Grades such as H,I,N,NC,P,V,W and Z will be given only if appropriate and following the policies adopted by Shoreline Community College and detailed in the College Catalogue.  You are responsible for knowing these policies and for observing  the relative deadlines.

Withdrawing from the class

                It is the student’s responsibility to officially withdraw from a course if they so need or desire.  Please see the Shoreline Community College policies detailed in the college catalogue and the quarterly class schedule for the appropriate deadlines.  Important dates to remember are:

        Oct 7^th : Last day to Drop the class without a W appearing in your records

        Oct 26^th : Last day to submit a Pass/Non credit Option Form

        Nov 5^th : Last day to drop a course with a W appearing in your record. 

        If you miss any of these deadlines you will receive a decimal grade at the end of the course according to your performance (see Grades).  For hardship withdrawal policies (Z grade) consult the course catalogue.

Information and Communication about grades

      In respect of the privacy of your records, and conforming to the law as outlined in the Family Education Right of Privacy Act (FERPA), I will not be allowed to discuss your grades with any person other than you. This includes also your parents, spouse or other relatives.  Your grades will be posted in the Blackboard grade book. It is your responsibility to check posted grades and be aware throughout the quarter of your own progress in meeting course requirements. If you have any questions about grades or you want to discuss your performance on specific assignments, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Please remember you can always come to campus during office hours or you can make an appointment for an alternative time that is more convenient for you. 

COURSE  REQUIREMENTS:

Please refer to the course schedule above and to the weekly schedules for due dates of the following assignments.

Labs

      Labs are a fundamental part of this course.  To receive credit for this lab course you will be required to complete at least 80% of the lab assignments. 

        Each lab consists of a pre-lab exercise and a lab exercise.  The pre-lab exercise is a homework assignment and must be completed before lab.  Pre-labs turned in after the beginning of the lab period will not be accepted, under any circumstances.  This includes pre-labs turned in late because of late arrivals. Each pre-lab is worth 2 points.  The lab exercise is a practical, hands-on activity that will take place in a group setting.  Each lab exercise must be completed and turned in by the end of the lab period unless extensions are discussed with me.  Each lab exercise is worth 10 points for a total of 12 points for each lab. Make-ups arrangements for missed labs will be available, for valid reasons, and if you contact me promptly to arrange another date.  In any case, labs must be made up within a week of the missed lab.

Lab practicals

     You will be tested on mineral and rock identification by means of 3  lab tests (AKA lab practical).  Each of these tests will consist in identifying a set of mineral or rock samples that you will have already examined and studied in lab. The lab practicals will take place during the last lab session concluding the study of a particular set of rocks.  Each lab practical is worth 24 points.  Make-ups arrangements for missed lab practicals will be available, for valid reasons, within one week of the missed lab practical.

Seminar Discussions:

      We will dedicate three class sessions to discuss as a group relevant and somewhat controversial topics related to the course material.  A few days ahead of these sessions you will be given readings to be completed before the seminar and a set of questions to answer in written form and to bring to class the day of the seminar for further discussion.  The answers to these questions and your participation to the discussion will be graded for a comprehensive total number of 10 points for each seminar. No make ups provisions will be available for these discussions.

Homework assignments

      These assignments will be quantitative, numerical exercises, sketches or essays, related to specific topics discussed in class.  The purpose of these assignments is to apply the information and to help you retain it.  Each of these assignments is worth 10 points.  Homework turned in late will have 2 points deducted per class day.  In order to receive full credit in your homework, you must always show your work on any math-based problems.

Test study questions

     Study questions covering essential factual information presented in class will be available a few days before each of the 3 tests.   You will not submit them to me, but you should try to answer them using your notes and textbook as reference in preparation for your tests.  You are encouraged to discuss them with me or even better get together in a study group with classmates before the test.  No answers will be provided for these questions.  It is your responsibility to make sure your answers are correct.  These study guides are provided entirely for your benefit upon suggestion of former students.  Keep in mind that similar questions will be asked in the tests! 

Tests

      You will be given 3 tests during this course, approximately one every three weeks, usually on the first day of class of the week, unless otherwise stated.   The purpose of these tests is to assess your understanding and retention of the most critical factual information presented in class and/or assigned for readings in the previous 3 weeks.  The format of these tests will be a combination of short answer, matching, multiple choice, simple sketches, fill the blanks in charts and short sentences.  Each test will be worth 60 points. Make-up provisions will be made only in extreme and documented circumstances and if they are promptly arranged with the instructor

Student presentations

     At the end of the quarter you will work on a synthesis and review of the major geologic processes you studied using the context of plate boundaries as a framework.  You will do this in a group that will be responsible for preparing and presenting to the class all the geologic processes possible at a certain assigned plate boundary.  More details on this presentation will be given to you a few days ahead.  Your work for this presentation will be graded and will count for 15 points towards your final grade. No make ups provisions will be available for these presentations.

Final exam

      There will be one final comprehensive exam in this course.  Unlike the previous tests, this exam will not focus on detailed factual information but instead will test your broader understanding of the course main outcomes, specifically in your ability to synthesize and correlate the major geologic processes studied in the course into the major idea of plate tectonics.  The format of this test will be a combination of sketching, short essay questions and chart filling.  A comprehensive study guide for the final will be available to you during the last week of the quarter. Please see the final exam date in the course calendar (above) and in the college website. 

OTHER POLICIES

Academic honesty/Plagiarism and Cheating

All good students derive many of their ideas from others—that is the purpose of attending school.  You may use information from other sources in any of your writing, as long as you note where that information comes from.  Any time you use someone else’s specific words or ideas as though they were your own, without noting you are doing so, you are guilty of plagiarism.  Plagiarism is unacceptable.   Similarly, if more of one student turn identical assignments with identical errors it will be  considered cheating. In both cases, the first instance will result in a failing grade for that assignment or test; the second instance of will lead to failure for the course. 

      No notes or textbooks are admissible during tests unless I specifically announce they are.  Group work or work with a partner is allowed and encouraged in lab.  If you work with others on homework assignments you must cite your partner(s) as contributors to your work. Under no circumstances collaboration is allowed during tests.  Please notice that lab practicals are tests. . Cheating during a test will result in a failing grade for the test for BOTH parties involved.  Cheating during the final exam will result in a failing grade in the course. 

Class consideration

            You will find that I am a very friendly, approachable, and mostly pleasant person.  However I am known for getting very distracted and irritated when class is disrupted by cell phone going off or side conversations.  Please, out of respect of me and especially of your classmates (and their right to get the educational experience they have paid for), turn your cell phones off or on silent mode and refrain from any other disruptive activities during class.  You are not required to be in class. You choose (and pay) to be in class and so are your peers.  You all deserve a profitable learning experience.

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

     Accommodation

      Both Shoreline Community College and we are committed to providing access to education for students with disabilities. If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with the instructor, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please provide the instructor with the Letter of Accommodation you have received from the Disabled Student Services.  Please notice that accommodations are never retroactive.  Therefore, it is in your best interest to provide your instructor with your letter of accommodation in a promptly manner.  No accommodations will be made until the documentation is received. All accommodation requests will be held in complete confidentiality. 

Inclement weather/emergency closure policy

     If weather or other emergency conditions caused classes to be canceled or the college to be closed, you will be able to find out in one or more of these ways:

·         Check the college website www.shoreline.ctc.edu

·         Call the main campus telephone number (206) 546-4101 and listen to the recorded greeting

·         Tune a radio on KIRO 710AM, KOMO 1000AM or a TV to KIRO-Channel 7, KOMO-Channel 4 or KING-Channel 5 or KONG-Channel 6/16.

Useful links:

      For finals grades in the course go to: https://www.shoreline.edu/wts/waci002.html

Emma Baer

Physical Geology

Thirteen tips to succeed in Geology 101

Welcome to Geology 101!  I hope you will find geology a fascinating and relevant subject and that you will enjoy learning about our amazing planet works.

Despite the very interesting and exciting aspects of this course, I need to warn you that this class is not easy. Even if the core-concepts for an introductory geology course are fairly simple (or simplified for you), this remains a content-based course with a lot of scientific information and technical terminology to retain.  There are many assignments in this course and you will need to put in a fair amount of work to do well.

GOOD NEWS:  I am here to help you succeed.  I am committed to the success of each and every one of you and I believe that if we both work hard together, you can succeed. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of this class.  Many were given by former students and tutors.

Tip 1: Be goal-oriented!  Ask yourself why you are taking this class and what you want to get out of it.  Your long-term goals will allow you to set your short-term ones and your own expectations.  If you can meet your own expectations and keep your long-term goals in mind all the effort and the sacrifices will seem worthwhile. 

Tip 2: Understand course requirements and expectations! Read the syllabus, ask me questions and make sure you are clear about all the course requirements and policies, especially for what concerned due dates, lab and test dates.  Check your grade frequently and adjust your efforts according to your performance and your own expectations.

Tip 3: Work hard!  Don’t take this course lightly and prepare to spend 2+ hours studying for this class for every hour you spend in class.  I know, this sounds like a lot, but this is the way a college credit is defined! Nothing comes without effort and college-level work is no exception.  If this is your first year in college, you will soon realize that classes are much harder here than in high school.  Commitment and hard work are the first ingredients to success.  You can’t do without them!

Tip 4: Be an active learner! Take responsibility for your own learning. Come to class prepared, ask questions, pay attention and take notes.  You will get much more out of class and you will need to study less at home. 

Tip 5: Be organized!  I am a very organized person (or so they say), and I try to make my courses as organized as I can.  This appeals to most of my students who find easier to take a course with clearly outlined requirements.  Take advantage of some of the tools I will give you.  Every week I will pass out a weekly schedule detailing the topics that we will discuss in each class period, the corresponding readings, any test or homework assignment due each day.  I will also pass study guides with key questions focusing on the most important information covered in lectures.  A good study strategy is to use weekly schedules and study guides when you study for tests and exams. Also don’t forget to check regularly the course schedule included in the syllabus.  It has all the major assignments and the due dates.  This way, you won’t forget a deadline and loose points in late penalties.

      You will also find all class information, announcements, study guides, assignments, etc. on the course website (http://online.shoreline.edu/).The website is an especially valuable resource when you are absent and need to find out about readings and assignments. Since this is a web-enhanced class, you are automatically registered to the website via Blackboard. If you have never used Blackboard, I recommend you attend one of the orientation sessions offered at the computer center at the library.  You are also encouraged to ask me how to access the website. It is really simple and self-explanatory, once you are able to login.

Tip 6: Don’t procrastinate! As you can see, there are a lot of assignments in this course.  They are fairly regularly spaced throughout the quarter but inevitably you will end up working harder in the second part of the quarter.  Get ahead and start working on them early. This will also allow you to ask me questions and get help before the assignments are due.

Tip 7: Attend class regularly and be on time!  This seems so much common sense that you may be tempted to overlook it.  And yet, most of the students who struggled in my courses are those who, for a variety of reasons, missed classes often or attended class only sporadically.  There is a striking correlation between grade and attendance.  Although it may not appear evident to you, any class you miss will affect your grade in many ways.  In addition to missing the unique opportunity to actively learn from each lecture, you will miss lecture notes, handouts, announcements and possibly assignments.  If you have to miss class for more than a day or two, please contact me as soon as possible. Using e-mail is the best way, as I check e-mail many times a day.  Please be aware that you will not be justified for assignments not turned in or turned in late resulting from your absence.  It will be your responsibility to catch up with what you missed.  I will have assignments and handouts always available for you to pick up in my office and you will also find them on the website.  However, please understand that I cannot keep double archives of all of my hard copy files, so I will not necessarily have them with me in the classroom when you get back.

Tip 8: Take notes (and good ones!) Taking effective lecture notes in class will help you tremendously in this course.  Most of the tests and homework assignments will focus on material already explained in class.  Lecture notes are the keys to properly attack the readings.  Not everything in the suggested readings is essential for you to retain.  If you use your notes effectively, you can focus on the most important concepts and remember them better. Also, taking notes of key terms or concepts while doing the reading will also help you to retain the material.  If you need additional help on how to improve your study skills feel free to ask me or also consider visiting the academic skills center of Shoreline Community College (room 1501) which offers writing assistance and academic skill training.

Tip 9: Talk to me! Please feel free to come see me to get help and advice.  That’ s what I am here for!  If you want to be sure to find me, you should come during office hours and or make an appointment for an alternative time.  You can also call me and leave me a voice mail message or e-mail me.  If you are not doing too well in the class, I may write comments on your papers and invite you to talk to me. Please don’t miss the opportunity to get one- on- one attention.  One of the greatest advantages to attend community college is that classes are relatively small and professors are focused primarily on teaching.  This allows you to get lots of individual attention.  The goal of these conferences is to help you analyze the problems you might have with the course and to find together strategies to help you improve. Please do not put off these meetings until it is too late to make a difference!

Tip 10: Write right!  While this is a science class, you will be doing a lot of writing.  Writing is a crucial skill in college and it is essential to communicate in the real world.  Your writing is your main tool to communicate what you have learned about any subject in your homework and tests.  Try to give answers that are concise and very specific.  I will give full credit only to answers that respond completely to the question asked.  Correct statements that are not relevant to the question asked will not receive credit.  So, please make sure you understand what the question is asking and otherwise ask me for clarifications.  I will be happy to reword any questions for you. 

            Taking care of your English requirements, if you have not already done it, will also improve your overall performance.  Please do not under estimate the importance of writing in this or other descriptive science courses.  Do not put off your writing requirements until the end.

      If you are a non-native speaker of English you need to take an assessment test in order to determine if you have the fluency in the English language that you need in order to succeed in this or other courses.  Please come to see me if you need advice with this.  I am very sensitive to ESL student’s issues and I can advise you and refer you to the proper resources on campus.

Tip 11: Use free resources! There is an excellent Academic Skill Center (aka   Writing and Learning Studio) on campus that provides free academic support to all Shoreline students.  They offer assistance with any kind of writing also free workshops and seminars on studying skills and strategies to prepare for various types of tests. 

      Librarians are also very helpful resources for your research paper.  Please visit them in our new beautiful library and ask them for help.  This is what they are there for.

      Geology tutoring may also be available this quarter.  If interested, please ask me about it.  I strongly recommend tutoring to all students as an opportunity to   review class material, prepare for tests and receive help on specific assignments. 

Tip 12:  Respect!  Respect the other student’s right to a profitable learning experience.  Conforming to the guidelines of classroom (and for what matter, civil) decor will make your and other’s learning experience more profitable and enjoyable.  Specifically, please refrain from side conversations and other disruptive activities while you are in class and make sure your cellular phones, pager or other sound-emitting electronic devices are switched off or turned to a silent mode while in class. 

Last but not least…

Tip 13: Have fun!  Believe it or not, geology is a lot of fun! All right, admit it, maybe you are not all that interested in rocks and think geology is going to be boring… Maybe science is not your strongest subject and you think this class is going to be hard for you. Whatever your idea of geology was before you got into this class, try to look at things with new eyes.  This class can be a lot of fun.  It has happened before and it may happen to you too.  You may be caught in the spell of rocks and start looking at them as geologists do… as “time machines”…maybe after learning about the Cascade volcanoes you won’t be able to look at beautiful serene Mount Rainier the same way anymore.  Maybe you love the Puget Sound and water activities and you will be amazed to find out about the geologic history of this region.  Whatever your interests may be you will find out how much geology relates to your life.  Just give it a try.  Science is actually a lot of fun!!