Texts

• We will be using a variety of texts, including the Mineralogy text (Nesse: Introduction to Mineralogy) and the Petrology text (Winter: An Introduction to Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology). I have listed only one additional required text, Perkins, Minerals in Thin Section, which is fairly inexpensive. I have also listed a number of other resources as optional; these will be helpful in mineral identification.
• Together, these texts will serve as references and topical guides for the three main goals of the course: learning the full set of optical mineralogic skills (and understanding them), identifying a wide range of minerals in thin section, and using petrographic observations to answer petrologic questions.
• Bring Nesse and Perkins to class each day.

Online resources

This document is available online, as are many others revelant to the course (listed below, in part). You can get to the course's home page by a number of routes, the easiest of which is probably http://www.davehirsch.com. The page is also linked from the "Courses Online" section of the Geology Department's site (http://geology.wwu.edu).

• The tentative schedule of labs and lectures is available.
• The web contains superb resources for this course and for general earth science. Check out these links and others.
• I have posted a couple of anonymous comments forms. In this way you can give me feedback on my teaching. If you don't want to fill out the whole survey, you can just skip to the end of the form and write a comment in the space provided.
• You can check your course scores online, interactively!

Email

I must be able to contact you through email. You can make this happen in one of three ways:

1. Use your WWU email address on a regular basis. For those of you who require web access, there is a web email interface that is part of MyWestern. However, I realize that many of you prefer to stick with your old email addresses, or just don't like the MyWestern email.
2. Forward your non-WWU email to your WWU email account. This will re-send all email received at your current address instantly and automatically to your WWU email address. You will need to check with your current email provider to see how to do this; not all providers will allow it.
3. Forward your WWU email to your current email account. This will probably be the best option for most of you. There is an easy way to do this, in the email section of MyWestern. I've made a brief guide to help you with this.

Lab

• Because labs are for learning, not evaluation, they will be graded primarily on completeness; complete labs will be graded on a Check plus (11 pts), or Check (10 pts), or Check minus (9 pts) basis. Incomplete labs will not be accepted. Assignments handed-in after the beginning of the next lab are late. They may be turned in up to one week late for a grade reduction of one mark. No credit will be given for labs turned in later than one week after due.
• Exam - There will be a lab practical exam during the final lab session, which will focus on techniques covered in the lab sessions.

Grades

• 25% of the grade will be based on in-class evaluations.

This portion of the grade is calculated from the results of one lecture midterm exam (closed book), worth 200 points, and also of a number of very short quizzes in lecture and labs (collectively worth 50 points). The midterm date is listed on the schedule; attendance at the midterm exam is required. In general, a missed exam will be cause for a grade of 0, unless an acceptable medical excuse is is presented, or a leave of absence from the Office of Student Life. In general, make-up exams will not be given. The short quizzes mentioned above may not be announced in advance, and they cannot be made up if missed.

• 40% of the grade will be based on the final exams.

This portion of the grade is calculated from the results of the lecture and lab final exams - each is worth 200 points. The lecture final will be held as scheduled by the registrar (see Schedule). It will be comprehensive and closed-book, and it will cover primarily lecture material. The lab final will be an open-book practical exam, held outside of class time (see Schedule). It will focus on lab topics, and emphasize mineral identification in thin section and other techniques covered in lab.

• 35% of the grade will be based on non-exam work.

This portion of the grade is calculated from your laboratory work and any course homework (150 pts.) and the term project (200 pts.).

• The exam grades will be curved if necessary, by multiplying all grades by a value necessary to raise the mean grade to 72%. If the mean grade is greater then 72%, then the grade for that exam will not be curved.

Based on the above distribution, the maximum number of points possible will be (1000). Letter grades will be assigned by reference to the scale below. Although the cutoffs for each letter grade will not be assigned until the end of the course, they will be no harsher than the list below. For example: If your curved score is 86.5%, then the lowest grade you could get is a B, but you could get any higher grade as well).

Prerequisites

• Grade of C- or better in Geo 306
• Grade of C- or better in Chem 406

Other Important Notes

• Group work
  • There will be a number of occassions for group work, and group activities. Furthermore, I encourage you to form study groups, discuss questions about the material, and quiz each other on lab and lecture topics. There may even be some group assignments, where a group grade is assigned for work completed. However, you must do your own work on exams and on most assignments. If it is ever unclear what collaboration is acceptable on an assignment, ask your professor!
  • Anyone caught cheating on an exam or turning in work that is not his or her own will be dealt with in accordance with the General Catalog's Appendix D - Academic Dishonesty Policy and Procedure. If you're not familiar with this section, you may want to review it.
• Special exam conditions
  • If you have a condition verified by the Office of Student Life that requires non-standard exam conditions, you must notify me at least one week before the exam in question. I would prefer notification as soon as possible, preferably within the first two weeks of class.