COURSE GRADES

Grade Determination:  Grades in this course will come from a combination of 5 Assignments (one assignment per 2-week module), 5 Discussion Board Contributions (one discussion board contribution per 2-week module), and 5 Exams (one end-of module exam per 2-week module).  Grades and assignment feedback will be communicated through “My Grades” in Blackboard.  In Weeks 1-10, Assignments 1-5, Discussion Board Contributions 1-5, and Exams 1-5 will be completed by the end of each 2-week module (End of Week 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 on Sunday at 11:59 PM).  ALL grade components (including all past-due grade components and the optional extra credit assignment) must be completed by Sunday, 8/10/25 at 11:59 PM.  Refer to the Course Schedule at the end of this syllabus for the schedule of specific assignments, discussion board prompts, and exams.  All on-time submissions of grade components will be graded, and instructor feedback will be provided in Blackboard's "My Grades" within 72 hours of the grade component due date. 

Overall Course Grade:  Your Overall Course Grade for GEOL 1301 will consist of 1000 total possible points.  The points earned will translated into a percentage and assigned a letter grade as explained next.  Your Overall Course Grade (%) = (Points Earned/1000 Total Possible Points) x 100.

Course Grade = 1000 Total Possible Points From:

• 625 points (62.5%) – 5 Exams (125 points each)
• 250 points (25%) – 5 Assignments (50 points each)
• 125 points (12.5%) – 5 Discussion Board Contributions (25 points each)

Letter Grades will be determined from the Overall Course Grade percentage using a standard grade scale (100-90% = “A”, 89-80% = “B”, 79-70% = “C”, 69-60 = “D”, and 59 or less = “F”).  There will be NO curve at the end of the course.  However, there will be an opportunity to complete one optional extra credit assignment (available in Module 5) that is worth 10-points (+1%), which will be included in your Overall Course Grade at the end of the semester.

GRADE COMPONENTS

Exams (60%) – 5 Exams, worth 125 points (12.5%) each, will be given in the format of multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching, and short-answer questions to evaluate your understanding of material presented in lecture and addressed in assignments. You will complete one Exam per 2-week module.  See the Course Schedule (at the end of the syllabus) for exam due dates.  For this class, exams are expected to be completed independently (without consulting other people or resources), within one 90-minute time period, and without the use of course materials (textbook/lectures/notes), or other online information.  Exams will be completed online in Blackboard using Respondus Lockdown Browser.  You will need to install Respondus Lockdown Browser on your device before opening and completing the exams. 

• Module 1 EXAM – The first exam will test material covered in Module 1 during Weeks 1-2.
• Module 2 EXAM – The second exam will test material covered in Module 2 during Weeks 3-4.
• Module 3 EXAM – The third exam will test material covered in Module 3 during Weeks 5-6.
• Module 4 EXAM – The fourth exam will test material covered in Module 4 during Weeks 7-8.
• Module 5 EXAM – The fifth exam will test material covered in Module 5 during Weeks 9-10.

Assignments (25%) – 5 Assignments, worth 50 points (5%) each will be assigned and submitted through Blackboard to provide an opportunity to engage with the lecture slides and textbook content as well as articles, videos, and online resources that provide details on specific natural disasters.  You will complete one Assignment per 2-week module.  See the Course Schedule for the assignment due dates.  Assignments will include a variety of question formats so that students have varied and multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of the course content and their engagement with course materials.  

Discussion Board Contributions:  5 Discussion Board Contributions, worth 25 points (2.5%) each will be assigned and submitted through the Discussion Board tool in Blackboard to provide students with opportunities to learn from each other and to explore, summarize, and raise awareness of more specific natural disaster events and/or natural hazard.  At least one of the discussion board contributions will be used as a forum for students to share a digital product (i.e., a digital poster, written blog, or video presentation) on a specific natural hazard topic, and also as a means to assess ACC-required Gen-Ed skills. 

GEOL 1301 COURSE POLICIES

Attendance/Participation:  Regular class attendance - demonstrated by engagement with course resources in Blackboard, as well as thorough completion and timely submission of all grade components - is essential to successful completion of the course.  Students are expected to keep-up with the course material provided in lectures and addressed in assignments, submit all grade components by their due dates, and communicate any questions, concerns, or technical difficulties as soon as possible.  The student is responsible for communicating with the professor reasons for failing to participate in the class and/or complete assignments and exams.  ACC-required course Attendance Certification by the session’s Census Date will be completed the first and second weeks of class by engagement with the course content and submission of the Assignment 1 and Exam 1 by their due date (end of Week 2).  If a student fails to engage with the course content and submit Assignment 1 and Exam 1 by the end of Week 2, that student will be certified on the Census as having “Not Attended” the course.  If attendance, participation, or compliance with course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class.

Late Grade Components:  Assignments, discussion board contributions, and exams that are turned in up to one week late will be accepted for full credit.  Assignments that are turned in more than one week late (but NO later than Sunday, 8/10/25 at 11:59 PM) will receive partial credit (except for excused absences due to valid and documented extenuating circumstances).  Please contact me as soon as possible concerning extenuating circumstances that result in late submission of grade components.

Academic Integrity:  All course grade components submitted by a student should be their independently-produced, original work that demonstrates their own understanding of the course material.  This means that all exams should be completed individually, without the aid of others, course materials, AI, or other online resources.  Students caught cheating on exams will receive zero credit for the exam.  For assignments and discussion board contributions, students should cite all sources of information included, referenced, or quoted in the submitted work.  Insufficient citation of sources of information, images, and text included in submitted work may result in a failing assignment or discussion contribution grade.

Course Communication:  Information about this course - including the syllabus, instructor contact information, announcements, lecture material, assignments, discussion board prompts, exams, and grades - will be posted on the Blackboard site for this course.  To access Blackboard, you will need an ACC ID and password.  The following address will connect you to Blackboard:  http://www.austincc.edu/online-services

Etiquette and Electronics:  Screen and voice recording is only permitted with prior approval.  All course lecture, reading, and video resources should be used for the educational purposes of this course only.  Students are expected to be interactive and engaged participants in this course.  To create a positive learning environment for the course, students are expected to interact respectfully and communicate professionally with fellow classmates and the instructor.  All course-related communications should be stated in complete sentences, use proper grammar and spelling, and NOT include profanity.  

Required Text:  Natural Hazards:  Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes, 5th Edition, Edward A. Keller and Duane E. Devecchio, 2019, Taylor Publishing (ISBN 13 :  9781138057227).  The textbook is required for the course and an electronic version of the textbook will be available through the “Textbook” link in Blackboard.  Please note that the electronic version of the textbook is included with this section’s First Day Access registration package (see more information below). 

First Day Access:  This section includes a fee to cover the costs of an electronic textbook, provided at a discount from the ACC Bookstore.  The digital materials fee will be added to your tuition and fees when you register.  You may choose to opt-out of this fee and receive a refund if you wish to purchase the course materials separately.  Opt-out requests must be received prior to the official reporting date for a full refund.  For more information, see the following “First Day Classes” links:  https://www.austincc.edu/academic-and-career-programs/first-day-classes and https://tinyurl.com/firstdayfaq

Any questions or concerns about First Day access textbook should be directed to the Barnes & Noble College Customer Care team (see the email and phone contact information below).

• Email the Customer Care team:  bookstorecustomercare@bncollege.com
• Call the Customer Care team:  1-844-9-EBOOKS (1-844-932-6657)

Required Materials and Technology:  Students will need access to the internet, ACCmail, Blackboard, and Respondus LockDown Browser.

Course Rationale:  As the world's population grows and expands, humans are encountering natural hazards more frequently, and are contributing to a rapid change in the world's climate. College-educated consumers, voters, and decision-makers need to understand the scope and impact of these changes and the limitations that science and technology have in reducing their negative effects.  Studying natural hazards provides a valuable perspective for this understanding.  This is a general survey course that does not count towards a major in the geological sciences.

Course Objectives:  To give students an understanding of how geology and the scientific method work to understand natural hazards and minimize the consequences of those hazards.  The students will become more familiar with the dynamic nature of the Earth’s lithosphere and hydrosphere and how the natural processes of those systems can pose hazards to humans.  Students will learn how human interference with the Earth’s natural processes can increase the consequences of natural hazards and lead to natural disasters.  Students will become more aware of what actions and choices can help minimize the consequences of natural hazards.  

Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes:  Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the scientific method as applied in the earth sciences.
• Describe common earth materials and their relationship to natural hazards.
• Explain how Earth and Solar System processes create hazards to life and property.
• Describe and explain the most common methods used to mitigate and prepare for each type of hazardous natural process.
• Explain the causes and effects of global climate change.

Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes for Geology:  Upon successful completion of the geology program, students will be able to:

• Describe the scientific method and apply it in a geological context.
• Describe Earth’s major systems and explain how they interact.
• Identify common rocks, minerals, and fossils and interpret how they form.
• Describe and interpret the development of landforms and geologic structures.
• Describe the sedimentological, paleoclimatic, tectonic, and biological history of the Earth with a focus on  North America.
• Construct and interpret geologic, stratigraphic, and topographic maps, cross-sections, and topographic  profiles.
• Explain the plate tectonic theory and its relationship to earth processes, features, and landforms.

General Education Student Learning Outcomes:  As a Core Curriculum course, students completing this course will demonstrate competence in:

• Critical Thinking – gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information
• Interpersonal Skills – interactively collaboratively to achieve common goals
• Quantitative and Empirical Reasoning -- applying mathematical, logical and scientific principles and  methods
• Written, Oral, and Visual Communication – communicating effectively, adapting to purpose, structure,  audience, and medium