IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE SPRING 2006 SEMESTER:
- First class meeting: Tues., Jan. 17 (first day of UT classes)
- Last day of the official add/drop period: Fri., Jan. 20
- Last day to drop a class with a possible refund: Wed., Feb. 1
- Last day to drop a class with an automatic "Q": Mon., Feb. 13
- Last day to drop except for non-academic reasons: Mon., Mar. 27
(after this date, it becomes extremely difficult to drop a course)
- Optional comprehensive final exam - You will have to take this if you miss
one of the hour exams: Sat., May 13, 9 AM - noon
INSTRUCTOR POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS: If you do not engage actively
with the course material and activities, you will fail to get the full benefit of
enrolling in this class. To get your money's worth, it is important to attend class
regularly, prepare for class as announced in advance (e.g. by reading the assigned
textbook chapters), turn in assignments that are legible and on time, and treat your
instructor and fellow with respect. It makes life more pleasant for everyone if you
come to class on time (late arrivals create noise and distraction), turn off the audio
ring on your cell phone, and do not read, rustle newspapers, or talk to other students
during the class (unless asked to do so for a class activity). I also expect that you will
not use laptops for activities - email, chat groups, browsing, etc. - unrelated to what
is occurring in the classroom at that moment; this is distracting to fellow students
and the instructor.
OBTAINING INFORMATION: The primary sources for information and updates about
class activities, homework due dates, dates of and material to be covered on quizzes and
exams, etc., are (1) announcements made in class, and (2) the class website (see top of page 1).
It is your responsibility to stay informed about these events from these sources or by asking
an individual classmate. In a class of this size, it is not feasible for the instructor or TA to provide a
detailed reprise of a missed class to each student who misses a particular class session, nor
should you post such a request to the entire class via Blackboard. I will not be using Blackboard;
instead, I will use our own class website for announcements and links to readings, Study Guides,
answers to quizzes, responses to student feedback, etc. Other materials are available at
http://www.masteringastronomy.com
(the publisher's website). An access
code that you can use to register for this site is packaged with each copy of the textbook.
GETTING HELP: Once the class enrollment and Teaching Assistant (T.A.) assignments
are finalized, we will schedule weekly office hours for the T.A.s as well as the instructor. There
will also be T.A.-led help sessions, scheduled at a rate of about one or two per week depending
on when homework is due and the dates of quizzes or exams. The help sessions will generally
be in the late afternoons or early evenings, in Robert Lee Moore Hall. It is also possible to
contact the instructor or a T.A. by email. We hope that many of your questions will be answered
through postings on the class website, which will include responses to in-class activities,
quiz answer files, or the FAQ ("frequently asked questions") page. Please call on us for help;
that's what we're here for!
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