Chemistry 210 (Sect. 2122) Schedule - Fall 2008
Dr. Donald Robertson (DONinLA@pacbell.net)
Office Hours: T 2:00-4:00 p.m. OC4502
Lecture: MW 10:30-11:45 a.m. OC3609; Lab: MW 12:00 - 2:50 p.m. OC4505

Text: Organic Chemistry (7th Edition) - Francis Carey
Solutions Manual: Organic Chemistry (7th Edition) - Atkins and Carey; Molecular Modeling Kit
Lab Guide: The Organic Chem Lab Survival Guide (4th Edition) - James W. Zubrick

 Miscellaneous Information:

Special Needs: A student with a verified disability may be entitled to appropriate academic accommodations.  Please contact your instructor and/or the Disabled Students Program & Services Office at (760)795-6658, or the office of the ADA Coordinator at (760)795-6866.  Additionally, students at the San Elijo Campus may contact Alketa Wojcik at (760)994-4449, extension 7768, and students at the Community Learning Center may contact Denise Plant at (760)795-8709 or Raquel Chavarria at (760)795-8746. Some lead time will be necessary, so please make arrangements as early as possible, preferably during the first two weeks of classes.

Office Hours:  Office hours are 2:00-4:00 p.m. on Tuesday in OC4502 (my office is inside OC4505).  Please come in if you have questions about the class lecture, laboratory, anything related to chemistry or just to chat.  You can come in unannounced during my regular office hours (if the door to OC4505 is locked, just knock).  I will be available at other times, but you will need to make an appointment.

Chemistry 210 is the first semester of a two-semester organic chemistry course for science majors. The lab consists of experiments designed to teach you standard organic chemistry procedures and reactions.  You are expected to read the assigned material prior to attending lecture.

Homework Problems: In order to receive credit for homework, you must solve at least half of the in-text problems (the problems present in the textual part of the chapter).  Some of the problems at the end of the chapter should also be solved until you have a thorough understanding of the concepts being covered in the different sections of the text.  You can solve problems alone, with a friend, with a group of friends, or by attending the SI help sessions for this class.  Remember there are no specific problems that must be solved, but a broad scattering of problems in the text and at the end of the chapter should be attempted.  Credit will no longer be given for homework unless there is observable evidence that you have been making a fair attempt at solving the problems.  You don't need to solve all of the assigned problems, but you should do enough to understand the concepts being covered. Homework will not be graded for accuracy, but will be for credit only if handed in on time.  Homework for a particular chapter is due at the beginning of the lab period on the day after the lecture for the chapter was finished, according to the lecture schedule given above.

Lab Attendance: You need to print your Experimental Protocol  for each experiment from the Internet prior to coming to lab (you cannot use the lab printer).  Please read the protocol before coming to lab.  Chemistry is an experimental science, and lab attendance is mandatory.  The laboratory section must be passed in order to pass the course. If you miss two or more labs, you are subject to dismissal from the class. You need to hand in your completed lab notebook for every experiment to receive credit for that experiment.  Prepare your notebook before coming to class and fill in data as you perform the experiment.  Do not take notes and then transfer data to your lab notebook later.  Lab notebooks are due one week after the experiment was completed (based on the syllabus). Lab reports turned in late will be deducted 20%, if turned in within one-week of when they were due.  Lab reports turned in after this date will be deducted 50% as a late penalty, but lab reports cannot be turned in for credit later than one week after it was originally due (that is, two weeks after the lab was completed). Format for your Laboratory Notebooks and the Formal Written Lab Reports is online.

Additional Lab Information:

1. Chemical splash goggles must be worn whenever anyone in the lab is working with chemicals. If you don’t have goggles with you and cannot borrow a pair you have two options–go to the bookstore and buy a pair or don’t do the lab that day.
2. All students must sign a copy of the Lab Safety Rules before being allowed to work in the lab.
3. Come to lab prepared with chemical splash goggles (these can be stored in your locker), lab book (or handout), pen or pencil and calculator. Lab experiments must be read and understood before lab.
4. Any Pre-Laboratory Questions must be solved prior to coming to lab.
5. You will often work with another person, who will be your lab partner. Experiments that are done in pairs will be done with that person. Some experiments may be done solo.
6. There will be no makeup labs. If you miss a lab, it will be the one dropped. If you miss more than one lab, you will forfeit those points.
7. Students who are absent for more than two lab experiments during the semester may be dropped from the course or be assigned a failing grade.
8. During the lab you will record all data and observations directly in your lab notebook.  Your instructor may request to view your notebook or data collection prior to leaving lab.
9. Each week’s lab and lab report is worth a total of twenty (20) points. The minimum score for attending lab, collecting and recording data is ten (10) points.  You are also graded on the neatness and organization of your lab notebook.
   
   • Lab notebooks are turned in for each experiment. They should be done in ink. Please show your calculations, with units, to get full credit. Lab notebooks will usually be due one week after the experiment was completed (using the syllabus as the schedule) for that particular experiment. A laboratory notebook handed in within one week later than due date, will be assessed a 20% penalty.  Notebooks handed in after that one-week grace period will receive only credit for doing the experiment (50% point reduction).
   • You cannot write your lab reports or notebook with your lab partner.  You must show the data that you personally collected. Do not share your actual data and observations with anyone other than your lab partner, unless you also want to share (split) your score. Both the sharer and the sharee will be penalized.
   • Write your lab partner’s name under yours in the lab notebook.  Your partner is the person with whom you actually performed the experiment that day.
   • Some of the experiments include post-lab questions. Please answer these questions and turn them in with your laboratory notebook.  They may be worth up to ten points. Most points on lab notebooks are lost as a result of missing or incomplete information, including not using the correct format, which includes the Results and Discussion section and a Conclusions section.  More information about laboratory notebooks can be found online for Laboratory Notebooks.
   • Laboratory reports are separate from the lab notebooks.  When you turn in a Lab Report, you also must turn in your Lab Notebook, as they are graded separately.  Information about Formal Written Lab Reports can be found online.

Cheating: You are expected to abide by the MiraCosta College Honor Code.  Cheating includes the copying or exchanging of information during exams or quizzes or plagiarism (copying another's work and turning it in as your own). If you are caught cheating you will be removed from class, disciplined by the Dean of Students and you may fail the course.

COURSE GRADING POLICY:

Exams (450 pts):  Four exams will be given. Your highest three exams will be counted towards your final grade. If you miss an exam, it cannot be made up and it will automatically be the exam dropped.  Exams will include material covered in lecture.  Every question may not have been covered in class, but if you learn to apply what you know from lecture, you will be able to answer the Exam questions.  If you have concerns about exam grades, please return it to me and I may re-grade it, but I have the option to re-grade the entire exam.

Quizzes (100 pts): Quizzes will be given usually during weeks that no exam is scheduled and may be unannounced.  Some of the quizzes will cover material recently discussed in lecture.  An additional set of quizzes covering organic molecules, nomenclature, and reactions will be given.  Information for these quizzes is available for study from the Online Organic Quiz information, and may be material not otherwise covered in lecture.  Quizzes cannot be taken late or made up.  At least one quiz will be dropped, and this will be the lowest score, or your missed quiz.

Homework (25 pts): As indicated above, homework problems are not graded, but you will be given credit for doing at least some of the suggested problems.  In order to receive credit, homework must be turned in when it is due.  Homework is due the day after the lecture for a particular chapter was completed, based on the syllabus schedule (e.g., if the chapter is completed on a Monday, the homework is due at the beginning of the Wednesday lab).  Late homework will receive no credit.

Lab (225 pts): You must pass the lab in order to pass the course. Your lab grade will depend on your preparedness, technique, safety, lab notebook and your written reports, including any assigned problems. You can drop one lab.  Since labs cannot be made up, a missed lab will be the one dropped.  If you miss other labs, you will forfeit the points for those labs.   Grading of your lab notebook and doing the experiments will be worth 75 points total.  There will be a mid-term  lab exam (Lab Exam I) and final lab exam (Lab Exam II) covering experiments and techniques performed in the lab.  Both lab exams together are worth 75 points total.  Four written lab reports, using approved format, will be graded.  Two of these reports must include Experiments V and VII, and any two of the following Experiments: VI, VIII, IX or X.  These formal, written lab reports will be worth a total of 75 points.  Format for the Formal Written Lab Reports is available online.

Final Exam (200 pts): A comprehensive final exam covering all lecture material must be taken to pass course.

Final Grade: Your course grade will be based on the weighting described above.  Letter grades are assigned according to the percentages shown here.

A 90% B 80% C 70% D 60% F <60%

If your Total Score at the end of the semester is within one percent (1%) of the cutoff (you have 89% and 90% is required for an "A" grade), I will use your Final Exam percentage to determine your grade. For example, if your Final Exam score is 90% or higher, you will get an "A" grade.  If your Final Exam is below 90%, you will receive a "B" grade.  (Similar comparisons will be made for "B" or "C" grades, near 80% or 70%, respectively.)

Preparation and Study Time Required: Depending on your background, how easily you grasp the material and how effectively you listen, take notes, and study, the time you will need to spend outside the class will vary. A good estimate is at least 1-2 hours outside studying for each hour in lecture. The amount of time you need to spend depends upon how well you use your time, and your preparation. If you are struggling, you probably need more study time.  I look forward to teaching you. I hope you enjoy learning chemistry. I'll be glad to discuss concerns or suggestions regarding this class or related topics. I encourage you to set goals for yourself, stay current in the class. Be sure to read the assigned chapter prior to lecture.

Attendance and Drops:  It is your responsibility to drop the class if you do not wish to continue enrollment.  If you do not officially drop the class, but just stop attending, you will receive an "F" when grades are turned in.  If you do not check out of the lab you will be assessed a $10 fee, regardless if you drop the class or not.

Online Course Information: Important class information, including grades, review information, sample quizzes and exams, and other useful chemical information is online at http://home.pacbell.net/doninla or http://www.miracosta.edu/home/dlr/ .  If you forget this URL, you can go to my web pages from the MCC Chemistry Homepage, or the online MiraCosta College full-time faculty directory. You can E-mail me at: DONinLA@pacbell.net or DonRobertson@miracosta.edu.

You will get credit for one quiz (50 points) when you send me your E-mail address (click here to get information, in addition to what is shown below) and your full name, so that I can communicate with you during the semester.  In order to receive E-mail quiz credit, you must do the following:

1. This E-mail must be sent to DONinLA@pacbell.net by September 3, 2008 (if you send it only to my MiraCosta E-mail address, I may not record it as being received, since I only send E-mail to my students from the DONinLA@pacbell.net email address),
2. It must include Chem210 in the subject line, and
3. You must include your name in the text part of the E-mail.  E-mail received after this date (the end of the second week of the semester), or without the course number in the subject line, will not be accepted for credit (please follow this instructions precisely).

Thanks for being in the class.

(Amended on August 21, 2007)