Assignment of Grades

We will be following a traditional grading distribution based upon a 1000 point system. If you earn 90% or more of the available points (>900) you are guaranteed an A in the course; 80-89% will be guaranteed a B grade; 70-79% a C; 60-69% a D; below 60% an F will be assigned. Plus/minus grading may be used. These are the guaranteed grades. I reserve the option to lower the grade cutoffs under special conditions. I will not raise these demarcations. In other words, should you earn 790 points during the quarter, you are guaranteed a C BUT might receive a C+, a B-, or a B.

Please note:

No portion of this class is graded on a curve nor do you want me to grade on a curve. The grading policies described above are the guidelines for the course.

Attendance:

Attendance to class is important. We have noticed that during the regular semester students that miss more than 4 or more classes tend to struggle in obtaining a C in class.  Furthermore, the university has a policy that for every 3(three) class periods missed your grade will be lowered by one full letter and I will enforce this policy (I will count 2 late arrivals as one absence). Therefore, weight your decision carefully before missing class. If you do decide or have to miss class YOU are responsible for the material covered or for any information that may had been given regarding upcoming examinations or deadlines. There will be no extensions granted to anyone for "not knowing" an assignment was due or an exam/quiz was going to be given that day.

Exams:

There will be four 50-minute exams given during the recitation period of the course. They will be given on the dates outlined in the class schedule grid which can be accessed by clicking here. No exam will be taken at times other than those listed unless there are certified extenuating circumstances which must be documented in writing at least three (3) days before the day of the exam. Please note that wanting to go home early is not a valid reason. The format of the exams will include objective (matching, multiple choice, etc.), short answer, calculations, and essay types of questions. Answer keys to exams and quizzes WILL NOT be available. If you wish to discuss a problem in a given examination you are welcome to come to office hours and I will gladly work with you. I am human, which means I do make mistakes; therefore, if you discover I made an error grading your exam you must use the Regrade Request form that you can find here. Scheduling make-up exams is your responsibility not mine. Make-up exam arrangements must be made no later than the day you return to school and must take place before the exam is returned to the rest of the class.

Quizzes:

There are 4 quizzes given during the recitation time of this course. They follow a similar format to the regular exams but they usually only cover one chapter and are half as long. Note that on dates when quizzes are scheduled other activities will also take place during the remainder of the time. There is absolutely no make-up for quizzes.

Final Exam:

The final exam is a comprehensive exam of similar format as that of the regular exams. It must be taken at the time scheduled. There are NO exceptions.

Cheating:

Any student found cheating on an exam or quiz MUST receive an F in the course according to University regulations. Carefully weigh the alternatives before you consider cheating. Remember that using a graphing/programmable calculator is considered cheating.

Laboratory:

Concurrent enrollment in a Chem 103 (laboratory course) is required. If you decide to withdraw from lecture you will automatically be removed from the laboratory, regardless of how many credits you have (scholarships, financial aid, or sports eligibility are not my concern so please do not bring them up) or erroneous advice you may get from your advisor or department chair.

to the main page for the course