Astronomy 305V (# 42960), section M01,  LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE  
Fall 2018, Course Syllabus 

Class home page: http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/rwalterb/a305v (also accessible through Canvas)

Always look on the above astronomy web page for assignments, due dates, tests, lecture notes, syllabus, and other links.
Assignments are not directly posted on or distributed through Canvas!

Class period: TuTh 10:20 - 11:35 am, CB 111

Instructor: René Walterbos, Rm 204, ASTR*, office hours: Tu 1:00 - 2:00 pm, Th 12:00 -1:00 pm, or by appointment, & when I am in my office, phone/e-mail: 575-646-5990/rwalterb@nmsu.edu

Teaching Assistants: Lauren Kahre, Rm 107, and Matt Varakian, Rm 209, ASTR^* office hrs: Tuesday 1:30 - 3:30 pm, room 209

e-mail: lkahre@nmsu.edu, mvarakia@nmsu.edu

*(The Astronomy Building is on the Frenger Mall, opposite Branigan Library near the small Food Court.)

Text book: Life in the Universe, Bennett & Shostak, Addison Wesley (3rd or 4th edition)

i-clicker: We will be using an i-clicker-2 in class, the NMSU bookstore has them. The older model clicker 1 should work too.

Official communication to you will often come through your NMSU e-mail box and/or the Canvas system. Please access it regularly, or forward it to your current e-mail address, as your success in college may ride on your ability to respond quickly.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

From the undergraduate catalog: "Viewing a Wider World fosters intelligent inquiry, abstract logical thinking, critical analysis and the integration and synthesis of knowledge; it strives for literacy in writing, reading, speaking, and listening; it teaches mathematical structures, acquainting students with precise abstract thought about numbers and space; it encourages an understanding of science and scientific inquiry; it provides a historical consciousness, including and understanding of one's own heritage as well as respect for other peoples and cultures; it includes an examination of values and stresses the importance of a carefully considered values system; it fosters an appreciation of the arts; and general education provides the breadth necessary to have a familiarity with the various branches of human understanding. All VWW courses can be identified with a V suffix."

[Also: Prior to graduating, NMSU students are required to take two courses from the Viewing a Wider World list in the Undergraduate Catalog. These courses are upper-division (300-400 level) General Education courses and should be taken in a students junior and/or senior year. One of the two courses must be in a college other than their own. The other course may be taken within their home college, but this course (1) must be in a different department from their major department; (2) must not be cross-listed with a course in their home department; and (3) cannot be counted as one of the requirements for the students major.]

Well, that it quite a mouthful. Where does this course fit in? There is one main theme: Is there life in the Universe outside Earth?

How do we answer this question? What constitutes life? What are the most likely places to search for it? What are the challenges in finding evidence for it? How would our view of the place we have in the cosmos change if life outside Earth is discovered? How might we visit these places? 

In this course, we will discuss various aspects of astronomy and the other natural sciences that deal with this large question. We will learn what is already known about our own solar system and the origin and evolution of life on Earth and what the prospects are for existence of life elsewhere in the solar system. We will then move out of the solar system and discuss recent discoveries of planets around other stars, how to assess the probability of life there, and how to search for evidence. We will conclude the course with a discussion on space travel, prospects and challenges for interstellar travel, and searching for intelligent life.

A broad set of course goals are:

(1) Understand the interdisciplinary scientific approach that is used in the study of the search for life in the Universe;

(2) Learn what is already known from previous and current research and where the scientific frontiers and limits are;

(3) Acquire an understanding of the amazing universe we live in;

The skills that you will develop include critical thinking, quantitative literacy, and communication (oral, writing, listening) skills.

Specific learning objectives for the course include for you to obtain an understanding of:

(1) the role of biological evolution for life on Earth, and how understanding this can help estimating prospects for life elsewhere;

(2) the formation and ages of the Universe, the elements, the Earth and Solar System;

(3) how common planets are around other stars, how we find them, how we asses if they could harbor life, and how we search for evidence of life;

(4) prospects for and challenges to space travel.

The grading for this course is as follows:

• homework: 25%

• paper: 10%,

• 2 exams during semester, each 15%

• final exam: 20%

• active participation in class: 15% (5% for clicker questions/attendance; 5% participation in debates; 5% written questions and class participation; see below)

Letter grades will be obtained from a curve of the final scores, with the division between above or below average at B-/C+. There is also an absolute grade scale, such that anyone scoring higher than 65% will have at least a C-, anyone above 75% will receive at least a B-, and anyone scoring higher than 88% at least an A, irrespective of the final curve. If you take this class with an S/U option, you need at least a C- to obtain an S. I will give fractional final grades.

Homework will be in the form of small essays or questions on the material. Some homework problems involve calculations. Homework will be assigned at least one week ahead of the due date on the class home page, they are not posted in Canvas. The homework you turn in must show your own work and writing. Discussion with your peers is not discouraged, but copying and not doing your own work is not allowed and amounts to plagiarism. Home works are to be turned in at the beginning of class on the due date. Late home works may only be accepted with valid excuse. Late work may receive a reduction in grade depending on the circumstances. See the TA rubric and tips on homework, through the class link to the TA page.

Exams are listed on the schedule below. We have two exams during the semester and a final exam. Make-up exams will only be given for valid excuses, such as medical or family problems or absences related to documented university business. Contact the instructor as soon as possible, BEFORE the exam, so that a make-up exam or assignment can be scheduled.

A term paper will be assigned later in the semester. This will require you to develop and describe a point of view on a certain subject by gathering information from textbook, lecture notes, and from other sources in the library and on the web. A set of topics will be announced later during the semester. You will need to write a coherent view of your thoughts with proper arguments, citations of relevant literature including all quotations, in a 2-page paper, single-lined, 11 or 12 pt font, typed. Attending lectures will make it much easier to develop your ideas and preferences for certain topics! Late term papers may only be accepted with a valid excuse, and may receive a reduction in grade depending on the circumstances.

The assigned textbook and i-clicker-2 are required. We will follow the book in the course, although we will not discuss all the material, and we will add supplemental notes and information and links on the home page for the course.

Class participation. Class participation directly addresses several of the skills listed, in particular in areas of critical thinking and communication. I strongly encourage discussion during the lectures. You can always interrupt me for asking a question. Turn in written questions on the lecture, course material, course related questions, other astronomy questions (put your name!) at the beginning or end of each lecture or by e-mail; these will then be answered in the next class period or by e-mail to the extent possible. Questions that you turn in that are related to the course material count towards participation credit. We will also have in-class questions with the i-clicker system. Your participation in the clicker questions will also count towards the credit. Lastly, we will also have a few in-class debates that count towards participation credit, on the topics discussed in this course. These are organized around panels. Students can serve on panels or take part as audience members. The panel members will prepare and read a brief essay/statement on a particular topic to initiate class discussion on that topic. The audience (other students) will ask questions to the panel members. The instructor will be the moderator. Debate info will be posted on the class page. Regular active participation in class will count towards 15% of your grade. You earn the credit by taking part in debates, taking part in i-clicker questions, turning in questions related to the course material, and by taking part in discussions in class. Just showing up or class in itself does not count towards the participation grade.

Attendance will be taken every lecture, either on paper or through the clicker questions. Attendance is not mandatory but you are strongly encouraged to come to class. It will save you a lot of time in preparing for exams and assignments and not coming to class also eliminates most ways to meet your class participation grade.

Academic Code of Conduct

Most students know that cheating on exams is not allowed. But equally inappropriate is plagiarism. Plagiarism is using another person's work without acknowledgment, making it appear to be one's own. Intentional and unintentional instances of plagiarism are considered instances of academic misconduct and are subject to disciplinary action. The NMSU policy may be found at: NMSU Student Code of Academic Conduct. Anything you copy from another person's work, be it from a homework, exam, book, essay, or materials found on the web without proper identification of such sources is a form of plagiarism. Essays or other assignments copied literally, either totally or partially, from web pages or other sources are subject to plagiarism sanctions. Likewise, work copied from other students is plagiarism under the NMSU Code of Academic Conduct.

Drop policy: Before the drop date we will try to contact students who have turned in very little or no work, and have not attended the midterm exam. However, it is your responsibility to drop the course if you want to receive a W rather than an F at the end. No students can be dropped after the final drop date.

NMSU POLICIES and INFORMATION:

• Incomplete Grades: The grade of I (incomplete) can only be given for passable work that could not be completed due to circumstances beyond the student’s control. Click here for details.

• Academic Misconduct, see link posted in paragraph above this one.

• Discrimination and Disability Accommodation

  Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) covers issues relating to disability and accommodations. If a student has questions or needs an accommodation in the classroom (all medical information is treated confidentially), contact:

  Trudy Luken, Director
  Student Accessibility Services (SAS)
  Corbett Center Student Union, Rm. 208
  Phone: (575) 646-6840
  E-mail: sas@nmsu.edu, Website: http://sas.nmsu.edu/

  NMSU policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, retaliation, serious medical condition, sex, sexual orientation, spousal affiliation and protected veterans status.

  Furthermore, Title IX prohibits sex discrimination to include sexual misconduct: sexual violence (sexual assault, rape), sexual harassment and retaliation.

  For more information on discrimination issues, Title IX, Campus SaVE Act, NMSU Policy Chapter 3.25, NMSU’s complaint process, or to file a complaint contact:

  Lauri Millot, Title IX Coordinator

  Agustin Diaz, Title IX Deputy Coordinator

  Office of Institutional Equity (OIE)
  O’Loughlin House, 1130 University Avenue
  Phone: (575) 646-3635
  E-mail: equity@nmsu.edu, Website: http://eeo.nmsu.edu/

• Other NMSU information: NMSU police Department, 575.646.3311 (www.nmsupolice.com), NMSU Police Victim Services: 575.646.3424, NMSU Counseling Center: 575.646.2731, NMSU Dean of Students: 575.646.1722, For any On-Campus Emergencies: 911.

APPROXIMATE TIME LINE:

OTHER RELEVANT DATES

• Deadline for registration/course addition August 24 (with instructor permission)

• Last day to drop without a W and full refund of tuition: August 31

• Last day to drop with a W: October 12

• Last day to withdraw from University: November 30