Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Elementary Astronomy (Face-to-Face)

PHYS 1040-01

Course: PHYS 1040-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: PSCI
CRN: 12150

Course Description

A conceptual study of basic astronomy including the night sky as observed from the Earth; apparent and real motions of celestial objects; a short history of the development of theories and tools used in astronomy; the wave and particle theories of light and their application; an overview of the solar system including planets, comets, asteroids, and meteors; and a non-mathematical approach to the nature of stars, stellar evolution, and cosmology. Designed for non-science majors and those seeking a science endorsement for teaching Earth Science in secondary schools. A minimum grade of ā€œCā€ (2.0 or above) must be earned in this course before it can be counted in a physical science major or minor or as a prerequisite for any other course.

Required Texts

  • Fraknoi, Morrison, & Wolff. Astronomy 2e. OpenStax, ISBN: 978-1-711470-56-6 Textbook

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate understanding of science as a way of knowing about the physical world;
  2. Demonstrate understanding of forces in the physical world; Discuss the flow of matter and energy through systems (in large and small scales);
  3. Develop evidence-based arguments regarding the effect of human activity on the Earth;
  4. Describe how the physical sciences have shaped and been shaped by historical, ethical, and social contexts.

Course Requirements

Your grade will be determined as follows:

Item Percentage
Midterms 45%
Homework 30%
In-Class Exercises 10%
Final Exam 15%

Midterm & Final Exams:

The three midterms and the final exam will consist of multiple choice, short answer, and true/false questions, and will be administered in our classroom during class on the dates specified below. The final is cumulative and will be Wednesday April 22 11 am - 12:50 pm in our regular classroom.

Homework:

Homework will be administered through Canvas.  The homework questions will have a variety of formats.  You may work together on the homework, but each student must submit their own work. The homework will usually be posted on Monday, so you should have plenty of time to finish, as  homework is due Fridays at 10:00 p.m. No late homework will be accepted.  There will be an on-line homework assignment every week through Canvas. The lowest homework score is dropped. This policy is designed to allow for illness, medical appointments, job interviews, university activities, etc.

In-Class Exercises:

There will be in-class exercises consisting of multiple choice, short answer questions, and short writing prompts on most days. These will also be administered through Canvas, so you will need to bring some sort of electronic device to class, e.g. a smartphone, laptop, or Chromebook. I encourage you to talk with students around you and ask me questions during these exercises. These are meant to improve your understanding of the concepts as well as show who has been coming to class. I will drop the lowest three in-class exercises.  This policy is designed to allow for illness, medical appointments, job interviews, university activities, etc.

Exam Dates

First Exam January 30
Second Exam February 27
Third Exam April 3
Final Exam Wednesday April 22, 11:00 am

The following grading standards will be used in this class. Note that the grade descriptions come from University Policy 6.13:

Grade Range Description
A 93% - 100% Excellent
A- 89% - 93% Excellent
B+ 86% - 89% Above average
B 83% - 86% Above average
B- 79% - 83% Above average
C+ 76% - 79% Average
C 72% - 76% Average
D+ 67% - 72% Below average
D 63% - 67% Below average
D- 60% - 63% Below average
F < 60% Failure/poor

Course Outline

Tentative Schedule

Week Dates Topic Reading
4 Jan. 26 - 30 The Sun 15.1-15.3 & 16.2-16.3
5  Feb. 3 - Feb. 7 The Stars: A Census 17.1-17.3, 18.1, 18.4, 19.3
6 Feb. 10 -  14 Star Birth 20.1-20.3, 20.5, 21.1-21.5
7 Feb. 17 -  21 Stellar Lives Ch. 22
8 Feb. 24 - 28 Stellar Lives Ch. 22
8 Mar. 3 - Mar. 7 Stellar Deaths Ch. 23
9 Mar. 10 -  14 NO CLASS Spring Break
10 Mar. 17 -  21 Black Holes Ch. 24
11 Mar. 24 -  28 The Milky Way Ch. 25
12 Mar. 31 -  April 4 Other Galaxies Ch. 26
13 Apr. 7 -  11 Active Galaxies Ch. 27
14 Apr. 14 - 17 The Big Bang Ch. 29

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Instructor's Response Time & Feedback

For messages sent to me, I will respond in the specified amount of time. It is my goal to:

  • Respond to student messages within 1 business days
  • Provide grades and feedback within 2-4 days from the due date

Late Policy

No late work will be accepted.

File Uploads

It is your responsibility to make sure any files you upload are in the appropriate format. Any files that are blank or corrupted will be given a score of zero. Any files that are emailed directly to me will not be graded: your work must be uploaded to the appropriate assignment in Canvas.

Extra Credit

No extra credit work is available. If you're doing well you don't need it, and if you're not doing well you should put that effort into the regular class work. Additionally, I will not respond to emails or requests to bump grades.

Time Zone

All times in this course are in Mountain Time.

AI Use

The use of AI during the in-person exams is prohibited, and students found using AI during exams will receive a failing grade for the course.

Attendance Policy

Attendance

Regular attendance is required at all class meetings. Vacations and leaving early for break are not acceptable excuses. Do not make travel plans that conflict with exams. If your parents will be making your travel plans, inform them of this policy and the official university academic calendar.

Zoom Policy

I don't Zoom the class or the labs so don't ask. This is a face-to-face class and the expectation is that you attend in that format.

Course Fees

$40.50

Enrollment and General Education Information

Co-requisite(s): PHYS 1045

Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll

General Education Course: Physical Sciences Knowledge Area

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.