STRUCTURE OF THE CLASS

INSTRUCTOR:  Dr. Marta L. Patiño Douce, Room B3 (straight ahead as you come out from the elevator in the basement), GG Building. Phone: 542-2399. E-mail: mapatino@uga.edu

OFFICE HOURS: By appointment. Call, e-mail me or see me before/after class to set up a time when we can meet.

TEXTBOOK:  Earth System History by Steven Stanley; W. H. Freeman and Co. 2nd. Ed. 1st. Ed is OK.

CLASS NOTES:  On my web-site: www.arches.uga.edu/~mapatino/, follow the link to GEOL 1122
 
CLASSES:  GEOL 1122:  M W F: 11:15 - 12:05 p.m. - Room 200 A, GG.
                                          M W F: 12:20 - 1:10 p.m. - Room 200 A, GG.

GRADING:      Exam #1   30%
                         Exam #2  30%
                         Final exam  30%
                         Pop quizzes & homework 10%
 
EXAMS  Exams will contain topics covering several lectures. No make ups will be given for exams without a qualifying excuse. In case of unanticipated absence to an exam, an original (that means not photocopied) excuse from a physician or documentation related to a family emergency will be necessary in order to be given a make up test. Excuses should be provided  no later than a week after the absence to qualify for a make-up. Grades for make-up exams will only be valid if the corresponding excuses have been submitted. The exams and final are comprehensive.  All scores and grades will be posted by SS#, unless a written request not to post them is submitted by the student. Conflicts with the final exam schedule should be cleared with me at least ten days prior to the final exam date. BRING # 2 PENCIL, CALCULATOR AND AN ERASER TO ALL TESTS.

POP-Q & HOMEWK Pop-quizzes will be 5 minutes long, given at random at the beginning of the class. The topics will involve the material discussed on the previous class. Homeworks will be assigned at least two classes from the day they are due, to be turned in at the beginning of the period during class. Students that are late or absent to a pop quiz or who do not turn in the homework in a timely manner will receive a 0 grade. Verifiable excuses for pop quizzes or homeworks will result in the corresponding 0 being dropped. There will be no make-ups for pop quizzes or homework. All homework and pop-quizzes should contain the complete information for identification. Unreadable or incomplete materials will receive a 0 grade that can be changed  if the work is identified to the instructor no later than a week after it was graded and returned. There will be a 50% grade loss penalty in those cases.

ATTENDANCE: I expect my students to attend lectures regularly and to be informed about what goes on in the class. Being absent is not an excuse for being unprepared. Any problem preventing you from coming to class  should be discussed with me immediately. Excuses for absences older than a week will not be accepted. Attendance will be checked at random. Unjustified absences in excess of four will result in the student being administratively withdrawn (W) from the class if the excessive absences occur before the midpoint. If the four absences are exceeded after the midpoint, the student's final course grade will be lowered by one letter. Students that choose not to attend class should withdraw before the midpoint to avoid an F at the end of the semester.

EXTRA CREDIT  The Department of Geology will offer two field trips towards the end of this semester with the purpose to get students acquainted with the Geology of Georgia. Students participating in any of the field trips will receive 5 points added to their  final course grade. Please note that these are extra credit points and students who chose not to participate on the field trips can still receive 100 points in the course. Further information about dates, locations, sign-up dates and fees will be given on a separate handout later in the semester

LECTURE:  Lectures will follow the course outline closely. The wealth of material in the textbook may be daunting at times. Coming to class will help you figure out what is important and the depth of coverage. You will get the most out from the lectures if you read BEFORE coming to class. This will help you understand and fix new concepts developed during the lecture. An added advantage: you will be able to identify somewhat obscure topics for which you may want to request further explanations during lecture. Feel free to interrupt with your questions at any time during the class.

IMPORTANT:   Tests will be based upon reading assignments and lectures. Taking good notes is very important. If you miss a class, make sure that you get the corresponding notes from someone else. I consider that everything that I teach in my class is fair material to include in the tests, whether it is in the textbook or not.

SIGN UP SEATS: Each student will sign up for a seat on Wednesday January 19, at the beginning of the class period. You will be required to use that same seat for the rest of the semester; that is the only way I learn to put a name with a face together. So... if you prefer to sit in a particular sector of the classroom, come early on January 19. Students who had not signed up for a seat will be assigned to any of the remaining open spaces by me. It is important for me to get to know who you are and any help that you can provide in this matter is greatly appreciated. Come and talk to me, tell me something about yourself that will help me remember who you are.

ETHICS:   I expect you to act at all times with academic honesty. I know all of you want to get the best grade in this class. Many of you may need to get a given minimum grade to keep a scholarship.  I consider that each of those personal situations are just that: personal. It is my job to be fair in the way I grade my students, because that is your right and I believe that the students that perform best deserve to be recognized with the best grades. Trying to bend a grade because of personal situations is beyond what I consider an ethical academic behavior. The bottom line is that if you have a scholarship and need to keep it, you should work hard from the first day of class and earn the grade you need. I personally prefer not to know about your scholarship.

UGA CLOSED:   If UGA is closed due to inclement weather or other unexpected event, all tests and work due will be transferred to the first day when the class meets after the school reopens.
 
This will probably be one of your few chances to obtain  a first hand knowledge of Geology, make the most of it!.

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE:
IT IS OK TO ...
- Follow the lecture on your textbook and/or take notes.
- Interrupt the lecture to ask questions related to the covered topic.
- Talk to me about problems you find to perform in this class at your best. May be I can help.
- Let me know if I am running over my lecture time.

HOWEVER, IT IS NOT OK TO ...
 - Leave or prepare to leave before I have dismissed the class. Early departures should be cleared before lecture. Otherwise, students departing early from class must obtain from the Office of Students Affairs an excuse based upon acceptable reason for departure, before he (she) may again attend class.
- Eat, drink, use tobacco or bubble-gum during lecture.
 - Read the newspaper, talk, pass papers, do homework or work on materials not related to the class of the day.

.   Continued classroom disturbance by one or several students will result in removal of the offender(s) from the classroom or in administrative withdrawal from the course, in order that other enrolled students not be disturbed in their academic work.
 
At this point you probably think that these guidelines are for elementary school children. You may be right,  but please, consider that I my goal is to provide an adequate atmosphere for presenting and acquiring academic knowledge. I cannot teach in the middle of chaos and you cannot learn. I prefer to make my students aware of what I expect from them instead of having to interrupt a lecture and put someone in a difficult situation.