Office Hours: Days 1 and 2 from 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and Days 4 and 6 from 11:00 a.m. - noon or by appointment (m usually somewhere around the department, probably in one of the research labs. Feel free to track me down anytime.) I will also hold office hours at O'Connell's on Days 1 and 2 from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. in conjunction with the organic chemistry faculty.

Lectures: Even days 9:40 - 10:50 a.m. in room 104 ASC

Laboratory: Day 3, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. in room ASC 202-204

Required Materials:

• McMurry and Fay, Chemistry, 4^th Ed., 2004.
• Fall 2006 CSB/SJU CHEM 123 Laboratory Manual
• Carbon Copy Lab Notebook, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.
• Splashproof Safety Goggles

Tutors: Chemistry tutors are available at no extra cost. Hours and locations in which the tutors will be available will be announced in class.

Course Description: This course will examine the fundamentals of atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical bonding, reactions, gases and kinetic molecular theory of matter.

Grading: The following is an approximate scale for determining final grades. In the event that the various grade ranges need to be adjusted, I will do so only by lowering the cut-off percentages. In other words, a total score of 84% for the semester will be at least a "B" grade. No student with a total score below 50% will receive a passing grade under any circumstances.

Assignment Summary:

OWL assignments 5.0%

Attendance: I do not take attendance in class and I can't force you to attend class. If you miss a class you can get notes from another student however you can't make up the experience.

Homework: Graded homework problems are due at the beginning of class and will not be accepted after that. Graded problems will be your individual work, done without consulting or copying anyone else's work. There will also be practice problems assigned. These practice problems will NOT be collected for grading; however, you should spend time working them carefully. These practice problems are considered the minimum that you should work in order to master the course material and help prepare for quizzes and exams. It will definitely be to your advantage to spend time working extra problems on your own. Reworking problems (not just reviewing them) is an important part of studying for tests and exams.

OWL: OWL assignments are part of the online assignments that are worth 5.0% of your final grade. Your grade will be based on the percentage of assignments that you complete successfully out of those that are assigned as required. The homework is set up so that you have a limited number of times you can try any one problem. There are due dates / times for each assignment. I will also assign some optional assignments for you to practice/ get more information. These are not required (i.e. will not be graded), but are highly recommended. To access the OWL assignments see end of syllabus.

Quizzes: No makeups will be given for quizzes. I will drop your lowest quiz score. If you should miss a quiz, the zero on that quiz will be the dropped grade.

Exams: Exams will be cumulative. Makeups on exams are given at my discretion, in the case of college-sponsored trips, illnesses or family emergencies only. It is important that you contact me about makeups as soon as possible.

The final exam is an ACS (American Chemical Society) standardized exam that covers material from the entire semester. The final exam date and time will be announced later this semester.

Laboratory: In any experimental science, lab work is fundamental. Lab experiments will be the basis of discussion of theories in class, so I hope to make your lab experiences relevant to what we do in class. The laboratory is worth 20% of your grade. You are expected to attend all lab sessions and turn in a lab report for each experiment. If you miss a lab, you may not be able to reschedule it; it is best to notify me as soon as possible regarding time conflicts and then make other arrangements with the lab coordinator (Dr. Bob Fulton) prior to an absence. Failure to complete a lab (attendance in lab plus the completion of the written report) will result in ineligibility for S/U grading; additional incomplete labs will result in a final course grade reduction of half (e.g., from AB to B).

The labs have been purposefully arranged so that some do not coincide when that particular topic is being covered in lecture. We would like you as students to have the experience of "discovering" some of the chemistry in lab before we talk about it in class. It is intended to help you solidify connections with the classroom material if you first work with it in a laboratory setting. Try not to get discouraged. I understand that this might be a bit frustrating, but if you put in the initial effort you can always come to me for help with lab.

Note: An unexcused lab will result in an F (0 points) for that lab. This grade will be averaged in with the student's other lab grades for the semester when calculating the final laboratory grade. The lab grade is calculated from scores on lab reports, prelabs, lab notebooks and quizzes. In addition, lab-related questions will frequently be a part of exams.

Plagiarism: Finally, a word about academic honesty. The plagiarism statement printed in the course catalog will be applied to labwork and other coursework. It is a violation of the plagiarism policy to submit work other than your own for grading. Although it is difficult to determine where working together ends and plagiarism begins, do not copy or take anyone's work and submit it as yours. Students violating the plagiarism policy will be prosecuted using the procedure in the course catalog.

• Come to class.
• Bring your book and calculator to class every day.
• Organize. Organize your notes and handouts in a three-ring binder.
• Read. Reading assignments will be posted in class. Scan the relevant reading before coming to class, and then closely re-read it after class. The text, not myself, is the primary source of material for the course. This tome cost you far too much money - use it! As lecturer, my role is strictly that of interpreter and guide. The lectures cannot be taken as a replacement for the textbook.
• Participate. You will not learn anything in class if you passively copy down notes. Ask questions if you do not understand something, even if you think your question is "stupid". There is a good chance that many others in the class have the same question, and they will be thankful that you have asked it. Moreover, your question is never "stupid" if it concerns the course material; it is only by asking and probing that one begins to truly learn. BE INVOLVED!
• Do the problems! THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Chemistry cannot be learned through osmosis; simply reading the book and listening to lectures is not enough. The only way to understand the material is to actively apply concepts to new situations. Remember: chemistry is a "vertical" subject. New material builds upon what is already learned, so your best strategy is to KEEP UP and don't leave the problem solving to the night before the exam. If after working the problems in the book you do not understand how the answer was arrived at, come to my office hours, help sessions, or e-mail me and we'll set up a time.
• Begin studying for exams early. It is best to begin studying for an exam about a week before the exam is scheduled (of course you have already read the chapters and worked the homework problems). Study in one to two hour increments, focusing on a topic or two. This will prevent the infamous "brain meld" when your brain connects topics that aren't really connected.
• Form a study group. Get together with 4 to 5 other students to meet about twice a week. We all have different learning styles and strengths. Interaction and building upon each other's unique perspectives will benefit your entire group.
• Work on lab reports as soon as possible after lab. Doing this means that you will be answering questions while the lab experiment is still fresh in your mind, and that you will have adequate time to ask me, your lab instructor or a TA about a problematic question or two.
• Meet with me. If you are having problems with the material see me as soon as possible so we can get you back on track.