Requirements for Communicating Through Email: You are
required to use your Winthrop University email address when communicating
with classmates or me through email. All communications about this course will
be sent by me to your Winthrop email address. When sending me an email, please
use CHEM 305
in the subject line. If you use another email account, it is possible that your
email will go to my junk folder.
Expected Response Time: I will respond
to emails within two business days. If you send an email over the weekend and
do not get a reply over the weekend, I will respond to all weekend emails first
thing Monday morning. If you do not get a response within two business days,
please email me again.
Attendance
Since this is an online course,
there is not a specific attendance policy. However, this course is designed for
weekly participation. Several assignments require interactive participation
among classmates. On time participation is essential for maintaining the best
learning environment. I highly recommend that you spend time each week
completing the weekly learning modules on time.
See the Graded
Assignment section of this syllabus for penalties assigned to late work.
Exams will not be accepted late.
If you are required to quarantine, you are still expected to complete work
on time. If you become sick to the point that it is difficult to complete your work,
please notify the Dean of Students and we can then work on a new timeline of
due dates.
Course Description and Goals
Course Description: CHEM 305 is a course in chemical hygiene and
safety with an introduction to several topics covering the ethical and
responsible conduct of research. Topics covered include:
o
What makes a chemical hazardous
o
Routes of entry
o
Precautionary Labels
o
Material Safety Data Sheets
o
Personal Protective Equipment
o
Handling Laboratory Equipment Safely
o
Exposure Limits
o
Safe Handling, Storage, and Disposal of Chemicals
o
Emergency Equipment
o
Emergency and Medical Procedures
o
Introduction and foundations of research ethics
o
Planning Research: Health, safety, and environmental obligations
o
Conducting Research: Collaborations and Data Management
o
Reporting and Reviewing Research
Student
Learning Outcomes: Students will:
o
learn the importance and necessity of proper
laboratory safety procedures; examine the
potential hazards associated with various classes of hazardous chemicals and
the proper way in which to store and handle such chemicals; learn how to
obtain, read, and understand information about hazardous chemicals; assess the
various methods available to minimize exposures and reduce the risks associated
with working with chemicals.
o
examine the basics aspects about the ethical and responsible conduct of research
Required Materials:
o
Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students, 2nd Edition by Hill and Finster; ISBN 9781119027669
o
Computer with access to the Internet and Microsoft Word, Power Point
and Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you would like to participate in office hours
through Blackboard Collaborate, you will need a computer, microphone and webcam.
Graded Assignments
Respondus
LockDown Browser Practice Quiz (10 points): Practice quiz to make sure
that the Respondus LockDown browser is working on your computer. Directions for
using the Respondus LockDown browser are included later in this syllabus. You should take this quiz on the same computer you will use to
take the course exams.
Blackboard
First Day Introductions (20 points): Late posts receive a
2-point deduction per day. Assignment requirements are posted in Blackboard.
Midterm
and Final Exam (250 points each): There will be 2 exams in
this course, a mid-term and a final exam. Each exam is worth 250 points. The
final exam will cover the entire course. Late
exams will not be accepted.
o
Exams, administered through Blackboard, will include a variety of
different kinds of questions including, but not limited to, multiple-choice,
fill in the blank, short answer, and essay questions.
o
You are required to use the Respondus Lockdown Browser to take the
midterm and final exams. Directions for using Respondus Lockdown Browser are
located in the Course
Content, Getting Started link in Blackboard.
o
Exams will be open for 5 days and must be completed by the due date. Late exams will not be accepted.
o
Exam dates, which are listed on the course schedule, will be timed and
the amount of time allowed for each exam will be clearly stated when the exam
is assigned. Once you start the
exam you will be forced to finish it.
o You
are required to take each exam by yourself. You cannot use any outside
resource. You can only use the information that is given in the exam.
If you have computer problems during an exam, you must
send me an email right away.
The
midterm exam will open at 12:00 pm on 2/24 and is due by 3/1 at 11:59 pm. The
final exam will open at 12:00 pm on 4/28 and is due by 5/3 at 11:59 pm.
The
course is divided into 15 learning modules, one for each week of the semester. Each
module covers specific sections of the textbook with additional information
provided in Power Point lecture notes. Each learning module contains two
folders: Reading Material and Graded Assignments. Each Tuesday a new
learning module will open and the corresponding assignments in that learning
module will be due on the following Monday at 11:59 pm.
The Reading Materials Folder contains the reading assignment for the
week. The answers to the weekly homework assignments will come from both the
assigned textbook readings and the Power Point lecture notes.
Graded Homework Folder
Weekly Homework Assignments (400
total points): Each weekly learning module contains at least one homework
assignment. The homework assignments are created as Blackboard texts, but you
will be able to start, save and resume the assignment at a later time. The
point value of each homework assignment is stated in the assignment. The weekly
homework assignments will account for 400 points of your final course grade.
All late weekly homework assignments will receive a 25% deduction.
Blackboard Discussion Assignments (90
points): There are three discussion assignments that will be due throughout
the semester. Requirements, including due dates, of each assignment are located
in the appropriate weekly learning module. Late assignments are accepted at a
25% deduction.
You have one week from the
time a graded assignment is returned to question the way it was graded. After a
week, I will not change a grade.
You should carefully read the
Winthrop University Student Conduct Code printed in the Winthrop University
Student Handbook. As noted in the Student Conduct Code: Responsibility for good
conduct rests with students as adult individuals. This policy on student
academic misconduct is outlined in the Student Conduct Code Academic Misconduct
Policy in the online Student Handbook.
Note about Weekly Homework Assignments: After you submit a
homework assignment, you will not be able to see the correct answers until
after the due date. After the due date, I regrade all homework assignments to
correct for any inconsistencies between your answer and what I have as the
correct answer. Once I regrade an assignment, you will be able to go back into
the assignment and see your answers along with the correct answers. However, in
order to see the correct answers, you must go through the My Grades link
Point Distribution and Grading Scale
All grades will be
recorded in Blackboard with an average grade column so that you can keep track
of your grades throughout the course.
|
Respondus
LockDown Browser Practice Quiz:
|
10 points
|
|
Course
Introductions:
|
20 points
|
|
Midterm Exam:
|
250 points
|
|
Final Exam:
|
250 points
|
|
Weekly Homework
Assignments:
|
400 points
|
|
Blackboard
Discussion Assignments:
|
90 points
|
|
Total:
|
1020 points
|
Letter
grades will be assigned as follows:
100-90% A
89-80% B
79-70% C
69-60%
D
<59% F
Course Withdraw: Wednesday, March 10th is the last day to withdraw
from a full semester course with an automatic N grade issued. Students may not withdraw from a course
after this date without documented extenuating circumstances as
determined by the University.
Communication and Office Hours
Communicating Through Email: You are
required to use your Winthrop University email address when
communicating with classmates or me through email. All communications about
this course will be sent by me to your Winthrop email address. When sending me
an email, please use CHEM 305 in the subject line.
Expected Response Time: I will respond
to emails within two business days. If you send an email over the weekend and
do not get a response, I will respond to all weekend emails first thing Monday
morning. If you do not get a response within two business days, please email me
again.
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11-12 and
Wednesdays 1-2 or by appointment in
my virtual office on Blackboard Collaborate Ultra. Email me to schedule an appointment.
Virtual office hours on Blackboard Collaborate Ultra will require a computer
with internet access, a microphone and a camera.
Questions about course content or
assignments: There is a discussion page (FAQ page) set up for you to ask
questions about the course content, the syllabus or assignments. If you have a
question that other leaners may have, post your question on the FAQ page. For
private communication, please email me directly.
Material
and Computer Requirements
Required
Textbook: Laboratory Safety for Chemistry
Student, 2nd Edition Hill and Finster; ISBN 9781119027669
Required Software: You will need to
have a computer with access to the internet and use of an internet browser to
access course materials and complete course assignments. You will also need to
have Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view and
complete assignments. If you would like to participate in office hours through
Blackboard Collaborate, you will need a computer, microphone and webcam.
Blackboard: This course is managed
through Blackboard. For more information on Blackboard, please visit the
Department of Online Learning at Office of Online Learning.
Respondus Lockdown Browser: This course
requires the use of Lockdown Browser for online exams. Lockdown Browser is, as
the name implies, a web browser like Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari, Google
Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox, and is installed on your computer in the same
manner.
You can install Respondus using the link Respondus LockDown Browser.
More information on Respondus is
available in Blackboard and through this U-Tube
video
Computer Usage: You will need
daily access to a computer with internet access. If you do not have a personal
computer, there are various computer rooms on Winthrop campus for student use.
Please visit Academic Computing for a list of available computer labs, Academic Computing Lab Schedule.
Technical Support: Please contact Winthrop
IT department with technical issues. You can email the help desk at helpdesk@winthrop.edu.
For additional information, please visit the Academic Computing website, Academic
Computing Website.
Respondus LockDown Browser
This course requires the use of
Lockdown Browser for online exams. Lockdown Browser is, as the name implies, a
web browser like Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari, Google Chrome, or Mozilla
Firefox, and is installed on your computer in the same manner
Please watch the short video
below for a helpful explanation on what features Lockdown Browser includes for
your online exam. Respondus LockDown Browser U-Tube Video
Now that you have an
understanding of what Lockdown Browser is, please download it by following the
link posted below. If you have Lockdown Browser installed on your computer from
another institution, such as USC or York Technical College, you will still need
to download Lockdown Browser using the link below. This installation is
specific to Winthrop University. If you have an older machine, you may want to
review the minimum system requirements before installing.
Respondus LockDown Browser Download
Once you have installed the browser,
you will find it listed alongside the rest of your programs. In order to take
your test, you must use this browser to access Blackboard. Trying to use a
different browser, such as Chrome or Firefox, will lock you out of the exam.
In addition, because you will be
taking these exams remotely, exams will require the use of your computer webcam
and microphone. This feature-set is referred to as Lockdown Monitor in the
above video. Lockdown Monitor requires Adobe Flash to work correctly, which you
can download at
Adobe Flash
Player Download
To ensure that Respondus
LockDown Browser is working correctly on your computer, you will find a
practice exam in the Getting Started Module
in Blackboard. You can find the Getting
Started Module under the Course
Content section on the Course Menu. You are required to take this practice
exam to ensure you identify and resolve any complications with Respondus prior
to taking the actual exams.
Because exams will require
that you use your computer webcam and microphone, you will be required
to test that these devices are
working properly.
If you
encounter issues taking the exam, you are to follow the troubleshooting steps
provided within the Monitor environment. If you are unable to resolve the
issues on your own, please contact the Office of Online Learning at blackboard@winthrop.edu
or at 803-323-2122 during business hours.
Course Evaluations
Course
evaluations will be completed towards the end of the semester. Towards the end
of the semester, I will send an email with a link for completing the
evaluation. You will need your Winthrop student number (for example W12345678) and the course section CRN.
The University
has provided the following documents that may be helpful when completing course
evaluations:
Course Evaluation
Instructions Troubleshooting Ideas
How to Clear Browser Cookies
University-Level Competencies: CHEM 305 will
contribute to Competency 2 of the University-Level Competencies.
University Level Competency 2: Winthrop graduates
are personally and socially responsible.
This entire course focuses on the prudent practices in
chemical hygiene and safety. Students will learn the proper methods of protecting themselves, others in the laboratory and the environment from toxic
substances. Students will also learn the basic rules of ethical and responsible research.
Classroom Etiquette
Students are expected
to display tolerance for others views on Discussion Blogs. Students are also to
refrain from the use of any inappropriate language. Open and mutually
respectful communication of varied opinions, beliefs, and perspectives during
online discussion encourages the free exchange of ideas that is essential to
higher learning and to the ability to learn from each other. Use the same
standards of behavior online as you would if you were face-to-face. The instructor
reserves the right to terminate any discussion where these guidelines are
violated.
Student Responsibilities in an Online Course
Many students find that
responsibilities for online courses differ from traditional courses. The
following statements help identify your responsibilities for this course. You
will be required to read these and sign that you accept them. If you decide
that you are unable to meet these responsibilities, then you may want to
consider taking a traditional version of this course instead.
1.
I will ask questions immediately if I don't understand the instructions or due dates for assignments.
2.
I will organize my time in order to complete my assignments in a
thoughtful and timely manner.
3.
I will be responsible for completing assignments when they are due.
4.
I understand that failure of technology is not an excuse for turning
assignments in late.
5.
I understand that there are other sources of technology for me to use
if my primary source fails, such as libraries, campus labs, or friends' computers.
6.
I understand that sometimes the class uses a third
party software such as Blackboard and that I would need to contact those
companies directly as soon as I have technical problems. I will also contact my
instructor to let him/her know that I am experiencing technical problems.
7.
I will participate fully in collaborative assignments by writing
respectful and scholarly comments.
8.
I will log in to class every day and spend an appropriate amount of
time each day completing course materials.
Academic Integrity
You should carefully read the
Winthrop University Student Conduct Code printed in the Winthrop University
Student Handbook. As noted in the Student Conduct Code: Responsibility for good
conduct rests with students as adult individuals. The Student Conduct Code,
Academic Misconduct Policy is on page 64 of the online Student Handbook, Link to Student Handbook
All students
will adhere to the University's Appropriate Use Policy (AUP) and the Web Policy
available online. Link to Appropriate Use Policy
Guidelines for Success
A successful online student...
Works weekly to complete assignments on time.
Check the syllabus and course schedule for all assignments and due dates.
Connects with fellow students. Use the course tools to interact
with your peers. In discussions, make personal connections to your peers. Take advantage of virtual chat tools such as Blackboard
Collaborate. Email another student for questions or feedback or to share
a personal connection.
Schedules time
to complete course assignments. You need to work on this course every week, so make
specific time in your schedule to do that.
Does not stay in the dark. If you do not know something or
something does not quite make sense, ask questions. We have a forum in the course for questions about assignments and
course material. You may also contact your instructor directly for more
personal questions or comments.
Reads carefully. The syllabus and course schedule are important in
this course as tools to remind you what iss due and
what the expectations are. Knowing what is expected, the course goals, what we
are doing and where we are going is important to staying connected and
completing your work
Student Resources
Students who are
enrolled in online courses are entitled to the campus resources made available
to on-campus students. These resources include admissions counseling and health
services, library, student services, and recreational facilities. Questions
regarding access to these resources should be directed to your assigned
academic advisor.
Writing Center: The Writing Center,
located in 242 Bancroft Hall, provides free consultation and tutoring. You are
encouraged to seek assistance there when drafting or revising your essays. The
Writing Center website is particularly helpful, and contains information on
everything from documenting sources correctly, to punctuating correctly, to
evaluating Internet sources (Link to Writing Center Information). Please call the Writing
Center to schedule an appointment well in advance of your assignment due date (803-323-2138)
or schedule an appointment online (Link to Schedule a Writing Center
Appointment).
Academic
Success Center: The Winthrop Academic Success Center (ASC) is a free
resource for all undergraduate students seeking to perform their best
academically. The ASC offers a variety of personalized and structured resources
that help students achieve academic excellence, such as academic skill
development (test taking strategies, time management counseling, and study
techniques), group and individual study spaces, and academic coaching. The ASC
is located on the first floor of Dinkins, Suite 106. Please contact the ASC at
803-323-3929 or success@winthrop.edu.
For more information on ASC services, please visit Academic
Success Center.
Computer Usage: You will need
daily access to a computer with internet access. If you do not have a personal
computer, there are various computer rooms on Winthrop campus for student use.
Please visit Academic Computing for a list of available computer labs, Academic Computing Lab Schedule.
Technical Support: Please contact
Winthrop IT department with technical issues. You can email the help desk at helpdesk@winthrop.edu.
For additional information, please visit the Academic Computing website, Academic Computing Website.
Students with Disabilities/Need of
Accommodations for Access: Winthrop
University is committed to providing access to education. If you have a
condition which may adversely impact your ability to access academics and/or
campus life, and you require specific accommodations to complete this course,
contact the Office of Accessibility (OA) at 803-323-3290, or, accessibility@winthrop.edu. Please inform me as early as possible, once you have
your official notice of accommodations from the Office of Accessibility.
