1) Class attendance.          "I hate going to class" -- anonymous undergraduate.
                                                    "90% of life is showing up." -- Woody Allen

To my knowledge, class attendance is not mandatory at any institution of higher learning in the United States.  Although I like to be an iconoclast, even I would not impose such a heavy burden as to demand that students attend class.  However, I encourage students to follow the moral imperative of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, which states that: "Act according to that maxim that you can at the the same time will it to be a Universal Law."  Please consider the consequences to the intellectual life of the University if no one attended class while you are delilerating how appealing a late breakfast is compared to a thermodynamics lecture.

2) Homework.  A homework assignment will be assigned every week.  Understanding thermodynamics demands that you interact with the material on a regular basis. The homework will have an assigned due date, and it must be turned in on that date whether it is complete or not.  Students who turn in incomplete work are encouraged to complete the assignment as soon as possible, but it must be done before the TA session in which the problems are discussed.  Repeated turning in of late homework is not encouraged.

    Some of the problems assigned will be hard and challenging.  You are encouraged to discuss the problems among yourselves and work together.  However, you are not to simply copy someone else's work.  If it so happens that in the process of solving a problem, one of your classmates gave substantial help, please acknowledge this at the bottom of the problem. (The reason for this is for me to assess whether and how effectively you are working together in teams).  Also, if this happens, for your own benefit, forget about the problem for a day, and then come back to it and make sure you can solve it yourself from a clean sheet of paper.

3) Exams.  Three exams (including the final) will be given in this class. Because thermodynamics is a hierarchical subject, the introductory material must be understood well before more advanced material can be taught.   The exams will be scheduled in the evenings and will be open-book and open notes.  

4) Computer Modeling Homework:  Some homework assignments will require computer modeling in Matlab.   Students will be assigned to work together in teams on these homwork assignments.

5) Grading:  The final grade will be determined according to the chart below. 
 

Homework	20%
Exam 1	25%
Exam 2	25%
Final Exam	30%

6) Honor Code: The honor code will be in force on all exams in this class.  See Rice Honor Code for a comprehensive description, as well as previous case abstracts. I don't advise behavior which leads to your getting your name in this abstract database.

7) Problem Sessions.  Problem Sessions will be held every week.  They will be conducted by the teaching assistants on Wednesdays at 7 pm in Keck 101.  The instructor may make occasional unannounced visits to the problem sessions.

8) Teaching Assistants:

     Andrew Nguyen, George R. Brown Hall,  Andrew.T.Nguyen@rice.edu
     Sue Anne Chew, George R. Brown Hall,  annechew@rice.edu
     

9) Office Hours and Email:

    Prof. Raphael:  Fridays 2-3 pm.   Also, my door is always open.  I will occasionally be in the midle of an experiment or meeting and may not be immediately available, but will reschedule you as soon as possible that day.

   Please first email the TAs on any homework-related matter, and email Dr. Raphael for importat course-related matters.