Professor Jack Burns, Ph.D.

Department of Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences

Office: Stadium 120B
Office Hours: Monday at 3 pm and Wednesday at Noon, or by appointment
Phone: 303-735-0963
E-mail: jack.burns@colorado.edu
Web page: https://www.colorado.edu/faculty/burns/ 

Grader: Neil Bassett
E-mail: neil.bassett@colorado.edu 
Office: Stadium 123A

Required Texts:

The Heaven and the Earth: A Political History of the Space Age, 1997 by Walter A. McDougall, Johns Hopkins Press

Beyond Sputnik: U.S. Science Policy in the 21st Century, 2008 by H. Neal, T. Smith, and J. McCormick.

Course Description:

Exposes students to current policy issues in space science and space exploration. Students research and debate both sides of the issues, which include strategies and spin-offs of space exploration, funding of science, big vs. small science, and community decadal surveys. Approved for the arts and sciences core curriculum: critical thinking. 

Course Prerequisites:

None are required.  But, ASTR 1110 and 1120, or PHYS 1110 and 1120, or PHYS 2010 and 2020 or equivalents would be helpful before taking this class.

Course Objectives:

  1. How does NASA’s history give us perspective on the Agency’s present programs and its vision for the future of the U.S. space program?
  2. What is the rationale for federal support of scientific research in space, in particular, space astronomy? What fraction of the federal budget goes to basic science? To astronomy? What federal agencies support astronomy and what are their missions?
  3. How do scientists interact with policymakers in Congress and the White House? How are scientific priorities established? How is the budget allocated? How/when do scientists bring issues to the attention of policy makers? How/when do policy makers seek information from scientists?
  4. What are the scientific objectives, costs, and scientific impact of current space astronomy instruments such as the Hubble Space Telescope, TESS, Perserverance, and the JUNO probe to Jupiter, as well as future observatories such as the James Webb Space Telescope, and lunar-based telescopes?

Strategies for Reaching the Objectives:

Class Web page:

http://lunar.colorado.edu/~jaburns/astr4800

Exams:

Short essay examinations will be given twice during the semester, the first about a third of the way through the class and the second about two-thirds of the way through the semester. These exams will ask you to discuss, analyze, and interpret issues presented in class.

In-Class Participation:

Regular individual participation in class discussion is a critical part of this class. Points will be earned for the quality and quantity of your in-class participation. Participation will also include regular in-class exercises, and one or two brief (5 minute) presentations at the beginning of class on “Space in the News” – recent topical articles that describe “hot” issues in Space Science or Space Policy (see above for potential sources of articles). 

Homework:

Homework assignments will be given on occasion throughout the semester. These assignments may include calculations, short essays, and interpretations of articles and/or websites.

Class Presentations:

Every student will make at least one PowerPoint presentation to the class on one of the topics described under Schedule tab on the website or will participate as part of a team in one of the debate topics. Careful preparation, including at least one meeting with me, good presentation materials, practice, and reading materials for the class will all contribute to this portion of the grade.

Papers:

Two papers will be written during the semester.  The first midterm paper is a 5 page essay that describes an interview that you will conduct with a Space Scientist or Engineer.  Your interviewee must be approved in advance.  Guidelines for this paper are given here. This paper is due by October 28 at 5 pm.

The final paper, in lieu of a Final Exam, will be a 10-page essay that will describe your vision of NASA if you were selected as the NASA Administrator.  It must present a vision and goals statement for the Agency, a budget table for the next fiscal year (and the subsequent 4 years for a total of a 5-year budget), and strategy on how you will sell your budget and plans to Congress.  Guidelines for this paper are given hereThis paper is due by 5 pm on December 7.

Individual Attendance:

Daily class attendance is expected and is an individual responsibility. There will be regular in-class exercises that will be graded as part of your class participation grade. An occasional interview or illness may cause you to miss class, but excessive absences will be penalized in the point distribution system. If you need to miss class, please let me know before class via E-mail or a written note.

Academic Integrity:

All students enrolled in a University of Colorado Boulder course are responsible for knowing and adhering to the Honor Code. Violations of the policy may include: plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, lying, bribery, threat, unauthorized access to academic materials, clicker fraud, submitting the same or similar work in more than one course without permission from all course instructors involved, and aiding academic dishonesty. All incidents of academic misconduct will be reported to the Honor Code honor@colorado.edu; 303–492–5550). Students found responsible for violating the academic integrity policy will be subject to nonacademic sanctions from the Honor Code as well as academic sanctions from the faculty member. Additional information regarding the Honor Code academic integrity policy can be found at the Honor Code Office website.

For this course, I encourage you to discuss the assignments and topics with your fellow students. However, everything that is written up and submitted must be your own independent work. If you do collaborate with other students, a good time to split off from the group is when you start to write up your answers. If someone were to ask you questions about your work, you should be able to explain everything about how & why you did it the way you did.

Religious Observances:

Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to deal reasonably and fairly with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments, or required attendance.  Please see me in advance to discuss accomodations with any conflict. See the campus policy regarding religious observances for full details.

Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, Harassment, and/or Related Retaliation:

The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) is committed to fostering a positive and welcoming learning, working, and living environment. CU Boulder will not tolerate acts of sexual misconduct (including sexual assault, exploitation, harassment, dating or domestic violence, and stalking), discrimination, and harassment by members of our community. Individuals who believe they have been subject to misconduct or retaliatory actions for reporting a concern should contact the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) at 303-492-2127 or cureport@colorado.edu. Information about the OIEC, university policies, anonymous reporting, and the campus resources can be found on the OIEC websitePlease know that faculty and instructors have a responsibility to inform OIEC when they are made aware of incidents of sexual misconduct, discrimination, harassment and/or related retaliation, to ensure that individuals impacted receive information about options for reporting and support resources.

Classroom Behavior:

Both students and faculty are responsible for maintaining an appropriate learning environment in all instructional settings, whether in person, remote, or online. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, political affiliation or political philosophy. For more information, see the policies on classroom behavior and the Student Code of Conduct.

The policy of the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences is to ban any use of electronic devices (cellphones, tablets, laptops) in class except as an approved accommodation granted by Disability Services, or as explicitly authorized by the instructor.

Honor Code:

All students enrolled in a University of Colorado Boulder course are responsible for knowing and adhering to the Honor Code academic integrity policy. Violations of the policy may include, but not limited to: plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, lying, bribery, threat, unauthorized access to academic materials, clicker fraud, submitting the same or similar work in more than one course without permission from all course instructors involved, and aiding academic dishonesty. All incidents of academic misconduct will be reported to the Honor Code (honor@colorado.edu; 303-492-5550). Students who are found responsible for violating the academic integrity policy will be subject to nonacademic sanctions from the Honor Code as well as academic sanctions from the faculty member. Additional information regarding the Honor Code academic integrity policy can be found at the Honor Code Office website.

Accommodations for Disabilities:

If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit your accommodation letter from Disability Services to me in a timely manner so that your needs can be addressed.  Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities in the academic environment.  Information on requesting accommodations is located on the Disability Services website. Contact Disability Services at 303-492-8671 or dsinfo@colorado.edu for further assistance.  If you have a temporary medical condition or injury, see Temporary Medical Conditions under the Students tab on the Disability Services website.

I try to provide a positive and supportive learning environment for everyone, and it's always helpful for me to hear what works best for you.

Preferred Student Names and Pronouns: 

CU Boulder recognizes that students’ legal information doesn’t always align with how they identify. Students may update their preferred names and pronouns via the student portal; those preferred names and pronouns are listed on instructors’ class rosters. In the absence of such updates, the name that appears on the class roster is the student’s legal name.

Requirements for COVID-19:

As of Aug. 13, 2021, CU Boulder has returned to requiring masks in classrooms and laboratories regardless of vaccination status. This requirement is a temporary precaution during the delta surge to supplement CU Boulder’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement. Exemptions include
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individuals who cannot medically tolerate a face covering, as well as those who are hearing-impaired or otherwise disabled or who are communicating with someone who is hearing-impaired or otherwise disabled and where the ability to see the mouth is essential to communication. If you qualify for a mask-related accommodation, please follow the steps in the “Accommodation for Disabilities” statement on this syllabus. In addition, vaccinated instructional faculty who are engaged in an indoor instructional activity and are separated by at least 6 feet from the nearest person are exempt from wearing masks if they so choose.
As a matter of public health and safety due to the pandemic, all members of the CU Boulder community and all visitors to campus must follow university, department and building requirements and all public health orders in place to reduce the risk of spreading infectious disease. CU Boulder currently requires COVID-19 vaccination and boosters for all faculty, staff, and students. Students, faculty, and staff must upload proof of vaccination and boosters or file for an exemption based on medical, ethical, or moral grounds through the MyCUHealth portal CU Boulder is currently mask-optional. However, if public health conditions change and masks are again required in classrooms, students who fail to adhere to masking requirements will be asked to leave class, and students who do not leave class when asked or who refuse to comply with these requirements will be referred to Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. For more information, see the policy on classroom behavior and the Student Code of Conduct. If you require accommodation because a disability prevents you from fulfilling these safety measures, please follow the steps in the “Accommodation for Disabilities” statement on this syllabus.

If you feel ill and think you might have COVID-19, if you have tested positive for COVID-19, or if you are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated and have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, you should stay home and follow the further guidance of the Public Health Office (contacttracing@colorado.edu). If you are fully vaccinated and have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to stay home; rather, you should self-monitor for symptoms and follow the further guidance of the Public Health Office (contacttracing@colorado.edu).

E-Mail:

I will be communicating weekly with you via E-mail on class assignments, reading articles, paper preparation, etc. It is essential that you log onto your official CU E-mail account at least twice weekly to read these communications!

Grading:

25%  Class participation, homeworks, and Space in the News presentations.
25%  Exams
20%  Class Presentation
10%  Midterm paper
20%  Final paper