Course Policies and Guidelines

Exams: The exams will be based on the text and on the material covered in class and labs. The exam dates are CLEARLY posted in the syllabus of the course. The dates are set from day one and cannot be changed. Also please be advised that

**** NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES WILL BE ALLOWED ON TOP OF DESKS ****

This is: Cell Phones, Programmable Calculators, PDAs, Walkmen (or any such electronic device) and/or ear phones of any kind MUST be stored away during all exams.

Attendance: Attendance is required at all lectures and labs. Up to two unexcused absences from lectures will be tolerated. No unexcused absences are allowed from lab sessions. Every unexcused absence after the second will result in a decrease of a full grade (e.g. from B to C) in the students final grade in the course.

Class Meetings: The lectures will be given Tu and Fri from 11:10 - 12:25 pm.

Grading: Grades are based on homework from text, homework from labs, the midterm and final exams, as well as class attendance and participation. The proportions are listed below

Homework (labs, text & other) 30%

Midterm Exam I 20%

Midterm Exam II 20%

Final Exam 30%

Class participation will be considered for up to 5% EXTRA of the total grade

The final exam will consist of an in-class part and a take-home part. It will be comprehensive, with a major portion on the last part of the course covered after the second midterm exam.

Homework: Two types of homework assignments will be assigned. (1) Homework will be assigned from the Critical-thinking problems found at the end of each chapter. (2) Homework assignments to work with computer models in the computer lab will also be assigned.

General advice to students:

Study Habits:

a) As a general rule of thumb for a college course you should plan to study two hours outside of class for each hour spent in class.

b) Do not expect to understand everything that I say the moment I say it, but do keep trying to understand it. The study of atmospheric phenomena is like a jigsaw puzzle, as each new piece is added the whole picture will become more clear.

c) The following are useful tips to do well in this or any class:

1) Attend class & take detailed notes.

2) Read the assigned material in the text before coming to class.

3) Re-write your notes as soon as possible after class. This will allow you to fill in the details still fresh in your memory, and prepare questions for the next time the class meets.

4) Test yourself by answering the questions in the book and on the web-site.

5) Carefully study the diagrams and charts in the book and in the lectures.

About Our Office Hours:

a) These are clearly indicated on the course syllabus and on the professor’s door; all other times by appointment only. If you come to our office at any other time I may not be able to see you: our job involves many aspects in addition to teaching.

b) Please prepare your questions ahead of time.

c) We encourage all students to make use of office hours. If you have a few questions, e.g. about points in a lecture or problems in the book, feel free to come and discuss them.

Examinations:

a) If the school is unexpectedly closed, e.g. because of snow, on the day of a scheduled examination other than the final, that exam will be given during the next regular class meeting. If the school is unexpectedly closed on the day of the final examination you should do what I will do: listen to the radio and/or contact the school for information.

b) The grading on examinations is: 90-100 = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79 = C; 60-69 = D; <59 = F.

c) Examinations are 1 hour and 25 minutes for the mid-term and 2 hours for the final exam and must be turned in promptly. If you arrive late, you loose that time. If you arrive too late, after a student has already finished the exam you will NOT be allowed to take it.

d) If you miss an exam and have a D or F average in the course at that point, you fail the course irrespective of the reason you missed it.

e) We will automatically agree to the CR-NCR option only if you earn grades such that you accumulate at least 50 points total in the course (this includes labs+exams+extra, if you earned any). If you do not meet this criterion we strongly suggest you come to speak with one of us during office hours before the end of the term. Students on probation are not eligible for this option.

f) If you choose the CR-NCR option than a grade of ≥ 70 = CR and a grade of <70 = NCR, and I will not agree to “a B if I get a B and a CR if I get a C.” If you want a B in this course, work towards that goal from day one!! If you want an A in this course, work towards that goal form day one!