The Waldie Group

Course Format

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This one-semester course serves as a continuation of Honors General Chemistry I. This course is intended to educate students going on to take higher-level chemistry courses such as organic or physical chemistry, or to major in chemistry or a related field in science, engineering, pharmacy or medicine. In addition to the specific topics listed in the schedule below, the goals of this course include (1) for students to develop a deep understanding of chemistry concepts to apply them to practical problems, and (2) for students to advance their capacities for scientific argumentation. 

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SAS Core Curriculum Learning Goals Met by this Course (Natural Sciences):

• Understand and apply basic principles and concepts in the physical or biological sciences

• Explain and be able to assess the relationship among assumptions, methods, evidence, arguments, and theory in scientific analysis

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Department Learning Goals Met by this Course:

• Apply relevant scientific models and qualitative & quantitative reasoning

• Understand representations at the macroscopic, submicroscopic, and symbolic levels, including mathematical formulae

• Understand, at an honors level, the specific topics listed in the schedule below

 

Course Format:

This course will consist of two lectures on Monday and Thursday mornings, and two recitation sections on Thursdays (Sections H1 and H2). The recitation sections will include various group active learning activities. No attendance will be taken during the lecture periods, but attendance will be recorded in the recitation. No un-excused absences are allowed (see below Attendance section). 

• Lectures: Lecture sessions on Mondays and Thursday will be a mix of traditional directed lectures, problem solving examples, and independent or small group activities. Lecture slides will be posted on Canvas prior to the class time.

• Recitations: Recitation sessions on Thursdays will emphasize the development of problem-solving skills related to course content that has been recently discussed in the lecture. Recitation activities will involve small group work designed to allow students time to collaboratively build their understanding of core chemical principles and problem-solving strategies and to allow students to refine their skills in scientific argumentation.

• Video Assignments: On most weeks, there will be one or more video assignments. These assignments will be short (< 30 minutes) and require students to watch a mini-lecture(s) on key course topics or a problem-solving video(s) and answer questions associated with the content via PlayPosit (embedded within Canvas). Students are expected to complete each video assignment by the posted due date - this will count toward their participation grade. These videos will be available for students to re-watch for the duration of the semester. 

• eLearning Homework: Adaptive, mastery-based homework will be assigned online throughout the course via the eLearning webpage according to the schedule below. The eLearning homework platform uses dynamic problems to assess specific learning objectives in the course. Homework will generally be released on Mondays and will be due by 11:59pm on the following Sunday, according to the schedule below. 

• Quizzes: There will be 10 quizzes throughout the course, given at the start of Monday lectures according to the schedule below. Each quiz will generally consist of three questions. There will be no make-up quizzes for unexcused absences.

• Midterm Exams: There will be two midterm exams held in-class during lecture, each 75 minutes duration. The midterm exams will consist of a series of multi-part, free-response questions. There will be no multiple choice questions. Midterm exam dates are provided in the schedule below. Students are responsible for making it to the exams prepared and on-time - there will be no make-up exams. The lecture period before each midterm exam will be set aside for additional review of the relevant material.

• Final Exam: There will be one cumulative final exam held in-person, with a 3 hour duration. The final exam will consist of a series of multi-part, free-response questions. There will be no multiple choice questions. The final exam will be scheduled by the university and the date & time will be posted here once available. Students must be available to take the final exam during the scheduled period - the final exam date & time are immovable! Travel, family events, weddings, etc. are not valid excuses for missing an exam. Students are responsible for making it to the exams prepared and on-time - there will be no make-up exam. 

• Announcements: Course-related announcement and reminders will be made frequently on Canvas. Each student is responsible for checking announcement every day and taking advantage of reminders to promptly meet deadlines. 

• Uploading Work: In many cases, students will need to upload completed activities as PDF files to Canvas during and/or outside of class sessions. A convenient way of scanning files is to use the free Genius Scan App (or similar app) that converts images taken with a mobile device camera (phone, tablet, laptop) to PDF format, which can then be uploaded to Canvas. 

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Grading:

The grading for this course will be based on your participation in the course and your performance on problem sets, recitation activities, quizzes, two midterm exams, and final exam, as follows:

          Problem Sets               15 %

          Recitation Activities      5 %

          Participation                 5 %

          Quizzes                       15 %

          Midterm #1                  15 %

          Midterm #2                  15 %

          Final Exam                  30 %

There are no grade curves in this course, and thus students are not in competition with each other for grades. Letter grades will be assigned based on your final percentage score on the course material:

          A            90 - 100 %

          B+          85 - 89 %

          B            80 - 84 %

          C+          75 - 79 %

          C            65 - 74 %

          D            55 - 64 %

          F            below 55 %

The above grading scheme is final and non-negotiable. There is no extra credit given in this course. Any questions or concerns about a graded assignment or assessment must be brought to the attention of the instructor within one week of receiving the grade. This encourages students to promptly review their graded work. Requests for re-grading will not be considered after this one-week window. 

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Attendance:

Attendance in all course sessions is mandatory. If a student is absent for a class or one of the midterm exams, they must fill out a self-reported absence form within 48 hours of the beginning of the missed session (http://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra). These forms will be reviewed and designated as either "excused" or "un-excused" in accordance with Rutgers policies. Submission of the self-reported absence form within this time is required to be possibly considered an "excused" absence, but this does not guarantee the absence is excused. In select cases, missed graded work may be made up in accordance with the course and university policies where such policies exist. Under unusual or extenuating circumstances, the instructors might make special arrangements on a case by case basis.

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Academic Integrity:

Rutgers University takes academic dishonesty very seriously. Students must adhere to the university policies on academic integrity and student conduct for all assignments, assessments, exams, and other matters regarding this course. By enrolling in this course, you assume responsibility for familiarizing yourself with the Academic Integrity Policy and the possible penalties (including suspension and expulsion) for violating the policy. These policies can be found online. As per the policy, all suspected violations will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct. Academic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to): 

• Cheating

• Plagiarism

• Aiding others in committing a violation or allowing others to use your work

• Failure to cite sources correctly

• Fabrication

• Using another person’s ideas or words without attribution–re-using a previous assignment

• Unauthorized collaboration

• Sabotaging another student’s work

If in doubt, please consult with Prof. Waldie. 

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Student-Wellness Services:

Report a Bias Incident. If you experience or witness an act of bias or hate, report it to someone in authority. You may file a report online and you will be contacted within 24 hours. Bias is defined by the University as an act, verbal, written, physical, psychological, that threatens, or harms a person or group on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, atypical heredity or cellular blood trait, military service or veteran status. Click here to report a bias incident

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Counseling, ADAP & Psychiatric Services (CAPS). CAPS is a University mental health support service that includes counseling, alcohol and other drug assistance, and psychiatric services staffed by a team of professionals within Rutgers Health services to support students’ efforts to succeed at Rutgers University. CAPS offers a variety of services that include: individual therapy, group therapy and workshops, crisis intervention, referral to specialists in the community, and consultation and collaboration with campus partners. CAPS can be reached by phone at (848) 932-7884, and is located at 17 Senior Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. http://health.rutgers.edu/medical-counseling-services/counseling/

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Crisis Intervention. http://health.rutgers.edu/medical-counseling-services/counseling/crisis-intervention/

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Report a Concern. http://health.rutgers.edu/do-something-to-help/

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Violence Prevention & Victim Assistance (VPVA). The Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance provides confidential crisis intervention, counseling and advocacy for victims of sexual and relationship violence and stalking to students, staff and faculty.  To reach staff during office hours when the university is open or to reach an advocate after hours, call 848-932-1181. VPVA can be reached by phone at (848) 932-1181, and is located at 3 Bartlett Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. www.vpva.rutgers.edu/

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Disability Services. Rutgers University welcomes students with disabilities into all of the University's educational programs. In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, a student with a disability must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation: https://ods.rutgers.edu/students/documentation-guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with a Letter of Accommodations. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. To begin this process, please complete the Registration form on the ODS web site at: https://ods.rutgers.edu/students/registration-form. Disability services can be reached by phone at (848) 445-6800, and is located at Lucy Stone Hall, Suite A145, Livingston Campus, 54 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854. https://ods.rutgers.edu/

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Course Schedule: