I.
General Chemistry 1305 (CRN 22228 - Dr. Noveron; CRN 22229 - Dr. Lee)
Syllabus
Spring Semester 2009
Instructors:
Dr. Juan C. Noveron
Course CRN: 22228
Lecture: MW 0930 – 1020
Location: UGLC 116
Office Hours: MW 10:30 - Noon
Contact Information:
Office: PSCI 121-B
Phone: 747-7572
Email: jcnoveron@utep.edu
II.
Dr. Wen-Yee Lee
Course CRN: 22228
Lecture: TR 0800 – 0850
Location: UGLC 116
Office Hours: TR 0900 – 1000
Contact Information:
Office: PSCI 119
Phone: 747-8413
Email: wylee@utep.edu
Learning Goals and Student Outcomes:
This is the first part of General Chemistry for scientists, engineers and pre-medical
students. The students in the class will gain knowledge in the foundations of atomic and
molecular structure, nomenclature, physical and chemical changes of matter,
fundamentals of chemical reactivity, chemical bonding, thermochemistry and the
properties of gases.
Prerequisites: In order to be enrolled in Chemistry 1305, you should have:
 Passed or be concurrently enrolled in Math 1508 or
 Have achieved an SAT Math score of 600 or better.
Student Major:
The CHEM 1305 - 1306 sequence is designed for students who are majoring in a field of
science or engineering. Students majoring in other disciplines may prefer to take the
CHEM 4107 - 4108 sequence which contains more descriptive and less quantitative
material.
III. Course Information:
Required Textbook:
Chemistry, by Raymond Chang, Ninth Edition, McGraw-Hill Science. This textbook will be
used in the CHEM 1306 course (second semester general chemistry) next semester.
Required Software: OWL, the On-Line Web-based Learning software. Visit the following
website to purchase it: http://owl.thomsonlearning.com/
OWL can be purchased online for about $35.00 for one semester. During the purchase of OWL
software online, purchase any version associated to any textbook. All you want is access to the
OWL System. Once you have access to the OWL system, we will provide custom homework
associated to the lectures of this class.
Required attendance to Workshop:
 There are 28 Workshop sections for Spring 2009.
 Workshop is a required component of CHEM 1305. Every student enrolled in a 1305
lecture section must also be co-enrolled in a Workshop section.
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Workshop is NOT the same as CHEM 1105 Laboratory.
Each Workshop meets for a two-hour period, and is instructed by a Peer Leader.
The Workshop format allows the Peer Leaders to use active learning techniques to
enhance understanding of the chemical principles discussed in class. It also provides
opportunities for hands-on exposure to qualitative and descriptive chemistry
activities (Explorations).
Grading policy for workshop is based on participation and involvement. Absence,
tardiness, or leaving early from Workshop will result in a grade reduction in the
overall CHEM 1305 grade.
Goggles will be provided and must be worn during ALL chemical Explorations.
Peer Leaders: There are fifteen Peer Leaders (PLs) teaching in the CHEM 1305
Workshop Program this semester. Each PL has specified office hours each week in
the Physical Science ACES area and the schedule of their office hours will be posted
at www.uter.edu/istar under the chemistry section. You may consult with any PL
during her or his office hours, not just the PL in charge of your specific Workshop
section. PLs will also conduct review sessions prior to Hour Examinations and the
Final Exam.
Resources:
1. WebCT: Announcements will be made using WebCT. All notes from lecture will be
posted on WebCT. Homework will also be distributed via WebCT.
Accessing WebCT
1. You can access WebCT via your myUTEP page but you will need your email
username and password. If you don’t know your email username and password,
call the HELP desk to request them.
2. Go to My.UTEP.edu and log in
3. Click on WebCT — it’s on the menu bar at the top of the page.
Alternative for when My.UTEP.edu is down.
1. In order to log into WebCT, you need a UTEP ID and a Goldmine password.
2. Follow the direction for accessing UTEP email above.
3. If you registered for classes, you should have a goldmine password — if not, call
the Help desk (747-4357 on campus and 747-5257 off campus)
4. Go to the web page http://webct.utep.edu
5. Log onto WebCT using your UTEP username and Goldmine pin.
When you have logged into WebCT, you should see a link to General Chemistry.
WebCT tips:
 NEVER use the ‘back’ button in WebCT, it will not work.
 Windows XP Service Pack 2 pop up blocker — The Windows XP pop up blocker
needs to have http://webct.utep.edu added as a ‘trusted site’ to enable
downloading of documents on some people’s computers. If you’re using
Windows XP SP2 and have Internet Explorer, go to ‘Tools’, then ‘Pop Up Blocker’
and select ‘Pop-Up Blocker Settings’. Under ‘Address of Website to allow’ type:
webct.utep.edu and then click ‘add’. Click ‘close’, shut down the browser and reopen. Everything should download properly from WebCT now. If you continue to
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have trouble, hold down the ‘CTRL’ key before you click on the link to the file
you’re trying to open/download.
2. Virtual Office Hours:
The Peer Leaders will hold virtual office hours once a week at the specified hours
posted at www.utep.edu/istar under the chemistry section. These office hours will
be via a text-messenger online system and it is intended for consulting about the
topics discussed in class. Please note that these on-line discussions will be made
available to all students and they will be posted on WebCT and CourseMine.
3. Secretarial Services
The office of the general chemistry secretary, Lucema Armenta, is located in PSCI 202. A
bulletin board placed outside of the secretary’s office contains all necessary information
regarding exams, solutions to problems, etc. It is to your advantage to check the board
frequently for information. Office hours are from 8:00 am to 12noon and the 1:00PM 5:00 PM; the office is closed for lunch (12 noon - 1:00 PM).
Instructor Expectations:
Every student will attend all lectures and workshops. Weekly homework will be assigned
and it will be due on the day announced. Late homework will not be credited. Students
will attend review sessions given by Peer Leaders and practice answering questions and
problems from within the chapters and those at the end-of-chapter. It is highly
recommended that the student will read over the appropriate pages in the textbook and
complete the required homework on time.
Course Withdrawal Policy
Classes dropped prior to the official census date (02/04/2009) will be deleted from the
student’s semester record. After this date, the University permits any student to drop with
an automatic “W” until 04/03/2009. Noted this date is after the second hour examination.
After this date students who withdraw must receive grades of “F”.
IV.
Laboratories
CHEM 1105 is a separate course from CHEM 1305 while the Workshop is an integral part of
CHEM 1305. The laboratory is highly recommended for all students regardless of major.
V.
Examinations:
 Three one-hour examinations and a Final are scheduled according to the schedule in
Section IX. All exam grades will count towards the grade.
 The American Chemical Society Exam for General Chemistry will be used as the final
exam. The score of this examination is highly reflective of student’s understanding of
the main concepts of the course. Therefore, it is imperative that a deep understanding
of the subject is achieved. This can be accomplished by attending lectures, doing all the
HW, consulting the instructors and Peer Leaders during office hours, and actively
reading the textbook.
 CHEM 1305 examination questions are designed to test: i) understanding of basic
concepts, and ii) familiarity with chemical nomenclature, usage and calculations.
Examinations emphasize problem solving as opposed to memorization: only 20% of
most exams consist of short answer questions. You are well advised to learn the process
involved in problem solving rather than memorization of specific facts. Valid absences
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for University related activities (e.g. out-of-town research presentations, sporting
events) must be arranged prior to the date of the respective examination. No provision
exists for makeup of examinations missed as a result of unexcused absences.
NO CELL PHONES, BEEPERS, OR OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES MAY BE ON OR USED
DURING EXAMINATIONS INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE EXAMINATION ROOM.
Any student found using an electronic device during an examination will receive a grade
of zero on the examination.
No caps or hats may be worn during examinations. Bring a photo identification card to
all examinations to display when turning in your examination.
Do not bring programmable calculators (i.e. a calculator not capable of retaining
equations or words) to the hour examinations and the final examination. Anyone found
using a programmable calculator will receive a grade of zero. You can purchase a
satisfactory calculator which can perform logarithmic and exponential operations
(needed for Chem. 1306) for less that $10 at many stores.
VI.
Grades: (Grading is subject to revision.)
1. Exam l
100 pts
2. Exam II
100 pts
3. Exam III
100 pts
4. Home Work
200 pts
5. In-class exercises 100 pts
6. Workshop
200 pts
7. Final
200 pts
TOTAL
= 1000 pts
VII.
Academic honesty:
Materials (written or otherwise) submitted to fulfill academic requirements must represent
a student’s own efforts. Any act of academic dishonesty attempted by a UTEP student is
unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty is prohibited and is considered
a violation of the UTEP Handbook of Operating Procedures. It includes, but is not limited to,
cheating, plagiarism, and collusion. Violations will be taken seriously and will be referred to
the Dean of Students Office for possible disciplinary action. Students may be suspended or
expelled from UTEP for such actions.
VIII.
Students with Disabilities:
Student with a disability can contact Disabled Student Services to take exams with
appropriate accommodations. The office is located in Room 106 Union East Building and
can be contacted at (915) 747-5148 Voice/TTY, (915) 747-8712 Fax or at dss@utep.edu. If
you have or believe you have a disability, you may do so by providing documentation to the
Office of disabled Student Services.
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IX.
Lecture Schedule and Evaluation (This section is tentative and subject to change.)
CHEMISTRY 1305
The content is tentative. Changes will be announced in the class.
Week
1.
(01/19 - 01/23)
2.
(01/26 - 01/30)
3.
(02/02 - 02/06)
4.
(02/09 - 02/13)
5.
(02/16 - 02/20)
6.
(02/23 - 02/27)
7.
(03/02 - 03/06)
8.
(03/09 - 03/13)
9.
(03/16 - 03/20)
MW (09:30 – 10:20)/TR (08:00 – 08:50)
Note
01/19 (Mon) Martin Luther King’s
Day, No class
1. Chemistry
2. Atoms, Molecules, and Ions
02/04 Census Day – Last Day to drop
3, Mass Relationships in Chemical without W
Reactions
02/13 Pass/Fail Grade Option
Selection Deadline
Exam 1
Dr. Noveron’s Class: Wednesday, 2/18; Dr. Lee’s Class: Tuesday, 2/17
4. Reactions in Aqueous Solution
5. Gases
6. Thermochemistry
Spring Break, No Class
Exam 2
10.
Dr. Noveron’s Class: Wednesday, 3/25
(03/23 - 03/27)
Dr. Lee’s Class: Tuesday, 3/24
11.
7. Quantum Theory and Electronic
03/31 (Tue) Cesar Chavez’s Day, No
(03/30 - 04/03) Structure of Atoms
class; 04/03 Course Drop Deadline
12.
8. Periodic Relationships
04/10 (Fri) Good Friday, No Class
(04/06 - 04/10)
13.
(04/13 - 04/17)
9. Chemical Bonding I
14.
(04/20 - 04/24)
15.
10. Chemical Bonding II
(04/27 - 05/01)
Exam 3
16.
Dr. Noveron’s Class: Monday, 5/4
05/07 Completely Withdraw from all
(05/04 - 05/08) Dr. Lee’s Class: Tuesday, 5/5
courses; 05/08 Dead Day
Review on Wednesday/Thursday
17.
Final Exam on Tuesday, May 12, 7:00 – 9:45 am
(05/11 - 05/15)
at the Magoffin Auditorium, UTEP
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