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

MANDATORY ORIENTATION AND QUIZ

The mandatory orientation requires you to review information listed under “Start Here”  on Blackboard. Once you finish reviewing the material take the orientation quiz at the bottom of the page. You will be dropped from the class if you do not complete the orientation quiz by September 25, 2024.

EXAMINATIONS

The course is divided into three modules. Each module is tested separately, for a total of three examinations given in this course. 

• There are mandatory exam deadlines that will be enforced by the instructor.
• You must take all 3 required exams in order to pass the class.
• NOTE: If you do not prepare for the exams ahead of time you will not be able to successfully complete the exam in the allowed time.
• Exams can be taken on any computer that can access Blackboard. At the start of the semester, the instructor will go over the exam schedule in more detail.
• You will have 1 hour an 10 minutes to complete the examination. 
• There are no retakes.

Questions will be drawn from the textbook (including diagrams and graphs), lecture, any other assigned videos, documentaries and chapter quizzes which focus on the key material for each chapter. Exams will consist of multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, interpreting diagrams and graphs. Exam grades will be posted on Blackboard. Because you have access to your quiz and exam grades through Blackboard, you can keep track of your progress in the course.

QUIZZES

Online quizzes will be given for each chapter covered in the module. These quizzes will help you assess if you are ready to take the exam for the module. Quizzes can be taken on any computer that can access Blackboard. Each chapter quiz can be taken twice.  You have 1 hour to complete the quiz at each attempt. The highest grade will be recorded.

All quizzes are available to you as soon as the course begins. You are welcome to work through the material at an accelerated pace and take the quizzes whenever you are ready. Once the Exam deadline is passed you will no longer have access to chapter quizzes from that module.

DISCUSSION

For each module, there are assigned discussion question/s. You will start working on discussion questions during regular class time but can complete and submit before the deadline for that module. You will need to post an original thread with the answers to discussion questions and respond to at least two classmates' responses. Inappropriate posts will be deleted. You will receive points for participating in Module Discussions.  Once the Exam deadline is passed you will no longer have access to discussion questions from that module.

Course Grade 

This is how your course grade will be determined:

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes (5th Ed.), by Edward A. Keller and Duane E. DeVecchio.

ISBN 9781138057227

This is a First Day Access section. The etext is uploaded to your Blackboard account for use on the first day of class. 

GEOL 1301 - Natural Hazards and Disasters (ONL) Class Schedule

Schedule changes may occur. Any changes will be announced on Blackboard and via email.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes

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

describe the scientific method as applied in the earth sciences; and

describe common earth materials and their relationship to natural hazards; and

explain how Earth and Solar System processes create hazards to life and property; and

describe and explain the most common methods used to mitigate and prepare for each type of hazardous natural process; and

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; and

describe Earth’s major systems and explain how they interact; and

identify common rocks, minerals, and fossils and interpret how they form; and

describe and interpret the development of landforms and geologic structures; and

describe the sedimentological, paleoclimatic, tectonic, and biological history of the Earth with a focus on North America; and

construct and interpret geologic, stratigraphic, and topographic maps, cross-sections, and topographic profiles; and

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.

Quantitative and Empirical Reasoning

         Applying mathematical, logical and scientific principles and methods.