PHYS 214 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Contact Information

Course Communication

FAQ:

Here are some common questions we get, with answers:

The class is full, can I get an override? Labs and discussion sections are strictly limited to the number of seats available in the class, so there are no overrides, unfortunately. The best thing you can do is to keep checking back on self-service. You will most likely be able to find a slot that works for you as they open. You can set up an alert as noted here:
(https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/7237/571417)
I'm sick and can't make it to discussion/lab. See the attendance page for instructions on submitting an excused absence request and our policies on attendance. You don't need to email anyone.
I'm having trouble with the homework. See our office hours page, and also please feel free to post on campuswire to get help. The lectures and the recorded worked out problems are similar to, but not quite the same as the homework. Try to understand the method behind the examples and transfer it to your problem. Another good idea is to show the person attending at office hours how you are attempting to solve the problem and see if they have useful corrections.
Can I swap discussion or lab sections? You can register for a different section, but you cannot go to a section you are not registered for. Information is available here.
I attended class but my grades haven't shown up on gradebook. Make sure you've registered your iclicker on gradebook. You have to do this even if you've done it for another class before. Your attendance is recorded; we just need to associate your iclicker number with your student ID. It also doesn't automatically update so wait a week or so after you've registered it.
My iclicker attendance still doesn't show up on gradebook. Check your registration very carefully. 8's and B's are often confused for example. You can reregister any time, as long as it's before the last day of class, although it's a good idea to make sure everything's working before then. :)
My discussion or lab grade is not on gradebook. Your TA has to grade your work, which they should complete in about a week. Send them a (nice) email if it's been more than a week, or post on campuswire with your section number. Sometimes we all just need a little reminder!
My TA did not show up to class. Email the respective administrator below. Also go to the undergraduate office on the second floor of Loomis. We will try to get you a replacement TA as soon as possible.
Will the exams be curved? Most likely not. With 500 students every semester our exams tend to be fairly well-calibrated.
Where are the exams? CBTF! Most people in the class have used this before, and they have an excellent webpage. Make sure to note that they use 24-hour time!

Email

Official University e-mail addresses are exclusively used for official electronic communication. When the instructors for this course need to communicate with the students, they will use their official University issued e-mail accounts.

Students are expected to check their University issued e-mail account regularly and act on any communications received. Students are expected to communicate to their instructors using their official University e-mail address. Any e-mail messages sent from non-University e-mail accounts may not be acted upon by instructors, to preserve student privacy.

Please note the following email rules:

Use your official University of Illinois email account.
Put "PHYS214" in the subject line and include some words about the subject of your email. For example: "PHYS214: problem with gradebook."
Include your full name in your email message.
Please check the syllabus to see when assignments are due, and the home page for any announcements.

Please use the email addresses listed below if you have any questions about any of the course components listed below.

Topic	Email address	Description
iClicker	lkwagner@illinois.edu	Questions about grades, functionality, etc. Note: Please do not write about credit if you forgot your iClicker, etc. It's not worth that much, and also, you have 5 'freebies'.
Discussions *	dahmen@illinois.edu	Questions concerning posting of solutions, issues with your discussion TA, etc.
Labs *	bezryadi@illinois.edu	Questions concerning Labs/Prelabs, issues with lab TAs, etc
Exams	lkwagner@illinois.edu	Questions regarding scheduling, conflicts, missed Exams, etc.
Administrative Assistance	undergrad@physics.illinois.edu	Section changes, course registration, exam scheduling, excused absence policy, late or missing instructors
Miscellaneous	lkwagner@illinois.edu	Anything that doesn't fall under one of the above categories.

* If you have an issue specifically for your lab or discussion TA (e.g., you are going to miss section, etc.), you should email them directly.