AOSC 493: Senior Research I
Instuctor: Dr. Tim Canty
Email: [protected e-mail]
Office: CSS 3427
Phone: 5-5360
www.atmos.umd.edu/~tcanty/aosc493
Office Hours:
Wednesday 3:30-5:00 PM or by appointment
Textbook:
by: David M. Schultz
Lectures: Monday 2-3:00pm, Friday 2-3:30pm
Classroom: ATL 3408 but this may change periodically.
Know your rights!
For more information regarding your rights as a student, please visit the following website:
http://www.ugst.umd.edu/courserelatedpolicies.html
Grades:
Overall grades will be determined as follows
| Class Participation | 30% |
| Public Presentation | 35% |
| Prospectus Paper | 35% |
Incompletes are only given under extremely extenuating circumstances that are beyond your control and only when much of the work required for the class has been completed.
Class attendence is expected. However, I understand that you may need to miss class due to illness, interviews, etc. Please let me know in advance if you will miss class. Missing, showing up late, leaving early for an excessive number of classes will impact your participation grade.
Grades cannot be based on perceived effort. What one person feels is a great deal of work may be insignificant to someone else.
Here's how letter grades will be assigned:
Points Letter
Grade
96 – 100 A+
93 – 95.9 A
90 – 92.9 A–
86 – 89.9 B+
83 – 85.9 B
80 – 82.9 B–
76 – 79.9 C+
73 – 75.9 C
70 – 72.9 C–
66 – 69.9 D+
63 – 65.9 D
60 – 62.9 D–
below 60.0 F
Class Participation:
During class we will work on presentation and research skills. We will work together to help each other improve the visual, oral, and written presentation skills that are needed for future success. My goal is to maintain a mutually supportive environment where we can give and receiving criticism in a way that helps us all become better presenters. These are skills that will help you whether you choose to stay in our field or not. EVERYONE has room for improvement!
Public Presentation:
At the end of the semester you will be giving a 15 minute presentation of your research that is open to the public. This talk is a prospectus defence where you will (among other things):
convince the audience that you understand what you are doing
describe what the sciencetific community has already done
explain what data and tools you will be using and why
present preliminary results (if any).
Audience members will be given evaluation forms and will critique your presentation. The evaluations provided by faculty members and representatives from the research/professional community will be used to determine your overall grade on this requirement. These talks will be given during the last week of classes on December 5.
Prospectus Paper:
At the end of the semester you will submit a prospectus paper (due Dec 12) that will go into much greater detail the information presented in your talk. This will be the framework for your final paper that you will submit in the Spring. The paper will be give an overview of the state of the science related to your work, describe the data sets and/or computer models you will be using, preliminary results (if any), and basically convince your readers that you know what you are doing. It will, of course, be properly cited and include figures/tables to support your work.
Academic Accommodations:
If you have a documented disability, you should contact Accessibility & Disability Services (0106 Shoemaker Hall). Each semester students with documented disabilities should apply to ADS for accommodation request forms which you provide to professors as proof of your eligibility for accommodations. More information can be found on the ADS website:
https://www.counseling.umd.edu/ads/
Religious Observances:
The University System of Maryland policy provides that students should not be penalized because of observances of their religious beliefs, students shall be given an opportunity, whenever feasible, to make up within a reasonable time any academic assignment that is missed due to individual participation in religious observances. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any intended absences for religious observances in advance. Notice should be provided as soon as possible but no later that the end of the schedule adjustment period. Prior notification is especially important in connection with final exams, since failure to reschedule a final exam before the conclusion of the final examination period may result in loss of credits during the semester.
Academic Honesty:
The student-administered Honor Code and Honor Pledge prohibits students from cheating on exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying papers, submitting fraudulent documents and forging signatures. Compliance with the code is administered by the Student Honor Council, which strives to promote a community of trust on the College Park campus. Any instances of academic dishonesty will immediately be referred to the Honor Council.