All students should be aware of the University policy on academic dishonesty, which in part is defined as "any attempt by a student to obtain, or to assist another student to obtain, a grade higher than honestly earned." I need to evaluate your learning in this course, which I will do via exams, on-line quizzes, homeworks, and in-class exercises. Exams: There are TWO exams and a final exam. The format is some multiple-choice questions, with some short-answer questions, and at least one essay-style question. The dates of the exams are indicated in the syllabus and will be announced in class well ahead of time. There will be absolutely no make-up exams except for students with legitimate reasons (and with notes) for missing the exam. The final exam is cumulative. The final exam must be taken on the day assigned or at a time arranged with The Testing Center. If this will be a problem, drop the course now.

Quizzes: 9 on-line quizzes will take place via WebCT during the semester. All will be announced in the calendar (on-line) for the course. They assess if you are keeping up with the material, and your understanding of the material. The lowest one will be dropped. You must take the quiz by the deadline stated. No late quizzes accepted.

Homework: Periodically, there will be homework assigned. They are not busy work but carefully designed to aid your learning. They are due by the specified date and are to be submitted via WebCT. Students may view individual homework assignments, their release date (when you can view it) and the due date. Students should turn in their completed homework to the assignment page and NOT email it to the instructor via WebCT email. Late assignments will be accepted as indicated (called a cut-off date) and will be subject to a 20% grade penalty. The assignments tool will not accept late submissions. There will be some opportunities for redoing homeworks.

In-class work. In class exercises may involve discussion, problem-solving, or a group exercise. Often there will be a short prepatory exercise that must be done to participate, available through WebCT. If this is not prepared, you may watch but not participate in the exercise and therefore earn only partial credit. Much of your learning will take place via these exercises, and therefore they are a significant portion of your mark. Of course, if you are not present, you earn no credit.

WebCT discussions. The webCT software allows threaded discussions. This allows class interactions beyond the actual lecture time. In WebCT, click on the Discussions link. You are expected to participate in at least 4 discussions.

Overall Evaluation

Exam I	15 %
Exam II	15
All Quizzes	12
All Homeworks	12
Discussion participation	6
Final Exam	20
In-class work	20
Total	100 %

Grading Scale

A: >=93%. A- : 90 - 92%. B+ : 87 - 89%. B : 83 - 86%. B - : 80-82%. C+ : 77-79%. C : 73 - 76%. C- : 70 - 72%. D : 60 - 69%. F: <=59%

Note on "extra credit": There are some limited extra credit opportunities, listed below. There may be several two point extra credit questions on each exam. Some homework assignments may be redone and turned in within a week after I return them to you. You may talk to me during office hours about this class, geology or college in general for a small boost to your in-class work mark. Attend class and participate.

Incompletes

If you are not able for some reason, to complete the work by the time grades are due, you can take an incomplete; however, missed material MUST be completed by a set date. Any incompletes not changed by the deadline automatically revert to "F's."

Learning Disabilities

Students with learning disabilities should register with the Learning Assistance Center. If you have special needs, please inform me privately ( I will respect your privacy) and I will do my best to accommodate you. Exams may be taken at The Testing Center in Gosiger Hall, or at the LTC if you need physical accommodation. I can only help if you talk to me.

Final Note: Dates, assignments, and policies are subject to change during the course of the semester.

Last updated: Aug. 22, 2006.