Dr. Greg Baxley        Office  # 2306         gbaxley@cuesta.edu    

Welcome to Chemistry 201A! I hope that students will find that the information presented in class is interesting, thought-provoking, and leads to an improved knowledge of the chemistry all around us. Let's work together to ensure your success and to observe your scientific and mathematical skills improve throughout the semester. This Welcome Letter has a course schedule and outlines the expectations, policies, required materials and other information needed for you to be successful in this course.  Unleash your inner chemist!

This class is an online (DE) class with synchronous meetings. This means that there are live weekly meetings for lab, problem solving, and assessments.

Required meetings:

This course will be conducted entirely online, including lectures and labs.  There are mandatory meeting times that will occur via Zoom or other platform.  Please ensure that you are available at the following times for these meetings:

• Tuesdays 1:00-2:20 pm for lecture, group problem solving, and assessments via Zoom (or Proctorio for quizzes/tests).
• The online lab time is  Wednesday 1:00-3:00 via Zoom where students can work on lab experiments, simulations, activities and work with lab partner(s). This time will be used for many but not all lab periods.
• There is an additional 2.5 hours of online participation each week for completing online lecture videos and activities, plus additional time (at least 8-10 hours) that will be necessary for reading, completing homework, and practicing problems.

Do you like a challenge, practice good study habits, and have a positive attitude? If you can check those boxes, this class is for you!

However, this class is a heavy load, and constitutes a part time job, so be aware of your class/workload.  Most successful students report that they need to study about 8-10 hours outside of the 7 hours in class just for Chem 201A alone.  Having more than 30 hours of combined class-time and work may lead to increased stress and reduced success.

Is Distance Learning for You? You CAN succeed in an online class, but before you enroll in a distance learning class, make an honest assessment of your level of personal discipline and ability for the independent learning style that an online course requires.  While there are mandatory class meetings with lecture and group work, much of the time you will be working on your own and teaching yourself with the help of computer software, internet forum discussion questions, tutorials, and videos.  Please take the following exploratory self assessment survey and judge for yourself. I am here to help you learn with study tips, motivation, and in-depth explanations, and I'll catch you if you stumble.  Are you a disciplined, self-motivated, and online-savvy student? If so, let's learn some chemistry!

Necessary Computer Equipment/Skills. 

• Electronic device: computer or tablet with a webcam and modern software/apps, preferably not a phone,  and internet access. Specific requirements are at   http://www.cuesta.edu/student/aboutacad/distance/faqs_technical.html
• Computer skills required are downloading and printing documents, using your Cuesta email account, accessing your Canvas account, posting discussion questions, watching videos, and using on online HW system. Essential technology in general is at the Cuesta College technology site. The course Canvas site will be available starting the weekend prior to the first day of class.
• We will probably use Proctorio or Zoom for exams and quizzes. If you need a laptop with webcam, let me know. Cuesta has some Chromebooks that they can loan out.

Attendance and Participation. Students must activate their Canvas and online HW accounts to complete assignments that will be due on Monday, August 24.

Contact:                         Email (gbaxley@cuesta.edu) is the best way to contact me, but please send all content questions about HW or course material to Piazza, a discussion forum in Canvas. Questions are usually answered within 12 hours, usually much faster!

Office Hours:               online TBA

Prerequisites:              Math 27 or intermediate algebra,   AND  Chem 210FL (grade of “C” or better) 

Required Supplies:     

• Canvas account (free)  https://cuesta.instructure.com/  
• scientific calculator   non-programmable  for exam and quizzes with Exponential notation (EE or EXP on most calculators,) and logs (LOG and LN).  No TI-8X series calculators for exams or quizzes.
• Splash proof chemistry goggles:  There will be some experiments conducted at home.  In order to conduct these safely, you must have approved chemical safety goggles.  Goggles must completely enclose the eye and not have direct venting (holes) in them.  Acceptable goggles are  Uvex Stealth Gray, and Uvex Stealth Blue, and Fisherbrand Economy.
• Other materials for kitchen chemistry.  Other materials will be necessary for at-home experiments.  I will make every effort to make the materials easily accessible and inexpensive.  

Required supplies for fall 2020:

• Chemistry, A Molecular Approach, N. Tro  Prentice Hall, 2014  5^th, 4^th ed. or 3^rd edition OK, or e-text in Canvas.
• Mastering Chemistry Online HW, $70 through Canvas or free with new 5th edition text or e-book. Purchase online through Canvas only, not direct from Pearson.
• If you're on the Cuesta bookstore site, buy the $201 option which has both the text and Mastering
• If you buy used or rent, buy the Mastering code through our Canvas site once the semester starts.
• there may be a small lab fee for lab software, I'll try to keep it less than $25.

Coursework Assistance: Help is available! I am here to help you learn and enjoy the course material.  If you are having trouble, please ask for assistance.  If you cannot Zoom to office hours, please use Piazza, the online discussion forum in Canvas, for questions.  I encourage relevant questions during live lecture and lab periods. 

Free tutoring is available through the student success center.  If you need help or want an informal study group, this is a great resource to visit online. Drop in and ask a question, or stay and work with friends. See this link for the schedule of free chemistry tutoring.   https://www.cuesta.edu/student/resources/ssc/index.html     

 Assistance, part 2:  Nationwide, 36% of college students face challenges in securing safe housing or affordable food. Cuesta College has programs that can help, including an on-campus food pantry (open daily) and a food bank distribution site (3^rd Tuesday of the month). If you experience food or housing insecurity, please contact the Student Support Resolution Coordinator, Donna Howard, in Room 3172, 805.546.3192 or donna_howard1@cuesta.edu

The Cuesta CaFE Center (room 3142) has food, toiletries, hygiene products, and clothing for students in need.

Cuesta College offers personalized, confidential mental health therapy services to support students for their academic success and personal development. Visit room 3150 or call (805) 546-3171 for appointments.

I might be able to help too, so if you are comfortable in doing so, please let me know if you need assistance.

More information and services can be found at https://cuesta.instructure.com/courses/12134/pages/resources

Free tutoring is available in the student success center. See this link for the schedule of free chemistry tutoring.   https://www.cuesta.edu/student/resources/ssc/index.htmlLinks to an external site. 

Withdrawal:  If you discontinue the course for any reason, you are responsible for making an official withdrawal. 

Evaluation:

Homework Quizzes: Chemistry is best learned by regularly practicing problems.  Short quizzes with problems very similar to HW problems are designed to motivate you to keep up with the reading and to complete the homework to the level of understanding.  Your lowest quiz score will be dropped.  

Homework:  Assignments of required and suggested problems will be provided on the course website for each chapter and will be assigned via an online HW system.  Online HW assignments can always be completed after the due date for partial credit.

The required problems represent the bare minimum; you are strongly encouraged to answer the suggested problems for extra practice.  Practice until you always get them right.   Included in the HW section will be discussion posts and Canvas reading quizzes.

Exams: There will be four exams throughout the term (see schedule) and a comprehensive final exam. Exams will contain a variety of problem types like multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank, and free response (FRQs will be uploaded as a pdf into Canvas).

Labs: Some lab experiments will be conducted with peers during the scheduled lab time and others will be conducted individually on your own time.  If you miss a lab that occurs during the schedule lab time, you may be required to complete the lab on your own without a group.        

Some labs may have a prelab assignment that needs to be completed before the lab period.   

Each lab experiment will require the submission of lab questions in Canvas.  Some experiments will be conducted in groups as assigned by the instructor.  Others will be conducted individually.  For group labs, students will meet via Zoom or other platform to conduct the experiment at a distance. 

Late work:  I understand that sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that don't fit into the the categories of physical illnesses official excused absences that may make it difficult to turn in an assignment on time. There are two options for late work:

1. 1. 1. You can use of of your No Questions Asked Coupons, see the bottom of this page.
      2. You can request an extension by doing contacting me by email prior to the due date. Extensions will be granted by on a case by case basis.    

Missed classes:  To accommodate unavoidable absences, the lowest quiz score and lowest lab score will be dropped.  Make-up quizzes will be arranged for official Cuesta team or course events, for legally required absences (like jury duty), or illness. Make-up labs: who knows, I've never done fully online labs before!   Please contact me as soon as possible if you wish to make up a lab.  Missing 3 or more labs will result in a non-passing grade.

If you must miss an exam, please contact me as soon as possible (prior to the exam, if possible).  I can only accommodate make up exams can for certain circumstances and may administer them during finals week.

Grading scheme and Point distribution

Assessment	Approximate % weighting	Percent in class	Letter Grades
Quizzes	15	90.00-100%	A
HW	10	80.00-89.99%	B
Midterm Exams	25	70.00-79.99%	C
Lab assignments	25	65.00-69.99%	D
Final exam	25	Below 65%	F

Plus/Minus grades:   Cuesta College allows for +/- grading, which will be used in borderline cases, usually based on the final exam score (state law does not allow grades of “C-” at CA Community Colleges). Plus/minus grades will earned for totals of approximately 78-82% and 88-92%.

Classroom Etiquette: Please be considerate of your other classmates. Some students are easily distracted, so I ask that you arrive on time, ready to learn, and do not depart early.  Students who disrupt the class may be asked to leave.  Since a portion of the class will consist of group problem solving, it is important to be kind, patient, and supportive of your classmates.  I will try to model appropriate behavior.  Please don’t talk or chat during lectures.  If you have questions, please ask!  Please turn off your phone while in class and avoid the temptation to text during class.  Please see me before recording any audio or video during class. 

Academic Integrity:  Cheating on an assignment is usually a sign of desperation which can be avoided with preparation.  Academic dishonesty in any form, including copying (or allowing copying) of work, falsifying lab data, or unauthorized aids on exams, is not allowed.  Students who violate the academic honesty policy may receive a “0” for the assignment (not eligible for the low score drop) and an equivalent assignment, or an F for the course.  Be sure to give proper citations when quoting or paraphrasing sources of information.  See the Cuesta College schedule for official student conduct policies.

          It is allowed and expected that students will work together on lab reports and other assignments.  It is also expected that each student will do their own work and write their answers in their own words.  A good way to work together is to talk about a question, discuss an answer, and then each person says, calculates, or writes an answer in their own words.  An unacceptable way to work together is for one person to say, calculate, or write an answer, and then for another person to write the same answer.  For calculation problems, always enter the values in your calculator on your own, don’t write the result of another student’s calculation.

The use of the internet, such as google, Chegg, Reddit, or other sites, for lab reports, quizzes, exams, homework, or other work is prohibited unless otherwise specified in the assignments.  If you aren't sure how to answer a question, ask for help from your instructor, tutor, or classmate, but do not copy someone else's answer, and do not resort to asking an internet "expert" to solve the problem for you.  There are many chemistry videos on Youtube with incorrect information.  Instructor-approved Youtube videos are available in Canvas for many topics, so watch these instead of finding your own.  If a video is unavailable for a particular topic, contact your instructor for help.

Lab experiments will be designated as either Individual Labs or Group Labs.  Follow the directions for each lab on what is considered acceptable collaboration.  Each student is required to collect data as described in the directions for the lab.  Copying data from another student is not allowed, unless specified in the lab instructions for that lab experiment.

Special Note: Some students may face learning disabilities or challenges that affect their academic performance.  If you have any special concerns or disabilities that could affect your learning, please contact DSPS at 546–3148 as soon as possible.  DSPS requests that testing accommodation forms be submitted at least 7 days prior to a test or quiz.  Exams and quizzes taken with accommodations must be taken with DSPS and must start or end during a regular class period.  Please schedule your classes and other obligations such that accommodated exams and quizzes can occur concurrently with the class.  

Regular and Effective Instructor Contact will be met through the weekly class meetings, threaded discussion forums; announcements to students; posted lecture videos, and office hours.

Authenticating Student Identity will be conducted through the use of the Learning Management System, Canvas and Mastering Chemistry, each of which requires students to log into the program using a secure login and password to access. You must use your official Cuesta College email address for Mastering Chemistry (like marie_curie@my.cuesta.edu)

Netiquette and Online Course Participation

• Use respectful and professional language in your forum discussions. Respect the learning progress of your peers.
• Please do not use texting language, lol, ikr?
• Emoticons are acceptable ways to show emotion.
• Avoid ALL CAPS as they come across like YOU'RE SCREAMING.
• You are expected to read all forum posts.
• You are to make at least of 5 posts or responses with specific details in the Canvas discussion forum (called Piazza) this term. Do not provide exact answers in your posts.
• All messages are public, so be professional and courteous when you post.
• Make your posts and replies specific to a particular problem or issue.
• Use complete sentences and thoughts are mandatory for forum posts.
• Log into Canvas and the online HW system at least once per week.

Technical Issues?  For issues related to accessing Cuesta's Canvas Site email:support@my.cuesta.edu. Online HW technical issues are best resolved by clicking the appropriate links in the HW system. 

Attendance/Drop/Withdraw Policy. Students will be dropped if their Canvas and online HW accounts are not activated or not used for any period longer than 14 consecutive days. Students cannot earn a C or higher if 3 or more labs are missed. If you decide to withdraw, you must do so according to Cuesta’s drop policy.  http://www.cuesta.edu/student/aboutacad/acad_policies/dropcourse.htmlLinks to an external site.

Course Description:  Presents the first semester of a one-year course intended primarily for science and engineering majors in the fundamental principles of chemistry. Topics covered include kinetic-molecular treatment of gases, atomic structure and the periodic law, thermochemistry, chemical bonding, correlation of structure with properties, quantitative relationships in chemical reactions, laboratory activities, and chemical formulas and equations.

Student learning outcomes:  Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to:

1. Describe the chemical and physical properties of a chemical substance based on the atomic and molecular structure including orbital theory, the type of chemical bond, and the shape of the molecule.
2. Evaluate and interpret numerical and chemical scientific information.
3. Solve stoichiometry problems, including mass/mass, mass/volume, and volume/volume relationships.
4. Communicate chemical concepts through the use of molecular formulas, structural formulas, and names of compounds.
5. Perform laboratory experiments based on gravimetric, volumetric, qualitative and instrumental analysis techniques and effectively utilize the appropriate experimental apparatus.

Fall 2020 Chem 201A Schedule.  This is subject to change and the schedule in Canvas will be the most current.

class calendar

week	Chapter and topic	Lab experiment	notes
1  (8/17)	Ch 1, Matter and Measurement	Safety,  Exp #1	Work assigned this week!
2  (8/24)	Ch 2, Atoms and Elements	TBA	8/30  last day to drop w/o a W
3 (8/31)	Ch 3 Molecules and Compounds		1/28 Sunday:   Drop w/o W
4 (9/7)	Ch 4 Chemical Reactions and Moles
5 (9/14)	Ch 5 Solutions and Aqueous Reactions
6 (9/21)	Ch 5, Acids/bases		Exam 1 Tuesday 9/22
7 (9/28)	Ch 7,  Thermochemistry part 1
8 (10/5)	Ch 7,  Thermochemistry part 2
9 (10/12)	Ch 8,  Quantum Mechanics
10 (10/19)	Ch 9,  Periodic Properties
11 (10/26)	Ch 10, Chemical Bonding I   (Lewis structures)		Exam 2 Tuesday 10-27
12 (11/2)	Ch 11, Chemical Bonding II   (molecular shapes and bond theory)
13 (11/9)	Ch 11, Chemical Bonding II   (molecular shapes and bond theory)		11/8 Deadline drop w/ W
14 (11/16)	Ch 6, Gases
15 (11/23)	Ch 12,  Solids and Liquids and IMFs		11/26 Thanksgiving!
16 (11/30)	Ch 14,  Solutions and Colligative     Properties		Exam 3 Tuesday 12/1
17 (11/7)		final review in lab session
18 (12/14)	Final Exam  the final is cumulative Tuesday,  Dec 15     12:00-2:00 pm         Please don’t ask for a different final exam time
This schedule is subject to change.  Changes will be announced in class and posted to Canvas.

No Questions Asked (NQA) coupons (you get 2 to start with, earn an extra one by completing assignments)

The NQA coupon allows you to turn in an assignment late, it does not excuse you from doing the assignment.

Email me once you've completed/submitted a late assignment so that I can apply your NQA and remove any late penalties.

You must complete the late assignment within one week of it's due date.

Not accepted for Prelab assignments.

 

Me in the lab, and in the Student Success Center, home version!