NCTC ASTR1403 0343 Syllabus SP26 Layton (3).pdf
NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Course title: Astronomy 1403 – Stars and Galaxies
Course prefix, number, and section number: ASTR 1403 0343
Semester/Year of course: Spring 2026
Semester start and end dates: 1/12-5/3/2026
Modality (Face to face/Synchronous or Asynchronous online/Hybrid): Asynchronous, Online
Class meeting location, days, and times: N/A - online
Lab meeting location, days, and times: N/A - online
Semester credit hours:4
Course description: Study of stars, galaxies, and the universe outside our solar system. May or may not include a laboratory. 48 lecture hours + 32 laboratory hours
Course prerequisites: N/A
Course Materials
Starting in Spring 2026 NCTC is partnering with Barnes & Noble College (BNC) to make purchasing course materials easy and affordable. When students register for classes, they are automatically opted in to the Lion Book Bundle which will provide students first day access to course materials. In this program students are charged $24 per credit hour ($96 for a 4-hour class) as a fee on their NCTC student account. (This is labeled as “Book Fee” on NCTC invoices). Students may choose to opt out of this program, but would then be required to purchase needed class materials on their own. If opting out, students would receive a refund on their NCTC student account. Students may choose to opt out starting one month prior to classes beginning through the first week of class. Students might benefit from opting out if they are enrolled in classes that use OER (free course materials). Note: The Lion Book Bundle applies to all classes a student is registered for in a given semester (both 16-week and 8-week). A student must either opt in or out for ALL classes—not each class individually. If you want to take advantage of the Lion Book Bundle, no action is needed as students are automatically opted in. If you would like to opt out of the program, you must go to the Opt-out page.
Click here for more information: Lion Book Bundle information
Required course materials not included in the Lion Book Bundle:
-OpenStax Astronomy (Free):
https://openstax.org/details/books/astronomy-2e
- Virtual and Hands-on labs in Canvas modules (Free)
Name of instructor: Bruce Layton
Office location: Online
Telephone number: 228-234-6972 (please leave voicemail with your name, course, and
questions)
E-mail address: blayton@nctc.edu
Office hours for students: Mondays 9-10am CDT – please send questions through Canvas Inbox
SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER
The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing.
SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
List of graded assignments:
(5) Major Unit Exams - 15%
(1) Final Exam – 20%
(4) Discussion Questions – 5%
(1) PowerPoint or Conceptual Paper (Space Travel) – 5%
(10) Labs – 25%
(15) Chapter Quizzes – 15%
(15) Chapter Homework – 15%
Final grade scale:
A 90- 100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 0-59
Late work policy:
Late work will be accepted with a 10% penalty for each week it is late. There are no extra credit
opportunities in this course.
SEE CANVAS FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE CALENDAR, OUTLINE, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GRADED WORK, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIAL.
COURSE POLICIES
Communication:
Correspondence between the instructor and student should generally be done via the Canvas
Inbox. I will respond to all messages in less than 24 hours (Monday – Friday).
Academic Integrity Policy:
In this online course, you should apply these standards to be sure that you maintain academic
integrity:
This online course is considered entirely “open book.” You may use any resources from the
course as you complete the practice quizzes, chapter quizzes, labs, tests, and final exam. You
should not, however, consult any other person or website while completing an assessment in
our course (i.e. “Googling” answers to quizzes, tests, or the final is considered cheating).
Artificial Intelligence Policy:
Absent a clear statement from a course instructor, use of or consultation with generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other similar technologies shall be treated analogously to assistance from another person, agency, or entity. In particular, using generative AI tools to substantially complete an assignment or exam is not permitted. Students should acknowledge the use of generative AI (other than incidental use) and default to disclosing such assistance when in doubt.
When students use generative AI to replace the rigorous demands of personal engagement with their coursework, it runs counter to the educational mission of the college and undermines the heart of education itself. Artificial Intelligence, large language models, and technologies hold promise for deploying knowledge in service to others and accelerating the discovery of new knowledge. However, such technology poses new challenges to pedagogy and to integrity. Within the context of the teaching mission of the college and consistent with the Student Code of Conduct, the authority to define the appropriate use, study, and deployment of these technologies rests with the faculty.
Individual course instructors, in coordination with their divisions, set policies regulating the use of generative AI tools in their courses, including allowing or disallowing some or all uses of such tools. Course instructors will set such policies in their course syllabi and clearly communicate such policies to students. Students who are unsure of policies regarding generative AI tools are encouraged to ask their instructors for clarification.
Attendance Policy:
Completion of all activities is mandatory. Students should expect to login to the Canvas
course, and complete a portion of at least one of the assignments each week, at the
minimum.
North Central Texas College’s attendance policy is published in each course’s syllabi. NCTC faculty are expected to keep up-to-date attendance records. However, general regulations regarding class attendance are as follows:
· Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.
· All absences are considered unauthorized unless the student is absent due to sickness or emergencies approved by the instructor or participation in an approved college-sponsored activity (which requires written approval from the appropriate Dean or Director).
· The instructor is responsible for judging the validity of any reasons given for absence. Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up the required work.
· Students will only be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence if they have reasons acceptable to the instructor. A student compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.
· Students may be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been unjustifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.
· Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories may be sufficient cause for college officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College.
· Students may be dropped from a developmental course required for the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) purposes for non-attendance. Official NCTC TSI rules state that students not passing all sections of the THEA, Compass, or the TSI Assessment test must be enrolled in at least one area of remediation each semester they are enrolled or until all sections are passed, or all remedial requirements have been met.
· Simply logging in to an online course does not constitute attendance. The U.S. Department of Education calculates the last date of attendance by the last time a student participated in an online discussion or made contact (interacted) with a faculty member, and this standard is applied to online courses.
Grading and Feedback
Assignments will generally be graded within one week of the due date. Students are always
welcome to ask the instructor for more detailed feedback on any graded assignment.
Withdrawal Policy
A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form.
Last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” is: 3/30/2026. (tentative - see college calendar for any date changes)
Academic Calendar - North Central Texas College
Student Learning Outcomes:
-Define and apply basic astronomical concepts.
-Define and apply the basic concepts of light and spectra.
-Understand the physical properties of stars and apply them to explain their classification.
-Explain the birth, evolution, and death of stars.
-Describe the main features of galaxies and their classification.
-Articulate modern cosmological ideas about the universe.
-Analyze and interpret data from laboratory observations to draw valid scientific conclusions and communicate these conclusions in a clear and articulate manner
Core Objectives:
-Critical Thinking
-Communication
-Empirical and Quantitative
-Teamwork
COLLEGE POLICIES
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.
AI STATEMENT
Absent a clear statement from a course instructor, use of or consultation with generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other similar technologies shall be treated analogously to assistance from another person, agency, or entity. In particular, using generative AI tools to substantially complete an assignment or exam is not permitted. Students should acknowledge the use of generative AI (other than incidental use) and default to disclosing such assistance when in doubt.
When students use generative AI to replace the rigorous demands of personal engagement with their coursework, it runs counter to the educational mission of the college and undermines the heart of education itself. Artificial Intelligence, large language models, and technologies hold promise for deploying knowledge in service to others and accelerating the discovery of new knowledge. However, such technology poses new challenges to pedagogy and to integrity. Within the context of the teaching mission of the college and consistent with the Student Code of Conduct, the authority to define the appropriate use, study, and deployment of these technologies rests with the faculty.
Individual course instructors, in coordination with their divisions, set policies regulating the use of generative AI tools in their courses, including allowing or disallowing some or all uses of such tools. Course instructors will set such policies in their course syllabi and clearly communicate such policies to students. Students who are unsure of policies regarding generative AI tools are encouraged to ask their instructors for clarification.
ADA STATEMENT
NCTC will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations. See the OSD Syllabus Addendum.
STUDENT SERVICES
NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students. See the Student Services Syllabus Addendum for a listing of those departments and links to their sites.
Pregnant and Parenting Students: Any student who, because of their pregnancy or parenting status, may require special accommodations to meet course requirements should contact the Student Parent Liaison (studentparents@nctc.edu). Students may also self-report by visiting www.nctc.edu/cares and submitting a report for Pregnant & Parenting Students.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS
The student should contact the instructor to deal with any questions, concerns, or complaints specific to the class. If the student and faculty are not able to resolve the issue, the student may contact the chair or coordinator of the division. If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may proceed to contact the instructional dean.
Name of Chair/Coordinator: Jaime Noles
Office location: Gainesville 408
Telephone number: 940-668-7731 ext. 4930
E-mail address: jnoles@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean: Mary Martinson
Office location: Gainesville 1403
Telephone number: 940.668.7731 ext. 4377
E-mail address: mmartinson@nctc.edu