Request for New Course
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
REQUEST FOR NEW COURSE
DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL: ________GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY_____________COLLEGE:
CAS
CONTACT PERSON: ___THOMAS KOVACS_______________________________________________________________________________
CONTACT PHONE:
487-8591
CONTACT EMAIL:
TKOVACS@EMICH.EDU
REQUESTED START DATE: TERM___FALL__________YEAR_2012__________
A. Rationale/Justification for the Course
Everybody is impacted by weather either on the choice of clothing for the day, the decision to participate or
cancel outdoor activities, and the precautions that they take to protect life and property during severe weather.
Global climate change occurs over long time periods, but the effects will be felt most directly through severe
weather events such as heat waves, hurricanes, tornados, etc., which are expected to become more frequent and
severe with time. People often think that these events are caused by forces that are not natural. Because of the
experience and awareness that many college students have had with weather, an introductory course on weather
and weather forecasting is an excellent way to introduce the scientific method to the general college student.
The weather forecast is based upon the gathering of observations and other empirical data and using
experimentally tested hypotheses and theories to use this empirical data to make predictions.
B. Course Information
1. Subject Code and Course Number:
ESSC 101
2. Course Title: Introduction to Weather and Forecasting
3. Credit Hours:
4
4. Repeatable for Credit? Yes_______
No___x___
If “Yes”, how many total credits may be earned?_______
5. Catalog Description (Limit to approximately 50 words.):
Students learn the scientific basis for using weather observations to make predictions of the future weather, the
technology used to obtain weather observations and how these observations are presented for public information.
Weather forecasting will focus on real-time local and significant weather impacts. Lecture: 3 hours per week, Lab: 1 2hour period per week.
6. Method of Delivery (Check all that apply.)
a. Standard (lecture/lab) x
On Campus
b. Fully Online
x
x
x
c. Hybrid/ Web Enhanced
7. Grading Mode:
Off Campus
Normal (A-E)
x
x
Credit/No Credit
8. Prerequisites: Courses that MUST be completed before a student can take this course. (List by Subject Code, Number and Title.)
Miller, New Course
Sept. 09
New Course Form
None
9. Concurrent Prerequisites:
Code, Number and Title.)
Courses listed in #5 that MAY also be taken at the same time as a student is taking this course. (List by Subject
None
10. Corequisites: Courses that MUST be taken at the same time as a student in taking this course.
(List by Subject Code, Number and
Title.)
None
11. Equivalent Courses. A student may not earn credit for both a course and its equivalent. A course will count as a repeat if an equivalent
course has already been taken. (List by Subject Code, Number and Title)
None
12. Course Restrictions:
a. Restriction by College. Is admission to a specific College Required?
College of Business
Yes
No
x
College of Education
Yes
No
x
b. Restriction by Major/Program. Will only students in certain majors/programs be allowed to take this course?
Yes
No
x
If “Yes”, list the majors/programs
c. Restriction by Class Level Check all those who will be allowed to take the course:
Undergraduate
Graduate
All undergraduates___x____
All graduate students____
Freshperson
Certificate
Sophomore
Masters
Junior
Specialist
Senior
Doctoral
Second Bachelor________
UG Degree Pending_____
Post-Bac. Tchr. Cert._____
Low GPA Admit_______
Note: If this is a 400-level course to be offered for graduate credit, attach Approval Form for 400-level Course for Graduate
Credit. Only “Approved for Graduate Credit” undergraduate courses may be included on graduate programs of study.
Note: Only 500-level graduate courses can be taken by undergraduate students. Undergraduate students may not register for
600-level courses
d. Restriction by Permission. Will Departmental Permission be required?
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Sept. ‘09
Yes
No
x
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New Course Form
(Note: Department permission requires the department to enter authorization for every student registering.)
13. Will the course be offered as part of the General Education Program?
Yes
x
No
If “Yes”, attach Request for Inclusion of a Course in the General Education Program: Education for Participation in the Global Community
form. Note: All new courses proposed for inclusion in this program will be reviewed by the General Education Advisory Committee. If this
course is NOT approved for inclusion in the General Education program, will it still be offered? Yes
No
x
C. Relationship to Existing Courses
Within the Department:
14. Will this course will be a requirement or restricted elective in any existing program(s)? Yes
No
x
If “Yes”, list the programs and attach a copy of the programs that clearly shows the place the new course will have in the curriculum.
Program
Required
Restricted Elective
Program
Required
Restricted Elective
15. Will this course replace an existing course? Yes
No
x
16. (Complete only if the answer to #15 is “Yes.”)
a. Subject Code, Number and Title of course to be replaced:
b. Will the course to be replaced be deleted?
Yes
No
17. (Complete only if the answer #16b is “Yes.”) If the replaced course is to be deleted, it is not necessary to submit a Request for
Graduate and Undergraduate Course Deletion.
a. When is the last time it will be offered?
Term
Year
b. Is the course to be deleted required by programs in other departments?
Contact the Course and Program Development Office if necessary.
Yes
No
c. If “Yes”, do the affected departments support this change?
Yes
No
If “Yes”, attach letters of support. If “No”, attach letters from the affected department explaining the lack of support, if available.
Outside the Department: The following information must be provided. Contact the Course and Program Development office for
assistance if necessary.
18. Are there similar courses offered in other University Departments?
If “Yes”, list courses by Subject Code, Number and Title
Yes
No
x
19. If similar courses exist, do the departments in which they are offered support the proposed course?
Yes
No
If “Yes”, attach letters of support from the affected departments. If “No”, attach letters from the affected department explaining the lack of
support, if available.
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New Course Form
D. Course Requirements
20. Attach a detailed Sample Course Syllabus including:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
Course goals, objectives and/or student learning outcomes
Outline of the content to be covered
Student assignments including presentations, research papers, exams, etc.
Method of evaluation
Grading scale (if a graduate course, include graduate grading scale)
Special requirements
Bibliography, supplemental reading list
Other pertinent information.
NOTE: COURSES BEING PROPOSED FOR INCLUSION IN THE EDUCATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE GLOBAL
COMMUNITY PROGRAM MUST USE THE SYLLABUS TEMPLATE PROVIDED BY THE GENERAL EDUCATION
ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE TEMPLATE IS ATTACHED TO THE REQUEST FOR INCLUSION OF A COURSE IN THE
GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM: EDUCATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY FORM.
E. Cost Analysis (Complete only if the course will require additional University resources.
Fill in Estimated Resources for the
sponsoring department(s). Attach separate estimates for other affected departments.)
Estimated Resources:
Year One
Year Two
Year Three
Faculty / Staff
$_________
$_________
$_________
SS&M
$_________
$_________
$_________
Equipment
$_________
$_________
$_________
Total
$_________
$_________
$_________
F. Action of the Department/School and College
1. Department/School
Vote of faculty: For 16
Against 0
Abstentions 0
(Enter the number of votes cast in each category.)
Department Head/School Director Signature
Date
2. College/Graduate School
A. College
College Dean Signature
Date
B. Graduate School (if Graduate Course)
Graduate Dean Signature
Date
G. Approval
Associate Vice-President for Academic Programming Signature
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Sept. ‘09
Date
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New Course Form
Course Syllabus
ESSC 101–0 Introduction to Weather and Forecasting Course Syllabus
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Geography and Geology (Rm. 205 Strong Hall 487-0218)
Instructor: Dr. Thomas Kovacs
Office: 233 Strong Hall
Telephone: 487-8591
Office Hours: by an appointment.
E-Mail: tkovacs@emich.edu
Class Time:
Class Room:
Lab time:
Lab Room:
Credit hours: 4
Contact hours: 3 hours lecture, 2 hours lab
Prerequisite: None
Course Description
Students learn the scientific basis for using weather observations to make predictions of the future weather, the technology used to obtain
weather observations and how these observations are presented for public information. Weather forecasting will focus on real-time local and
significant weather impacts.
Learning Outcomes
1. Apply the scientific method as it pertains to the forecasting of weather.
2. Identify the tools and technology used to gather data to analyze and forecast various weather events.
3. Locate current and archived data used to analyze and forecast various weather events
4. Attain a basic knowledge of the laws, theories, and principles of nature as it pertains to weather
5. Learn how to prepare for and react to various severe weather events to protect life and property.
General Education Rationale
This course is designed to introduce the scientific method through the use of weather forecasting. Weather forecasting requires obtaining
weather observations, developing empirically-based weather relationships and theories from testable hypotheses, and using these relationships
and theories to develop weather forecasts. Students will learn the concepts of weather through lecture, individual experimental investigations,
and web-based data analysis and apply these to make forecasts of real-time local weather and severe or hazardous weather events. The
activities in this course satisfy the knowledge of the disciplines for natural science of the general education program and require minimal or no
prior weather knowledge.
Required Course Materials:
TEXT: Donald Ahrens, 2011, Essentials of Meteorology: an Invitation to the Atmosphere, 6th Ed. #0840049331
ecompanion (http://emuonline.edu) to obtain grades, documents, assignments, and class notes and to participate in grouped threaded
discussions
Calculator, pencil, pen, paper, eraser, ruler
Course Outline
Week
1 8/29-9/2
2 9/5-9/9
3 9/12-9/16
4 9/19-9/23
5 9/26-9/30
6 10/3-10/7
7 10/10-10/14
8 10/17-10/21
Topic
Syllabus, unit 1: weather observations (chaps.
1,2 (radiation), 3, and 4)
Lecture unit 1;complete unit 1 threaded
discussion; lab 1
Unit 1 jigsaw puzzle activity; Quiz unit 1;lab
2
Intro unit 2: weather maps (chaps. 6,8); unit 2
threaded discussion; lab 3
Unit 2 jigsaw puzzle activity; Quiz unit 2;lab
4
Intro unit 3: heating, clouds, and rain (chaps.
2, 5); unit 3 threaded discussion; lab 5
Unit 3 jigsaw puzzle activity; Quiz unit 3;lab
6
Intro unit 4: forces and winds (chap. 6,7); unit
4 threaded discussion; lab 7
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Sept. ‘09
Week
9 10/24-10/28
Topic
Unit 4 jigsaw puzzle activity; Quiz unit 4; lab 8
10 10/31-11/4
Intro unit 5 weather forecasting (chap 9); unit 5
threaded discussion; lab 9
Unit 5 jigsaw puzzle activity;Quiz unit 5;lab 10
11 11/7-11/11
12 11/14-11/18
13 11/21-11/25
14 11/28-12/2
15 12/5-12/9
16 12/12-12/16
Intro unit 6 numerical weather prediction (chap
9); unit 6 threaded discussion; lab 11
Unit 6 jigsaw puzzle activity; Quiz unit 6
Intro unit 7 severe weather forecasting (chaps.
8, 10); unit 7 threaded discussion; lab 12
Unit 7 jigsaw puzzle activity part 1; lab 13
Unit 7 jigsaw puzzle activity part 2; lab 14;
Final Exam (Quiz unit 7)
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New Course Form
Quiz Calendar (If you have any university-sponsored conflicts you must tell me by 9/16 to be accommodated)
Quiz 1
Quiz 2
Quiz 3
Quiz 4
Quiz 5
Quiz 6
Quiz 7
September 14
September 28
October 12
October 26
November 9
November 21
Published date in the final examination schedule for the class time
All quizzes will be administered in the course class room. The quizzes shall be administered at the usual class meeting time except the final
quiz, which is published in the final examination schedule. You are not allowed to wear headphones, to wear a hat, or to communicate with
anyone in or outside the classroom except the course instructor during the quiz.
Course Overview and Student Responsibilities
This course separates the material into 5 distinct units. Within each unit students will be assigned into small groups to work on a portion of the
unit through instructor-directed activities. Students will then be reassigned into a second small group with students who worked with different
portions of that unit. These groups will offer peer-instruction and apply unit concepts through instructor-directed activities. During class
meeting times students will be listening to lecture, taking quizzes, or working within their designated groups on assigned activities. Class
attendance, textbooks, and calculators are necessary to complete most of these activities; therefore, attendance will be taken and is part of the
course grade. Students will also participate online within their groups to complete assigned activities; therefore, internet access is necessary to
complete the assignments in this course. Students can obtain internet access through their local library or at the on-campus computer labs.
Online group work is done by posting to threaded discussions (accessible to the entire class) and all files attached to posts must be Microsoft
Word (.doc or .docx), Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt or .pptx), or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). Make sure you go through the “creating good posts”
tutorial (found under the course home tab) first to learn how to create posts with data properly annotated with good quality content that will get
full credit. Online work does not need to be performed at the same time as your group members; the threaded discussions are asynchronous.
Units must be completed (all threaded discussions and assignments) by the beginning of class on the day after the assignment is due.
If you wish to be accommodated for your disability EMU Board of Regents policy #8.3 requires that you first register with the Disabilities
Resource Center (DRC) 240 Student Center. You may contact DRC by telephone at 487-2470. No retroactive accommodations are possible.
The instructor reserves the right to reduce class letter grades or remove students from class and refer them to the Office of Student Judicial
Services who does not follow the Student Conduct Code.
Grading Policy
Seven quizzes will be given during the semester on the dates given above. The lowest score of these seven quizzes will be dropped and the
remaining six quizzes will each be worth 40 (8%) points. There are no makeup quizzes for any reason. If you need to miss a quiz for any reason, it
will be the quiz you drop as your lowest score. Threaded discussions will be given an individual grade (4 points each) and a group grade (4 points
each). Full credit for the individual grade requires at least 2 posts each time you are put into a new group (Total of 15 threaded discussions). Full
credit for the group grade requires the assigned activity to be fully complete and correct each group activity you are assigned. Posts after the start of
class after the due date will not be counted. Labs are 10 points each for a total of 140 (28%) points. Contributions to your total grade are as follows:
Five quizzes (including the final)
Individual threaded discussion
Group threaded discussion
Labs
The Course grading system is:
B+ 87-89
A 92-100
B 83-86
A- 90-91
B- 80-82
240 points (48%)
60 points (12%)
60 points (12%)
140 points (28%)
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
E Below 60
Code of Conduct
Students are expected to abide by the student conduct code and assist in creating an environment that is conducive to learning and protects the
rights of all members of the University community. Incivility and disruptive behavior will not be tolerated and may result in a request to leave class
and referral to the office of student judicial services for discipline. Examples of inappropriate classroom conduct include repeatedly arriving to
class late, using a cellular telephone, or talking while others are speaking. You may access the code online at www.emich.edu/sjs.
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New Course Form
Academic dishonesty, including all forms of cheating and/or plagiarism, will not be tolerated in this class. Penalties for an act of academic
dishonesty may range from receiving a failing grade for a particular assignment to receiving a failing grade for the entire course. In addition, you
may be referred to the office of student judicial services for discipline that can result in either a suspension or permanent dismissal. The student
conduct code contains detailed definitions of what constitutes academic dishonesty, but if you are not sure about whether something you are doing
would be considered academic dishonesty, consult with the instructor.
Other References
Lutgens and Tarbuck, 2007, The Atmosphere: An Introduction to Meterology, 10th ed.
Tarbuck and Lutgens, 2003, Earth Science, 10th ed.
http://www.ametsoc.org/amsedu/dstreme/ (American Meteorological Society Data Streme)
http://www.weather.gov (National Weather Service website)
http://www.weather.com (The Weather Channel website)
http://www.goes.noaa.gov (Geostationary Satellite server website)
http://www.wunderground.com (The Weather Underground)
http://severewx.atmos.uiuc.edu/ (University of Illinois Severe Weather website – good source of meteorology data)
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/events/searchindex.html (Storm Prediction Center Severe Weather events archive)
Lab Schedule
1. Weather instrumentation
2. Using weather data
3. Creating weather maps
4. Analyzing weather maps
5. Heating (Conduction, Convection, Radiation, and Latent Heating)
6. Stability and adiabatic diagrams (Stuve, Skew-T, etc.)
7. Balance of forces
8. Relating forces and winds on weather maps
9. Manual forecasting methods
10. Forecasting contest
11. Numerical Weather Prediction models
12. Severe and hazardous weather forecasting 1 (Topic1 depends on forecasted severe weather)
13. Severe and hazardous weather forecasting 2 (Topic1 depends on forecasted severe weather)
14. Severe and hazardous weather forecasting 3 (Topic1 depends on forecasted severe weather)
1
Topics can be extratropical cyclones, Noreasters, Ice Storms, lake-effect snowstorms,
thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, or droughts
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