Volcanoes & Earthquakes Online
Geology 1003, Section 995

Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Barry Weaver

Course material: The course material is divided into topics. The course outline lists these topics (and links to them) on a week-by-week basis. You will need to read (and sometimes watch video) and understand the topics covered by each exam.

Grading: 500 total points are possible for the semester, distributed as follows:

First Exam 100 points
Second Exam 100 points
Third Exam 100 points
Final Exam 200 points

The three exams during the semester will be given on Canvas. The exams will comprise a mixture of multiple choice and true/false response questions and will cover course material and bonus material.
The Final Exam (see outline), also given on Canvas, will comprise a mixture of multiple choice and true/false response questions. Half of the final will cover recent course material (i.e., the last quarter of the course) and half will cover material from the entire semester (i.e., be comprehensive).

Bonus Points: In addition to exams, bonus ('extra credit') quizzes and exercises will be given; you can earn up to 50 bonus points by doing these bonus assignments. Over the full semester the total bonus points available will come to more than 50; at the end of the course your bonus points are scaled to a maximum possible of 50. For example, if there are 200 possible bonus points over the course and you gain 160 of the 200 then that will equate to 40/50 bonus points. As detailed below, bonus points are very important as they can improve your final letter grade. You only gain bonus points, and reap their potential benefit, by making the effort to do the bonus exercises.
Also – If you do at least 90% of the bonus exercises (e.g., 18 if there are 20 exercises over the full course) I will add 50% on to your bonus points at the end of the course (e.g., the "for example" 40/50 will become 60/50).

Grades will be based on the “normal” scale: A = 90% and above; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%. F = 59% and below.
At the end of the semester your scaled bonus points (out of 50) will be added to your exam points, and may have the effect of lifting your point total above a grade boundary (e.g., if you have a middle B from the exams your bonus points may lift you above the A/B grade boundary). This is not trivial or insignificant; typically most students (those who make the effort with the bonus exercises!) receive a higher letter grade due to their bonus points.
NOTE that I reserve the right to curve the scores on any exam; I will only curve to improve grades – i.e., if the average on an exam is lower than typical I will apply a curve to appropriately adjust grades by lowering the grade boundaries.
After each exam you will be given your tentative letter grade at that point. Exam scores, bonus points, and tentative and final letter grades will be posted on Canvas.

Make-up exams will not be given. The only acceptable reason for missing an exam is an excused absence; a medical excuse must be verified by a note from a physician. If an exam is missed, the subsequent exam taken will also count for the number of points available on the exam that was missed. For an unexcused absence from an exam a score of zero points will be given for that exam.
If the Final Exam is missed for an excusable reason, a grade of I (incomplete) will be given for the course and the final will have to be made-up at a later date.

Academic misconduct is not be tolerated. Students are expected to be familiar with the Norman Campus Student Handbook and particularly the Academic Integrity Code.
Misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

Quizzes and exams are closed notes, and must be taken without using resources such as the web, note cards, test files, test banks, etc. In other words, when taking a quiz or an exam no aids of any kind are to be used in answering the questions.
The instructor will have no hesitation in pursuing a charge of academic misconduct against any student suspected of violating the integrity code.

The University of Oklahoma is committed to the goal of achieving equal educational opportunity and full participation for students with disabilities. Consistent with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, The University of Oklahoma ensures that “no qualified individual with a disability” will be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination solely on the basis of disability under any program or activity offered by The University of Oklahoma. Accommodations on the basis of disability are available by contacting the Disability Resource Center in Room 166, Goddard Center (405) 325-4173 TDD or (405) 325-3852 Voice.