Instructor: Dr. Matt Marone Room 243 Science and Engineering Building
Phone 301-2597, e-mail: marone_mj@mercer.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Class: W 4:30-5:30 Science and Engineering Building Auditorium
Prerequisite: PHY 162
Physics seminar is a weekly one-hour seminar, which familiarizes students with current topics in physics and other areas of science and engineering. Seminar speakers will consist of a mixture of students, Mercer faculty members and invited guests. Attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to provide written summaries of each presentation. Each student will lead one discussion session and present one seminar. The details of these requirements are described below.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. You are expected to attend all seminars and to actively participate by asking questions or joining the discussion. If you miss a class due to a valid excuse, as defined by the university handbook (illness, emergency, class trips with prior notification), you will be given a make up assignment. Missing a class due to an unexcused absence will result in a deduction of 5 points from your final score.
Summaries: You will write a summary of each presentation. The summary should include definitions of new terms, a description of the main idea, discussion of any experiments, and conclusions. Your summaries are to be submitted electronically by e-mail. The subject of the e-mail must contain “PHY 300”, as my mail program will automatically sort them. Only send text, a summary containing an attachment will not be accepted. Summaries are due by 5:00pm Tuesday before the next seminar. Should you experience a computer problem while sending the e-mail, you must contact my by other means and explain the problem. Summaries are graded satisfactory or unsatisfactory. (S/U). If I do not receive your summary on time, it will be treated as an unsatisfactory. You are allowed one unsatisfactory grade before receiving a deduction. Unsatisfactory grades will result in a deduction of 5 points from your final score for each U.
Presentation: Each student is required to give two presentations. Students are free to choose the topic for the presentation, subject to the instructor’s approval. Students may find the following journal helpful in selecting topics; Physics Today, Physical Review, Scientific American, Nature and Science. An outline of the presentation is required two weeks before the presentation. Students are also required to visit with the instructor no later than one week before the presentation. The purpose of this visit is to discuss the details of the presentation and any problems.
Presentations will be about 20-30 minutes long and presented in a professional manner. The first presentation will comprise 40% and the second will comprise 60% of the student’s grade before deductions.
Grades: Presentations are graded on a 100-point scale, and evaluated in the following categories.
1. Demonstrated and understanding the material (25)
2. Engaged the audience (25)
3. Answered questions/ discussion (25)
4. Presentation well organized. (25)
1st presentation 40%, 2nd presentation 60%
A (90 and above), B+ (85-89), B (80-84), C+ (75-79), C (70-74), D (60-69) F (below 60)
Electronic Submission of Assignments:
Students bear sole responsibility for ensuring that papers or assignments submitted electronically to a professor are received in a timely manner and in the electronic format(s) specified by the professor. Students are therefore obliged to have their e-mail client issue a receipt verifying that the document has been received. Students are also strongly advised to retain a copy of the dated submission on a separate disk. Faculty members are encouraged, but not required, to acknowledge receipt of the assignment
Honor code: You are bound by the Mercer honor code. The College’s academic misconduct policy will be followed. All work, for which a grade is received, must be the original work of the student without aid or assistance of another party, or any printed and or electronic data/information. Academic misconduct cases will be referred to the honor council and the student will automatically receive a grade of incomplete (IC) pending a ruling by the honor council.
Cell Phone and Pager Usage: Out of courtesy for all those participating in the learning experience, all cell phones and pagers must be turned off before entering any classroom, lab, or formal academic or performance event.
Eating in class: Please do not eat in class. I do not mind if you drink, without drawing attention to yourself.
Sleeping in class: Please do not sleep in class, you will be asked to leave.
Classroom etiquette: You are expected to conduct yourself as a mature student, respectful of your classmates and instructor. You may be asked to leave the room if your behavior is disturbing the instructor or your fellow students.
Documented Disability
Statement:
Students with a documented disability should inform the instructor at the close of the first class meeting. The instructor will refer you to the office of Student Support Services (SSS) for consultation regarding evaluation, documentation of your disability, and recommendations for accommodation, if needed. Students will receive from SSS the Faculty Accommodation Form. On this form SSS will identify reasonable accommodations for this class. The form must be given to the course instructor for signature and then returned to SSS.
To take full advantage of disability services, it is recommended that students contact the Office of Student Support Services, immediately. The office is located on the third floor of the Connell Student Center.