Geology 118 (= ENVS 180 + GLBL 118) - Natural Disasters
Frequently Asked Questions - Fall, 2006

GENERAL QUESTIONS

#1 Q: I have a question that is not answered by this Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) file.  Should I contact Prof. Altaner, one of the GEOL 118 TA’s, or someone else?

A: (a) Contact the technical support group at Pearson Prentice Hall publishing company (<http://247.prenhall.com/email/index.asp>, 800-677-6337), if you have a question about the Hazard City CD, associated with the Natural Hazards textbook.  See question #13 for specific information you will need to provide the technical support group at Pearson Prentice Hall.

(b) Contact the on-line Help Service for Illinois Compass <http://www.cites.uiuc.edu/edtech/teaching_learning/compass/student/quickhelp/index.html> if your question is about the Illinois Compass Web site, which contains an on-line Gradebook with your GEOL 118 grades.

(c) Contact the Head TA (Scott Clark, skclark@uiuc.edu, 244-6048) if your question is about one of the following:

(d) Contact either TA (Scott Clark or Joshua Defrates, jdefrat2@uiuc.edu, 244-1246) if your question is about one of the following:

(e) Contact Prof. Altaner (altaner@uiuc.edu, 244-1244) if your question is about one of the following:

#2 Q: What is the best way to contact Prof. Altaner?

A: Probably the best way to contact me is through e-mail (altaner@uiuc.edu).  Of course, we can also speak in person before class, after class, or during scheduled office hours.  If you telephone me (244-1244) and I'm not in the office, you can leave a message on my answering machine.  If you want to come to my office (244 Natural History Building, NHB) at a time other than my scheduled office hours (Tues. 10 - 11 am + Thurs. 2 - 3 pm), then please contact me in advance to ensure that I will be available.  My mailbox is in 245 NHB, in case you want to leave something for me there.  Please do not telephone me at home.

#3 Q: I would like to add the course but the on-line registration shows that the class is full.  What should I do?

A: If the on-line registration indicates that the class is full, then there is nothing that I can do to help directly. The class enrollment limits are the maximum possible allowed by the University based on the seating capacity of the room. If you really want to add the course, you should keep trying to register on a regular basis through the on-line registration on the chance that someone drops shortly before you attempt to add. Numerous students are able to add the course in this manner.

#3a Q: I would like to add GEOL 118 and the on-line registration shows that the GEOL 118 section is full but there are some spaces available in the course.  What should I do?

A: GEOL 118 (CRN = 30379) is cross-listed as ENVS 180 (CRN = 41059) + GLBL 118 (CRN = 41060).  There probably are spaces open in either the ENVS 180 (CRN = 41059) or the GLBL 118 (CRN = 41060) sections.  If so, you should be able to add the course that way.  It is important to note that freshman because aren't allowed to change their course registration after there summer orientation session until Aug. 19.

CLASS WEB SITE-RELATED QUESTIONS

#4 Q: Where are the lecture note summaries, homework assignments, + announcements?

A: The lecture note summaries, homework assignments, + announcements as well as other information is at the Class Web site at <http://classes.geology.uiuc.edu/06FallClass/geo118>.

#5 Q: Where are my grades?

A: GEOL 118 grades are in the on-line Gradebook at the Illinois Compass Web site for GEOL 118 at <https://compass-portal.cites.uiuc.edu/login.html>.

ILLINOIS COMPASS WEB SITE-RELATED QUESTIONS

#6 Q: Where are my grades? And, where can I get help with Illinois Compass if I can't view my grades?

A: GEOL 118 grades are in the on-line Gradebook at the Illinois Compass Web site for GEOL 118 at <https://compass-portal.cites.uiuc.edu/login.html>. Use your University network ID + University password to log onto the Illinois Compass Web site and then click on the link labeled 'GEOL 118-Natural Disasters-Fall 2005-Section A'. Finally, click on the link 'My Grades' in the upper right area.

If, after logging onto the Illinois Compass Web site, you are unable to view the link labeled 'GEOL 118-Natural Disasters-Fall 2006-All Sections', please contact the Head TA (Scott Clark, skclark@uiuc.edu) and ask him to add your name to the Illinois Compass Web site for GEOL 118. For all other problems involving the Illinois Compass Web site, do one of the following:

a) Contact the on-line Help Service for Illinois Compass: <http://www.cites.uiuc.edu/edtech/teaching_learning/compass/student/quickhelp/index.html>

OR b) Contact the Individual Help Service for Illinois Compass (consult@uiuc.edu).

#7 Q: Where are the lecture note summaries, homework assignments, + announcements?

A: The lecture note summaries, homework assignments, + announcements as well as other information is at the Class Web site at <http://classes.geology.uiuc.edu/06FallClass/geo118>.

#8 Q: How can I get help for using Illinois Compass?

A: Help for using Illinois Compass is available on-line at <http://www.cites.uiuc.edu/edtech/teaching_learning/compass/student/quickhelp/index.html>. In addition, you can contact the Individual Help Service for Illinois Compass (consult@uiuc.edu).

LECTURE NOTE-RELATED QUESTIONS

#9 Q: I am having difficulty keeping up with note taking during lecture. What should I do?

A: I strongly recommend that you print a copy of the lecture note summaries from the Class Web site BEFORE lecture, bring those notes to class, and "fill in the gaps" during lecture. This way you won't have to focus on writing large amounts of information and instead you can focus on listening and trying to understand the material being covered.

#10 Q: Where do I find lecture note summaries?

A: Lecture note summaries are found using a link from the homepage of the Class Web site.

#11 Q: I missed class. How do I catch up?

A: Print out the lecture note summary associated with the class nd do the assigned reading as soon as possible. Consider asking a classmate to borrow their notes so that you can fill in the lecture note summaries with additional information given only in the class period.

#12 Q: I missed class. Hey Prof. Altaner, may I borrow your notes?

A: No, I’m sorry but I can’t do that. It would be very difficult and time consuming for me to accommodate the hundreds of students in this course by doing that.

HAZARD CITY CD-RELATED QUESTIONS

#13 Q: I am having a problem with the Hazard City CD, associated with the Natural Hazards textbook.  How can I get help? 

A: Make sure to read the file labeled 'Read Me' for information on running the Hazard City CD.  If you still are having problems, contact the technical support group at Pearson Prentice Hall publishing company.  You can call (800) 677-6337 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday. You can also get support by filling out a Web form located at: <http://247.prenhall.com/email/index.asp>.
The technical support staff will need to know certain things about your system to help them solve your problems more quickly and efficiently. If possible, please be at your computer when you call for support. You should have the following information ready:

NOTE: Pearson technical support staff does not support or assist with the following:

RECENTLY ADDED COURSE

#14 Q: I just added the course. What should I do?

A: Obtain a course syllabus from Prof. Altaner or go to the General Course Information area of the Class Web site and see when the first Web exercise is due so that you give yourself enough time to complete it.  Web exercises are available as a link from the homepage of the Class Web site. For all classes that you missed, print out lecture note summaries and do assigned readings as soon as possible. Consider asking a classmate to borrow their notes so that you can fill in the lecture note summaries with additional information given only in the class period.

QUIZ-RELATED QUESTIONS

#15 Q: Will there be a quiz next class (or on some other specific future class date)?

A: The TA's and I will not answer whether or not there will be a quiz on a specific future class date. There will always be an announcement on the homepage of the Class Web site and in later classes, whether or not a quiz was given in a previous class. You will be allowed one week to make up a quiz, assuming you have you have an official University excuse.

#16 Q: I missed class. How do I find out if I missed a quiz?

A: Look on the Class Web site. Whenever a quiz was given, an announcement will be posted on the homepage of the Class Web site site. In addition, I will announce at the beginning of class when a quiz was given within the past week.

#17 Q: I missed class and there was a quiz. What should I do?

A: If you have you have an official University excuse, e.g., verified family emergency or illness such as a letter from Emergency Dean or notice of McKinley visit, contact the Head TA (Scott Clark, skclark@uiuc.edu) as soon as possible to schedule a make-up quiz. You must make up a quiz within one week of when it was given. If you do not have an official University excuse, you will receive a zero for that quiz.

#18 Q: What are other examples of "official University" excuses?

A: Other specific examples of "official University" excuses include required field trips for other courses, required job interviews, and deaths of relatives or close friends, The above examples need to be verified by some sort of written communication, e.g., course syllabus, letter from instructor or some responsible adult (e.g., parent, clergy, or doctor), obituary, or medical prescription. Examples of excuses that will not be allowed are oversleeping, absent-mindedness, or unverified excuses, i.e., no written communication that supports the excuse.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT-RELATED QUESTIONS

#19 Q: Where do I find homework assignments, i.e., Web exercises + writing assignment?

A: Homework assignments are available as a link from the homepage of the Class Web site.

#20 Q: I forgot to bring my answer sheet for the Web exercise to class. What should I do?

A: Bring the assignment to the Hea as soon as possible. You can bring it to his office (244 NHB), put it into his mailbox (outside 245 NHB) or give it to him after class. Unless you have an official University excuse, you will be assessed a 10% penalty for each day the assignment is late. Homework assignments more than 5 days late will not be accepted.

#21 Q: I missed one of the deadlines for the writing assignment. What should I do?

A: No time extensions are given unless you can verify a major illness or personal emergency. If you do not submit the essay by 3 pm on Nov. 10, you will not be able to complete any of the assignment.  If you do not submit the essay reviews by 3 pm on Nov. 17, you will not get credit for that part of the assignment.

#22 Q: I missed one of the deadlines for the writing assignment by only 1 second. Could I please get an extension?

A: No, please see the answer to question #21 above.

EXAM-RELATED QUESTIONS

#23 Q: Should I do the assigned readings?

A: Yes, you definitely should do the assigned reading throughout the semester.  They will help you understand the course material and will help you do better on exams.  However, exams will be based only on information covered in lecture.  Information in the assigned readings that is not covered in lecture will not be on exams.

#24 Q: How do you recommend that I prepare for exams?

A: Of course, you should attend all the lectures and do the assigned readings, preferably before the scheduled class. I strongly recommend printing out the lecture note summaries from the Class Web site before lecture, bringing those notes to class, and “filling in the gaps" during lecture.

When you study for the exam, you should focus on the lecture notes because that is where the questions are derived.  You should definitely review the old exam that is placed on reserve in the Geology library (223 NHB) about a week before each hourly exam.  My recommendation for using the old exam is to do extensive studying first and then take the old exam as if it were an actual exam, i.e., without looking at your notes and with a sixty minute time limit.  You should be able to determine the correct answer to most of the questions by looking at your notes.  Prof. Altaner will give all of the correct answers to the old exam at the Question and Answer session scheduled before the exam.  You should definitely attend the Question and Answer sessions; most students find them very helpful.  If you are unclear about any of the lecture topics, talk with a TA or Prof. Altaner. 

#24a Q: If I know all of the information covered in the old exam, does that mean I will do well on the upcoming exam?

A: Not necessarily.  The exam questions can only cover some of the information in the course and there will always be information that is not covered by questions on the exam. You need to understand all of the lecture notes, not just the information specific to the old exam.

#24b Q: Could you send me an answer key to the old exam by e-mail?

A: No, I won't do that because I want to encourage everyone to learn as much as possible by working through the questions and answers in the old exam.  Sending an answer key by e-mail can lead to students not actually learning the information contained in the question because they only checked to see if their answer is correct or not. Prof. Altaner will give all of the correct answers to the old exam at the Question and Answer session, scheduled before the exam.  In addition, he will discuss information related to each question on the old exam.  If you cannot attend the Question and Answer session, you should be able to determine the correct answer to most of the questions by looking at your notes.  After doing this, if you still are unsure about correct answers to certain questions, contact a TA to verify the correct answer.

#25 Q: I have a conflict with the regularly scheduled exam. What should I do?

A: Contact the Head TA, Scott Clark (skclark@uiuc.edu, 244-6048) BEFORE the scheduled exam time to arrange for a conflict exam. Make sure to inform him of the nature of your conflict and whether or not you can take the conflict exam during the regularly scheduled time. Usually conflict exam times and sign-up sheets are made available about one week before the regularly scheduled exam time.

#26 Q: I have a conflict with the regularly scheduled exam and I would like to take the regularly scheduled GEOL 118 exam.  However, my instructor requires a personal note from Prof. Altaner stating that I am a student in GEOL 118 and that I have a scheduled GEOL 118 exam at the scheduled time.  What should I do?

A: Due to logistical reasons (~1,300 students in 2 courses), Prof. Altaner doesn't provide personal messages to instructors about student registration status in GEOL 118 and scheduled GEOL 118 exams.  If an official course syllabus or the GEOL 118 Web site <http://classes.geology.uiuc.edu/06FallClass/geo118> is insufficient verification of a scheduled GEOL 118 exam, then you need to sign up for a conflict exam for GEOL 118.

#27 Q: I would like to take the conflict exam before the regularly scheduled exam. May I do that?

A: No, not unless you have an EXTREMELY compelling reason to do so. Conflict exams are normally scheduled after the regularly scheduled exam time.

#28 Q: Why is the conflict hourly exam a different format from the regularly scheduled hourly exam?

A: It is very difficult for me to make two different versions of "bubble sheet"-format hourly exams that cover all of the major topics and are of similar difficulty.  

#29 Q: Isn't a short answer-format exam more difficult than a "bubble sheet"-format exam (i.e., multiple choice, true/false, + matching)?

A: No, not necessarily.  Most times the GEOL 118 class average for the short answer-format exam is similar to or higher than the "bubble sheet"-format exam.  If the class average for the short answer-format exam is less than the class average for the "bubble sheet"-format exam, then I will add points to short answer-format exam scores so that the averages are similar.  Certainly if you do not know the course material at all, then a short answer-format exam is more difficult than a "bubble sheet"-format exam because it is harder to guess on a short answer-format exam.  However, considerable partial credit is possible with a short answer-format exam and not with a "bubble sheet"-format exam

#30 Q: What can you tell me about the nature of the conflict hourly exam?

A: The short answer questions on the conflict hourly exam usually can be answered in a word, or a sentence or two, or up to 1 - 2 paragraphs.  The coverage of topics is identical to the regular "bubble sheet" exam and the level and style of questions are similar except that you need to provide words instead of picking a multiple choice, true/false, or matching answer.  For example, instead of answering multiple choice or true/false questions about differences between weather + climate or earthquake prediction, you will need to provide a verbal description.  Sometimes a labeled sketch can provide most or even all of the answer.  

#31 Q: May I get an old version of the conflict hourly exam?

A: No, because I use a similar version of the conflict hourly exam every year.  

#32 Q: I missed the regularly scheduled exam.  What should I do?

A: Contact Prof. Altaner (altaner@uiuc.edu, 244-1244) IMMEDIATELY.  Unless there is an extraordinary circumstance, e.g., last minute major illness, accident, or family emergency, there will be a penalty for missing the regularly scheduled exam without contacting Prof. Altaner before the exam.  The penalty increases the longer it takes you to contact Prof. Altaner.  Normally, if someone contacts Prof. Altaner more than week after as the regularly scheduled exam, they will receive a zero for the exam.

GRADE-RELATED QUESTIONS

#33 Q: May I do a special extra credit assignment?

A: No, the only extra credit assignments are those available to the entire class. These include one question at the end of each exam and Web exercise #5 on severe weather.

#34 Q: Will there be a curve in the course?

A: The only grade curve that will be applied is if the class average for an exam is lower than 77%. If this occurs, points will be added to everyone's score to achieve a class average of 77% for the exam. The plus/minus grading system will be used with cut-offs at the following representative total percentage values: A+ = >96.67%, A = 93.33 - 96.66%, A- = 90.00 - 93.32%, B+ = 86.67 - 89.99%, B = 83.33 - 86.66%, B- = 80.00 - 83.32%, etc.

#35 Q: How are extra credit points on exams and in the Web exercises handled?

A: Extra credit points are added to your exam score or Web exercise total score, so it is possible to get up to 102% for each exam and up to 112% for your Web exercise total score.

#36 Q: How do I calculate my Total Percentage score in the course?

A: All of your Web exercise scores are added to create a Total Percentage score for Web exercises. To create a Total Percentage score for Quizzes, all of your Quiz scores are added together, divided by 30 points (the maximum possible points for all Quizzes), and then multiplied by 100 to convert total Quiz scores to a percentage, i.e., (Sum of Quiz scores/30) x 100 = Total Quiz Percentage score. Extra credit points are added to your exam score or Web exercise total score, so it is possible to get up to 102% for each exam and up to 112% for your web exercise total score. 

All of your percentage scores (Exam #1, Exam #2, Final Exam, Writing Assignment, Web Exercise Total Percentage score, and Quiz Total Percentage score) are multiplied by their weighting factor and then added to get a Total Percentage score in the course.  The specific equation is: (Exam #1 x 0.2) + (Exam #2 x 0.2) + (Final Exam x 0.2) + (Writing Assignment x 0.09) + (Web Exercise Total Percentage score x 0.25) + (Quiz Total Percentage score x 0.06) = Total Percentage score in the course.  Your Total Percentage score in the course is then assigned a letter grade on a straight scale, e.g., A+ = ≥96.67%, A = 93.33 - 96.66%, A- = 90.00 - 93.32%, B+ = 86.67 - 89.99%, B = 83.33 - 86.66%, B- = 80.00 - 83.32%, etc.

If you get perfect scores on everything, then it is possible to get higher than a 100% for your Total Percentage score in the course.  The specific number for a perfect score in the course is (102 x 0.2) + (102 x 0.2) + (102  x 0.2) + (100 x 0.09) + (112 x 0.25) + (100 x 0.06) = 104.2%.

#37 Q: I did not do well in the course.  Can I get my grade changed?

A: No.  I will change grades only if an actual mistake has been made, e.g., the final average was calculated incorrectly or if an incorrect score was used to calculate the final average.  I will not change anyone’s grade for reasons such as subpar performance on a final exam, overall grade point average, closeness to a grade cutoff, effort in the course, effort in studying for the final, or risk of retaining a scholarship + academic eligibility.  The reason is that I would be guilty of capricious grading, i.e., handling one student’s grade situation according to different standards than the other students. If you are unclear about capricious grading, please review the University regulations pertaining to capricious grading at: <http://www.admin.uiuc.edu/policy/code/article_3/a3_3-107.html> in the Code of Policies and Regulations Applying to All Students, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

#38 Q: I did not do well in the course and this grade will hurt my academic career. May I do some sort of extra credit assignment or retake an exam or anything to get my grade changed?

A: No. See the answer to question #37, immediately above.

#39 Q: I am so close to a grade cut-off. Could you please round up my score so that I get a higher grade?

A: No, In a class with many hundreds of students, there will always be many students close to grade cut offs regardless of where they are made.

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