• All communications must be through the official course email: phy2053@phys.ufl.edu.
• Emails to the TAs do not need to copy the instructors.

There are 10 TAs available to help you during discussion sections and office hours.  The office hour schedule and contact information for TAs can be found in the Office Hours & Discussion Sections link in the sidebar.

This section tells you the role and responsibilities of the TA, how to contact the TAs, and gives an overview of how communication will happen and in what time frame.

Statement on TAs' Role

The TAs will be running your discussion sections, writing and grading your quizzes, and managing quiz makeup requests. We (the instructors) will guide the TAs in these endeavors. All course policies have been set by the instructors, and any questions about them should be sent to both Prof. McGill and Prof. Biswas. Your TAs are, however, excellent authorities on physics, and you should not be shy about asking them questions. They are actively involved in departmental TA training to continuously improve their teaching practices. If you have any concerns please contact Prof. McGill and Prof. Biswas.

TA Responsibilities

• Create weekly quizzes.  These quizzes are approved by the instructors prior to being given.
• Grade weekly quizzes.
• Return graded quizzes/post grades 1 week from the date the quiz was taken.
• Approve makeup quiz requests within 3 days of the request being made.
• Provide a re-grade of quiz grades, when requested.
• Run discussion sections and all this entails (take attendance for participation credit, facilitate group problem-solving, etc) and hold office hours.
• TAs are not responsible for creating or interpreting course policies.  Any questions/clarification required for course policy must be addressed to your instructors.

Office Hours

Time and Location: Click on the Office Hours & Discussion Sections link in the left sidebar for full details. You are welcome to attend the office hours of any professor and/or TA.

This section overviews the materials you will need to complete the assigned work in the course. 

Times/dates of all items listed in our syllabus in Canvas are in US East Coast times. Canvas does not automatically reset these to show when they will occur in your local time.

Required Reading and Other Course Materials

• Canvas Notifications:
  • You must have your notifications in Canvas set such that you get instant notification of all course Announcements and emails.
• Text (e-book):
  • College Physics: A Strategic Approach by Knight, Jones, and Field (4e). Use UF All-Access to access the e-text; you will purchase access to the HW system, Expert TA, the first time you try to do the homework. 
    
• Homework:
  • HW will be assigned and submitted through Expert TA. To access the homework, click the "Assignments" link in the left-hand navigation menu. Clicking on an assignment will take you to the assignment in Expert TA.
    
• Clickers:
  • Most lectures will feature a few in-class clicker questions for extra credit. You will want to reference the instructions for creating an iClicker account (with your @ufl.edu email address!) and the instructions for how to add this course to your account as part of getting set up. Note that if you use a personal email address to set up your iClicker account, we will not be able to match you to the grade book and you will not be awarded any points you may earn. Also, please do not create more than one account.
    
• Calculators:
  • A scientific or graphing calculator is needed for this course. Internet-capable calculators and cell phones as calculators are not allowed.

Recommended Reading and Other Course Materials

Our course material, including lecture notes and videos, will be posted on the Course Schedule as we proceed through the course, the link to which you can find in the left-hand navigation menu.

Course Schedule

The detailed course schedule, including lecture topics, content covered on quizzes and exams, and UF holidays, can be accessed using the "Course Schedule" link in the left menu. A brief schedule is provided here for reference:

Grading in this course takes place within the following parameters.

• Your course grade will not be assigned based on a curve but will be based on a 100-point fixed scale.
• Your grade is determined by your performance on the following in-class and out-of-class components: 3 exams, weekly quizzes, and on-line homework. In addition you can earn extra credit through discussion section participation and in-class clicker questions. 
• We use dropped assignments or forgiveness factors as a make-up policy to accommodate circumstances that may arise throughout the semester that may hinder your performance in the homework, the discussion quizzes and participation, and the clicker questions. The forgiveness factors or the number of dropped assignments are given in the table below. The make-up policy for exams and quizzes is given below.
  
• Grading in this class is consistent with UF grade and grading policies.
• Assignment Values: Point values/percentages for each assignment are available in the Assignments page of Canvas.

Grade Composition

Point Range for this Class

Note that a grade of C- is not a qualifying grade for major, minor, Gen Ed, or College Basic distribution credit.

Policy on Late and Make-up Work

Homework solutions are released immediately after the due-date thus no late HW can be accepted for credit.  Makeups for quizzes and exams are permitted under UF attendance policy guidelines. See the following dropdowns for further details: Exam-Specific Information, Quiz-Specific Information, and Homework, Clickers, and Discussion Participation.

Grade Return Timing

Homework grades and solutions are released within 1 minute of the due-date through Expert TA. Graded quizzes are returned by the following week's discussion session. Exam grades should also be posted within 1 week of the exam.

This section provides information on exam content, dates, and makeup policy.

• Exams:
  • Exams each have 15 multiple choice questions and are worth 25 points.
  • Exams are closed book/closed notes; the only materials allowed are your pencil/eraser/pen/highlighter, and scientific or graphing calculator. Private formula sheets and cell phones as calculators are not allowed. An official formula sheet will be provided.
  • Many, but not all, exam questions are based on homework problems.
  • There will be some variable-only problems.
  • The Final Exam will be cumulative.
  • Dates and content covered by the Exams is found on the Course Schedule in the left-hand navigation menu.
  • In addition to these regular exam dates there are also three makeup exam dates.  Makeup Exam 1 and Exam 2 will be scheduled ~1 week after the date of the originally scheduled exam such that all who missed the original exam take the makeup at the same date and time. The Makeup Final Exam will be scheduled after the original Final Exam is given in Finals Week.
    
  • The answer you mark on your Exam scantron is your final answer to a question. We do not look back over your work, even if you think you solved your answer correctly on the scratch paper.
    
  • A student who will miss an assembly exam due to an exam conflict or any other foreseeable reason that is approved under UF attendance policies should request in advance to take the conflict exam instead of the regular exam.
  • A student who has an unforeseeable absence from an exam should contact the instructor as soon as possible, normally within 24 hours after the missed exam. For an absence to be approved, documentation of the reason for absence must be provided. If the unforeseeable absence is excused by the instructor, the student will be expected to take the conflict exam unless they have another exam conflict or reason that is approved under UF attendance policies. The conflict exam will cover the same subject matter as the regular exam and in a similar format, although the exams will not be identical.

This section provides information on quiz content and makeup policy.

• Quizzes:
  
  • We will supply the same formula sheet as is provided on the exams for the in-class quizzes.
    
  • Quizzes test how well you have learned the concepts and methods of the assigned homework problems. The quiz questions will be related to, but not identical to, the online homework problems. The problems may be restructured to provide guidance, allow awarding of partial credit, and discourage memorization of a solution formula.
  • There will be two questions on each weekly quiz. Each question will be graded on a 5 point scale.
    
  • Content covered by quizzes is found in the Course Schedule in the left-hand navigation menu.
  • Partial credit will be given in the quizzes based on your the work you show in solving each problem.
    
  • Make-up quizzes are permitted provided you have a valid documented excuse (e.g. doctors excuse for illness, a letter stating your involvement in an official UF-sanctioned event, or a letter from the Dean of Students Office (DSO) for unforeseen personal circumstances severely impacting your learning).
    
    • You will submit documentation to your TA, who will approve or deny your request. If approved, your name will be added to the Make-Up Quiz list.
    • Quiz Makeups are offered on Thursdays during Per. E1 (7:20-8:10 pm) in room NPB TBA.
    • You must take your make-up quiz within 3 weeks of the missed quiz (not within 3 weeks of the request for approval of the makeup). For serious extenuating circumstances, the latest you can complete a makeup quiz is by 5 pm on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.
      
    • 5 pm on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 is also the deadline for requesting any re-grade or to question any grade discrepancy pertaining to the quizzes.
      

The following are additional policies regarding graded material for this course.

• See the Course Schedule in the left-hand navigation menu for detailed information about lecture topics, quiz and exam content, etc.

• Homework:
  • We will use Expert TA as our online homework system.
    
  • Homework sets will be due on Fridays at 11:59 pm and will be open for a period of 14 days prior to the deadline.
  • You get 5 attempts to get a question right. You will lose a portion of that part value as a deduction for each incorrect submission attempt. For multiple choice or true/false type questions credit will be deducted for incorrect attempts. Deduction per incorrect answer = 100%/(# of options - 1). Full solutions to homework will be available immediately after the due date in the homework system.
  • Expert TA requires your responses be within 2% of the correct answer to account for rounding errors. Going by significant figures can result in the system marking your answer wrong despite you technically being correct. Do not worry about significant figures unless specifically asked for them in the HW problem.
  • Follow appropriate practices of academic honesty when working on the homework problems: discussions with colleagues and/or tutors about methods of posing and solving a homework problem are acceptable and encouraged. Using a formula that is specific to the problem, derived by someone else to input answers is considered cheating. 
  • Some of the exam and quiz questions will be based on the homework problems. Treat the homework as practice for the exams and quizzes: derive, on your own, any result that you submit and attempt to do so using the provided formula sheet and minimal reliance on your calculator. 
  • Make-up Homework
    • Solutions are released immediately after the due-date; no make-ups are possible for homework. We do, however, drop your two lowest homework scores to account for weeks with unforeseen circumstances.
      

• In-Class Clicker:
  • In-lecture clicker questions begin to count on Tuesday, September 5th, 2023. You must use either a computer or mobile device to participate in the clicker questions.
  • We will get set up with clickers on the first day of class.
    
  • Correct responses to clicker questions are worth 2 points and incorrect responses will be worth 1 point. Responding for other students is considered cheating by both parties.

• Discussion Section Participation:  You will be able to earn up to 2 points per week in Discussion Section starting Monday, September 11th, 2023. At the end of the semester the total points you earned out of the total possible will be used to scale the 2.5 extra credit points mentioned above.
  
  • The 2 possible points will be earned in the following way:
    • During your second discussion section of the week, you will work in groups to solve problems that are more challenging than we would give an individual student to solve.
      
      • You will receive 2 points if you are actively contributing to the group for the entirety of the time set aside for group problem-solving.
      • You will receive 1 point if you are present for the entire time set aside for group problem-solving but are not actively participating in the group problems. (Note that solving the problem on your own will only earn you 1 point; the entire reason we are doing this exercise is so that you can practice "talking physics" with each other.)
      • You will receive 0 points if you do not attend or only partially attend the group problem-solving time, regardless of how enthusiastic your participation may be while you are present.

• UF Attendance Policy for Excused Absences

• Statement Regarding Evaluations:
  • Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. See the guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via the GatorEvals website. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students.

• Statement Regarding Course Recording:

  • Students are allowed to record video or audio of class lectures. However, the purposesfor which these recordings may be used are strictly controlled. The only allowable purposes are (1) for personal educational use, (2) in connection with a complaint to the university, or (3) as evidence in, or in preparation for, a criminal or civil proceeding. All other purposes are prohibited. Specifically, students may not publish recorded lectures without the written consent of the instructor.

    A “class lecture” is an educational presentation intended to inform or teach enrolled students about a particular subject, including any instructor-led discussions that form part of the presentation, and delivered by any instructor hired or appointed by the University, or by a guest instructor, as part of a University of Florida course. A class lecture does not include lab sessions, student presentations, clinical presentations such as patient history, academic exercises involving solely student participation, assessments
    (quizzes, tests, exams), field trips, private conversations between students in the class or between a student and the faculty or guest lecturer during a class session.

    Publication without permission of the instructor is prohibited. To “publish” means to share, transmit, circulate, distribute, or provide access to a recording, regardless of format or medium, to another person (or persons), including but not limited to another student within the same class section. Additionally, a recording, or transcript of a recording, is considered published if it is posted on or uploaded to, in whole or in part, any media platform, including but not limited to social media, book, magazine, newspaper, leaflet, or third party note/tutoring services. A student who publishes a recording without written consent may be subject to a civil cause of action instituted by a person injured by the publication and/or discipline under UF Regulation 4.040 Student Honor Code and Student Conduct Code.

• Honor Policy:
  • UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The Honor Code specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. You are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor in this class.

Disability Resource Center (DRCaccessUF@ufsa.ufl.edu | 352-392-8565) helps to provide an accessible learning environment for all by providing support services and facilitating accommodations, which may vary from course to course. Once registered with DRC, students will receive an accommodation letter that must be presented to the instructor when requesting accommodations. Students should follow this procedure as early as possible in the semester.

• Accommodation for Students with Disabilities:
  • Students with disabilities who experience learning barriers and would like to request academic accommodations should connect with the Disability Resource Center. This class supports the needs of different learners; it is important for students to share their accommodation letter with their instructor and discuss their access needs as early as possible in the semester.
    • The DRC has a new online portal for sending out accommodation letters, and you need an instructor email address in order to use it. For this purpose only, you may use the email address amlan@ufl.edu to generate your letter. All other communications must continue to come to phy2053@phys.ufl.edu in order to be guaranteed a response. DRC Accommodation Letters received at least 4 business days in advance of a timed assessment will be in effect for all future assessments. If a letter is submitted with less than 4 business days until the next scheduled assessment, then the accommodations will apply after the next timed assessment. Failure to meet the announced 4 business days deadline prior to a timed assessment is not a valid rationale for requesting a makeup assessment. 

Physics, like all human endeavors, is something that is learned. Physics is practiced and advanced by a scientific community of individuals with diverse backgrounds and identities and is open and welcoming to everyone. We recognize the value in diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of this course. This includes, but is not limited to differences in race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion, and disability.

Our aim is to foster an atmosphere of learning that is based on inclusion, transparency, and respect for all. We acknowledge the different needs and perspectives we bring to our common learning space and strive to provide everyone with equal access. Know that you belong here.

Please don't hesitate to contact us with any concerns, or with any suggestions for improving the inclusivity of this course.