CRN: 42447 (CH 430) / 42448 (CH 530)
MWF 9:00-10:05 am, Room: SB1-304
Textbook: We will use the new text by Felix Carroll, "Perspectives on Structure and Mechanism in Organic Chemistry", which has been ordered with its Solutions Manual.
Course Objectives: The class will consist of three major components: lectures on the major new concepts, problem-solving practice, and literature readings. These activities are designed to address the three major objectives of this course -- specifically you will be able to: 1) understand and apply new material learned from text and lecture sources, 2) solve problems using your new knowledge, and 3) read and understand the current literature. Given that this is likely to be one of the last formal courses you will have before becoming a practicing professional chemist, these represent essential skills that you will need to master and be able to carry forward on your own.
Lecture and Reading Schedule: We will move through the chapters of the textbook essentially in order. Specific reading assignments will not be announced, but you will need to read the corresponding chapter before we discuss it in class in order to be prepared for the quizzes (see below). The textbook contains numerous references to the primary literature and selected reference books (see separate listing) will be made available in the reserve library.
Quizzes: There will be a brief quiz (about 10 minutes) before we cover a given chapter, as indicated in the schedule. The purpose of the quiz is to verify that you have understood the major points from having read the chapter and to prepare us for covering the more difficult aspects of the chapter in lecture, discussion, and problem-solving. You are encouraged to make lists of things that you don't understand well, so we can focus on the areas that need clarification.
Homework: There will be weekly homework assignments corresponding to chapters of the text. Assignments will be collected on Fridays and graded on a basis of 5 points each. We will spend class time on problem-solving, with students assigned specific problems to work out in class.
Literature Readings: Relevant papers from the recent literature will be handed out weekly and discussed in class on Fridays. Individuals will be assigned to lead the discussions.
Home Page: The course home page will contain updated information about the course: http://chem.pdx.edu/~wamserc/C430W98/ .
Exams: There will be two midterm exams (100 points each) and a final exam (200 points).
Grading: The course grade will be determined by total points accumulated. A student's participation in class activities (both quality and quantity) will be considered as a determining factor for students whose point totals fall near the borderline between two grades. Students enrolled in CH 430 and CH 530 will be graded on the same curve, but students receiving graduate credit (CH 530) will also be expected to turn in a written report on a relevant literature article. Students enrolled for an Audit are expected to attend and participate regularly, but homework and exams are optional.