CHEM 1211K - Ken McGill

Contact Information

Ken McGill
Georgia College & State University
231 W. Hancock St.
Phone Number: (478) 445-5271
Fax Number: (478) 445-1092
E-mail address: ken.mcgill@gcsu.edu

Office hours:
Office hours are posted inside the course. During office hours you can find me in the course Chat room "General Chat for CHEM 1211K." You can also reach me during office hours at the above phone number.

NOTICE: Please use the internal Vista course e-mail for general correspondence. I provide my external e-mail address for emergencies only. I cannot answer questions, accept assignments, or discuss grades via external e-mail so please use it for emergencies only.

Course Description

First course in a two-semester sequence covering the fundamental principles and applications of chemistry designed for science majors. Topics to be covered include composition of matter, stoichiometry, periodic relations, and nomenclature. Laboratory exercises supplement the lecture material.
This online course uses Vista as the delivery platform. You are not required to attend class face to face. The course runs the length of a semester. It is not a self-paced or an independent study course. The instructor will establish the pacing of the course and will inform you of due dates for assignments, discussion activities, and quizzes.

This 4 credit hour course includes an off-site laboratory component which you must successfully complete in order to make a passing grade in the course. Course requirements include graded homework assignments, laboratory reports, 10 unit quizzes and at least one proctored exam that has a laboratory practical component.

Prerequisites:

• High school chemistry course with laboratory or introductory college chemistry course with laboratory.
• College algebra. Precalculus as a prerequisite or co-requisite is highly recommended.

Course Textbooks
and Resources

Lab Kit:

• Laboratory Kit comprised of required equipment and glassware. This kit may be purchsed from http://www.sciencekit.com/gcsu/

Other Materials:

• TI-83 Plus or higher grade TI-83 Graphing Calculator

• Laboratory reagents and supplies consisting of commonly found household items. These items, listed below, may be purchased from a local retailer:
• Reagents
  HCl (Muriatic acid)
  NaOH (Lye)
  NaHCO3 (Baking Soda)
  5% White Distilled Vinegar
  NaCl (table salt)
  Sand, play
  Distilled H2O
  At least 500 mL of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
  Approximately 2 feet of copper grounding wire
  
  
• Other Materials
  Lab notebook
  Several clean, dry, half-gallon plastic bottles, such as milk bottles, with screw tops
  Red and blue helium-grade balloons
  About 24 inches of ¼ inch flexible plastic tubing
  One or more glass marbles
  Waxed paper
  Plastic spoons
  Coffee stirrers
  Several (approximately 8-10) machine bolt hex nuts of two different materials: steel, brass, aluminum or copper
  Stove top or hot plate
  Oven or toaster oven
  Oven mitt or hot pads
  Large pan
  Styrofoam cups
  Clear plastic cups
  Latex gloves
  Nylon string
  Scissors

eCore Bookstore
The eCore textbook listing and eCore bookstore information can be found here: http://ecore.usg.edu/courses/textbook.php. It is recommended that you order your required course materials from the MBS Direct Online Bookstore found here: http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/ecore.htm

Grading Policy

Grade Calculation:
Your final grade will be based on the following:

• Unit quizzes (10) – 30 %
• Assigned homework problems – 20%
• Online discussion participation – 10%
• Final Proctored Exam – 15%
• Laboratory – 25%

The laboratory experiments are an essential component of this course. Students must satisfactorily complete off-site laboratory experiments and report them using the prescribed format. Failure to complete three or more of the required labs, will result in a failing grade for the course.
The laboratory grade will be comprised of:

• Pre-Lab Quiz 10%
• Post-Lab Quiz 60%
• Laboratory Reports 15%
• Top seven grades acquired in lab
• Final Proctored Practical Exam 15%

Grading Scale:
Grades are assigned according to the following scale:

• A: 90 - 100%
• B: 80 - 89%
• C: 70 - 79%
• D: 60 - 69%
• F: 0 - 59%

The Grade of "I" (Incomplete): The grade of "I" is given only to students whose completed coursework has been qualitatively satisfactory but who have been unable to complete all course requirements because of illness or other extenuating circumstances. The instructor retains the right to make the final decision on granting a student's request for an "I".

If you are a student whom is disabled as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act and requires assistance or support services, please notify your instructor.

Also, students with disabilities or who require special testing accommodations should contact the Testing Coordinator before scheduling an exam appointment. In order to receive special accommodations, students must provide documentation from the disabilities center at their affiliate institution or from the Regents Center for Learning Disorders.

Testing Coordinator: etesting@westga.edu / 678-839-5300

Proctored Exam

Proctored exams are online exams taken at approved testing centers. Students enrolled in eCore courses take at least one proctored examination per course.
Log into the course to see whether the Midterm Exam, Final Exam or Both will be proctored. You are responsible for scheduling and completing your exam(s) by the deadlines.  Deadlines are provided on the eCore Calendar at http://ecore.usg.edu/courses/calendar.php.

FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES

1. Schedule an exam time and date with the approved test site of your choice (http://ecore.usg.edu/exams/sites.php) before the deadline.
1. Take note of:
1. Name of Testing Site where you will take the exam
2. Testing Site contact person
3. Phone and email address of Testing Site contact person
2. Be advised and aware of the services that the center provides. Not all testing centers are equipped to proctor online/computer-based tests.
2. Fill out and submit the eCore Exam Request form (http://ecore.usg.edu/exams/schedule_exam.php) before the deadline in order for the eCore Testing Coordinator to send information about your exam to your actual Testing Site. YOU MUST SCHEDULE YOUR EXAM WITH THE TESTING SITE PRIOR TO FILLING OUT THE EXAM REQUEST FORM for eCore. A late fee of $15 will be charged if you fill out the request form after the deadline.
3. Print the confirmation of your request form and take it with you to the Testing Site along with your photo ID (Driver’s License or School ID) and testing/proctor fee as indicated by the Testing Site. A staff member at the Testing Site, also known as a Proctor, will check your identification and administer the exam according to the directions provided by your instructor.

Failure to take a proctored examination will result in failure of the course, regardless of the average of other grades.

Technical Requirements

Having a correctly configured computer will help ensure your success in eCore. Check the information at http://ecore.usg.edu/prospective/techreqs.php to be sure that your computer meets all the necessary technical requirements for hardware and software. Links to the plug-ins (special free software) that you will need are provided.

Technical Assistance

For technical assistance contact the 24/hour helpline at http://help8.view.usg.edu (click on Request Support tab for the toll free # and live chat support).

In addition please contact your home institution eCore advisor or the University of West Georgia helpdesk at 678-839-5300.