughter livestock if they have an aversion to it. Please tell your lab instructor if you have a problem with slaughter and he or she will arrange other activities.

Every semester items such as purses, wallets, books, knives, etc., are stolen. Please do not leave your personal items unattended during lab. Bring a lock and lock them up during lab.

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Examinations and Grading

Exams

Grading

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Laboratory Schedule

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Laboratory Policy, Grading, and Materials

Attendance

Policies regarding authorized absences are the same as those set forth in lecture.

Grading

The laboratory will make up 150 points of the 750 total possible points in this course. The 150 total possible points will be broken down as follows:

Lab Exercises

Thirteen laboratory exercises (100 points total) will be assigned during the semester. After each lab, there will be an exercise assigned which is due the following lab. Failure to turn in homework when specified will result in the following point deductions: (1) same day, but after lab = -1; (2) 1 day late = -2; (3) 2 days late = -3; and (4) 3 days late = no credit.

Participation

A relative value assigned by your instructor based upon your performance in lab. Interest, preparedness for lab (including having knives), and participation with your group (both during lab and cleanup) will be evaluated. Lab instructors may give pop quizzes to help determine this grade. Five (5) points will be subtracted from this value for each unauthorized absence.

Attendance

Five (5) points will be subtracted from this value for each unauthorized absence.

Laboratory Manual

Savell, J.W. and G.C. Smith. 2000. "Laboratory Manual for Meat Science (7th ed.)", American Press, Boston, Massachussetts.

Equipment

Orders will be taken during the first week of class for the knife sets that will be used in lab. This is what is needed: scabbard and chain; boning knife, 5"; steak cutting knife, 8"; steel, smooth 10".

Lockers will be available for clothing in the Rosenthal Center during the laboratory period only. (These lockers will not be issued for the full semester.) Rubber footwear must be worn during all laboratory periods which involve participation on the slaughter floor, in the cutting room or in the cooler.

The Rosenthal Center will provide safety helmets, rubber aprons, boning aprons, coveralls, frocks, rubber footwear, cutting gloves, arm guards, and white aprons, which are located in the laundry and uniform storage room. Because equipment will be used by other students in the other lab periods, you will be responsible for cleaning it and placing it back in the room for the subsequent laboratory periods.

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