For university courses, the universal, standard expectation is that students
should spend at least 2-3 hours per week outside of class for every credit
hour. For science classes, and for upper division science classes in
particular, the "2" above is generally considered to be insufficient. That
means for this class you should be spending at least nine hours a week
outside of class time reading the text, studying the lecture notes, and
doing the homework assignments. Students who do not devote enough
time to outside of class study should not expect to
perform well on tests and quizzes.
Problem Sets
Problem sets assignments can be found on the
course schedule page.
Problems should be completed by the following week, but
they will not be collected with the exception of one problem
from each problem set as described below.
You are expected to be able to work the problems without the aid
of the solutions. Partial solutions are provided so that you can
check your work after you have completed the
problem sets.
I will be collecting one homework problem at the
begining of each exam. Each collected problem is worth 20 points,
for a total of 140 points.
These problems are identified in boldface
on the schedule page. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Your solutions should be complete,
begin with first principles, and explain all of the steps toward the
final solution. You must draw and label figures when appropriate.
Exams
This course has seven exams, which may contain take home problems.
Each exam is worth 100 points.
The exams are based on material from lectures, assigned readings, and problems similar to those found in the weekly assignments.
Attendance & Absence Policy
Attendance is expected. There are no make-ups for a missed exams or quizzes without prior approval and documentation.
Grading
The final grade will be based on the total score from all examinations
and the collected homework.
Any student who achieves a percentile score of above
90% (756 pts.),
80% (672 pts.),
70% (588 pts),
60% (504 pts)
is guaranteed to receive an A, B, C, or D respectively. These percentile scores
may be adjusted downwards based on a class curve and other considerations.
Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in making reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. To request accommodations, students with special needs should make arrangements with the Student Disability Services (SDS) office, located on the main campus in room D104. Contact SDS via (773) 442-4595 or http://www.neiu.edu/university-life/student-disability-services.