Chemistry 234 Syllabus, Penn's Section		Spring 2008
Instructor:  Dr. John H. Penn
561 Chemistry Research Laboratory (i.e., the Chemistry Annex)	1534 Point Marion Road
Phone:  304-293-3435 x 6452 Fax:  304-599-4904 Email:  John.Penn@mail.wvu.edu (Internet accessible and checked daily, even when out of town) Homepage:  http://www.as.wvu.edu/~jpenn	Phone:  304-599-6621 Fax:  304-599-5806

Co-requisite: Chemistry 236

Required Materials:

On-Line Organic Chemistry, published by John Wiley and Sons. Accounts will be given out to everyone in the class free of charge.

Further details can be found under the Homework Link.

Highly Recommended Materials

Lecture Text: Organic Chemistry, Second Edition, by Janice Gorzynski Smith, 2008, McGraw-Hill Publisher, ISBN 978-0-07-304986-1

Make-up Exam Considerations

Make-up examinations will be conducted at a time that is mutually acceptable to both the student and to the instructor. Make-up examinations scheduled prior to the times indicated above for the paper exams will be conducted on the computer. Make-up examinations scheduled after the time of the paper exam will be conducted as oral examinations, with students answering questions on the blackboard of the instructor's office. See the Exam Schedule for further details.  This policy will be strictly enforced.

Grading Considerations

A full description of the grading policies is given in the Grading Policies Document.

Laboratory Grade

The laboratory grade does not have any influence on the determination of the final grade, since Chem 236 is a separate entity for registration purposes and is assigned a completely separate grade.

Academic Dishonesty:

A full range of options is available to the instructor in the event of a discovery of academic dishonesty (i.e., cheating). These options are stated in the West Virginia University Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities (Section 3.5.2.6), but include dismissal from school or an unforgivable "F" for a course grade. These options will be vigorously enforced.

General Classroom Policies:

Attendance is not required, but does enter into the computation of the final grade.

Talking in Class: Talking in class is disruptive to both the instructor and the students in the immediate area of the talking. If you have questions, please direct them to the instructor. This helps provide immediate feedback to the instructor about what is being understood by the class and what is not being understood.

Cell Phone Calls: Cell phone calls will be taken in front of the class, so that everyone can hear what is so important that you must have the phone call during class.

Sleeping in class is done at the student's own risk.

Extra Help

From Professor Penn:

The instructor is always available through cyberspace for help. Questions that are submitted to Dr. Penn by 9:30 AM via email Monday through Friday will generally be answered that day. The instructor does hold "typical" office hours, but the door to his office is generally open when he is in the building. The best way to be sure to meet with me is to arrange an appointment, which can be done via via email or talking with me immediately following a lecture session.

Extra Help

From the On-Line Organic System:

Instructions on how to access this system will be given in class and in the homework section. The tests will come directly from this system. 

Extra Help

From Teaching Assistants:

Additional help is also available from your laboratory teaching assistant. This assistance is offered free of charge. Ask your TA when they have office hours. In the event of problems in this line of assistance, please inform Professor Penn, so that he may be of assistance.

Extra Help

From the Student Learning Center (Brooke Tower)

Another free source of assistance is from the Student Learning Center (located in Brooke Tower). Past experience indicates that the demand for assistance far exceeds the supply of available assistance.

Extra Help

From Tutors:

As a last resort, help is available at a financial cost to you, the student. A list of tutors is available from the chemistry department office (217 Clark Hall). The assistance of a tutor will cost you money, the cost of which is negotiated between the tutor and the student. The effectiveness of tutoring has been shown to be primarily dependent on the student, since some students achieve great success while other students have no improvement from the same tutor.

Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry 236

These labs will begin in the first week of classes.

A schedule of these courses can be found in the laboratory schedule that will be handed out in the laboratory. Professor Penn is not in charge of any laboratory sections of Chem 236 this semester. Therefore, all questions concerning the laboratory should be directed towards your laboratory instructor.

Laboratory Fees:

Every student must pay a lab fee. The laboratory fee is NOT REFUNDABLE after the first week of classes. A charge for excessive breakage may also be levied.