LAMAR STATE COLLEGE ORANGE SYLLABUS

Science

GEOL, 1404, Historical Geology, 30S

COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor Name	Karen Stelly
Building/Office Number	Online Only,
Office Hours	Office hours by phone only. I live in South Carolina, so I do not have an office on campus. Phone – 409-554-3493 Email –   kstelly@lsco.edu       Phone hours – 9 am-4 pm phone or text, and 7-9 pm text only, Central time, Sunday through Saturday
Virtual Hours	Office hours by phone only. I live in South Carolina, so I do not have an office on campus. Phone – 409-554-3493 Email –   kstelly@lsco.edu       Phone hours – 9 am-4 pm phone or text, and 7-9 pm text only, Central time, Sunday through Saturday
Office Telephone	(409) 883-7750
Email Address	karen.stelly@lsco.edu

Course Description

GEOL 1404 Historical Geology (40.0601) 4-3-2 Principles of historical geology. Study of the earth's composition, structure, and internal and external processes. Includes the geologic history of the earth and the evolution of life. Topics include formation and progressive changes, changes within the atmosphere, oceans, position of land, life forms, etc. AC.


Required Textbook & Materials

Upon registration for classes, LSCO students are automatically charged $14 per semester credit hour for access to all required textbooks, lab manuals, lab codes, and electronic books on the first day of class through the Gator Book Pack. Information about the LSCO Gator Book Pack as well as responses to common FAQs can be found on LSCO's webpage. ALL STUDENTS WILL HAVE UNTIL THE SECOND DAY OF THE SEMESTER TO OPT-OUT OF THE GATOR BOOK PACK.

Every student MUST have access to the required textbooks by the week of class. The student will be responsible for all assignments given. Failure to have a text may result in being dropped from the class. Failure to follow instructions (written or oral) will result in penalties.


Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

Upon successful completion of this course, students will acquire the following course learning outcomes:

Core Objectives

Lab:

1.   Classify and interpret depositional environments using sedimentary rocks and fossils.

2.   Taxonomically classify samples of geologically important fossil groups and use them to interpret the age of rocks on the Geologic Time Scale.

3.   Apply relative and numerical age-dating techniques to construct geologic histories including the correlation of stratigraphic sections.

4.   Reconstruct past continental configurations.

5.   Integrate multiple types of data to interpret Earth history.

Course Topical Outline

Week 1	Lab 1 Sedimentary Rocks and depositional environments
Week 2	Lab 2  Relative and radiometric dating.  Quiz 1
Week 3	Lab 3 Fossils and evidence of evolution Quiz 2
Week 4	Lab 4 Stratigraphy and physical correlation Quiz 3
Week 5	Lab 5 Facies and sea level change, and Index fossils Quiz 4
Week 6	Lab 6 Plate tectonics, geologic maps, and Canadian shield Quiz 5
Week 7	Quiz 6

Major Assignments Schedule

Week 1	Read chapters 3 and 4 in Lab Manual and supplemental powerpoint for Lab 1 Complete Lab 1 worksheet by Sunday
Week 2	Read chapters 1 and 2 in Lab Manual and supplemental powerpoint for Lab 2 Complete Lab 2 worksheet by Sunday Complete quiz 1 by Sunday
Week 3	Read chapters 8 and 9 in Lab Manual and supplemental powerpoint for Lab 3 Complete Lab 3 worksheet by Sunday Complete quiz 2 by Sunday
Week 4	Read chapters 3 and 4 in Lab Manual and supplemental powerpoint for Lab 4 Complete Lab 4 worksheet by Sunday Complete quiz 3 by Sunday
Week 5	Read chapters 7 and 12 in Lab Manual and supplemental powerpoint for Lab 5 Complete Lab 5 worksheet by Sunday Complete quiz 4 by Sunday
Week 6	Read chapters 11, 13, and 14 in Lab Manual and supplemental powerpoint for Lab 6 Complete Lab 6 worksheet by Sunday Complete quiz 5 by Sunday
Week 7	Complete quiz 6 by Friday

Final Exam Date

December 8, 2023 - 12:00 AM   Through  December 8, 2023 - 11:59 PM


COURSE POLICIES

Academic Honesty

Faculty who suspect violation of academic honesty, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, or abuse of resource materials may assign an academic penalty. Students must be notified of their right to appeal before the academic penalty is imposed.

Students subject to penalty due to academic honesty have the right to appeal the decision. Refer to the current LSCO Catalog for details on the appeal process.



Electronic Communication

LSCO students are required to use either their LSCO Blackboard account or their LSCO email account (Office 365 / Microsoft Outlook) for all electronic communication. In order to ensure the privacy and identity of the student communicating via electronic methods, LSCO faculty will direct students to use their LSCO email accounts rather than personal accounts. If a student has trouble accessing their LSCO email account, they should contact the LSCO Help Desk at (409) 882-3033 or helpdesk@lsco.edu.




Attendance Requirements

Federal regulations require students who receive financial aid to have begun "attending" and participate substantially in each course for which they are enrolled on or before the official census reporting date outlined on the LSCO Academic Calendar. Students documented as "not attending" a course upon the census date are assumed (for financial aid purposes) to have not begun attendance for that course, negatively affecting their financial aid eligibility and disbursement.

Attendance in an ONLINE course is verified by substantial participation in the course on or before the census date published in the LSCO Academic Calendar. Substantial participation in this online course is defined as logging in and completing/participating in at least one requirement of the course. Note: Simply logging in to your online course does not constitute attendance.

Hybrid classes are a mix of face-to-face and online environments. Students will be expected to attend a certain number of classes as required by the instructor. (Include the policy on absences and tardiness.) In addition to classroom attendance, your weekly active participation in the online component (Blackboard and/or homework software) will be considered and expected.


Other course policies:

1. Download attachment with each lab assignment. After you are finished, save as a .doc or .docx, file type for posting. Handwritten scans and pdf's will NOT be graded. In Word, I can verify origin. Pdf's and handwritten work on IMAGES or artwork are ok, just not the rest of the worksheet.
2. Do not change font style or color.
3. Do not add extra blank lines; extra lines for explanations are ok.
4. Put your name on the lab; no name will lose 2 points.
5. Where the instructions say answers must be unique, they must be in your own way of explaining things. To help guide you, here is a link to assist you with how to paraphrase. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1t0G7ZnRG8  
6. If you do not understand it well enough to put in your own words, please ask me! A wise man said, if you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not understand it. That’s where I come in. (I’m really a very nice person!)
7. Lab is not a group effort; this is distance learning and not everyone can meet with other class members for ‘assistance.’ I understand working in groups, but when one answer is wrong, it gets repeated across the group. This has led to a number of ugly zeros showing up!
8. If you are confused, ask me, not your equally confused classmates. There is an area in the discussion board for lab questions, from which all can benefit, or you can email me, or call me during posted phone hours.
9. Identical papers will get zeros; I do not want to hear “but we worked together…” Unique means just that. Unique. Humans have different ways of expressing themselves, so even if you work together, you should still explain things in your own words. If you cannot, see rule 8.
10. To post your lab work, click on the assignment name. This will take you to a screen where you can attach your work.
11. Any work that must be drawn MUST have your name, in ink, on the actual drawing, not in the margins. Duplicates of drawings will earn zero points! 
12. To find your grades and feedback attachments, go to the left side of the screen to ‘My Grades’ then click on the assignment name, then click on the score. This should take you to a screen where you can see and open any attachments.

Make-up Work Policy

Labs and Quizzes that are missed will be accepted within 7 days after the due date except the last week.
No regular course work will be accepted after December 8

Once a missing grade is zeroed out, it will no longer be accepted for a grade.



Classroom Etiquette


Exam Policy

There are 6 quizzes over the semester and no final exam for lab. Quizzes are due by Sunday of the specified week. Early is always good!


Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Students should use AI technology responsibly and ethically. This includes refraining from using AI to engage in harmful or unethical activities, such as generating false information, spreading misinformation, or engaging in malicious behaviors. The use of AI should align with the principles of academic integrity, honesty, and respect for others. Students are responsible for adhering to LSCO's Academic Honesty policy found in the Student Handbook. LSCO's full AI policy can be found at AI Policy | Lamar State College Orange (lsco.edu)


Expected Time Requirement for this Course

For every hour in class (or unit of credit) taught in a 16-week session, students should expect to spend at least two to three hours per week studying and completing assignments. Example: For a 3-credit hour class taught in a 16-week session, students should prepare to allocate approximately 6 to 9 hours per week outside of class studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit hour taught in a 10-week summer session, students should prepare to allocate approximately 10 to 15 hours per week outside of class studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit hour taught in an 8-week session, students should prepare to allocate approximately 12 to 18 hours per week outside of class studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit hour taught in a 5-week summer session, students should prepare to allocate approximately 20 to 29 hours per week outside of class studying and completing assignments.


Grading and Evaluation Method

Evaluation Method:
Lecture Grades:
There will be 4 short tests (50 questions, 100 points), the final exam will be comprehensive (100 questions, 200 points). Discussions are 50 points each, and 4 assignments 50 points each. Lecture is 75% of grade, lab is other 25%.  
 
Discussions    200 (5 at 40 points each)
Assignments 200 (50 points each)
Test 1             100 (2 points each of 50 questions)
Test 2            100
Test 3            100
Test 4            100
Final exam    200 (2 points each of 100 questions)
Total             1000
 
 Lab Grade: Each lab is worth 50 points, each lab quiz is 50 points. There are 6 labs and 6 quizzes, for a total point availability of 600 points. The total lab grade is 25% of your full grade, other 75% is lecture grade. 
 
The grading scale for Lecture is as follows:
1000-900 points – A  (100-90%)
899-800 points – B  (89-80%)
799-700 points – C  (79-70%)
699-600 points – D  (69-60%)
599 and lower – F  (59 or lower)

The grading scale for Lab is as follows:
600-540 points – A  (100-90%)
539-480 points – B  (89-80%)
479-420 points – C  (79-70%)
419-360 points – D  (69-60%)
359 and lower – F (59 or lower)
 
To calculate your combined score, please use spreadsheet in the Content area of the Lecture section of class.

Instructor Response Time

The instructor will respond to emails within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. On weekends and holidays, the instructor will respond to emails from students within 24 hours of the first business day following the weekend or holiday.


Participation Requirements

Participation will be met by submitting course work. 


Review of Test Grades

If the student has an issue with his/her grade, the instructor must be contacted no later than three (3) days after receiving the grade.



Student's Responsibility

This syllabus contains information, policies, and procedures for a specific course. By enrolling, the student agrees to read, understand, and abide by the rules, policies, regulations, and ethical standards of Lamar State College Orange as those contained in the current LSCO Catalog and schedule of classes.


Syllabus Content

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus if deemed necessary. All changes will be provided to the students orally or in writing before the implementation of the change.


Textbook and Required Materials Access

Every student MUST have access to the required textbooks by the second week of class. The student will be responsible for all assignments given. Failure to have a text may result in being dropped from the class. Failure to follow instructions (written or oral) will result in penalties.


STUDENT SUPPORT RESOURCES

Mental Health Resources

TimelyCare is a virtual health and well-being platform that is available 24/7 for all non-dual credit enrolled LSCO students. There is no cost to eligible students for this service. TimelyCare’s providers offer emotional support, mental health counseling, health coaching, psychiatry, and basic needs support. Non-Dual Credit students enrolled in classes can log in to the TimelyCare website or app available at timelycare.com/LSCO.


Advocacy Information

Any student who faces challenges securing their food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is encouraged to contact the advising office for guidance on how to identify possible resources. Please notify the instructor of your circumstance if you are comfortable doing so.


Affirmative Action

LSCO is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution which provides educational and employment opportunities on the basis of merit and without discrimination or harassment in full compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 503,504); Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; the Vietnam Era Veterans Assistance Act of 1974; Article 522lk V.A.C.S.; and Executive Orders 11246 and 11758.


Title IX of the Education Amendments

LSCO prohibits discrimination, including sexual harassment and retaliation, against any student on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law. Any student who believes that he or she has experienced prohibited conduct or believes that another student has experienced prohibited conduct should immediately report the alleged acts to the Title IX Coordinator, Patty Collins, at patty.collins@lsco.edu.


Blackboard Resources

LSCO students will access Blackboard through the MyGator portal. Login credentials will use the following format: username@my.lsco.edu and Password. For help in identifying your Username/Password, visit https://www2.lsco.edu/sspr/.

Blackboard student resource videos and help-sites are available at https://www.lsco.edu/distanceed/blackboard-student.asp.


Career Coach

Lamar State College Orange provides career advising services to all students and alumni through Career Coach, an online career planning tool. Career Coach assists students through all phases of developing, initiating, and implementing career plans.

Information regarding employment opportunities and career options are provided along with access to live local job postings. Full-time and part-time employment opportunities, as well as internships, are available through Career Coach. Visit https://www.lsco.edu/advising/career-planning.asp for more details on how to use LSCO's Career Coach to plan for and learn more about your future career.


Gator Assistance Services

Lamar State College Orange provides currently enrolled technical students support for daycare costs as well as other services.

Visit https://www.lsco.edu/advising/gator-assistance.asp for details on assistance services.


Gator Success Center

Students are encouraged to make an appointment or walk in to receive tutoring, support services, or access to an open computer lab. Face-to-face and online supplemental instruction sessions are available to help students through any LSCO course. Reach out to learning.center@lsco.edu for more information on how students can receive academic support.


Library Services

Students are encouraged to visit library.lsco.edu to find the library's current operating hours, access the catalog to locate print materials, and access GatorSearch to explore the vast electronic collection. The library provides over 77 electronic database collections that include eBooks, newspapers, magazines, academic journals, and streaming video. The physical library contains a specialized collection of research materials specifically chosen to support the degrees and courses offered. Additionally, Students with research questions or questions about library services are encouraged visit the library in person, call 409-882-3352, access the chat on the library webpage, or to email their question to lscolibrary@lsco.edu.


Student with Disabilities

Under the Texas State System, Lamar State College Orange complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, pertaining to the provision of reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids for students with disability. We strive to provide reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids to students who request and require them.

Students who believe they have a disability requiring an academic adjustment/auxiliary aid are encouraged to contact the Special Populations Advisor at (409) 882-3393 or visiting the Advising Office located on the first floor of the Ron Lewis Library Building (RLB) room 113. Students are encouraged to apply before the start of the semester when at all possible. The Accommodation Request Form and details regarding the appropriate documentation needed can be found here: https://www.lsco.edu/advising/disability.asp. Once approved, the signed accommodation form provided by the Special Populations Advisor must be submitted to the instructor at least two business days in advance of need.


Upswing 24/7 FREE Tutoring Services

Lamar State College Orange provides currently enrolled students with access to online tutoring through a partnership with Upswing, an online tutoring platform. Tutors are available 24/7 online in almost every subject.

Visit https://www.lsco.edu/tutoring/online-tutoring.asp for details on how to log-in to the FREE services.


INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES

Campus Closure

In the event of an emergency campus closure in excess of three class days, Lamar State College Orange's classes will continue via the use of Blackboard. In such an instance, the college website, www.lsco.edu, will have information concerning the event and anticipated re-opening plans.


Civility

Please be considerate of other classmates' feelings, ethnic background, cultural differences, situations, and level of maturity. Students will be asked to leave the course if disruptive or inappropriate behavior is exhibited in any of the course requirements. If your instructor feels that you have not contributed appropriately to course requirements, your final course grade may be reduced accordingly.

The instructor reserves the right to manage a positive learning environment and will not tolerate inappropriate conduct in the course. Rude correspondence (discourteous or impolite, especially in a deliberate way) in e-mails, telephone calls, in person, or comments made to other class members, the instructor, or the office staff.


Contingency Plans

Students should develop a backup plan should their computer system or their Internet provider fail. Computer or internet connectivity issues are not valid excuses for missing a deadline. The College provides many opportunities for using computer equipment, as do many public libraries. Refer to the LSCO website for operational hours of the Library and Success Center.


COVID Notification Policy

Students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 are required to report their condition to their instructor and to the College via the COVID Notification Form. Guidance on how to proceed will be delivered to the student's email after completing the required notification form.


Credit Transfer

Students should check in advance with the institution to which they plan to transfer credit to confirm transferability.


Criminal Background Policy

LSCO awards some certificates and degrees in which a criminal history MAY disqualify candidates from becoming licensed, certified, and/or employed upon degree/certificate completion. Students with a criminal background enrolling in courses leading to a degree/certificate in Criminal Justice, Cosmetology, Emergency Medical Technology, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Vocational Nursing (VN), Registered Nursing (RN), Pharmacy Technician, Real Estate, or Teacher Preparation program are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to discuss the certification and/or licensing regulations of the program with the program director listed in order to learn more about the current guidelines related to criminal history as well as the right of individuals to request a criminal history evaluation letter.


Drops and Withdrawals

Never attending or ceasing to attend classes DOES NOT constitute a drop or withdrawal. You remain registered until you request a drop from the instructor. Failure to act in a timely manner will result in an "F" grade for the course. It is the student's responsibility to follow up with the LSCO advising office to ensure that all drops/withdrawals are processed as desired.


Grade of "Incomplete"

The grade of "I" may be given when any requirement of the course, including the final examination, is not completed. Students seeking an incomplete should have completed 75% of the course requirements and be passing the course at the time of the request. Arrangements to complete deficiencies in a course should be made in advance of the end of the semester with the instructor. The instructor will process the Incomplete form online, and a confirmation will be sent to the student's LSCO email.

Incomplete work must be finished during the next long semester. If not, the Office of Admission and Records must change the "I" grade to the grade of "F." The course must then be repeated if credit is desired. An "I" grade also automatically becomes an "F" if the student registers for the course prior to removing the deficiencies and receiving a grade change. The instructor may record the grade of "F" for a student who is absent from the final examination and is not passing the course.


Grade Appeals and the Academic Grievance Process

Grade determination and awarding of grades in a course are the responsibility of the instructor and should be calculated according to college policy, procedures, and written details provided in the course syllabus. NOTE: Final grades are available to students within 48 hours of the instructor posting the grade in Banner. Students may view final grades by logging into MyGator and then accessing Gator Self-Service.

An academic appeal process is afforded to students who desire to dispute a grade or any decision that affects the student's ability to complete and earn a grade for the course provided it is not related to a violation outlined in the LSCO Student Code of Conduct. If an informal conference with the faculty member regarding an academic complaint fails to reach the outcome requested by the student, the student may initiate the formal process outlined below. Even after initiating the formal complaint process, students are encouraged to seek informal resolution of their concerns. A student whose concerns are resolved may withdraw a formal complaint at any time.

Refer to the current catalog or for details on the formal grade appeal process.


Institutional Educational Goals

Lamar State College Orange has identified seven educational goals to specify the knowledge and skills that students should gain from completing academic and technical programs with the College. These goals are:

1. Critical thinking (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to demonstrate creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information.
2. Communication (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to effectively develop, interpret and express of ideas through written, oral and visual communication.
3. Empirical and quantitative skills (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to manipulate and analyze numerical data or observable facts and create informed conclusions.
4. Teamwork (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.
5. Social responsibility (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to recognize and acquire a sense of intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national and global communities.
6. Personal responsibility (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making.
7. Professional competency (Technical) - Students will be able to recognize or demonstrate skills and that depict professional values and employability. If the career has licensure or certification requirements, students may prepare for the licensure and certification in a capstone course and sit for the licensure or certificate at the end of the program.

MyGator and Log-In Credentials

Current students will access many LSCO applications through the MyGator portal. Login credentials will use the following format: username@my.lsco.edu/Password. For help in identifying your username/Password, visit https://www2.lsco.edu/sspr/.

It is a violation of College policy, state laws, and federal laws for anyone to gain or help others gain unauthorized access to MyGator or any LSCO application or service. All accounts shall be for use by a single individual - the person for whom the account was approved or assigned. This includes Blackboard accounts as well as any application within MyGator. Sharing or loaning accounts is strictly prohibited, can be construed as a form of cheating, and violates College policy, state laws, and federal laws.


Policies and Procedures

LSCO adheres to the policies and procedures established in the Texas Education Code, Texas State University System Rules and Regulations, LSCO Faculty Handbook, LSCO Student Handbook, and LSCO Catalog.


Prohibited Items in the Classroom

No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. It is inappropriate for minor children to be on campus due to the potential liability to the College, the risk of harm to the children, and decreased employee productivity due to distractions and disruptions.


Student Privacy

The privacy of all students, including Distance Education students, is protected through strict adherence to the rules of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. LSCO's statement regarding the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act can be found in LSCO's Student Handbook, page 70. Additional information regarding privacy for Distance Education students can be found in the Distance Education Handbook, appendix D.