Course Syllabus
Syllabus
PHYS 7830 - Professional Development
| Meeting Pattern: | Fridays, 11:50am-12:40pm | ||
| Meeting Location: | CSC 10-12 |
Instructor
| Instructor: | Kyle Dawson | ||
| Department: | Physics and Astronomy | ||
| Office: | INSCC 328 | ||
| Phone: | 801-581-4785 | ||
| Communication & Office Hours: |
"Walk-in" Hours: Friday 8:30-10:30am and by appointment Email is the best way to contact me. I make every effort to respond as quickly as possible, and you can always expect a response within one business day. Please use my regular email address (kdawson@astro.utah.edu) to contact me, and put PHYS 7830 in the subject line so your email can be given preference. |
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Course Description
Overview
| Course | PHYS 7830 |
| Department | Physics and Astronomy |
| Pre-Requisites | none |
| Credit Hours | 1 |
| Semester | Fall 2024 |
| Description | This is a one credit course to help prepare physics and astronomy graduate students for their roles as researchers and educators through the development of complementary skills. Weekly meetings will include guided discussions, hands-on activities, and guest presentations, as appropriate. |
Goals & Objectives
Students will improve skills and learn about resources necessary to navigate Graduate School in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Utah. These skills will also support their success throughout their careers as researchers and educators.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
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appreciate the importance of skills and knowledge that complement scientific skills, including communication, networking, mentoring, and basic standards of professionalism;
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identify relevant on-campus and University of Utah resources;
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develop strategies for searching for additional resources, opportunities, and information;
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understand research ethics and the importance of lab and fieldwork safety;
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prepare their CV;
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hone presentation skills and design and deliver an oral presentation;
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understand the elements of effective manuscript writing and review.
Required Materials
Materials required for this course are:
- Physics and Astronomy computing account
Ensure you have these ahead of time as they will be required to complete assignments and activities throughout the course. Please log in to verify access to your P&A computing account by November 1, 2024. If you are unable to access your P&A computing account, fill out a Department IT Helpdesk ticket, and ensure that you do have access by November 1, 2024.
Evaluation and Determining Your Grade
Your performance in this course will be evaluated by:
- 9 homework assignments (most of these are small)
- a pre-survey and post-survey
Final course grade will be determined from your total score out of 100 possible points. Cumulative scores of 90%, 80%, or 70% will guarantee grades of not less than A-, B-, or C-, respectively. See the syllabus for further details.
Schedule
The following schedule is a draft, in particular, the topics after Fall Break are likely to evolve.
***Swigart Presentations will be during colloquium on Thursday, October 3rd, 4-5pm.
***Note: 2024 GRFP deadlines are October 15.
| Date | Topic | Assignment Due |
| week 1: August 23 |
Introductions, Professionalism and Collegiality, Time Management: |
|
| week 2: August 30 | Proposals and Manuscripts: lecture2.pdf lecture2.ppt | |
| week 3: September 6 | Writing and visualization: lecture3.pdf lecture3.ppt | Draft proposals |
| week 4: September 13 |
Writing center and Visualization : |
Visualization |
| week 5: September 20 | Oral Communication: lecture5.pdf lecture5.ppt | |
| week 6: September 27 | Practice presentations |
Proposal/Research Summary |
| week 7: October 4 |
Mid-Semester Assessment |
|
| week 8: October 18 | Research Ethics 10_topics Research_Misconduct |
|
| week 9: October 25 | Writing a CV lecture6.pdf lecture6.ppt |
|
| week 10: November 1 |
Careers outside academia |
CV draft |
| week 11: November 8 | Lab Safety (David Thomas) | |
| week 12: November 15 | Networking and Data lecture7.pdf lecture7.ppt |
|
| week 13: November 22 | Menteeship and authorship lecture8.pdf lecture8.ppt |
Final CV and Networking (due December 2) |
Course Policies
Late Assignments
Late work will be accepted until the last day of classes for the semester, with a penalty of 5% of the total possible points for each assignment submitted after the due date. All assignments must be submitted on or before December 3rd, 2024 to receive credit.
Grading
Grading for this course
90% of your grade will be based on your 9 homework scores, and 10% of your grade will be based on your participation in the pre- and post-surveys (5% each). For details on the relative weights of each homework assignment, see the FAQs.
University of Utah grading scale
| Letter | Scoring |
|---|---|
| A | 100% - 94% |
| A- | 93.9% - 90% |
| B+ | 89.9%–87% |
| B | 86.9%–84% |
| B- | 83.9% - 80% |
| C+ | 79.9%–77% |
| C | 76.9%–74% |
| C- | 73.9% - 70% |
| D+ | 69.9%–67% |
| D | 66.9%–64% |
| D- | 63.9% - 60% |
| E | 59.9%–0% |
Accommodations
Disclaimer
Accommodations will be considered on an individual basis and may require documentation.
Please contact your instructor and/or teaching assistant as soon as possible (preferably shortly before the semester begins) to request accommodations of any kind.
If you are unable to attend class for any reason, please email the instructor. A remote option can be arranged, and materials will be made available on Canvas.
Extreme personal circumstances
Please contact your instructor as soon as possible if an extreme personal circumstance
(hospitalization, death of a close relative, natural disaster, etc.) is interfering with your ability to
complete your work.
Religious Practice
To request an accommodation for religious practices, contact your instructor at the beginning of the semester.
Active Duty Military
If you are a student on active duty with the military and experience issues that prevent you from participating in the course because of deployment or service responsibilities, contact your instructor as soon as possible to discuss appropriate accommodations.
Disability Access
All written information in this course can be made available in an alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services (CDS). CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. Prior notice is appreciated. To read the full accommodations policy for the University of Utah, please see Section Q of the Instruction & Evaluation regulations.
If you will need accommodations in this class, contact:
Center for Disability Services
801-581-5020
disability.utah.edu
162 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus is not a contract. It is meant to serve as an outline and guide for your course. Please note that your instructor may modify it to accommodate the needs of your class.
You will be notified of any changes to the Syllabus.
University Policies
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities.
All written information in this course can be made available in an alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability & Access (CDA). CDA will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. Prior notice is appreciated. To read the full accommodations policy for the University of Utah, please see Section Q of the Instruction & Evaluation regulations.
In compliance with ADA requirements, some students may need to record course content. Any recordings of course content are for personal use only, should not be shared, and should never be made publicly available. In addition, recordings must be destroyed at the conclusion of the course.
If you will need accommodations in this class, or for more information about what support they provide, contact:
Center for Disability & Access
801-581-5020
disability.utah.eduLinks to an external site.
162 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Safety at the U
The University of Utah values the safety of all campus community members. You will receive important emergency alerts and safety messages regarding campus safety via text message. For more safety information and to view available training resources, including helpful videos, visit safeu.utah.edu.
To report suspicious activity or to request a courtesy escort, contact:
Campus Police & Department of Public Safety
801-585-COPS (801-585-2677)
dps.utah.edu
1735 E. S. Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Addressing Sexual Misconduct
Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender (which includes sexual orientation and gender identity/expression) is a civil rights offense subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, color, religion, age, status as a person with a disability, veteran’s status, or genetic information.
If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you are encouraged to report it to university officials:
Title IX Coordinator & Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
801-581-8365
oeo.utah.edu
135 Park Building
201 Presidents' Cir.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Office of the Dean of Students
801-581-7066
deanofstudents.utah.edu
270 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
To file a police report, contact:
Campus Police & Department of Public Safety
801-585-COPS (801-585-2677)
dps.utah.edu
1735 E. S. Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
If you do not feel comfortable reporting to authorities, the U's Victim-Survivor Advocates provide free, confidential, and trauma-informed support services to students, faculty, and staff who have experienced interpersonal violence.
To privately explore options and resources available to you with an advocate, contact:
Center for Student Wellness
801-581-7776
wellness.utah.edu
328 Student Services Building
201 S. 1460 E.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Academic Misconduct
It is expected that students comply with University of Utah policies regarding academic honesty, including but not limited to refraining from cheating, plagiarizing, misrepresenting one’s work, and/or inappropriately collaborating. This includes the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools without citation, documentation, or authorization. Students are expected to adhere to the prescribed professional and ethical standards of the profession/discipline for which they are preparing. Any student who engages in academic dishonesty or who violates the professional and ethical standards for their profession/discipline may be subject to academic sanctions as per the University of Utah’s Student Code: Policy 6-410: Student Academic Performance, Academic Conduct, and Professional and Ethical Conduct.
Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and may be punished by failure on an individual assignment, and/or failure in the course. Academic misconduct, according to the University of Utah Student Code:
“...Includes, but is not limited to, cheating, misrepresenting one’s work, inappropriately collaborating, plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification of information…It also includes facilitating academic misconduct by intentionally helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic misconduct.”
For details on plagiarism and other important course conduct issues, see the U's Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
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