Dr. Mark E. Barkey

Information for QUEST Students

Thank you for taking Mechanics of Materials by distance education.
Do not hesitate to let me know if you have questions or concerns about the lecture presentation,
camera operation, or any other matter about the lecture delivery.

If you need to contact me, I can be reached by phone or e-mail.  Feel
free to use any or all of these forms of communication.  If I get an e-mail
from you about course policy or homework, I may also send it to other
distance education students.  Please let me know if you do not want your message or your
e-mail address forwarded.

The distance-learning program presents unique challenges for instructors and
students of Mechanics of Materials.  The program is designed to incorporate some flexibility
into the scheduling of exams and due dates of homework for off-campus students that have
full-time jobs or serve in the military.
 

A Note on Deadlines
 

Successful past AEM 250 distance education students have always maintained a very disciplined schedule
for completing homework assignments and taking examinations.  Additionally, I will be  re-assigned to other
duties after the on-campus semester has ended.  Therefore, I will set very deadlines for completing
homework sets and taking exams for distance education students.
 

Mechanics of Materials is a homework intensive course.  It will be important
for you to keep up with regular homework assignments.  The grader will grade your homework.
Homework can be turned in through BlackBoard Learn.

The distance education program is intended to be flexible, but my past experience with
the distance education program is that I must establish certain critical dates in order for
the course to come to a reasonable completion date. 
The distance education course policy for AEM 250 is as follows:

          All hour exams must be completed and returned to me within one week
          of the on-campus exam date.  A grade of zero will be assigned for exams
          not returned by this time unless other arrangements have been made.       

          All homework due before each exam must be received before the QUEST
          student takes the exam, otherwise a grade of zero will be recorded
          for the missing homework assignments.

          The final exam and all course assignments must be completed by January 10th
          for fall semester students, and by May 15th for spring semester students.

         If you have difficulty meeting these deadlines or have extenuating circumstances,
         please contact me as soon as possible.
 

I will mail the exam to the Distance Education office and they will make it available to your
proctor before the opening of the exam.  You can make arrangements to take the exam at your convenience within the week.

If the course is not completed after the on-campus final exams are completed, I
must record a grade of I (incomplete).  This will be changed after your final
exam is taken, graded, and recorded. 

 
 

Help with Homework

The distance education experience relies heavily on the determination and motivation of the individual
distance education student.  I can provided only limited one-on-one help with homework problems by email or
telephone. Typical class sizes for an on-campus section of AEM 250 is 150 students.
The number of  distance education students enrolled in AEM 250 is typically 20.  Hence, I have only
a limited amount of direct contact time to spend with students.

I make extensive use of the Tegrity video system for my class. I have worked out many of the homework problems
on video.  If you have a question about a problem that I have not already worked, please send me a request to
work the problem. 

            Phone Calls

            Distance education students may call on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday and speak to
            me personally regarding AEM 250.  If at all possible, these phone calls should
            be made between 11:00--11:30 am.

           Students should continue working other problems or other assignments until
            the questions have been answered.

           E-mail

            The use of E-mail for homework questions is encouraged.  E-mail me anytime.
            I will make every effort to reply on the next Monday, Wednesday, or Friday or sooner, if possible.
 
Proctors
The distance education exam proctoring policy is reproduced below.  I will use "paper" based exams for AEM 250.
Regular exams are 90 minutes long and the final exam is 2 1/2 hours long.

------------------------------------------------
Hello Students,

 

You are enrolled in a course that requires proctored exams.  Exams for this course are paper.  Students taking paper exams
 must utilize a community proctor or test in Academic Outreach Student Services.  Local or main campus UA students
must test in Academic Outreach Student Services or at an instructor approved designated lab on campus. No local
off-site proctors will be approved for campus and local students.

 

Proctor information is contained in each course, either on the course syllabus or course schedule.  You may obtain additional
proctor information by clicking the following link:  Proctor Information

Please review the Community Proctor Selection information before selecting a community proctor. Students should provide
community proctors with a full list of exam dates at the beginning of the semester, in order to determine any time conflicts.
 It is the student’s responsibility to make alternate arrangements if the proctor is not available for scheduled exams. 
Students are required to present two forms of ID to the proctor.  One form must be pictured (driver’s license), and the
other form of ID presented must bear the same name as the pictured ID.

Students using a community proctor must complete the proctor form.  The form is found on the proctor information page.
 It is important that you obtain an accurate email address for the proctor.  You will have to enter the email address on the proctor form. 
Once you complete the form and click submit, the form goes directly to the proctor.  You should follow up with your proctor
to ensure the form was received.  The proctor will complete their portion and submit the form to us. 

Students testing in Academic Outreach Testing Services are required to have two forms of ID. One of these forms must be an
Action Card. Students must present a current Action Card in order to check-in for testing.  Academic Outreach testing hours are
listed at the bottom.  Students must call to schedule exams at least 48 hours in advance.  Exam scheduling is only done from
8am-4:45pm Monday through Friday.  Please call (205) 348-0089 or 800-467-0227.

Please note that during finals week, only the last exam in a course may be scheduled.  No make-ups, retests, etc. may
be scheduled during finals week in Academic Outreach Testing Services. 

 

NOTE:  In the event of University closure due to severe weather, Academic Outreach Testing Services will also be closed.
 If you have an exam scheduled on the day of a University closure, you will need to reschedule your exam when the University reopens.

 

 

PROCTORING OPTIONS

 

•      Academic Outreach Student Services (No Form Required)

•      A two- or four-year college that has a testing services area (Form Required)

•      A public library (Form Required)

*  Military students stationed outside of the U.S. may use a commissioned officer, if no other
    proctoring options are available. Must provide proof of deployment.

** Additional charges may be incurred for proctoring services depending upon the location/method selected. All fees associated
with exam proctoring are the responsibility of the student.

***Students testing in the ODS Services Office must complete a proctor form in order to have information sent to ODS Services for testing. 

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding these policies.
 

 

---