Grading Policy and University Regulations

Principles of Stratigraphy
 
Grading Policy: Principles of Stratigraphy is one of two upper division capstone courses required of geology majors at Kent State University. The second capstone course is Field Camp. Class assignments, and in particular Midterm #3, will require you to employ and integrate concepts from the class prerequisites (Petrology, and Invertebrate Paleontology) with the material covered in this class. Students are thus expected to attend all class sessions, keep up with the reading, consult the online resources provided by the instructor, and complete all of the exam and class assignments. 

Grades will be determined as follows:
Three Midterms (each worth 15%)
 45%
Average Grade on Lab Assignments
 15%
Average grade on Class Term Project (contribution to the West Virginia field guide)
 15%
Cumulative Final Exam
 25%
Total  
 100%


Check your Class Grades Online using WebCT
 Information about E-mail and how to access WebCT

Grading may be on a curved scale at the discretion of the instructor, but each student has the potential to succeed in this course. When grades are available, they will be posted to the University's secure server using WebCT Vista. To access WebCT Vista, login to the flashline portal (http://flashline.kent.edu), then click to "My Classes" and login to WebCT Vista to access your grades online. Assignments will also be passed back to help students prepare for the cumulative final.

Exam Dates: Please contact the instructor immediately if you have a conflict with the exam dates as listed in the class schedule.

Assignment due dates, group activities, and late policy: Lab and Field Assignments are due at the beginning of the lab period following the one in which they were handed out unless otherwise specified. Lab assignments for reading and discussion days will be a one-page, typed, summary handed in at the beginning of the lab session, and active participation in the class discussion. Most lab assignments will be conducted in groups. All group members are expected to contribute equally to all components of the assignment. You are required to know all of the material assigned as part of the labs and readings. Each group may turn in one copy of their group assignment with all of the groups members names listed. If there are any concerns regarding your lab group, please contact the TA or instructor as soon as possible. Late assignments will be docked 1/3 grade per day (i.e., A =>  A- =>  B+   =>  B…).

Make up Exams: Students who miss an exam must provide a written excuse in order to receive a make up assignment. Legitimate excuses include written documentation of the following: your own illness, a death in the family, military or official university athletic commitments. If you are involved in military or official university athletic activities, review the exam schedule at the beginning of the term and consult with the instructor prior to the exam if you have a conflict. 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 exam. It is very important that you provide your full name, email address, and a telephone number where you can be reached in your phone or email message.

Field Trips: At least two weekend field trips are required for this course. We will gather observations and data that will be analyzed in the following week’s lab, and which will form the basis for geologic field reports. We will discuss proper report organization and professional writing in lab.  Please contact the instructor immediately if you have a conflict with the dates for the field trips as listed in the class schedule attached to the syllabus or as listed on the website. Please note that weather is often quite variable during spring term. We usually camp during the extended field trip but will stay in hotels if the weather does not cooperate. Please plan ahead in terms of your finances in the event that we need to change our plans on short notice. The dates of the field trips are posted on the class schedule.
   
University Policies

1. Students have the responsibility to ensure that they are properly enrolled in their classes and attending the proper section. You are advised to review your official class schedule during the first two weeks of the semester to ensure that you are properly enrolled in this class and section.

2. 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 http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap3/3-01-8.cfm

3. Withdrawl: Withdrawal from any or all courses is permitted through the 10th week of the semester (or the prorated deadline for flexibly scheduled sections). After that time, students are considered to be committed to all remaining courses and must complete them. If students are unable to complete the semester because of extreme circumstances that first occur after the deadline, students should consult their college or campus dean's office. Any course withdrawal(s) processed after the second week of the semester will appear on the students' academic record with a grade of "W". See the Spring semester withdrawl page on the registrar's web site for exact dates (http://www.registrars.kent.edu/home/SPRING/withdrawal.htm ).

4. Please check the final exam schedule for the classes in which you are enrolled. This can be found on the web at: http://www.registrars.kent.edu/home/SPRING/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.

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