PHYS 224 - Introductory Physics III

(Based on Prof. Ian George’s previous Phys 224 courses)

Policies & Expectations

PHYS 224 is not an easy course. While the first few lectures may appear 'trivial', it quickly becomes quite mathematical (& perhaps even somewhat abstract) once the complex exponential formulism is introduced. That notwithstanding, for many students the 'simple' examples studied in the course seem (at first sight in PHYS 224) to be either 'trivial', 'irrelevant' or even 'boring'.

However PHYS224 is the final 'stepping-stone' (=Pre-requiste) to many Upper-level courses in the Physics Major (& other Majors). Hence it introduces students to the concepts & techniques they will encounter again (& again) in these Upper-level courses.

Policy on Attendance
Attendance at most lectures is optional - the only exceptions being for Quizzes and Exams (see below). Despite being optional, it should be stressed that you are are strongly encouraged to attend the lectures. They are an integral part of the course.

A note on Classroom Etiquette: You are expected to show the professor and your fellow students respect. You are expected to arrive prior to the start of the lecture, and not to leave until after the end of the lecture. You are expected to pay attention to the lecture, and usually to take notes. Behavior such as reading non-course related material, wearing headphones, disrupting fellow students etc are unacceptable. If you need to clarify a point with your neighbor, please do so in a "hushed manner". You are encouraged to ask questions, but to do so you are expected to raise your hand & wait to be called upon.
Please turn cell-phones OFF prior to entering the lecture hall.
Please do NOT use laptops or PDAs during class

Policy on Exams & Quizzes
There will be no make-up given for exams or quizzes, except in exceptional circumstances that can be fully documented. (Things like "my car would not start" do not count.) However, note that your (single) lowest Quiz-score will not count towards your grade, so do not worry if you miss one. You will be informed at least one lecture beforehand of an upcoming Quiz or Test (during the lecture and/or via WWW announcements) along with the subject matter that will be included. In most cases, Quiz questions will be closely related to material covered in the preceeding lectures and/or the preceeding homework.

Make sure you read & understand the "rules" and consequences of academic misconduct (see below).

Policy on Grading etc
Dr Martins will determine all final grades. See the summary of how your grade will be calculated in the grading method topic at the course Home Page. Your final grade is based on your actual total score (I do not simply use the distribution of grades: you'll all get an A if you deserve one; or an F if unfortunately you all deserve one of those instead). However, since the same questions are not used every year, plus up to 3% in extra credits are available (determined only at the end of the course), the exact values used will not be made public. However you will be informed of your potential grade following the two Mid-term exams, and kept appraised of your progress following each Quiz.
You have one week from receiving a grade to appeal.

Academic (Mis)Conduct
Cheating will not be tolerated. We all know what that means, so I am not going to list all the possible "dos & donts". However here are a few pointers:

Quizzes & Exams are to be completed alone (not with the help of your neighbors), aided only by a (non-programmable) calculator (no notes, books, PDAs etc).
Lab Work is to be completed with your lab partners; your Lab Reports are to be completed by yourself (in conjunction with your lab partners) and must acurately reflect the experiment you performed & results as you obtained (not the results you think you should have obtained).

The consequences of misconduct will be severe, and may be reported to the Academic Conduct Committee. See also the UMBC Academic Integrity site, and in particular the Student Academic Conduct Policy.
If you are uncertain as to whether something is allowed: ASK FIRST!!