Students enrolled for graduate credit (GEOL 50095 or 60095 or GEOG 50195 or 70195) will be graded based on:

While the instructor expects all members of the course to excel, for purposes of grading, the expectations for quality of work will vary depending on the level at which a student is enrolled, with the highest expectations for students enrolled at the Ph.D. level.

Class Participation:  Class participation grades will be assigned based on participation in classroom discussions and based on work completed during collaborative in-class activities.

Homework and In-Class Presentations:  Concepts from lecture and in-class activities will be reinforced with periodic homework assignments.  Due dates for homework will be announced in class and posted to the class website.  Each student will also collaborate with a group to produce two in-class presentations (see Nov 9 and Dec 7 on the class schedule below).  Information needed to prepare these presentations will be provided later in the semester and posted to the class website.

Exams:  A midterm exam will be held during class on Tuesday, October 24.  The final exam is optional for undergraduates enrolled in the course (see “Final Paper” below), and is scheduled for12:45 – 3:00 pm on Tuesday, December 12.  All graduate students enrolled in the course will complete a final paper in lieu of the final exam.  Exams will include short answer and essay questions on the scientific themes discussed in class.  Exam questions may require the synthesis or analysis of maps and graphs.   

Final Paper:  Students enrolled in the course for graduate credit will complete a final paper on an interdisciplinary Earth science theme.  Students enrolled for undergraduate credit will have the option of completing either the final exam or turning in a final paper.  Grading for the final paper will consist of a weighted average of three parts: a one page topic description (10%), a first draft (20%), and the final version (70%).  These items will be due as follows:

   Topic selection – Tuesday, November 7
   (1-page description of topic and a preliminary list of references)

   First draft due – Tuesday, November 14
   (including a list of references used in preparing this draft)

   Final version due – Monday, December 5 (including references)

Missed Classes and Make-up Exams:  Students are expected to attend all class periods.  If you miss a class session, please consult with the instructor for information about the material you missed.  Students who miss an in-class exam must provide a written excuse in order to receive a make-up test.  If an illness, personal crisis or family tragedy causes you to miss an exam, you must contact the instructor by phone or email no later than 48 hours after the scheduled start time of the in-class exam.   

Late Assignments:  Students are expected to complete all assigned work on time.  If you expect to miss a class session during which an assignment is due, please email you completed assignment to the instructor before the end of that day’s class period.  Except in exceptional circumstances, late assignments will be penalized 1/3 of a letter grade for each class period that it is late (e.g., “A” work will receive a “B+” if it is received one week, or two class periods, late). .