Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
Grading
Policy: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy is required of
Geology BS majors at Kent State University. Class assignments,
and in particular Midterm #3, will require you to employ and
integrate concepts from the class prerequisites (Earth
Materials II 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%
Grade on Field Guide/Report
15%
Cumulative Final Exam
25%
Total
100%
Grading may be on a curved scale at the
discretion of the instructor, but each student has the potential
to succeed in this course.
Exam Dates: Please contact the
instructor immediately if you have a conflict with the exam
dates as listed in the class schedule attached to the syllabus
or as listed on the website.
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 typed, critiques of the reading handed in at the beginning of
the lab session, and active participation in the class
discussion. Many lab assignments will be conducted in groups.
Each group should turn in one copy of their group assignment
with each member’s name listed. 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. If there are any concerns regarding your lab
group, please contact the TA or instructor as soon as possible.
Unexcused 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 written documentation in order to
receive a make up assignment. Legitimate excuses include 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
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 we 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.
University Policies: The following University policies apply to
anyone enrolled in this course:
1. University Calendar: The official university calendar,
which provides information on deadlines for university-related
transactions can be found at: http://www.kent.edu/registrar/calendars/stu_spring.cfm
2. Enrollment Status:
The official registration deadline for this course is 01/26/2014.
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/withdrawal dates can
be found from the link in the final column.
3. 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 on an exam 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 Kent
State University Policy Register, Chap. 3, section
3-01-8
4. Drop and Withdrawal:
The last date to drop this class is 01/26/2014. The last day to
withdraw from this class is 03/23/2014. No approval is required
to withdraw from a course prior to the drop/withdrawal
deadlines. Student who stop attending the course, but who do not
drop or withdraw from it will receive a grade of “SF”. Student
who enroll in the class, then never attend and who do not drop
or withdraw from it will receive a grade of “NF”. Students
should be aware that receiving a grade of “SF” and “NF” could
result in a financial aid audit and a loss of financial aid.
Dropping or withdrawing from a class may also affect a student’s
financial aid status or academic eligibility for athletics. If a
student is unable to complete a class or all classes in during a
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". If you have questions about the impact that
a drop or withdrawal will have on your academic record or
financial aid, you should consult a university academic advisor
or the financial aid office. 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 info needed to find the course for which you are
searching. The add/drop/withdrawal dates can be found from the
link in the final column. For more info see: http://www.kent.edu/registrar/calendars/stu_spring.cfm
5. 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 you are 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 or http://www.kent.edu/sas). If you have any questions regarding a
potential accommodation need, please contact the instructor as
soon as possible.
6. Final
Exam Dates: Please check the final exam schedule
for the classes in which you are enrolled. This can be found
on the web at: http://www.kent.edu/registrar/calendars/spring_finalsch.cfm.
In the event that you have two exams scheduled at the same
time, 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.
7. Notice
of my Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights: Any
intellectual property displayed or distributed to students
during this course (including but not limited to power points
presentations, notes, quizzes, examinations) by Dr. Joseph D.
Ortiz remains the intellectual property of the Dr. Joseph D.
Ortiz. This means that the student may not distribute, publish
or provide such intellectual property to any other person or
entity for any reason, commercial or otherwise, without the
express written permission of the Dr. Joseph D. Ortiz.