Course Syllabus

PDF of Syllabus

Contact Information

Instructors	Telephone	Email
Todd Fagin, PhD. (Lecture)	(405) 325-8979	tfagin@ou.edu
Bikram Parajuli (Lab)	(405) 325-5325	bikramparajuli8@ou.edu
Reeya Shrestha (Lab)	(405) 325-5325	reeya.shrestha-1@ou.edu

 

Office	Office Hours
2PP Suite 180 (CSA) (Fagin)	By Appointment (See below)
SEC (Parajuli and Shrestha)	See Lab Syllabus for Details

Lecture: T/R 10:30-11:45

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Course Overview

Geography is the science of where, that is, it explores what is where; why it is there (or, equally important, why isn’t it there); and, ultimately the significance thereof (the so what?). To put it in slightly more formal terms, geography is the study of the relationships between geographic areas, natural systems, and people. Broadly, geography is divided into two disciplines, human geography and physical geography, though the divisions are a bit nebulous and, based on our previous definition, we can include humans as a component of natural systems. For our purposes, though, physical geography will explore the patterns and processes of the so-called natural environment, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.

The goal of this course is to provide students with an overview of the elements that constitute the physical environment. The course is a survey of topics in physical geography and moves quickly from topic to topic. The interrelationships between natural processes and the broadscale distributions of natural phenomena are stressed in the course. The importance of the physical environment to humans will also be emphasized. It is hoped that students will finish this course with an appreciation of the complexity of the physical environment and knowledge with which to intelligently evaluate environmental issues.

Required Text

There is no required text, but students are strongly encouraged to use an Open Educational Resources (OER) Commons physical geography textbook for reference purposes. For instance, this is a good physical geography reference guide. Physical Geography by Jeremy Patrich is another good resource

Course Information

Classroom related materials, such as lecture notes, up-to-date grades, and class announcements, will be posted on Canvas at https://canvas.ou.edu/. It is the student’s responsibility to check the site frequently.

Topics

The course takes a systems approach to physical geography and is arranged into sections dealing with the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. However, these systems/spheres are not mutually exclusive and the interconnectivity of them will also be highlighted throughout the semester.

Grading

The class will be graded on a weighted 100 point scale (see weights for each section below). Seventy-five percent of your grade is based on the lecture portion of the course and 25% on the laboratory portion of the course.

Grade Item	Percentage of Class Total
Class Participation/In-Class Exercises	50%
Quizzes	10%
Exams	15%
Lab	25%

Attendance/Class Participation

The instructor firmly believes that student participation is the key to positive academic outcomes. In order to achieve this, the instructor will create an active learning environment in which students will engage with both the instructor and one another to address the various topics. Routine class discussions and in-class exercises, which will be incorporated in the class participation portion of your final grade, are a crucial aspect of this. Attendance is necessary to achieve these goals. Students are permitted two unexcused absences. Otherwise, students will receive a zero on any missed in-class exercises.

Any student that must miss class for legitimate, preplanned reasons (e.g. official university activity or religious observance) must notify the professor prior to the planned absence and provide proper verification. If a student misses class due to unforeseen events (e.g. an illness or family emergency), the student must notify the professor immediately upon return to campus and provide proper verification.

Quizzes/Exams

Every two weeks, the class will have either a quiz or a longer exam. Though this is subject to change, these will be largely unstructured, that is, the instructor will formulate questions based on the weekly in-class exercises and discussions. The goal is for these to be “big picture” questions rather than focusing on the trivial or minutia. For instance “describe the latitudinal differences in insolation” vs. “what is the approximate angle of incidence at 30° N in March.”

Field Trip

In order to see physical geography patterns and processes in action, this class includes an all-day field trip. The date of this is forthcoming, but will likely involve a trip to the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge. Students will be required to complete an exercise during the trip. Please make necessary arrangements to attend the field trip. If you will miss the field trip for any reason, you must contact the instructor no later than two weeks prior to the trip. Students with an excused absence will be given an alternative assignment, which will take approximately 9 hours to complete. More details about the trip will be provided as the date nears.

Lab

A corequisite of this class is to enroll in one of the following lab sections:

Geography 1114 Sec. 021 T 12:30-2:20 PM (Wang)

Geography 1114 Sec. 022 W 10:30-12:20 PM (Wang)

Geography 1114 Sec. 023 R 12:30-2:20 PM (Wang)

Geography 1114 Sec. 024 F 10:30-12:20 PM (Shrestha)

The lab grade will be determined by the structure and policies set by the teaching assistant (TA) in each of the lab sections. A separate syllabus will be provided to you in the lab by your TA. In order to pass the class, you must receive a passing grade in the lab section. A failing grade in the lab, even with a passing grade in the lecture section, will result in a F. While I will work closely with the TAs to ensure that the lab and lecture are congruent, it is likely that topics covered in lab and lecture during a given week may not necessarily correspond to one another. The lab portion of the class is worth 25% of your total class grade.

Please note: While the lab complements the lecture and the lecture complements the lab, they will follow different schedules. Week to week, it is quite possible that topics covered in one will be different in the lecture and the lab.

Tentative Schedule

Order	Topic
1	Introduction
2	What is Geography?
3	The Geographic Grid
4	Earth-Sun Relations
5	Introduction to the Atmosphere
6	Insolation and Temperature
7	Pressure and Winds
8	Atmospheric Moisture
9	Atmospheric Disturbances
10	Climate Zones
11	Landforms
12	Weathering and Mass Wasting
13	Fluvial Processes
14	Eolian Processes
15	Soils
16	Biosphere
17	Biomes

Instructor Office Hours

Please note: The instructor’s office is located on the Research Campus (south of the main campus, near Highway 9). Students are highly encouraged to use Zoom for any office hour visits. To do this, please contact the instructor prior to office hours to schedule a Zoom appointment.

Holidays

Thanksgiving Nov. 27-Dec. 1

Copyright

Sessions of this course may be recorded or live-streamed. These recordings are the intellectual property of the individual faculty member and may not be shared or reproduced without the explicit, written consent of the faculty member. In addition, privacy rights of others such as students, guest lecturers, and providers of copyrighted material displayed in the recording may be of concern. Students may not share any course recordings with individuals not enrolled in the class, or upload them to any other online environment. 

Academic Integrity/Plagiarism

Academic integrity is one of the most important aspects of education at the University of Oklahoma. Therefore, if you are suspected of cheating or plagiarism, you will be formally charged with academic misconduct under the terms of the Student Code, copies of which are available at the Office of the Vice President for Students Affairs. You may not turn in work for this class that has been researched or completed for another class. See me if you have any questions concerning the meaning of academic dishonesty.

Religious Observance

It is the policy of the University to excuse the absences of students that result from religious observances and to reschedule 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.

Reasonable Accommodation Policy

The Accessibility and Disability Resource Center is committed to supporting students with disabilities to ensure that they are able to enjoy equal access to all components of their education.  This includes your academics, housing, and community events.  If you are experiencing a disability, a mental/medical health condition that has a significant impact on one or more life functions, you can receive accommodations to provide equal access.  Possible disabilities include, but are not limited to, learning disabilities, AD(H)D, mental health, and chronic health.  Additionally, we support students with temporary medical conditions (broken wrist, shoulder surgery, etc.) and pregnancy.  

Title IX Resources and Reporting Requirements

For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, or stalking, the University offers a variety of resources. To learn more or to report an incident, please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405/325-2215 (8 to 5, M-F) or smo@ou.edu. Incidents can also be reported confidentially to OU Advocates at 405/615-0013 (phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).  Also, please be advised that a professor/GA/TA is required to report instances of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or discrimination to the Sexual Misconduct Office. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies can be directed to University Equal Opportunity Officer and Title IX Coordinator at 405/325-3546 or smo@ou.edu . For more information, visit http://www.ou.edu/eoo.html

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 your professor or the Disability Resource Center at 405/325-3852 as soon as possible. Also, see http://www.ou.edu/eoo/faqs/pregnancy-faqs.html for answers to commonly asked questions.

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.

Final Exam Preparation Period

Pre-finals week will be defined as the seven calendar days before the first day of finals. Faculty may cover new course material throughout this week. For specific provisions of the policy please refer to OU’s Final Exam Preparation Period policy (https://apps.hr.ou.edu/FacultyHandbook#4.10).

Emergency Protocol

During an emergency, there are official university procedures that will maximize your safety. 

Severe Weather: If you receive an OU Alert to seek refuge or hear a tornado siren that signals severe weather 1. LOOK for severe weather refuge location maps located inside most OU buildings near the entrances 2. SEEK refuge inside a building. Do not leave one building to seek shelter in another building that you deem safer. If outside, get into the nearest building. 3. GO to the building’s severe weather refuge location. If you do not know where that is, go to the lowest level possible and seek refuge in an innermost room. Avoid outside doors and windows. 4. GET IN, GET DOWN, COVER UP. 5. WAIT for official notice to resume normal activities.

 Link to Severe Weather Refuge Areas , Severe Weather Preparedness - Video

Armed Subject/Campus Intruder: If you receive an OU Alert to shelter-in-place due to an active shooter or armed intruder situation or you hear what you perceive to be gunshots: 

1.GET OUT: If you believe you can get out of the area WITHOUT encountering the armed individual, move quickly towards the nearest building exit, move away from the building, and call 911. 2. HIDE OUT: If you cannot flee, move to an area that can be locked or barricaded, turn off lights, silence devices, spread out, and formulate a plan of attack if the shooter enters the room. 3. TAKE OUT: As a last resort fight to defend yourself.

For more information, visit http://www.ou.edu/emergencypreparedness.html   

Shots Fired on Campus Procedure - Video

Fire Alarm/General Emergency: If you receive an OU Alert that there is danger inside or near the building, or the fire alarm inside the building activates: 1. LEAVE the building. Do not use the elevators. 2. KNOW at least two building exits 3. ASSIST those that may need help 4. PROCEED to the emergency assembly area 5 ONCE safely outside, NOTIFY first responders of anyone that may still be inside building due to mobility issues. 6. WAIT for official notice before attempting to re-enter the building.

Mental Health Support Services

If you are experiencing any mental health issues that are impacting your academic performance, counseling is available at the University Counseling Center (UCC). The Center is located on the second floor of the Goddard Health Center, at 620 Elm Rm. 201, Norman, OK 73019.

To schedule an appointment call (405) 325-2911. 

For more information please visit http://www.ou.edu/ucc.

Land Acknowledgement Statement Provided by OU's Tribal Liaison Office

Long before the University of Oklahoma was established, the land on which the University now resides was the traditional home of the “Hasinais” Caddo Nation and “Kirikirʔi:s” Wichita & Affiliated Tribes.

We acknowledge this territory once also served as a hunting ground, trade exchange point, and migration route for the Apache, Comanche, Kiowa and Osage nations.  Today, 39 tribal nations dwell in the state of Oklahoma as a result of settler and colonial policies that were designed to assimilate Native people. The University of Oklahoma recognizes the historical connection our university has with its indigenous community. We acknowledge, honor and respect the diverse Indigenous peoples connected to this land. We fully recognize, support and advocate for the sovereign rights of all of Oklahoma’s 39 tribal nations. This acknowledgement is aligned with our university’s core value of creating a diverse and inclusive community. It is an institutional responsibility to recognize and acknowledge the people, culture and history that make up our entire OU Community.