Equivalent Weekly Group: Each 305 semester contains 14 weeks of material. The course material is conveniently divided into 14 full weeks of material. TR and MW sections have a total of 28 meetings of 75 minutes each while MWF sections have a total of 42 meetings of 50 minutes each. A TR and MW equivalent weekly group (EWG) consists of two class meetings, and an MWF EWG consists of three class meetings. The course material and pacing for all sections is divided around 14 EWG’s as defined in the table on the previous page.
Websites: The McGrawHill website given below will serve as one of two central resources for this class throughout the semester. This website contains your text book and it provides the only interface for turning in your homework. Membership in this website can be established by entering the code that you purchased at the bookstore or you can simply go to the website and join directly without interfacing with a bookstore. Use this URL only, and only this URL for Lowery’s CVEN 305 section 508 class or your grades will not be recorded.
http://connect.mheducation.com/class/305-18a-508
Daily Videos: There is a set of video lectures organized by chapter and topic available on Dr. Brackin’s personal web site at the following address:
http://www.michaelsbrackin.com/cven305/
This link will provide access to the course videos. The password to access the videos at the above address is “Videos”. The videos are only accessible to those formally enrolled in CVEN 305 and the password is case sensitive.
The distribution of the videos is presented in the course coverage table. It is your responsibility to watch all of the videos prior to the specific topics being addressed in class. You should refer to the textbook reading assignments presented in the course coverage table, the video assignments presented in the course coverage table, and the weekly homework assignments presented on the McGrawHill website to pace yourself through the videos.
A small amount of class time will be devoted to clarifying information that is presented in the videos that may need further explanation or discussion. However, the bulk of our class time will be spent on pertinent examples and expansion of the material presented in the videos. It will be very hard for you to do well in this class unless you watch all of the videos in a timely manner.
Weekly Quizzes: Weekly quizzes will be administered every Wednesday except for March 14, 2018 or as otherwise noted in class. The weekly quizzes will consist of one question each. The questions that appear on the weekly quizzes will be inspired by homework problems that are due up to and including the day of the weekly quiz, and on problems that are covered in class.
You will be expected to present a complete solution that contains all necessary figures, Free-Body-Diagrams, units, appropriate sign conventions. Your solution should be presented in a logical and methodical manner. You should provide an organized summary of your result. Often this will involve simply entering your answer in the blank provided.
All 305 class weekly quizzes will be graded using Beason’s Qualitative Grading Rubric as presented on my personal website. Please note that if your solution presentation is not clear and neat, an addition 2.5 will be deducted.
Homework: All homework is accessed through the McGrawHill website identified above. Your homework answers must be submitted through this website. This is the only way that you can receive credit for the assigned homework. The homework will be due as indicated on the McGrawHill website.
While you will not actually turn your paper work in for grading, I would advise you to prepare formal solution reports on 8-1/2” x 11” engineering paper using a pencil/pen and your hand for each problem assigned. An acceptable engineering paper template is presented on http://michaelsbrackin.com/cven305/ if you do not want to buy commercial engineering paper. You are free to construct your own custom paper or use free engineering paper that you received from potential employers.
All work should be presented on one side of the paper only. Begin each new problem on a new sheet. Your name, course, section number, problem number, and due date must appear at the top of each page. The current page number as well as the total number of pages in the assignment must appear in the upper right corner of each page. Initial each page in the lower right hand corner of your paper. The body of the report for each problem will consist of seven sections:
Problem: Give a problem statement in complete sentences.
Given: State all that is known about the problem in complete sentences.
Required: State what you have been asked to determine in complete sentences.
Figures: Almost every problem in this course will require a detailed Free-Body-Diagram in support of your solution! Draw all figures using a straight edge, show an appropriate and consistent set of units, number each figure, and when appropriate in the solution refer to a figure by its number.
Solution: Present your solution in a logical and methodical manner.
Summary: Provide an organized summary of the problem by listing each item from the required statement followed by its corresponding result from the solution section.
Initials: Initial each page in the lower right hand corner in indelible ink to indicate that you take full responsibility for the contents of the solution.
I would advise you to assemble all of the numbered calculation sheets for each assignment in a homework notebook. This notebook will be a very valuable resource as you prepare for the comprehensive final. In addition, you should bring your notebook with you should you need help during office hours or at the mechanics help desk.
Attendance at Weekly Quizzes and Final: It is your responsibility to be aware of the dates and times of the weekly quizzes and the final exam. Changes, if any, to the printed dates and times will be announced in class. Information presented by the University regarding the timing of the final exam supersedes anything printed herein.
A university excused absence is required to justify an absence from a weekly quiz or the final exam at the announced time and place as defined below. A doctor’s note must include a statement that you could/cannot appear for valid medical reasons. The mere fact that you happened to be in a doctor’s office at the time of the examination is not sufficient. The instructor should be notified of any impending absences well in advance of the scheduled date if possible.
Do not attempt to postpone a quiz/exam on the same day that it is scheduled. It will be extremely hard to locate the instructor on the day of the quiz/exam because he/she will be involved in final preparations for the quiz/exam.
For authorized absences, the instructor will chose to either give a makeup or exclude the missed material from the final grade calculations at their discretion. [Note from Lowery: For properly documented, discussed, and approved absences, we will have a make-up session towards the end of the semester.
No credit will be given for unauthorized absences.
Excused Absences (excerpt from Student Rules:)
http://student-rules.tamu.edu/
(Lowery: I am more flexible than this, so you can discuss it with me.)
7.1 The student is responsible for providing satisfactory evidence to the instructor to substantiate the reason for absence. Among the reasons absences are considered excused by the university are the following: (1Muster)
7.1.1 Participation in an activity appearing on the university authorized activity list. (see List of Authorized and Sponsored Activities)
7.1.2 Death or major illness in a student’s immediate family. Immediate family may include: mother, father, sister, brother, grandparents, spouse, child, spouse’s child, spouse’s parents, spouse’s grandparents, stepmother, step-father, step-sister, step-brother, step-grandparents, grandchild, step-grandchild, legal guardian, and others as deemed appropriate by faculty member or student’s academic Dean or designee.
7.1.3 Illness of a dependent family member.
7.1.4 Participation in legal proceedings or administrative procedures that require a student’s presence.
7.1.5 Religious holy day. (See Appendix IV.)
7.1.6 Injury or Illness that is too severe or contagious for the student to attend class.
7.1.6.1 Injury or illness of three or more days. For injury or illness that requires a student to be absent from classes for three or more business days (to include classes on Saturday), the student should obtain a medical confirmation note from his or her medical provider. The Student Health Center or an off-campus medical professional can provide a medical confirmation note only if medical professionals are involved in the medical care of the student. The medical confirmation note must contain the date and time of the illness and medical professional’s confirmation of needed absence.
7.1.6.2 Injury or illness less than three days. Faculty members may require confirmation of student injury or illness that is serious enough for a student to be absent from class for a period less than three business days (to include classes on Saturday). At the discretion of the faculty member and/or academic department standard, as outlined in the course syllabus, illness confirmation may be obtained by one or both of the following methods:
- Texas A&M University Explanatory Statement for Absence from Class form available at http://attendance.tamu.edu.
- Confirmation of visit to a health care professional affirming date and time of visit.
7.1.6.3 An absence for a non acute medical service does not constitute an excused absence.
7.1.7 Required participation in military duties.
7.1.8 Mandatory admission interviews for professional or graduate school which cannot be rescheduled.
You will be expected to comply with both 7.1.6.2.a and 7.1.6.2.b to receive an excused absence.
Academic Integrity Statement:
“An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do.” Students are expected to understand and abide by the Aggie Code of Honor presented on the web at: http://student-rules.tamu.edu/aggiecode. No form of scholastic misconduct will be tolerated. Academic misconduct includes cheating, fabrication, falsification, multiple submissions, plagiarism, complicity, etc. These are more fully defined in the above web site. Violations will be handled in accordance with the Aggie Honor System Process described on the web site.
Copyright Statement:
The handouts used in this course are copyrighted. By “handouts,” it is meant that all materials that have been generated for this course including those materials generated in all previous semesters. Such materials include but are not limited to syllabi, quizzes, exams, problem sets, worked problems, materials presented on my internet site, in-class materials, review sheets, additional problem sets, and/or solutions prepared for these materials. Because these materials are copyrighted, you do not have the right to copy them, or possess copies of them outside of the normal course uses for which they were intended. Certain violations of these copyrights can be treated as violations of academic integrity and will be handled in accordance with the Aggie Honor System Process described on the following web site: http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu
Americans with Disabilities Act:
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact Disability Services, currently located in the Disability Services building at the Student Services at White Creek complex on West Campus or call 979-845-1637. For additional information visit http://disability.tamu.edu.
It is your responsibility to contact the Office of Disability Services and notify me early in the semester if you intend to exercise your rights under the ADA. The Office of Disability Services is in complete charge of administering the ADA provisions. The Office of Disability Services has very strict rules regarding scheduling and timing. You must clear your participation in the ADA program with the Office of Disability Services early in the semester.