Policies
Lecture attendance. You are expected to attend every lecture. Your absence will be recorded when you do poorly on exams. You will not understand the emphasis I put on lecture material only by reading the book or looking over lecture illustrations. If you must miss a lecture, be sure to get the notes, go through them with a classmate, and ask me questions about them during office hours. I’m always willing to take the time to help you to better understand material.
Laboratory: You are required to attend each 3-hour lab for its duration. Arriving late or leaving early will result in loss of 1/3 of the participation points for any fraction of each hour missed (unless you have an approved excuse. Work together to examine material and ponder thought questions, but drawings and writing on worksheets must be your own. There is no opportunity for make-up labs and you will not have access to material outside of the lab period for each week. You can hand in lab worksheets at the end of lab or the start of the following lecture.
Exam prep. Exam days will involve a lab practical exam following by a lecture/reading exam, all in one 3-h period. I will provide a study guide for each lecture and a worksheet for each lab. I am often asked to what depth you must know the taxonomy: for lecture, to the level listed at the top of each lecture guide, and for laboratory, to the level listed in the taxonomy section of the lab handout. See the Exams link at the website for more information about preparation. I encourage you to study in groups as follows: after trying to master concepts on your own, quiz each other to test the depth of your understanding of terms and concepts.
Disabilities. I am happy to accommodate any student with a documented disability who has been approved to receive accommodations through SNAP. Talk with me during office hours.
Missing an exam. You can be excused from taking an exam at the scheduled time only for a true medical emergency suffered on the day of the exam. Other legitimate, unavoidable conflicts (e.g., med school interviews, but not family gatherings) must be approved well in advance.
Late assignments. Assignments are due at the date and time indicated. Assignments handed in past the deadline without prior approval will have approximately 10% per day deducted.
Academic misconduct. Cheating, non-independent work, and plagiarism will be processed according to the honor code. I am required to turn in suspected violations. Be sure that you understand all potential violations, including intentional and unintentional plagiarism, as described on the course website. It is better to turn in poor work for a poor grade than to receive an XF (failure for cheating) and a suspension for the semester, which are automatic sanctions for intentional plagiarism. Members of the honor board, mostly students, take these issues seriously.
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