Historical Geology Lecture Policies

Lecture Class Policies

GOL 106 is an introductory course that focuses on the physical, chemical and biological materials and processes that have continuously transformed the surface of our home planet. After completing the course, students should be familiar with the cycles of energy and material that occur on Earth and with the evolution of Earth's surface and the life that dwells there. There are no prerequisites for enrollment.


lecture meetings	2:00 to 3:20 pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 438 Bisdorf.
cancellation	If inclement weather, or other emergency, causes cancellation of a lecture meeting, I will post an alternative assignment on my home page as quickly as possible. Official college closures are announced on the NOVA home page and at 703-323-3770 (or at 703-330-3770 in Prince William County).
attendance	All lecture meetings are mandatory. The penalty for missing more than fifteen minutes of a meeting is the subtraction of one point (out of 100) from your final course grade. I will waive this rule only if you send me an email that provides a satisfactory reason for the absence.
electronic devices	You must obtain my prior permission before using any electronic device during lecture meetings.
lecture tests	There are four in-class lecture tests, given at approximately equal intervals during the semester. If you miss one of the first three tests, you must arrange to take a makeup exam within one week at the Testing Center. If you miss the final test, you must make an immediate arrangement with me to take a makeup.
research report	Shortly before the end of the semester, a written report on an assigned topic is due, based on internet and library research.
lecture grade	There are five components of the lecture grade: the four tests and the research report are worth 20% each. The lecture grade is 60% of your whole grade for GOL 106. (The remaining 40% is the lab grade.)
cheating	The lecture tests and research report are *not* group activities. Each must by completed by the individual student working alone. I reserve the right to penalize anyone that I catch cheating. The minimum penalty is a zero grade for the test or report. The maximum is expulsion from GOL 106 with a grade of "F".
plagiarism	Plagiarism is the submission, as if it were your own work, of essentially unaltered material written by someone else. Plagiarism is not limited to copying from printed sources, like books or magazines. If you copy and paste more than a phrase or two from a web site without acknowledging the true author, then you have plagiarized. Plagiarism will be treated as a form of cheating in this course. Please understand that using the ideas of others is not plagiarism. Otherwise, we would have to reconstruct historical geology by ourselves during the semester. To avoid plagiarism, restate any borrowed ideas in your own words before submitting a written assignment.
voluntary withdrawal	You may withdraw yourself from GOL 106 with a no-credit "W" grade until Friday, October 31. Until that date, you may also change your status to audit. After October 31, a "W" grade is possible only with documentation signed by the dean, and changes to audit status are prohibited.
involuntary withdrawal	If you are enrolled in GOL 106 but do not attend any lecture meetings through September 11, your enrollment will be cancelled, with no refund of tuition. At any time during the semester, if you do not contact me after missing six consecutive lecture meetings or after missing a test without taking a makeup exam within a week, you will be withdrawn with an "F" grade.
disability	If you require special accommodations because of a disability, you must submit appropriate documentation to the NOVA Counselor for Students With Disabilities. As soon as possible, give me a copy of the Accommodation Memorandum.