Course Organization


	Course Organization

Course Organization

Text: No text required. Handouts provided (see below).

Instructor: Dr. Jan Boll, Associate Professor in Biological and Agricultural Engineering, J.W. Martin Laboratory (JML) Rm. 41 (e-mail: jboll@uidaho.edu)

For Video Outreach only: 1-800-824-2889 (press 1), ext 7324

Fax: (208) 885-8923

Office Hours: TBA or by appointment

Course Notes and Handouts

Course notes and handouts will be available via this web page. Course notes will be linked through the class outline (see home). Course handouts will be copied for on-campus students, and are available from the class handout for distance students. Note: if handout materials are copyrighted, they will be made available through Blackboard or sent by email.

Homework

A. Form: Work is to be neatly organized. Initial and number sheets in upper right hand corner. On the front page give the following information:

Name: Joe Smith

Course: BAE 452 or BAE 552

Assign #: homework #1

Due Date: January 30, 2003

B: Presentation: Homework solutions must consist of a concise analysis of the problem and a clear presentation. Underline your final answer. Suggested from:

Given: ---------

Wanted: --------

Solution: -------

Use sketches and diagrams whenever possible to illustrate your ideas. I would like it if you used a spreadsheet program to do your analysis. You can submit spreadsheets to me by email as attachment to show your calculations, but it does not replace the presentation of results. In other words, if you submit your solution, I still want you to use the suggested form above showing the method of solution and your answer.

Lab write-ups must consist of Objective, Equipment and Procedures, and Results and Discussion. Form will be suggested during lab section.

C: Accuracy, precision and units: Accuracy and precision are essential. Follow basic rules for rounding and retaining significance in computation. Proper units (and scales for graphic solutions) must be shown for all data and results. Always double-check your answer and ask yourself: "Are these results reasonable?"

Lab Reports (lab section only)

Engineering work demands the preparation of professional reports that clearly convey all the appropriate information. In this course you will have opportunities to prepare such reports. It is expected that all reports will be of high quality and submitted as polished documents prepared using word processing, spreadsheet, scheduling and presentation software, as appropriate. Handwritten reports are not acceptable; however, handwritten sheets of data, as collected, should be appended to the reports. Be sure to number each page.

If you submit a report as a group (accepted for sampling program), clearly indicate where contributions were made during the laboratory and report writing activities.

The required format is:

	Introduction [5 points]: Giving background and rationale for the project or experiment
	Objective(s) of the project [10 points]: List the specific objectives for the project or lab.
	Methodology [10 points]: Only procedures that deviated from those described in the lab or project assignment need to be elaborated. Otherwise, a simple statement that procedures in the assignment sheet were followed is sufficient. The method section should be written so another student could obtain a similar data set as you did.
	Results and Discussion [50 points]: Report and discuss the results of the project or lab. Graphical and/or tabular presentation of results with discussion related to objectives is normally expected. Include pertinent tables and graphs, embedded in the text, properly labeled and with correct units (American Engineering Unit or SI, as appropriate). Since all tables and graphs must have a reason to be included, be certain to refer to them and discuss each of them.
	Conclusions [15 points]: Following the order of the project objectives, write specific conclusions.
	References: This page is only necessary if you refer to published material in your report.
	Appendix and Comments [10 points]: The appendix must contain the project assignment sheet, your raw data sheets (typically handwritten) and any ancillary comments that you wish or are requested to make. Please, list items you attach.

Term Paper and Presentations

The requirements for the term paper are similar to Lab Reports in that a professional document must be prepared with a title page, table of contents, introduction, statement of objective, literature review, discussion, conclusion and references.

Term papers are due on the Friday during dead week at noon. Topics should be selected in the third week of class and a tentative outline shown to the instructor before Spring Break. Video Outreach students have the same due date!

Presentations are required in this class to inform each other and to become familiar with public speaking. The presentation must be prepared with PowerPoint, Corel Presentations or equivalent software. Each presentation is evaluated by the instructor and fellow students. Grading is done by instructor only. Video Outreach student must send a VHS tape with their presentation before April 29 to the Video Outreach office. These tapes will be played during regular class periods. The length of each presentation should 7 minutes max.

Exams

Exams will be held in the class room where lectures are given. The mid-term exam will be partly closed notes/open notes. The final exam will be take-home style. Off-campus students need to arrange a proctor for examinations.

Late Work/Missed Exams/etc.

A: Homework problems and lab assignments or write-ups are due on dates given. If turned in late without reason provided before due date, instructor may take points off.

B: Homework problems that are in late because of sickness or other valid reasons will receive full value upon presenting adequate documentation. However, such problems must be submitted within a reasonable amount of time as discussed with instructor.

C: Hour examinations missed for reasons covered by an official excuse or for other reasons acceptable to the instructor must be made up at the earliest possible date. It is the responsibility of the student to approach the instructor for a make up examination.

Grading for 3 Credit Course (with Lab section)

Homework 20%

Lab Assignments 20%

Term Paper 10%

Mid-Term Exam 25%

Final Exam 25%

Grads only: Critical Article Review 10% (brings total to 110%)

Grading for 2 Credit Course (without Lab section)

Homework 30%

Term Paper 10%

Mid-Term Exam 30%

Final Exam 30%

Grads only: Critical Article Review 10% (brings total to 110%)

Grades can be viewed on the Blackboard as soon as the first assignment has been graded. Obvious mistakes, such as improper addition of points, will be corrected. If a grade change is requested based on judgment difference between you and the instructor, the problem set or exam may be re-graded in its entirety.

Graduate Level Requirements (BAE 552)

All requirements for BAE 452 apply to BAE 552. Additional requirements for students taking BAE 552 consist of additional questions on homework sets and during examinations, and a critical review of one journal article.