There is one required field trip (20 October, Sunday morning) to local sites that we will discuss in class. We are fortunate to live in Wooster where we have the OARDC, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and some classic water case studies in the Wooster Municipal Wellfield (your water supply).
Texts: We will be using the online text: The Habitable Planet: A Systems Approach to Environmental Science. (HP). You can view online, download chapters, or the whole thing as needed. I will also be handing out several readings in class and many links in this web page will be considered readings as well.
Preparation questions: Each week I will post Preparation Questions. These should be answered before coming to class and I will call on students to get there opinions on the questions. So you need to do the reading and consider the preparation questions. I will often use the preparation questions as quiz questions. A complete set of questions will be available on this web page if you need to miss a class.
Exercises and written reports are required (each of these will count as a quiz). Written reports will be based on exercises associated class handouts keyed to other class readings and youtube viewings. Due dates will be listed on assignment handouts and in the course schedule.
Class attendance and conduct: You must come to class and participate. You should review your Code of Academic Integrity in The Scott’s Key. Plagarism and cheating on assignments, quizzes and exams will result in an F in the course.
Computers and phones:
Please do not have your laptop, phone or other device open during the class. However, I will occasionally ask some folks to look up some information on the web if we get stuck with some of the materials.
Course evaluation
There will be three exams, two mid-terms (15 and 20% for the first and second exam) and one comprehensive final (25%). Eight to ten quizzes will also be given, students not attending lectures when quizzes are given will receive a zero – there are no makeups. However, I will drop the lowest two quiz grades rather than allowing makeups. We will also have various in-class assignments and a field trip guide that collectively will be worth 10% of the grade.
| Exams (3; exams weighted 15%, 20% Final is 25%) | 60% |
| Quizzes (8-10) | 25% |
| Exercises and reports (written) (4) |
10% |
| Class participation (attendance and being prepared) | 5% |
The Learning Center – APEX
The Learning Center, which is in APEX (Gault library) offers a variety of academic support services, programs and 1:1 meetings available to all students. Popular areas of support include time management techniques, class preparation tips and test taking strategies. In addition, the Learning Center coordinates peer-tutoring for several academic departments. Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment at the APEX front desk or visit the Learning Center Website for additional options.
An additional support that the Learning Center offers is English Language Learning. Students can receive instruction or support with English grammar, sentence structure, writing, reading comprehension, reading speed, vocabulary, listening comprehension, speaking fluency, pronunciation, and American culture through 1:1 meetings with the Learning Center staff, ELL Peer Tutoring, ELL Writing Studio courses, and other programming offered throughout the year. Students seeking ELL support are encouraged to visit the APEX front desk.
The Learning Center also coordinates accommodations for students with diagnosed disabilities. At the beginning of the semester, students should contact the Learning Center (ext. 2595) to make arrangements for securing appropriate accommodations. Although the Learning Center will notify professors of students with documented disabilities and the approved accommodations, students are encouraged to speak with professors during the first week of each semester. If a student does not request accommodations or does not provide documentation to the Learning Center, faculty are under no obligation to provide accommodations
Academic Honesty and the Code of Academic Integrity
The College’s understanding and expectations in regard to issues of academic honesty are fully articulated in the Code of Academic Integrity as published in the Scot’s Key and form an essential part of the implicit contract between the student and the College. The Code provides a framework at Wooster to help students develop their own personal integrity.
While you are a student at this college, you will be treated as an adult. You are expected to know and abide by the rules of the institution as described in the Scot’s Key and The Handbook of Selected College Policies. You should cite your sources to avoid plagiarizing ideas and text. Particular attention should be directed to the appropriate use of materials available on-line through the Internet. It is important that you read and understand the ethical use of information. Whether intentional or not, improper use of materials can be considered a violation of academic honesty.
Cheating in any of your academic work is a serious breach of the Code of Academic Integrity and is grounds for an F for the entire course. Such violations include turning in another person’s work as your own, copying or paraphrasing from any source without proper citation, going beyond what is allowed in a group project, fabricating excuses and lying in connection with your academic work. You will be held responsible for your actions. If you are unsure as to what is permissible, always consult your course instructor.
Schedule Conflicts
The faculty of the College has recently approved a new policy regarding conflicts between extracurricular and academic events. The policy reads as follows: “The College of Wooster is an academic institution and its fundamental purpose is to stimulate its students to reach the highest standard of intellectual achievement. As an academic institution with this purpose, the College expects students to give the highest priority to their academic responsibilities. When conflicts arise between academic commitments and complementary programs (including athletic, cultural, educational, and volunteer activities), students, faculty, staff, and administrators all share the responsibility of minimizing and resolving them. As a student you have the responsibility to inform the faculty member of potential conflicts as soon as you are aware of them, and to discuss and work with the faculty member to identify alternative ways to fulfill your academic commitments without sacrificing the academic integrity and rigor of the course.”
Title IX Reporting Policy
In accordance with Title IX, faculty who become aware of any incident of sexual violence are required by law to notify the College of Wooster’s Title IX Coordinator. For more information about your rights and reporting options at Wooster, including confidential and anonymous reporting options, please visit http://www.wooster.edu/offices/titleix/.
Instructor: Greg Wiles (Earth Sciences) – my office is in Scovel 119 – I will have drop-in house each week and will announce those and post them outside my office; 10-11 am on Tuesdays and 2-3 pm on Thursdays and by appt.) Scovel 119. Feel free to drop-in even if it is not directly related to class.
Teaching Assistant: Mazvita Chinook will be our STEM Intern. She will hold office hours in the Stem-Zone (Severence 105). The Zone is a STEM learning community located in Severance 105. It is a place where students enrolled in introductory STEM courses can find quiet space or collaborative space, whichever they need when they need it. Zone Interns will be there to answer questions and inspire learning consistent with Wooster’s “independent minds, working together.” Fall 2019 Hours for the STEM Scholar Zone (beginning Sunday, August 25th) Sunday – Thursday 2-4 PM and 8-10 p