Physics Lab Policies

Rules, Rules, and More Rules… The University of Iowa is a large institution made up of several different colleges. The larger and more complex the organization, the larger the number of policies. There is a University of Iowa Operations Manual (It’s massive), but most colleges and departments have their own particular policies as well. In particular, I will focus on physics lab policies. Why should we be aware of and follow these policies? They protect the students. Following the polices protects instructors (That means you!) in the case of lawsuits. If you don’t follow University or departmental policies, you and/or the University could be found liable.

Useful Links College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: http://clas.uiowa.edu/faculty/undergraduate-teaching-policies-resources/course-policies University of Iowa Operations Manual: https://opsmanual.uiowa.edu/ Office of Equal Opportunity & Diversity: http://diversity.uiowa.edu/policy Laboratory Policies for Physics TAs: homepage.physics.uiowa.edu/~amoeller/TA_Materials/Physics Laboratory Policies.docx This Presentation: homepage.physics.uiowa.edu/~amoeller/TA_Materials/TA_Policies_Fall2017.ppsx

Physics Lab Policies Attendance at the TA training session at the beginning of the semester is mandatory. Email a copy of your lab syllabus and your class schedule to anthony-moeller@uiowa.edu. A syllabus template is available at: homepage.physics.uiowa.edu/~amoeller/TA_Materials/syllabus_template.docx Include the title of the lab manual and the lab schedule. I need your class schedules in order to schedule lab meetings.

Lab Policies, Cont. Friday afternoon lab meetings (meetings for a few courses may be on other days) are mandatory. These meetings are important for both new and experienced TAs. Substantial changes are sometimes made to labs that experienced TAs have taught in the past. Discuss problems with previous week’s lab.

Lab Policies, Cont. You must do the lab and fill out the lab report. They are due in the holder outside of VAN 203 on Mondays at 10:00 am. If you have done the lab yourself, you are much better prepared to teach that lab. I will be “grading” your lab reports on a 10 point scale. The results will be turned in to the department at the end of the semester.

Lab Policies, Cont. Turn in lab cards at the end of each semester. You must fill out a lab card for each student which contains their name and grades for each lab. Blank lab cards are available in 203. Turn in completed lab cards to 203 at the end of the semester.

BE ON TIME!

Lab Policies, Cont. Being on time does not mean arriving at the scheduled lab time. Being on time means arriving early enough to START the lab at the scheduled lab time. Be present and have the lab unlocked 5-10 minutes before lab is scheduled to start.

Emergencies Fire Alarm: Exit the building. Use the stairs, not the elevator. Tornado Siren: Take students to basement hallway. Avoid windows. Minor Injuries: Use first aid kit in the room. Report incident to me. Major Injuries: Call 911, use the first aid kit if applicable. Contact me as soon as possible (Tending to injured student should be priority). Unruly Student: Ask student to leave. If that doesn’t work, depending on the perceived level of threat to you or other students, contact me or University of Iowa Department of Public Safety. Contact numbers in case of emergency: Emergency: 911 University of Iowa Department of Public Safety ( Non-Emergency): 335-5022 Anthony Moeller (Laboratory Coordinator): Office: 335-1754 Cell: 319-541-2959 Professor Frederick N. Skiff (Physics Department Chair): 335-1689 Environmental Health & Safety: 335-8501

Radiation Badges Most of you won’t need a radiation badge for teaching purposes. If you have anything to do with Advanced/Intermediate lab, you will. Some of you may need one for research purposes. If you are doing anything with sealed sources, you will need one. The next few slides guide you through the process of obtaining a radiation badge.

Obtaining a Radiation Badge Go to hris.uiowa.edu and login. On the “Personal” tab, probably close to the bottom, you should see a box that looks (more or less) like what you see to the right. Click on “My Training”. You should end up on a page that looks like what you see on the next slide.

Badge, Cont. Click on “My Training”. Search for course W023RD Click on “View Course”.

Badge, Cont. Enroll in the course. Follow the instructions. You will go through a set of slides, and at the end you will take a test on working with sealed sources. Once you pass the test, you will be able to apply for a radiation badge. Note that it may take a couple days for the system to acknowledge that you completed the course. You will need to fill out the form found here: http://ehs.research.uiowa.edu/dosimeter-request-service

Becoming a Better Teacher Ask professors and experienced TAs for advice. Don’t be afraid to take a class or two in the education department. I highly recommend PSQF:6217 Seminar in College Teaching taught by Mitch Kelley. The Office of Graduate Teaching Excellence: https://education.uiowa.edu/services/office-graduate-teaching-excellence-ogte