Lecturer: Professor James A. Dockal Office room 129 Deloach Hall. Telephone 962-3494. Email dockal(at)UNCW.edu
Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 to 12:00 am. Sometimes I may not be there as I have numerous committee meetings and sometimes I just need to get a cup coffee. You may stop by any other time is I am in my office. Please feel free to come by even just to shoot the breeze my door is always open to you..
Objective: Your primary objective in this course is to learn how to observe, describe, and interpret sedimentary rocks. Along the way you will learn something about applied mathematics, philosophy, and reality. Since one of the hidden objectives of this course is to develop your geologic vocabulary it is advised that you familiarize yourself with the "Glossary of Geology" which can be found in the Randall Library reference section. Also, so you can see how geoscientists communicate their ideas, you are expected to skim the current issues of the Journal of Sedimentary Research for things that may be of interest. Another hidden objective of this course is the development of your professional work ethic. Consider that while you are in class that you are on the job. Be on time, stay the entire duration, do not take excessive breaks during lab, be courteous to your fellow workers (students) and any faculty who may be present and no working on another job while engaged in this job.
Text Book: Sedimentary Petrology, 3rd Edition, Maurice E. Tucker. The text book is intended to serve as a reference source for the course. You will not always have assigned readings per se from this however you are expected to read those portions of the text that are relevant to the current lecture topic prior to class discussion of that topic. You will read the text book cover-to-cover before the end of the course. You will be tested heavily on the content of the text book both during the midterm exam and the final exam. Study the text book on a daily basis. This text book is a tool that you will use later in your professional careers.
Laboratory Manuel: Your lab manual is a part of these web pages, see the calendar for specific exercises. You are expected to read through the lab exercise prior to coming to class. If I instruct you not to print out a particular lab exercise then do not do so as you will be wasting a lot of paper and more importantly expensive colored ink. In stead of printing these out you should read through them thoroughly and then write down in you lab notebook specifically what it is that you are expected to do during the lab exercise.
Lab Materials: You need to bring a 10X hand lens to each lab session. You will need to obtain a specific type of notebook for the keeping of laboratory data. This will be one of those cheap "Marble Cover-80 Sheets" that you can find in the general supplies section of the bookstore or in most supermarkets in Wilmington. You will keep a good set of records in this using only a pencil. I strongly suggest that if you do not wear glasses that you wear safety glasses when viewing through the microscope.
Assignments: Work that you are given to do and turn in is due at the assigned date and not later. The method of how you turn in work will vary but much of it will be via email, follow directions when given..
Information Technology: We will make extensive use of information technology in the course. I expect you to check this web page on a regular basis as any course changes will be posted here. I expect that you have an email account and are that you are proficient in it use. All emails sent to me relative to this course must have the subject "GLY 312". I will ignore all other emails. Most of the assigned work in this course will be sent to me via email attachments. The naming protocol for attachments is such: the name will consists of the first five characters of your last name followed by two numbers and then the file type. For example, the first thing that you will send me is some answers to some word problems (see the calendar below), this will be written in Microsoft Word and the file name for a Mr. Jones will be 'jones01.doc'. The next attachment that Mr. Jones sends will be named 'jones02.xcl'. You will make use of Microsoft Word and Microsoft EXCEL in this course. If you are not proficient with either of these make use of the campus on-line short courses for these. The first laboratory exercise requires that you use EXCEL. If you have a lap top computer and you wish to use it in class by all means do so. Deloach Hall is now also equipped with a wireless network system so if you have the proper card in your lap top computer you can connect to the campus network anywhere in Deloach Hall including from your laboratory bench. You may find this to be really useful.
Grading: You will have a midterm exam, an in-lab exam on carbonate grains and a final exam. There will be some homework exercises to be turned in for a grade. There will be laboratory material to turn in for evaluation including your lab data notebook. Do not turn in work late as I am very aggressive at downgrading such work. If you have a really good reason for missing an exam I will give you a make-up exam at my convenience. If you miss the final exam for any reason you will be given an incomplete for the course and you will make up the exam early next Spring Semester at my convenience. If you are absent for any laboratory exercise it is up to you to do the work on your own. Materials will generally be available in the lab room for several weeks.
Guidelines for grading in this course:
A is an exceptional grade reserved for excellent students, indicating distinctly superior work. The student who received this grade has thoroughly mastered the subject, displayed marked initiative and intellectual curiosity and produced creative work of a superior quality.
B is an above average grade for general achievement of a high order. The student who receives this grade has intelligently fulfilled the requirements of the course and has achieved excellence in some aspect of the work, such as completeness and accuracy of knowledge, independence of work, and originality and insight.
C is a basic grade for satisfactory performance of the work required, as may fairly be expected of any student of normal college ability who gives to the course a reasonable amount of time, effort and attention. The student who receives this grade, therefore, has shown evidence of knowledge about the contents and methods of the course, growth in the use of the same, full participation in the work of the class, and an open, active, and discriminating mind.
D is a grade indicating inferior work, which in one or more important aspects falls below the minimum acceptable standard for graduation, but is of sufficient quantity and quality to count in the credits required for graduation.
F is a failing grade for definitely unsatisfactory work, which carries no credit.
Honor Policy: All assigned work I expect to be original work on your part. In lab you will team up at times to gather data but the evaluation of the data will be an individual thing. Violation of such results in negative credit. Cheating on exams earns a course grade of F.
Attendance: You are expected to come to class and to come to class on time and to stay the full duration. If your are ill stay home and get well. When in class your are working on Sedimentary Petrology not some other class.
Audits: Such are welcome as long as there is room. You are expected to attend class on a regular basis and you will take the exams.
Schedule for Fall 2005 Subject to changes
University of North Carolina Wilmington.......The Seahawks
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This page has been created and is maintained by James A. Dockal
dockal(at)uncw.edu