Document Actions
Undergraduate and Graduate Education
Texas A&M University faculty and researchers have engaged in a range of education activities related to polar science including: development of courses, support of graduate student research, and involvment of students in field work.
Of particular note is the develoment of a directed studies course for undergraduate and graduate students capitalizing on the International Polar Year 2007-2008.
GE0SCIENCES 401/601 - Earth’s Polar Regions: Science, Society, and Discovery
Instructor:
Mahlon C. Kennicutt II
Emial: m-kennicutt@tamu.edu
Office Phone No.: 979-458-4345
Office Location: Rm 608 Oceanography and Meterology Building
Office Hours: By Appointment
Course Description: 
This course will educate undergraduate and graduate students about “cutting-edge” polar science and research. The Polar Regions are an international focus for science, research, and technological development. Polar research is conducted in both Polar Regions including investigations of linkages to the Earth system. Polar research by its nature is multi- and inter-disciplinary in scope and international in participation. Knowledge of and exploration in the Polar Regions will be used to educate and excite the next generation of engineers, scientists, and leaders. Polar research spans a wide range of scientific disciplines across the physical sciences, social sciences and engineering. The role and importance of the Polar Regions in the earth system, and their interactions with human systems, will be emphasized.
This course provides a broad overview of the relevant disciplines and topics that define modern polar science with perspectives from the north and the south. The course is primarily lecture in style. The course presentations include invited lectures by renowned polar scientists drawn from across the nation and from within Texas A&M University faculty and researchers. Extensive web based activities and resources will be used to enhance the in-class experience. The course will include a series of lectures on the history of the Polar Regions (including International Polar Years), basic polar geosciences (oceanography, atmospheric sciences, geography, geology, and geophysics), major Arctic and Antarctic science projects, and special topics usually determined by the guest lecturers. Students will participate in two individual projects producing a written report and a team project producing a written report and a class presentation.
Note: GEOS 401, Section 200 Honors Credit - Honors students' written assignments will be expected to be more comprehensive and in-depth than non-honors undergraduate reports. Honors students' reports will be graded more stringent on content, clarity, scope, and accuracy. Honor students will be matched with Graduate students to assist in organizing and supervising the team project. Honors students are expected to actively participate in the in-class presentation. Honors students' team project grading will take into account the quality of the organization and participation in the team project.
Note: GEOS 601 Credit - Graduate students' written assignments will be expected to be more comprehensive and in-depth than undergraduate reports. Grading will be more stringent on content, clarity, scope, and accuracy for graduate student reports. Graduate students will be expected to lead the team projects organizing and supervising the undergraduate participants. Graduate students' team project grading will take into account the organization and participation of the team.
Learning Objectives/Outcomes
- to comprehend that the earth is a co-dependent system of systems,
- to recognize the importance of the polar regions in the earth system,
- to analyze the conflicting evidence of global change and its ramifications,
- to write an analysis of other's programs in your own words,
- to integrate multiple sources of information,
- to assess and judge the conclusions of others, and
- to determine the role of humans in earth system change.
Fall 2009 GEOS 401/601 Course Schedule and Associated Reading and Materials
Previous Offering of this Course as GEOS 489/689 in 2007 and 2008
Meeting Time and Location - 2009: 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM, CSA 302
Class web site - Updates to the syllabus as well as other course materials will be made available on this course website.
Textbooks and Readings
-
Course Textbook - There is no text book associated with this course. There are extensive reading lists associated with each topic as summarized in the Course Schedule.
Class Attendance - The university views class attendance as an individual student responsibility. The rules covering class attendance and excused absences can be found at http://student-rules.tamu.edu/search/rule7.htm. There are additional rules covering the observance of religious events. Rules and regulations regarding religious observances found at:
http://dof.tamu.edu/faculty/policies/religiousobservance.php.
Cellular Telephones - As a courtesy to the instructor and other students please turn off all cellular telephones and two-way pagers before the class begins. It extremely impolite to interrupt the class with a cellular telephone call.
Email - All Texas A&M students should use their email accounts when emailing the instructor. Class announcements will be distributed via the email system. It is your responsibility to regularly check your email account. See Student Rule 61 governing the use of Texas A&M University email accounts. All written reports are to be provided by the due date by email to the instructor at m-kennicutt@tamu.edu.
Grading - Your grade in this class will be based on class projects as described below:
- There are no in-class or final exams.
- Class participation - Based on a combination of class attendance and participation in weekly question and answer sessions - 10%
- There are two individual projects each accounting for 20% of your grade.
-
Written report (10%), interactions with a polar education and public outreach activity (5%), and a 2-3 minute class presentation (5%).- 20%
-
Written report (10%), interactions with a polar science program (5%), and 2-3 minute class presentation (5%) - 20%
-
Assignment Description - Project #1 - Individual EPO
-
Assignment Description - Project #2- Individual Science
- There is one Team Project that accounts for 50% of your grade.
- Participation in a graduate/honors student lead team project (10%), written report (15%), and class presentation (20%) - 50%.
- Assignment Description - Project #3- Team IGY/IPY
- The grading for this course follows Texas A&M University Student Rule 10 - Grading.
- A – Excellent
- B – Good
- C – Satisfactory
- D – Passing
- F – Failing
Typical grading schemes follow these cutoffs: 90% A, 80-89% B, 70-79% C, 60-69% D, <60% F; an average performance will earn a satisfactory grade. There is no "curving" utilized in grading.
The ADA Statement. - “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 the Department of Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities in Room B118 of Cain Hall. The phone number is 845-1637.” For additional information see http://disability.tamu.edu/
Scholastic Dishonesty and Copyright Policy- Texas A&M has a Scholastic Dishonesty policy to which both students and faculty must comply. If you have any questions about the University’s Scholastic Dishonesty policy please review the Student Rules or see me. The Aggie Honor program is the new program that will handle all cases of academic dishonesty. http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor
All materials used in this class are copyrighted. These materials include but are not limited to syllabi, quizzes, exams, lab problems, in-class materials, review sheets, and additional problem sets. Because these materials are copyrighted, you do not have the right to copy the handouts, unless permission is expressly granted.”
As commonly defined, plagiarism consists of passing off as one’s own the ideas, words, writings, etc., which belong to another. In accordance with this definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another person and turn it in as your own, even is you should have the permission of that person. Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys the trust among colleagues without which research cannot be safely communicated.
If you have any questions regarding plagiarism, please consult the latest issue of the Texas A&M University Student Rules, http://student-rules.tamu.edu, under the section “Scholastic Dishonesty.”
“Aggies don’t lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those that do”
Release of student grades - Grades cannot be released by phone or e-mail, neither can they be circulated in class or posted with any part of the student’s UIN as an identifier. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)protects a student's University Identification Number (UIN). Additional information on FERPA is available at:
http://admissions.tamu.edu/Registrar/General/FERPA.aspx
Student Support - 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 the Department of Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities in Room B118 of Cain Hall. The phone number is 845-1637.” For additional information see http://disability.tamu.edu/. There are numerous other student support organizations on campus including:
- Center for Academic Excellence and Academic Assistance Clearinghouse; 525 Blocker, 845-2724, http://www.tamu.edu/cae
- Student Counseling Service - Henderson Hall, 845-4427, www.scs.tamu.edu, Helpline 5:00pm-8:00am: 845-2700