CPSG 200: Science & Global Change Sophomore Colloquium
The Search for Solutions: Resiliency in the Decade of Consequences

Fall 2021
CCC1100 Mon 3:30-4:50
SGC Website
Lecture Schedule Website
ELMS Canvas Website: http://elms.umd.edu/
Download an pdf file of this syllabus.

INSTRUCTORS:

Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Office: Centreville 1216
Phone: (301) 405-4084
E-mail: ELMS (preferred) or tholtz@umd.edu
Office Hours: Tue 10 am-noon or by appointment
Dr. John W. Merck, Jr.
Office: Geology 1119
Phone: (301) 405-4379
E-mail: ELMS or jmerck@umd.edu
Office Hours: Th 12-2 pm or by appointment

UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTS:

Brittan Farley
Office: TBA
E-mail: ELMS or bfarley3@terpmail.umd.edu
[Title your email "CPSG 200"]
Office Hours: Centreville 1215 M 2-3 pm

Andrea Johnson
Office: TBA
E-mail: ELMS or johnson118alj@gmail.com
[Title your email "CPSG 200"]
Office Hours: Centreville 1214 W 12-1 pm

Tessa Quade
Office: TBA
E-mail: ELMS or tquade@terpmail.umd.edu
[Title your email "CPSG 200"]
Office Hours: Centreville 1215 Th 2-3 pm

NOTE: It is your responsibility as a student to completely read through and understand this syllabus. If you have questions about it, please contact Dr. Holtz or Dr. Merck. You will be held responsible for following all requirements of this syllabus.

COURSE ORGANIZATION: One Colloquium meeting per week, some asynchronous recorded lectures on assorted weeks, one Excursion (required).

REQUIRED READINGS: This semester there are two required books:

Additional required readings will be listed on the schedule and available via ELMS. Reading/viewing assignments must be done by the class time listed.

Copyright: © 2021 Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. and John W. Merck, Jr. as to this syllabus and all lectures. Students are prohibited from copying and selling course materials, from selling lecture notes, and from being paid to take lecture notes without the express written permission of the faculty teaching this course.

COURSE THEMES:

LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the semester, every student should be able to:


GRADE:
Item Percentage
General Quizzes 5%
Final Quiz 5%
Student-Generated Questions 5%
Discussion Participation 25%
Excursion Report 5%
Science & the Media Report 5%
"Search for Solutions" (S4S) Team Project 30%
Practicum Proposal 5%
Learning Contract 5%
Portfolio Maintenance 5%
SGC 3-Semester Review 5%

Grade Scale: The numbers given represent the thresholds that must be passed in order to reach that grade (for example, A+ is 97.000... and any number greater). There is no rounding for letter grades; the thresholds must be passed. F is any grade below D-. Thresholds: 97, A+; 93, A; 90, A-; 87, B+; 83, B; 80, B-; 77, C+; 73, C; 70, C-; 67, D+; 63, D; 60, D-; < 60, F.

The Final Grade is the algebraic sum based on the numerical grades.

Practicum Proposal and Learning Contract are given either full points (for completion of the assigned project) or none (for non-completion). Each general quiz is graded on an 8 point scale; the final quiz is on a 20 point scale.

  1. General Quizzes (5% total): Four quizzes will be taken, of which the lowest grade will automatically be dropped. Quizzes are open sourced but timed and will be delivered on ELMS.

  2. Final Quiz (5%): A longer quiz, also delivered on ELMS. This will cover material from all three SGC colloquium semesters. Due online by Dec. 13.

  3. Student-Generated Questions (5% total): Every week we will ask you to provide a question, its answer (and in the case of a matching or multiple-choice question, additional incorrect options) from the lecture presented the previous week. Creating your own question is an effective way of better understanding the material. These questions will be made available to all. A selection of these will form part of the discussion in Colloquium and may be used in quizzes.

  4. Discussion Participation (25%): As this is a Scholars Colloquium, all students are expected to attend every Colloquium and be an active participant when appropriate. In some classes, there may be directed interactive activities or discussions. A default grade of 5 will be given for every meeting a student attends. They may be awarded up to 2 more points as extra credit for particularly helpful or effective participation in the meeting. Students who are present for a discussion section but are non-participants or are disruptive may be docked up to 2 and 4 points (respectively) at the instructor's discretion.

    While the expectation is that students attend EVERY Colloquium meeting, it is recognized that occasionally conditions (accident, illness, power failure, etc.) arise that prevent such. To recognize that, every student is allowed two (2) absences from these meetings without penalty, so long as they inform the instructors and TAs by email (beforehand if at all possible), or certainly by the end of that same day that they will be/were absent and the reason for that absence. Should you not inform instructors and TAs in a timely fashion, the students will receive a 0 for the grade for the discussion/participation for that day. Additionally, if there are more than two absences the student will receive a 0 for the grade each additional class time missed. (If there is a medical condition or other extraordinary circumstance that does require missing more than 2 class meetings-or missing the date of an individual in-class presentation of some form-the student must provide documentation from the appropriate sort of official (health professional; court official; etc.) explaining the absence.)

  5. Excursion Report (10%): Each student is responsible for attending and reporting on one (1) of several options of extracurricular events. These reports are due as file uploads on ELMS online. The question sheet relevant to specific field trips will be provided in advanced; there are service project forms, as well as an even more generic report form: all will be made available on ELMS. Here are some options of types (and examples) of excursions available this semester; more will be announced in class and on ELMS as the semester progresses:
    1. SGC FIELD TRIPS: The SGC faculty will lead a series of field trips during the semester. More details to come.
      • Please note that as these field trips cost the program money, if you have signed up for a trip in advance and fail to show up for them (without timely notification), you will be regarded as having an unexcused absence and your total course grade will be penalized appropriately.
    2. VIRTUAL EXCURSIONS: For those who prefer an online rather than in-person activity, a variety of virtual excursion options are provided: see details on ELMS.
    3. SERVICE PROJECT: There are various opportunities for service on or near the College Park campus throughout the year. Participation in one of these will count as an excursion, with the submission of the report form. Dates and opportunities will be announced during the semester. Those who do organized service for SGC or Scholars (Scholars Advisory Board; Scholars Ambassadors; etc.) may use this for their Excursion Report.
    4. ADDITIONAL OPTIONS: Other possibilities include: Scholars-wide presentations (or some specific events opened to members of other Scholars programs); presentations (other than class lectures) on or off campus concerning science, critical thinking, the environment, or related issues; open houses of labs or other facilities; and more. When the faculty become aware of them, we will advertise the time and place of these. However, we encourage you to discover options yourself: if you find a possibility, please send Holtz & Merck the particulars for their approval.
    NOTE: You may not use the same specific Excursion this semester which you used in either of the previous two semesters.

  6. Science & the Media Report (5%): The take home project this semester deals with a comparison of the news report about a specific scientific study with the technical paper of that study. This project is due October 1. The assignment will be submitted electronically via ELMS.

  7. "Search for Solutions" (S4S) Team Projects (30%): The capstone of your time in the Scholars Colloquium is the "Search for Solutions" (S4S) Team Project. During the middle of the semester, each team of 3 students will report on some issue related to global change. The final deliverable product will be a platform presentation in class. This project has several different subcomponents:
    1. Team Formation & Topic Choice (2%): Due Sept. 24
    2. Contract (1%): Also due Sept. 24, a contract among all team members stating the agreed-upon responsibilities of each person.
    3. Presentation: Faculty Evaluation (20%): A draft of your PowerPoint/Keynote must be uploaded on ELMS on Oct. 15 for comments and evaluation by the faculty. Your team will present in class sometime on the colloquia on Oct. 25, Nov. 1, or Nov. 8 (depending on the topic).
    4. Presentations: Student Evaluations (3%): Each student will watch the presentations they are not part of and provide evaluations of these online. These evaluations must be completed and uploaded onto ELMS. The averaged score of these will be entered as the Student Evaluation for the presentation grade
    5. Participation in Student Evaluations (2%): The fact of your own participation as an evaluator is part of your grade; failure to turn in evaluations of the presentations will result in a 0 for this part of the grade.
    6. Within-Team Peer Evaluation (2%): You will evaluate other team members, and be evaluated by them, in terms of your contributions to the project. Due on ELMS Nov. 12.
    Details on the specifics of these reports and their grading scheme will be provided later in the semester.

  8. Practicum Proposal (5%): All SGC students must participate in a practicum in order to complete their Citation. While the work for the practicum will be done after this semester, we use this semester to help you organize your projects. By November 15 you will have to turn in a proposal for your practicum work, giving a preliminary view of a) where you will be doing your work; b) what that work will likely entail; and c) what you expect to get out of this project. Students who intend to use one of the pre-approved courses rather than developing their own project must send a proposal stating which course they intend to take. Failure to provide a proposal will not only mean loss of 5% of your grade, but it will also prevent you from receiving any credit from the practicum!!

  9. Learning Contract (5%): The second practicum-related portion of your grade this semester is the Learning Contract. This is a formal agreement between you, your site supervisor, and our office, making clear the tasks and hours for which you will be responsible and the credit level to which your practicum course will be given. (Students using one of the pre-approved courses to fulfill the course component of their Practicum must instead provide a screen capture demonstrating their registration in that class.) The Learning Contract is due on the last colloquium day of the semester (December 13). Failure to provide a proposal will not only mean loss of 5% of your grade, but it will also prevent you from receiving any credit from the practicum!! You can download the Learning Contract from http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc/docs/learncontract.pdf.

  10. SGC 3-Semester Review (5%): Also due on December 13, you will write and post a short essay detailing your experiences with the Science & Global Change Program so far. This will be mounted as a unique webpage linked to your SGC site. Specifics about the review will be given later, but your target audience will be prospective incoming students. A template is available at http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc/resources/threesemester.html.

  11. Portfolio Maintenance (5%): Be certain that your Academic Portfolio is updated (i.e., your current class status, major, age, contact information, etc.); that all links are operational; that all text is properly spelled; that all images and code are used legally; that all pages use the same css code; etc.

LATE ITEMS: Graded items must be uploaded/posted by the date listed. If there are important extenuating circumstances, discuss this with the faculty & TA as early as possible so that we can make allowances, if we deem it appropriate.

IMPORTANTLY: Any item not turned in by the end of final exam period will be graded as "0", unless special arrangements are made in advance of this date between the student and both faculty. "I forgot to turn it in" or "I was busy with other courses" do not represent "special arrangements"; you must be responsible for your own grade and graded items.


EXPECTATIONS & POLICIES

Expectations & Attendance

Attendance in the Colloquium meetings is required. The Scholars Colloquia require you to do more than simply master the information; you must be able to intelligently communicate and discuss the ideas and concepts of the course with your instructor and fellow students.

You should bring the following to every single colloquium meeting:

During class time:

Given the nature of the course and program, participation in colloquium meetings is MANDATORY. It is up to you to make certain that your presence has been recorded for every class.

Mask Policy: President Pines provided clear expectations to the University about the wearing of masks for unvaccinated students. Face coverings over the nose and mouth are required while you are indoors at all times. There are no exceptions. Students not wearing a mask will be given a warning and asked to wear one, or will be asked to leave the classroom immediately. Students who have additional issues with the mask expectation after a first warning will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct for failure to comply with a directive of University officials.

Recording Your Presence: In general, your presence will be recorded based on your picking up of your name stand. It is your responsibility to make certain that you have signed the quiz, project report, or picked up your name stand.

Students observed leaving the colloquium before 4:50 or before it is formally dismissed will be counted absent.

NOTE: We expect students to adhere to proper academic decorum during colloquia. This means focusing your attention on presentations, refraining from conversations or activities that are not relevant (e.g., reading newspapers, doing homework for other classes, etc.), and showing proper respect for student, faculty, and guest presenters. We reserve the right to count you absent from colloquium if you fail to uphold this standard!

Excused Absences: If you have a legitimate reason for being absent, such as a family emergency, unavoidable academic conflict, or other excuse according the University's guidelines, we will usually excuse your absence. However, you must notify us in a timely fashion. Requests for the excusing of an absence will not be considered after two workdays from the absence: please contact us by email! Please use the Excused Absence Report form from https://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc/docs/absence.pdf

If the absence was for a colloquium for which there was no graded activity other than participation (i.e., no quiz, etc.) AND for which this was your first or second absence from colloquium this semester, you may simply complete the Excused Absence form and turn it in. If instead there were a graded activity, AND/OR this was not your first or second absence from colloquium this semester, you will need to provide some form of documentation from an independent source supporting your absence. These include, but are not limited to:

Barring the above, a signed statement by an independent party (for example, your RA if you were ill and the RA is willing to verify that they observed this: feel free to use the back of the Excused Absence form for this)

NOTE WELL: Failure to provide the Excused Absence Form will result in the absence being unexcused, and you will face the appropriate penalties.

Grades and Excused Absences: Even if you miss a class from an excused absence, you are still held responsible for material during that class, included graded assignments such as small group projects. See the faculty about arrangements for a make-up. If the small group project is such that it cannot be done alone, it will not be factored into your grade if you have an excused absence that you informed the faculty about within two workdays from the absence.

Unexcused Absences: All other absences are considered unexcused absence. You may have two unexcused absences that do not directly affect your grade (except for missed small group projects: see below). Each subsequent unexcused absence lowers your final course grade by 10 percentage points.

If you miss a quiz or small group project because of an unexcused absence, you will not be allowed to make it up.

Missing Field Trips: If you are signed up for a field trip but are unable to make it, please email Drs. Holtz & Merck as soon as possible (before the trip, if at all possible). If it is a field trip is one that SGC has to pay for (i.e., the program pays for tickets or transportation) and you miss it without informing us in advance, this will count as an unexcused absence.

General Policies

The University has provided a page on Academic policies here. Each student is responsible for reviewing this page with regards to issues of Academic Integrity; the Code of Student Conduct; Sexual Misconduct; Discrimination; Accessibility; Attendance, Absences, or Missed Assignments; Student Rights Regarding Undergraduate Courses; Official UMD Communication; Mid-Term Grades; Complaints About Course Final Grades; Copyright and Intellectual Property; Final Exams and Course Evaluations; and Campus Resources.

Laptop/Smartphone/Tablet Use:

You will need to upload documents to ELMS and to your terpconnect.umd.edu webspace, take online quizzes, and occasionally watch online lectures this semester, so please make certain that you have access to appropriate hardware, software, and Internet connections. If you are concerned about your ability to connect remotely for this course, please consult the following information about solutions provided by the Division of Information Technology:

During the Colloquium, please refrain from email, social media, online shopping, streaming videos, and other such communication outside the scope of the colloquium. In other words, please restrict your computer use to the activities of the class.

Communication:

The primary means of communication for this course will be the ELMS Inbox (email) function. In cases of inclement weather or other unexpected emergencies, the University may close. Please consult the University main webpage (http://www.umd.edu) or call 301-405-7669 (SNOW) to confirm such cancellations. Drs. Holtz & Merck will contact students via ELMS in order to inform them concerning delays of due dates for projects to be handed in or for exams: typically, these will be shifted until the next available class date.