CVEN 3414 Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering

Syllabus

 

Instructor Prof. Joe Ryan
  office: Engineering Center OT 517
  phone: 303 492 0772
  email: joseph.ryan@colorado.edu
  web: http://www.colorado.edu/ceae/environmental/ryan/  

 

Course Description CVEN 3414 is a three-credit lecture, problem set, and exam course.  In this course, we'll cover the fundamentals of environmental engineering.  These fundamentals will serve you well as a future environmental engineer, a future civil engineer, or in any profession in which the environment is a concern.
  In the lectures, I'll present concepts and applications spanning the whole range of environmental engineering.  We'll spend time solving simple versions of problems you'll see in the problem sets.
  To help you absorb the material and to hone your problem-solving skills, I'll assign problem sets. You'll have one week to complete each problem set. The problem sets will be graded by the teaching assistants.  Solution sets will be available after the due date on the course web site.
  Finally, to test your comprehension of the concepts, I'll also give each class three exams.

 
Course Objectives 1. Understand the basic concepts of environmental engineering; and
2. Solve environmental engineering problems.

 
Prerequisites To take CVEN 3414, you need a year of general chemistry (for most of the engineers taking this course, one year of general chemistry is compressed into the one-semester CHEM 1211 General Chemistry for Engineers).
You should also be taking or have taken APPM 1360 Calculus 2.

 
What to Expect I believe that the best way to educate yourself is to practice -- and for this class, that means doing problems.  When you finish this class, you will feel satisfied that you have learned environmental engineering, enough to progress on to further higher-level courses in environmental engineering or enough to understand the role of environmental engineering in your chosen field.
  This is the second time I have taught CVEN 3414.  You can look up my FCQ results for CVEN 3414 for Spring 2007.

 
Course Text Principles of Environmental Engineering and Science
Mackenzie L. Davis and Susan J. Masten
2004 (1st Edition)
McGraw-Hill Publishing
ISBN 0-07-235053-9

 

  
Communication Lectures (.ppt files), problem sets and exams (.htm files), and their solutions (.pdf files) will be posted on the schedule page on this web site.  I'll also use the web page for general notices, extra materials, and useful web links.
  Lectures will usually be available by about 10 am on the day of the class.  You may want to print them out before class to take notes on the slides.
  I'll use e-mail for unexpected changes in problem set questions and other time-sensitive notices.
  On the CULearn web site for the class, we'll have a Discussion link for problem set questions and answers -- basically virtual office hours.  The CULearn web site will also be available for monitoring your grades.

 
Grading

Problem Sets (55 points total)
  Number: 11
  Points: 5 points each
  Source: From the course textbook and the instructor
  Grading: teaching assistants (using solution set that will be made available on the web site)
  Due Dates: One week after the PS is posted in class (no credit for late problem sets) as listed on the schedule
  Collaboration: Allowed (even encouraged), but you must hand in your own problem set

Exams (100 points total)
  Number: 3 (two "third-terms" and a final)
  Points: 30 points (two "third-terms") and 40 points (final)
  Format: take-home, open-book, closed-colleague; available for 24 hours (or more for final)
  Grading: teaching assistants (using solution sets that will be made available on the web site)

My grading philosophy is based mainly on achievement, but effort also counts.  Everyone taking this course should make a sincere and dedicated effort to learn the material.  If you make the effort, you will learn the material and be competent in environmental engineering.  Some students will be more interested in or better prepared for the subject, and these students will likely achieve more than just competency -- they will achieve a higher level of understanding that usually shows on some of the more difficult questions asked on the exams.
  Making the effort I expect is measured by three criteria: (1) completing all of the assigned work for this class, (2) participating in lectures, and (3) availing yourself of office hours if you are not doing well on problem sets and exams.  If you make this effort, you will receive a grade of at least B- in this class.  Note that you cannot simply hand in all the assignments; you must make a sincere effort to do well on all assignments.

 
University Policies

Students with disabilities will be accommodated in class following University policy.

Students with conflicts between religious observance dates and course examinations or assignments may request a change in the course schedule following University policy.

Inappropriate and disruptive class room behavior will be dealt with following University policy.

Breaches of academic integrity will be dealt with following University policy.

Discrimination or sexual harassment will be addressed following University policy.