Fall 2023

INSTRUCTOR	SECTION	TIME / PLACE	PHONE	EMAIL	OFFICE
Dr. David Hall	001	TR 2-3:50 / IESB 126	318-257-4127	dhall@latech.edu	IESB 115

COURSE TOPICS:  Electromechanical systems, selected mathematics and science topics, design, basic fabrication techniques, troubleshooting, communication skills, global and societal issues, and computer applications.

TEXTBOOKS:  No textbook is required.

ROBOTICS KIT: A robot kit as specified on the course website (or described at orientation) is required for this course.

TOOL KIT:  A variety of tools will be required to complete course projects. You will supply some of the tools, and some of the tools will be provided in the Freshman Projects Laboratory.

LAPTOP: You must have your own laptop for this course.

SOFTWARE: Excel and Solidworks should be installed on the laptop as well as the software required to interface with your robot. You will also need software for computer-based presentations (like PowerPoint) as well as a word processing program (like Word).

HELPDESK: A "HelpDesk" is available where you can receive assistance from other students on homework and projects. The HelpDesk will be open in the Integrated Engineering and Science Building (IESB) 114 during on Monday through Friday from 4:00PM-6:00PM.

GRADING:

GRADING SCALE:

        A       90 - 100%       (highest degree of excellence)
        B       80 - 89%        (superior)
        C       70 - 79%        (average)
        D       60 - 69%        (poor, class must be repeated)
        F       < 60%           (failure)

FACULTY OFFICE HOURS: Faculty members are accessible to assist and advise students at least 10 hours per week. Office hours are posted on each faculty members door and will be communicated to students by the end of the first week of classes. Faculty class schedules and posted office hours are also maintained in Program Office for each faculty member.

HOMEWORK:

• Homework is due at the beginning of the period on the specified due date. Turn your homework according to the guidelines discussed in class and instructions in your homework.
• If the homework requires a programming activity that your instructor needs to check at the beginning of class, have your Arduino ready with any circuitry built and the program uploaded. Your instructor should NOT have to wait on you to get your robot ready. Your instructor and/or TA will record your credit for the programming activity which will be factored into your overall homework grade.
• Unless there is a good reason (e.g., serious illness), late assignments WILL NOT be accepted since the solution to the homework may be discussed in class.
• Homework turned in for this class should be prepared using engineering format OR non-engineering format, depending on the type of problem assigned. Each assignment will specify the required format for each problem. Reference the Introduction to Living with the Lab Presentation under Class 1 of the ENGT 120 course schedule and downloads page for details on homework format.
• During the quarter, one or more problems from five or more homework assignments will be thoroughly checked for format and accuracy (we anticipate five problems from five separate assignments will be graded). These problems will be graded on a 0 to 20 point scale where 20 out of 20 is the maximum score. If you fail to work the problem that is selected for grading, then you will lose all 20 points for this assignment. The idea is that careful grading of a handful of problems throughout the quarter will provide you with the feedback needed to improve your problem solving skills.
• When a homework requires a programming assignment, you should always turn in the program listing as part of your homework.

PARTICIPATION & PROFESSIONALISM:

• Participation in person and/or virtually is a requirement of this course.
• Participation points will be awarded at the instructors discretion.
• Coming to class on time and staying through the end of class is required. Points will be deducted if you are tardy or leave early without prior approval.
• Attendance, actively working problems and class activities, verbal interaction, questions, and quizzes are examples of how an instructor may award participation points.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

• Students will be required attend 5 professional development opportunities throughout the quarter.
• A list of approved professional development activities can be found through this link.
• Professional society meetings (student orgs) are encouraged, but you are limited to receiving credit for only 3 meetings.
• Service Hours applicable to COES are also encouraged. You can recieve up to 2 pd credits for 2 hours of service to the College of Engineering and Science, one pd credit per hour.
• If you attend an event, to receive credit, you must submit the documentation to your instructor (through moodle) no later than two days after the event has occurred.

EXAMS:

• Two exams will be given during the quarter. These exams may be scheduled outside of the normal class time.
• Both exams will require closed-book written work.
• You should bring one of the calculators approved for the FE exam (see the "CALCULATORS" section below).
• You are not allowed to use a cell phone during an exam (not even to see the clock). Cell phones should not be handled at all while you have your exam.
• Students must show their Louisiana Tech Student ID card to the exam proctor when submitting their exam.

HONOR CODE:  

Louisiana Tech has established an Honor Code to ensure the "highest standard of conduct in academic affairs."  By enrolling at Louisiana Tech, you have agreed to the Honor Code that states, "Being a student of a higher standard, I pledge to embody the principles of academic integrity."  Students who cheat during an exam, plagiarize another person's work, obtain or distribute copies of exams without the instructor's permission, falsify documents, or steal property or electronic information will be considered in violation of the Honor Code.  It is also considered a violation of the Code to assist a person in any of the above actions.  For the first infraction, a student who violates the Code will be given a grade of "zero" on the assignment in question.  A second infraction will result in an "F" for the class.  All violations will be reported to the Honor Council as required by the University.  For a complete copy of the Honor Code go to the following web page.

The following statement must be attached and SIGNED for all assignments: 

On my honor, I promise that I have not received inappropriate assistance on this assignment.       SIGNATURE        

Inappropriate assistance for homework: Copying off another person's or group's paper, copying information from the solution of homework from previous quarters or posted to the web, and any sort of computer file sharing.
Inappropriate assistance on quizzes and exams: All work must be your own (no looking at other peoples paper, no talking, no cheat sheets, and no use of electronic information).
Inappropriate assistance on projects: All aspects of a project should be completed by the group submitting the project for a grade (don't copy design features, purchase the same parts as other groups unless specifically allowed by the instructor, . . .)

AI Tools and Usage Policy for Project-Based Classes:  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications, including but not limited to ChatGPT, offer transformative utilities that can be beneficial for engineering students in various aspects of this course. By enrolling in this course, you agree to adhere to the guidelines below concerning the ethical and responsible use of AI tools. These guidelines were developed with the assistance of OpenAI’s ChatGPT (2023) as well as suggestions provided by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching at Temple University.
Permitted Uses
You are encouraged to employ AI tools in the following ways:

1. Brainstorming and Idea Generation: Use AI to generate ideas or as a creative catalyst for projects.
2. Course Topic Understanding: Use AI tools for learning about the fundamentals, theories, or practical aspects of course topics.
3. Problem-Solving Guidance: Consult AI tools for step-by-step explanations to assist in solving analytical, programming, or design problems.
4. Writing and Grammar Assistance: Use AI tools to improve syntax, structure, and quality of written assignments, provided the final work is substantially your own.
5. Code Review: Use AI tools to suggest improvements in code efficiency, readability, or to debug simple errors in your Arduino sketches.

Prohibited Uses
AI tools may not be used in the following scenarios:

1. Impersonation: To impersonate you in any academic or classroom contexts, including online forums or correspondence.
2. Plagiarism: To generate entire sentences, paragraphs, or larger bodies of text that you submit as your own original work.
3. Assignment Drafting: To automatically create drafts for writing, presentation, discussion, and coding assignments.
4. Direct Homework Assistance: You may consult AI to understand how to approach an assignment, but you must complete the actual work independently.
5. Exams and Quizzes: Using AI tools to assist you during exams and quizzes is strictly prohibited unless explicated stated otherwise.

Citing AI Usage
If you utilize AI tools for your assignments or projects, you are required to describe how the AI was involved. These references should be included in the "References" or "Acknowledgments" section at the end of your assignments. Here is a suggested citation format:
Information or assistance obtained via Artificial Intelligence tools including OpenAI's ChatGPT. (2023).

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:  

Students needing testing or classroom accommodations based on a disability are encouraged to discuss those needs with the instructor as soon as possible. For more information about eligibility for accommodations, contact the Department of Testing and Disability Services, 318-257-4221, https://www.latech.edu/current-students/student-advancement-affairs/disability-services/ for assistance.

ATTENDANCE:

• University attendance policies are provided at this link; regular and punctual class attendance is expected.
• Students with three or more unexcused absences will be dropped from the class roster.
• Students are responsible for notifying the instructor prior to excused absences that are planned (jury duty, military obligations, etc.).
• Excuses for emergency absences must be submitted within three class days following the student's return to class.
• An unexcused absence for an assignment, quiz, exam or project presentation will result in a zero grade.

COVID-19 RELATED INFORMATION:

• Students can access COVID-19-related information, guidelines, FAQs, and policies at Louisiana Tech’s website:  latech.edu/coronavirus
• Students testing positive for COVID-19 report directly to the faculty in order to arrange classroom absence arrangements.  Course progress/arrangements should be consistent with stated absence policy (real-time virtual participation or opportunity for make-up at a later date should be indicated). Short-term COVID-19 arrangements are not disability accommodations.
• All absences related to COVID-19 will be handled in accordance with the attendance policy listed herein.

EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM:

All Louisiana Tech students are strongly encouraged to enroll and update their contact information in the Emergency Notification System. It takes just a few seconds to ensure you’re able to receive important text and voice alerts in the event of a campus emergency. For more information on the Emergency Notification System, please visit:https://www.latech.edu/current-students/student-advancement-affairs/university-police/emergency-notification-system/.

COUNSELING SERVICES:

Information and contact numbers and sites for Louisiana Tech Counseling Services are located at: https://www.latech.edu/current-students/student-advancement-affairs/counseling-services/

CALCULATORS:

Students will need a calculator to complete the exams in ENGT 120, 121 and 122. The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam, which is the first step to become a registered professional engineer, allows exam takers to use the calculators on the LIST from this site. You are only allowed to use calculators on the list for your ENGT 120, 121 and 122 exams; many of your upper level engineering courses will also only allow the use of calculators from the list.