Syllabus

Instructor Information

Professor: Ran Yang
Email: rxyan2@wm.edu
Office: Small 252  |  Office Hours: by appointment (email to schedule)
Course Website: https://yangran.org/teaching/phys351/

Teaching Assistants:

• Kate Krogen | Contact: see Blackboard | Office Hours: Mondays, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Small 224
• Hayden Greene | Contact: see Blackboard | Office Hours: Thursdays, 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m., Small 224
• Josie Wood | Contact: see Blackboard | Office Hours: Wednesdays, 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m., Small 224

Course Overview

Physics 351 builds on Physics 252 (Electronics) and focuses on advanced instrumentation techniques. The course emphasizes measurement and control through electronics, microcontrollers, sensors, and microprocessors such as the Raspberry Pi. Lectures are held on Mondays in Small 235, and hands-on labs are held in Small 224. Attendance is required for both lectures and labs.

Learning Goals & Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• Apply analog and digital circuit knowledge to instrumentation tasks.
• Implement and troubleshoot microcontroller- and Raspberry Pi–based systems.
• Use communication protocols such as UART, SPI, and I2C to integrate sensors.
• Collaborate on a final group project that combines hardware and software skills.

Expectations: Students are expected to be punctual, actively participate in labs and lectures, and submit clear, well-organized lab reports. Reports must include diagrams, circuit photos, error analyses, and conclusions with proper units and labels.

Lab Structure & Team Roles

Each lab involves circuit design, resource acquisition, breadboard wiring, and quality assurance. Over the semester, students should rotate through roles including Circuit Architect, Resource Manager, Hardware Specialist, Software Engineer, and QA Specialist.

Course Materials & Technology

• Blackboard (https://blackboard.wm.edu/): Weekly lab assignments, announcements, and grades will be posted.
• Gradescope (https://www.gradescope.com/): Lab reports (PDFs) must be submitted through Blackboard/Gradescope.
• Personal Computer: Bring a charged laptop with necessary adapters for each lab.
• Poll Everywhere (https://pollev.com/): We may use PollEv for in-class participation. Log in using your W&M account.

Grading

• Lab Reports: 40% (weekly). Every lab report is due on Gradescope by 2:00 p.m. the next Monday following the lab.
• Final Project: 40% (group project, presented during final exam period)
• Performance: 20% (in-lab participation, professionalism, teamwork)
• Late Policy: A lab report may be submitted late to Gradescope, without notifying the instructor or a TA, for up to 3 days after the due date; a 5% grade deduction applies per late day (or part of a day) during this 3-day window. After 3 days, a late lab report receives zero credit. A student who wants to submit later than 3 days, or wants the per-day penalty waived, must instead be authorized under the Attendance, Absence, and Late Work Policy; the self-service 3-day window described here does not apply in that case.

The table below shows the letter grade corresponding to each numerical percentage range. Grades are not rounded.

Course Schedule

Academic Calendar

Holidays, breaks, add/drop and withdrawal deadlines, and final exam times are set each semester by the W&M University Registrar. See the current Undergraduate Academic Calendar: https://www.wm.edu/offices/registrar/catalogs-calendars-exams/ugcalendar/.

Policies

• Lab Partners: Labs 1–8 are individual; the final project is group-based.
• Attendance: Attendance is required at all lectures and labs.

Attendance, Absence, and Late Work Policy

• Accessibility Accommodations. The course will comply with all accommodations approved by Student Accessibility Services (SAS; see Student Success Resources), including extended time and any other approved adjustments. Students with an SAS accommodation letter should share it with the course instructor as early in the semester as possible.
• Authorization Rests with the Instructor. A teaching assistant (TA) is not authorized to excuse an absence or to grant permission for a late lab, report, or other assignment. Only the course instructor may authorize an absence or a late submission.
• Advance Notice Requirement. A student who anticipates missing a lecture and/or lab must notify the course instructor (not a TA) at least one week (seven calendar days) in advance. The absence is considered excused only once the instructor has reviewed the request and granted approval in writing (e.g., by email). Absences must be substantiated with appropriate official documentation, such as a note from a treating physician or verification from the Dean of Students Office.
• Emergency Exceptions. If a genuine emergency makes one week’s advance notice unreasonable to provide, the instructor may still excuse the absence, provided the student notifies the instructor as soon as circumstances reasonably allow and can show a good-faith effort to comply with this policy.
• No Lab Is Waived. Every lab must be completed; no lab requirement is waived. A student with an instructor-excused absence must complete a make-up lab, scheduled with instructor and/or TA approval within a reasonable time frame. An unexcused absence that results in a missed lab is not eligible for a make-up and will receive a grade of zero for that lab.
• In-Lab Time Extensions. A student who attends their full scheduled lab session but needs additional time to finish the work may be granted a short extension (for example, until the Friday of that same week) to complete and submit the lab. Unlike an absence, this in-lab time extension may be authorized directly by a TA.

Midterm & Final Exams

• Midterm Grades: Students will receive at least one graded evaluation before the midterm grading deadline.
• Final Exam Policy: The final project presentation occurs during the scheduled exam period. Final exam times are set by the Registrar and cannot be changed.

Policy on Artificial Intelligence

The use of any AI tool, including a large language model (LLM), to write, generate, debug, or modify code or any portion of a lab report or other assignment is prohibited unless the course instructor grants explicit permission in advance. A teaching assistant (TA) cannot grant permission to use AI tools. Submitting AI-generated work without disclosure is a violation of the Honor Code.

Behavior and Professionalism

Students are expected to behave respectfully and maintain professionalism in class and labs. Preparation, engagement, and teamwork are essential to success in this course.

Student Privacy and FERPA

In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA; https://www.wm.edu/offices/registrar/confidentiality-privacy/ferpa-policy/), student grades and records cannot be shared with parents or third parties without the student’s written consent. Instructors will not engage directly with parents regarding student performance. Group emails will use BCC to protect student privacy.

Student Success Resources

• Student Accessibility Services: sas@wm.edu | 757-221-2512 | https://www.wm.edu/sas
• Dean of Students Office: https://www.wm.edu/offices/deanofstudents/
• Student Success Center: https://www.wm.edu/offices/sas/student-success-center/

Honor Code

William & Mary’s Honor Code (https://www.wm.edu/offices/deanofstudents/services/communityvalues/honorcodeandcouncils/honorcode/) requires honesty and integrity in all academic work. Violations include plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, use of unauthorized materials, fabrication of data, and lying. Suspected violations will be reported to the Honor Council.

Syllabus Modifications

The instructor reserves the right to modify the contents of this syllabus, including course policies, grading criteria, and the schedule, at any time during the semester. Students will be notified of any such changes via Blackboard and/or email in a timely manner.

References

Information in this syllabus was verified against the following official William & Mary webpages:

• University Registrar — Undergraduate Academic Calendar: https://www.wm.edu/offices/registrar/catalogs-calendars-exams/ugcalendar/
• University Registrar — FERPA Policy: https://www.wm.edu/offices/registrar/confidentiality-privacy/ferpa-policy/
• Dean of Students — Honor Code & Honor Councils: https://www.wm.edu/offices/deanofstudents/services/communityvalues/honorcodeandcouncils/honorcode/
• Student Accessibility Services: https://www.wm.edu/sas
• Dean of Students Office: https://www.wm.edu/offices/deanofstudents/
• Student Success Center: https://www.wm.edu/offices/sas/student-success-center/
• Information Technology — Blackboard at W&M: https://blackboard.wm.edu/