UCC/UGC/YCC
Proposal for New Course
1. Effective BEGINNING of what term and year?:
Spring 2013
See effective dates calendar.
2. College: CEFNS
3. Academic Unit: Geology
4. Course subject and number:
GLG 572
5. Units: 3
6. Long course title: Stable Isotope Geochemistry
(max 100 characters including spaces)
Stable Isotope Geochemistry
7. Short course title:
(max. 30 characters including spaces)
8. Catalog course description (max. 60 words, excluding requisites):
In this course you should learn about applications of stable isotope data to solving problems
in Earth and environmental science, including the lithosphere, hydrosphere, the atmosphere
and the biosphere. The focus will be on low-temperature applications, but the same principles
can be applied in metamorphic and igneous systems. Letter grade only.
9. Grading option:
Letter grade
Pass/Fail
Both
10a. UGC approval date*:
10. Co-convened with: n/a
(For example: ESE 450 and ESE 550)
*Must be approved by UGC before UCC submission, and both course syllabi must be presented
11. Cross-listed with:
n/a
(For example: ES 450 and DIS 450)
Please submit a single cross-listed syllabus that will be used for all cross-listed courses.
12. May course be repeated for additional units?
12a. If yes, maximum units allowed?
12b. If yes, may course be repeated for additional units in the same term?
Revised 06/22/2011
Yes
No
Yes
No
1
13. Prerequisites:
Graduate standing in a
CEFNS degree program.
14. Co requisites:
15. Is this course in any plan (major, minor or certificate) or sub plan (emphasis or concentration)?
Yes
No
If yes, describe the impact and attach written responses from the affected academic units prior
to college curricular submission.
16. Is there a related plan or sub plan proposal being submitted?
If no, explain.
Yes
No
17. Does this course include combined lecture and lab components?
Yes
If yes, note the units specific to each component in the course description above.
No
18. Does this course duplicate content of existing courses?
Yes
No
If yes, list the courses with duplicate material. If the duplication is greater than 20%,
explain why NAU should establish this course.
19. Names of the current faculty qualified to teach this course:
James Sample
20. Justification for new course.
This course change proposal is to convert this contemporary topics course into a
permanent one. Based on past enrollment, there is adequate interest in making this
course permanent. Past students have come from Geology, Biology, and Forestry. No
similar course is offered in another department on campus.
Answer 21-22 for UCC/YCC only:
21. Is this course being proposed for Liberal Studies designation?
Yes
If yes, forward this form along with the appropriate supporting documentation to the
Liberal Studies Committee.
No
22. Is this course being proposed for Diversity designation?
Yes
If yes, forward this form along with the appropriate supporting documentation to the
Diversity Committee
No
Revised 06/22/2011
2
Scott Galland
Reviewed by Curriculum Process Associate
03/23/2012
Date
Approvals:
Department Chair/ Unit Head (if appropriate)
Date
Chair of college curriculum committee
Date
Dean of college
Date
For Committee use only:
UCG/UGC/YCC Approval
Date
:
Approved as submitted:
Yes
No
Approved as modified: Yes
No
:
:
Please attach proposed Syllabus in approved university format.
Revised 06/22/2011
3
College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Science; Geology Department
GLG 599 - Stable Isotope Geochemistry
Semester
Units
Prof. Jim Sample
Room number A210 in the Geology Annex
Office hours: M 3-5, T 2-4; or by appt
Email: James.Sample@nau.edu
Office: 523-0881
Course Prerequisites
You must have graduate standing in one of the College of Engineering, Forestry, or Natural
Sciences graduate programs. You can also enroll with permission of the instructor.
Course Description:
In this course you should learn about applications of stable isotope data to solving problems in
Earth and environmental science, including the lithosphere, hydrosphere, the atmosphere and the
biosphere. The focus will be on low-temperature applications, but the same principles can be
applied in metamorphic and igneous systems.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion, a student will be able to:
1- interpret stable isotope data in the literature;
2- solve quantitative problems involving stable isotope data;
3- design research projects utilizing stable isotope data;
Course Structure/Approach:
This is a modified lecture course. During lecture periods there will be formal lectures,
discussions of pertinent literature assigned as reading, and group projects involving collection of
data and data analysis. You will be able to demonstrate your understanding of the material
through discussion, a term paper, groups projects, problem sets, and exams.
Textbook:
Zachary Sharp, 2007. Principles of Stable Isotope Geochemistry, Pearson-Prentice Hall, Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey, 344 pp.
ISBN 0130091391
Additional topical readings from the published research literature will be assigned.
Course Outline:
Week of:
Jan. 17
Topic
No Class – Geophysics Graduate Workshop
Jan. 24
Introduction
Important terminology
standards and IRMS measurement
Revised 06/22/2011
Reading Assignment
Chpts. 1 & 2
4
Jan. 31
Principles of isotope fractionation
Chpt. 3
Feb. 7
The hydrosphere – overview
Meteoric water
Chpt. 4
Feb. 14
Distillation processes
Controls on isotopic composition of water
Chpt. 4
Feb. 21
Glaciers, Groundwater, Basins
Modern oceans
Chpt. 4
Chpt. 5
Feb. 28
Ancient oceans; buffering of 18O in oceans
Mid-term exam
Chpt. 5
Mar. 7
Oxygen isotopes in biogenic carbonates
Paleotemperatures and paleothermometry
Chpt. 6
Mar. 21
Clumped isotope analysis
Applications to paleothermometry
articles
Mar. 28
Carbon isotopes: carbon cycle
Carbon reservoirs
Chpt. 7
Apr. 4
13C values of carbonates
Applications in terrestrial systems
Chpt. 7
Apr. 11
Sulfur isotopes – analytical methods,
fractionations, geothermometry
Sedimentary sulfur cycle
Chpt. 10
Apr. 18
Sedimentary sulfur cycle
Applications of sulfur isotopes; O isotopes in sulfates
Chpt. 10
Apr. 25
Nitrogen cycle; Nitrogen isotope fractionation
N isotopes in various materials
Chpt. 9
May 2
Research paper presentations
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes:
Methods of Assessment
Homework
Research Paper
Project data collection and analysis
Participation in discussion of assigned articles
Midterm Examination
Final Examination
Grading System
Take-home midterm
Take-home final
Research paper (due May 2, 8:30 am)
Revised 06/22/2011
20%
20%
20%
5
Problem sets (four total; due Weds, 8:30 am)
Data collection and analysis
Data analysis of student data sets
In-class participation
20%
10%
5%
5%
Total
100%
A letter grade will be fixed at the end of the semester. An approximate grade scale is as follows:
A ≥ 90%
80% ≤ B < 90%
70% ≤ C < 80%
60% ≤ D < 70%
F < 60%
Course Policy:
Your participation is essential for your learning in this class. I expect you to come to the class
each week fully prepared to contribute by having completed the reading assignments in advance.
Assignments are due at beginning of class unless otherwise stated. I will assess a late penalty of
10% for each 24-hour period the assignment is late, unless you have made prior arrangements
with me. Make-up assignments and incompletes are granted only under serious, extenuating
circumstances, and arrangements must be made in advance.
I will communicate with you by email frequently, so please check your email regularly and let
me know when you have received the message.
University Policies:
NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
POLICY STATEMENTS
SAFE ENVIRONMENT POLICY
NAU’s Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy seeks to prohibit discrimination and promote the safety of
all individuals within the university. The goal of this policy is to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the
basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status and to prevent
sexual harassment, sexual assault or retaliation by anyone at this university.
You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college dean’s office or from the NAU’s Affirmative Action website
http://home.nau.edu/diversity/. If you have concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the
departmental chair, dean’s office, the Office of Student Life (928-523-5181), or NAU’s Office of Affirmative
Action (928-523-3312).
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a documented disability, you can arrange for accommodations by contacting Disability Resources (DR)
at 523-8773 (voice)or 523-6906 (TTY), dr@nau.edu (e-mail)or 928-523-8747 (fax).Students needing academic
accommodations are required to register with DR and provide required disability related documentation. Although
you may request an accommodation at any time, in order for DR to best meet your individual needs, you are urged
to register and submit necessary documentation (www.nau.edu/dr) 8 weeks prior to the time you wish to receive
accommodations. DR is strongly committed to the needs of student with disabilities and the promotion of Universal
Design. Concerns or questions related to the accessibility of programs and facilities at NAU may be brought to the
attention of DR or the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (523-3312).
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD
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6
Any study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that originates at NAU—including a course
project, report, or research paper—must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the
protection of human subjects in research and research-related activities.
The IRB meets monthly. Proposals must be submitted for review at least fifteen working days before the monthly
meeting. You should consult with your course instructor early in the course to ascertain if your project needs to be
reviewed by the IRB and/or to secure information or appropriate forms and procedures for the IRB review. Your
instructor and department chair or college dean must sign the application for approval by the IRB. The IRB
categorizes projects into three levels depending on the nature of the project: exempt from further review, expedited
review, or full board review. If the IRB certifies that a project is exempt from further review, you need not resubmit
the project for continuing IRB review as long as there are no modifications in the exempted procedures.
A copy of the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is available in each department’s administrative office and each
college dean’s office or on their website: http://www.research.nau.edu/compliance/irb/index.aspx. If you have
questions, contact the IRB Coordinator in the Office of the Vice President for Research at 928-523-8288 or 5234340.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic integrity. As members of the academic
community, NAU’s administration, faculty, staff and students are dedicated to promoting an atmosphere of honesty
and are committed to maintaining the academic integrity essential to the education process. Inherent in this
commitment is the belief that academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic principles of integrity and impedes
learning. Students are therefore responsible for conducting themselves in an academically honest manner.
Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying instances of academic dishonesty. Faculty
members then recommend penalties to the department chair or college dean in keeping with the severity of the
violation. The complete policy on academic integrity is in Appendix G of NAU’s Student Handbook
http://www4.nau.edu/stulife/handbookdishonesty.htm.
ACADEMIC CONTACT HOUR POLICY
The Arizona Board of Regents Academic Contact Hour Policy (ABOR Handbook, 2-206, Academic Credit) states:
“an hour of work is the equivalent of 50 minutes of class time…at least 15 contact hours of recitation, lecture,
discussion, testing or evaluation, seminar, or colloquium as well as a minimum of 30 hours of student homework is
required for each unit of credit.”
The reasonable interpretation of this policy is that for every credit hour, a student should expect, on average, to do a
minimum of two additional hours of work per week; e.g., preparation, homework, studying.
SENSITIVE COURSE MATERIALS
If an instructor believes it is appropriate, the syllabus should communicate to students that some course content may
be considered sensitive by some students.
“University education aims to expand student understanding and awareness. Thus, it necessarily involves
engagement with a wide range of information, ideas, and creative representations. In the course of college studies,
students can expect to encounter—and critically appraise—materials that may differ from and perhaps challenge
familiar understandings, ideas, and beliefs. Students are encouraged to discuss these matters with faculty.”
Revised 06/22/2011
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