NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Course title: Introductory Chemistry I

Course prefix, number, and section number: CHEM 1406.0340

Semester/Year of course: SP 2025

Semester start and end dates: Jan 21 – May 16, 2025

Modality (Face to face/Synchronous or Asynchronous online/Hybrid): Asynchronous online

Class meeting location, days, and times: online through Canvas and WebEx

Lab meeting location, days, and times: online

Semester credit hours: 4 (48 hrs. lecture, 48 hrs. lab)

Course description: Survey course introducing chemistry. Topics may include inorganic, organic biochemistry, food/physiological chemistry, and environmental/consumer chemistry. Designed for allied health students and for students who are not science majors.

Course prerequisites: none

Required course materials:

Registration in this course gives you access to the eBook Basic Chemistry, 6^th edition by Timberlake and Timberlake. ISBN 0-13-487811-6. Pearson. You do not need to purchase a separate textbook or access code.  We are participating in the Inclusive Access Program where the materials are available in Canvas on the first day of class. Students are charged a discounted price for the required materials through their account after enrolling in a course using Inclusive Access textbooks. The cost for these materials will be billed directly to your student account. You can access the learning materials (eBook and Homework), through the ‘Access Pearson’ tab in the left navigation panel of your canvas course page. When prompted, click on ‘MyLab and Mastering’, log in with your existing Pearson credentials, if any, or create one.

If you wish to opt out of the Inclusive Access materials (NOT RECOMMENDED) you can contact the bookstore at nctc@bibliu.com. You must be opted out before the "Last Day to Drop (without grade of W)" noted on the academic calendar. If you opt-out, you will be responsible for purchasing course materials on your own at the higher opt-out price. Details on how to access your courses materials are located in your Canvas course.

Scientific calculator (You do NOT need a graphing calculator.)

Computer access with webcam and microphone capability that can support Respondus Lockdown Browser, Java, and Adobe Flash player; Reliable Internet access

Name of instructor: Dr. Pooja Ahuja

Office location: COR 333

Telephone number: 940-668-6232

E-mail address: pahuja@nctc.edu

Office hours for students:

Monday 4:30 – 6:30 pm (virtual through Webex, appointment required)

Tuesday 11:00 – 2:00 pm (on campus, COR Rm 333)

Tuesday 4:30 – 6:30 pm (virtual through Webex, appointment required)

SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER

The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing.

SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

List of graded assignments:     4 Major Exams                             40%

                                                       Lab Reports                                  30%

                                                       Homework and Quizzes             20%

                                                       Final Exam                                    10%

Final grade scale:  A = 90-100%           B = 80-89%       C = 70-79%          D = 60–69%      F = <60%

SEE CANVAS FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE CALENDAR, OUTLINE, DETAILED COURSE DESCRIPTION OF GRADED WORK, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIAL.

COURSE POLICIES

Late work and make-up Policy: Graded assignments (labs, quizzes, and homework) must be submitted by the due dates specified on Canvas or in class. It is your responsibility to track these deadlines to avoid losing credit for missed assignments. Most assignments are available for several days to accommodate different schedules, so you can complete them at your convenience. Late submissions will not be accepted, and no extensions will be granted beyond the due date. To account for unforeseen commitments or situations, your lowest grade in labs, homework, and quizzes will be dropped at the end of the semester.

Exams will be available for a 48-hour period and MUST be completed within this timeframe. Under normal circumstances, make-up exams will not be offered. If an extreme situation prevents you from taking the exam within the designated window, you must notify the instructor before the exam starts. Documentation supporting the reason for your absence will be required. Examples of valid extenuating circumstances include emergency hospitalizations. Note that issues such as car troubles, traffic delays, routine doctor visits, or travel do not qualify as valid reasons.

If a student is granted approval for a make-up exam, it must be completed at the time specified by the instructor and within 2 days of the original exam date. Please note that the make-up exam may differ in format from the original. Only one make-up exam is allowed per course. If you are unable to complete the make-up exam as scheduled, a zero will be recorded for the missed exam.

Final exam is COMPREHENSIVE

Test taking Policy: Exams and quizzes are given in the Lockdown browser with the required use of a webcam in exams.  Ensure that you install it on your testing device and complete the practice quiz on Canvas at least one week before Exam 1 to verify that the browser is correctly installed and functioning. If you encounter any issues with the browser, it is your responsibility to resolve them before exam day by submitting a support ticket to the IT department. Instructions to install can be found on course canvas page.

For exams, the student must scan the testing environment at the beginning of the exam and show that no other resources are being used including other person, phones, notes, etc. If at any point, other resources are shown or phone calls, etc are shown on video the student must explain them to the instructor or challenge to the validity of the exam may be questioned. Failure to do this may result in points lost or a zero for the exam.

Extra credit is not given, nor should be expected, for this course.

Grades Policy: It is your responsibility to check your grades in Canvas weekly to ensure they are posted correctly. Any discrepancies should be reported immediately —do not wait until the end of the semester, so they can be addressed promptly. Late grade discrepancies or disputes will not be entertained, so it is crucial that you check your grades regularly and report any discrepancies as soon as they arise.

The averages calculated on Canvas may or may not reflect your actual grade.

Until an actual grade is recorded for each type of assignment, the average calculated will be incorrect.  Refer to the syllabus above for the percentages for calculating your grade.

Class Attendance: Attendance in this online course is tracked through the timely completion of assignments and engagement with course materials (weekly lecture video views) in Canvas.  You are responsible for keeping up with the due dates (given in canvas) and required to complete assignments multiple times a week..

While attendance is not graded, it directly impacts your success. If you're not doing well or want to improve your grades, the first step is to consistently complete assignments on time, watch the videos, and seek tutoring if needed. I use these activities to assess your commitment to the course.

Excessive absences may result in a student being dropped from the course with no credit awarded. Excessive absences will be defined as more than 2 weeks’ worth of assignments and work. A student who enrolls in this course and fails to attend must drop the course to avoid receiving an “F”.  Students may or may not be dropped automatically.

A student must pass the lab component of the course to receive a passing grade (D or higher) in the overall course.

Academic Integrity Policy: Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty. 

Honesty in completing assignments is essential.  Cheating, plagiarism, or any other kind of academic dishonesty on any assignment will not be tolerated and will result in appropriate sanctions that may include failing an assignment or exam, failing the class, or suspension or expulsion.  A report WILL be filed with the college. Consequences for academic dishonesty include that a grade of zero (“0”) on any assignment that might otherwise be eligible to be dropped (lowest lab or homework grade, etc) shall forfeit the right to said privilege. The zero shall stand and will count as part of the grade calculation. This includes an exam grade or final exam grade as well.

If cheating or collusion is suspected, a conference between the suspected parties, the instructor, and the appropriate dean will be scheduled and notation made in the student’s file.

Artificial Intelligence Policy: This course assumes that all work submitted by students will be generated by the students themselves, working individually or in groups. Students should not have another person/entity do the writing of any substantive portion of an assignment for them, which includes hiring a person or a company to write assignments and using artificial intelligence tools.

AI Writing and Acceptable Use: Submitting work generated by ChatGPT or any other AI language tool on assignments is considered academic dishonesty, even if cited as a source.  Instructors use AI detectors to enforce this policy.  The writing assignments in this course require generating new knowledge, rather than just recombining existing information.  AI does not generate original research, and the information may contain factual errors. 

AI may be used in brainstorming, or developing a research question.  Generally speaking, students are not authorized to use artificial intelligence and related products like large language model applications to produce work for this class EXCEPT on assignments that the instructor has identified and for which the student will have received significant guidance on the appropriate use of such technologies.  Students should not, however, construe this limited use as permission to use these technologies in any other facet of their coursework. Students who submit AI generated content as original work will be subject to the same disciplinary actions listed above in the college's academic integrity policy.

Attendance Policy: Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student’s responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.  Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives. Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College.

The instructor also retains the right to dismiss any student who exhibits verbal or nonverbal behavior that is distracting or disruptive to the learning environment.

Withdrawal Policy

A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form.

Last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” is: Apr 7, 2025

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand the basic concepts of matter and energy including properties and changes.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of units and use measurements in problem solving.
3. Use the periodic table to explain atomic structure.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of covalent and ionic compounds and their nomenclature.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of chemical bonding and molecular structure.
6. Understand, write, and balance chemical equations.
7. Use the mole concept to determine the number of atoms, moles, grams, and solve elementary stoichiometry-based calculations.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of gas laws to predict the behavior of gases.
9. Understand the principles of solutions and solve associated problems.
10. Understand and apply the principles of acids and bases
11. Understand and apply the fundamental concepts of organic chemistry
12. Relate the concepts covered to everyday life including human physiological processes.

Core Objectives:

Critical Thinking

Communication

Teamwork

Empirical and Quantitative Analysis

COLLEGE POLICIES

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.

ADA STATEMENT

NCTC will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations.  See the OSD Syllabus Addendum.

AI STATEMENT

Absent a clear statement from a course instructor, use of or consultation with generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other similar technologies shall be treated analogously to assistance from another person, agency, or entity. In particular, using generative AI tools to substantially complete an assignment or exam is not permitted. Students should acknowledge the use of generative AI (other than incidental use) and default to disclosing such assistance when in doubt.

When students use generative AI to replace the rigorous demands of personal engagement with their coursework, it runs counter to the educational mission of the college and undermines the heart of education itself. Artificial Intelligence, large language models, and technologies hold promise for deploying knowledge in service to others and accelerating the discovery of new knowledge. However, such technology poses new challenges to pedagogy and to integrity. Within the context of the teaching mission of the college and consistent with the Student Code of Conduct, the authority to define the appropriate use, study, and deployment of these technologies rests with the faculty.

Individual course instructors, in coordination with their divisions, set policies regulating the use of generative AI tools in their courses, including allowing or disallowing some or all uses of such tools. Course instructors will set such policies in their course syllabi and clearly communicate such policies to students. Students who are unsure of policies regarding generative AI tools are encouraged to ask their instructors for clarification.

STUDENT SERVICES

NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students.  See the Student Services Syllabus Addendum for a listing of those departments and links to their sites.

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS