What Brock calendar entry says:

• Small experimental, theoretical or applied physics research project to be carried out under the supervision of a member of the department.

  Restriction: open to PHYS (single or combined) and CAST majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits, a minimum 70 percent major average and a minimum 60 percent non-major average or approval to year 4 (honours).

  Note: the project may, under special circumstances, be started in the summer months. Students must consult with the Department Chair regarding their proposed program during the first week of lectures. This course may be offered in multiple modes of delivery. The method of delivery will be listed on the academic timetable, in the applicable term.

Course Goals

The aim of PHYS 4F90 is to give the student experience in conducting an independent piece of basic research in Physics. Although original findings are not necessarily the primary goal, the work must be of high quality and must show considerable scientific maturity.

• to develop ...;
• to discover ...;
• to gain experience in ...;
• to enhance scientific writing skills.

Supervision

• The work is to be carried out under the direction of a supervisor, who will usually be a member of the Brock Physics Department. Each student wishing to take PHYS 4F90 is advised to consult separately each of the faculty members to learn their suggested projects, if any. Students with a project of their own devising can suggest it to the course coordinator who, upon approval, will try to find a suitable supervisor.

Workload

The time spent on PHYS 4F90 should be 20% of a full academic load. This can reasonably be interpreted as 8 hours per week.

PHYS 4F91 may be taken together with PHYS 4F90 with the permission of the Department Chair. A student enrolled in both PHYS 4F90 and PHYS 4F91 will give the three seminars described in the table below, and submit a final written thesis. Typically, the student will be expected to carry out a more detailed, or sophisticated project than would be attempted were the student enrolled only in PHYS 4F90. As such, the total time spent on the project should be 40% of the year's work which can be interpreted as 16 hours per week. Given the more involved nature of the project, the final written thesis may also be somewhat lengthier than that specified in the guidelines for PHYS 4F90. In general the student will receive identical grades for PHYS 4F90 and PHYS 4F91 unless a clear delineation has been made between two distinct aspects of the complete PHYS 4F90/4F91 project.

This is an approximate list, based on previous experience. As the course progresses, some of topics may be removed and some others may get added.

• Topic One
  • subtopic 1
  • subtopic 2

Academic misconduct is a serious offence. The principle of academic integrity, particularly of doing one’s own work, documenting properly (including use of quotation marks, appropriate paraphrasing and referencing/citation), collaborating appropriately, and avoiding misrepresentation, is a core principle in university study. Students should consult “Academic Misconduct” section in the Undergraduate Calendar to view a fuller description of prohibited actions, and the procedures and penalties. The University takes academic misconduct extremely seriously and will follow its strict procedures to the letter in all cases.

A helpful website explains Brock's Academic Integrity Policy. Please consult it, as all students are expected to know and abide by its provisions.

Courses may use turnitin.com, a phrase-matching software, to verify originality of your submitted lab reports and written assignments. If you object to uploading your assignmentsr to turnitin.com for any reason, please notify the instructor to discuss alternative submissions.

Be aware that it is the policy of the Department of Physics that any academic misconduct including (but not limited to) possessing, using or accessing unauthorized material in any form (including online) during final exams or assessments will automatically result in zero grade for the exam. Since most courses require a minimum passing grade on the final exam to complete the course, this will likely lead to a failure in the course.

Unless otherwise specified, the Department of Physics follows the following minimum penalty guidelines for cases of academic misconduct in the Faculty of Mathematics and Science (FMS). Please be aware that the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, may assign different penalties than those listed here, depending on the details of individual cases. Also note that cheating on exams carries significantly higher penalties.

First offence:

Zero grade on the assignment, additional penalty of 100% of the weight of the assignment to be subtracted from the final grade, mandatory completion of the AZLS Academic Integrity workshop

Second offence:

Zero grade on assignment, additional penalty of 200% of the weight of the assignment to be subtracted from the final grade, 4-month suspension

Third or additional offence:

Zero grade in the course, 1-year suspension, permanent removal from major program.

Cheating on exams:

Zero grade in the course, including for first offenses.

All slides, presentations, handouts, tests, exams, and other course materials created by the instructor in this course are the intellectual property of the instructor. A student who publicly posts or sells an instructor’s work, without the instructor’s express consent, may be charged with misconduct under Brock’s Academic Integrity Policy and/or Code of Conduct, and may also face adverse legal consequences for infringement of intellectual property rights.

Please be aware of all the important dates, such as the first/last days of classes, snow days and reading week, as well as the deadline for withdrawal without academic penalty. For the current academic term, this information can be found here.

The University is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all students and will adhere to the Human Rights principles that ensure respect for dignity, individualized accommodation, inclusion and full participation. The University provides a wide range of resources to assist students, as follows:

1. If you require academic accommodation because of a disability or an ongoing health or mental health condition, please contact Student Accessibility Services at askSAS@brocku.ca or 905 688 5550 ext. 3240.
2. Medical Self-Declaration Forms (brief absence up to 72 hours)

   In the case of a short-term medical circumstance, if a student wishes to seek an academic consideration, please use the Medical Self-Declaration Form. The request is to be made in good faith by the student requesting the academic consideration due to a short-term condition that impacts their academic activities (e.g., participation in academic classes, delay in assignments, etc.). The period of this short-term medical condition for academic consideration must fall within a 72-hour (3 day) period. The form must be submitted to the instructor either during your brief absence or if you are too unwell, within 24 hours of the end of your 3 day brief absence.

   Medical Verification Form (extended duration)

   In cases where a student requests academic consideration due to a medical circumstance that exceeds 72 hours (three days) and will impact their academic activities (e.g., participation in academic classes, delay in assignments, etc.), or in the case of a final exam deferral, the medical verification form must be signed by the student and the health professional as per process set out in the Faculty Handbook III:9.4.1.

3. If you are experiencing mental health concerns, contact the Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre. Good2Talk is a service specifically for post-secondary students, available 24/7, 365 days a year, and provides anonymous assistance. Follow the above link or call 1-866-925-5454. For information on wellness, coping and resiliency, visit: Brock University (Mental Health).
4. If you require academic accommodation on religious grounds, you should make a formal, written request to your instructor(s) for alternative dates and/or means of satisfying requirements. Such requests should be made during the first two weeks of any given academic term, or as soon as possible after a need for accommodation is known to exist.
5. If you have been affected by sexual violence, the Human Rights & Equity Office offers support, information, reasonable accommodations, and resources through the Sexual Violence Support & Education Coordinator. For information on sexual violence, visit Brock's Sexual Assault and Harassment Policy or contact the Sexual Violence Support & Response Coordinator at humanrights@brocku.ca or 905 688 5550 ext. 4387.
6. If you have experienced discrimination or harassment on any of the above grounds, including racial, gender or other forms of discrimination, contact the Human Rights and Equity Office at humanrights@brocku.ca.

For a full description of academic policies in the Faculty of Mathematics and Science, consult brocku.ca/mathematics-science/