• Read the Weekly Laboratory Schedule, where assignment due dates, quiz dates, etc. are posted.
• Read online labs before coming to class
• Work on lab assignments and submit them by the deadline dates.
• Work with other students on labs as assigned.
• Come to class on time.
• All cell phones and electronic devices must be TURNED OFF before entering the classroom. Anyone who interrupts class with such devices will be asked to leave immediately – this includes text messaging.
• No sleeping in class.
• Attend to personal needs before coming to class.
• If you leave the classroom during a quiz or exam, your quiz or exam will be collected, and you will not be permitted to continue with it.
• Do not eat candy or other food in class unless you have been given special permission.
• Bring required materials every day unless you are otherwise directed.
• Students may not bring children to class.
• Students shall not attempt to defraud, deceive or mislead an instructor in arriving at an honest grade assessment.
• Behavior that is disruptive or that interferes with the campus learning process in the classroom or on campus is not permitted.
• Appearance and/or dress that are extreme or unusual to the point of distracting from or being disturbing to the learning environment within classes or on campus will not be tolerated. In certain technical labs, student dress is expected to meet all safety codes.
• See the Student Conduct Code for further information.

Policy on Laboratory Safety:

You will have online access to laboratory safety rules, which you must read. When you submit the student information and release form, you agree to abide by the rules and any penalties stipulated therein.

See also the Geology Lab Safety Video.

Attend all classes and be on time for class.

One point will be deducted from your final exam grade for each time you are late, and for each unexcused absence.

You will be officially counted late if you arrive after the roll has been taken. Students arriving after 2:10 (or more than 10 minutes late) will not be allowed into the classroom.

Students who never attend a class by the end of the first two weeks of the term will be reported for non-attendance. Students who do not drop a class during the schedule adjustment period and are reported for non-attendance will be automatically dropped from that course.

Students missing the first two labs (first 2 weeks) will not be permitted to continue with the course. They will be automatically dropped.

Any student missing three weeks of lab during the semester will receive an F (whether due to absence or other reason, such as not turning in labs at the end of class). Students have the option of withdrawing for W or WF.

Students who choose to stop attending class and/or logging in to WebCT, must complete the withdrawal process through the Registrar's Office by the specified dates, or you will receive an "F" for the course.

If you must be away for a certain period of time, please let the instructor know in advance.

The midpoint of the semester is Tuesday March 11, 2008.

A student who officially withdraws by the midpoint of the course will receive a grade of "W". A student who withdraws after the midpoint of the semester will receive a "WF" unless approval as a hardship withdrawal is received from the Dean.

Students who never attend a class (and never "log-in" for a distance learning class) by the end of the first two weeks of the term will be reported to the Registrar for non-attendance. Students who do not drop a class during the schedule adjustment period and are reported for non-attendance will be automatically dropped from that course.

If you choose to stop attending class, you must complete the withdrawal process through the Registrar's Office by the specified dates, or you will receive an "F" for the course.

Lecture is a corequisite of lab in GEOL 1122. A student who is in lab but who withdraws or is dropped from lecture, must also drop the lab. You cannot take the lab without the lecture, unless you have previously passed the lecture part of the course.

Academic dishonesty (cheating and plagiarism) will not be tolerated. Students should read the sections on cheating and plagiarism in the Georgia Perimeter College Student Handbook and Georgia Perimeter College Catalog.

Cheating includes (among other things), use of unauthorized papers (or a cell phone or pager) during a quiz or exam (no matter what the content), looking at any notes or books or other materials during an unproctored online quiz, talking with someone about the quiz material during an unproctored online quiz, telling a student who has not taken the quiz or exam about the quiz or exam after you have taken it, copying from another student's paper during a test, allowing another student to copy from your paper during a test, unauthorized access to old exams or to an exam given to the class if you are taking it late for some reason, copying another student's homework assignments, using or turning in a photocopy of another student's assigned work, paying someone to write a paper or do an assignment for you, buying or downloading a term paper, or leaving the room during a test without permission or before turning in your paper. Cheating also includes giving a false excuse to the instructor in order to get the instructor to give extended time, an incomplete, or other consideration relating to a grade.

With online testing, it is particularly important to pay strict attention to academic honesty. Do not access a test online before you are ready to take it. Do not look at a printout of the test before you take it. Do not look at your books or notes or other papers while taking an online test. Do not have another person take the test for you. Do not have another person tell you answers to the test.

Plagiarism includes copying any phrases, sentence, or sentences verbatim from the reference source without using quotation marks and without providing a complete reference (author, date, source of material, volume, pages, etc.), or printing out an article directly from a computer database (such as Encarta or off the World Wide Web) and turning it in as your own work. Students must read, synthesize, and write their own original sentences; learn to paraphrase. Even when paraphrasing, a complete reference must be provided to the paraphrased sentences. NEVER steal words directly from any source and present them as your own.

Students are responsible for doing their own work, even if they "work together". If two papers are turned in that show great similarity such that the instructor interprets it as evidence of cheating or plagiarism, both will be penalized.

A report will be filed with the Campus Dean of Student Affairs for any alleged cheating or plagiarism incident. (See procedure in College Catalog.) The case will be heard by the College Court. Penalties may include suspension or expulsion.

The faculty member is free to assign the grade he or she thinks is appropriate for the assignment or quiz, or exam, or for the semester (regardless of any outcome from College Court).

Any student found by the instructor to have represented someone else's work as his/her own, will receive a zero for that quiz, exam, or assignment for the first offense. The second offense will result in the assignment of a grade of "F" for the course. (If several papers are turned in together or at the same time, and each contains evidence of cheating or plagiarism, they will be considered as separate offenses, and will result in immediate assignment of a grade of "F" for the course.) This policy applies to cheating or plagiarism on extra credit work as well.

Cheating on an exam will jeopardize your grade; if you receive a zero on an exam it will be extremely difficult to receive a passing grade for the course.

Regular communication is a very important part of this course. Please feel free to ask questions in class at the appropriate time, or by e-mail, by phone during office hours, or in person during office hours (call before coming to campus to be sure I am not in a meeting or on another campus).

I check e-mail frequently during office hours. I will generally reply to your e-mail within 24 hours unless I am out of town. I may or may not check e-mail on weekends, depending on my schedule, so do not expect a prompt reply if you post Friday afternoon or Friday night. I may not see your message until Monday afternoon after class.

Statement of Non-Discrimination:

Georgia Perimeter College supports the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order #11246, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin or disability, be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of the college.

Any individual with a grievance related to the enforcement of any of the above provisions should contact the Director of Human Resources, Ombudsperson.

If you are a student who is disabled as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act and require assistance of support services, please seek assistance through the Center for Disability Services. A CDS Counselor will coordinate those services.

No person shall, on the basis of age, race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin or disability, be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of Georgia Perimeter College.

Affirmative Action Statement:

Georgia Perimeter College adheres to affirmative action policies designed to promote diversity and equal opportunity for all faculty and students.

You are expected to read and abide by the General Policies of Georgia Perimeter College, as stated in the College Student Handbook and in the College Catalog.

Lab Schedule

The Weekly Laboratory Schedule lists assignments, quizzes, exams, and required readings.
 http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~pgore/geology/historical_lab/historical-lab-schedule-spring2008.htm

The following is a summary of what will be covered this semester:

1. Relative Dating Lab
2. Rocks and Minerals Lab
3. Weathering of Rocks and the Formation of Sediment
   Quiz on Rocks and Minerals and Weathering
4. Sedimentary Rocks
5. Sedimentary Structures
6. Sedimentary Environments
   Quiz on Sedimentary Rocks, Structures, and Environments
7. Stratigraphy
   Quiz on Stratigraphy Lab
8. Fossils on the Internet
9. Invertebrate Macrofossils
   Quiz on Invertebrate Macrofossils
10. Microfossils
11. Fossil Preservation
    Quiz on Microfossils and Preservation
12. Biostratigraphy
13. Evolution of the Vertebrates
14. Lab Final - Tuesday April 29, 2008  2:00 - 4:45 pm.  A Monday or Wednesday evening exam may also be offered.

The schedule is tentative and may change. All changes will be announced through the WebCT weekly lab schedule, calendar, e-mail, or Discussion Board.

It is your responsibility to check your e-mail (personal e-mail, in addition to WebCT Vista internal e-mail), WebCT Vista weekly lab schedule, Discussion Board, Quiz page, and Calendar or you may miss a quiz or homework assignment.

Expected Educational Results, and General Education Outcomes

EXPECTED EDUCATIONAL RESULTS:

A student who successfully completes this course will be able to:

1. Recognize and apply the methods of scientific problem-solving and critical thinking.
2. Recognize and apply the major geological principles of Historical Geology.
3. Identify rocks and minerals and observe the effect of weathering on these materials.
4. Identify sedimentary rocks, and sedimentary structures, and interpret their depositional environment.
5. Identify and classify macrofossils and microfossils, and the modes of preservation.

GENERAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES:

I. This course addresses the general education outcome relating to communications as follows:

1. Students develop their reading comprehension skills by reading the textbook, handout materials, and/or web materials.
2. Students develop their listening skills through lecture and group problem solving and audio clips. Lecture material is presented that is not included in the textbook, handout materials, and/or web materials and is included as part of the exams or tests.
3. Students develop their writing skills through a variety of laboratory assignments, tests, and quizzes.
4. Students develop their speaking/communications skills through class discussions and/or web bulletin boards, by asking questions in class as well as interactions with their peers in and outside of class, and through electronic media.

II. This course addresses the general education outcomes of recognition and application of scientific inquiry as follows:

1. Students will develop their observation skills to be able to recognize geological features, Earth materials (rocks and minerals), and fossil organisms that lived on the Earth through its history.
2. Students will develop the skills of inquiry by use of the scientific method to experience, evaluate, and synthesize data as applied to various geological problems in identifying Sedimentary Rocks, Sedimentary Structures, and Fossils.

III. This course addresses the general education outcome of developing effective individual and at times group problem-solving and critical thinking skills as applied to geology.

A student will develop the ability to problem-solve and critically think by applying their acquired knowledge of geology to identify, classify, and learn the rocks and fossils, as well as interpret data for various historical geological problems.

 COURSE CONTENT: 

I. Historical Earth materials
    A. Rocks and Minerals
    B. Weathering of Rocks
    C. Sedimentary Rocks
    D. Sedimentary Structures

II. Sedimentary Rock Record
    A. Depositional Environments
    B. Relative Dating
    C. Stratigraphy and Lithologic Correlation

III. Life on Earth
    A. Invertebrate Macrofossils
    B. Microfossils
    C. Modes of Preservation

IV. Optional Content
    A. Sand Sieve Analysis
    B. Biostratigraphy
    C. Evolution
    D. Introduction to Vertebrate Paleontology
    E. Fossils on the Internet
    F. Map Interpretation
    G. Paleoecology
    H. Midterm Exam

Syllabus dated January 7, 2008.
Corrected January 8, 2008 - date of final exam corrected, midterm removed from schedule, Evolution lab removed from schedule.