..NCSTATE Physics..

PY 209 lab
SPRING 2021

______________________________________________________________________
Link to Lab schedule (What experiment you will do each week)

Link to TA Teaching Schedule (Who is teaching your lab, scroll down to find your lab BY LAB SECTION NUMBER.)

Link to TA Email Addresses

Important Note: Be aware that by their nature, remote physics labs do not provide the same level of TA support and assistance as face-to-face labs. Additionally, students do not get the support and assistance of other students in their lab as you would normally experience in face-to-face lab situations. Remote physics labs require more individualized work. It is essential that you ask for assistance from your TA and on Piazza in a timely manner, keeping in mind that you may not get a response for some hours after the question.

_____________________________________________________________________

PY209 labs are asynchronous online, there are no in person meetings and no required online sessions.

Lab Structure:

· All PY 209 labs are completed by each student in WebAssign.

You MUST use the NC State Specific webpage for webassign login : https://www.webassign.net/ncsu/login.html

The labs are mostly ‘stand-alone.’ Students should be able read through and complete the labs with only the information given in WebAssign. Addition assistance will be given via Piazza (see below).

· Students will collect/analyze data for each lab from online videos

· For each lab, there will be a short introduction video given by a Teaching Assistant (TA) that is meant to re-familiarize each student with the material for the lab as well as point out common mistakes, areas where students may have difficulty, and errors in WebAssign.

General Schedule:

· Labs will be become available at 8:00 AM on the day the lab is officially scheduled in MyPack. Example; a Monday 3:00 PM lab and a Monday 12:50 PM lab will both become available at 8:00 AM Monday.

· Labs are due at 8:00 AM 2 days later. Example; Monday labs are due 8:00 AM Wednesday.

· Refer to the Lab Schedule link at the top of this page for the complete schedule.

Lab Extensions:

· You have an automatic extension of 5 days if you need it, but labs are Officially DUE in 2 days. You do not need to request this extension, it is automatic

· You can submit Lab assignments without penalty up to 1 week after the original lab opening date.  This includes the automatic 5 day no-penalty extension. 

· There will NOT be additional extensions on top of the automatic 5 day extension except under extremely unusual, unpredictable, and documented circumstances, which must have covered the entire period that the lab was open.

For Example: if a student has a Monday lab and gets sick on Wednesday, that student will NOT get an additional extension past the automatic 5 day extension since the assignment could have been completed on Monday or Tuesday.

Having other classwork, projects, labs, tests, forgot the due date, etc. will NOT be considered for additional extensions under any circumstances.

· IMPORTANT: Do not request additional extensions through WebAssign. WebAssign extensions are not active for this class, no one will ever see your extension request if you submit it through WebAssign.

To request an extension, email The Director of Instructional Physics Labs, Robert Egler (egler@ncsu.edu) Extensions after the automatic 5-day extension will only be given when a student has a documented excuse that complies with the university policy http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-03 and only when such excuse covers the entire time the lab was open.

· Additional extensions must be requested within 24 hours of the original lab due time. There will not be retroactive extensions.

Support:

· Students will be able ask lab content questions in Piazza or an alternate forum as announced on Moodle.

· Piazza is an online forum where questions can be answered by lab TAs, course instructors, as well as other students.

· Questions can be submitted publicly or privately. The intent of public questions is to encourage students to work together as well as to avoid the same questions being asked and answered multiple times. Please take a few minutes to read through previously submitted questions to see if yours has already been asked.

· Questions may be submitted at any time, but your lab TA will be “on duty” Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. During this time, your TA will respond very quickly to questions.

· For POLICY questions (but not for help with lab content) contact the Director of Instructional Physics Labs: Robert Egler egler@ncsu.edu.

WebAssign: A WebAssign account is REQUIRED for every student in Physics lab. Go to www.webassign.net/ncsu . The WebAssign license for lab assignments should be purchased from WebAssign at https://www.webassign.net/ncsu. All lab instructions are imbedded in the lab assignments, so a separate lab manual is not required.

Adding a lab section after the 'Last day to add a course without permission of instructor' is NOT allowed. Adding or switching a lab section for any reason after the University's Drop/Add Deadline it must be approved by the Assistant Department Head: Keith Warren, keith_warren@ncsu.edu.

Missing an assignment: All assignments will count, i.e. none are automatically dropped.

___________________________________________________________________

Expectations of All Lab Students:

Plagiarism and Working Together: You should complete all WebAssign free response questions on your own. Data collected from previous semesters (even if it was collected by YOU) or data that is collected by your group members while you were not present, or an answer with wording essentially identical to someone else in your lab group is not acceptable. All suspected plagiarism will be evaluated and action will be taken to punish the violators.

Supporting Fellow Students in Distress: As members of the NC State Wolfpack community, we each share a personal responsibility to express concern for one another and to ensure that this classroom and the campus as a whole remains a safe environment for learning. Occasionally, you may come across a fellow classmate whose personal behavior concerns or worries you. When this is the case, we encourage you to report this behavior to the NC State Students of Concern website: studentsofconcern.ncsu.edu/. Although you can report anonymously, it is preferred that you share your contact information so they can follow-up with you personally.

Accommodations for students with disabilities: Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities, registered with NC State Disability Services for Students, room 1900 Student Health Center. The University policy on Working with Students with Disabilities is available on-line at:

http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-01

_______________________________________________________________________
Grades:

· WebAssign will automatically grade your assignment after the completion deadline has passed with the exception of short response questions. Your TA will grade the short response as well as check WebAssign’s ‘automatic grading’ a few days after the completion deadline.

· It is YOUR responsibility to email your TA if you have any questions or concerns about your grade and or assignment deadlines. However, please submit all lab content questions through Piazza.

· ALL LAB GRADES ARE CONSIDERED FINAL at 11:59 PM on the last day that classes meet. ALL discrepancies in grades should be brought to your Lab TA’s attention BEFORE that time.

· Grades are calculated based on the un-weighted average of the lab and attendance scores.

· Each lab is equally weighted.

· Final lab scores will be rounded to the nearest whole number, such that fractions equal to or greater than 0.5 will be rounded up to the next whole number, and fractions less than 0.5 will be rounded down to the next whole number. For example, 79.45 rounds to 79.5 which rounds to 80, which is a B- and 79.44 rounds to 79.4 which rounds to 79, which is a C+. The grading scale is as follows:

A+ = 97 and up A = 93 to 96 A- = 90 to 92
B+ = 87 to 89 B = 83 to 86 B- = 80 to 82
C+ = 77 to 79 C = 73 to 76 C- = 70 to 72
D+ = 67 to 69 D = 63 to 66 D- = 60 to 62
F = < 60

· While PY209 typically accompanies PY208, PY209 is a separate one credit course, and the lab grade in PY209 does not affect the course grade in PY208.

Physics Code of Professional Conduct:

https://physics.sciences.ncsu.edu/internal-resources/code-of-professional-conduct/

University Statement:

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, public health measures have been implemented across campus.  Students should stay current with these practices and expectations through the Protect the Pack website (https://www.ncsu.edu/coronavirus/). The sections below provide expectations and conduct related to COVID-19 issues.

Health and Participation in Class

We are most concerned about your health and the health of your classmates and instructors/TAs. 

• If you test positive for COVID-19, or are told by a healthcare provider that you are presumed positive for the virus,  please work with your instructor on health accommodations and follow other university guidelines, including self reporting (Coronavirus Self Reporting):  Self-reporting is not only to help provide support to you, but also to assist in contact tracing for containing the spread of the virus. 
• If you feel unwell, even if you have not been knowingly exposed to COVID-19, please do not come to class. 
• If you are in quarantine, have been notified that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, or have a personal or family situation related to COVID-19 that prevents you from attending this course in person (or synchronously), please connect with your instructor to discuss the situation and make alternative plans, as necessary. 
• If you need to make a request for an academic consideration related to COVID-19, such as a discussion about possible options for remote learning, please talk with your instructor for the appropriate process to make a COVID-19 request (a university-level form can be found here). 

Health and Well-Being Resources

These are difficult times, and academic and personal stress are natural results. Everyone is encouraged to take care of themselves and their peers. If you need additional support, there are many resources on campus to help you:

• Counseling Center (NCSU Counseling Center) 
• Health Center (Health Services | Student) 
• If the personal behavior of a classmate concerns or worries you, either for the classmate’s well-being or yours, we encourage you to report this behavior to the NC State CARES team:  (Share a Concern).  
• If you or someone you know are experiencing food, housing or financial insecurity, please see the Pack Essentials Program (Pack Essentials). 

Community Standards related to COVID-19

We are all responsible for protecting ourselves and our community.  Please see the community standards (released on 7/28/2020) and Rule 04.21.01 regarding Personal Safety Requirements Related to COVID-19  RUL 04.21.01 – Personal Safety Requirements Related to COVID-19 – Policies, Regulations & Rules.

Course Expectations Related to COVID-19:

• Face Coverings: All members of the NC State academic community are required to follow all university guidelines for personal safety with face coverings, physical distancing, and sanitation.  Face coverings are required in class and in all NC State buildings. Face coverings should be worn to cover the nose and mouth and be close fitting to the face with minimal gaps on the sides. In addition, students are responsible for keeping their course/work area clean. Please follow the cleaning guidelines described by the university.
• Course Attendance: NC State attendance policies can be found at:  REG 02.20.03 – Attendance Regulations – Policies, Regulations & Rules .  Please refer to the course’s attendance, absence, and deadline policies for additional details. If you are quarantined or otherwise need to miss class because you have been advised that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, you should not be penalized regarding attendance or class participation. However, you will be expected to develop a plan to keep up with your coursework during any such absences.  If you become ill with COVID-19, you should follow the steps outlined in the health and participation section above. COVID 19-related absences will be considered excused; documentation need only involve communication with your instructor.
• Course Meeting Schedule: Your course might not have a traditional meeting schedule in Fall 2020.  Be sure to pay attention to any updates to the course schedule as the information in this syllabus may have changed. Please discuss any questions you have with the instructor.
• Classroom Seating:  To support efficient, effective contact tracing, please sit in the same seat when possible and take note of who is sitting around you; instructors may also assign seats for this purpose.
• Technology Requirements:  This course may require particular technologies to complete coursework.  Be sure to review the syllabus for these expectations, and see the syllabus technology requirements for your course. If you need access to additional technological support, please contact  the Libraries’ Technology Lending Service:  (Technology Lending).

Course Delivery Changes Related to COVID-19

Please be aware that the situation regarding COVID-19 is frequently changing, and the delivery mode of this course may need to change accordingly, including from in-person to online.  Regardless of the delivery method, we will strive to provide a high-quality learning experience.  

Grading/Scheduling Changing Options Related to COVID-19

If the delivery mode has a negative impact on your academic performance in this course, the university has provided tools to potentially reduce the impact:  

• Enhanced S/U Grading Option:  Enhanced Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory Grading Option
• Late Drop:  Enhanced Late Drop Option

In some cases, another option may be to request an incomplete in the course. Before using any of these tools, discuss the options with your instructor and your academic advisor. Be aware that if you use the enhanced S/U, you will still need to complete the course and receive at least a C- to pass the course. 

Other Important Resources 

• Keep Learning: Keep Learning
• Protect the Pack FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions | Protect the Pack
• NC State Protect the Pack Resources for Students: Resources for Students | Protect the Pack
• NC State Keep Learning, tips for students opting to take courses remotely:
  Keep Learning Tips for Remote Learning
• Introduction to Zoom for students:
  https://youtu.be/5LbPzzPbYEw
• Learning with Moodle, a student’s guide to using Moodle:
  https://moodle-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu/course/view.php?id=226
• NC State Libraries Technology Lending Program