Course Description:

This course will help you learn the necessary techniques, strategies, and skills for solving problems in general chemistry.  The problem solving sessions will follow closely with the subject material as it is presented in the CHEM 110 lectures.

Prerequisites:

This course can only be registered if required by the FTCAP testing or if suggested by your academic advisor.  It must be taken concurrently with CHEM 110; there are no exceptions.  This section is also linked with Chem 110, section 1; you should be in the correction section.  It is assumed that you have had algebra (including logarithms) in high school.  If your math skills are weak, you should not be enrolled in CHEM 110 or this course.  If you have any doubts or questions about this course or your preparation for it you are strongly urged to consult the instructor as soon as possible.

Attendance

It is very important that you attend class (Chem 110 and Chem 108) regularly as much of the quizzes will be from the Chem 110 lecture and Chem 108 often includes in-class exercises in the form of individual and group work.  A grade of W is given to students who withdraw from the course prior to the end of the Late Drop Period (November 16).  Students are advised to discuss attendance irregularities or poor class performance with the instructor.  Do not simply stop your attendance.  This could result in an F for the course.

Academic Penalty

Instructors are asked (Senate rule 49-20) to provide a statement at the beginning of a course to "clarify the application of academic integrity to that course."  The Senate Rule includes the following:

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabrication of information or citation, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the work of other students.

Read Senate rule 49-20.  (www.psu.edu/ufs/policies/47-00.html#49-20) and the Penn State Erie guidelines on academic integrity: www.pserie.psu.edu/faculty/academics/integrity.htm

Any violation of academic integrity will receive academic and possibly disciplinary sanctions, including the possible awarding of an XF grade which is recorded on the transcript and states that failure of the course was due to an act of academic dishonesty.  All acts of academic dishonesty are recorded so repeat offenders can be sanctioned accordingly.

Homework

Homework problems will be assigned to you in the CHEM 110 lecture.  You should do as many problems and questions as necessary to understand the course material.  Additional problems will be given out in class and/or available upon request. These homework assignments will not be graded or collected, but will help you master the material covered on both the CHEM 108 quizzes and CHEM 110 exams.

Quizzes

There will be a 5-point quiz at the beginning of each class period.  If you miss a quiz, for any reason, a grade of zero will be received.  The lowest scored quiz will be dropped.  Missed quizzes will not be dropped.  There is no final exam for this course.

Group Work/Attendence

There will be a daily assignment worth five (5) points each class period.  These may consist of challenging problems, group worksheets, or individual projects.  These may be graded individually or as a group.  Class attendance is essential to insure full credit for these projects.  If class is missed for any reason, a grade of zero will be awarded.

Additional Points

10 points will be earned by stopping by my office hours at least twice this semester.  10 points will be earned by finishing worksheets or outside class assignments.  Note:  These points are not bonus points; they are part of your grade and can affect your final letter grade if not completed.

Grading

Final grades will be determined by a percentage of points earned out the following possible points:
 

Quizzes (13 x 5) (lowest dropped)	65 pts
Group Work (15 x 5)	75 pts
Group Work (15 x 5)	20 pts
Total Points	160 pts

The letter grade will be determined according to the scale below:
 

A	94-100 %	C+	75-79 %
A-	90-93 %	C	70-74 %
B+	87-89 %	D	60-69 %
B	83-86 %	F	0-59 %
B-	80-82 %