CHEM 1614 General Chemistry I Syllabus 010 Fall 2026

Attendance & Absences

• This is a face-to-face class and attendance is expected and will be taken at each class meeting (lecture and lab) and in some cases may count for credit.
• Attendance at the first laboratory meeting is required. A student may not participate in lab if they have missed the first lab meeting, which includes the mandatory lab safety training. If a student misses the first lab meeting, they must notify the instructor to make arrangements to make up the safety training before the second lab meeting. If a student has not completed the safety training before the second lab meeting, the student must either drop the course or the student will be institutionally withdrawn.
• Having three or more lab absences could result in a failing grade for this course.
• Please inform instructor if an absence (lecture or lab) is due to an unavoidable circumstance, e.g, military duty, court appearance, hospitalization, quarantine, etc. Some unavoidable absences may be excused at the instructor’s discretion.
• Exceptions to attendance policies may be possible if you need to miss class due to athletics or academic related absences. If you are an athlete or early college student still in high school, please let me know as soon as possible if you will need to miss for athletics or academics. I can only work with you if you notify me in advance.

MasteringChemistry homework assignments

• Due dates for MasteringChemistry will be posted in MasteringChemistry with the assignment.
• Late masteringchemistryhomework assignments will be penalized 10% per day late, but will never be penalized more than 50%.
• Homework, quizzes, and exams may be administered in the MasteringChemistry Platform

Quizzes and in-class work

• In-class/lab work and quizzes may be announced or unannounced.
• Quizzes and in-class work done in lecture or lab usually cannot be made-up if missed.

Exams

• Exams will be either multiple-choice or a combination of multiple-choice and free-response questions, where showing your work is required.
• Students may use one 3x5 inch handwritten notecard on each exam. The notecard must be turned in with the exam.
• You may use your own periodic table purchased from the bookstore or other instructor approved periodic table as long as it is not written on.
• A student must bring their own calculator to the exam. It is not a guarantee that the instructor will have enough extra calculators for everyone. Calculator sharing on an exam is never allowed.

• On exam days, students must arrive on time and be ready to take the exam at the start of class.

  • If a student arrives late to the exam, they will not be provided any extra time.
• Once an exam has been administered, a student will not be permitted to leave for any reason until they turn in the exam.
• If a student’s cell phone disrupts the class during an exam, the student will receive a zero on that exam.
• If a student is found to be cheating on an exam the student will receive a zero on the exam as well as the possibility of receiving an F for their course grade.
• If a student is found using their cell phone or any other prohibited device in any way during an exam, it will be considered to be a case of cheating and the student will receive a zero on the exam as well as the possibility of receiving an F for their course grade.
• The lowest exam grade will be dropped. If an exam is missed, then it will counts as the lowest exam grade.

Missed exams

• There will be no make-up exams for the first missed exam.
  • The first missed exam will be dropped.
  • If a student misses a second exam, the student will receive a zero on that exam unless there is a documented situation that the professor decides warrants the opportunity for a make-up exam.
  • For the possibility of a make-up exam to be considered for a second missed exam, the student must provide documented proof that can be verified and notification of the missed exam must be made within 24 hours of the missed exam.
    • If a student knows before the date of the scheduled exam that they will miss it, the student should notify the professor as soon as they have this knowledge. It is not a guarantee that a student will get to take an exam early.
    • If the request of a make-up exam is granted, the student will have one week from the date of the missed exam to take the make-up exam. The make-up exam will be administered in the testing center. It will be the student’s responsibility to become familiar with the policies and hours of operation of the Testing Center.
    • A make-up exam for a second missed exam will not be the same exam given during class and it could be a free-response exam with no multiple-choice options.
• Missing a third, fourth, etc. exam will result in the grade of a zero for the missed exam with no opportunity for a make-up for any reason.

Final exam

• The final exam will be cumulative, multiple choice, and will cover lecture and lab content.
• The final exam usually cannot be taken early or late, however, unusual situations will be considered at the professor’s discretion and according to college policies.
• If a student misses the final exam, they will fail the course.
• The final exam date is listed in the course calendar.

Laboratory Policies (We will discuss this part during the first lab meeting.)

• Having three or more lab absences could result in a failing grade for this course. It is the student’s responsibility to know how many labs have been missed. It is recommended that if a student is not sure of how many labs they have missed that the student should meet with the professor during office hours before the last day to withdraw from the course to determine the actual number of absences.
• Students must arrive to lab on time and must be ready to begin at the scheduled start time. Students are expected to have read the lab procedures and to have completed any assigned pre-lab questions before coming to lab. Assume that pre-lab assignments will be due at the start of lab and will not be accepted late for any reason. Completing prelab assignments are an important part of being prepared for lab.
  • The first missed prelab will get a verbal warning.
  • The second missed prelab will get a written warning.
  • The third missed prelab will get a referral to the dean.
  • If a student misses a fourth prelab, they will not be allowed to participate in that week’s lab.
• Students that arrive after the pre-lab lecture has begun will not be permitted to participate in lab that day and will receive a zero on that day’s assignment. This type of absence will count as a lab absence.
• Students that do not have proper apparel and/or goggles will not be permitted to participate in lab. This will count as a lab absence. Proper apparel and goggles are required for lab regardless of the activity scheduled for the day. The professor does not have loaner goggles to share.
• To receive the full credit for the lab activity, the student must stay for the entire lab period, unless dismissed early by the professor. A student will only be dismissed early if they have completed the entire laboratory activity and can turn it in. If a student leaves before being dismissed, the student will forfeit the points for the laboratory activity for that day and will receive a zero and the absence will count as a lab absence.
• If a student does not complete the lab activity in the allotted time, the student could lose points on that day’s lab activity.
• Experiment make-ups due to absence are not an option.
• Most lab assignments will be turned in through CANVAS.
• It is highly suggested to attend every lab and only reserve lab absences for unavoidable absences; do not use lab absences like you would vacation days.
• The two lowest lab assignments will be dropped.

Other policies

• All work must be submitted by the last regular day of classes before finals week and no work will be accepted after the last regular day of classes.
• Electronic devices, laptops, cellphones, etc. are allowed during class for class related use only and at appropriate times.
• Audio/video recording of lecture is not permitted unless pre-approved by the professor.
• Cell phones
  • Turn cell phone to silent or off before the start of class.
  • Cell phone usage for non-class related activities (texting, etc.) is not allowed during class.
• Know how to access your CANVAS and your KCC email account. It is important that you find a way to have access to the Internet for checking your KCC email, for using MasteringChemistry and for CANVAS.

Student Behavior

• Students are expected to demonstrate academic integrity at all times. Students who engage in academic dishonesty may fail that exam, activity, or lab with a grade of zero, in addition to facing disciplinary action by the college. If a student is found cheating on a quiz or exam, the student will at least receive a 0% on the assignment, but may receive an F for their course grade depending on the severity of the offense. If a student is given a 0% for a first offense of cheating and is found to be cheating for a second time, they will automatically receive an F as a course grade.
• If you are not sure if an action is considered to be academically dishonest, such as plagiarism or cheating, please discuss with the instructor before submitting your assignment.
• Use of AI for course work should only be used as a resource or tool to enhance your learning. It should not be used as a substitute for your own original and critical thinking, which would be an example of academic dishonesty. All lab and homework assignments are intentionally selected as a way to help prepare students for exam content which requires critical thinking. Unit exams and the final exam constitute 70 % of your overall grade. Please treat every opportunity for learning and critical thinking as a way to prepare for the unit and final exams. There will be instances where students are asked to use AI in an effort to help students learn to use it properly.
• Students that repeatedly disrupt the class will be asked to leave.
  • Any behaviors that are disruptive, disturbing or concerning will be reported to the Dean of Student Services.
• I expect student behavior in this class to be professional.

Some Advice for Success…

• ATTEND every class.
• ASK questions when you don’t understand or when you want or need more information.
• VISIT office hours and help sessions. GO TO the tutor labs for help as well.
• STUDY regularly and don’t procrastinate.
• READ and USE the book.
• TAKE the homework and labs seriously because they are intended to prepare you for the exam.
• STAY ORGANIZED and use the supplemental materials I supply to you.
• REACH OUT if you feel overwhelmed, if you don’t know where to begin and need help getting started, or if you are stuck on a problem or need clarification. Do not wait until things get out of control.

Some Facts Relating to Success…

• If you can’t do something before the test, you won’t be able to do it on the test.
• You need to get to the point where you can do problems quickly. If you can’t do the problems quickly by the day of the test, that means you probably haven’t had enough practice and will struggle with time on the test.
• An average student needs to spend two hours (sometimes more) studying for each hour spent in class to get an average grade.
• Your success is up to you, but I am here to support you along the way.

Laboratory Safety

Attendance at the first laboratory meeting is required. A student may not participate in lab if they have missed the first lab meeting, which includes the mandatory lab safety training. If a student misses the first lab meeting, they must notify the instructor to make arrangements to make up the safety training before the second lab meeting.

Students are expected to comply with the KCC Laboratory Safety Rules at all times. These rules will be discussed during the first lab meeting and each student will sign an acknowledgement of receipt and understanding. Students who do not comply with the safety rules will be asked to leave the lab and will receive no credit for that day’s work.