Grades, Essay & Exam Format, Learning Outcomes & Expectations, Class Policies, Academic Honor Code

Grades in Invertebrate Paleontology

Students are expected to attend class, do the reading, write the essays, consult the web site and take all exams.  Grading in this course is based on the following distribution:

Lab = 25% (see Lab syllabus & grading for details),
1 Essay = 25%,
1 Midterm (20%),
Topics, Outlines, Drafts, in-class exercises (10%)

Final Exam= 20%,
TOTAL =100%

Midterm and Final Exam Format

Exams will consist of definitions, short answer (couple of sentences), and essay answer (1 page response) style questions.  Exams will be closed-book, and closed-notes. Interpretation of maps, graphs, and diagrams will be expected.  Cell phones and all electronic devices are to be turned off and put away during exams.  

Essay

An essay, 6-7 pages in length, not including references & figures will be assigned as part of the grade in this writing-intensive course.  Late submissions of each writing stage will not be accepted without a note from Health Services or Physician, or absence due to a scheduled event through membership of a sports team or other University organization, (with prior notification).  If you are having a crisis and cannot keep on schedule, be sure to come see me.

Why All This Writing?

This course may be used to satisfy the Writing Intensive Course (WIC) requirement.  The purpose of a writing-intensive course is to assist students in becoming effective writers within their major discipline.  A WIC requires a substantial amount of writing, provides opportunities for guided revision, and focuses on writing forms and standards used in the professional life of the discipline. 

Attendance Policy

Attendance is taken in the lecture via a sign-in sheet, and in lab with the in-lab exercises.  It is the responsibility of the student to attend class regularly.  Students are responsible for all topics covered in the class. See the link to the paleo lab for details on missed lab make-ups.

Exam Make-ups:

Students who miss an exam must provide a written excuse in order to receive a make-up test.  Legitimate excuses include written documentation for the following:  your own illness/accident, a death in the family, off-campus teaching assignment (for MAT and Education Majors) or military or official athletic commitments.  If you are involved in the military or official athletic activities, or have an off-campus teaching assignment, review the exam schedule and consult with the instructor prior to the examination date if you have a conflict.  If an illness, personal crisis or family tragedy will affect your ability to take a scheduled exam, consult with the instructor at once. 

Important note regarding missed exams:  If you miss an exam, you must contact the instructor by office phone or email no later than 48 hours after the scheduled start time of the exam.  You must provide your full name, email address and a telephone number where you can be reached in your phone or email message. The privilege of submitting a make-up may be forfeited if these instructions are not strictly followed.

Learning Outcomes & Expectations

1.  Students will know the Geologic Time Scale, its origins and uses in the Geological Sciences.

2.  Students will understand the trends in diversity and evolution of life through time as it is observed in

the fossil record.

3.  Students will learn the major groups of invertebrate organisms that dominate the fossil record.

4.  Students will know how to correlate geologic units based upon the fossil content of those units.

5.  Students will develop their writing skills in a format commonly used in the Geology profession. 

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”.  Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class.  Kent State University has strict policies and procedures (see section 3-01.8 of the University Policy Register) for dealing with student cheating and plagiarism.  Please become familiar with these policies and procedures, as they will be followed and enforced to the maximum extent by the instructor of this course.  You can find the policy here.