Geology 101 Syllabus

Physical Geology

Fall 2016

Section WW2

Instructor: Adam Beyer

Phone: 985-448-4254

E-mail:

Office: Beauregard Hall, 164

Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday 12-1, 2-4, Tuesday/Thursday 12-1:30, Friday 2-3, *By appointment , E-mail

Office Location: South end of Beauregard Hall

Department Phone Number: 985-448-4502

Course Description: 3-3-0. Study of the earth, its constituents, agents, and processes modifying it; also geologic structures and landforms. (40.0601)

Prerequisites: N/A

Required Text/Materials:

  • Textbook: Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, 12e, Tarbuck/Lutgens/Tasa***
  • Online (Assignments): Access to Modified Mastering Geology, for above textbook (must be 12th ed.)

***You may be able to find a cheaper, older edition of the textbook. However, the Modified Mastering Access must be for the 12th edition of the textbook.

Purpose of Course: To create an interest in geology while building a general knowledge and understanding of the geologic principles that govern Earth and its processes. I would like each of you to leave this course having understood a little more about our planet.

Student Outcome Objectives: Geology 101 is a Core Curriculum course that fulfills three hours of general education requirements in the area of the natural sciences. The goal is for students to be able to comprehend and apply the basic principles of science and methods of scientific inquiry. The student will understand the processes occurring on Earth both now and in the past, be able to classify rocks and minerals on a basic level, and be able to identify landscape features and associate them with known processes.

Because this is an online-based course, it is your responsibility to check Moodle/Modified Mastering Geology for updates and notifications. Get into the habit of checking Moodle, Mastering, and your e-mail a couple of times per day - minimum. It is your responsibility to find a functioning computer with an internet connection. Faulty equipment is not a valid excuse for missed exams, assignments, etc. Please be aware of your work schedule and how it may interfere with our class schedule below; work is not an excuse for missing exams, assignments, etc.

Course Content: Grades will be based off of:

  • Assignments: Online assignments will cover material discussed up to the current point in the lecture. During the first week, I will post the Modified Mastering course ID for our online class to our Moodle forum. You will need this course ID to join my section after you purchase an access code and register on pearsonmylabandmastering.com. Assignment point values TO BE DETERMINED. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK MASTERING GEOLOGY FREQUENTLY AND BE AWARE OF POINT VALUES. Assignments will be posted on the Modified Mastering Geology website and will have a time period to be completed. These are mandatory and will count toward your final grade. If you do not do the homework assignments, you may fail this course. Homework will be announced on our Moodle class forum. It is your responsibility to check the Moodle forum EVERY DAY! I am planning for these assignments to account for ~20% of the overall course grade.
  • Lecture Exams: Lecture exams will cover material discussed in lectures as well as material covered in the textbook. It is in your best interest to read the textbook on your own time. If you have questions regarding the reading, feel free to stop by my office hours or send me an email. Exams will be given on Moodle within a time frame and limit. The exams will be announced on our Moodle class forum; these are not group assignments. Please see the lecture and exam schedule below. Each exam is worth 100 points. I plan for exams to account for ~80% of the overall course grade. Please note that once an exam is opened, that is your one attempt - no exceptions. You must read the exam description on Moodle before taking the exam; this will explain time limits, question order, etc.

Grading Procedure: Grades will be determined by a weighted 80/20 scale (exams and homework, respectively). You will have point values on Moodle (exams) and Mastering (homework). To calculate your current % in either the exam or homework categories, take your current points and divide by the total possible (at that time).

DO NOT EMAIL ME ABOUT EXTRA CREDIT or EXTRA HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS TO BOOST YOUR GRADE. I will not respond to these emails.

.8(Exam %) + .2(Homework %) = Percentage in Course

Grading Scale:

100-90 = A

89-80 = B

79-70 = C

69-60 = D

< 60 = F

Tentative Lecture/Exam Schedule:

Lectures / Topics/Chapters
Aug. 23 - Aug. 26 / Read syllabus, Register successfully on Modified Mastering Geology
Aug. 29 - Sept. 2 / An Introduction to Geology, Chapter 1
Sept. 6 - Sept. 9 / Plate Tectonics, Chapter 2
Sept. 12 or 13 / EXAM 1, chapters 1 and 2 (will be open BOTH days)
Sept. 14 - Sept. 16 / Matter and Minerals, Chapter 3
Sept. 19 – Sept. 23 / Magma, Igneous Rocks and Intrusive Activity, Chapter 4
Sept. 26 – Sept. 28 / Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards, Chapter 5
Oct. 3 or 4 / EXAM 2, chapters 3, 4, 5 (will be open BOTH days)
Oct. 5 – Oct. 7 / Weathering and Soil , Chapter 6
Oct. 10 – Oct. 14 / Sedimentary Rocks, Chapter 7
Oct. 17 – Oct. 21 / Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rock, Chapter 8
Oct. 26 or 27 / EXAM 3, chapters 6, 7, 8 (will be open both days)
Oct. 31 – Nov. 4 / Geologic Time, Chapter 9
Nov. 7 – Nov. 11 / Groundwater, Chapter 17
Nov. 14 – Nov. 18 / Earthquakes, Chapter 11
Nov. 28 – Dec. 2 / Potential Extra Credit Chapter TBA
Dec. 5 – Dec. 7 / Study for final exam, office hours, emails, etc.
Date TBA / FINAL EXAM, NOT CUMULATIVE

Lecture Schedule: Lecture schedule is posted above. Please refer to the dates/chapters for a rough breakdown of our semester. Any changes to this schedule will be announced on our Moodle class forum.

Lecture Powerpoints: Lecture powerpoints will be posted on Moodle for each chapter. They will be incomplete. It is my expectation that you will read the chapters and use the textbook to complete and understand the lecture material. The lectures will help immensely with homework and studying for the exams.

Make-up Work: EXAMS ONLY! Make-up exams will be available to students ONLY with valid emergencies AND proper documentation. Make-up work will not be given for homework assignments as these are online-based and open for a period of time.

Extra Credit: I plan to offer extra credit during the semester. Updates regarding extra credit will be posted on the Moodle class forum.

Academic Honesty Policy: See Code of Student Conduct handbook for full procedures. Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Penalties for academic dishonesty fall under the discretion of the course instructor.

Attendance Policy: The Bulletin states: Class attendance is regarded as an obligation and as a privilege, and all students are expected to be punctual and to attend all classes in which they are enrolled. Failure to do so may jeopardize a student's scholastic standing and may lead to suspension from the university.

Attendance for an online course ties into completing the lectures, reading the material, and completing the homework and exams on time. There is more responsibility on the student to keep up with online courses - please keep a rigid schedule and stick to it. Please ask questions when you have them!

Drop Date: The final date for automatic Wwhen dropping a course or resigning from the university: October 28, 2016 (full semester classes).

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA): Students with documented disability are entitled to classroom accommodations under the ADA. To receive accommodations, contact the Office of Disability Services at (985) 448 - 4430. Additional information can be found at:

Academic Grievances: The proper procedure for filing grade appeals or grievances related to academic matters is listed in Section 5 of the Code of Student Conduct and the following link:

_of_conduct.pdf

Continued Learning following an Extreme Emergency:

Students are responsible for:

  • Reading regular notifications on the NSU website;
  • Knowing how to use and access Moodle (or university-designated electronic delivery system);
  • Being familiar with emergency guidelines;
  • Evacuating textbooks and other course materials;
  • Knowing their Moodle (or designated system) student login and password;
  • Contacting faculty regarding intentions for completing the course;

Faculty is responsible for:

  • Their development in the use of Moodle (or designated software);
  • Having a plan for continuing their courses using only Moodle and e-mail;
  • Continuing their course in whatever way suits the completion of the course best, and being creative in the continuation of these courses;
  • Making adjustments or compensations to a student’s progress in special programs with labs, clinical sequences or the like only in the immediate semester following the emergency.

Classroom Conduct: N/A

Moodle: The preferred browser is Mozilla Firefox. Moodle can be accessed from the Nicholls website. Enter your username and password. Your username is the first part of your Nicholls email address before the @. Your password is your N-number; you must use a capital N. "Errors with Moodle" is not a valid excuse for missing an exam. Unless the university notifies me that Moodle was unexpectedly down during the exact time the exam was given, the issue likely lies on your computer's end. Please have a backup plan when taking an exam.

Technical Problems: If you are having problems with the technology involved in this course, you can e-mail me or

Library: The Library Home Page has a link to a specific webpage dedicated to distance education students. This webpage contains tutorials on accessing the library from home, finding and using electronic books, using the electronic research databases, emailing a reference librarian, and other useful information. This page also offers a direct contact with a reference librarian through e-mail or telephone:

Counseling: Nicholls Counseling Center provides professional assistance for students dealing with a range of mental health, wellness, and adjustment issues through individual, couple, and group counseling; consultation; and various forms of outreach, you can go to the following website:

Tutoring: Questions concerning academic tutoring can be sent to: . This e-mail is usually staffed during normal business hours. In addition, and have tutoring available for students.

Assistance with Studying and Assignments:

· The Tutoring Center at143 Peltier Hall. Call985-448-4100, email: , or visit

· The Writing Center at144 Peltier Hall. Call985-448-4100, email: , or visit

· Online Tutoring through Moodle.Look for the Brainfuse log-in link on the home page,

Assessment Statement (we will not use LiveText): Nicholls State University is committed to continuous improvement of student learning. To achieve this goal, the University has adopted a web-based assessment and e-Portfolio system called LiveText. With LiveText, students will have the ability to track their own growth and organize their college coursework while at the same time helping the university provide the best education possible now and in the future. Students will enjoy (1) space in the LiveText cloud to upload and store documents, presentations, and other files, (2) a single electronic place to organize and download projects from all courses for preparation of portfolios and other presentations to future employers and graduate school admissions, and (3) access to their personal assessment data as generated by the university.

Use of LiveText is a university requirement, and you will be required to upload assignments from this class as specified by the instructor. Therefore, unless you already have an account to use LiveText, you must purchase a license for LiveText for this class. Licenses for LiveText are paid through the University as an “Electronic Assessment License” and will be charged only once to each student. If you don’t already have an account, you will receive a “Key Code” through email at the beginning of this course that will permit you to establish one. You may use your LiveText account for up to five years. If you do not yet have a license to use LiveText, please contact within one week of the beginning of this course.