PDF Version is located here SoM_Undergrad Handbook_2021-2022

 

School of Meteorology

Undergraduate Handbook 2021-2022

Prepared by the Undergraduate Studies Committee

Land Acknowledgement

Long before the University of Oklahoma was established, the land on which the University now resides was the traditional home of the “Hasinais” Caddo Nation and “Kirikirʔi:s” Wichita & Affiliated Tribes. We acknowledge this territory once also served as a hunting ground, trade exchange point, and migration route for the Apache, Comanche, Kiowa and Osage nations. Today, 39 federally recognized tribal nations dwell in the state of Oklahoma as a result of settler and colonial policies that were designed to assimilate Native people. The University of Oklahoma recognizes the historical connection our university has with its indigenous community. We acknowledge, honor and respect the diverse Indigenous peoples connected to this land. We fully recognize, support and advocate for the sovereign rights of all of Oklahoma’s 39 tribal nations. This acknowledgement is aligned with our university’s core value of creating a diverse and inclusive community. It is an institutional responsibility to recognize and acknowledge the people, culture and history that make up our entire OU Community.

School of Meteorology Mission Statement

We provide a world-class academic experience that promotes collaborative, innovative, inclusive education and research opportunities in the atmospheric sciences with positive impact on Oklahoma, the nation, and the world.

School of Meteorology Vision Statement

Develop the School into a just and equitable, globally-engaged, student-centered atmospheric science program to advance the Nation’s Weather, Water, and Climate enterprise, by leveraging our strengths in research, education, and community engagement.

School of Meteorology Core Values

We value Diversity in the backgrounds of the members of our community and in our approach to the pursuit of collaborative activities, as an essential component in defining the success of our mission.

We pursue Excellence in everything we do and define it as the unceasing dedication to the highest standards of our performance in the context of our abilities and available resources.

We employ Creativity in all our activities, with the ultimate goal of transforming our imagination into measurable, positive outcomes for all members of our community and our stakeholders alike.

We aim to be Transformative in our efforts to make the School a place of belonging for people from all backgrounds, to improve the educational, scientific, and socioeconomic outcomes, and thereby change the lives of all members of our community.

Our approach to all activities is Student-Centered – we embrace and celebrate our opportunity to prepare the students in our program to become the next generation of leaders in atmospheric science.

Table of Contents

  1. DEGREES AND CURRICULUM 1

    1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE, METEOROLOGY 1

      1. General Requirements 1

      2. Degree Requirements 2

      3. Math Courses 4

      4. Grade Requirements in Courses 5

      5. Knowledge Expectations 5

      6. Course Sequencing and Timing 5

    2. ACCELERATED DUAL-DEGREE PROGRAMS 6

    3. MINORS 6

  2. ADMISSION AND PREPARATION FOR FIRST ENROLLMENT 8

    1. PRE-COLLEGE PREPARATION 8

    2. FRESHMAN ADMISSION 8

      1. Admission to OU 8

      2. Admission to the School of Meteorology 9

    3. TRANSFER ADMISSION 9

      1. Admission to OU 9

      2. Admission to the School of Meteorology 10

      3. Transferring Courses 10

    4. ADMISSION TO THE METEOROLOGY, B.S./M.B.A 10

    5. ADMISSION TO METEOROLOGY, B.S./DATA SCIENCE AND ANALYTICS, M.S 11

  3. CODE OF CONDUCT AND JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION 12

    1. STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT 12

      1. Academic Integrity 12

      2. NWC Protocol 12

      3. Reporting and Safety 12

    2. JEDI – JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION 13

      1. Accessibility and Disability Resources 14

      2. OU Resources and Opportunities 14

      3. External Resources and Opportunities 15

      4. Reporting and Safety 16

  4. STORM CHASING POLICY 17

  5. STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS 18

    1. FINANCIAL AID 18

    2. OU-SPECIFIC SCHOLARSHIPS 18

    3. SOM SCHOLARSHIPS 18

    4. ANNUAL SOM STUDENT AWARDS 19

    5. EXTERNAL METEOROLOGY AND STEM SCHOLARSHIPS 21

  6. ADVISING, ENROLLMENT, AND MENTORING 22

    1. ACADEMIC ADVISING 22

      1. New Freshmen 22

      2. Meteorology Students in University College 22

      3. Meteorology Students in CAGS 22

    2. ENROLLMENT 23

    3. MENTORING 24

      1. New Student Mentoring Program 25

      2. School of Meteorology Mentoring Ecosystem 25

  7. IT AND COMPUTING 26

    1. PERSONAL COMPUTERS AND REQUIRED SOFTWARE 26

    2. PROGRAMING 26

    3. COMPUTER LABS 27

    4. COMPUTING ACCOUNTS 27

    5. REMOTE ACCESS 27

  8. STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS 28

    1. OKLAHOMA WEATHER LAB (OWL) 28

    2. OU STUDENT CHAPTER OF THE AMS AND NWA (OU SCAN) 28

    3. STUDENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (SAC) 29

  9. METEOROLOGY STUDY ABROAD EXCHANGE PROGRAMS 30

    1. ELIGIBILITY 30

    2. APPLICATION PROCESS 30

    3. FINANCES 31

  10. CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE 32

  11. INTERNSHIPS AND EMPLOYMENT 33

    1. INTERNSHIPS AND ACADEMIC CREDIT 33

    2. FINDING AN INTERNSHIP 33

    3. STUDENT EMPLOYMENT 34

    4. RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC CREDIT 34

  12. CAREERS 36

  13. RESOURCES FOR STUDENT SUCCESS 38

    1. NWC LIBRARY 38

    2. ACADEMIC SUPPORT 38

    3. FURTHER RESOURCES 38

  14. NWC, CAGS, AND SOM ADMINISTRATION 40

    1. THE NATIONAL WEATHER CENTER 40

    2. COLLEGE OF ATMOSPHERIC AND GEOGRAPHIC SCIENCES 40

    3. THE SCHOOL OF METEOROLOGY 41

      1. SoM Directors 41

      2. SoM Staff 41

      3. SoM Undergraduate Studies Committee (UGSC) 41

APPENDIX 1: COMMON ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 42

  1. Degrees and Curriculum

    The School of Meteorology (SoM) is one of two academic units within the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences (CAGS), the other being the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability (DGES). In all our undergraduate programs, students complete a rigorous degree that has been designed to enhance their critical learning skills to prepare them to enter the workforce as a strong competitor or to move on to graduate school.

      1. Bachelor of Science, Meteorology

        SoM offers a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology (Meteorology, B.S.) that can be earned in four years (eight semesters). Upon completing the program, students will:

        demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental principles governing the atmosphere and the characteristic atmospheric processes across spatial and temporal scales;

        apply critical and analytical thinking to solve scientific problems in individual and collaborative settings;

        effectively communicate information in oral and written form at an appropriate level for their audience;

        be equipped with the skills necessary to pursue a career across the weather, water, and climate enterprise and related fields, including the private sector, government, broadcast meteorology, graduate school, and beyond;

        be eligible for the rating of meteorologist given by the United States Civil Service Commission, e.g., meet requirements for the National Weather Service meteorologist;

        demonstrate computational problem-solving skills, and participate in scientific research through a capstone experience;

        experience and network across the weather, water, and climate enterprise including those entities housed within the National Weather Center and OU Research Campus

        adopt the principles of proper ethical behavior; value justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and understand the broader impacts of the atmospheric sciences on society.

        1. General Requirements

          The degree has the following general requirements that fulfill OU’s requirements for graduation:

          • Minimum 120 credit hours must be earned toward graduation

          • Minimum 40 General Education (“Gen Ed”) credit hours distributed among five core areas

          • Minimum 52 upper-division (courses numbered 3000+) credit hours, with at least one course (minimum 3 credit hours) outside of the student’s major

          • Minimum 60 credit hours must be earned at senior (4-year) institutions

          • At least 36 of the last 48 credit hours must be completed in residence at OU

          • Minimum two semesters in residence in A&GS

          • Minimum 2.25 GPA both overall and for major courses (for OU and combined with grades from other institutions)

        2. Degree Requirements

          All degree requirements, including an example semester-by-semester plan for completing the meteorology degree, can be found on the Meteorology, BS checksheet. Here we expand on the check sheet and provide further details on required courses, key milestones for progress in the degree, and course scheduling.

          The degree requires 15 core courses (48 credit hours) described in the table below. Also included are the semester(s) that the course is offered.

          Course

          Title

          Hours

          Semester Offered

          METR 1003

          Introduction the Atmospheric Sciences

          3

          Fall & Summer

          METR 2004

          Atmospheric Circulations

          4

          Fall

          METR 2213

          Physical Meteorology I: Thermodynamics

          3

          Spring

          METR 2613

          Atmospheric In-Situ and Surface-Based Measurements

          3

          Spring

          METR 3113

          Atmospheric Dynamics I: Introduction to Atmospheric Kinematics/Dynamics

          3

          Fall

          METR 3123

          Atmospheric Dynamics II: Theory of

          Atmospheric Flows

          3

          Spring

          METR 3223

          Physical Meteorology II: Cloud Physics, Atmos Electricity/Optics

          3

          Spring

          METR 3334

          Principles of Research & Communication in Meteorology

          4

          Spring

          METR 3513

          Atmospheric Chemistry in Weather and Climate

          3

          Fall

          METR 4133

          Atmospheric Dynamics III: Mid-Latitude Synoptic-Scale Dynamics

          3

          Fall

          METR 4233

          Physical Meteorology III: Radiation and Remote Sensing

          3

          Fall

          METR 4424

          Synoptic Meteorology Laboratory

          4

          Fall

          METR 4433

          Mesoscale Meteorology

          3

          Spring

          METR 4523

          Climate and the General Circulation

          3

          Spring

          METR 4913

          Senior Seminar (Capstone)

          3

          Spring

          An additional 3 credit hour upper-level elective in meteorology, hydrology, or climatology must be chosen from the Meteorology Upper-Division Major Elective Course List. Students should consult the class schedule and check pre-requisites when making course plans as well as consult their academic advisors and mentors (see Section 6.1) who can give guidance on which electives may be most beneficial for students’ career goals and ambitions. The list below includes some of our regularly offered electives and the semester that they are taught. Note that this list is not comprehensive of all electives offered.

          Fall Semester:

          METR 3523 Managing for a Changing Climate, METR 4533 Earth’s Past Climate, METR 4663 Radar Engineering, METR 4713 Private Sector Meteorology

          Spring Semester:

          METR 3011 Broadcast Meteorology Practicum, METR 4623 Radar Meteorology, METR 4793 Applications of Weather Forecasting, METR 4403 Severe Thunderstorm Forecasting, METR

          4443 Introduction to Tropical Meteorology, METR 4553 Climate and Renewable Energy, METR 4633 Hydrometeorology

          Furthermore, five courses (11-14* credit hours) are required to support major courses.

          Course

          Title

          Hours

          Semester Offered

          MATH 2934*

          Differential and Integral Calculus III

          4

          Fall, Spring, Summer

          PHYS 1311

          General Physics Lab 1

          1

          Fall, Spring, Summer

          MATH 3413

          Physical Mathematics I

          3

          Fall, Spring, Summer

          METR 3323

          or MATH 4753

          Statistical Meteorology or

          Applied Statistical Methods

          3

          Fall

          Fall, Spring, Summer

          *See Section 1.1.3 on calculus sequence

          Programming elective – choose one of the following courses:

          Course

          Title

          Hours

          Semester Offered

          METR

          1313

          Introduction to Programming for Meteorology

          3

          Fall & Spring

          CS 1321^

          Java for Programmers

          1

          Fall, Spring, Summer

          CS 1323^

          Introduction to Computer Programming for Programmers

          3

          Fall, Spring, Summer

          CS 1324^

          Introduction to Computer Programming for Non- Programmers

          4

          Fall & Spring

          ^ In order to enroll in one of these C S courses, students must take a placement quiz. After the quiz, students will be emailed in about a week with their results and course permissions.

          CAGS also requires the following courses:

          Course

          Title

          Hours

          Semester Offered

          MATH 2924*

          Differential and Integral Calculus II

          4

          Fall, Spring, Summer

          PHYS 2524

          General Physics for Engineering and Science Majors

          4

          Fall, Spring, Summer

          *See Section 1.1.3 on calculus sequence

          All majors must fulfill OU’s requirement of a minimum of 40 credit hours of General Education (“Gen Ed”) courses in the following five core areas. Courses used for required major support may not be used to also fulfill OU’s General Education requirements.

          Symbolic and Oral Communication

          • English Composition, 2 courses, 6 credit hours

          • Foreign Language**, 2 courses, 6-10 credit hours

          • MATH 1914: Differential and Integral Calculus I, 4 credit hours

            **The Foreign Language requirement can be met by successfully completing two semesters of the same foreign language at the college level equivalent to two semesters at OU. It also may be satisfied by successfully completing two years of the same foreign language in high school.

            Natural Science

          • CHEM 1315: General Chemistry (with lab), 5 credit hours

          • PHYS 2514: General Physics for Engineering and Science Majors, 4 credit hours

            Social Science

          • PSC 1113: American Federal Government, 3 credit hours

          • Other (choose from Gen Ed list), 1 course, 3 credit hours

            Humanities

          • Artistic Forms (choose from Gen Ed list), 1 course, 3 credit hours

          • HIST 1483: United States to 1865 or HIST 1493: United States, 1865 to the Present, 1 course, 3 credit hours

          • Other Western Culture (choose from Gen Ed list), 1 course, 3 credit hours

          • World Culture (choose from Gen Ed list), 1 course, 3 credit hours

            First Year Experience (FYE)

          • UCOL 1523 Gateway to Belonging or Global Perspectives and Engagement or Ethical Leadership Development, 1 course, 3 credit hours

          • Beginning in Fall 2021 FYE must be completed prior to graduation.

          • Beginning in Fall 2022 required to be completed within first year at OU

          Free electives can be used otherwise to meet requirements, including for minors, but they must include at least 9 credit hours of upper-division coursework.

        3. Math Courses

          The above tables reference the 3-course calculus sequence consisting of: MATH 1914 (Differential and Integral Calculus I)

          MATH 2924 (Differential and Integral Calculus II) MATH 2934 (Differential and Integral Calculus III)

          each of which is 4 credit hours, for a total of 12 credit hours of calculus.

          This sequence can be replaced with the 4-course sequence consisting of: MATH 1823 (Calculus and Analytic Geometry I)

          MATH 2423 (Calculus and Analytic Geometry II)

          MATH 2433 (Calculus and Analytic Geometry III) MATH 2443 (Calculus and Analytic Geometry IV)

          each of which is 3 credit hours, for a total of 12 credit hours of calculus.

          Both sequences cover all the necessary material and data over the last 5+ years shows no significant difference in outcomes for Meteorology students related to which Calculus sequence they complete.

          You must complete MATH 2934 or MATH 2443 no later than the summer before you begin your junior year meteorology courses and MATH 3413 no later than Fall of your junior year meteorology courses.

        4. Grade Requirements in Courses

          All courses that are direct pre-requisites for METR courses must be completed with a grade of C or better, this is often referred to as the “C-Rule”. This includes the following courses:

          MATH 1823, 2423, 2433, 2443 or 1914, 2924, 2934

          MATH 3413

          PHYS 2514, 1311, 2524

          CHEM 1315

          METR 1313 or CS 1321 or 1323 or 1324

          The C-Rule also applies to all core METR classes, except for those that are not direct pre- requisites for other courses which currently includes METR 4913, 4433, and 4523.

        5. Knowledge Expectations

          All core METR courses in the curriculum have a set of knowledge expectations. These documents describe the principal concepts, technical skills, and fundamental understanding that all students are expected to possess upon completing specific courses. The knowledge expectations can be found on our website.

        6. Course Sequencing and Timing

          To earn a BS in Meteorology it is important that you are aware of pre-requisites for all classes. These can be found via OUs general catalog. As noted in the tables above, and with the exception of 1000-level courses, currently all METR courses are only offered once per year. As such, and due to the sequencing of courses that build upon each other, not obtaining the required C in courses (Section 1.1.4) can lead to the degree taking more than 4 years to complete.

          The first Meteorology course in the curriculum is METR 1003 (Section 1.1.2). In order to enroll in this course, students must be also enrolled in at least Calculus I, either MATH 1914 or MATH 1823.

          Freshmen students can also take METR 1313 in the fall or spring, as long as they meet the minimum prerequisite of MATH 1523. Students may also take CS 1321, 1323, or 1324 to meet this requirement.

          Important milestones

          You must complete…

          Your introductory programming course (METR 1313 or CS 1321, 1323, or 1324) and meteorology course (METR 1003) no later than the summer of your freshman year meteorology courses.

          PHYS 2524 no later than the Fall of your sophomore year meteorology courses.

          MATH 2934 or MATH 2443 no later than the summer before you begin your junior year meteorology courses.

          MATH 3413 no later than the Fall of your junior year meteorology courses

      2. Accelerated Dual-Degree Programs

        Due to needs in the private sector for graduates with business and data science skills, and in collaboration with the Price College of Business and the Gallogly College of Engineering, respectively SoM offers accelerated dual-degree programs (“4 + 1” programs) that enable students to earn a Meteorology B.S. and a graduate degree sequentially in five years.

        Checksheets and semester-by-semester plans can be found at the following links.

        Students can apply for these programs in their junior years. Students take all the courses required for the Bachelor of Science in Meteorology outlined in Section 1.1. In addition, they take courses that count toward both degrees in their fourth year and graduate courses in their fifth year. Details about admission to these programs can be found in Section 2.4.

      3. Minors

    A minor is not required as part of the meteorology degree program, but a variety of minors exist that complement a meteorology degree. Some highly relevant and popular minors are listed below, although students can pursue any* minor offered at OU, or none at all. If a student is planning on taking more than one minor, they should know that a given class cannot be used to satisfy requirements for two different minors. Minors are declared through the College that they are offered.

    • The Broadcast Meteorology minor is offered by the College of Journalism and Mass Communication only to meteorology majors and is earned by taking 17 credit hours in communication courses concurrently with major courses. Students must complete the LST/AIT exams prior to enrolling in JMC 2033.

    • The Mathematics minor can be earned by completing both MATH 4753 and a 4000-level math course as an upper division elective. A popular elective choice that also may support graduate school requirements is Partial Differential Equations.

    • Computer Science. Students interested in a computer science minor are recommended to take CS 1323 or CS 1324 to ensure they have the necessary pre-requisites for later computer science courses.

    • Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Students pursuing degrees in geographic information science (GIS) use data to map, model, and analyze various problems related to geography and meteorology.

    • Climate Adaptation. This minor explores climate change adaptation from an interdisciplinary perspective.

      *SoM also offers a minor in Meteorology that is not available to meteorology majors.

  2. Admission and Preparation for First Enrollment

    1. Pre-College Preparation

      No prior meteorology, atmospheric science, or climate knowledge is required upon beginning a meteorology degree at OU. Your core courses are designed to introduce meteorological concepts and build upon them throughout the program.

      In preparation for the curriculum, which necessarily requires math and physics courses, consider the course requirements (Section 1.1.) that you will take as part of your program and try to take classes in high school that will support them. Students will benefit by taking as many math courses as possible in high school, especially in algebra and calculus. Additionally, if your school offers them, take high school courses in physics, chemistry, and computer science. You can be successful in the program if you are unable to take these classes in high school but it may require longer than 4 years (8 semesters), or several summer semesters, to complete your degree if you cannot begin the calculus sequence upon entering OU.

      OU’s foreign language General Education requirement can be met by completing two years of the same foreign language in high school with grades of at least C.

      Furthermore, consider taking AP or concurrent enrollment courses to earn college credit if available to you. Students who score 3 or above on an Advanced Placement (AP) test may receive college credit. See OU’s page on AP credit for more information. OU awards college credit for certain College Level Examination Program (CLEP) subject examinations meeting minimum scores. See OU’s page on CLEP credit for more information. OU may award college credit to students who have taken higher-level courses in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program and scored 4 or above on the course examination. See OU’s page on IB credit for more information.

      Gradually increase your study time in your courses and refine your time management skills. All of these actions help students prepare for college and the meteorology program.

    2. Freshman Admission

      1. Admission to OU

        Prospective students should visit OU’s Freshman Admission page for details on how and by when to apply to the University and what supporting documents must be submitted. Freshman Admission for the Fall semester proceeds according to the following deadlines:

      2. Admission to the School of Meteorology

        There is no additional admission process for the School of Meteorology.

        Students can declare a meteorology major when they enter OU, or at any time during their freshmen year, and non-transfer students can be admitted into the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences when they complete at least 24 credit hours with a minimum 2.25 GPA (2.50 GPA for transfer students).

    3. Transfer Admission

      Transfer students are defined as those who have attended an accredited college or university and successfully completed at least 7 credit hours post-high school graduation. This excludes remedial (pre-college) work or credit hours earned while concurrently enrolled in high school

      SoM welcomes transfer students from junior colleges, community colleges, and other universities. Students preparing to transfer are encouraged to inspect the Meteorology, B.S. requirements (Section 1.1). It is recommended that transfer students visit (in person or virtually) CAGS prior to choosing to come to OU. To schedule a visit, please email CAGS Academic Advisor, Brittney Johnson (bjohnson@ou.edu).

      It’s important for transfer students to understand the commitment they’re making and the potential careers available to them in Meteorology and be familiar with the Undergraduate Handbook. It’s important for all students to understand that the Meteorology degree program builds one class upon another; regardless of the amount of AP, dual credit, transfer, or prior degree, it will take a minimum of three years to complete this program as a transfer student (unless you are transferring from a meteorology program at another institution).

      1. Admission to OU

        See OU’s Transfer Admission page for details on how and by when to apply to the University and what supporting documents must be submitted. Transfer students with less than 24 non- remedial credit hours must additionally meet the direct from high school admission requirements.

        Transfer Admission proceeds according to the following deadlines:

      2. Admission to the School of Meteorology

        Transfer students with at least 24 non-remedial credit hours must meet CAGS requirement of at least a 2.50 GPA in order to be admitted to the College. Upon admission to the College, initial advising for transfer students is done at the College level. During their first semester at OU, transfer students will be assigned an academic advisor (Section 6.1.3).

      3. Transferring Courses

        It is important to work with CAGS to ensure the best possible outcome when transferring classes in. To determine if and how classes will transfer to OU, the Office of Admissions and Recruitment will evaluate your credits. In the meantime, you can estimate what will transfer using the OU Transfer Equivalence Database. Be aware that not every class will transfer smoothly. If there are courses that don’t automatically transfer, students can obtain syllabi and have the course reviewed.

        SoM encourages students to try to complete all calculus coursework at one institution. Therefore, if a student is going to start calculus at another institution, it is best for them to make arrangements to complete all of their calculus there.

    4. Admission to the Meteorology, B.S./M.B.A.

      In collaboration with the Price College of Business, meteorology majors can apply to the accelerated five-year dual-degree program about halfway through their junior year. Minimum admission requirements include:

      • Undergraduate OU student majoring in Meteorology

      • Maintain OU retention GPA and combined retention GPA of 3.0 or above

      • Junior standing in Meteorology

      • Completed at least 12 credit hours of Meteorology courses at OU

      • Take GMAT/GRE during third year

        The initial application must be completed by December 15th of junior year.

      • Spring (sophomore year)/Fall (junior year) – Representatives from the MBA office hold information session with prospective/interested students. The information session

        covers: application process and MBA program requirements with all prospective applicants.

      • Applicants submits application for accelerated program by December 15th of junior year for fall admission. This includes the supplemental application form, a statement of purpose explaining your career goals and interest in graduate business education, and a resume.

      • Directors of Meteorology program select students they want to refer to the MBA program from list of applications.

      • Applications are sent to MBA Office for formal review/consideration.

      • Students need to take GMAT/GRE before MBA Admission committee can review application.

      • After MBA Admission Committee Review: Student may be contacted for admissions interview (required for admission consideration).

    5. Admission to Meteorology, B.S./Data Science and Analytics, M.S.

      In collaboration with the Gallogly College of Engineering Data Science and Analytics Institute, meteorology majors can apply to this accelerated five-year dual-degree program prior to their senior year if they meet the following requirements:

      • Minimum 3.0 GPA overall (for OU and combined with grades from other institutions)

      • Successfully completed at least 12 credit hours of ISE, CS, or METR courses at OU

      • Successfully completed prerequisite courses (MATH 1914, MATH 2924, MATH 3333, CS1323, and CS 2334).

        Most notable is the importance of the freshmen-level programming courses, i.e. CS 132X, to set students on the right track for this program. Much of the M.S. program can be completed online. The admission process should be completed by June 1st prior to senior year.

        Students submit a completed application form and following documents to the Academic Programs Coordinator in CEC 111:

      • “My Degree Navigator Record”

      • Statement of purpose

      • Two letters of recommendation from OU Faculty/Instructors

      • Completed Accelerated Degree Graduate Coursework Plan (ADP)

  3. Code of Conduct and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

    1. Code of Conducts

      All students should be familiar with OU’s Student Rights and Responsibilities Code.

      Enrollment in the University creates special obligations beyond that attendant upon membership in general society. In addition to the requirement of compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, the student assumes the obligation to comply with all applicable University and College regulations.

      Faculty responsibilities, including academic responsibilities are addressed in Section 3 of the Faculty Handbook.

      1. Academic Integrity

        It is the mission of the University of Oklahoma to create an academic culture that fosters student integrity both in and out of the classroom. Students must be familiar with the Academic Integrity code, which will be upheld in SoM at all times.

      2. NWC Protocol

        All students are required to abide by the National Weather Center Protocol while participating in any NWC and/or SoM-related activities within and outside of the NWC. Students and their guests must follow the expected behaviors such as being considerate, respectful, and collaborative of others and following OU’s Student Rights and Responsibilities Code (Section 3.1). Examples of unexpected behaviors are harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form. In cases where the NWC policies are violated, the NWC Director, NWC security/local police may take any necessary actions such as removing and prohibiting future attendance to NWC-related activities.

      3. Reporting and Safety

        It is the responsibility of all students who are potential parties or witnesses to an alleged violation of the Student Code of Conduct to participate in the conduct process. Students have a duty to cooperate and discuss the incident with appropriate University officials, adhere to stated deadlines, attend scheduled meetings, provide documentation as requested and participate in all proceedings. Failure to meet these duties may result in a decision being made without the benefit of the student’s participation or may result in a student being charged with failing to comply with the direction of a University official.

        When a student witnesses any unexpected behaviors, such incidents should be reported by one or more of the following methods:

        1. OU Report It! OU 24-Hour Reporting Hotline: call 844-428-6531 or going online to www.ou.ethicspoint.com.

          The OU Report It! hotline enables reporting of concerns related, but not limited, to human resources, academics, safety, student affairs, accounting and financial, regulatory/policy compliance, institution equity, athletics, and research.

          You can also “Follow Up On A Report” via the OU Report It! Website.

        2. OU Online Reporting of Student Misconduct, Student Housing Incident, Behavior Intervention, and Sexual Misconduct, Harassment, and Discrimination: https://www.ou.edu/studentconduct/report-an-incident

        3. Report to Campus Climate and Incident Team from the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: https://www.ou.edu/diversity/about/bias-reporting

        4. OU 24-hour Confidential Reporting Resources (OU Advocates): call 405-615-0013

          Faculty and most OU employees are Mandatory Reporters. When they become aware of any alleged act of sexual assault, stalking, dating or domestic violence, sexual harassment, or gender discrimination, they must report the incidents to the Sexual Misconduct Office (405-325- 2251, smo@ou.edu).

          Safety in the NWC:

          • 24/7 on-site OU Police Department Security Staff (405-325-1157)

          • Identified Best Available Refuge Areas during severe weather located in 1313 and 1350.

          • Public Address system and phone/zone paging intercom system.

          • Fire, Tornado, and Shelter in-place drills are conducted annually.

          • NWC Emergency Response Plan available in the AGS Dean’s Office.

          • Blue Lights located around facility – Intercom to OU PD – Radio contact with security guards.

          • Defibrillators & Bleeding Control Kits located on each floor next to Atrium Elevators.

          • First Aid Kit at Security guard desk.

    2. JEDI – Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

      SoM is committed to providing a place where people of all backgrounds can have an inclusive place to learn, research, and grow. Promoting a culture across our community that fosters justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) is a core goal of our most recent strategic plan. The primary aim of the cultural fluency goal is a fundamental transformation of the culture of SoM towards becoming an anti-racist and non-discriminatory environment for people from all backgrounds. We envision an equitable, inclusive culture that intentionally supports SoM community members from historically oppressed and underrepresented backgrounds, while also celebrating the various enhancing contributions from such community members to the scientific and educational experience. Creating mutually beneficial outcomes to the community’s activities and its members alike. This goal is also fully aligned with pillar 4 in OU’s strategic plan, i.e., “become a place of belonging and emotional growth for all students, faculty, staff and alumni”.

      1. Accessibility and Disability Resources

        The School of Meteorology complies with all federal laws and university diversity resource policies. We recommend all students who require accommodations to work with OUs Accessibility and Disability Resource Center.

        We have partnered with the National Weather Center to provide a satellite testing space for our students. More information can be found here.

      2. OU Resources and Opportunities

        • The College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences Diversity and Inclusivity Council: The mission of DEI council is to foster cultural competence and proficiency among all students, staff, and faculty in A&GS, and an environment where all feel fully accepted, supported, and valued.

        • OU Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Its mission is to enhance OU’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, to recognize and respect the essential worth of each individual and to value differences amongst groups. We commit to building a welcoming and supportive campus environment where each individual feels welcomed, valued, and supported for success

        • The OU Tribal Liaison is housed in the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The mission of the tribal liaison is to foster respectful and mutually productive relationships between Oklahoma tribes, the students, the university, the community and key stakeholders through culturally appropriate research, outreach and programming.

        • OU Gender and Equality Center: The mission of the Gender + Equality Center is to cultivate an affirming, educational, and diverse community by focusing on LGBTQ+ inclusion, interpersonal violence prevention, and advocacy for victims of gender-based violence.

        • International Student Services

        • OU’s McNair Scholar program provides encouragement, guidance, and mentorship to underrepresented juniors and seniors in preparation for graduate school. It is designed to encourage students from groups often underrepresented in graduate programs to pursue doctoral degrees.

        • OK-LSAMP STEM: The Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (OK-LSAMP STEM) is funded by the National Science Foundation. This grant program is an opportunity for qualifying meteorology majors to participate in research with a faculty member in their area of interest during the school year. Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK is the lead institution for the program and currently houses the OK-LSAMP office.

        • Multicultural Programs and Services (MCPS) offers several programs a year – cultural and intercultural celebrations, heritage and awareness events, dialogues, workshops, student leadership and cohort meetings, prejudice-reduction trainings, wellness initiatives and Social Justice Engagement opportunities – all focused on teaching students personal and interpersonal skills necessary to be most effective in a diverse world. MCPS welcomes ALL students, faculty, staff and community members to our events while at the same time supporting and celebrating specific constituency groups (including African American, Asian American, American Indian/Indigenous, and Hispanic/Latino communities).

      3. External Resources and Opportunities

        Here we include some resources and opportunities external to OU that are available for students from under-represented backgrounds. This list is by no means fully comprehensive and students should also explore the scholarship and awards presented in Section 5 and the Resources for Student Success in Section 13.

        Funding and Opportunities:

        • SOARS: Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science. An undergraduate-to-graduate bridge program designed broaden participation of historically underrepresented communities in the atmospheric and related sciences. The program is designed to promote and support research, mentoring, and community. SOARS participants, called protégés, spend up to four summers doing research in atmospheric and related sciences. SOARS offers comprehensive financial support for summer research, as well as undergraduate and graduate school funding. Learn more at.

        • The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was established in 1999 to provide outstanding African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American, and Hispanic American students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline area of interest. Continuing Gates Millennium Scholars may request funding for a graduate degree program in one of the following discipline areas: computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.

        • American Meteorological Society minority scholarships: The AMS Minority Scholarships will award funding to minority students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the sciences, especially Hispanic, Native American, and Black/African American students.

        • National Weather Association David Sankey Minority Scholarship in Meteorology: The fund was established in 2002 to aid minority students in their sophomore year or higher of undergraduate study, or in graduate study, enrolled in a program of meteorology or atmospheric science (or related field).

        • American Indian Graduate Center Fellowship The AIGC Fellowship program provides fellowships to undergraduate American Indian and Alaska Native students each year.

        • American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Scholarships AISES offers several fellowships to students in STEM fields.

        • National Hispanic Scholarship Fund Grants for Hispanic undergraduate students.

        • The AGU Bridge Program increases opportunities for students from underrepresented populations to obtain graduate degrees and create a network of peers, mentors and advisers to support and serve them before, during and after grad school. The program is open to those who have not applied to graduate school or those who applied and were not accepted.

          Affinity Groups and Organizations:

          Many of the following groups also provide mentoring, networking, and scholarship opportunities.

        • American Meteorological Society Board on Representation, Accessibility, Inclusivity, and Diversity (BRAID).

          • Committee for Hispanic and Latinx Development

          • Women in the Atmospheric Sciences

          • Coriolis

        • GeoLatinas

        • American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)

        • National Association of Black Geoscientists (NABG)

        • Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

        • Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists (MAES)

        • Black in Geoscience (BiG)

        • Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN)

          Norman and Greater Oklahoma City Community Resources

        • City of Norman Inclusive communities

        • City of Norman Chief Diversity and Equity Officer Contact form

        • City of Norman Human Rights Commission:

        • Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

        • Oklahoma City Black Chamber of Commerce:

        • OKC Black Eats

        • Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City

        • Oklahoma Black History:

        • Oklahoma Black Business Directory

        • Non-comprehensive list of local black-owned businesses:

      4. Reporting and Safety

        The National Weather Center is staffed by OU Police Department security officers 24/7 (405- 325-1157) and all personnel are required to display OU or NOAA credentials at all times. Field and research documents that address safety issues related to race, ethnicity, and other underrepresented identities are being developed.

        Report to Campus Climate and Incident Team from the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and OU Report It! (Section 3.1.3).

  4. Storm Chasing Policy

    The University of Oklahoma’s College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences does not condone or encourage storm chasing by students. Anyone who chooses to chase storms does so at their own risk and should not imply that their activities are connected with the University. The only possible exception is when students are officially included in storm intercept activities conducted as part of well-planned and safety-trained scientific projects lead by faculty or scientists in the National Weather Center research units. Storm chasing is not part of the School of Meteorology course curriculum nor should such activities take precedence over the academic activities of the School such as coursework and attending classes and seminars.

  5. Student Scholarships and Awards

    There are six main ways meteorology majors at OU use to fund their college educations:

    • Financial Aid

    • OU-Specific Scholarships

    • SoM Scholarships

    • Annual SoM Student Awards

    • External Meteorology and STEM Scholarships

    • Student Employment and Internships (Section 11)

    The information and resources here are a guide to the most common possible funding sources to explore. They should not be considered fully comprehensive.

    1. Financial Aid

      FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is important for all students to complete a FAFSA, regardless of family income level, because many scholarships will require a student to have a FAFSA on file in order to be considered for that scholarship. More information about the FAFSA can be found through OU’s Student Financial Center.

    2. OU-Specific Scholarships

      CASH: Centralized Academic Scholarship Hub. CASH is where current OU students can apply for all merit and financial need-based OU scholarships. The link to CASH can be found on the Scholarship Homepage. College-wide scholarships, SoM scholarships and awards (Section 5.3), financial aid scholarships, Sooner Heritage Scholarships, study abroad scholarships, Sooner Parents scholarships, and campus awards will all be housed through CASH. It is important for every undergraduate student to complete a CASH application every year – including during their senior year. CASH applications are generally due at the beginning of February each year.

      CAGS scholarships: The College offers some additional scholarships. Information can be found here. Other scholarships and awards exist through research organizations within the National Weather Center including the Oklahoma Climate Survey. Students should regularly check their emails for announcements of these awards.

      The Work Assistance Tuition Waiver (WATW) is designed to assist current undergraduate students that work 25+ hours per week during the academic year. The intent of the tuition waiver is to help these students with their finances so that they are able to work fewer hours during the semester and focus more time and energy on their studies. Students that receive the tuition waiver are not required to continue to work 25+ hours a week during the following semester. Information can be found here.

    3. SoM Scholarships

      The School of Meteorology Tuition Waiver Program seeks to attract and retain highly qualified meteorology students. The program awards partial tuition waivers that help defray the

      cost of attending OU for residents and non-residents. The annual awards range from $500 to

      $3500 and are in addition to any other tuition waiver offered by OU. Around ten new awards are made each year. The awards are typically renewed for up to four years as long as the student is a meteorology major and maintains above 3.0 GPA at OU.

      Initial awards are made based on the material submitted as part of students’ application to OU (Section 2). All students who apply to OU and list meteorology as their intended major are automatically considered for the scholarship. A holistic approach is taken to making tuition waiver selections and we look at all components of the application including written statements. We look for students that show enthusiasm for meteorology, persistence, community and collegiality, adaptability, creativity, and commitment.

      Tuition waiver awards can also be made to outstanding existing and transfer students after their first semester at OU when funds are available.

      Needs-based School of Meteorology Tuition Waiver: Each year, depending on funding availability, tuition waivers are awarded to students with financial need. This is NOT financial need as determined by a student’s FAFSA. Students already receiving a tuition waiver from the School or another source are eligible for this award, though the amount of support given via the scholarship outlined here will be limited to remaining need of the student (i.e., outstanding tuition balance). Eligible students must have a declared major in Meteorology and submit an application when an email announcement for needs-based tuition waivers is distributed.

    4. Annual SoM Student Awards

      Each year, the School presents a number of awards and scholarships to current students; these awards have typically been funded through the generosity of friends and alumni of the School. Typically, awards are made in March/April and students receive a monetary award, a certificate, and for several of the awards their name on the School of Meteorology recognition wall in the NWC.

      Awarded via a CASH (Section 5.2) application:

      • Dr Rex L Inman Memorial Scholarship: Awarded to a full-time undergraduate student who has completed at least 45 hours of course work and has maintained at least a 3.5 GPA in their meteorology courses as well as direct pre-requisites.

      • Dr. Edwin & Lottie Kessler Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Meteorology: Awarded to a full-time meteorology major in their sophomore or junior meteorology courses with a demonstrated financial need. Criteria specifically include: completion of at least 45 credit hours of course work and a minimum of a 2.8 OU retention GPA.

      • Droegemeier Endowed Scholarship for Excellence in Meteorology: This award is for full-time undergraduate students who have completed at least 45 hours of course work and have maintained at least a 3.5 GPA in their meteorology courses as well as direct pre-requisites.

      • E.W. (Joe) Friday Endowed Scholarship: Awarded to a full-time female meteorology major in their sophomore or junior meteorology courses. Criteria specifically include: completion of at least 45 credit hours of course work and a minimum of a 3.2 OU retention GPA.

      • Eric Nguyen Memorial Scholarship: Awarded to a student who is involved in developing and maintaining weather displays and visualizations as part of the HOOT Development Lab.

      • Forrest W. Johns Memorial Meteorology Scholarship: This award is given based on the quantity and quality of a student’s contributions to the Oklahoma Weather Laboratory. Those contributions include leadership, forecast skills, and overall participation.

        image

      • Thomas J. Lockhart Memorial Scholarship in Meteorological Measures & Observing Systems: Awarded to a student who has attained at least junior status and who has demonstrated an interest in meteorological measurements and observing systems.

        Awarded via faculty and staff nomination in February/March each year. Students are encouraged to request nomination for these awards with their academic advisor, mentor, or other faculty and staff:

      • Faculty Recognition for Outstanding Performance as an Undergraduate: The criteria for selection for this award include GPA and extracurricular activities (such as jobs, volunteer work, committee work, etc).

      • SoM Directors Recognition for Outstanding Service to the Department as an Undergraduate Student: Presented to an undergraduate who has given freely of his or her time and talents to departmental activities (e.g. departmental tours, etc). This may include a student very actively involved in groups such as OU SCAN.

      • Outstanding Teaching Assistant: May be graduate or undergraduate TA from either Spring, Summer, or Fall of the previous calendar year.

      • Tommy C. Craighead Award for Best Paper in Radar Meteorology: Presented to any University of Oklahoma student or recent graduate (May, August, December of previous calendar year) who is the lead author on a refereed journal article (preferably accepted, but at least submitted) with a focus on radar studies of the atmosphere. The research described in the article should be of superior quality and deemed to exemplify the inter- disciplinary nature of remote sensing of the atmosphere using radar.

      • McCasland Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research paper: Eligible submissions are published papers, submitted manuscripts, or nearly completed manuscripts from research projects, including Capstone, from the previous calendar year.

        Awarded based on academic and Weather Challenge Performance:

      • Undergraduate Academic Achievement Award METR Senior: Student in senior level meteorology courses with the best overall GPA.

      • Undergraduate Academic Achievement Award METR Junior: Student in junior level meteorology courses with the best overall GPA.

      • Fawbush-Miller Scholarship for Excellence in Forecasting: Awarded to the undergraduate student winner of the Weather Challenge.

    5. External Meteorology and STEM Scholarships

      The American Meteorological Society (AMS) administers an array of graduate and undergraduate scholarships with the support of its members, corporations, and government agencies nationwide. The fellowships and scholarships help further the education of outstanding graduate and undergraduate students pursuing a career in the atmospheric and related oceanic or hydrologic sciences. Visit the AMS Scholarships and Fellowships website to learn more and apply. Due dates vary. Scholarships of particular relevance include:

      • AMS Senior Named Scholarships

      • Women in Science Scholarship

      • AMS Freshman Undergraduate Scholarship

      • AMS Minority Scholarship

      • The Father James B. Macelwane Annual Award in Meteorology

      The National Weather Association (NWA) Foundation awards scholarships and grants to undergraduate and, in some cases, graduate students majoring in meteorology or a related field. To learn more about the eligibility and application process for each, visit their website.

      The NOAA Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship: two years of academic assistance and summer internship at NOAA facility. Applications are typically due in January each year. For eligibility requirements and application details visit their website.

      Department of Defense Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program scholarship supports undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines by the Department of Defense (DoD). Details found here.

      Pathways to Science: An excellent resource to search for scholarships is the Pathways to Science website.

      Others: We also encourage all students to look to their local civic organizations, religious organizations, municipalities, etc. for scholarship opportunities. Even a smaller scholarship can make a big difference. We prioritize getting all scholarship opportunities that come to our attention out to our students. One excellent research

  6. Advising, Enrollment, and Mentoring

    Useful resources:

    Degree Navigator: To keep up with degree requirements (see Section 1) and track your progress toward graduation, use Degree Navigator.

    IAdvise: Used for scheduling advising appointments in SoM and the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences Dean’s Office.

    One: Academic resources and course schedules.

    ClassNav: Course schedules, descriptions, and pre-requisites.

    1. Academic Advising

      Academic advising is provided to all students to decide on majors and minors, select appropriate courses, and become acquainted with university policies and resources. All students must be advised each semester in order to remove the advising hold from their account and be eligible to enroll in courses. Academic Advising is one of the key components in reaching your goal of graduation. Your academic advisor is someone who can help you in selecting a major and career, monitor your academic progress, provide information in designing, developing, and implementing individual academic plans, link you to resources in getting connected on campus and in the community, and more.

      1. New Freshmen

        Students who are new to the University will be advised and enroll through the New Sooner Orientation program.

      2. Meteorology Students in University College

        Students with declared meteorology majors who are in University College will be advised by professional academic advising staff in UC (Advising and Enrollment in UC).

      3. Meteorology Students in CAGS

        In order to provide quality guidance in creating an academic plan tailored to your interests and goals, you will be assigned a professional academic advisor either in CAGS or SoM depending on your degree progress. Your academic advising will be in the College when you first move from University College to CAGS, and be in SoM during your junior and senior year as detailed below.

        CAGS Academic Advisor – Brittney Johnson (bjohnson@ou.edu)

        • Transfer students

        • Students in the 2nd year of the meteorology curriculum (e.g. METR 2004 etc.)

        • Academic Advising Resource Center referrals

        • Students on academic contract

        • All degree checks and graduation clearance

          SoM Academic Advisor – Shelby Hill (sheill@ou.edu)

        • Students in the 3rd year of the meteorology curriculum (e.g. METR 3113 etc.)

        • Students in the 4th year of the meteorology curriculum (e.g. METR 4913 etc.)

        The advisor will assist in the selection of courses, provide specific information on degree requirements, and help map out a plan for completing your degree in an optimal time frame, as well as developing parallel plans. Advisors can also offer guidance on career pathways and other OU resources necessary for success.

        • Advising for the Fall semester typically occurs in March.

        • Advising for the Spring and Summer semesters typically occurs in October.

        • Advising appointments are scheduled via iAdvise.

        • Students are asked to check Degree Navigator and come to their advising appointment with a practice class schedule for the upcoming semester. Use the trial schedule template and/or the Build a Plan option in the enrollment system to create possible schedules to discuss with your academic advisor. This will also make it easier to enroll when your window opens.

        • If any course overrides or special permissions are required for courses, advisors will provide information on how to obtain these. SoM can only provide permissions for METR courses.

        • Once you have met with your advisor, they will remove your advising hold for enrollment.

    2. Enrollment

      1. KNOW WHEN TO ENROLL. Check out your Enrollment Window and Registration Status on One. Mark your calendar with the day and time that your enrollment window opens.

      2. CHECK FOR HOLDS. Holds may keep you from enrolling during your Enrollment Window or impact other processes. You can check for holds by viewing the Enrollment Windows and Registration Status on One.

      3. PREPARE FOR YOUR ADVISEMENT AN BE ADVISED See Section 6.1

      4. PLAN YOUR SCHEDULE. Use any materials provided by your academic advisor, the Trial Schedules you completed and discussed with them, and the Look Up Classes link found under the Academics tab on One to find the courses you need and plan your schedule.

      5. REGISTER FOR CLASSES. Click on the Enroll link under the Academics tab on one. Choose the term you’d like to register and use your trial schedules to complete your enrollment. Click Submit Changes and you should see a screen appear with your course schedule. If you have a registration error, it will be listed on this screen as well.

      6. CHECK YOUR OU E-MAIL FOLLOWING ENROLLMENT. Make sure you receive an e- mail confirmation from Enrollment Services the next day following each registration transaction. If you do not receive an e-mail, your transaction was not processed. Contact Enrollment Services immediately for assistance at (405) 325-3572. Please keep all e- mails regarding registration until you receive your Bursar’s statement at the beginning of the semester.

    3. Mentoring

      As discussed in Section 6.1, your academic adviser helps you select courses and guide you towards completing your degree. As a meteorology major, you will also have the opportunity for mentoring. A mentor does not only provide advice on curriculum issues, or what courses to take. The late Morris Zelditch, an American sociologist defined the six roles of mentors.

      Mentors, said Zelditch, act as:

      Advisers, people with career experience willing to share their knowledge.

      Supporters, people who give emotional and moral encouragement.

      Tutors, people who give specific feedback on your performance.

      Masters, in the sense of employers to whom you might be apprenticed.

      Sponsors, sources of information about, and aid in, obtaining opportunities.

      Models of the kind of person you should be as an academic scholar.

      Note that academic adviser is only one of the roles that a mentor might play during your undergraduate years and beyond. You will likely have many informal and formal mentors over the course of your degree and we recommend using the following “mentoring map” from the Earth Science Women’s Network to consider what YOU need to be successful and who can act as mentors in those areas.

      Diagram of different types of mentoring with spaces to list your mentors in each category

      1. New Student Mentoring Program

        To provide mentoring support to new SoM students (freshmen and transfer students), the Student Affairs Committee (SAC, see Section 13) organizes the New Student Mentoring Program (NSMP) which is a peer-to-peer undergraduate mentoring program. The program aims to provide support and build and inclusive community of undergraduate students in SoM.

        The NSMP matches mentees (new students – freshman and transfer students) with an established junior or senior student mentor in SoM. Matches are made based on responses provided in the application, which students will be provided in their first semester in the program. Mentors can answer procedural questions (how things work at OU and in SoM), where to find resources outside of this handbook, tips for certain things in SoM etc. Often, small mentoring groups are also established with senior and junior mentors, and freshmen and sophomore mentees.

      2. School of Meteorology Mentoring Ecosystem

New in Fall 2021, SoM students will also be able to be part of a mentoring ecosystem. Each ecosystem will be a small group of undergraduate students and an ecosystem leader. This system will enable students to have individual meetings with a mentor, but also build a network of supportive peers with group meetings or activities each semester. Ecosystem leaders are SoM faculty, adjunct or affiliate faculty, or research scientists who have undergone mentoring training. Students will have the opportunity to be matched into a mentoring ecosystem through a survey, and ecosystem foci may range from career interests, cultural or ethnic affiliation, first generation, and more. Ecosystem mentors can provide mentoring regarding internships, research, minors, coursework, networking, career guidance, study abroad and more.

  1. IT and Computing

    The College (CAGS) uses student technology fees to provide cutting-edge computer hardware, software, peripherals, media & customer support to encourage academic growth, innovation and collaboration.

    The School of Meteorology’s IT Team is here to help students, faculty and stuff with all of their computing and academic technology needs. They can be reached at metit@ou.edu.

    All students should be familiar with SoM’s acceptable use policy for technology.

    Students should check their OU email at least daily. All important communication from SoM, CAGS, and OU will be via email.

      1. Personal Computers and Required Software

        While having a personal computer is not required to complete a meteorology degree it is very helpful. While the School of Meteorology’s IT team will support any computer, the recommended specifications are listed below, and found on our website.

        • Minimum i7 Processor or better

        • 16GB RAM

        • 512GB Hard Drive (Solid State Drive SSD highly recommended)

        • 1 GB Integrated Video (Discrete/Dedicated Graphics Card recommended)

        • 802.11 n/ac Wireless

        • At least 1 USB 3.0 Port

        • Windows 10 or later (64 bit)

        • MacOS 10.14: Mojave or later

        • 3 Year Warranty (accidental damage highly recommended, not required)

          Can I use a Chromebook? Chromebooks are not able to run the required software to complete assignments within the School of Meteorology.

          University students are eligible to download Microsoft Office for free at portal.office.com. Other office suites such as Open Office can read and write in the proper format and are available at no cost.

      2. Programing

        Computer programming and visualizing data is an important part of meteorology, which is why all students must complete a programming course in their freshmen year (Section 1). Most meteorology classes that you will take for your degree will involve programing in Python. If you learn, or have learned, a different language in high school, computer science classes at OU, or another institution, do not be concerned or discouraged – the principals of programming are universal and the School will assist with any transitions.

        The recommended python distribution is Anaconda Python. By default, it will install most of the packages that you will need for your beginning classes. SoM IT will provide support to getting

        your needed packages installed and running if you experience trouble. Specific issues with class assignments should be addressed by the instructor or teaching assistant of the class first.

      3. Computer Labs

        There are multiple computer labs available to undergraduates in the NWC. Within SoM there is the Linux lab located in NWC 5720, the general computer lab located in NWC 3650, computers in the NWC Library, and computers in NWC 5401 (the Undergraduate Lounge). The computers on the 5th floor, and Apple computers in NWC 3650 are accessible with your SoM Computing Account (Section 7.4). When using the windows computers in NWC 3650 and in the NWC Library you must sign in with your OU 4×4 and password. Students will also have access to multiple computer labs across campus supported by OU IT.

      4. Computing Accounts

        Access to School of Meteorology computer labs requires a computing account. You can request an account from the SoM Meteorology Computing Page and clicking on “School of Meteorology Computing Account”. Once you sign in with your OU email address and password, and submit the form, the process to create the account is started. An email gets sent to the student once account creation is completed with username.

      5. Remote Access

    Some resources are only available on the computers within the NWC. Undergraduate students can remotely access resources within the National Weather Center from outside the building (e.g. from the dorms, main campus, or home residences) by using the bastion host (starbuck.nwc.ou.edu). To request access, go to the SoM Meteorology Computing Page and click on “Baston Host/Starbuck Access”. This access must be renewed every semester.

  2. Student Organizations

    The School of Meteorology has a variety of student organizations that offer a supportive environment and a broad range of opportunities that include peer mentoring, professional and social activities, field trips, and tutoring. Except for the student affairs committee, you do not have to be a meteorology major to participate in the organizations.

      1. Oklahoma Weather Lab (OWL)

        The Oklahoma Weather Lab is a student-run forecasting office serving Key West, Florida; and the state of Oklahoma. The lab hosts 2 shifts daily Monday through Friday, and 1 shift daily Saturday and Sunday, all of which take place in a state-of-the-art forecasting lab in the NWC.

        Shift leaders (undergraduate students, typically junior and seniors) spend time during each shift to teach new forecasting techniques, then guide students through forecasting temperatures, wind speed/direction, cloud cover, and precipitation for the region. Students will get the chance to learn techniques such as reading atmospheric soundings, hand analysis of observed conditions, and forecasting with model guidance. The OWL lab also comes equipped with AWIPS II, the same forecasting software used by the National Weather Service (NWS), giving students an unparalleled opportunity to gain critical skills necessary for operational forecasting in a professional environment.

        In addition, on weekdays, we feature a broadcast shift for OU Nightly, OU’s student-led local broadcast studio. There, students have a chance to use the latest Baron software to create and present professional weather forecasts, giving students a fantastic opportunity to gain on-the-job experience in a supportive learning environment.

        OWL also holds monthly workshops for students, which bring professional meteorologists and organizations to students in a friendly learning environment. Past speakers have included the WeatherBrains, Storm Prediction Center and NWS forecasters, and Weather Channel presenters such as Jim Cantore.

        OWL also includes HOOT – the Hub of OWL Operational Technology (HOOT), which is OWL’s development branch. Here students can get practice developing new technology to support forecasting, including websites and data visualization. Information about OWL and HOOT are available on the organizations website.

      2. OU Student Chapter of the AMS and NWA (OU SCAN)

        The University of Oklahoma Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association is an independent student-run organization at the University of Oklahoma. The purpose of this organization is to provide educational, professional, social, and service opportunities for University of Oklahoma students interested in meteorology. The organization is also meant to provide community awareness regarding the weather. The main purpose is to have meetings that provide these services for students in meteorology, through speakers from the meteorology community and other activities. OU SCAN hosts numerous service events, including the Weather Friends, which conduct outreach at weather events,

        schools and more. This is the only student organization in SoM that has a small membership fee each year. Learn more about OU SCAN at their website.

      3. Student Affairs Committee (SAC)

    The Student Affairs Committee is a registered OU student organization. The purpose of SAC is to ensure formal, continual communication between faculty and students regarding SoM and CAGS issues of direct importance to both undergraduate and graduate meteorology students. In addition, the Committee represents student opinions at faculty meetings and enables student input on appropriate issues, including, curricula changes, degree requirements, computing, and School of Meteorology outreach. The Committee is comprised of both graduate and undergraduate students who are elected each academic year. SAC holds undergraduate townhall meetings in conjunction with SoM leadership to ensure continual communication and to collect feedback and concerns from students.

    Undergraduates can hold a number of SAC positions including:

    Secretary

    Treasurer

    Undergraduate Vice-Chair

    International Representative

    Senior Representative

    Junior Representative

    Sophomore Representative

    SAC can be contacted through the website or via somsac@gmail.com.

  3. Meteorology Study Abroad Exchange Programs

    As weather systems and climate patterns are not influenced by national borders, meteorology has always had a distinctly international flavor. Many of its operational and research activities are globally coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization, a United Nations agency with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. As such, School of Meteorology students are encouraged to study abroad through any OU program, including in the summer. Students can explore study abroad opportunities on the Education Abroad website.

    Due to the unique nature of our program, the School of Meteorology has exchange partnerships with the University of Reading in England and Hamburg University in Germany. Students from these institutions study at the School and our qualified Meteorology students can study abroad in the Spring semester of their junior year of meteorology classes.

    Students who study abroad will receive 12 hours of credit (Germany) or 15 hours of credit (Reading) that semester, which typically equate to METR courses. The exact courses that they will receive credit for depends on the program, but all necessary core classes will be either taken at the institution abroad or accommodations made to take courses in a later semester. In some cases, courses from the senior year sequence can be taken while abroad, which frees up hours for other courses. It is important to discuss your interest in studying abroad with your academic advisor and mentoring ecosystem.

    Students interested in studying abroad should visit OU Education Abroad and speak with the one of the School’s study abroad coordinators.

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    Reading: Elinor Martin, elinor.martin@ou.edu Hamburg: Petra Klein, pkklein@ou.edu

      1. Eligibility

        SoM applicants must have a 3.0 GPA and must normally have passed the SoM 1000- and 2000- level courses with grades of B or better. However, these are not always hard requirements and students with an interest in studying abroad but who don’t meet these criteria should meet with the faculty liaison for the program of interest.

      2. Application Process

        image

        Applications and selections for the Meteorology study abroad programs are handled by SoM and OU’s Education Abroad Program (application process). Students pay a $50 application fee once they submit their application with OU’s Education Abroad Office. A general information session about SoM exchange programs and the application process is held every year.

        Applications are typically due in September of a student’s junior year but must be completed earlier if a student wants to be eligible for scholarships (see below). The appropriate faculty liaison for the program of interest should be listed as a reference on the Education Abroad application.

        In addition to the online application with OU Education Abroad, SoM students should also contact the SoM faculty liaison of the chosen exchange program and send them an email with

        1. A short statement why they want to study abroad and (this can be the same as the Education Abroad application)

        2. The names and contact info of 2 references.

          The SoM faculty liaison will then schedule a meeting with the student. After the meeting the faculty liaison will send a formal recommendation to the Education Abroad Office, which will review all materials and make decisions about the acceptance of the applicants. It is important to note that applications without the SoM recommendation letter are not processed by the Education Abroad Office. A decision by Education Abroad is made in September and a final decision is made by the SoM by November 1. Students performing poorly in their fall courses may cause a reversal of an initial favorable decision.

      3. Finances

    Participants enroll in INTL hours, paying OU tuition at the same rate as they would on campus. Those enrolling in 12 hours are eligible for a flat rate tuition waiver. This total includes all standard fees, plus a $26.20 per credit hour fee assessed by the Education Abroad Office. Students are responsible for pre-departure (e.g. passports and housing deposits) and transportation costs, as well as living expenses while abroad. Financial aid, loans, grants and scholarships can all be applied to cover these costs of studying abroad.

    OU Education Abroad also requires that all students participating in credit-bearing, OU study abroad programs are enrolled in comprehensive insurance through CMI. This insurance is required and is integral to the participation of any students on OU study abroad programs. Fees for this insurance will be charged directly to the student’s OU Bursar account prior to the start date of the program.

    • Information about possible scholarships to fund your study abroad can be found on OU’s Education Abroad Money page

    • CASH: Various study abroad scholarships are available through OU’s Centralized Academic Scholarship Hub including the John T. Snow Study Abroad Scholarship for students in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences. Scholarship applications for study abroad funds are due the year before students attend (i.e. sophomore year, typically February) and they must already have an application with Education Abroad to be eligible

    • DAAD: For American or Canadian students studying at German universities. Typically due in January.

    • BUTEX: Scholarship offered to those studying for a semester at British universities. Typically due in June.

    • PITF: the Presidential International Travel Fund helps cover average airfare costs. This and other funding sources can be found on OU’s Education Abroad website:

    • Alliance Scholars: a general scholarship website featuring many programs that may be helpful, such as the Gates Millennium Scholar Program:

    • Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship: 2900 scholarships up to $5,000: Eligible if you currently receive a Federal Pell Grant and will continue to receive one through the semester you plan to study abroad. The Gilman scholarship is from the US Department of State.

  4. Conference Attendance

    Attending conferences of various professional organizations (e.g. American Meteorological Society, National Weather Association, American Geophysical Union) can provide students with valuable networking and learning experiences, in addition to opportunities to demonstrate research.

    It is the policy of the School to provide each undergraduate student with funding to attend a professional conference during their undergraduate career. The funding can be used to support flight costs, food, lodging, meeting registration, and other approved travel costs. The number of students supported in a calendar year will be limited by the amount of available funds, with students who are presenting a talk or poster at a conference, as well as upperclassmen, given priority when making funding decisions. Applications for travel funds through SoM are due at least 90 days before your trip.

    Once you have received approval for your travel you will work with the School to book travel and make hotel reservations if necessary. Students will initially cover the costs of their trip, and will submit a form for reimbursement upon their return. In order to be reimbursed, students need to save the receipts from each transaction. It is important for students to remember that they will not be reimbursed beyond the amount for which they have been approved.

    Please be aware that the following restrictions apply when traveling with University funds: the University can cover economy airfare, shuttles, train, taxi, mileage to and from the airport, conference registration, per diem, and hotel, but cannot cover souvenirs, room service laundry services, or additional baggage fees beyond one checked bag. Exemptions can sometimes be made, but additional restrictions may also apply. When in doubt about what may be covered, it is always better for students to stay on the safe side and assume that things will not be covered.

    When participating in conferences, students are representing the SoM, CAGS, OU, and any other organizations that they are part of. Students must abide by the specific conference code of conduct as well as OU’s Student Code of Conduct and the NWC protocol (see Section 3)

  5. Internships, Research, and Employment

      1. Internships and Academic Credit

        Students in the School of Meteorology are encouraged to pursue an internship. Internships cover a wide variety of experiences including broadcast meteorology, private sector companies, and summer research experiences. Internships provide students with the opportunity to gain professional experience in their field of study and may lead to an entry-level position within the business where the internship was performed. Although students are not required to seek credit for an internship, many internship employers require that students be enrolled in an internship class. Students may earn 1-3 hours of credit for an Internship. Internships may be completed at any time during the academic year and may be either paid or unpaid – either are eligible for academic credit.

        Please note: An internship through the School of Meteorology will not carry degree credit toward a BS in Meteorology unless the student obtains permission from the Director of the School of Meteorology for the internship to fulfill a specific degree requirement.

        To receive academic credit through the School of Meteorology for an internship, a student must:

        • Have a declared a major in Meteorology

        • Have a minimum 2.0 OU and Retention GPA

        • Submit an SoM Internship for Credit form to the undergraduate coordinator.

        • Enroll a section of METR 3890 – typically that of the Associate Director for Undergraduates who will act as the instructor.

        • Satisfactorily complete the requirements set forth by the instructor of the course in the time agreed upon.

          Please note in order to receive a grade and credit for your internship:

        • You are required to e-mail your internship instructor brief weekly reports to document your progress in the internship.

        • At the end of the internship, you must submit a report (length to be discussed with instructor based on credits taken) to your internship instructor that includes:

          • The nature and scope of the work you performed

          • What you learned and how it relates to your education at OU

          • How the internship experience has affected your career plans

        • Your instructor will also request that your internship supervisor provides a written evaluation of your job performance at the completion of the internship.

      2. Finding an Internship

        Many internship opportunities are available within the National Weather Center, but some students may choose to seek external internships.

        Institutions and companies send listings to the university that are distributed among the students; students should carefully read the Monday Memo and emails from student coordinators to see these listings (see also Section 11.3 for student employment). Students can

        find internship resources on OU’s Career Services website, SoM’s job board, and job boards from other institutions. Students may also seek internships directly with a company or business. The AMS also has an internship board on its website.

        Some national internships programs are listed below, but many other internships exist, such as those through local TV stations for broadcast meteorologists.

      3. Student Employment

        Undergraduates can find student jobs in meteorology and related fields throughout the various entities in the NWC and OU campus, as well as with private sector companies on OU’s Research Campus and throughout the Oklahoma City metro. The experience and broad range of skills developed by these opportunities make students more competitive when applying for employment after graduation. The Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS), the Oklahoma Climate Survey and Mesonet, Storm Prediction Center, and others have employed Meteorology undergraduates. Some faculty also employ undergraduates within their research groups.

        Students should watch for job announcements via departmental emails, the Monday Memo from CAGS, and on our job board. Students are also encouraged to make use of the OU HR department’s resources, which can be found here.

      4. Research and Academic Credit

    Students have multiple opportunities to participate in research as undergraduates with SoM.

    Honors Students: Students in OU’s Honors College can conduct their honors project under the supervision of a SoM faculty or adjunct faculty member. This project typically becomes the students Honors thesis. To conduct Honors research and receive the appropriate academic credit (METR 3980), students must find a faculty member willing to supervise them and submit the Honors Research form (instructions) to the Honors College. The Honors Research Form must be signed by the faculty research mentor, the student, and the SoM honors coordinator.

    This form serves as an agreement between the student and the faculty member that describes the expectations for the research and grading procedure.

    Students who are employed as an undergraduate research position cannot be paid for their research work in the semester that they are enrolled in Honors Research.

    Meteorology majors can undertake honors research outside of SoM, no permissions from SoM are required.

    Honors College Coordinator: Elinor Martin, elinor.martin@ou.edu

    Undergraduate Research Opportunities: Students can receive funding for research opportunities via the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), typically with two deadlines per year in September and February.

    Undergraduate Research for Credit in SoM: Students conducting research with SoM faculty or adjunct/affiliate faculty members can receive academic credit by enrolling in the section of METR 4990 associated with your research advisor. Prior to enrolling and to receive enrollment permissions, both the student and faculty research advisor must confirm participation with the undergraduate coordinator (Shelby Hill). SoM encourages all faculty to pay students conducting undergraduate research.

  6. Careers

    Meteorology blends mathematics, physics, and computer sciences to provide a theoretical and applied framework to understand and predict the complexities of the atmosphere. Our undergraduate program prepares students for the pursuit of a broad range of careers in sectors such as meteorology, climatology, environmental science, remote sensing, engineering, emergency management, aviation/aerospace, energy and related fields.

    Our program prepares students for a broad range of careers which generally falls into one of three categories – government, private sector, and academia. Some examples of jobs in each of these categories are provided below.

    Government: Operational meteorologist at the National Weather Service, military (e.g. Air Force) weather office or forecaster, city or county emergency managers, Department of Agriculture, government air quality scientists, etc.

    Private Sector: Broadcast meteorologist at a TV station, meteorologist/climate scientist at energy, commodity, and insurance/re-insurance companies, aviation meteorologists for passenger and cargo airlines, ship forecasting, land transportation, instrument and technology development, forensic meteorologist, and many other applied meteorological applications, etc.

    Academia: teacher, research scientist, faculty, etc.

    The AMS has an excellent Careers resource program where students can view career profiles of a wide variety of professionals and provides an array of additional resources. The American Geoscience Institute has also created a “CareerCompass” focused on atmospheric sciences which provides options, tips, suggestions, and strategies for how a student can obtain critical skills, experiences, and competencies in order to launch their career.

    Although numbers vary year to year based on student interests and job availability, approximately 35-40% of our students go on to graduate schools in various disciplines, 25-45% to private sector positions, 10-15% acquire positions in the NWS, State, or Federal jobs, 5-10% have TV broadcast meteorologist positions, and 2-5% to the military.

    Students pursuing a degree in Meteorology should make use of the University’s excellent Career Services office, which can be found on the third floor of the Oklahoma Memorial Union. There are also Career Fairs put on by the CAGS, the American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union, and the National Weather Association. It is important that students prepare for career fairs and other opportunities adequately. The university has a number of resources to assist students; please contact the School of Meteorology academic coordinators for more information.

    Numerous resources exist for job searching. In addition to those listed in Section 11 for internships, the following websites may be useful:

  7. Resources for Student Success

      1. NWC Library

        The NWC Library began operating in 2006, when the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) Library was merged with OU’s School of Meteorology library. It supports the research, education, outreach, and operations of all NWC entities, and offer research services to anyone in the general public with an interest in weather or geography. The NWC Library collection contains over 7,000 materials covering subjects including:

        • Meteorology

        • Geography

        • Geographic Information Science

        • Environmental Sustainability

        • Climatology

        • Mathematics

        • Physics

        • Disaster Management

        • Computer Programming and Languages

          Our library is also home to unique government documents, historical weather maps, and rare field sketchbooks of tornadoes from the 1800s. As the library is a joint venture of the University of Oklahoma and NOAA, we facilitate access to both educational and federal resources. The NWC Library hosts therapy dog visits weekly, and serves as an OU ADRC testing location (Section 3.2.1) within the National Weather Center.

      2. Academic Support

        • OU Tutoring Service: A number of free tutoring options for varying subjects

        • OU Math Center: offering support for OU math courses.

        • OU Chemistry Lab Help: See your Canvas Course page for details on the General Chemistry tutoring.

        • OU Student Learning Center: a department of University College (UC) offers free tutoring through UC action. This service offers walk-in, small group appointments, online tutoring, and/or faculty directed sessions to help students take action towards their own academic success.

        • The OU Writing Center is a university-wide program that enriches learning, teaching, and research through engagement with writing. We assist students and faculty across the campus with all types of writing projects at any stage in the writing process.

      3. Further Resources

        Additional resources for students from underrepresented groups can be found in Section 3.2. Listed below are OU resources that should be explored by students.

        • OU International Student Services: ISS provides information and support for all international students.

        • Goddard Health Services is the University of Oklahoma’s on-campus health clinic. Please refer to their website for information on scheduling appointments, clinic hours, and financial information.

        • OU Women’s Center: The women’s center (a division of Goddard Health Services) is staffed with physicians and physician assistants to address the physical, psychological and emotional needs of women on the University of Oklahoma campus. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 325-4441.

        • University Counseling Clinic: UCC provides services to students, faculty, and staff.

          Counselors help people resolve existing problems, prevent potential problems, and develop new skills that will enhance their lives. A broad range of services in a variety of formats is offered. UCC is staffed by professional psychologists and counselors, as well as advanced graduate students under supervision.

          The following national and international organizations provide additional resources, support, and opportunities for students.

        • American Meteorological Society https://www.ametsoc.org

        • American Geophysical Union https://www.agu.org

        • National Weather Association https://nwas.org/

  8. NWC, CAGS, and SoM Administration

    1. The National Weather Center

      https://www.ou.edu/nwc

      The College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences and the School of Meteorology are housed in the National Weather Center.

      Due to the collocation of academic and government facilities in the National Weather Center, everyone entering is required to display an approved ID (OU Sooner Card/NOAA/Research Campus/NWC Security issued) while in public areas of the NWC. Only those with approved access are allowed entry between 7pm and 7am.

      After your freshmen year, students in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences have access 24 hours a day (one needs to swipe their ID-card to get after 7pm). Freshmen will not have 24 hr access unless they become active in the student organizations at the School of Meteorology (SoM).

    2. College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences

      https://www.ou.edu/ags

      The Mission of the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences is to provide a world-class academic experience that promotes convergent, innovative and inclusive education and research at the intersections of weather, climate, and sustainability. To fulfill our mission, we are dedicated to preparing students for successful careers in the private sector, academia, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations.

      The College’s staff website provides contact information for the wonderful Dean’s Office staff.

      The AGS Dean’s Suite is full of valuable members of the college who can help students with issues such as SoonerID card access, academic contracts, graduation checks, and more. They are located on the 3rd floor of the National Weather Center in Suite 3630.

      Certain documentation and procedures are handled through the Dean’s Office, this includes documentation that requires College-Level Advisor signature. Some examples of documentation and procedures handled by the College are (note that this list is not comprehensive):

      • GI Bill and VA forms

      • Second bachelor degrees

      • Flat rate tuition exemptions

      • Academic contracts

      • Degree Checks

    3. The School of Meteorology

      http://meteorology.ou.edu/

          1. SoM Directors

            Dr. Jens Redemann serves as the Director of the School of Meteorology jredemann@ou.edu

            Dr. Elinor Martin serves as the Associate Director for Undergraduate Studies elinor.martin@ou.edu

            Dr. Cameron Homeyer serves as the Associate Director for Graduate Studies chomeyer@ou.edu

          2. SoM Staff

            The School’s front office is located on the 5th floor of the National Weather Center in Suite 5900. The staff in the front office are here to help students with issues that arise, whether that means providing assistance in-house or referring a student to the proper resource. The SoM staff website provides contact information about the wonderful SoM staff.

            Shelby Hill is the Academic Coordinator for Undergraduate Programs and the main point of contact for students with questions related to the SoM undergraduate program. Ms. Hill is available to meet with students to work through academic, financial, personal, and other issues. Students may schedule an appointment with her via iAdvise, or via email at sheill@ou.edu.

          3. SoM Undergraduate Studies Committee (UGSC)

      Any revisions of the SoM undergraduate curriculum are handled by the SoM UGSC. The UGSC is also in charge of keeping this Undergraduate Student Handbook up to date and serves a point of contact for students who have concerns or suggestions for future improvements of the SoM undergraduate curriculum and SoM policies for the undergraduate program as described in this document. The UGSC consists of 5 voting members (faculty members and instructors) and 3 non-voting members:

      Voting Members (as of Fall 2021):

      • Elinor Martin (Chair): Associate Professor, NWC 5642, 405-325-7392, elinor.martin@ou.edu

      • Naoko Sakaeda: Assistant Professor, NWC 5329, 405-325-1142, nsakaeda@ou.edu

      • David Parsons: President’s Associates Presidential Professor; Director Emeritus, NWC 5111, 405-325-8565, dparsons@ou.edu

      • Greg McFarquhar: Professor; Director of CIMMS, NWC 2104, 405-325-3041, mcfarq@ou.edu

      • Amanda Kis: Instructor, NWC 5409, 405-325-6561, akkis@ou.edu

Non-Voting Members (as of Spring 2021): Shelby Hill, Undergraduate Coordinator Shawn Riley, Computer Systems Coordinator TBD (SAC student representative)

Appendix 1: Common Acronyms and Abbreviations

OU University of Oklahoma SoM School of Meteorology

CAGS College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences NWC National Weather Center

AMS American Meteorological Society NWA National Weather Assocation AGU American Geophysical Union NWS National Weather Center

SPC Storm Prediction Center

CIMMS Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies*

*Effective October 1 2021, CIMMS will become the Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CISHIWRO)

METR meteorology course code abbreviation UGSC Undergraduate Studies Committee JEDI Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

NOAA National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration CASH Centralized Academic Scholarship Hub