Physics 231 - Fundamentals of Physics: Electricity and Magnetism

Course Policies

Grades

The final course grade will be computed from grades on homework, laboratory work, three hour exams, and a final exam.

Homework

Homework will comprise 25% of the final course grade.

Homework will be assigned, completed, and scored using the Mastering Physics online homework and tutoring system that is included in the price of a new textbook. Students who purchase a used textbook will need to purchase an online subscription in addition. These are available in the campus bookstore for PRICE.

Use of the text publisher's online homework system is an experimental undertaking this semester. There is a growing trend for publishers to include the cost of such a system in the textbook price, and we want to see if we agree that it is “worth it ” in comparison to the CAPA online system that we have been using and continue to use in other courses.

Homework assignments will become available online at 12:00 noon each Monday and will be due at 8:00 am the following Monday. Exceptions will be noted in class and on this web site. To give everyone a chance to get accustomed to the online homework system, the first problem set will be assigned on January 12 and be due two weeks later, on January 26. (Note that this means that two homework sets will be due on January 26! Don't be caught by surprise.)

Due dates for problem sets are firm. In lieu of extensions, the two lowest scores on homework sets will be dropped. There will be approximately 12 homework sets in all.

Lab

Lab scores will comprise 25% of the final course grade

While lab work will be graded by each Lab Instructor independently, an effort will be made to ensure a uniform grading policy across different lab sections. Lab make-ups are entirely at the discretion of the Lab Instructor and arrangements for such must be made with that instructor.

Lab Repeat Policy

There exists an official departmental policy on repeating the lab section of the course when the course is repeated. Read about it here; scroll to page 21 of this pdf document. Alternatively, here is a snapshop of that page:

The deadline to get this done for Spring Semester, 2004, is January 28.

Hour Exams and Final Exam

Hour exams and the final exam will together comprise 50% of the final course grade

There will be three 50-minute “hour” exams and one final exam. The total exam grade (which comprises 50% of the final course grade) will be a weighted average of the hour exams and the final exam, with the final exam weighing twice as heavily as an hour exam. In computing the weighted average, the lowest “effective” score will be dropped. Thus, if the lowest score is on an hour exam, the total exam contribution to the course grade will be 12.5% of each of the remaining two hour exams plus 25% of the final exam (for a maximum contribution of 50%). If the lowest score is on the final exam, the total exam contribution to the course grade will be 12.5% of each of the three hour exams plus 12.5% of the final exam score.

Because one missed hour exam will, in effect, be “forgiven,”

Also, this exam weighting system means that

Academic Honesty

All work submitted by a student is expected to represent his or her own work. Students are expected to enter their own homework on the online homework system, without assistance from others. Students are expected to perform all work in conformance with the University policies regarding Academic Honesty.