You ALSO need to know the following!

1) CORE COURSE: This course has been approved to satisfy the Natural Science component of the level 2 (knowledge base) of the University Core Curriculum.

2) EXAMS: There are three hourly exams scheduled during the semester, each covering mainly material from the previous exam. The format for each exam will be mainly multiple-choice, but may include definitions and short essay questions. Almost all of the questions will come from the lectures, so be sure and study the lecture material carefully! All exams will be given at 6pm in room 128, SR1. Students can arrange to take the exam slightly earlier or later if an adequate reason is given before the exam! Students who cannot arrange to take the exam during an appropriate time band must take the make-up exam on May 11^th (details below). Only 1 makeup exam can be taken, so don’t miss two exams!

3) EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS: There will be an extra credit assignment given prior to each of the three exams. Each assignment is worth up to 3 bonus points on the hourly exams. These may be accessed on the WebCT VISTA course website.

4) MAKE-UP EXAM: Make-up exams for exams 1, 2, and 3 will be given during the finals period (6:00 p.m., May 11). If you have not missed any exams during the semester, you may take a make-up exam to replace your lowest exam grade. If you score is lower on the make-up than on the original exam, I will keep your original exam score.

5) GRADING: I will assign a tentative final grade based on your first three exams (including bonus points if any). If you wish to improve your grade (or if you have missed one of the three exams), you may choose to take the make-up exam. You cannot lower your grade by taking the optional make-up exam. Based on past experience the cutoffs will probably be at or near the following: A=70% and above; B=60-69%; C=50-59%; D=40-49%; and F= below40%. I will curve each exam so that the average grade is a C (55%).

6) ACADEMIC HONESTY: All students are expected to uphold the standards of academic honesty as described in the Student Handbook. ANY violation of that policy will, at the minimum, result in your failing the course; extreme cases could result in your permanent expulsion from the University.

7) DROP POLICY: Because this is an Internet course, I do not check attendance, hence I will (can) not drop a student for non-attendance. The one exception is that I will drop any student on the mid-term rolls for whom there is NO record of being in the class! It is therefore your responsibility to initiate a drop or withdrawal if desired. Failure to do so could result in your receiving an F at the end of the semester. Over half the F’s given last semester were to students who failed to initiate drops and simply quit taking exams. Please note that the last day to drop or withdraw is Tuesday, April 4^th. After that date you may not drop any course in the University unless you have special permission from the dean's office. Such permission will be given only for exceptional, non-academic reasons. Students who have not failed two exams will be dropped passing until the drop deadline. Students who have failed two exams will be dropped failing unless they choose to take a Q drop. Unlike dropped a course failing, a Q drop does not affect your GPA! See your academic advisor for details on the Q drop. You may not Q drop a course after the April 4^th deadline!

8) LABORATORY: There is an optional 1-hour credit lab course (GEOL 1130) that accompanies this lecture course. It is designed for students who need a "lab science", as well as for those who want more of a "hands-on" exposure to geology. Although you can make an A in the lecture without taking the lab, I believe it would be easier and more meaningful if you took the lab. FYA, the average grade in 1330 for students taking the lab was.75 grade points higher than those not taking the lab! Unfortunately, it is only available as a face-to-face section, and cannot be taken off campus.

9) STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Students with any type of health impairment, learning disability, or physical handicap that might affect their performance in this class should contact me as soon as possible so that special accommodations, if needed, can be made.

10) OPTIONAL FIELD TRIP: All students enrolled in Geo1330 are eligible (but not required) to go on a field trip offered this semester at no additional cost. One trip will be to Central Texas where igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks can be collected and over one billion years of geologic history can be observed. More information on the trip(s) including date(s) will be provided as soon as possible.