YORK COLLEGE OF PENNSYLVANIA
Syllabus-PSC474-Physical Sciences Seminar
Fall Semester, 2009 – Meet in PAC184 for all classes!

Instructor: A Harrison – aharriso@ycp.edu;  http://faculty.ycp.edu/~aharriso/    Office Hours: 2:00-3:15 Tuesdays and by apt in Adjunct Faculty Office (BA103)     

Text: Cain, B.E. The Basics of Technical Communicating, American Chemical Society, 1988 (see instructor).

Course Synopsis: This course is designed to expose students to searching and critically reading the literature in several areas of the physical sciences. Students will read (and present to classmates) information from several papers from their own selected areas of interest and will critically discuss papers from several related physical science areas. In addition, attendance at related field trips will be required.

Course Objectives: After successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Read refereed papers from his/her specialty area and present such information in written form in a format suitable for journal publication.
  • Read refereed papers from his/her specialty area and present such information to a group in oral form in a manner acceptable for professional meetings.
  • Gather information for and prepare a proposal for research or for an application for grant materials in connection with laboratory work or instrumentation.
  • Search the printed and electronic databases for information related to a particular subject in an organized and productive fashion.
  • Discuss current issues and ethics in the physical sciences.

Writing Standards: Grades given on papers will, in part, be determined by the quality of grammar, spelling and punctuation used and by the correct usage of sentence structure as well as by how effectively the subject matter is presented. The following is a copy of the official York College COMMUNICATION STANDARDS:  York College recognizes the importance of effective communication in all disciplines and careers.  Therefore,
students are expected to competently analyze, synthesize, organize, and articulate course material in papers, examinations and presentations.
In addition, students should know and use communication skills current to their field of study, recognize the need for revision as part of
their writing process, and employ standard conventions of English usage in both writing and speaking.  Students may be asked to further revise
assignments that do not demonstrate effective use of these communication skills.
 

Academic Honesty: It is anticipated that students will be honest. However, the following is the official YORK COLLEGE ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY: 

York College’s mission statement stipulates that strict adherence to principles of academic honesty is expected of all students.  Therefore, academic dishonesty will not be tolerated at York College.  Academic dishonesty refers to actions such as, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, fabricating research, falsifying academic documents, etc., and includes all situations where students make use of the work of others and claim such work as their own.

 

When a faculty member believes a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, the faculty member must inform the student in writing and then has ten business days from that written notification to the student to report the incident to the Dean of Academic Affairs and the Department Chair.  Documentation related to instances of academic dishonesty will be kept on file in the student’s permanent record. If the academic dishonesty is the student’s first offense, the faculty member will have the discretion to decide on a suitable sanction up to a grade of 0 for the course. Students are not permitted to withdraw from a course in which they have been accused of academic dishonesty.

 

Students who believe they have been unjustly charged or sanctioned (in cases involving a first offense) must discuss the situation with the faculty member and have 10 business days thereafter to submit an appeal to Student Welfare Committee through the Dean of Academic Affairs.  If an appeal is filed, the Student Welfare Committee will then conduct a hearing to review the charge and/or sanction.  In cases of a first offense, the faculty member  may request that the Student Welfare Committee conduct a hearing and decide on the sanction, which can involve academic suspension or dismissal from the College, if the faculty member believes the offense to be of an extremely egregious nature.

 

If the Dean of Academic Affairs determines that the academic dishonesty is the student’s second offense, the Dean will provide written notification to the student, the faculty member, and the Department Chair. The Student Welfare Committee will automatically conduct a hearing to review the charge and decide on an appropriate sanction, which will involve academic suspension or dismissal from the College. Students who believe the Student Welfare Committee has unjustly sanctioned them may submit a written appeal to the Dean of Academic Affairs within 72 hours of receiving notification of the Student Welfare Committee’s sanction.

Grading:
Points:            Item
 120               Assignments #1 thru #3, Statistics Assignment,  Responsible Care, Nuclear Chemistry
  60                Three quizzes: Library, Exp Design, Funding
  80               Four In-class Writing Assignments
  20                Questions and Critiques of Speeches
100                Two regular talks  (50 ea)
100                Two regular papers  (50 ea)
 80               Grant Proposal speech (30), Written proposal 50
  40                Issues and Ethics (20 Posting, 20 Q&A)
600               Total
  50               MFAT
 650              Final Total

SCHEDULE OF WORK – FALL 2009 – Meet in PAC184 for all classes

Week of            Classroom Activity                                                                  Homework Assignment

Sept 1

Meet in PAC184 3:30-6:30 Introduction to Course;  Periodicals in Class Familiarization

(from packet)  including Serials Solutions and Assignment #1

Finish online database work, Start first research topic
Do Assignment #2 from packet; Read text Chap 1 & 6(51-59 on library); Finish Assignment #1

Sept 8

Meet in PAC184 Assignments #1 and #2 Due;   Discussion of Talks and Papers;  

Demo-PPT talk (General Principles of Writing)  In-class Writing Assignment #1

Assignment #3;  Talk/Paper #1 Research


 

Sept 15

Meet in PAC184  Give electronic copy of talk paper to Harrison; Assignment #3 due and will be briefly discussed;  In-class Writing Assignment #2 

Read other students’ talk papers-devise two questions from each paper; 

Write Talk #1; Start Paper #1; Read student talk papers and write two questions from each one

Sept 22

Meet in PAC184 Student Talks #1 (10 min each); Class ends 5:45

Work on and finish Paper #1; Choose topic for Paper #2

Sept 29

 Meet in PAC184;  Finish Students Talks #1; Turn in Paper #1;  Read each other’s papers;   Do Paper #2 Research; Turn in Electronic Talk Paper #2;   Library Quiz;

Prep Talk #2; Read student talk papers and write questions;  Work on Paper #2

Oct 6

  Meet in PAC184 Return Paper #1;  Student Talks #2 (10 min each)

Rewrite Paper #1 as needed; Work on paper #2 & finish if possible

Oct  20

Meet in PAC184;  Turn in rewritten Paper #1;  Discuss Experimental Design (Instr PPT)  & Assign Stat Problems; In-class Writing Assignment   #3

  Finish Paper #2; Do Stat Problems and Study Exptl Design 

Oct 27

Turn in Paper #2; Meet in PAC184; Present Stat Problems;   Discussion of Proposals; Experimental Design Quiz

Do Responsible Care Research and Write Responsible Care Summary for Question 11; Start Proposal Research

Nov 3

 Meet in PAC184; Turn in Responsible Care Answers & Question 11 Summary;    Paper #2 returned;
Guest Speaker on Responsible Care;  Choose I & E Topic; Discuss Proposals as needed

Rewrite Paper #2 as needed;  Do I & E Topic Online Research and Prepare Topic; Continue proposal research

Nov 10

Meet in PAC184   Turn in rewritten paper #2; Discuss use of computers and visuals in proposals; Computer Work on Proposal Funding;  In-class Writing Assignment #4

Proposal lit search and write literature review;  Read Chap 7,10,14,15 & study notes on proposals; study for Funding Quiz;

Nov 17

Meet in PAC184 ;   Meet Harrison on line; Put I & E Topics on Computer and Read and Ask Questions

Funding Quiz

Write proposal; Read old proposals for format and get current format set up;  Write Nuclear Chemistry Summary

Nov 24

Meet in PAC184 Nuclear Chemistry Assignment; 

Finish Nuclear Chem Assignmnt

Nov 26

Thanksgiving

Finish proposal; Write final proposal talk;

Dec 1

Meet in PAC184; Give Talk on Proposal; Turn in proposals; Turn in Nuclear Chem Assignment

No Homework

Dec 8

Meet in PAC184 – Take MFAT

No Homework

Dec 15

To Be Announced; Receive Assignment for Final Time

Assignment for Final Time