GS 2220H – ACTIVE TECTONICS

(Honors’ Seminar)

Winter 2007

Instructor: Dr. Mian Liu

Office: Room 205 Geology Building, Office phone: (573) 882-3784

Email: lium@missouri.edu;

Class web: http://web.missouri.edu/~geolliu/courses/GS2220

Office hours: Mon & Wed: 3:30-4:00PM

Lecture: MWF 11:00-11:50 AM, RM109, Geology Building

Textbook: Active Tectonics (2nd Ed.), by Keller & Pinter

Lecture: Attendance is required for this course. This is a seminar type of course that includes significant portion of group discussion and student presentation. Part of your final score will be based on your performance in class discussion and presentations.

Office hour is time reserved to help you – you don’t need an appointment to see me during office hours. If you need to see me in other times, you are advised to make an appointment.

Homework: We will have some homework to help you understand the critical concepts and acquire some basic skills.

Exams and grades:

Homework 20%

Mid-term 30%

Term Paper 40%

Class Performance 10%

 Total 100%

Class Performance is based on your participation in class, including attendance, participation in discussion, and class presentations. The maximum for this part is 20 points toward your total. By the end of the semester your class performance will be evaluated by me (5 points maximum) and by your classmates (5 points maximum).

The final letter grades will be assigned following the usual scales:

A: 90% and above; B: 80-89%; C: 70-80%; D: 60-70%; F: Lower than 60%.

No plus-minus grades for this course.

Term Paper: An investigative report of a topic that interests you. Choose a topic early in the semester, read related papers, and present a balanced report of the topic with basic and critical evidences from all sides. Expected lengths: ~five pages (single space, 12-point font) excluding figures and references.

Make-up exams: To be entitled for a make-up exam, you must get my approval BEFORE the test and be prepared to document your illness or grave family situation. That you overslept or your clock failed to alarm is NOT acceptable excuses for missing the tests.

Accommodation of students with disabilities: Students who have special conditions as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act, and who need any test or course materials to be furnished in an alternative format, should notify the instructor immediately. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate the needs of these students. Such students should also register with the Access Office for Students with Disabilities, A038 Brady Commons, Voice (573) 882-4696; TTY(573) 882-8054.

MU policy on academic honesty: Academic honesty is fundamental to the activities and principles of our university. Members of our academic community must be confident that every student's work has been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort on the part of a student to gain an advantage not given to all students (including the asking of an instructor to arbitrarily change a grade) is viewed as dishonest, whether or not that effort is successful. Our academic community regards academic dishonesty as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences that range from probation, to suspension, to expulsion. If you are ever in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or collaboration, consult your course instructor.