Chemistry 231

Sections 03 & 04

Fall 2009

 


S. Murphree (smurphre@allegheny.edu)
C.215 Doane Hall of Chemistry
332-5358 (office)

Office Hours: MW 10-11:30 am, W 8:30 - 9:30 pm, Th 1:30-2:30, F 10-11 and by appointment
 

 

 

 

 

 
Assignments

Texts: Organic Chemistry, Vollhardt & Schore, 5th ed. (2007)
Organic Laboratory Techniques, Fessenden, Fessenden, & Feist, 3rd ed. (2001)

The Honor Code is in effect for all assignments, quizzes, and exams.

 

 

 

Attendance

Attendance is mandatory for all classes, laboratories, workshops, quizzes, and exams. Please be on time. The only absences which will be excused are in the case of: a) personal or family emergency, b) serious illness, or c) direct conflict with sports participation on a varsity team. For such absences not to count against your attendance record, please arrange for the proper documentation (memo or e-mail) to be delivered to me by a) the Dean of Students Office, b) the Health Center or your personal physician, or c) your coach, respectively. Please keep in mind that it is your responsibility to provide documentation, and that only the abovementioned sources will suffice.

A record of attendance is kept by passing around sheets at the beginning of class. If you don't get to sign in at the beginning of class, please make sure you come down directly after class; otherwise, an absence will be recorded.
 

Readings

Your text is a valuable resource. You are responsible for all the material in the readings, even the details that might not show up in the lecture or workshops. If you don’t understand something in the assigned reading, then it is your responsibility to clear up the confusion, either by raising the question in class or stopping in during office hours. You should do the reading before the lecture covering it.
 

Homework

All homework problems must be kept in a sewn-bound journal (no spiral-bound, no three-ring binder, no loose leaf). No other notes are to be kept in this journal (you may keep workshop notes separately by whatever method you prefer). Each problem set should be completed as the topic is covered in lecture. Bring the journals to all lectures and workshop sessions, as they will be called in on occasion—they are due at that time. If any of these guidelines are not kept, please expect the grade to reflect it.
 

Exams

Exams and quizzes will be administered at the announced times; no make-ups will be given; no delays will be granted. Extenuating circumstances may warrant taking an exam early, but this requires sufficient substantiation. If you miss a test due to serious illness, it is your responsibility to provide documentation from your physician or the Health Center. Without documentation, a grade of zero will be recorded.
 

Laboratory

Laboratory is an integral part of this course; therefore, the boundaries between classroom and lab are quite fluid. Experiences from class will need to be brought to bear on carrying out a successful laboratory experiment, and your laboratory knowledge will be assessed during normal quizzes and exams. Please note that you must attend the laboratory section to which you are assigned.
 

Workshops

The workshops are designed to develop problem-solving skills necessary in any scientific discipline. They are also excellent opportunities to prepare for the exams and the final. Open-minded, active participation is expected. These workshops are integral to the course, and your contribution will be factored into the overall grade (vide infra).
 

Withdrawal

The last day to withdraw from the class without penalty is Wednesday, 30 September. After that deadline, dropping the class will result in a failing grade. Please take this to heart.
 

Credit/No Credit

Please be aware that declaring the class credit/no credit confers no benefits in grading—a failing grade is a failing grade. In other words, an overall average of 59.4% will still receive a grade of NC.
 

Grading

The final grade will be computed on the following basis (no curves!):
33%                Three hourly exams @ 11% each
12%                Average of three 15-minute quizzes
20%                Laboratory (please see lab syllabus)
15%                (incl. Journal and Workshop)
20%                Final Exam

 

A

A-

B+

B

B-

C+

C

C-

D+

D

F

 

100-93

92-90

89-87

86-83

82-80

79-77

76-73

72-70

69-67

66-60

< 60