PHYS 609: Galileo and Einstein

Grading Policies

Late Policy for Homework/Exams

You must contact me to request an extension if homework or an exam can not be submitted on time. Excuses without penalty are permitted only for illness, family illness, death, or religious holidays. Late homework submissions without a valid excuse as summarized above will be allowed with a penalty. Work not turned in or tests not taken will receive a zero (0 pts), far worse than a failing grade.

Grade Determination

Your course numerical grade is determined by summing your scores on the problem sets and the exams. Of course, each of the three grades in parenthesis is normalized to 100. Course Numerical Grade = (Sum of Problem Sets Grade) x 0.25 + (Midterm Exam Grade) x 0.30  + (Celestial Journal Grade) x 0.10 + (Final Exam Grade) x 0.35. A proctor will be required for monitoring the midterm exam  and the final exam.

Proctors

A proctor can be a supervisor, principal, superintendent, Department Chair, Secretary, administrative personnel at your school, or professional colleague or other teacher. You can also use proctoring facilities at your local community college. Many community colleges offer such services free of charge. No relatives, in-laws, spouses or social friends are allowed to be proctors.

It is the proctor's responsibility to assure me you took the exam according to the given instructions and that you abided by the UVa honor code. You will download the exam with your proctor present, which will start the clock for taking the exam. At that time the proctor checks to be sure that you are abiding by the instructions for taking the exam. I will email you and the proctor instructions for taking the exam. The proctor does not have to be present during the entire time you are taking the exam. Before taking any exam you will email me your proctor's name, professional relationship with you, title, email address, and telephone. Do not wait until you take the exam because then it is too late for me to contact your proctor. After you have submitted the exam electronically, your proctor will email you the words "I concur" to inform you that you took the exam according to the rules and the honor system. You will copy the email and post it on Blackboard under the forum "Proctoring Test 1". If the proctor does not concur, then the proctor emails me the words "I do not concur".
Honor Code:

Honor Code

I trust every student in this course to fully comply with all of the provisions of the UVA honor system. In addition to pledging that you have neither received nor given aid while taking your exam, your electronic signature also affirms that you have not accessed any notes, study outlines, problem sets, old exams, answer keys, or the textbook while taking an exam and that you have not obtained any answers from another students exam. All alleged honor violations brought to my attention will be forwarded to the Honor Committee. If, in my judgment, it is beyond a reasonable doubt that a student has committed an honor violation with regard to a given exam, that student will receive an immediate grade of 'F' for that exam, irrespective of any subsequent action taken by the Honor Committee.

All UVa. Students' are bound by the UVa Honor code. Please familiarize yourself with it. You can find more information at http://www.virginia.edu/honor. In accordance with the U. Va. honor code, a student normally writes on the exam that they have neither given nor received aid and sign it. It is not possible for the student to sign the exam, since it is submitted electronically. As a substitute procedure, the last question on the exam will be in effect "I pledge that I took the exam in compliance with the honor code." The student must answer that question yes or no. You are expected to make arrangements with your supervisor, principal, or superintendent, to proctor your exam. Ground rules and policy for proctoring the exam will be given to you and the proctor.