Course Ref. No. 10634
MWF 9:00 - 10:05 am, Hoffmann Hall

Dr. Wamser's Office: Science Bldg 1, Room 327A
Office Hours: every day 10:30 - 11:30 am

Textbook (required): Organic Chemistry, 8th ed., by F. A. Carey, with the Student Solutions Manual and the ARIS online homework program. Optional in the PSU Bookstore are various different kinds of molecular model kits.

Online Resources: Most of the elements of this course will be accessible through the course web page at http://chem.pdx.edu/~wamserc/C334F10/ . Some aspects of the course will use Blackboard or ARIS (also accessible from the course web page). The Chemistry Commons (SB1-221) has internet connections and is staffed with chemistry graduate students who serve as tutors.

E-Mail: Blackboard has a Discussion List feature that will allow students to post messages. You may use this like open office hours to communicate general information to share with other class members. I can also be reached through my personal e-mail address (WamserC@pdx.edu).

Class Schedule: During the fall term, we will cover Chapters 1 - 9 from the text, following the schedule below.

Quizzes and Homework: For each chapter, there will be two quizzes and one online homework assignment. The pre-quiz (5 points) is done in Blackboard within a specific time frame. For example, Pre-Quiz 1 will be available on Blackboard only from Monday, 9/27, to Wed, 9/29, at 8:30 am. Pre-quizzes alert you to the main points in the chapter and encourage your reading the chapter before the lecture coverage. The chapter quiz (10 points) will be given at the beginning of a class, with some time allowed for going over any questions before the quiz. Online homework (5 points) will be done using the ARIS program that is coordinated with your textbook. Quiz, pre-quiz, and homework points are on the same scale as exam points. The lowest scores of the nine quizzes, pre-quizzes, and homeworks will be dropped. There will be no make-up quizzes or pre-quizzes nor late homework accepted.

Exams: There will be three midterm exams, worth 100 points each, and a final exam, worth 200 points, given in class as indicated on the schedule. Missing an exam will require a written medical excuse, in which case an appropriate fraction of the final exam score will replace the missed exam. There will be no make-up exams.

Extra Credit - E-Mail Molecules: Students are assigned a set of nine organic compounds to investigate, with information returned weekly via Blackboard. Each molecule returned correctly will be worth 2 points extra credit, up to 18 points total. Instructions are on the course web page.

Grading: The final course grade will be determined by total points accumulated. The maximum is 660, based on the sum of exams (500) plus quizzes and homework (160), as outlined above. Extra credit adds to your total. Over the years, I have found that letter grades nearly always fall into the following distributions: A/B borderline (85%), B/C (70%), C/D (55%), to pass the course (over 40%).

How to Succeed in This Course: 1) Clarify for yourself what you want/need to get out of this course, 2) participate actively in all course activities, 3) practice solving problems and developing appropriate skills, 4) use the technology and other learning resources that are made available, 5) reflect on what does and doesn't work for you in learning this material, and ask for help. These themes are elaborated in the “Day One” lecture on goals and expectations.

Miscellaneous: University policy will be strictly followed with respect to course withdrawal, academic honesty, and related subjects. Please ask the instructor or consult the latest PSU Bulletin if you have any questions.

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Date	Blackboard / Classwork
M, 9/27	Introduction / Chap 1 - Bonding and Structure
W, 9/29	Pre-Quiz 1 / Chap 1
F, 10/1	Pre-Quiz 2  / Chap 2 - Alkanes and Cycloalkanes
M, 10/4	HW1 / Quiz 1 / Chap 2
W, 10/6	Chap 2
F, 10/8	Pre-Quiz 3 / Chap 3 - Conformational Analysis
M, 10/11	HW2 / Quiz 2 / Chap 3
W, 10/13	Pre-Quiz 4 / Chap 3
F, 10/15	HW3 / Quiz 3 / Chap 4 - Alcohols and Alkyl Halides
M, 10/18	Exam 1, Chapters 1 - 3
W, 10/20	Chap 4
F, 10/22	Chap 4
M, 10/25	Pre-Quiz 5 / Chap 5 - Alkene Structure and Preparation
W, 10/27	HW4 / Quiz 4 / Chap 5
F, 10/29	Pre-Quiz 6 / Chap 6 - Alkene Reactions
M, 11/1	HW5 / Quiz 5 / Chap 6
W, 11/3	Chap 6
F, 11/5	Pre-Quiz 7 / Chap 7 - Stereochemistry
M, 11/8	HW6 / Quiz 6 / Chap 7
W, 11/10	Chap 7
F, 11/12	Exam 2, Chapters 4 - 6
M, 11/15	Pre-Quiz 8 / Chap 7 / Chap 8 - Nucleophilic Substitution
W, 11/17	HW7 / Quiz 7 / Chap 8
F, 11/19	Chap 8
M, 11/22	Pre-Quiz 9 / Chap 8
W, 11/24	HW8 / Quiz 8 / Chap 9 - Alkynes
F, 11/26	Holiday
M, 11/29	HW9 / Quiz 9 / Chap 9
W, 12/1	Exam 3, Chapters 7 - 9
F, 12/3	Review

Pre-quizzes are due at 8:30 am on the day indicated above.

Online ARIS homework is due at 8:30 am of the day the corresponding chapter quiz is given.

Quizzes are given at the beginning of class on the day indicated above.

Exams are given for the full 65 minutes of the class period indicated.

FINAL EXAM: Chapters 1 - 9, Tuesday, December 7, 8:00 - 9:50 am