University of Alberta

The Atmosphere, EAS 270

Sept.-Dec., 2006

In EAS270 every effort will be made to ensure that testing and evaluation is predictable in style (eg. study past exams), regular in time across the term, fair (in terms of content and expectations) and objective (clear criteria for scoring). No course weight (ie. mark) is assigned on the basis of your in-class participation. You should be aware that in your evaluated written material (which will count for 30% of overall score) tidiness, coherency, clarity and orderliness of logic in your written answers will be factored into your score, ie. factors other than correctness will also count.

Please inform yourself of the basis for the scoring, by reading the information below...

IMPORTANT DATES - multi-choice quizzes, written assignments; exams

Fri 22nd Sept, Quiz 1 (m.c., up to 10%)
Fri 13th Oct, Quiz 2 (m.c., up to 10%)
Wed 18th Oct, Assignment 1 due (10%)
Fri 27th Oct, Mid-term m.c. exam (20%):
Fri 17th Nov, Quiz 3 (m.c., up to 10%)
Wed 6th Dec, Assignment 2 due (10%):
Fri 15th Dec, 2pm, Final exam (40% of which 30% m.c.)

Note that only your best 2 quizzes will count, for a total of 20%

Questions on quizzes and exams will be split approximately as:

80% on your knowledge of the text/lecture material
20% on your ability to interpret weather maps/charts

Policy on Missed Quizzes & Exams

No option to alter date of quizzes or exams.

I shall take your best 2 of 3 quiz scores.

Missed 2 or more quizzes? You will lose marks for the 2nd (3rd...) quizzes missed

Missed Final Exam? The instructor does not have authority to grant a deferred exam. In the case of having missed a final exam, and should you wish to do so, you can apply for a deferred exam. Please go to your faculty office within 2 working days of the missed exam; your application for a deferred exam must be approved by your own faculty.

UA Grading System for EAS 270

EAS 270 is a large second-year science class. It is therefore reasonable to expect the distribution of grades should lie close to the historical average grade-distribution for second year science courses. A table below gives a history of the distribution of grades in EAS270, compared to the historical grade distribution for 2nd year science cources.

I shall assign grades based on your total score (from 100) on term and exam work, as follows: The student having the highest score, receives a grade of A+. The student having the lowest score that I can regard as "passing," receives a grade of D. All students having scores intermediate between those best and worst-passing scores, receive grades in the range D to A+ (inclusive; 11 passing categories), with the boundaries between grades being adjusted to approximate the historical distribution of passing grades.

The historical grade-distribution, ie. the target distribution for EAS 270, is below compared with the actual grade distributions assigned in this course over the past two years by this instructor (percentages rounded to the nearest whole number:

Grade Recommended/Norm Eas270, 2003 Eas270, 2004 Eas270, 2005

A+ 5% 6% 5% 5%

A 7% 7% 7% 8%

A- 12% 12% 13% 13%

B+ 15% 15% 15% 15%

B 16% 15% 17% 16%

B- 14% 14% 14% 14%

C+ 11% 10% 12% 12%

C 8% 8% 7% 8%

C- 5% 6% 5% 4%

D+ 3% 4% 4% 2%

<=D 2% 2% 4% 4%

GPA 2.83 2.88 2.85 2.85

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Grade	Recommended/Norm	Eas270, 2003	Eas270, 2004	Eas270, 2005
A+	5%	6%	5%	5%
A	7%	7%	7%	8%
A-	12%	12%	13%	13%
B+	15%	15%	15%	15%
B	16%	15%	17%	16%
B-	14%	14%	14%	14%
C+	11%	10%	12%	12%
C	8%	8%	7%	8%
C-	5%	6%	5%	4%
D+	3%	4%	4%	2%
<=D	2%	2%	4%	4%
GPA	2.83	2.88	2.85	2.85