Our graduate teaching assistant is Erika Gibb (email erika@charon.phys.rpi.edu). Erika is responsible for the grading and will help out with various class activities. Her office is in the Science Center, room 3C18, and her phone extension is x6763. Our undergraduate teaching assistant, Jennifer Celentano (email celenj@rpi.edu), will help with studio exercises and other class activities, and will probably do some grading as well.
This is a ``studio'' course. Class meetings will have a mixture of new material presentations and in-class exercises. Some of the exercises will be computer-based labs. Homework will be based on material covered in class.
All exams are open-book and open-notes. You should also bring a calculator. If preparing a crib sheet helps you study and find material, I encourage you to do so and bring it with you.
Homework assignments are listed on the assignment schedule. They refer to chapter and problem number in Zeilik and Gregory. All homework is due at the start of the class on the date shown. I cannot accept late homeworks without discussing it with you ahead of time.
Studio exercises will be handed in at the end of the session, unless prior arrangements are made with me. Sometimes your homework assignment will be to finish the studio exercise.
I will keep notes, transparencies, images, and so forth posted on the course web page. An electronic mailing list is established with the address astronomy@rpi.edu for announcements and other information. Any of us can use it to communicate with the entire class.
| Three mid term exams | 3 x 10% |
| Final exam (not optional) | 30% |
| Homework assignments | 20% |
| Studio exercises | 20% |
All exam grades will be scaled up (if necessary) so that the class average is approximately 75. I believe the curve makes it unfair to borderline students if the final is optional, so everyone must take the exam. Homework and studio exercises will be graded coarsely on a four-grade scale, corresponding to 100 (outstanding), 80 (good), or 50 (for some work), with no credit given for little or no work.
I may make small adjustments to this scheme if there are special circumstances.
You can earn extra credit by taking part in the optional observing exercises and writing up your experience. I will allow up to an additional 20% of your grade to be earned this way. We should speak together early on if you want to take advantage of this.
In any case, you are welcome and encouraged to go on these "field trips" even if you want to go just for fun.