Chem. 442C Prof. Nancy Makri Fall 2014
Course Description and Policy
Regular attendance and active participation in class discussions are essential in this course. Students should attend the chalkboard lectures, take notes, ask questions, work on in-class assignments, study the assigned book sections and work out the homework problems, individually or in groups. Additional resources for most of the material to be covered are available by following the links on this website, http://www.scs.illinois.edu/~makri/New-Web-Site/442-web-page/chem-442.html, and also on Professor Hirata's website, http://butane.chem.illinois.edu/sohirata/index.html.
Problem solving is important in this course. To help the students better understand the concepts and offer guidance in upcoming homework, the instructor will frequently pause the lecture and hand out an in-class assignment. Students will be encouraged to discuss their approach with others, and the instructor will assist with key steps in the solution. The in-class assignment will not be graded, but will count toward each student's participation points. A student who is absent will earn a zero on that day's participation points, but up to three absences during the semester will be excused (i.e., the missed points will be given back.) In addition, the instructor will sometimes ask for a volunteer who is willing to show a solution to the class. Volunteers will be given extra credit points for a generally correct approach.
There will be weekly homework assignments, usually due on Wednesdays. No homework will be due during the weeks of the two hourly exams. Monday lectures will sometimes end early to allow students to ask questions related to that week's homework assignment. Students are encouraged to discuss homework problems with the instructor, the teaching assistants, or classmates. However, students should never copy answers to homework problems from any source (except from the classroom chalkboard or projection screen, in case the instructor presents the solution to the entire class). Solutions to the homework will be posted promptly, thus late homework will not earn credit (except in cases of illness or other emergency; please email Professor Makri in advance whenever possible). Each student's lowest homework score will be dropped.
There will be a 5-minute quiz at the beginning of several class periods. The quiz will be based on that week's homework, and will typically consist of one problem chosen from recent homework (slightly modified). Occasionally the quiz will include an extra credit problem. Quizzes will be announced in advance. Students who miss a quiz because of illness or serious conflict should notify the instructor as soon as possible.
In addition, there will be two midterm exams and a final exam.
Each student's total score will be calculated from the following components:
Homework: 25 points Participation: 10 points (extra credit opportunities) Midterm 1: 15 points Midterm 2: 15 points Quizzes: 10 points (extra credit opportunities) Final exam: 25 points