1 Chemistry 111, Section 5 Syllabus Course Contract Fall, 2013 This course satisfies the physical science General Education requirement (PS). The aim of GenEd is to help students develop mature, broad, transferable skill sets that are not limited to one particular discipline or profession. The PS GenEd courses grow analytical reasoning, critical thinking, complex problem solving, mathematical acumen, logical argument, and other life skills. In this class, we work on these skills using the language and concepts of chemistry, but the skills are transferable to any field. 1. Instructor of Record: Professor Edward G. Voigtman Jr. SPIRE # 31614 Office: Goessmann 167 Phone: 413 545 0293 Rev.: 9/4/2013 E-mail: [email protected] Course information sites: Moodle and also CHEM 111 Course UDrive. Details in class. Lectures: MWF at 8 a.m. in ISB 135. Office hours: MWF at 9 a.m., in Goessmann 167. Others by arrangement! 2. Attendance: required. This is especially important since each lecture section of CHEM 111 is independent, with its own schedule of topics, exams, etc. You cannot miss a lecture and expect to make it up by attending another lecture section. Any change in lecture section MUST be done before the first exam: see #5 below. 3. Required Textbook: The textbook is a FREE e-book inside OWL! So you do NOT have to actually buy a textbook! See details below. 4. Required for the laboratory (available at the University Store or via the Biochemistry Club): Safety Glasses. And, of course, you need a scientific calculator! 5. In-class examination dates (ISB 135): Exam #1: Wednesday, September 25, 2013 Mid-semester Withdraw Date (last chance to withdraw with a “W”): October 17, 2013. Exam #2: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 Exam #3: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 The examinations are in-class, but pyramid (discussed in class). Each in-class examination is closed book, closed notes. They will be multiple choice format, and no extra time is available except with formal Disabilities Services documentation and request (if this latter applies to you, see me after class: I will need the paperwork). ••••••••• A grade of 90 or higher is an “A” and an “F” will be earned for a final course numerical grade below 60 on a 0 – 100 grade scale. VERY IMPORTANT: To PASS the course, students must have a PASSING final numerical course grade. They must also pass the laboratory portion of the course. Failing the lab portion of the course results in an automatic failure of the course. ••••••••• There are no early Final Examinations, so plan to be on campus during the Final Examinations period: December 9 - 14, 2013. The actual dates (and times, locations, etc.) of the Final Examinations for all sections of CHEM 111 will be announced as soon as they are made available to instructors. Our Final exam: To Be announced in October. Important note: you MUST take the Final Examination to pass the course! See #7 below! 6. Grading: 3 in-class Exams 16.5% each Final Exam (required: see #7 below; cumulative) 16.5% Laboratory (must be passed to pass course) 20% Computer-based (OWL) homework, including OWLBook 10% iClicker 4%2 7. Make-up examinations: If a student misses one of the examinations for a valid and properly documented reason [examples: documented varsity athletic event conflict, documented death in the immediate family, etc.], then a make-up examination, will be available on Saturday, November 23, 2013, at 10 a.m. in ISB 135. If you miss any two of Exams 1-3 as per the above valid reasons, you will be allowed to take two make-up exams on Saturday, November 23, 2013, starting at 10 a.m. in ISB 135. If you miss all three exams as per the above valid reasons, you will be allowed to take a maximum of two make-up exams, on the day listed above. Under such circumstances, I will support a petition for you to withdraw from the course for cause, because it is highly unlikely that you would be able to pass the course. If you miss the Final Exam for illness, there will be a Make-up Final Exam, as per standard university policy. 8. Laboratory: The full laboratory schedule is at the CHEM 111 web site (follow the lab schedule links at the left of the screen when you get there): http://www.chem.umass.edu/genchem/chem111/111index.html The lab component comprises 20% of your overall course grade. In order to pass the course you must obtain a passing grade in the laboratory. In order to obtain this grade you must: • Complete ALL the laboratories, • Arrive on-time so as to complete ALL prelab lab quizzes, & • Attempt ALL of the OWL-Lab Exams*. * OWL-Lab Exams are similar to, but SEPARATE from, the lecture OWL assignments. Important note: if you fail the class, in EITHER the lecture section OR the laboratory section, then you will need to retake the whole course - labs and all. There are no “lab waivers” for those who failed! IMPORTANT NOTE: IF a student is retaking CHEM 111, having previously obtained a PASSING grade in the course, they are eligible for a lab waiver. In that case, see Marie Whalen (Undergraduate Program Manager) in ISB 341G for information about obtaining the lab waiver. Documentation of the passing grade must be presented to Marie Whalen, who will check it against UMass records. THERE ARE NO LAB WAIVERS FOR ANYONE WHO FAILS CHEM 111! 9. Resources: The Computer Resource Center (CRC) is located in ISB 325. Its hours of operation and other CRC information is at http://isb-web.nsm.umass.edu/ The CRC is a good place to do chemistry homework and get chemistry related questions answered. On-line Web-based Learning (OWL) is a computer delivered homework/quizzing system covering the topics in the course. Assignments are given directly in OWL, with due dates specified. When you register for General Chemistry, via SPIRE, you have access to our course web site (Moodle) and our course UDrive. You will be given a significant number of OWL assignments (more than 100) and successful completion of these assignments by the various due dates will count 10% toward your final grade. This can make the difference between a “B” or a “C” in the course, so treat them seriously. You may do each OWL assignment as often as you would like. Only your best score, completed within the deadline period, counts toward