GEOMORPHOLOGY AERIAL PHOTO INTERPRETATION ES322 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Fall 2010 Term Western Oregon University 4 CR TR 2 00 3 50 PM Natural Sciences Bldg Rm 218 INSTRUCTOR Dr S Taylor OFFICE HOURS OFFICE RM 210 Natural Sciences Bldg M R 4 5 PM By Appointment Phone w 838 8398 cell 541 760 9216 e mail taylors wou edu Web Site www wou edu taylor COURSE DESCRIPTION Geomorphology is the study of the Earth s surface landforms and the processes that operate to form them over geologic time 102 to 106 years This course will examine a wide variety of landforms and processes with an emphasis on those associated with Oregon and the Pacific Northwest Studies will include systematic analysis of weathering processes soils mass wasting fluvial systems glacial phenomena tectonic landscapes volcanic areas and coastal regions Class lab exercises will include interpretation of aerial photographs map analysis and quantitative algebra trigonometry and statistics approaches to geologic problem solving THE PROFESSOR S PHILOSOPHY ON UPPER DIVISION EARTH SCIENCE GEOLOGY COURSES The upper division Earth Science Geology course sequence is designed for mature serious students who are willing to work hard play hard have fun and learn in depth skills concepts in a professional academic setting By default our student population is very diverse with a wide array of skills interests and career goals The student population ranges from serious Earth Science majors with focused career objectives to Geology Earth Science minors to Science Education majors As such the professor is charged with serving a diverse array of student interests and career goals in the most professional manner possible The problemsolving and technical skills acquired via training in the Earth Sciences are highly valuable and marketable regardless of career track Students are expected to actively participate in the learning process and make a significant contribution to the academic integrity of the Earth Science program at Western Oregon University The ultimate goal of the program is to provide graduates with the academic skills that will enable them to be highly competitive in graduate school or the career marketplace GO TEAM TEXT AND READING Ritter D F Kochel R C and Miller J R 2002 Process Geomorphology 4th Ed W C Brown Publishers Dubuque IA 539 pp Handouts online resources journal articles provided by instructor CLASS NOTES A comprehensive set of instructor class notes are available for download via the internet The class web site is at URL http www wou edu taylor and follow the links to the ES322 home page The class notes are available as Adobe Acrobat Reader files pdf file Acrobat Reader is free and is installed on many campus PC s For home installation Acrobat Reader is also available for download at the class web site but you will be responsible for properly installing the software Based on prior student suggestions I have assembled my class notes and made them available These notes may be freely printed at any campus internet station e g ITC Bldg Student Lab Library local department computer labs The notes are in outline form and are very comprehensive Exam Study Guides will also be posted on the web site as the term progresses 1 EVALUATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS Student performance will be evaluated on the basis of 2 exams Mid term Final and weekly lab exercises The following is a breakdown of evaluation points dates and letter grades Mid Term Exam 100 pts Final Exam 125 pts Class Lab Exercises 150 pts TOTAL 375 pts Final Grading Scale Percent Range Letter Percent Range Letter of Total Points Grade of Total Points Grade 94 100 90 94 87 89 83 86 80 82 A AB B B 77 79 C 73 76 C 70 72 C67 69 D 63 66 D 60 62 D 60 F Exams Exams will be administered at evenly spaced increments throughout the semester the final will be 20 comprehensive with test material drawn from throughout the term Exams will largely consist of essay questions and homework type problems Warning the exams are very comprehensive and will likely require a full 2 hours to complete please plan accordingly Make Up Exams Under NO circumstances will make up exams be administered without prior arrangement at least five days and good reason Please show up on exam day Class and Lab Assignments Class and lab assignments will be worked BOTH during class time and outside of class time each week You will have lab reading and homework assignments that may take up to 3 or 4 hours to complete outside of class time maybe more in some cases depending on your skill levels and ability Please plan your schedule accordingly Due dates for class exercises will be prescribed by the instructor Late work will be accepted up to 1 week after the due date but will be automatically assessed a penalty of 20 of the point total Due to the volume of students assigned to the instructor each term he will not be able to grade the lab exercise work in detail The homework and lab assignments will be checked for completeness with questions randomly chosen for content and accuracy Grade points will be assigned on the basis of these two criteria Exercise answer keys will be posted on the class web site by the instructor It is your responsibility to 1 check your work against the lab homework keys 2 make sure you understand how to complete the exercises 3 find help if you have trouble with lab exercises and 4 study learn the exercise skills and material for the exams A Note About Incompletes No incomplete grades will be given during the last week of class If you have a problem that warrants an incomplete make arrangements prior to the last week no exceptions 2 FIELD TRIP S Local field trips and field exercises may be scheduled during the term as time permits Please be aware that additional scheduling and personal time may be required as the course develops One confirmed weekend field trip is set for Friday Nov 12 Sun Nov 14 in conjunction with the structural geology class visiting the Coos Bay area Other field trip ideas during class time this term include field data collection in the Luckiamute river basin and the Monmouth cemetery STUDENT HONOR POLICY Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated Cheating includes copying others work and using cheat sheets on exams However students are encouraged to interact in small groups during class assignments i e you can freely discuss concepts in all portions of the class except exams OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS Students will also need access to a scientific calculator colored