The information below does not constitute the complete course syllabus.  A complete syllabus with all course policies and other information will be covered in the online orientation and available on Blackboard.  The scheduling of topics is also subject to change.  Any changes will be announced via email and on Blackboard.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will explore the science behind atmospheric processes, weather and climate systems, and how they are studied. 

Contact Hours per week: 3

COURSE STRUCTURE

This course does not have any required meeting times.  The course is divided into four modules, each containing three or four chapters.  Every week there will be a Sunday evening deadline to complete the assignments for one or more chapters.  There will be three midterm exams and a comprehensive final exam.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY

This course is taught as an ONL (online) distance learning class and has no classroom component.  This course will feature videos, and other content on websites in addition to required reading from the textbook. Student learning will be assessed with homework assignments and examinations.

REQUIRED TECHNOLOGY

You must have access to a working computer or tablet with reliable Internet access (preferably high speed) to complete the work in this course.  Students will use the Blackboard learning management system for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, and online collaboration with fellow students.  Additionally, Respondus LockDown Browser will be required for exams.

EXAMINATIONS

Three midterm examinations and a comprehensive final exam will be given. Questions will be drawn from lectures, reading from the textbook, handouts, and homework assignments.  The final exam on the last day of class will be comprehensive.  Exams may consist of multiple choice, matching, diagram labeling, fill-in-the-blank, and essay questions.  Quizzes that are not completed by the deadline will receive a zero grade.  No exams will be given early.

Students will take their exams at home using a computer logged into Blackboard on the web, or a tablet with the Blackboard app. You will have to download the Respondus LockDown Browser software in order to take the exams.  Additional information about Respondus LockDown Browser can be found on the class Blackboard site

Students are not to collaborate in any way on the course exams.  Doing so constitutes cheating.  Students who have been found to have cheated will earn a zero on that exam.

DEADLINES AND LATE WORK

Deadlines are strictly enforced in this class.  All assignments, including exams, that are not submitted by the due date, will earn a zero.  There is only one exception to this policy; students are permitted one
no-questions-asked “oops” deadline extension for an exam, but only under very specific circumstances:

• You must notify your professor via Google Form (linked on Blackboard) by 7 pm Central Time on the day after the exam is due that you are requesting an extension to the exam due date.
• The length of the deadline extension is completely at the professor’s discretion, but will generally be no more than 72 hours beyond the original exam deadline.
• There is only one exam extension granted per student per semester.  If you used your extension earlier in the semester and then miss a second exam deadline, you will earn a zero on that exam.
• This policy only applies to Exams 1, 2, or 3.  This policy does not apply to Exam 4, which is due on the last day of the semester, and therefore its deadline cannot be extended.

Students who do not request an exam extension during the semester will be awarded 10 bonus points onto their final point total at the end of the semester.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS

Several homework assignments will be given during the semester.  Homework assignments that are not completed by the deadline will receive a zero grade. 

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

The Atmosphere: An Introduction to Meteorology, 14th edition, Lutgen, Tarbuck & Herman (Pearson) 

• The textbook is available on Blackboard through First Day Access
• ISBN varies by format.
• If you wish to purchase a paper copy of the textbook, you are welcome to use the 13th or 3rd edition of the textbook in order to save money.  The chapters are essentially the same.

Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Define and describe the structure and composition of Earth’s atmosphere.
2. Describe and define the processes of cloud formation and precipitation.
3. Describe and illustrate the major weather systems and the associated movement of air on global and local levels.
4. Describe the behavior of the global heat budget.
5. Define and describe climate and evidence of climate change.  
6. Summarize the projections and consequences of our changing climate.

General Education Student Learning Outcomes

As a Core Curriculum course, students completing this course will demonstrate competence in:

• Critical thinking through the gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and application of information for the purposes of innovation, inquiry, and creative thinking.
• Empirical and quantitative skills through the application of mathematic, logical, and scientific principles and methods through the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions.