MEE375 – Syllabus
Instructor: Stephen Abbadessa
Office 105B Crosby Hall 581-2370; Stephen.abbadessa@maine.edu
Office Hours:
Anytime between 8:00-4:30 M-F that we are not in class. I generally go to lunch around 11:00 on days that we do not have class to avoid the rush.
Course Description:
(Credits 2) In this course you will learn to design and conduct an experiment of your choice. Generally, it should be an evaluation of your senior capstone project. You will work in groups(generally your capstone groups) and be expected to submit an experiment proposal, execute the experiment outside of class time, write a formal report to present your approach and findings, and then resubmit the report after receiving instructor feedback.
The lecture portion of this course will cover electronic measurement and process control including an evaluation of uncertainty to help you gather the data for your report. In the first half of the course we will cover basic theory and implementation of semiconductor devices including diodes, LED’s, transistors, phototransistors, optoisolators, and op-amps. In the second half of the course we will use these devices to measure temperature, stress, rotational speed, pressure, and power.
Prerequisites:
MEE370 or permission.
Class time / Location:
Tuesday from 9:30-10:20 in Williams 130.
Optional Textbook:
None
Course Goals:
The goal of this course is to teach you how to perform real time electronic measurements on a mechanical system and convey those findings in a formal report.
Late Work Policy:
If there is a problem getting the assignments done the instructor should be notified as early as possible. Late work with no prior arrangements will be given a zero.
Grading and Course Expectations:
Your group will be graded based on an experiment proposal which is worth 20% of your grade, an initial report which will be worth 40%, and a revised final version of the report which will be worth 40%. Due dates will be:
Experiment Proposal: Due 2/11/25
Initial report submission: Due 3/12/25
Final report submission: Due 4/16/25
Your number to letter grade conversion will be:
94 ≤ A 90 ≤ A- < 94
87 ≤ B+ < 90 83 ≤ B < 87 80 ≤ B- < 83
77 ≤ C+ < 80 73 ≤ C < 77 70 ≤ C- < 73
67 ≤ D+ < 70 63 ≤ D < 67 60 ≤ D- < 63
F < 60
Cheating will result in an instant F for the course. Just don’t do it…I check. You are paying a lot to be in this class. Don’t waste your money.
All reports should be submitted to umaine.mee443@gmail.com Any other method of submission will not be graded and you will receive a zero for the assignment.
Campus Policies:
Academic Honesty Statement: Academic honesty is very important. It is dishonest to cheat on exams, to copy term papers, to submit papers written by another person, to fake experimental results, or to copy or reword parts of books or articles into your own papers without appropriately citing the source. Students committing or aiding in any of these violations may be given failing grades for an assignment or for an entire course, at the discretion of the instructor. In addition to any academic action taken by an instructor, these violations are also subject to action under the University of Maine Student Conduct Code.
The maximum possible sanction under the student conduct code is dismissal from the University.
Students with disabilities statement:
If you have a disability for which you may be requesting an accommodation, please contact Student Accessibility Services, 121 East Annex, 581.2319, as early as possible in the term. students who have already been approved for accommodations by SAS and have a current accommodation letter should meet with me (the instructor of the course) privately as soon as possible.
Sexual Discrimination Reporting:
The University of Maine is committed to making campus a safe place for students. Because of this commitment, if you tell any of your teachers about sexual discrimination involving members of the campus, your teacher is required to report this information to the campus Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention or the Office of Equal Opportunity.
Behaviors that can be “sexual discrimination” include sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, relationship abuse (dating violence and domestic violence), sexual misconduct, and gender discrimination. Therefore, all of these behaviors must be reported.
Why do teachers have to report sexual discrimination?
The university can better support students in trouble if we know about what is happening. Reporting also helps us to identify patterns that might arise – for example, if more than one victim reports having been assaulted or harassed by the same individual.
What will happen to a student if a teacher reports?
An employee from the Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention or the Office of Equal Opportunity will reach out to you and offer support, resources, and information. You will be invited to meet with the employee to discuss the situation and the various options available to you.
If you have requested confidentiality, the University will weigh your request that no action be taken against the institution’s obligation to provide a safe, nondiscriminatory environment for all students. If the University determines that it can maintain confidentiality, you must understand that the institution’s ability to meaningfully investigate the incident and pursue disciplinary action, if warranted, may be limited. There are times when the University may not be able to honor a request for confidentiality because doing so would pose a risk to its ability to provide a safe, nondiscriminatory environment for everyone.
If the University determines that it cannot maintain confidentiality, the University will advise you, prior to starting an investigation and, to the extent possible, will share information only with those responsible for handling the institution’s response
The University is committed to the well-being of all students and will take steps to protect all involved from retaliation or harm. If you want to talk in confidence to someone about an experience of sexual discrimination, please contact these resources:
For confidential resources on campus: Counseling Center:207-581-1392 or Cutler Health Center: at 207-581-4000.
For confidential resources off campus: Rape Response Services: 1-800-310-0000 or Spruce Run: 1-800-863-9909.
Other resources: The resources listed below can offer support but may have to report the incident to others who can help:
For support services on campus: Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention: 207-581-1406, Office of Community Standards: 207-581-1409, University of Maine Police: 207-581-4040 or 911. Or see the OSAVP website for a complete list of services at http://www.umaine.edu/osavp/
Course Schedule:
See the “Lessons” page of this website
Course Schedule Disclaimer (Disruption Clause):
In the event of an extended disruption of normal classroom activities, the format for this course may be modified to enable its completion within its programmed time frame. In that event, you will be provided an addendum to the syllabus that will supersede this version.