PHYS 487 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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Contact
Our main communication tool is Campuswire. Announcements will also be posted on Campuswire. You can email me, of course, but I am planning on using Campuswire instead of Massmails whereever possible.
If you're enrolled, you'll receive an invitation to the course before the first lecture. Before getting in touch, please check if the information you're looking for is already available in announcement or on the website. Please see Contact for details, incl email guidelines and office hours.Announcements
1/15/2024: Beginning-of-the-semester schedule
- First Lecture: Tue, Jan 21.
- First Homework: Posted on Tue, Jan 21 and due Tue, Jan 28.
- First Discussions: Week 2.
- Office hours start in Week 2.
Homework and Discussions
The most important part to learn the materials and do well on the exams is practice. Practice means solving problems and being able to explain your work. You will solve practice problems in the Discussions, and then apply your skills in homework sets.
Homework format:
- Problem sets are posted by Wednesday.
- Deadline for submitting solutions on Gradescope is the end of the following Tuesday (11:59:59pm).
- No extensions. You can utilize your drops if you are too busy, or request an EX if you have a valid reason.
- Working in groups is strongly encouraged, but you must submit your own work. Submitting copied work is plagiarism.
- Homework grades and solutions are available one week after submission deadline.
Discussion format:
- You will discuss the most recent lecture topics and solve practice problems in groups.
- Discussion is graded by participation. You must attend in person and actively participate in solving the problems for full credit.
Exams
- Midterm 1: February 27 (in-class)
- Midterm 2: April 10 (in-class)
- Final: TBD.
Allowed materials
For each exam, you are allowed to bring your own handwritten cheat-sheet. It may be at most 1 single-sided, page (letter size). You can also use a calculator.Academic Integrity
All activities in this course are subject to the Academic Integrity rules as described in Article 1, Part 4, Academic Integrity, of the Student Code.
Anti-Racism and Inclusivity Statement
The Grainger College of Engineering is committed to the creation of an anti-racist, inclusive community that welcomes diversity along a number of dimensions, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity and national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, disability status, class, age, or religious beliefs. The College recognizes that we are learning together in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, that Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous voices and contributions have largely either been excluded from, or not recognized in, science and engineering, and that both overt racism and micro-aggressions threaten the well-being of our students and our university community.
The effectiveness of this course is dependent upon each of us to create a safe and encouraging learning environment that allows for the open exchange of ideas while also ensuring equitable opportunities and respect for all of us. Everyone is expected to help establish and maintain an environment where students, staff, and faculty can contribute without fear of personal ridicule, or intolerant or offensive language. If you witness or experience racism, discrimination, micro-aggressions, or other offensive behavior, you are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the course director if you feel comfortable. You can also report these behaviors to the Bias Assessment and Response Team (BART) (https://bart.illinois.edu/). Based on your report, BART members will follow up and reach out to students to make sure they have the support they need to be healthy and safe. If the reported behavior also violates university policy, staff in the Office for Student Conflict Resolution may respond as well and will take appropriate action.