Course Syllabus

Download the syllabus here

CEES 5010: Hydrology and Water Security Problems

Instructor Information

Instructors	Email	Office Hours
Dr. Kendra Dresback	dresback@ou.edu	Available via Zoom by appointment
Dr. Chris Szpilka	cmszpilka@ou.edu	Available via Zoom by appointment

Course Description

Course Purpose

Provide students an opportunity to research a topic of interest and relevance to their degree program that otherwise was not covered in detail in the Online MS curriculum.

Required Course Materials

None

Course Expectations

All assignments will be announced via Canvas; due dates will be specified in the individual assignments.

There are a total of four assignments leading up to the final product of a full research report on a topic of interest to each student. Intermediate assignments are provided to ensure that students are making sufficient progress throughout the semester.

Course Components

Live Sessions

There are no scheduled live sessions for this course. Students may arrange a Zoom appointment with the instructors as needed.

Homework Assignments

There are four assignments that collectively will result in the final deliverable. The fourth and final deliverable is a research report prepared by the student on a topic of relevance to their degree program that was not covered in any depth in the MS online program. Specific details are provided in each assignment.

Assignment	Description	Due Date	Breakdown
HW1	Develop Research Topic	Jan 29, 2023	5%
HW2	Resource Materials Bibliography	Feb 26, 2023	10%
HW3	Intermediate Research Report	Apr 2, 2023	25%
HW4	Final Research Report	May 12, 2023	60%

Exams

There are no exams for this course.

Course Grades

Breakdown

Please see table above under Homework Assignments.

Scale

Letter grades will be assigned based on the 90-80-70 scales. Note: the minimum % in each grade category may be adjusted down depending on overall performance for the entire class.

90-100%	A
80-89%	B
70-79%	C
60-69%	D
0%-59%	F

Course Policies

Communication Plan

Please post your questions about the technical content (e.g., report format or other clarification about expectations) on the Course Help Board. These questions may be of general interest to the entire class. If you are not comfortable posting your questions there, you may email your question directly to one or both of the instructors and one of us will respond. We will generally respond to discussion board or email questions within 24-48 hours M-F, but on weekends there may be more of a delay depending on our availability. Any questions asked individually (by email) that are of general interest will also be posted (by the instructor) to the discussion board.

Other questions for the instructors can be emailed directly to an instructor and a Zoom or phone call appointment can be arranged if needed. Response time will be similar to those above.

For Canvas issues please refer to the contact information on the course web page.

Late Policy

Late assignments will be accepted with penalty for 1-week following the due date; no assignments will be accepted after one week unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructors.

W’s, I’s and AU’s

Withdrawal deadlines, and deadlines for switching from credit to audit, are listed in OU’s Course Schedule. No exceptions to these dates will be granted. A grade of incomplete will be issued only if, due to extenuating circumstances, the student has a small amount of work remaining to be completed at the end of the semester. The student must be passing the course at the time the “I” grade is given. Work must then be completed within the specified time frame, but not to exceed one year.

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

ACADEMIC POLICIES AND STUDENT SUPPORT

Course Catalog

Search the OU Course Catalogue.

Student Handbook

Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.

Online Library

Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.

Academic Misconduct

In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook.

It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and is contained in the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.

This site also defines misconduct, provides examples of prohibited conduct, and explains the sanctions available for those found guilty of misconduct.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.

For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.

Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities

The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course should contact their professor as early in the semester as possible.

Students with disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations in this course.

If you have a disability and you would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation, please see the Graduate Student Handbook or get in touch with the Disability Resource Center.

Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues

Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.

Title IX Resources

For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates 405-615-0013 (24/7) to learn more or to report an incident.

Religious Holidays

It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays without penalty. It is the responsibility of the student to make alternate arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to the actual date of the religious holiday.

Copyright Policy

It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.

Registration and Withdrawal

If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the coursework without doing the required paperwork, your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of the Registrar.

Student Grievances

In addition to any policies outlined related to submitting an informal or formal grievance by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook for more information about the process of submitting a formal grievance.