CHEM 1004
Syllabus
Spring 2011
Buckley
Course Information:
Course Title:
Descriptive Chemistry
Course Number:
CHEM 1004
Credit Hours:
4
CRN:
30121
Catalog Description:
A one-semester introductory course in chemistry. Principal concepts and theories of
chemistry are examined from the layman’s point of view. This course is highly
recommended for those planning to take CHEM 1364/1361 who have not had previous
chemistry. Credit earned in this course cannot be counted towards a science major or
minor. This course does not fulfill chemistry requirements for pre-professional
programs.
General Education Note:
This course completely satisfies four hours of nonlab general education physical sciences
credit at Cameron University (option (b) under Science). Typically a student’s laboratory
science requirement at Cameron is satisfied by their biology general education course.
If you intend to transfer this course to another institution or a program, please check with
the receiving institution to ensure that the course satisfies the intended requirement.
There is no problem with transferability of the course and its credits – it is helpful to
know that it satisfies the specific need you have at another institution.
Course Text and Other Required Materials:
The class textbook required is:
Chemistry for Changing Times, 12th Edition, John W. Hill, Terry W. McCreary, Doris
K. Kolb, Prentice Hall, New York, 2010. ISBN 0-13-605449-8.
Other resources:
There is an optional electronic site associated with the textbook. Information on it can be
found at http://www.chemplace.com. This site also includes an option for buying an etext (rather than a paper version). Access to the electronic support material is $30.00
(USD) and to the site plus e-book is $98.55 (USD) as of February 7, 2011.
Technology Skills Needed
Basic technology skills required include:
1. A basic functionality with Blackboard. If you are not familiar with
Blackboard, you need to take a few minutes to work through the course
“Blackboard Preparation for Students” listed under the My Summary tab
of your Blackboard site or at this link.
2. Basic ability to browse the internet using preferably Mozilla Firefox. Though
Internet Explorer 6 and above is supported, Firefox seems to be more stable,
particularly in the quizzing and test-taking activities. If you do not have
Firefox, it is a free download available at http://www.mozilla.com.
3. Ability to perform basic word processing functions in Microsoft Word.
Technology Support
If you have any trouble with technical aspects of Blackboard, go to the Cameron Links
menu option and choose the Technical Support option.
Cameron’s Distance Learning office may be contacted at 580-581-5498 and is located in
South Shepler 419 on the Cameron University campus. The director’s name is Lisa
Restivo.
Grading System
Graded components of the course include the following with the indicated weightings.
Self-Assessments
Participation in Discussion Forums
Periodic Table Paper/Case Study
Six quizzes
Two tests – midterm and final
5%
16%
14%
20%
45%
Description of Graded Components
Self-Assessments – The material in the course is divided into smaller units. Each unit is
accompanied by a self-assessment. These help you check your understanding and also
give me information on class progress.
Participation in Discussion Forums – Discussion forums will be provided throughout
the semester. One set of forums will be related to content questions related to the course
material and will contain threads under it for each unit. Others will deal with more
general topics and provide an avenue for your thoughtful input. In some discussion
forums you may be broken into smaller groups of students to form a smaller cohort for
discussion. Evaluation of your participation in forums will be based on making at least
two meaningful contributions each week. A meaningful contribution is described as one
provided in complete sentence(s) that goes beyond a simple yes/no, agree/disagree sort of
statement. A meaningful contribution shows some thought about the topic at hand or the
message being replied to and often spurs further discussion. Two or more meaningful
contributions a week will result in 2% being added in the grading system, one meaningful
contribution a week 1% point, and no contributions 0%.
Short Papers - There will be two short papers assigned during the semester based on a
given prompt. These papers will be submitted through the SafeAssign system that checks
for plagiarism. Grading rubrics will be provided when these papers are assigned.
Six Quizzes - There will be a quiz over the weekly material from Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and
7. The first quiz is a syllabus quiz to make sure any kinks are worked out of the system.
These quizzes will be administered through Blackboard under Assignments. You will
have a 48-hour window in which to take each quiz. More detailed information is
available in the monthly calendar under Course Information.
Two Tests – There will be two proctored tests given – a midterm at the end of Week 5
and a Final Exam at the end of the semester. You will have a 72-hour window in which
to take these tests. Information on finding a proctored testing site may be found at . . .
More detailed information on the scheduling may be found in the monthly calendar under
Course Information.
Missed Quizzes and Tests – Because of the window of availability to take the tests,
there are few reasons to miss a test. Examples might be proctoring site issues or
technology issues. If these sorts of issues arise, please advise me as soon as possible so
we can work on a solution.
Interaction and Collaboration
The bulk of the interaction in this course will occur through asynchronous means – i.e.,
there are not specific points in time in which you must be on the course. There are
different avenues through which you may interact with each other or with me.
Discussion Board: The discussion board may be accessed from the Blackboard menu.
As you have seen earlier in the policy, a portion of your grade depends upon you taking a
meaningful role in the discussion area. This does not require you to be on at any
particular time – the discussion board keeps track of the discussion and you can
contribute whenever you want.
In the Discussion Board area you will see areas called Content Forums. The different
threads under those allow you to discuss with others questions you may have regarding
the various units. These do not contribute to your participation grade in the discussion
area but may be helpful in clarifying some of your questions.
e-mail: e-mail, of course, does not require participants to be online at the same time and
is totally asynchronous
Virtual office hours: I will hold two “virtual office hours” a week. These are times
when I will log into Blackboard and carry on back-and-forth conversations with whoever
decides to take part. These are access through the Tools option on the menu followed by
Collaboration. If a session is active you will see it as a live link. If you are unable to
attend but would like to know what went on, I will keep a recording of each session so
you can view that at your leisure.
Other Information
Bookstore Information:
Available under Cameron Links in the Course Menu
Computer Lab and Library Information:
Available under Cameron Links in the Course Menu
Academic Integrity/Dishonesty:
Each student is expected to engage in all academic pursuits in a manner that is above
reproach. Students are expected to maintain complete honesty and integrity in the
academic experiences both in and out of the classroom. Any student found guilty of
academic dishonesty will be subject to disciplinary action.
ADA Compliance:
It is the policy of Cameron University to accommodate students with disabilities,
pursuant to federal and state law. Students with disabilities who need classroom
accommodations must make their requests by contacting the Office of Student
Development at (580) 581-2209, North Shepler Room 314.
Student Handbook:
The Student Handbook which addresses many questions you may have may be accessed
at: http://www.cameron.edu/studentservices/handbook/
Withdrawal/Add/Drop and Refund Policy:
Key dates to be aware of:
June 2nd:
June 8th:
July 14th :
July 21st:
July 28th:
August 1st:
Classes Begin
Last day to enroll in an eight-week summer class
Last day to drop an eight-week summer class without a “W” on the
transcript and without being financially responsible
Last day to drop a class with an automatic “W”
Last day to drop a class
Last day of class
Grades posted by 4:00 pm.