NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Course title: Physical Science

Course prefix, number, and section number: PHYS1415 0340

Semester/Year of course: Spring 2024

Semester start and end dates: 1/16 -  5/11

Modality (Face to face/Synchronous or Asynchronous online/Hybrid): Asynchronous online

Class meeting location, days, and times: Canvas online

Lab meeting location, days, and times: Canvas online

Semester credit hours: 4

Course description: Course Description (NCTC Catalog): Physical science lecture/lab course designed for non-science majors. Surveys topics from physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy, and meteorology.

Course prerequisites:  MATH0305 or TSI eligible for Math0310 or higher.

Required course materials: Physical Science, 13^th Edition, Bill W. Tillery. (McGraw Hill). No electronic code is needed. Scientific Calculator: TI30XIIS recommended. 

Name of instructor: Don Abernathy

Office location: Corinth Room 331/ 333

Telephone number: 940 498 6282 X 6308

E-mail address: dabernathy@nctc.edu

Office hours for students: Monday & Wednesday: 1:30 – 2:30; Tuesday & Thursday: 9:30 – 11:00. Online only: Thursday: 1:00 – 3:00.

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:

    Discussion Boards 5%

    Quizzes 40%

    Midterm Exam 20%

    Labs 20%

    Final Exam 15%

Final grade scale:  A: 90-100 B: 80-89; C: 70-79; D: 60-69; F: Below 60

SEE CANVAS FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE CALENDAR, OUTLINE, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GRADED WORK, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIAL.

COURSE POLICIES

Academic Integrity Policy: Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”. 

Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:

AI Writing and Acceptable Use: Submitting work generated by ChatGPT or any other AI language tool on assignments is considered academic dishonesty, even if cited as a source.  Instructors use AI detectors to enforce this policy.  The writing assignments in this course require generating new knowledge, rather than just recombining existing information.  AI does not generate original research, and the information may contain factual errors. 

AI may be used in brainstorming, or developing a research question.  Generally speaking, students are not authorized to use artificial intelligence and related products like large language model applications to produce work for this class EXCEPT on assignments that the instructor has identified and for which the student will have received significant guidance on the appropriate use of such technologies.  Students should not, however, construe this limited use as permission to use these technologies in any other facet of their coursework. Students who submit AI generated content as original work will be subject to the same disciplinary actions listed above in the college's academic integrity policy.

1.  Assigning a failing grade for the assignment.
2. Assigning a failing grade for the class.

Attendance Policy: Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  This being an online course, your attendance will be determined by your participation. Students failing to sufficiently participate will be dropped from the course.

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: April 1

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion, students will be able to:

• Use the principles of mechanics to solve problems involving motion, forces, energy, momentum, and repetitive motion.
• Describe the basic principles of fluid mechanics.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of heat and thermodynamics.
• Solve basic problems involving electricity.
• Describe the relationship between electricity and magnetism.
• Describe the characteristics of light and the electromagnetic spectrum.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the atomic model and nuclear energy.
• Demonstrate understanding of the basis of science using terms such as scientific method, hypothesis, law, theory, and pseudoscience.
• Discuss energy resources.

Core Objectives:

Critical Thinking

Communication

Teamwork

Empirical and Quantitative Analysis

COLLEGE POLICIES

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.

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.

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS