METEO 482

Weather Communications II

Meteo 482 (Weather Communications II) - Spring 2020   

Course Meeting Time/Location:  T,R 10:35-11:50, 110 Walker 

Instructors | (Schedule):

Bill Syrett: [email protected], 865-6172 | (1/14-2/25)

Marisa Ferger: [email protected], 863-4229 | (2/27-4/16)

Ray Ban: 863-4229 | (4/21-4/30)

Office Hours (for everyone): By Appointment 

Available Support:  see Chi Epsilon Pi for assistance 

Weather Delays/Cancellations (you can hope): http://wpsu.org/closings 

Course Designation:  This is a required course for the Weather Communications option 

Prerequisite:  Meteo 481 

Course Description:  This course will delve more deeply into the subject matter of Meteorology 481. The first 6 ½ weeks of class will feature sessions on forensics, and industrial applications. Then beginning in late February, you will hone your presentation skills while (hopefully) solidifying your knowledge of some basic “tools of the trade” meteorologists use to produce their forecasts.  Meteo 482 concludes with a look at the climate/weather enterprise. 

Textbook:  None 

Supplementary Readings:  As designated by Instructors 

Internet Materials:  See http://canvas.psu.edu  (Canvas) 

Assessment:  Session grades will be normalized and averaged.  In addition, there is no final exam, but…

An E-Portfolio of your work from Meteo 481 and 482 will be required by the last day of this class (April 30, 2020).

Send your URL to:  [email protected]. 

REFERENCE - SUCCESSFUL E-PORTFOLIOS: 

Academic Integrity: See the college policy: http://www.ems.psu.edu/current_undergrad_students/academics/integrity_policy 

Academic Access: The University's Commitment to Persons With Disabilities.  The Pennsylvania State University encourages academically qualified students with disabilities to achieve full participation and integration of its educational programs. It is Penn State's policy not to discriminate against qualified persons with disabilities in its admissions policies and procedures or its educational programs, services, and activities.

Achieving full participation and integration of individuals with disabilities requires the cooperative efforts of all departments, offices and personnel of the University. To this end, the University will continue to strive to achieve excellence in its services and to assure that its services are delivered equitably and efficiently to all of its members.

Other Sometimes Useful Information… 

Course Copyright

All course materials students receive or to which students have online access are protected by copyright laws. Students may use course materials and make copies for their own use as needed, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibit-ed. University Policy AD 40, the University Policy Recording of Classroom Activities and Note Taking Services addresses this issue. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct, and/or liable under Federal and State laws. 

Attendance

This course abides by the Penn State Attendance Policy E-11: http://undergrad.psu.edu/aappm/E-11-class-attendance.html, and Conflict Exam Policy 44-35: http://senate.psu.edu/policies-and-rules-for-undergraduate-students/44-00-examinations/#44-35. Please also see Illness Verification Policy:  http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health/welcome/illnessVerification/, and Religious Observance Policy: http://undergrad.psu.edu/aappm/R-4-religious-observances.html. Students who miss class for legitimate reasons will be given a reasonable opportunity to make up missed work, including exams and quizzes.  Students are not required to secure the signature of medical personnel in the case of illness or injury and should use their best judgment on whether they are well enough to attend class or not; the University Health Center will not provide medical verification for minor illnesses or injuries. Other legitimate reasons for missing class include religious observance, military service, family emergencies, regularly scheduled university-approved curricular or extracurricular activities, and post-graduate, career-related interviews when there is no opportunity for students to re-schedule these opportunities (such as employment and graduate school final interviews).  Students who encounter serious family, health, or personal situations that result in extended absences should contact the Office of the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs (AVPSA) and Student and Family Services for help: http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/familyservices/.  Whenever possible, students participating in University-approved activities should submit to the instructor a Class Absence Form available from the Registrar's Office: http://www.registrar.psu.edu/student_forms/, at least one week prior to the activity.

Double-booked class assignments or exams are NOT a valid excuse for missing class.  If you must miss class please give advance notice to the best of your ability (before class at a minimum). 

Weather Delays

Campus emergencies, including weather delays, are announced on Penn State News and communicated to cell phones, email, the Penn State Facebook page, and Twitter via PSUAlert.  Instructors will send out a Canvas announcement concerning any work assigned or due on days impacted by adverse weather.  You may sign up to receive Penn State weather alerts at: https://psualert.psu.edu/psualert/. 

Recommended Policies

Syllabus and Paper Acknowledgement Forms

In addition, the new recommendation from the college is that all students sign and return the Syllabus Acknowledgement Form during the first week of the semester. In addition, the College also recommends the attached Paper Submission Form as a way to have students take responsibility for papers/labs/homework done as part of group work. 

Penn State E-mail Accounts

All official communications from Penn State are sent to students' Penn State e-mail accounts. Be sure to check your Penn State account regularly, or forward your Penn State e-mail to your preferred e-mail account, so you don't miss any important information. 

Deferred Grades

If you are prevented from completing this course within the prescribed amount of time, it is possible to have the grade deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. To seek a deferred grade, you must submit a written request (by e-mail or U.S. post) to your instructor describing the reason(s) for the request. It is up to your instructor to determine whether or not you will be permitted to receive a deferred grade. If, for any reason, the course work for the deferred grade is not complete by the assigned time, a grade of "F" will be automatically entered on your transcript. 

Military Personnel

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made. 

Technical Requirements

For this course, we recommend the minimum technical requirements outlined on the Dutton Institute Technical Requirements page (https://www.e-education.psu.edu/techspecs), including the requirements listed for same-time, synchronous communications. If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the ITS Help Desk (http://itservicedesk.psu.edu). 

Netiquette

The term "Netiquette" refers to the etiquette guidelines for electronic communications, such as e-mail and bulletin board postings. Netiquette covers not only rules to maintain civility in discussions, but also special guidelines unique to the electronic nature of forum messages. Please review some general Netiquette guidelines that should be followed when communicating in this course. 

Disruptive Behavior

Behavior that disrupts normal classroom activities will not be tolerated, in accordance with Items 9 and 14 in the Student Code of Conduct. 

Safety

In the case of an emergency, we will follow the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Critical Incident Plan (http://www.ems.psu.edu/sites/default/files/u5/research/CIP_March2016.pdf).  In the event of an evacuation, we will follow posted evacuation routes and gather at the Designated Meeting Site.  Evacuation routes for all EMS buildings are available at http://www.ems.psu.edu/faculty_staff/safety/evacuationPlans.  For more information regarding actions to take during particular emergencies, please see the Penn State Emergency Action Guides. 

Disclaimer Statement

Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus can be changed at any time, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Changes will be posted as an update to the syllabus. 

Grading Scale.  A standard grading scale will apply to the course, shown below: 

  • A 90-100
  • B 80-90
  • C 70-80
  • D 60-70
  • F < 60

However, we will use the ‘-‘ and ‘+’ system as well. For example a grade just below 90 may receive a B+. Also, we may curve the grades, so it is possible that the thresholds will go down (for example, the boundary between A and B may be less than 90). We will never curve up, so if you have a 90.0 you’ll AT LEAST score A-.