\ 1. Correlate molecular structure with physical and chemical properties of aliphatic and aromatic organic molecules.

\ 2. Predict the mechanism and outcome of aliphatic and aromatic substitution and elimination reactions, given the conditions and starting materials.

\ 3. Predict the chirality of reaction products based on enantiomeric and diastereomeric relationships.

\ 4. Describe reaction mechanisms in terms of energetics, reaction kinetics, and thermodynamics.

\ 5. Use spectroscopic techniques to characterize organic molecules and subgroups.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Please be respectful of the other students in class.  Turn off cell phones/pagers.  Pay attention in class.  Do not be disruptive.  If you arrive late, do not try to go to your accustomed seat, but quietly take a chair close to the door.  If you are causing a disruption in class, you may be asked to leave.

Please see items in Grading and the Contract for Success on cheating.

Please see Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook for further information.

Grading Criteria

Tests: There will be a test approximately every 2-3 chapters.  In addition to traditional exams there will be an in-class presentation (see below).  The lowest grade will be dropped, but you cannot drop the presentation.  If a test is missed it will automatically count as the low grade.  Work must be legible and the final answer must be clearly indicated to receive credit.  There are NO makeup exams.  If special accommodations become necessary, arrangements must be made BEFORE (at least 24 hours) the exam date. 

All tests, excluding the Final Exam, will be taken in the Science Testing Center and may be taken during normal Science Testing Center hours, day or evening.  Tests are to be taken outside of class lecture time.  Please note:  No tests will be given out less than one and a half hours before the Science Testing Center closes. You must present an Amarillo College student ID every time you take a test. The Science Testing Center staff will retain your ID while you take your test and it will be returned to you when you turn in your test.
When using the Science Testing Center students should scan in and out with their Amarillo College student I.D.

Cheating will not be tolerated in any Chemistry course at Amarillo College. On the first day of class, you will be required to sign and date a Course Contract. Included in the contract is the following statement: "I fully understand that if I cheat, or attempt to cheat, on any test I will receive an automatic “F” in the course. This grade will go on my permanent transcript and cannot be removed. Cheating includes, but is not limited to: the illegal use of books, notes, cell phones*, copying or leaving the Science Testing Center with a test or questions from a test. Cheating also includes helping, or attempting to help, other students to cheat on a test."
You will not be allowed to take your tests until this contract is signed and on file in the Science Testing Center.
*Please Note: NO CELL PHONES in the Testing Room. If we see your cell phone out AT ANY TIME, FOR ANY REASON, while in the testing room, YOU WILL RECEIVE an "F" for the course!

You should bring nothing more than a pencil and the test ticket.  FOR ALL STUDENTS, YOUR TICKET MUST BE BROUGHT TO THE TEST AND COMPLETED BEFORE THE TEST BEGINS or you cannot start the test.  The test ticket will be a record of what tutoring is mandatory for you as a student with a place for the SEC tutors to show that you have completed it.  If this is not completed, the testing center will not hand out your exam.  You may then go to the SEC and complete it before the exam is due, given sufficient time.  DO NOT LEAVE this until the last minute as you may not be allowed to take an exam if you do.  Again, the Testing Center will not hand out tests when less than an hour and a half remains before closing.  MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE TESTING CENTER HOURS.

You may bring to the test 1 note card (4 x 6 inches or smaller only) on which you may write any notes you wish (front and back is fine).  These must be hand-written by the individual student.  When you arrive, you must show the instructor your card and deposit ALL OTHER MATERIALS (bags, phones, etc.) at the front of the room (meaning no magnifying glasses, etc.).  Once that is done, you will be given your test.  If the card is written in another handwriting or typed, you will not be allowed to use it on the test.  When you turn in your exam, you must turn in your note card as well or you will lose 20 points from your test score.

I do not return exams.  When you see the grades available on AC Connect, you may come by my office to see your exam or make an appointment with the SEC (please tell me so I can take your exam to them).  After viewing/going over the test, it must be returned to the SEC staff.  If you have a test grade below a 70%, you must schedule a time with me or the SEC to over the test (remediation).  You CANNOT take another test until you have completed any remediation required.

Quizzes: The quizzes will be assigned to ensure that students are keeping up with reading the text. Quizzes will be administered in class in the first few minutes of lecture time.  Generally quizzes on a subject will be the first full day covering that chapter.  That is, if we finish chapter X one day and begin chapter Y that same day, the next day will have a quiz over chapter Y.  Likewise, if we finish chapter Y at the end of the class period, the next period we will begin chapter Z and will have a quiz over it.  The lowest grade will be dropped (see reading assignment). If a quiz is missed it will automatically count as the low grade.  There are NO makeup quizzes.  If you are not in the classroom when quizzes are passed out, you cannot take the quiz for that chapter.  Do not arrive tardy for class.

Presentation:  Students will be assigned a chapter of the Biomolecules section.  The students will present the lecture and submit the quiz and test questions for the chapter. They will be graded on presentation and appropriateness of questions.  The quizzes and tests will be made up of student submitted questions as much as possible.  The presentation grade will count as a test grade in addition to the in-class exam made from student questions.

Homework Problems: Problems will be assigned for each unit.  Doing the homework improves the understanding of the subject matter.  The homework will be done online using the OWL network.  There are three types of assignments:  Homeworks which are repeatable as often as you would like and are required, Tutorials/Simulations/Exercises which are also repeatable but are optional, and the end-of-chapter assignments which can be taken three times for each question.  The end-of-chapter items are graded based on the number correct and count for 30% of your Homework grade.  The rest of the homework will be counted as a completion grade, but you must complete all parts to get full credit.  Late Homework will not be accepted.  Due dates will be posted on the OWL website.  The lowest Homework grade will be dropped (see below).

Reading Assignment:  The percentage of adult Americans reading literature has dropped dramatically over the past 20 years.  Literary reading is declining among all education levels and the steepest decline is in the youngest age groups.  Reading expands a person’s vocabulary and introduces new ideas.  Therefore, you are assigned to read a trade book (a trade book is different from textbooks in that they are published for a wide audience).  This project is different from other “writing about a book” assignments and the focus is simply on reading a book dealing with a subject of your interest.  You GET to read a book of your choosing (with approval), and your evidence that you actually read the book will be a couple of paragraphs of handwritten notes per chapter that will be graded on a pass-fail basis—either you read the book or you didn’t.  ANY trade book with primarily science as a theme will satisfy the requirements.  Choose a topic YOU are interested in.  A list of pre-approved books/authors/topics will be emailed to you, but if you wish to suggest your own simply give me the author and title and I will look it up to see if it seems valid.  NO textbooks will be approved.  The first book is ASSIGNED as a combined quiz and homework grade (10 and 100 points, respectively).  This means if you don’t wish to read, you simply can’t drop a low homework or quiz grade as this assignment will be dropped instead.  A second book is OPTIONAL, a second turned in assignment will allow you to drop a second quiz and homework grade.  A third book is also OPTIONAL for bonus test points. Requirements for bonus points are the same—handwritten notes for each chapter.  The deadlines to turn in your handwritten notes will be February 21st (1^st book), April 4th (2^nd book), and May 9^th (3^rd book) at 5 pm.  If you miss a deadline, you cannot turn in 3 total books (i.e. if only reading two, they are due by 4/4 and 5/9, if only one, it is due 5/3).  You may read only one fiction book/novel and only one non-science book from the pre-approved list.  Your writing MUST be legible to receive credit.  You may NOT use a book you have used in any previous semester.

Extra Credit:Occasional extra credit assignments given in class will count toward either your final homework grade or test grade depending on the assignment.  There is always the option to submit questions for any test or quiz.  These must be submitted by 5 pm the evening before the test or quiz to receive any credit.  In addition to the EC, the question may well appear on the test/quiz.  The “better” the question and the sooner I receive it, the more likely it is to be included.

Final Exam: The final exam will be given on Monday, May 12, 2014, from 7:30-9:30 a.m. in Warren 201.  This will be a comprehensive, multiple-choice exam over the entire year’s material.

Overall Grade:  It is the students’ responsibility to keep track of theiroverall grade based on Quizzes - 10%, Tests - 65%, Homework - 10%, Final Exam - 15%.  The lowest quiz, test, and homework grade will all be dropped and the average for that type of assignment will be based on one less than the total.  If you have trouble calculating your grade, you may come to my office to see your overall grade.

Grades are based on 90.00+ = A, 80.00-89.99 = B, 70.00-79.99 = C, 60.00-69.99 = D, and 59.99 and lower = F.

Grade Disputes:  While I encourage you to come to me with questions about answers on assignments anytime, if you wish to dispute a grade or have a grade changed, you must contact me about it within two weeks of the assignment due date or there will be no change to the grade.

Attendance

Attendance in class is expected.  Dropping the course is the sole responsibility of the student.  Failure to officially withdraw will result in a grade of F. 

Last day to drop courses is April 24.

Calendar

Additional Information

Reading the Text:  It is vital that you read the text BEFORE the lecture on that chapter.  This will greatly improve your understanding of the topic and therefore your grade.  As there is a large amount of information to cover, not all of it can be covered in the time allotted for class.  You are responsible for the information presented in the text even if it is not covered in lecture.

Resources Available:  In addition to copies of lecture slides available on 4^th floor of the library, there are numerous additional resources available to you.  A list of useful links was given with the syllabus in the first semester and can be emailed to you.  Additional helpful books are available on reserve on the 4^th floor of the library.  There is a CD of animated reactions that will be very helpful throughout the semester, as well.  Most resources I have in my office including modeling kits, supplementary texts, and additional problems are available for check-out.

Class Evaluation:  At the end of each class period, you may asked to fill out a short form including any questions you might have about the subject, whether that day’s lecture or a previous topic.  These questionnaires are intended to assist both you and me in addressing problem areas and will in No Way affect your grade.

Email:  Every student has an account in AC Connect/Gmail.  You need to check this daily. Announcements, extra credit assignments, grades, and contact will all be made through email there.

INFORMATION SHEET/SIGNATURE:  You must fill out and return the information sheet for this class (handed out and posted in AC Connect).  You must also sign it to signify that you have read and understand the syllabus.  You will receive grades of zero in AC Connect for all assignments and no graded assignments will be returned to you until the signed information sheet is turned in.  Likewise, you will be required to sign the Contract for Success and it must be on file with the Testing Center before you will be allowed to take exams there.

***This syllabus is subject to change.  You will be informed of any changes to the syllabus in class, email, and posting in AC Online.***