Instructor
office hours: see homepage to website
mccord302n@cm.utexas.edu
Teaching Assistant
office hours:
see homepage to website
jdiau15@gmail.com
chembook: Dr. McCord's FREE online textbook. It is not behind a paywall or login page - free and open. The chembook website has the chapters presented in the same order that we will cover them in class. Click the link and then save the bookmark in your browser.
Scientific Calculator: Although a good ol' TI-30Xa is shown here, you can use any decent scientific calculator. Make sure you know how to use it - especially how to punch in and handle scientific notation, exponents, and log functions. Add, subtract, multiply, and divide are givens. You will use this calculator for both in-class work, homework, and exams.
Here is a whole page on approved calculators for the course.
CH302N will cover the following subjects which will be divided into four units or modules. Each unit of coverage will have a corresponding exam to go with it. Each exam will correspond to one or two chapters from the chembook website (eBook).
6 - Water, water, Everywhere
7 - Electrochemistry
8 - Intro Organic - Plastics
9 - Food & Nutrition
NOTE: The final exam will be a comprehensive exam that is an overview of all the material that was covered in units 1-4 (chapters 6-9 on chembook). Technically, the final exam is optional because you only need 4 exam scores for your average. The final exam is a safety net exam to allow you to drop one of the first four exams and count the final exam in its place.
Our classroom is equipped for Lectures Online. This means that our lectures are recorded for later viewing. These will be available on Canvas by clicking on the "Lectures Online" menu item. This is NOT a live broadcast of the lecture though. You need to be in the lecture hall for live lectures. This service allows you to review the lecture online after class is over.
To be CLEAR: this is an in person, on campus class. You are expected to attend all the lectures and participate during class. There will NOT be a Zoom live broadcast. Plan on coming to class.
We are keeping the grading in the course rather simple. Your overall grade in the course will be determined by your averages in each of three categories: Exams, Homework, and Quizzes with the percentages as shown below for each of the three categories.
This will be the average of your top 3 out of the 4 regular exams. Canvas will not drop your lowest exam of the four until the end of the semester. All your exams count (in canvas anyway) until then and your average will show that. Canvas will correctly show this average with the drop at the end of the semester (after all 4 exam scores are in).
The final exam is mandatory. All students in the class will have to take the final exam. There is no dropping this score. The final exam will be a comprehensive exam that is an overview of all the material that was covered in units 1-4 (chapters 6-9 on chembook).
This will be your average of your homework scores. There is a total of 8 homework assignments and two of those HW scores will be dropped in the average. The drop will occur at the end of the semester. Canvas will correctly show this average.
Course grades will be determined according to the following scale or cut-offs:
| A | ≥ | 93.00 |
| A- | ≥ | 90.00 |
| B+ | ≥ | 87.00 |
| B | ≥ | 83.00 |
| B- | ≥ | 80.00 |
| C+ | ≥ | 77.00 |
| C | ≥ | 73.00 |
| C- | ≥ | 70.00 |
| D+ | ≥ | 67.00 |
| D | ≥ | 63.00 |
| D- | ≥ | 60.00 |
| F | < | 60.00 |
Your score is calculated to the nearest 1/100th - that's 2 places PAST the decimal.
Our four "regular" exams will be held on the following class days in WEL 1.316 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm.
The final exam is scheduled by the University and we will comply with their time.
If you have a documented, UT-related conflict (examples listed below) with the exam time for all or specific exam(s), it is possible that we can offer you an alternate time on the same evening or earlier in the day. To request an alternate exam time, please visit our Chemistry Student Services office in WEL 2.302. The staff there will try to help you find an alternative (earlier) time. Space is tight and you'll need to do this ASAP for any conflict. In person is best, but you can try via email (css@cm.utexas.edu) or by phone as well (512-471-1567). Their working hours are Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm.
To be very clear... NO student will take the exam after the regularly scheduled day and time. There are no make-up exams, and you can't take the exam late. If you have to miss the exam due to illness or family emergencies, etc., that exam will be your dropped exam in your average.
University related conflicts include:
In general, only UT-related conflicts are accepted reasons to reschedule an exam for another day. An exception is if the exam is in conflict with a religious holiday. If your exam is in conflict with a religious holiday you must provide notice of the conflict at least 14 days in advance.
Please reschedule ALL exams that you will have a time conflict with for the entire semester.
If you are a student registered with the Office of Disability & Access (formerly SSD) and receive special accommodations for exams, we will apply these accommodations as indicated in your accommodation letter. Please let Dr. McCord or a TA know if there are any additional modifications or adaptations you require in order to meet a disability-related need. However, our staff in the chemistry student services office are there to help with these types of issues. For that reason, in nearly all cases, all accommodations are met without the need to set up a meeting with your professor.
Also realize that as a D&A student, you know technically "have a conflict" with the regular published times for exams. I have created a web page just for information on how to receive your accommodations:
D&A Student Accommodations Web Page
The person(s) in the Office mentioned in the above link are there to help you get your documented accommodations.
Each of the first four exams will cover new material from the associated chapters. Each of the exams will be around 20-25 questions that are all multiple-choice questions. The number of choices will vary anywhere from 2 up to 10 choices. Each student will turn in their exam copy, scratch paper, and a bubblesheet (an answer sheet that will be scanned and graded). Exam scores will be uploaded to Canvas. The exam keys and full solutions will be available here on this website (not canvas). Dr. McCord has his own hand-coded program that scrambles exam questions. Scrambled means that each student will get a unique version of the exam. Think of an exam as a deck of questions where we shuffle the deck of questions and we also shuffle the answers. Very important for each and every student to bubble in correctly the version number of the exam they have.
ALL students must take the Final Exam for this course - it is mandatory. The Final Exam is a comprehensive exam which means that it will cover all the major topics from all the material that we covered throughout the semester. Unlike the regular exams, it will be a bit longer with around 30-33 questions, but you will have 2 hours to take it. The University determines the date and time of the exam which happens to be Monday, 5/1, from 1pm to 3pm. The room for the final is PAI 3.02.
"Class" time is being IN class and listening and participating when necessary. Please do not use your phones in class. Please, no texting, messaging, posting... you know what I mean. Only use your "device" when a McClicker question is active. Speaking of which...`
McClicker: In addition to the above in-class "listening" activities, Dr. McCord will have one "live" question that you will answer via McClicker which is easily accessed from our website (this website). These "in-class" questions are short and sweet. Once Dr. McCord ends the question, it is over. Many questions (in first 2 units) will be calculations and you will need to have your scientific calculator available to assist you. Your "McClicker" average will be 5% of your overall grade. There is one question (one score) per day of class. Scoring: 100 points for right answer, 75 points for wrong answer, 0 points for no answer (no submission).
There are 2 Major Things you will do outside of class.
Canvas Policy on HW All HW assignments will be allowed three attempts max on canvas. Once the due date and time arrives, the assignment will close permanently and not reopen. If you do happen to get locked out of the HW after the due date, then study off the HW pdfs that I (Dr. McCord) post on our website - or another students canvas version. We will not reopen assignments for those that didn't at least open and attempt a submission. Remember, HW counts 5% - seems small but it is really important so don't blow it off. It is also the best way to get ready for the exams. We will drop at least two HW scores for your overall average. Canvas will not show this drop until the end of the semester.
CheatingDon't cheat! We are doing everything we can to help you be successful in this course. There is no reason to cheat and doing so diminishes the entire learning experience. I'd go on but won't (for now). You're welcome.
The last day to drop the course is Tuesday, March 21, 2023. It is also the last day that you can change the grading status for the course to pass/fail. You should be able to do all of this online.
Please notify me of any modification/adaptation you may require to accommodate a disability-related need. You will be requested to provide documentation to the Dean of Students' Office, in order that the most appropriate accommodations can be determined. Specialized services are available on campus through Services for Students with Disabilities. The official wording is this: The University of Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-6441 TTY or Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 512-471-6259, http://diversity.utexas.edu/disability/
Religious holy days sometimes conflict with class and examination schedules. It is the policy of The University of Texas at Austin that the student must notify each instructor at least fourteen days prior to the classes scheduled on dates he or she will be absent to observe a religious holy day. For religious holidays that fall within the first two weeks of the semester, the notice should be given on the first day of the semester. The student may not be penalized for these excused absences but the instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to complete satisfactorily the missed assignment or examination within a reasonable time after the excused absence.
The previous course (our prerequisite course, CH301N) did carry a QR flag. This course does not, but does meet the requirements for some core curriculum stuff and is required for some majors like Textiles and Apparel (TXA). Even though there is no QR flag, there is still a bit of math/calculations to do - so do know you will need to engage your mathematical brain (just not as much as in CH301N).
Sharing of Course Materials is Prohibited:No materials used in this class, including, but not limited to, lecture hand-outs, videos, assessments (quizzes, exams, papers, projects, homework assignments), in-class materials, review sheets, and additional problem sets, may be shared online or with anyone outside of the class unless you have my explicit, written permission. Unauthorized sharing of materials promotes cheating. It is a violation of the University’s Student Honor Code and an act of academic dishonesty. I am well aware of the sites used for sharing materials, and any materials found online that are associated with you, or any suspected unauthorized sharing of materials, will be reported to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity in the Office of the Dean of Students. These reports can result in sanctions, including failure in the course and expulsion from the University.
This course may be used to fulfill three hours of the Natural Science and Technology Part I component of the university core curriculum and addresses the following four core objectives established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board:
CH302N · 50600 Chemistry In Our World II
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