CHEMISTRY AND SOCIETY I FALL 2017

CHE1100 (4 CREDITS INCLUDING LAB)

American International College, Springfield, MA
Department of Chemistry

Instructor Mrs. Catherine Callaghan

Contact Info My office is in Old Science Building 206. I can be reached via email (Catherine.callaghan@aic.edu) or phone
(413.654.1406). Email is the preferred method of communication.

Office Hours I will hold office hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 9:30-10:30 am
I encourage students to stop by my office at any time to see if I am available for help or to answer questions. If my
door is open, please feel free to knock and then enter.

Course Location and Time Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11:00 am to 11:50 am in Breck 108 plus one weekly lab session
in Breck 213/212.

Course Materials
th
Chemistry in Context: Applying Chemistry to Society, 8 ed., McGraw-Hill: Boston, MA, 2015. REQUIRED
Copy of Power Point slides (posted in CHE 1100 Workspace on Blackboard) OPTIONAL (but strongly recommended).

Course Description
This course is an introduction to some basic concepts in chemistry in the context of major issues of concern in todays world.
Topics related to the environment will be covered and include: the chemistry of air pollution, ozone depletion, the greenhouse
effect and climate change, energy, acid rain, and water pollution. The laboratory presents experiments that support the topics
discussed in class to illustrate how chemistry is practiced and to demonstrate how chemists solve problems. One two-hour
laboratory session per week is required (CHE1101). The course is intended for non-science majors and may be used to satisfy
the general education requirement for scientific awareness.

Course Outcomes
The student will develop a scientific way of critical and analytical thinking to better understand how chemistry is relevant to a
variety of societal and technological issues. The student will learn chemical information as needed and in sufficient depth to
facilitate an understanding of the chemistry associated with the topics mentioned above. The student will be able to identify the
advantages and disadvantages of choices made in the course of daily living and the effect of those choices on the planet. The
ultimate goal is to understand and strive for the balance of a healthy economy, a healthy community and a healthy ecosystem.

Evaluation:
Quizzes 25 %
HW/In Class/Writing Assignments 20 %
Lab 20 %
Exams 35 %
100 %
Topics
Chapter Sections
0: Chemistry for a Sustainable Future 1-7
1: The Air We Breathe 1 14
2: Protecting the Ozone Layer 1 13
3: The Chemistry of Global Climate Change 1-2, 4-5,
8-11
4: Energy from Combustion 1 11
5: Water for Life 1-5, 8-12
6: Neutralizing the Threat of Acid Rain and 1 5, 7, 8,
Ocean Acidification 10-13

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CHE 1100 Workspace:
Each student has access to the course workspace in Blackboard. All class and lab materials will be posted here. Examples of
posted materials include the lecture and lab syllabi, lecture notes (power point slides), exam study guides, articles of interest,
and links to relevant web sites. Be aware that any email sent to this space can be opened and read by all in the course. Any
private emails should be sent directly to Prof. Callaghan. Students should get into the habit of checking this space several times
each week for any updates or important course information.

Course Policies
Attendance and Punctuality:
You are expected to be present at and punctual to every scheduled meeting. Obviously, occasions exist for legitimate absences.
When these can be anticipated, I should be notified as soon as possible. Athletes who miss a lecture due to a scheduled
game/match (practices are not legitimate absences) will be excused from the lecture (but NOT from any assignments) provided
that the Schedule Conflict between Course and Athletic Competition form is completed and received by me as outlined in
the Student Athlete Handbook. It is the athletes responsibility to ensure that I receive such documentation. In situations
where an unavoidable absence occurs, it is your responsibility to obtain class notes and missed assignments.
Assignments that are due on the missed day should be submitted as soon as possible (submit it to me in my office). If you know
that you are going to be absent on the due date (for an athletic event, job interview or doctors appointment, for example), then
submit it to me prior to this date to avoid any late penalty.
In general, I will NOT administer make-ups for missed exams, quizzes and other in-class activities. I reserve the right to decide
when to administer a make-up quiz or exam. Only in extremely extenuating circumstances (again, I am the sole judge of what
constitutes an extremely extenuating circumstance) will a make-up exam be given.

Technology Etiquette:
Cell phones should be on vibrate or off. Research has shown that taking notes by hand, rather than on a laptop enhances the
students comprehension of the material. Taking cell phone photos of the material presented is also a poor substitute for
comprehensive note-taking and, as such, is not allowed.

American with Disabilities Act Statement:

American International College is committed to making reasonable accommodations to assist individuals with disabilities in
reaching their academic potential. If you have a disability which may impact your academic performance, attendance, or grades in
this course and require accommodations, you must first register with Disability Services. Disability Services is responsible for
coordinating and providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities within the classroom and across campus.
Contact Jennifer Smolinski, Disability Services Coordinator at jennifer.smolinski@aic.edu. Please note that classroom
accommodations cannot be provided prior to review by the disability services coordinator.

Academic Honesty:
Students are to perform their own academic work according to the standards set by faculty members, departments, schools and
the College. Academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism constitute fraudulent misrepresentation for which appropriate
sanctions are warranted. (See Undergraduate Academic Regulations Section XII and Graduate Academic Regulations Section X)

In Class/Writing Assignments/Worksheets:
On occasion throughout the semester there will be in-class assignments. These will be announced in advance and will take place
during the class period. Due to the nature of the assignments, make-ups will not be possible. There will also be several short (1-
2 pages) writing assignments as well as several worksheets.

Quizzes
Weekly quizzes will be administered on the dates given below. Each quiz will be based on the assigned reading material
(textbook) and presented lecture material in the class periods preceding the quiz date.
Quiz # Day Date Quiz # Day Date
1 Friday 9.8.17 5 Friday 11.3.17
2 Wednesday 9.20.17 6 Friday 11.10.17
3 Friday 10.6.17 7 Friday 12.1.17
4 Friday 10.27.17
The one lowest quiz grade will be dropped. Therefore, it is unlikely that I will allow a quiz to be made up unless there is an excused
absence.
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Exams
EACH STUDENT SHOULD RECORD THE DATES FOR ALL EXAMS ESPECIALLY THE FINAL EXAM ON HIS/HER PERSONAL
CALENDAR. MAKE-UPS WILL NOT BE GIVEN FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO MAKE TRAVEL PLANS ON OR BEFORE THIS DATE.
ONLY THE DEAN MAY GRANT PERMISSION TO ANY STUDENT TO TAKE THE FINAL EXAM EARLY.
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Exam #1 Friday, September 29 Chapter 1
th
Exam #2 Friday, October 20 Chapter 2
th
Exam #3 Friday, November17 Chapters 3 & 4
th
Exam #4 Monday, December 18 , 11am 1 pm Chapters 5 & 6
th
Final Exam Monday, December 18 , 11am 1 pm Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4
Exam questions will be based on chapter problems, assigned reading from the text, any supplemental assignments, lecture
notes and group discussion material. Each exam will be a combination of multiple choice and short-answer questions. All 4
exams must be taken. The final exam, however, is optional. It will be based on material from exams 1 3. The grade received on
the final exam (if taken) will replace the lowest exam 1 4 score (provided it is higher). Note that exam #4 will be given during
the final exam time slot. (No, this is not a misprint). The final exam, if taken, will immediately follow exam #4.

Lab Grade
Concurrent enrollment in CHE 1101 is required. The grade each student receives in CHE 1101 will be incorporated into the final
grade for CHE 1100 (you will NOT receive a separate grade for CHE1101 on your transcript). The lab will comprise 20% of this
final grade. A separate lab syllabus details the policies of that course, including the assigned lab dates, attendance policy and
grading scheme. This syllabus will be distributed at the first lab meeting and can also be found on Blackboard. Any student, who
fails the lab component of this course, will automatically receive a failing grade for the CHE1100 course.

Resources available to students

In addition to Prof. Callaghan (available during office hours and other times, by appointment), there are several outstanding
resources available to students for help in mastering the material in this course.
1. Class notes packets. An outline copy of most of the Power Point slides used in the lecture is available in the CHE 1100 My
Courses Workspace on Blackboard. A student may choose to print out the slides to bring to lecture to aid in note-taking
(strongly recommended). Prof. Callaghan will not provide copies of these in class. Each student can consult the Master
notes, which are available in Prof. Callaghans office and may be used in the study area outside of her office. Photocopying
these notes is not allowed. These slides are not a substitute for the textbook and they must be supplemented by additional
in-class notes.
2. Consider This and Your Turn questions; Chapter summaries. These questions and review are part of each chapter in
the text and are designed to provide students with the opportunity to practice and use what you are learning in the class as
well as review the topics presented.
3. Glossary. Many of the vocabulary words provided in class and that students are expected to know are defined in the
glossary.
4. The Chemistry in Context web site (www.mhhe.com/cic). This site includes study quizzes and Figures Alive! (a great visual
study aid).
5. Chemistry tutors. The Center for Academic Success offers tutoring free of charge to students enrolled in various
chemistry courses. Information is available in that office, in addition, tutoring times and locations are posted throughout
Breck Hall and the Old Science Building.

Class Cancellation Policy

In the event that classes at AIC are cancelled when we would be scheduled to meet, the following policy will be applied:
Exam: If the class in which an exam is scheduled is cancelled, then the exam will be given at the next regular class period.
Quiz: If the class in which a quiz is scheduled is cancelled, then the quiz will be given at the next regular class period.
Assignment: If the class in which an assignment is due is cancelled, then the assignment is due at the next regular class period.
Next class meeting: If the next class meeting (after the cancelled day) is one in which a quiz or exam is scheduled, then the quiz
or exam will be given as scheduled unless otherwise announced on Blackboard.
Any student who is unsure of which course of action will be followed should contact Prof. Callaghan via email.
STUDENTS SHOULD CHECK THE CHE 1100 WORKSPACE ON BLACKBOARD FOR RELEVANT ANNOUNCEMENTS. Changes will be
announced in class and posted on Blackboard as soon as possible.
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