Coastal Geomorphology
GEOL 4222
Fall Semester 2004
syllabus in pdf


Instructor
Denise J. Reed, Room 1056. E-mail djreed@uno.edu. Phone 280-7395. Call or e-mail for office hours or to set up a time to meet.

Course Description
This course will explore process-response relationships in a variety of coastal settings including beaches and barrier shorelines; estuaries and tidal wetlands; rocky coasts and cliffs; and coral reefs and atolls. Students will appreciate the fundamental driving processes at the coast such as climate, waves, tides and storms while exploring, through case studies, how interactions among processes shape geomorphic features. Classes will incorporate lecture material, readings, case studies, and project reports. Each student will undertake a field project involving real-time measurement of a coastal process of their choice which will be reported to the class and in a short paper.
Learning objectives – students will understand the basic processes shaping coastal systems, be able to identify cause-effect relationships in coastal landform development, and experience directly the challenges of field measurement in coastal geomorphology.
Prerequisite: Geol 2150 or consent of instructor.

Attendance Policy
Class is held 1 pm to 3.50 pm on Mondays in GP1056.

Attendance is required. If you cannot attend class or lab for some reason, call/e-mail Dr. Reed and explain why. She will make every effort to make materials for missed classes available but final assessments will cover all aspects of class content, including class discussions that cannot be made up.

Learning Resources
Text: Woodroffe, C.D. 2002. Coasts: Form, process and evolution. Cambridge University Press. 623 pp.

A reading list of additional papers will be provided in class.

Materials
Students should come to class with materials to take notes, participate in discussions and complete short in-class assignments, e.g., minute papers.


Assignments and Grading

The student’s performance in the course will be evaluated as follows:
· 30%. Independent study, report and presentation of results. Details of the independent study assignment are given below and will be discussed in the first class.
· 10%. Discussion of assigned published papers. Each student will take the lead in class discussion on a key paper in coastal geomorphology.
· 15%. A short mid-term examination will encompass material covered during the first 5 weeks of the course. The format will be similar to the final exam.
· 45%. The final exam will be comprehensive and will consist of a series of short essays on topics covered during classes.

The Independent Study assignment calls for each student to make measurements of a coastal process and assess how it effects change in the landscape. Students may assist one another with field work but each student must present on a separate topic. Some basic equipment is available to support this work but students are expected to be innovative in their approaches and high grades for this assignment do not require sophisticated equipment. Students should consider the appropriate time and space scales over which their chosen process operates and plan their fieldwork accordingly. A paragraph describing the proposed work should be submitted prior to the mid-term exam so that feedback can be provided on the students ideas. The grade for the assignment will be based on:
· Assessment of the field effort (appropriateness of approach, planning and execution)
· Presentation to class late in semester (clarity and showing understanding)
· Short paper describing the study, results and conclusions (due at time of class presentation).

Graduate students will be expected to make formal presentations of their independent study and their assigned paper, e.g. using powerpoint and a well structured format. Some questions on the examinations will be compulsory for graduate credit and optional for undergraduates.

Statement on Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is fundamental to the process of learning and evaluating academic performance. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following: cheating, plagiarism, tampering with academic records and examinations, falsifying identity, and being an accessory to acts of academic dishonesty. Refer to the UNO Judicial Code for further information. The Code is available online at http://www.uno.edu/~stlf/policy%20Manual/judicial_code_pt2.htm.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Students who qualify for services will receive the academic modifications for which they are legally entitled. It is the responsibility of the student to register with the Office of Disability Services (UC 260) each semester and follow their procedures for obtaining assistance.

Classroom Conduct
Try to be in class on time. Please do not come five, ten, or twenty minutes late. There is no excuse for repeatedly arriving late. Parking is often a hassle; allow enough time for it. Cell phones should be turned off before class begins. Respect your classmates at all times, especially during presentations of assigned readings and independent study results.