N.B. Grades are based on achievement, not on effort.

Attendance: Regular attendance and participation is expected and will be necessary for you to succeed in this course. Attendance will be checked. If you have more than three absences you may be assigned a WA (withdrawal due to absences). This grade will not be assigned automatically. Thus, if you wish to drop the class you must go through the regular drop procedure. If a test or paper is missed, a grade of zero for that work will ordinarily be assigned. Exceptions to this policy can be made only for very serious cause. Exceptions are ordinarily obtained prior to the absence.

Important Dates:

Participation/Preparation: This type of course may be unfamiliar to you because you are expected to not just remember and understand the lectures and readings. You are also expected to apply the material in new situations and to integrate the concepts together with one another and also with your life. However, with the prerequisites and a good high school education you will do very well if you actively participate in class activities and discussions, ask questions, and keep up with your assignments. You will learn from this class only by investing in it. You should do your assigned readings before each class and be prepared to discuss the implications of the concepts. The "rule of thumb" is that you should spend a minimum of two (2) hours for every hour you spend in class studying and preparing. Note this is 6 hours a week for this class. You must engage your minds with the material and make honest efforts to see how it can be applied in new situations. Memorization of material and "cramming" for exams will not be sufficient to do well. Normally, some quizzes and exams will request information that you might ordinarily try to memorize, but the quizzes and exams are not constructed as short-term memory tests, but rather as ways to check how well you are able to apply what you have learned. (Note course objectives) Also note that there is a small amount of math in some portions of the course (Note Math 1314 prerequisite). If you feel the need for additional help with this ("I don't have a 'math mind' "), please do so promptly. I will be happy to assist you as well since I also teach math. Please note that my job as a teacher is to help you master the material, not to entertain you. You must do your part by preparing and participating as discussed above. Your grades are determined only by how well you have mastered the material.

Incomplete Grades - A grade of “I” (Incomplete) may be given only in exceptional cases in which extenuating circumstances that occur in the last 10 days of the semester interfere with the completion of final course work. Work must be completed and the grade received in the Office of the Registrar by October 1 for all summer-term courses, March 1 for all fall semester courses and July 1 for all spring semester courses, or a grade of “F” will be entered on the transcript. (Pg. 25 Undergraduate Bulletin)

Classroom Behavior: We are supposed to be here to learn. That can only occur in a professional learning environment. If you do not behave in a way appropriate to maintaining this environment or if you are not here to learn, I will ask you to leave the class. Things that disrupt class activities (such as tardiness, early departure, absences, inappropriate discussions, lack of participation, lack of preparation, disrespect to fellow students or the professor, beepers, cell- phones, pagers, i-Pods, consuming food and/or beverages, rude behavior, etc.) will not be tolerated.

Academic Honesty: Academic honesty is expected of you in all your assignments, quizzes and exams. Any form of dishonesty is deplorable and will not be tolerated. Dishonesty generally means representing the work of another as your own. This includes cheating on exams as well as plagiarizing another individual's work. Please note: NO cell phones may be used during any exam or class work.

The St. Edward's University Undergraduate Bulletin and the Student Handbook state that a student who is dishonest in any work may receive the maximum penalty of a mark of F for that course. Withdrawal from a course is not allowed when an F in the course for academic dishonesty has been imposed. Students caught committing academic dishonesty in this course will be subject to the full range of penalties as described in the Undergraduate Bulletin and in the Student Handbook.

The policy in the Student Handbook on academic honesty will be strictly enforced. Please check it out.

Special Circumstances: If you have a medical, psychiatric or learning disability and require accommodations in this class, please let me know early in the semester or as soon as you are eligible. You will first need to provide documentation of your disability to the Student Disability Services Office located in Moody Hall 155 in Academic Planning and Support Services.l.

Computer Competency:

All Undergraduate and New College students who entered St. Edward’s University under the Fall 1999 catalog and later are required to satisfy the Computer Competency Requirement (CCR). The CCR modules comprise of Introduction to Computers, WWW and Internet Communications, Basic Library Research, Introduction to Word Processing, Introduction to Spreadsheets, and Multimedia Presentations. Students must satisfactorily complete a web-based test over each module and three portfolios in order to fulfill this requirement. For more information about the Computer Competency Requirement, go to: www.stedwards.edu/it_dept/competency or call 464-8816.

N.B.: The normal means of communication in this course is e-mail. If you are not able to use e-mail now, you must learn how as soon as possible or you will be unable to complete some assignments. It is your responsibility to read and respond to messages. If you use an external email system, it is your responsibility to forward your SEU email to this other account. At times, important class announcements will occur through email. Failure to use the SEU computer system or lack of access to email is not a sufficient reason for lack of awareness of these communications.You are also expected to be able to use a word processor to complete your paper assignments.

Syllabus Confirmation:

Please copy the italicized statement below , and paste the statement into an e-mail addressed to me: davidw@stedwards.edu. The subject line must be: "Syllabus Confirmation for SCIE2320". Don't forget to click “Send” in your e-mail client!

You must complete the syllabus confirmation by midnight, Friday, August 28 to be eligible for class participation credit. If you have any questions or concerns about the policies, do not hesitate to contact me.

Here is the statement you are confirming (select and copy it and then paste it into your e-mail):

I hereby confirm that I have read the Course Syllabus including the “Home” page, "Links" page, and the relevant parts of the "Student Handbook", and I understand all policies contained therein and agree with them.