CHEM 2423-A2 Blinn College - Bryan Campus Fall 2009

Course Information Sheet

Course Description:

CHEM 2423 is comprehensive survey of aliphatic and aromatic compounds of carbon, including reaction mechanisms, spectroscopy, and chromatography. The laboratory portion is designed to familiarize the student with the application of basic techniques and methods of organic chemistry. Three class hours and four laboratory hours per week. Credit: Four (4) semester hours.

Prerequisites:

Chem 1412 with a grade of "C" or better.

This course is a Core-Course in the 42-Hour Core of Blinn College. As such, students will develop proficiency in the appropriate Intellectual Competencies, Exemplary Educational Objectives, and Perspectives (www.blinn.edu/corecurriculum/)

Course Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the course the student should have a grasp of the above listed concepts and be able to solve problems that relate to them. The student should grasp the relationships between them as well. The student should also be able to perform safely the basic operations used in an organic chemistry laboratory, including extraction, filtration, distillation, chromatography, spectroscopy, and crystallization, which are required for synthesis, isolation, and analysis.
In greater detail.

From the Lecture:

1. Learn about the reactions of substituted benzenes, and design syntheses of compounds containing benzene rings.
2. Compare topics from general chemistry important to the study of organic chemistry (structure of atoms and molecules, Lewis Dot structures, acid-base chemistry).
3. Apply the rules of nomenclature to organic compounds.
4. Classify how alkenes react; deduce products of reactions, and devise mechanisms through the use of curved arrows showing electron movement to explain the formation of specific products.
5. Classify the different kinds of isomers possible for organic compounds, and organize reactions in relationship to the type(s) of stereoisomers produced.
6. Compare how alkynes react, and apply techniques used to design syntheses of organic compounds.
7. Discuss delocalized electrons and resonance and explain how these effect acidity, molecular stability, and the outcome of organic reactions.
8. Analyze the reactions of dienes; compare 1,2- and 1,4-additions.
9. Compare how alkanes react under extreme conditions.
10. Discuss the substitution reactions of alkyl halides; compare stereospecific and regiospecific outcomes.
11. Discuss the elimination reactions of alkyl halides, as well as factors that determine whether a given alkyl halide undergoes substitution, elimination or both.
12. Summarize the reactions of alcohols and contrast these reactions to those of phenols.  Compare methods for the synthesis of specific alcohols.
13. Compare the reactions and synthesis of ethers, epoxides, thiols, and sulfides.  Contrast reactions of alcohols with those of ethers and epoxides.
    

From the Lab :

2. Demonstrate familiarity with the fundamentals of laboratory safety and special considerations associated with use of organic chemicals.
3. Put into practice the appropriate techniques needed to keep a laboratory notebook with required data and calculations.
4. Manipulate organic laboratory equipment as needed for the successful completion of organic laboratory experiments.
5. Demonstrate proficiency at organic laboratory techniques, such as extraction, crystallization, chromatography, melting point determination, and distillation.
6. Use computer software to perform molecular modeling and use molecular mechanics to predict geometry, stability, and reactivity.
7. Synthesize a variety of organic compounds including: alcohol, alkyl halide, ketone, aldehyde, and alkene.
8. Use various types of chromatography to analyze laboratory results.  These types include: gas, paper, thin layer, and column chromatography
10. Use spectroscopic techniquest to identify unknowns

Required Textbooks and Supplies:

Lecture:Organic Chemistry, 7^th Ed., McMurry, Cengage, 2007
Lab Manual: Available from the campus Copy Center.
Lab Eye Protection: You will need chemical safety goggles for use in the laboratory.
Laboratory Notebook: The Official Laboratory Research Notebook , Jones and Bartlett, Publishing, any consecutively numbered (sets) carbonless copy notebook will work. It does need tear-out sheets. These are available in bookstores around the area.
Homework: OWL, available from the bookstore (bundled or separate purchase) and also available on-line from Cengage at owl.cengage.com. (Be certain NOT to purchase the TAMU OWL code which will not work here.)

Supplies: You will also need to wear enclosed footwear (closed toed shoes). You will be dismissed from the laboratory if you fail to follow safety procedures, wear protective eye wear at all times, or wear sandals or other open toed footwear to lab. Missing a lab will result in a zero for the experiment being performed that day. There are no make-up labs.

Lecture

During the semester you will be given four (4) exams during the class period and a Final Exam. There will also be homework assignments associated with each chapter covered. The completed homework sets are due before the exam covering those chapters. The homework assignments will be completed on OWL and your grade will be posted on eCampus. The exam dates listed on the schedule are tentative. Any changes in an exam date will be announced at least one (1) week prior to the exam and this information will be posted on eCampus. All exams are cumulative although the material covered since the last exam will be most heavily emphasized. The final is is cumulative, should you miss the final a grade of zero (0) will be awarded. The scheduled exams and Final will be in a "fill in the page" format. Chemistry 2423 covers chapters 1-11, 17 and Chapter 18. This is the first semester of a two-semester course, skipping material is not an option. Completion of both the lecture and the lab is required to receive a single grade for 4 credit hours of work.

Lecture this semester is in "double format". Because of the time required for organic experiments and scheduling constraints, we will meet in the lecture room S209 on Tuesday. Thursdays will be spent in the laboratory S226. Depending upon the particular day, we may either lecture or perform a laboratory experiment when in S226. In consideration of the material and the length of the period, there will be a brief break in the middle of the class lectures lasting approximately 10 minutes. Please be considerate and return promptly from your break.

Exams. The scheduled major exams will typically have between 5 and 10 sections. Typically the exams will have sections dedicated to reactions,nomenclature, and theory. As we reach mechanisms, stereochemistry, synthesis, and spectroscopy, these will also be included in the exams. Practicing these by completing the homework assignments will improve your exam performance. I will keep the exams -- you will be allowed to see you exam in my office, if you wish, after it is graded, but I will maintain custody of all test materials after the exam. The five major exams are worth 40% of your final grade.

The Final Exam will be given on . You have until the end of the semester to make certain that you have this day and time free. The Final Exam is comprehensive and is worth 20% of your final grade. The Final Exam will follow the same general format as the regularly scheduled exams.

The schedules for the Lecture and Exams, Laboratory Experiments, and Homework Assignments follow.

Lecture Schedule

Homework Schedule

Homework assignments will be posted on eCampus. These will be completed online via OWL. Homework collection and grading will be handled by OWL. A code must be purchased in order to access this system. Further instructions are given at the web site: owl.cengage.com. Homework will be graded on the following criteria:

The homework is worth 100 points or 10% of your grade in this course (equivalent to 1 letter grade). If you fail to submit your homework, you will receive a grade of zero for that section. I need to know as soon as possible if you are having difficulty accessing OWL. You will receive a score for each Chapter Assignment. Your homework grade will be the average of these thirteen (13) assignments. Your score on each section and the running average of your homework grades will be posted on eCampusThis way you can assess your progress or lack thereof on the completion of your homework.

The OWL assignments follow the chapters in your text book. In the past there has been a very high correlation between exam grades and the amount of homework completed by a student before each exam. The table list the assignments and deadlines.

Homework. There are OWL chapter assignments for each of the 13 chapters that will be covered. OWL is an interactive system, to receive full credit you will have to "demonstrate mastery" of a particular question set. There is no limit to your attempts. The questions are based upon those at the end of each chapter. These questions provide feedback on the answers and help to act as an interactive tutor system. Plan to spend a significant amount of time on OWL (1 to 2 hours per night). OWL keeps track of your progress so you can work on the homework throughout the time (weeks) the assignment is active. Again, you cannot wait until the last minute to complete your OWL homework, you will run out of time. OWL tracks each visit you make to the program, so I will be able to monitor your usage of the system. Your points accumulated on your OWL assignment will be posted and kept updated on eCampus. You may choose to work on your homework as often as you wish/need (you will not have to re-answer previously completed sections). The homework must be submitted by the deadline listed above in order to receive credit. Your score for the homework component of your grade will be the average of each of the chapter assignments. Skipping a chapter will result in a grade of zero for that chapter. Failure to do the required homework will cost you one (1) letter grade.

All of the computer labs at Blinn are available and should run OWL well. If you encounter any problem with any of the Computer Lab computers, let me know immediately so the lack of compatibility can be corrected.

I am available during office hours (including on-line hours) to assist you. I am happy to help you with any of OWL that you are having problems with. This does not mean that I will do all of your OWL homework for you. If you are having a problem with a few questions, I can assist, but I cannot work all of the problems with you.

Bonus Points

There will be a very limited number of bonus points available this semester. These will be in association with the Chemistry Open House held at Texas A&M. Help will be needed the evening of Oct.16 (Friday) and the afternoon of Oct. 17 (Saturday). Help is needed to prepare and then clean the Organic Chemistry Labs that will be used in the Open House. Instructions for signing up for "work" will be available at those times. Historically, food has been provided for the helpers.

In addition to this, the Tutorials available in OWL will be given as extra credit points.

Tentative Laboratory Schedule

You will perform 10 experiments this semester. The Report and Post-Lab questions are due one week after the experiment is completed in the laboratory. The general report protocol and the Post Lab Questions are found following the experimental procedure in the Lab Manual.

Generally you will perform the experiments individually. However for some experiments due to equipment limitations, you may have to work in pairs.

You will be performing 10 experiments this semester. If you miss a lab for any reason (illness, no eye protection, no shoes, etc.), a grade of zero will be awarded. THERE IS NO MAKE-UP FOR THE POINTS LOST FOR MISSING A LAB. Lab reports are due 1 week after the completion of the experiment.

The laboratory component will make up 25% of your final grade. It is based upon your active participation in the laboratory activity. You should be prepared to run a laboratory experiment every day we meet in S226. Be aware that some days, I may choose to continue the lecture or to spend the laboratory time covering a problem set. A few of the experiments may be "dry labs" in which concepts and not experimental procedures are emphasized. Laboratory experiments and the reports for the experiments will be graded and will count towards a maximum of 250 pts (25% of your final grade).

The laboratory schedule is outline above. Use the "report" form found at the end of each experiment as the format for your experimental write-up. For many experiments this will result in an outline of the general procedure you followed along with a discussion of the pertinent questions raised in this "report" outline. You are also responsible for the questions associated with the experiment (immediately following the Report portion of the experimenatl procedure). For a few experiments, a separation scheme associated with any possible reactions will be the best method for the presentation of your report. You will still be responsible for the questions associated with that experiment in the Lab Manual. The lab report will be due one calendar week following its completion.

Your grades will be posted immediately after the material is graded. Your graded Lab Reports, and Post-Lab Questions will be returned to you as a single packet at the time of your exam. You may also come by my office to pick up your graded material once the grade appears on eCampus.

Lab reports are returned to you at the time of the Lecture Exam. Be aware, if I do no have a lab report from you before I return these experiments at the Lecture Exam, that grade automatically will become a zero. I will not accept a lab once I have returned graded labs to the class as a whole.

Grades and Grading

You are expected to use the computer to access eCampus and OWL for this course. All students at Blinn College have Internet access. Computers are available in the Learning Center and in the Open Computer Labs. Blinn will be providing students with a free e-mail account later this semester. I expect you to check eCampus and your e-mail for updates on changes in the class. The syllabus, Course Information Sheet, lecture notes, and homework assignments are available on course eCampus. You are responsible for all class material and any announcements that appear here. You are expected to visit eCampus or my Blinn webpage to access the notes, lecture PowerPoints, and homework assignments on a daily basis. If you are unfamiliar with eCampus, you may access it at https://ecampus.blinn.edu You logon to eCampus the same way you log onto BORIS. You will be able to check on your current standing in the course and your points to date by accessing this course (your section) on eCampus. I need to know immediately if you have difficulty accessing either eCampus or OWL.

Grading and Grading Policy. CHEM 2423 (4 hr credit) is divided into both lecture (3 hr) and laboratory (1 hr) components. For convenience, the course grade is based upon a 1000 pt scale. The lecture will count toward 75% of the final grade (750 pts) and the lab will make up 25% of the final course grade (250 pts). Your grades will be posted on eCampus so you will always know your standing in the course. I will also provide a section on eCampus entitled "How Do I Figure My Grade," this will be updated after each exam so that you will have a good idea of your current grade in the course.

Blinn Attendance Policy

The Blinn College Board of Trustees has revised its mandatory attendance policy for the Fall 2007 semester. All instructors at Blinn must strictly adhere to this attendance policy. Failure of a student to attend class can result in a student being administratively withdrawn from the course. Blinn College recognizes only two types of "excused" absences. Making up a missed exam or lab is allowed only in special situations. The general statement of the Attendance Policy follows.

Attendance.  THe College District believes that class attendance is essential for student success; therefore, students are required to promptly and regularly attend all their classes. Each class builds the foundation for subsequent class meetings. Without full participation and regular class attendance, students shall find themselves at a severe disadvantage for achieving success in college. Class participation shall constitute at least ten percent of the final course grade. It is the responsibility of each faculty member, in consultation with the division chair, to determining how participation is achieved in his or her class. Faculty will require students to regularly attend class and will keep a record of attendance form the first day of class and./or the first day the student's name appears on the roster through the final examinations. If a student has one week's work of absences during the semester, he/she will be sent an e-mail by the College requiring the student to contact his/her instructor and schedule a conference immediately to discuss his/her attendance issues. If the student subsequently accumulates a total of two weeks work of absences from that class, he/she will be administratively withdrawn from the class.

There are three forms of excused absences officially designated by Blinn College:  (1)  Observance of religious holy days:  The student should notify his/her instructor(s) not later than the 15th day of the semester concerning the specific date(s) that the student will be absent for any religious holy day(s); and (2)  Representing Blinn College at an official institutional function; and (3) official involvement in a high school activity for "dual credit" students. Other excuses will be considered and may be considered excusable at the instructor's discretion with verifiable documentation .  Missing lecture or lab or both (on the same day) will count as one absence.

In this class attendance will be taken by calling roll through the 12^th class day of the semester. After that time, attendance will be taken either by calling roll or by students signing an attendance roster. If you are not present when roll is called or when the attendance sheet is passed around (due to absence or tardiness) you will be counted as absent unless you come to me after class to check in. Be aware that simply showing up for the last portion of lecture will be considered to violate the attendance policy and will result in you being counted absent for that day. During the lab periods, the lab data sheet that is turned in after each lab will be used to assess attendance. For those days in which no data sheet is generated, an alternate method will be used to take attendance (quiz or roll sheet).

As additional clarification of the laboratory absence policy, students leaving the laboratory ("sneaking out") with out completing the experiment or attending complete lecture on those days that lecture continues in the laboratory will receive an unexcused absence.

If you miss class or lab, and you consider that this might be an excused absence, you will be required to fill out a form and provide documentation of your reasons. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE ABSENCE WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY EXCUSED. Excuses will be evaluated on an individual basis.

New "W" Policy

The 2007 Session of the Senate of the State of Texas enacted a new W policy that will be followed by Higher Education within the State of Texas. This was signed into law and will be in effect beginning this fall. Briefly put, you are allowed a TOTAL of six (6) W's during your academic career. This is a cumulative total. Your W's accumulated to date will be tracked by all institutions you attend. After 6 W's all subsequent W's will be automatically entered as F's. (W's awarded this Fall will be the first ones counted, so prior W's will not count against you.) There is a list of exceptions when certain W's may be excused (most are not). Be aware of this. If you feel this semester (or any semester) is going to be particularly difficult, you need to seriously evaluate your situation and if necessary withdraw before W's come into effect (prior to 12th day of semester).

Make-up policy

The Blinn Attendance policy does affect making up missed graded assignments. At the discretion of the Instructor, you may be allowed to make-up missed material. The following policy for exams, lab quizzes, and experiments will be followed.

Make-up. If you miss an exam or the Lab Final, you may request a make-up. This does not mean that your request will be approved. To request a make-up for a missed exam or lab final you must follow this procedure:

• Notify me by e-mail (bclement@blinn.edu) or by eCampus that you have missed the exam. You must explain and provide documentation of why you missed the exam (form available on eCampus). This way there will be an electronic copy of your notification. (A scheduled doctor's appointment is NOT considered an excused absence.)
• You must notify me of your absence and provide this documentation within 2 days of your returning to class.
• IF your excuse is deemed to be valid and you have sufficient documentation, I will fill out the required form (your name, exam number, and instructions) and place a make-up exam for you at the Learning Center (room L258 in the Library Building). I will then e-mail you a reply that it is there and ready for you to take. This also generates an electronic copy of your notification.
• You will have 1 week in which to make-up this exam after it is placed in the Learning Center.
• Important!! The test will be removed from the learning center seven (7) days. If you have not taken the make-up by this time, a grade of zero will be awarded for that exam.

Make-up Labs.

There are no make-up laboratories. If you miss an experiment, you can notify me of your absence and explain why you missed the lab. Documentation of your excuse is required if the absence is excused. Missing a laboratory experiment will result in loss of those points.

Academic Dishonesty.

Blinn College does not tolerate cheating, plagiarism or other acts of dishonesty. Definitions of these acts and procedures for dealing with them are described in "Scholastic Dishonesty" in the Blinn College Student Handbook, copies of which are available at the information desk in the administration building.

The lecture room is crowded, therefore several versions of the exams will typically be given to cut down on the potential temptation of information transfer. Academic dishonesty during an exam or quiz will result in the test being confiscated and a grade of zero being awarded (with concurrent notification of this to your Academic Dean) a zero obtained this way on a quiz will not be dropped as a low score. Students caught either cheating themselves or assisting another student to cheat will also receive a zero on that exam and will also be prosecuted to the full extent of Blinn policy (see the Student Handbook).

Your data and your answers are expected to be your own on the Pre-Lab Questions, Lab Reports and Post-Lab Questions. If you use data other than that on the Lab Data Sheet your turned in or data other than that supplied by me (no data sheet), you will receive a grade of zero on the lab report.

SAFETY IN THE LABORATORY.

This is strongly emphasized. You will need safety goggles for this laboratory (GOGGLES ONLY). The safety goggles must have indirect ventilation to minimize contact with fumes that might be associated with volatile organic compounds in the laboratory. You are expected to put goggles or safety glasses on the moment you enter the lab and not to remove them until you leave the laboratory. I am well aware that they are cumbersome. These are for your protection and you do not have the option to decline to use them. You will receive one warning to put your glasses/goggles on. This first warning will be made the moment chemicals are brought into the room for you to use. The second warning that day will result in your immediate removal from the laboratory and the assignment of a grade of zero (0) for that entire laboratory experiment (prelab, report, and postlab). Sliding the goggles up to protect your forehead or hairline is the most common method of losing points. This will be rigidly enforced. A grade of zero received for a safety violation WILL NOT BE DROPPED AS A LOW GRADE.

IMPORTANT!! If you forget your goggles you will not be allowed to peform the experiment. Your options are to

1. Borrow a pair from a friend who may be on campus at that time.
2. Buy another pair from the bookstore.
3. Miss the lab (unexcused absence) and lose the points associated with that experiment.

You must wear enclosed footwear to the laboratory if a 'wet lab' is being performed. Enclosed footwear may be canvas, leather, steel toed work boots, or even plastic bags securely taped around your feet. If you come to the laboratory and chemicals are being used (other than ink, pencil, paper, and dry erase chemicals for a dry lab), you will be dismissed from the laboratory and receive a grade of zero (0) for that laboratory. There are NO MAKE-UP LABS, if you miss the experiment you automatically lose all points associated with that experiment. If we are doing a "dry lab" or continuing in lecture or review, you do not need to have your safety glasses on, you will not need enclosed footwear for dry labs.

Water bottles, drinks, or food in the laboratory is also an excellent method of getting removed from the laboratory for safety violations (along with loss of points for that experiment). Even if the bottle is closed, it should be in your backpack and not on the bench. Finally, unsafe laboratory practices (like mixing things just to see what happens) will also cost the offender(s) points.

You must wear enclosed footwear to the laboratory if a 'wet lab' is being performed. Enclosed footwear may be canvas, leather, steel toed work boots, or even plastic bags securely taped around your feet. If you come to the laboratory and chemicals are being used (other than ink, pencil, paper, and dry erase chemicals for a dry lab), you will be dismissed from the laboratory and receive a grade of zero (0) for that laboratory. There are NO MAKE-UP LABS, if you miss the experiment you automatically lose all points associated with that experiment. If we are doing a "dry lab" or continuing in lecture or review, you do not need to have your safety glasses on, you will not need enclosed footwear for dry labs.

Water bottles, drinks, or food in the laboratory is also an excellent method of getting removed from the laboratory for safety violations (along with loss of points for that experiment). Even if the bottle is closed, it should be in your backpack and not on the bench. Finally, unsafe laboratory practices (like mixing things just to see what happens) will also cost the offender(s) points.

You should dress defensively for the laboratory. You are almost guaranteed that you will ruin at least one piece of clothing in the laboratory. If you wish, you may purchase an apron or an artist's smock (lab coat) to protect your clothes. You may also wish to bring and wear rubber, latex, or nitrile gloves in lab. Gloves may help in preventing skin irritation, on the down side, gloves also tend to increase the unknowing transport of chemicals to your clothing and increase the occurrence of holes in your clothes.

Final Course Grade.

The course grade will be based upon the points you earn this semester. There are a maximum of 1000 points available divided as follows: four (4) exams (400 pts), laboratory reports (250 pts), homework (100 pts), Mechanism Worksheet, and a comprehensive final exam (200 pts). The exams and final are cumulative. You will have the opportunity to obtain up to bonus points from your pre-exam homework average that can add to your total points. I DO NOT CURVE however I will adjust the "cuts" depending upon how closely student point totals are to the percentage cutoffs you are familiar with (i.e. a student receiving 899 points would be rewarded with an A even though they didn't have 90% or more of the points). It is impossible to tell if this will happen until all the points are in at the end of the semester, however, 900 pts (90.0%) is a guaranteed A, 800 points is a guaranteed B, etc.

I maintain a running point total for you for the points you have earned to that point in the semester. Associated with this is a percentage of the total points available that should give you an idea of how well you are currently doing in the class (90% = A; 80% = B; etc.) Students generally will make better on the Final Exam that they do on the in class exams (there are exceptions).

ADA Policy Statement.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the counselor in S157 or call 209-7251 to set up an appointment. The counselors will document your disability and provide you with the paperwork for these accommodations. It is the student's responsibility to initiate this contact and to provide the instructor with the appropriate paperwork before any accommodations can be authorized. These accommodations are not retroactive.

Classroom and Laboratory Conduct.

When you enter the classroom or laboratory, you are entering a learning environment. As such, disruptions due to inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. Talking, reading the newspaper, text messaging, playing games (hand held devices or lap top computers) and other activities that disrupt or detract from the classroom or laboratory learning experience will not be allowed. Offenders will be dismissed from the class. A repeat performance will result in you being dismissed from the class and you will not be allowed to return until you (we) have had a conference with the division head. Again, I will not tolerate any activity that interferes with the opportunity of your fellow students to learn in this class. Any student dismissed from the classroom who refuses to leave will be removed by the Campus Police.

Eating and drinking are not allowed in Blinn classrooms. As previously mentioned, any visible food or drink container (even if it is sealed) is a safety violation in lab and will cause your immediate removal from the laboratory with a grade of zero being assigned for that experiment.

Blinn Civility Statement

Members of the Blinn College community, which includes faculty, staff and students, are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all aspects of campus life. Blinn College holds all members accountable for their actions and words. Therefore, all members should commit themselves to behave in a manner that recognizes personal respect, and demonstrates concern for the person.

This semester there is a zero tolerance policy for unacceptable behavior in the classroom. Examples of unacceptable behavior including chatting with your friends during lecture (a warning followed by removal from class), text messaging, use of cell phones (either turn off or turn to vibrate only when you enter the classroom), and playing games while in class or lab. At present I will still allow you to bring lap top computers into the classroom to view the PowerPoints or to take notes -- however if there is even a suspicion by me that you are also involved in a computer game will result in the loss of your right to have a computer in the lecture. Also working on homework assignments for other classes, reading newspapers (magazines or other material not associated with the class), working on puzzles (crossword puzzles, sudoku, etc.) are all considered unacceptable behavior and you will be asked to leave the room.

If a student is asked to leave the classroom because of uncivil behavior, the student may not return to that class until he or she arranges a conference with the instructor: It is the student's responsibility to arrange for this conference. (Subsequent classes missed because of not yet having a conference with the division head and instructor will be considered unexcused.)

Reading assignments.

You can expect to cover at least 1 chapter per week and should use this as a guideline to plan ahead. You should have read all of the topics to be covered in each lecture before coming to class. This material is considered to be fair game for the scheduled exams and the final.

Course eCampus.

A CHEM 2423 eCampus homepage has been created and can be found at the following Internet address https://ecampus.blinn.edu. This site contains the course information sheet, homework assignments, PowerPoint lecture presentations, and additional lecture notes for the chapter being covered. Note: Simply studying the notes provided on eCampus will not be sufficient to ensure a good grade in this course.

Dropping the Course.

I cannot drop any student from the course for poor academic performance. If you are failing the course, it is strongly recommended that you drop the course. You must initiate this action with the Office of Enrollment Services(signature and fee are required). If you should drop after the W date, you will automatically receive a WF (a WF is counted as an F when making GPA calculations) - depending upon your grades in the course, it may be possible to change your grade to a WP. A WP is not automatic and you will need to talk to me before this can take place. Friday November 20 is the deadline to drop with a W.

Incompletes.

An Incomplete can only be awarded under very specific conditions. Specifically, Incomplete's are awarded only if 90% of the course work has been completed. This means that something has happened at the end of the semester (documented illness, family emergency, catastrophic accident, etc.) and you are missing an exam, the final, or a lab (or a combination of these). An Incomplete cannot be given for a crisis at the middle of the semester or for being late for the Final Exam .

An Incomplete requires a contract be written, approved, and signed by the student, the instructor, and the division head prior to the "I" being given. No paperwork, no Incomplete. If you fail to complete the missing work in the specified time a grade of F will be awarded. Incomplete's do not allow a student to retake the entire course to improve their grade.

This page was last modified 09/07/2009
bclement@blinn.edu