Physics 106N - How Things Work - Spring, 1997
Course Rules
The rules in this list may seem rather harsh and arbitrary but they
are essential to maintaining the integrity of the course. I have stories
to tell about each rule. Some of these stories are predictable and easy
to imagine while others are stranger than fiction. Although most of you
will never come up against any of the rules, I have a handful of students
each semester who just cannot seem to avoid them. If these rules are going
to cramp your style, then this class is probably not for you. -- Lou Bloomfield
Written Work:
- All homework must be placed either in the locked box in the lecture
hall or in the locked drop box outside my office. Homework turned in elsewhere
will not be accepted.
- Exam booklets and bubble sheets must be placed in the boxes at the
front of the lecture hall upon completion. Exam materials not placed in
these boxes will not be accepted.
- I never lose any written work that is turned in properly. Claims that
I have lost your problem set, term paper, or examination will not be considered
under any circumstances.
Grading and Regrading:
- All grading is final except in cases where the scores were added or
recorded incorrectly. However, I may, at my option, regrade materials that
are brought to me in person during the 48 hour period after the class at
which those materials were returned. I will not regrade illegible problem
sets or term papers that have not been adequately proofread.
- Regrading may result in lower scores. If you bring in a friend's paper
for comparison, that person must sign the paper to indicate that they understand
that I will also regrade it and that its score may be lowered as a result.
- No regrading will be done after the semester grades have been sent
out via email.
- The final exam will not be regraded under any circumstances.
- I will not tell people how close they came to the next higher semester
grade. That information only promotes grade grubbing, a practice that I
strongly discourage.
Problem Sets:
- Problem sets should be written neatly in ink or typed. Separate sheets
must be stapled together and your name must be written on all sheets. Check
that your problem sets are complete. Missing sheets will not be accepted
later.
- I will not regrade a problem set that was written in pencil under any
circumstances.
- Problem sets may be discussed together but you must write them up separately
and in your own words. Points will be deducted from all problem sets
that are found to have similar answers, regardless of who obtained those
answers from whom.
- Problem sets are due on Mondays: PS 1 is due on February 3, 1997, PS
2 is due on March 24, 1997, and PS 3 is due on April 7, 1997. I will deduct
10% of the numerical grade for each day a problem set is late. Once the
solutions have been posted on the fifth day (Friday afternoon), the problem
sets are no longer acceptable under any circumstances.
- If you find someone else who has a nearly identical answer but received
more credit than you, I will not necessarily raise your grade. That person
may have received more than they deserved and the proper action would be
for me to lower that person's grade.
Term Paper:
- The term paper is due on Monday, April 21, 1997, in class. I will deduct
one grade step (A becomes A-) for each day the term paper is late (including
Saturday and Sunday). After the seventh day (Monday, April 28, 1997), term
papers are no longer acceptable under any circumstances.
- Term papers must be written in your own words. Copying material essentially
word-for-word from another source without crediting it as a quotation is
plagiarism and will not be tolerated. Extensive quotations make for a very
poor paper.
- You may not work together with anyone on an individual term paper.
If you are writing a group term paper, you may work together only with
the 1 or 2 other members of your group.
- Term papers may not be written on objects that are part of the course
syllabus. A list of such forbidden topics is part of this packet.
- I will not assist in topic selection for the term papers after Monday,
April 14, 1997.
- You may not use the same topic you used in a previous semester of How
Things Work.
Exams:
- The midterm exam will be given on Friday, February 28, 1997, from 1:00PM
to 1:50PM. The final exam will be given on Wednesday, May 7, 1997, from
9:00AM to 12:00Noon. If you miss either exam without prior permission from
me, you will receive a score of 0 for that exam. There are no exceptions
except fully documented medical emergencies that prevent you from telephoning
me or my answering machine. In case of a family emergency you or the deans
must notify me at (804) 924-6595 before the end of the exam.
- The exams must be taken in either Room 203, Room 204, or Room 205 of
the Physics Building, unless authorized by me. Under no circumstances may
exam materials ever leave these rooms during the exam. If you remove your
exam materials from one of these rooms, even briefly, you will receive
a score of 0 on the exam.
- If you miss the start of an exam, you will still be expected to turn
the exam in at the regular time. If you miss the exam entirely, you will
receive a 0.
- I will consider compelling reasons for an alternative midterm time
only up until Friday, February 21, 1997. After that time, you must take
the midterm exam as scheduled.
- I will consider compelling reasons for delaying your final exam only
up until Wednesday, April 30, 1997. After that time, you must take the
midterm exam as scheduled. You must also get permission from the Dean.
All late finals will be given as 1 hour oral examinations.
General:
- I will not sign any petitions to change the grading from Credit/No-Credit
to Letter Grade or vice versa after the Credit/No-Credit deadline. Check
your registration form carefully.
- I will not sign any petitions to add into the course after the Add
deadline. Check your registration forms carefully.
- I do not give any extra credit work.
- Permission for exceptions from the normal classwork schedule must be
requested in advance. I will not make exceptions after the fact.
- I will not fail a student who makes a serious effort at all
the assigned work. If you do not turn in a homework assignment or do not
take an exam, you may fail the course.
- I will immediately fail any student who submits for a grade work that
is not their own or permits another student to do so.
- I will immediately fail any student who submits for a regrade any work
that was modified after it was graded.
- I will immediately fail any student who lies to me in an effort to
improve their grade or to obtain any special consideration or exception
from the normal classwork schedule.
- I will immediately fail any student who attempts to intimidate me or
harass me in an effort to improve their grade or to obtain any special
consideration or exception from the normal classwork schedule.
- I will consider any of the following actions to be an honor violation
and will submit them to the honor committee for prosecution: (1) cheating
on an exam, (2) plagiarism on the term paper, (3) copying from another
student's term paper, (3) copying from another student's problem set without
their permission, (4) vandalism of or tampering with the drop box outside
my office.
- The honor pledge is implicit for the term paper and the exams. By turning
in any one of those items, with or without a written pledge, a student
agrees to be bound by the honor pledge and the honor system with regard
to that item.