X              Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)

           Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course

           WECM Course

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.

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.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”. 

• Honesty in completing assignments is essential.  Cheating, plagiarism, or any other kind of academic dishonesty 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.
• If cheating or collusion is suspected, a conference between the suspected parties and the instructor will be scheduled and notation made in the student’s file.

• Exam Administration:    Scheduled exams will begin promptly at your regularly scheduled lab time.  While there may be instances when being late is unavoidable, no over-time can or will be permitted for test-taking.  All exam papers must be handed in at the end of the scheduled exam time.  No exams will be distributed to latecomers after the first person that finishes an exam leaves the room.  No cell phones or any other electronic devices are allowed during exams.  If yours rings or vibrates, etc., during an exam, your paper will be taken up immediately and your grade will suffer accordingly.  You cannot use your cell phone as a calculator during exams.
• Homework:  Homework will be assigned from the problems at the end of each chapter in our textbook, You are expected to complete the homework assignments for each chapter.  However, homework will not be graded.  The best way to learn to apply the material in this course is to work examples and homework problems, and practice writing mechanisms.  Do not wait until right before an exam to do homework or learn new concepts.  You must set aside time every day to work on organic chemistry.
• Study Tips:  Because over 10 million organic compounds exist, memorizing the structure, properties, and reactivity of all of them would be almost impossible. Luckily, a few fundamental ideas underlie all organic reactions. By understanding these themes and trends (not by memorizing them!), you should be able to rationalize unfamiliar reactions and mechanisms through analogy.
• Understanding organic chemistry requires a regular program of active studying. No substitution exists for using a pencil and paper to draw and redraw structures, write reactions, and explore stereochemistry. Review all the lectures. Read the suggested reading material for each lecture and write down the main points. After each lecture, summarize the major ideas and concepts in your notes within 24 hours. Supplement these notes with material learned by reading the textbook. When you think you understand the material, do the suggested problems. If you cannot complete the problems without referencing your notes or the textbook, put them down and study the concepts again. Master the material from the previous lecture before going to the next one. Finally, spend a few minutes each day in review. If you fail to do this, you may find your review before an exam a major learning experience and you could become overwhelmed by what seems like an unreasonable amount of material. You cannot cram for an organic exam!
• The course grade for 4 credit hours will consist of:

70% Lecture Grade and 30% Lab Grade. 

The lecture grade (70%) will consist of:

Five exams = 50%

Final exam = 10 %

Classwork and Quizzes = 10%. 

Quizzes may be given at any time, either online via Canvas or in lab.  No advance notice of in-lab quizzes is given.  If you are absent or late when a quiz is given, a zero will be recorded.  Online Quizzes not completed by the due date will receive a grade of zero.  One (1) quiz grade will be dropped at the end of the semester.

• MISSED EXAMS:  If you miss an exam, you must make an appointment with the testing center on the Flower Mound campus right away to take a makeup exam (1 per semester only).  (They require 24 hours advance notice, and space is VERY limited due to social distancing requirements.)  YOU MUST NOTIFY ME BY EMAIL  of your intent to make up the exam, and let me know your appointment day/time so I can have the exam available for you.  The exam MUST be made up within two days; or BEFORE the next lab period, whichever is first.  If you do poorly on an exam or miss an exam, your final exam grade can be used to replace your lowest exam grade (for 1 exam only) at the end of the semester.  The final exam grade cannot be replaced; it counts for 10% of your final grade.  TESTING CENTER CAPABILITY THIS SEMESTER IS VERY LIMITED DUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS.  If you are not able to make an appointment, you must take a zero for a missed exam. 

The final exam will be COMPREHENSIVE, covering all material in this course.

GRADING SCALE:

A = 90-100      B = 80-89     C = 70-79      D = 60 –69    F = <60

• Grades will be posted on CANVAS.  You are responsible for checking to see that your grades are posted correctly.  If there is a discrepancy, please bring it to my attention right away.  Do not wait until the end of the semester.
• The averages calculated on CANVAS may or may not reflect your actual grade.  Refer to the syllabus for the percentages for calculating your grade.

• Cell phones and pagers must be turned to SILENT during lab, and must be turned OFF during exams.  If you must take a call during class for emergency reasons, excuse yourself from class to take the call.  Use of iphones, ipads, laptop computers or any other means of accessing the Internet during class is not recommended.  If you disrupt the class, you may be asked to leave for the remainder of the class session.
• THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ADD, DELETE, OR MODIFY ANY PART OF THIS DOCUMENT WITH PRIOR NOTICE TO THE STUDENT.

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

Syllabi Statements Spring 2021 - COVID-19 Specific

Conversion of Onsite Classes to Online/Remote Format: North Central Texas College students should be aware that in the event of a college closure due to COVID-19, onsite classes will be converted to an online/remote format. Students should plan ahead to ensure they have access to the computer equipment (either PC, MAC, or tablet), webcam, and internet connectivity to continue their classes in an online/remote format. Please read all your official North Central Texas College student emails as the transition from onsite to online/remote might require a reorganization in your personal situation. Students will be granted a 72-hour transition and grace period. Online classes will continue as scheduled without disruption. Wear a mask, stay safe, and contact your Instructor as the situation arises. These policies and procedures were updated on July 30, 2020 and are subject to change as conditions change.

Face Coverings: Per the North Central Texas College guidance on face coverings on campus, in the instructional setting, faculty and students must wear face coverings, such as masks or face shields. Students without coverings, or those who do not comply with the rules relating to face coverings, will not be able to participate in on-campus classroom activities. To request an exception to this requirement, students should contact the NCTC HR Office of Enrollment Management (ccove@nctc.edu). Failure to comply with the face coverings requirement may result in the Instructor directing the student to leave the classroom. Any student asked to leave the classroom may be referred to the student conduct officer. These policies and procedures were updated on July 30, 2020 and are subject to change.

Temporary COVID-19 Attendance Policy for Face-to-Face Meetings: We are facing an unprecedented situation in which all of us must be flexible and make prudent decisions in the best interest of our families, our campus, and our community. In light of this, North Central Texas College is temporarily establishing the requirement that faculty keep records of student attendance for face-to-face course meetings as well as a documented seating chart. In addition, students who are sick or need to quarantine should not attend classes. Students will not be required to provide formal documentation from a health care provider and will not be penalized for COVID-19 related absences when proper notification to campus health officials is made in accordance with the guidelines stated below.

Faculty will:

• Notify students about important course information and delivery changes through Canvas and campus email.

Students should:

• Provide notification to campus officials (via NCTC Daily Health Check protocol through Canvas) if they have tested positive for COVID-19 or have to quarantine so we can confirm reported absence with instructors, monitor, and assist the campus community.
• Notify instructors in advance of the absence.
• Connect with that class through Webex if the class session is being transmitted in a hybrid fashion.
• Keep up with and/or make up missed classwork or assignments.
• Submit assignments digitally through Canvas or other means as announced by your instructor.
• Work with their instructors to reschedule exams, labs, and other critical academic activities described in the course syllabus.
• Check Canvas and campus email daily to receive important announcements pertaining to the course.

During the spring 2021 semester, faculty with face-to-face meetings will establish assigned seating/work stations to facilitate roll-taking, and, if necessary, contact tracing. Additionally, we ask all members of the College community to be attentive to their health, and safeguard others, by following the CDC’s guideline to “stay home when you are sick.” You should stay home if you have symptoms. More information on what to do if you are sick is available at the CDC’s website.

Additional NCTC information is available at http://www.nctc.edu/coronavirus/index.html