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Course Description:
Physical Geology is the science of the earth, the materials of which it is composed, and the processes that are acting upon them. Our studies will include: minerals, rocks, earth's internal structure, plate tectonics, geologic structures, the rock cycle, and surface/subsurface processes. The course serves as an introduction to the geological sciences and is a prerequisite to advanced study. I hope that you enjoy the subject as much as I enjoy teaching about it. Physical Geology is a laboratory science course, however, instead of dedicating a specific day of the week to laboratory work, the lecture and laboratory elements will be integrated. Most class meetings will include an investigative activity that requires your direct participation. Because a significant part of your grade will be based upon these activities, persons who are unable or unwilling to maintain perfect attendance should not enroll in the course. Class Hours, Attendance, and Expectations:
Class meetings are on Tuesday and Thursday in Room 203 Belknap. You must enroll in both the class and in the lab during the same semester. You are expected to
attend every class, read from the text, complete in-class and out-of-class
assignments, and take occasional quizzes and tests. Absence will not excuse
you from any course requirement or deadline. You will learn by attending
class, doing brief lab activities, reading the textbook, doing calculations,
and completing other assignments. Your grade will be determined by your
performance on four objective exams, several quizzes, and several in-class
activities. Your instructor is demanding and maintains high academic standards.
You should come to the course expecting to work hard.
Textbook and Materials:
The textbook used for this course will be Earth: An Introduction
to Physical Geology, eighth edition, by Edward Tarbuck and Frederick
Lutgens (ISBN: 0-13-114865-6). The GEODe CD which accompanies the book
is a recommended study resource. GEODe contains a variety of tutorial
exercises that can be extremely valuable for study purposes. Many of the
questions that will appear on your exams are featured in the GEODe tutorials.
I encourage every student to take full advantage of the text and CD.
Another important part of this course will be the illustrations, charts,
and maps that we will draw in class. Many of these will be complex and
color will be used to emphasize important details. It will be very important
for you to have these recorded in your notes for study purposes. Bringing
a few colored pencils or markers to class will help you prepare clear
illustrations for your notes, assignments, and exams. Color can significantly
improve the clarity of your products and is easy to use. Take advantage
of it.
Information needed for this course will also be posted on the course
website. There you can find a syllabus, time table, exam scores, tutoring
information, Dr. King's office hours and other important documents. Visit
the website when you have a question about course policy, schedule or
assignments.
Email Communications: All Mansfield University students are given an e-mail account that should be used for all electronic communications about academic matters. It is your responsibility to learn how to use your MU e-mail account and check it on a regular basis. You are responsible for any announcement or assignment that is sent to your MU e-mail account. To assure that your academic information remains confidential, your instructor will not respond to requests for private information with a return address that is outside of the MU e-mail system.
Attendance and Expectations: You are expected to attend every class, complete in-class quizzes and submit homework assignments. All quizzes and assignments must be submitted on time and according to instructions. They will not be accepted at other places or at other times. If you are absent or fail to complete and deliver an assignment according to instructions you will not receive credit for your work. You should complete and submit all homework well ahead of schedule so that computer or personal problems will not interfere with your work as assignment deadlines approach. Requests for deadline extensions or exceptions to this policy will be denied.
Seating: Seating assignments will be determined by the instructor. If you need to sit in a special location to see, hear, or gain access please notify the instructor on or before the first day of class so that accommodations can be made.
Exams: Exam dates will be posted in the course timetable. All exams will begin promptly at the beginning of class on the scheduled date. If you arrive after the first test-taker has left the room, you have missed the exam. Your exams will have a variety of question types - short answer, calculations, geologic problems, annotated drawings and short essays. Be prepared for anything! Exam questions will be drawn from: classroom activities, textbook readings, web-based readings, and homework assignments. All exam answers must have correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Numerical answers must have complete and correct units of measure. The use of electronic devices is not permitted during exams. This includes calculators, spell checkers, personal digital assistants or any other electronic device. Exam questions that involve calculations will be simple enough that the math can be done by hand. Anyone who has an electronic device in view during an exam will receive a zero on that exam. You may review your graded exam during the class meeting immediately after the exam is given. After review, all exams must be returned to the instructor. If you miss class on the date that an exam is reviewed, you forfeit the opportunity for review.
Make-up Exam Policy: Any student who misses an exam for any reason will be able to take a make-up exam at the end of the semester. This make-up exam will be given during the final examination period and will contain questions from topics covered throughout the semester. Students who miss the final exam, or take it outside of the scheduled final exam period are required to take the make-up exam.
Grades: Letter grades will be based upon the percentage of possible points earned. These are summarized in the chart below. Requests for special consideration, exceptions or extra credit will be denied.
Academic Integrity: Your instructor's goal is to provide an equal opportunity for every student in the course. He will make a planned effort to maintain academic integrity on every exam. For written assignments, students are expected to submit original work. Where outside sources have been used full citations must be provided. All incidents of academic dishonesty or plagiarism will be reported to the Provost's Office and will result in penalty or failure of the course. Additional information on academic honesty can be found in the Mansfield University Password.
Inclement Weather Policy: Your instructor intends to teach class every day that the University is open. However, there may be days that roads in the campus service area are closed or dangerous. On those days, you should use to your own judgment. You know the conditions of the roads in your area, the condition of your vehicle, your driving skills, and your other responsibilities. If you have any concerns on these matters, err on the side of safety. If there is a day that local schools (K-12 schools in Tioga County) are closed due to road conditions, the class meeting on that date will not include any hand-in assignments or quizzes. In addition, all homework due on that date will be accepted without penalty at the designated time on the date of the next class meeting. If there is a day that weather prevents your instructor from teaching the class, he will place a message on his answering machine at 570-662-4615 and a message on the Mansfield University course cancellations website - as long as telephone and internet access is available from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. If you check these places and there is not a class cancellation announcement, then you should assume that class will be held. This announcement will be in place at least two hours before the scheduled class, unless conditions causing the cancellation develop at a later time.
Office Hours: Your instructor is available for consultations in Belknap Hall 205-C during the times listed on his Office Hours webpage. If none of the posted times work for you other mutually convenient opportunities can be arranged. Office hours are dedicated to your needs and interests. You are welcome and can visit or phone (570-662-4615) to discuss grades, careers, assignments, course topics, and other items of importance to you.
Your Instructor: Hobart King is a graduate of California University of Pennsylvania (B.S. Geology, 1975) and West Virginia University (M.S. Geology, 1978; Ph.D. Geology, 1982). From 1980 until 1994 he worked as a geologist at the West Virginia Geological Survey. There he did work in coal geology, economic geology and environmental geology. During his last seven years at WVGES he directed the Economic Minerals and Geologic Hazards Section. He joined the Mansfield University faculty in 1994 and serves as advisor for the Earth and Space Science Education Program, the Geology Minor, and the MU Geology Club. His main professional interests are developing computer-based problem-solving assignments for introductory geology courses, mapping and GPS software, and teaching with technology. He is the author of "Hazard City: Assignments in Applied Geology," a CD that accompanies introductory geology textbooks published by Prentice Hall. He is also fascinated with the web and is the publisher of Geology.com.
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