General principles:
1. This is an upper division/graduate course, and I expect you to work with a substantial amount of initiative and independence, producing work appropriate to your background and direction.
2. You are expected to put in a total of 3 hours/week/credit - i. e., an additional 8 ½ productive working hours in addition to the 3 ½ hours in class. Part of this will be group assignments, part related to topics of your own interest.
3. Be in class and to be punctual. If people are on time initially and after breaks, we will generally be out by about 9:30.
4. If it is impossible for you to be here in a given week, leave an email (or phone) message to that effect in advance and then arrange how to make up your work.
5. Evaluations will be based on class participation, a detailed portfolio you keep of your work throughout the quarter, a final presentation (prepared and presented in small groups) and a few assignments to turn in. There will also be occasional in-class quizes, corrected in class with a different color of pen, to help you and me see what you are learning.

One major focus will be immunology as related to to viruses virus-infected cells and the pathogenic consequences. Major strides ofthe last few years are beginning to bring some order to this terribly complex field, and this is reflected in a couple of excellent textbooks finally being available. I have chosen Janeway's Immunobiology as the required text for this class. We will focus primarily on those parts most relevant and won't use all of it now, but it will be an excellent reference in the future and it will also be used for the Psychoneuroimmunology class Cindy Beck and I are teaching in the spring. (It comes with a very useful CD.)
I had not ordered a virology book because of the range of interests and levels, but have just discovered Alan Cann's Principles of Molecular Virology, 3rd edition [the one with a CD, also very useful], and it is available at either Powell's or Amazon.com for $39.95 (or a little less if you get one of their few used ones - but do be sure it is the right edition). I highly recommend that you get it - or one of several other suggested virology books. I have a copy you can look at.
As additional readings, we will be using articles from the scientific and more popular literature, the Encyclopedia of Virology, Scientific American and your choice of books about AIDS.

You will receive a more detailed syllabus at the first class and it will be on the web, but it will also continue to evolve somewhat as I see people's interests and challenges. I am also still in the process of arranging some very interesting guest speakers.