ASTRONOMY, Astronomy 1904, Spring 2010

Instructor: Dr. Tony Stein   Office: 101-B
Email: tony.stein@swosu.edu   Phone: 774-3107
Web Page: http://faculty.swosu.edu/tony.stein
Office Hours:
My office hours are 9 AM MTWRF, 10 AM MWF, and 1 PM TR.
Text:
The Cosmic Perspective, 5e, by Bennet, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit (ISBN: 0-3215-0567-0)
Grades:
Your grades will be determined as follows:
Assignment Points per
Assignment		 Number of
Assignments		 Total Points
Tests 100 13.4% 3 300 40.3%
Quizzes 20 2.7% 10 200 26.8%
Final Exam 200 26.8% 1 200 26.8%
Star Chart Exam 45 6.0% 1 45 6.0%
Total       745 100.0%
The final grade will be determined from you final score as follows:
Grade Percent
Needed		 Points
Needed
A 90 671
B 80 596
C 70 522
D 60 447
Exams:
Three one hour exams, a star chart exam, and a final are scheduled. Each exam is closed notes and book and includes multiple choice, matching, true and false, and fill in the blank questions. Scantrons will be used and provided for each exam but the star chart exam which is strictly fill in the blank.
Exam Chapters (Approximate) Date
Exam # 1 Chapters 1–6 Feb. 4 (Thursday)
Star Chart Exam Handout Feb. 16 (Tuesday)
Exam # 2 Chapters 7–13 Mar. 11 (Thursday)
Exam # 3 Chapters 14–20 April 15 (Thursday)
Final Everything! May 5 (Wed.)
10:30–12:20
 
Quizzes:
Around twelve quizzes worth 20 points each will be given during the semester. We will have a quiz every Thursday in which a test is not scheduled and on the last day of class. The last quiz is optional. Quizzes will cover all material covered in class since the last quiz. Your 10 highest quiz scores will be used to calculate your total quiz score (out of 200 points).
Final:
The final will be comprehensive.
Star Chart Exam:
You will be tested over the names of constellations, stars, and other selected objects which may be seen in the evening skies this semester. The exam consists of filling in a blank star chart with the names of these selected obects including correct spelling.
Missed Quizzes or Tests
If you miss an exam or quiz due to a valid and unavoidable reason you may be able to take the quiz or exam at a different time, but you must take it before it is returned to the class. If it impossible for you to take an exam before it is returned then see me about about other arrangements such as a substitute grade. If it is reasonably possible for you to have arranged to make up the exam then a substitute grade will NOT be given and you will receive a zero for that exam.
Attendance:
Attendance is taken daily and can contribute to your final grade in terms of extra-credit depending on your attendance.
Disabilities:
Any student with a disability affecting his or her learning or performance must contact the instructor with in the first week of classes to discuss reasonable accomodations.
Cheating:
The minimum penalty is a zero for that exam or quiz and lowering your final course grade by one letter grade for each offense.
Withdrawing
You may withdraw until the end of the eleventh week with a "W". After this time, you will receive a "WF" unless your estimated grade at withdrawal is a "D" or better. STUDENTS WHO "DISAPPEAR" SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE IN PROCESSING THEIR OWN DROPS IN ORDER TO AVOID AN "F".
Learning Hints
There is a significant amount of memorization involved in this course. This is a 4 credit hour course. If you need significantly more than 3–6 hours per week study time then Please See Me!
Contacting Me
Feel free to contact me for any reason. My office number, email, and phone number are liste above. I if I am unavailable, then leave a message including how to get back to you.
Observatory and Star Chart Exam
See the handout given in class.
Extra Credit
You may earn up to 40 total points of extra credit points through the following.
  1. Observatory Observation sessions will be held on four separate weeks of the semester. Each week of attendance earns you 5 extra credit points.
  2. AttendanceYou may earn up to 20 extra credit points for attendance depending on the number of classes you miss. You must attend at least 85% of the classes to receive any of these extra credit points.