Introductory Chemistry I Syllabus for 2023-2024
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Instructor Information

Course Information

COVID-19 Protocols

Recording Policy

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If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

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As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Tutoring for Success applies to any student whose overall performance in the course falls below 75%. The instructor will create the task in the Student Engagement Portal (Watermark) to direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty- or SI-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. The tutoring service assigned, the due date for when the tutoring must be completed, and the amount of tutoring required are at the discretion of the instructor. Additionally, the task will alert the student’s success team. Students who do not fulfill the assigned tutoring task may be subject to program- and course-specific penalties that could result in a grade reduction and/or in not being allowed to progress in the course until the tutoring requirement has been satisfied.

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

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The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

CHEM-1405-002 Introductory Chemistry I

Prerequisites

Course Description

Survey course introducing chemistry. Topics may include inorganic, organic, biochemistry, food/physiological chemistry, and environmental/consumer chemistry. Designed for non-science and allied health students.

Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(4 sem hrs; 3 lec, 4 lab)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

REQUIRED: Online ALEKS Homework code

Introductory Chemistry Laboratory Manual, by Mary E. Graff

Supplies

Pen, Pencil, Paper, Scientific Calculator

Lab apron or lab coat; safety goggles

Student Performance

Objectives and Goals of Course

The primary objectives of this class are:

1. To gain a basic understanding of general inorganic chemistry and its application.

2. To learn fundamental theories, concepts, terms and skills to master basic inorganic chemistry.

3. To develop an understanding of basic applications of chemistry in everyday living.

4. To develop a healthy understanding and respect for general chemistry.

5. To provide a physical science elective for students not majoring in science, engineering, or related fields that would require CHEM 1411.

Performance/Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course the student should be able to do the following:

1. Have a basic understanding of chemistry and its everyday applications.

2. Explain the relation between atoms and molecules.

3. Gain fundamental knowledge of chemical nomenclature.

4. Understand simple atomic structure and the periodic table.

5. Have a basic understanding of the different types of chemical reactions.

6. Perform simple calculations related to the topics covered in the class, such as density, heat, stoichiometry, solutions, and gases.

7. Write and balance chemical equations and use the equations for basic calculations of chemical quantities. 

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

Class Conduct: 

Please be respectful of the other students in class.  Set cell phones to silent mode and do not send text messages during lecture.  Any use of electronic devices should be related to the course material currently being discussed.  If you need to be "on call" for family or other reasons, please notify the instructor; in that case, set phone to vibrate and quietly step outside if you need to take a call.  Pay attention in class.  Do not be disruptive.  If you are causing a disruption in class, you may be asked to leave.  Avoid listening to personal music players or other obvious "multitasking" behaviors.  

If there is any evidence of cheating on any homework, quiz, test, or final, you will receive a zero for that item and cannot make it up or replace it and it cannot be dropped. Any exam taken in the Science Testing Center is subject to their rules for cheating.

Please see Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook for further information.

Labs will meet in person; please allow space to listen to prelab instruction. 

Whenever you are in the laboratory, safety equipment must be worn. This includes:  closed shoes, apron or lab coat, long hair tied back, safety goggles, and, if necessary, gloves (will be specified; gloves are provided in lab). 

Students cannot wear the following to the laboratory: open-toed shoes, shoes with holes in them, shoes that leave the top of the foot exposed, pants with holes in them, hats, short skirts, tops that do not cover the back and middle of the body.

In the laboratory, no food, drinks, tobacco, or gum are allowed.

Students should move carefully in lab, use caution with open flames, and clean their work spaces before leaving. Group areas should be left neat and clean as you found them. Violations of safety rules or messes left behind may lead to point deductions. For repeated violations of safety rules, a student will be asked to leave the laboratory. Safety is the MOST important part of lab.  You must attend the safety presentation and watch the required video, pass the safety quiz (with an 80) and complete prelab material before you will be allowed to perform experiments for lab.  Any experiments missed by failing to do this will be zeroes and cannot be made up.

Lab data SHOULD NOT be copied from others; you can only report what happened in your own experiment. Violations of this rule will lead to zeroes for that portion of the lab.

You must clean up your area of the lab. It is not the instructor’s or laboratory supervisor's job to clean up after you. Points will be deducted from the lab if your lab area must be cleaned up for you. Leave common areas neat and always replace bottle caps and stoppers. Wipe up spills. Sinks and benches should be left like you found them. Glassware, and your bench top, need to be washed at the end of the experiment. Wash your hands before leaving lab.

Efficient Use of Time in Lab:  Please be aware that labs are scheduled for two hours.  This is generally more than enough time to finish most labs, but expect to be in class for the duration of the scheduled time. In many cases, being well prepared will allow you to finish the experiment early.

Grading Criteria

REQUIRED EXAMS/GRADING CRITERIA: 

Regular Exams: will be taken in the Science Testing Center outside of class time.  There will be five regular exams; tentative test dates are given on the student course calendar.  Any changes to this schedule will be announced in advance in class. The lowest regular exam score will be dropped. If you have a time conflict with an exam, notify the instructor in advance.

When an exam is given in the Science Testing center, come prepared with a pencil and your student ID; be aware that you will not be allowed to leave the room during the test.  During tests, there are no cell phones, graphing calculators or other electronic devices allowed. You can bring a non-graphing calculator or use one belonging to the testing center. Periodic tables and scratch paper, as well as any other data tables, will be given to you as needed. Please note:  No tests will be given out less than one and a half hours before the Science Testing Center closes. 

Final Exam: There will be a comprehensive lecture/lab final exam which is required for everyone. This is mandatory for everyone and the grade cannot be dropped.  It will include both lab and lecture material.

Homework assignments: will be given through ALEKS online HW system. These must be completed by the due date; any exceptions need to be requested in advance. The lowest will be dropped.

Quizzes:  Quizzes will be given through Blackboard online.  They will be multiple choice and you may attempt these as many times as you want until your grade is a 100.  One lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

Lab Assignments: includes prelabs, postlabs, and lab reports (found inside the lab manual). Prelabs are due day of lab, post labs are due before start next experiment.  Reports are typically turned in day of experiment.

A lab attendance grade will also be part of your overall grade.  100 if you show up to lab, 0 if you don't.  One lowest prelab, report, postlab, and attendance grade will be dropped.

A safety quiz will be administered on first day of class:  you must score an 80% or above to participate in any labs during the semester.  You may have multiple attempts at the quiz in order to score 80 or above, but the first attempt grade will be the grade that is recorded in the grade book.  This cannot be dropped.

Due Dates: Late work is not normally accepted; any exceptions are made at the discretion of the instructor.

MANDATORY TUTORING: 

    In an effort to increase retention, any student whose average falls below a 75 is required to complete a 30 minute mandatory tutoring session in the SASC, either in-person or virtual, or with the instructor before taking the next exam. An appointment must be made with the SASC for this tutoring session; do not wait until the last minute, as time slots fill up.

SASC: Warren Hall 110

345-5536

The final exam is comprehensive, includes lecture and lab material, and there are no exemptions from taking the final.  The final exam will be given in accordance with the official AC final exam schedule.  

The final average will be derived from the following weighted grades:

Quizzes - 7.5% (1 drop)

Regular Exams - 45% (1 drop)

ALEKS Homework - 7.5% (1 drop)

Final Exam - 15%

Safety Quiz - 1.25%

Prelabs - 1.25% (1 drop)

Lab Reports - 20% (1 drop)

Postlabs - 1.25% (1 drop)

Lab Attendance - 1.25%. (1 drop)

The final grades are based on 90 = A, 80 = B, 70 = C, 60 = D, and less than 60 is failing.  Final averages will be rounded to the nearest whole number to determine grades.  There will be no exceptions; e.g. a 79.4 is still a C.

Attendance

ATTENDANCE POLICY: All students are expected to attend class regularly and on time. If you miss class, you get behind. You will probably also miss graded work such as lab assignments.

Quizzes and exams cannot normally be made up; the exceptions are emergencies and illness (documentation may be required such as a doctor's note) or if the student has made prior arrangements with the instructor.

Students who attend class regularly tend to have much higher grades and are much more likely to pass the course. If a student finds it necessary to drop this class, it is his/her responsibility to contact the instructor and initiate the drop process.  The last day to drop this class is August 1st, 2024.

According to Amarillo College policy, any student who has not attended class by July 8th, 2024 will be automatically dropped and will not be allowed to re-enroll.

Calendar

Additional Information

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 a week of having the paper returned or there will be no change to the grade.

EMAIL:  Every student has an account in Blackboard.  You need to check this daily, as well as your AC email. Announcements, course notes, and grades will be posted in Blackboard. 

***This syllabus is subject to change. You will be informed of any changes to the syllabus in class or Blackboard***