Students are expected to attend
class, do the reading, and consult the web site throughout the term. These steps
will help you to learn the material covered on the exams. There will also be
several, in-class activities given during the term. They will allow you to gauge
your progress and provide you with credit for class participation.
Grades
will be based on the assigned work as follows:
| Mid-term Exams (20% for each test) | 60% |
| Cumulative Final Exam | 28% |
| In-class activities | 15% |
| Total | 103% |
Checking Your Grades: Grade points for each exam and assignment are posted to Vista (which can be viewed from the “My courses” tab on flashline). Posted grade points include the effect of a curve (if any) and are the values used in the “course grade points” formula above to compute your semester grade.
Assignments: Material discussed during lecture will be reinforced with a variety of assignments. Some of these will involve working in small groups during class. Others will involve assignments that are due at the class period after which they are assigned. No make-ups are permitted for assignments. Students are expected to complete at least 80% of all assignments. Points from the remaining 20% of assignments will count as extra credit. In exceptional circumstances (e.g., a student missing multiple weeks of class due to a documented chronic illness or military service), the instructor may make an alternative arrangement. In these cases, students should contact the instructor as soon as possible. If you do well on the activities they will help to boost your overall grade in the class by adding to your class score and improving your comprehension and retention of the material. (See Chart).
Exams: Exams will be in multiple choice format and may involve the use of maps, diagrams or graphs. Midterms are non-cumulative. The final exam is cumulative, with about 60% covering material that was not covered on the midterms and about 40% emphasizing major concepts from earlier parts of the course. Midterms are passed back and discussed in class to help students prepare for the final. Students who miss a midterm due to an excused absence will be given a makeup exam in essay/short-answer format. Students are expected to arrange any personal travel during or at the end of the term so that they will be available to take the exams as scheduled.
Make-up Exams: Students who miss a midterm for reasons other than official University travel, active military service or documented illness will not be eligible for a makeup exam. Students who miss a midterm due to official University travel, active military service or illness must provide official documentation in order to receive a make-up test. Note that all make-up tests are in short-answer format, and are graded to the same standard of comprehension as the exam given during class. If you are involved in the military or official athletic activities, please consult with the instructor prior to the examination date if you have a conflict.
Electronic Devices: Laptops may be used during class lectures. However, the use of electronic devices during exams is strictly prohibited (including, but not limited to, pagers, cell phones, laptops, iPods, MP3 players and PDAs). Any student found using an electronic device during an exam will receive a failing grade for the course and will be reported to the University Administration.
How Grades are Calculated: Point scores for each graded item are converted to a Grade Point (GP) scale, and to an equivalent letter grade to facilitate assignment of overall course grades. Exam scores may be curved, at the discretion of the instructor. The scale for the in-class activity grade points and exam grade points are listed below.
|
An assignment score of: |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
Is worth a GP of: |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
A letter grade of: |
A+ |
A |
A- |
B+ |
B |
B- |
C+ |
C |
C- |
D+ |
D
|
D- |
F |
|
Corresponds to a GP of: |
4.30 to 4.50 |
3.70 to 4.29 |
3.50 to 3.69 |
3.30 to 3.49 |
2.70 to 3.29 |
2.50 to 2.69 |
2.30 to 2.49 |
1.70 to 2.29 |
1.50 to 1.69 |
1.30 to 1.49 |
0.70 to 1.29 |
0.50 to 0.69 |
0.00 |
Your overall grade for the course is calculated based on a weighted average of your midterm grade points, your final exam grade points, and the grade points from your assignments, as follows,
Course grade points = 0.6*Average(MT1GP, MT2GP, MT3GP) + 0.28*(Final Exam GPs) + 0.15*(Average of all assignment GPs)
At the end of the semester, your “course grade points” are converted to a letter grade and reported on the official University grading scale, which includes plus and minus categories. Students who never attend or who stop attending will receive grades of NF or SF in accordance with University policy. Students who have participated in at least 80% of the in-class activities will have their scores on any additional in class activities count for extra credit worth up to an additional 3% of their grade. No other forms of extra credit will be provided.
Academic Honor Code: All students in the course are expected to abide by the academic honor code, as specified in the University's Policy Register. The use of other's intellectual property without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offense. This includes copying answers, misrepresenting the source, nature or other conditions of your academic work to get undeserved credit. At a minimum, students caught cheating during exams will receive a midterm grade of zero which will count for 50% of their overall average midterm score, and the incident will be reported to the university. It is the University's policy that cheating or plagiarism can result in receiving a failing grade for the course or other more serious disciplinary action depending on the nature of the offense. Repeat offenses can result in dismissal from the University. For complete information see Chapter 3-01.8 of the University Policy Register.
University Policies: The following University policies apply to anyone enrolled in this course:
1. Enrollment Status: The official registration deadline for this course is 9/12/2010. Courses can have different scheduling deadlines depending on their mode of instruction. University policy requires all students to be officially registered in each class they are attending. Students who are not officially registered for a course by the published deadline should not be attending class and will not receive credit or a grade for that course. Each student must confirm enrollment by checking his/her class schedule (using Student Tools in FlashFast) prior to the deadline indicated. Registration errors must be corrected prior to the deadline. You can look up your course using the Kent State University Self Service Scheduling tool. Enter the information needed to find the course for which you are searching. The add/drop/withdrawl dates can be found from the link in the final column.
2. Academic Honor Code: All students in the course are expected to abide by the academic honor code, as specified in the University's "Digest of Rules and Regulations". The use of other's intellectual property without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offense. This includes misrepresenting the source, nature or other conditions of your academic work to get undeserved credit. It is the University's policy that cheating or plagiarism can result in receiving a failing grade for the work or course or other more serious disciplinary action. Repeat offenses can result in dismissal from the University.
3. Drop and Withdrawal: The last date to drop this class is 9/12/2010. The last day to withdraw from this class is 11/07/2010. No approval is required to drop or withdraw from a course prior to the drop/withdrawal deadlines. Students should be aware that dropping or withdrawing from a class may affect their financial aid status or academic eligibility for athletics. If a student is unable to complete a class or the semester because of extreme circumstances, which first occur after the deadline, he or she should consult their college or campus dean's office. Any course withdrawal processed after the withdrawal date will appear on the students' academic record with a grade of "W". Courses can have different scheduling deadlines depending on their mode of instruction. For information on add/drop/withdrawal dates, you can look up your course using the Kent State University Self Service Scheduling tool. Enter the information needed to find the course for which you are searching. The add/drop/withdrawl dates can be found from the link in the final column. For more information see: http://www.registrars.kent.edu/home/FALL/withdrawal.htm.
4. Students with Documented Accommodation needs: In accordance with University policy, if you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access to this course, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which an accommodation is required. Students with disabilities must verify their eligibility through the Office of Student Accessibility Services (SAS) on the Ground Floor of the DeWeese Center (330-672-3391). If you have any questions regarding a potential accommodation need, please contact the instructor as soon as possible.
5. Final Exam Dates: The Final exam for this class will take place on 12/16/2010 from 12:45-3:00 pm in McGilvrey Hall, Room 302. Please check the final exam schedule for all the classes in which you are enrolled. This can be found on the web at: http://www.registrars.kent.edu/home/FALL/exams.htm In the event that you have a conflict with another scheduled exam, the instructor will make suitable arrangements. Students who have conflicts or more than three examinations on the same day should consult with the Dean of his or her college at the earliest possible time for assistance in making alternative arrangements. For more information see: http://www.registrars.kent.edu/home/FALL/exams.htm
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