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I teach "Understanding the Earth" every semester and the information below is just meant to give a general course overview. This is not an up-to-date syllabus for any particular semester. All current information for the semester can be found on eCollege at:

www.tcuglobal.edu

Instructor: Dr. Helge Alsleben
Office: SWR 219
Phone: (817) 257-5545 (TCU office)
Email: click here
eCollege: http://www.tcuglobal.edu/

Text
Required text for lecture: The required text may be purchased at the TCU bookstore.
Tarbuck and Lutgens; Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, 9th Ed.
[Year: 2008; ISBN: 0-13-156684-9; Publisher: Prentice Hall; 720 pp.]

Required text for lab:
In Lab you will receive a lab manual that you MUST bring to every lab.

Course Description Geol 10113 Understanding the Earth
Two hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week. A study of the physical environment of the planet Earth, its makeup, the processes that mold its surface features and an introduction to the resources that it provides.

Course Objectives

• Provide a basic understanding of geologic principles and concepts that shape planet Earth.
• Grasp many aspects of physical geology including:

• The internal structure of the Earth, its history, and the significance of geologic time.
• The building blocks of the Earth, including minerals and rocks.
• The various processes that shape the Earth’s surface.
• The value of natural resources and potential risks of excessive use of these resources.

• Ultimately, students should acquire knowledge that will help them making informed decisions regarding social, economic, and environmental policies that involve the Earth and the global society.

Teaching Philosophy & Instructor’s Responsibilities

• I love sharing my enthusiasm for geology, while trying to maintain a comfortable learning environment.
• Understanding how the dynamic Earth works and changes are complicated subject matters, which are best conveyed in a series of lecture presentations that form the basis of this class.
• I encourage students to challenge my statements and ask questions when clarification is needed and think that these interactions make the classroom experience more fun and more satisfying.
• Reading the assigned textbook and putting the obtained knowledge to work in ‘hands-on’ lab sessions are fundamental for a comprehensive understanding of the subject.
• Students can expect me to be punctual, prepared, and consistent in my assessment of their performance.

Course Policies

Disability Services at TCU
Texas Christian University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with disabilities. No otherwise qualified individual shall be denied access to or participation in the services, programs and activities of TCU solely on the basis of a disability. The University shall provide reasonable accommodations for each eligible student who (a) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, (b) has a record or history of such an impairment, or (c) is regarded as having such an impairment.
Eligible students seeking accommodations should contact the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities in the Center for Academic Services located in Sadler Hall 11. Accommodations are not retroactive, therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations. Further information can be obtained from the Center for Academic Services, TCU Box 297710, Fort Worth, TX 76129, or at (817) 257-7486.

Academic Misconduct (Sec. 3.4 from the Student Handbook)
Any act that violates the academic integrity of the institution is considered academic misconduct. The procedures used to resolve suspected acts of academic misconduct are available in the offices of Academic Deans and the Office of Campus Life. Specific examples include, but are not limited to:

Cheating: (1) Copying from another student’s test paper, laboratory report, other report, or computer files and listings; (2) Using, during any academic exercise, material and/or devices not authorized by the person in charge of the test; (3) Collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test or laboratory without permission; (4) Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in its entirety or in part, the contents of a test or other assignment unauthorized for release; (5) Substituting for another student or permitting another student to substitute for oneself.

Plagiarism: The appropriation, theft, purchase or obtaining by any means another’s work, and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work as one’s own offered for credit. Appropriation includes the quoting or paraphrasing of another’s work without giving credit therefore.

Collusion: The unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing work offered for credit.
Should any academic misconduct be detected, the action to be taken is at the discretion of the instructor. If you are caught cheating on an exam in Geology 10113 (lecture or lab), at the very least, you will be given a zero on that exam.

Cell Phones
Cellular phones of all types should be turned off and you should never use your phone during class, laboratory, and field trip activities. Any use of cellular phones or other electronic device during any testing is considered a form of cheating. Cellular phones must remain turned off and put away during class times. Violations of this rule can result in your removal from the classroom. In general please be considerate of your colleagues and their learning environment.

TCU Campus Resources for Students
Many resources exist on the TCU campus that may be helpful to students: Mary Couts Burnet Library (257-7117); Center for Academic Services (257-7486, Sadler Hall. 11); the William L. Adams Writing Center (257-7221, Rickel Bldg. 244); Student Development Services (257-7855, Student Center Rm. 220); and University Ministries (257-7830, Student Center Rm. 111).

Email Notification
Only the official TCU student e-mail address will be used for all course notification. It is your responsibility to check your TCU e-mail on a regular basis.

Course Requirements

Grading

• Your grade will be based on the results of four exams and lab.

            Three (3) Lecture Exams (17.5% each) 52.5%
            Final Exam (comprehensive)                  22.5%
            Lab Grade                                            25.0%
            Total                                                   100.0%

Letter grades are assigned only at the end of the course as follows:

• No extra credit is given!
• There will be no curve.
• Final letter grade is based on average of your course performance.
• You will be able to examine the grade distribution on any particular exam.
• Your class grade is based on performance, NOT effort. Come and talk to me if you are performing below your own expectations and we can discuss ways to improve your study habits and performance.
• Reading the textbook does not substitute attending lectures. Exam content is entirely based on lectures.

Exams

• A missed exam can only be made-up if you have a valid, verifiable excuse confirmed by Campus Life.
• Students who have university excuses to miss labs or exams must notify their lab instructor or me at least one week in advance of the absence.
• Make-up exams will be different from the exam that was given and may have an oral format.

Class Attendance, Participation, and Behavior

• Attendance will be taken. You will have to choose a seat in the lecture hall, which will be assigned to you for the rest of the semester for the purpose of taking attendance.
• Attendance will not officially be factored into your grade. However, if, at the end of the semester, you are borderline to a higher grade, exceptional attendance may warrant adjusting your grade by 1% point.
• You are strongly encouraged to ask questions during class by raising your hand or you may ask immediately after class. You can also obtain help from your lab instructor or me outside of class.
• I will assume that you have done the proper reading assignment prior to each lecture and that you are acquainted with the basic terminology and concepts.
• Tardiness and disruption of the class are not appreciated. I expect you to refrain from sleeping, eating, drinking, smoking, reading newspapers (etc.) or talking with other students during lectures as this is extremely inconsiderate.

Dropping

• By university policy you have up to six (6) weeks to drop a class. After that time you must consult a Dean about dropping a class.
• Check the academic calendar for other important dates including those regarding dropping a course.

Laboratory Exercises

• Laboratory exercises may only be loosely coordinated with lecture topics.
• Labs are taught by graduate students in the Department of Geology as part of their graduate educational experience. Your lab instructor may prepare a brief lecture or set of instructions that will be discussed at the beginning of the lab period.
• Attendance will be taken.
• No food, drinks or tobacco products are permitted in lab.
• You should always bring your lab workbook to lab.
• You are encouraged to ask your teaching assistant (TA) questions and to solve geologic problems in study groups. However, each student should complete the required lab exercises in order to prepare for lab exams, which you will have to complete on your own.
• Defacing lab facilities or equipment, or the computers in the lab, will affect your lab and course grade.

Lab Grade
Lab Exam #1                10%
Lab Exam #2                10%
Lab Assignments             5%
Total                             25% (of your final course grade)

Lab Make-Up Policy

• You will not be allowed to make-up missed labs! You are eligible to make up labs only if you are covered by a University notice or have another valid excuse.
• Lab make-ups must be arranged with your TA and are at his/her discretion. You can only make up labs prior to the next lab exam.
• If your absence is not covered by the guidelines above then you must see me.

 Lecture Schedule - Understanding the Earth (Geology 10113)
Class Calendar

Final Exam
It is not possible to take the final exam earlier. However, no student is required to take more than three final exams within twenty-four (24) hours. It is the student's choice as to which exam is changed and the new time must be mutually agreeable to the student and the professor and must fall within the final exam period. Arrangements must be made prior to the beginning of the last week of regular class sessions before final examinations begin.