Chemistry Policies

Course Attendance, Participation & Behavior

1. Students are expected to attend all scheduled course sessions and should be prepared by reading in advance any relevant material assigned or provided. Participation (defined by interacting with the instructor, working problems at the board, individually or in groups, using personal response “Clicker” systems and other mechanisms defined in the syllabus) is expected.
2. Students are reminded that instructors are not required to accept assignments submitted late, except in instances allowed according to University policies. University policies as defined in the Student Code of Conduct apply to lecture, recitation and laboratory portions of all courses.
3. Laboratories are an integral part of education in chemistry courses. As a result, participation in all laboratories scheduled for a course is expected. Unless alternate activities are scheduled, students can expect that their laboratory section will meet each week, and failure to attend laboratories may lead to failure in the course. The laboratory for a course must be passed, normally by earning 60% of the available score or points for the laboratory, in order to pass the course. Exceptions may be noted in the course syllabus.
4. The minimum acceptable grade for a chemistry course prerequisite is a C-. For example, a student with a D+ in General Chemistry I may not enroll in General Chemistry II. This standard applies to all Chemistry prerequisites for all Chemistry courses. Some courses may have different requirements that will be explained in the syllabus or academic catalog.
5. Students are expected to bring to the laboratory the laboratory manual (or printout of the experiment), a laboratory notebook (if required), a calculator, ruler or other materials as specified by the instructor or in the syllabus.
6. Students are not allowed to work in the laboratory without direct faculty supervision.
7. Unless announced in advance, SAFETY GOGGLES (WHICH PROVIDE A COMPLETE SEAL AROUND THE EYES AND ARE EQUIPPED WITH INDIRECT VENTS) ARE REQUIRED TO BE WORN AT ALL TIMES IN THE LABORATORY. STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THEIR OWN SAFETY GOGGLES.
8. Open-toed shoes, unrestrained long hair, excessively loose clothing and other items, which may be easily ignited or snag on apparatus are not allowed. Shirts must have sleeves, or one's arms must be covered to halfway between the shoulder and elbow. Pants, shorts or skirts must extend to the knees.
9. Food, drink, candy, cosmetics, tobacco products, etc. are not allowed to be in the laboratory.
10. Students are expected to be attentive to the material and any experiments and apparatus in the laboratory. Unless used according to #11 below, the following must be turned off and stored away from the laboratory bench while in laboratories:

Portable music players (e.g., iPods, MP3 players and the like)
Phones and other personal electronic devices used for texting or calling
Any portable electronic device deemed unacceptable by the laboratory instructor

• Certain “smartphones”, iPads, iPods, tablets and other portable electronic devices may be used in the laboratory or classroom at the discretion of, and with the permission of, the instructor. Typical approved uses would include data collection and processing, laboratory report authoring and image/video recording.
• Horseplay, practical jokes, “goofing around” or interfering with other students’ work is not allowed in the laboratory.
• Students should not expect to be able to make up missed laboratory sessions or experiments. If a makeup session is possible, it will be at the discretion of the laboratory instructor and will normally be during the same week as the missed laboratory section.
• Students will not be permitted to work in any laboratory section other than that they are registered for unless they have the written approval of both their regular instructor AND the instructor in the section they wish to enter.

Course instructors may modify these guidelines as necessary to meet the requirements of individual courses or chemical specialties in consultation with the Department Chairperson. Students should expect to receive a copy of these guidelines in their course syllabus or be given a copy by the course instructor (either in paper form or by electronic mail).

Course Challenges and AP Credit

1. CHEM 111 is normally the only course that can be challenged by examination, after consultation with a current CHEM 111 instructor. Students will be required to pass a recent final exam, administered by a current CHEM 111 lecture instructor, with a score of 75% or higher in order to have their course challenge accepted. Receiving credit for successfully challenging a course does not always mean that the credit earned will count towards the degree. In some cases, the credits towards graduation may need to be made up by the student taking additional coursework (e.g., an American Chemical Society Certified degree).
2. Credit for AP Chemistry courses taken in high school will be granted according to the following guidelines.
   1. A score < 3 on the AP examination will not result in credit for having taken any chemistry course at SUNY Oneonta.
   2. A score equal to 3 will result in the student receiving credit for CHEM 100: Chemistry in Everyday Life.
      1. Students with a score equal to 3 will be allowed to enroll in CHEM 112 with the understanding that they will need to take CHEM 111, transfer in an equivalent course, or challenge CHEM 111 within 1 calendar year of enrolling in CHEM 112.
   3. A score of 4 or 5 will result in the student receiving credit for having taken CHEM 111. However, in some cases, credit towards graduation may need to be made up by the student taking additional coursework.
3. The Department Chairperson will consult with the faculty currently teaching courses in a specific chemistry sub-discipline when unusual or extraordinary course substitutions or equivalencies are proposed.

Approved by the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry on 10-November-2008

Undergraduate Research, Space and Equipment Utilization - Spring 2013

1. Faculty will participate in the care and maintenance of department owned equipment, in accordance with the Shared Equipment Maintenance Policy.
2. Individuals are responsible for the care of equipment when they are using it. Before using a piece of equipment, they should assess its external condition and notify their course instructor, research advisor, responsible faculty member or the department chair of condition or operational problems.
3. Students who use equipment will be offered training on how to use and care for that piece of equipment. Failure to seek and follow training or to properly care for equipment can negatively impact both research and educational outcomes as well as possibly present a hazardous condition.
4. Students in independent study or research courses will sign and date, along with their faculty sponsor/instructor, a copy of this document as a pre-requisite for obtaining the department chairpersons approval for that course.
5. Faculty members of the department are, from time-to-time, assigned space for research activities within the department. Other faculty members, specifically the Storeroom Manager and Instructional Support Technician, are assigned space to allow them to effectively complete their work responsibilities.
6. These spaces include:
7. a. Physical Sciences B-8, Physical Sciences 204 A&B, 211, HUEC 228 (Preparation Room)
8. Students, unless escorted by their faculty sponsor or research supervisor, are not allowed in the spaces above under any circumstances. Faculty members are allowed to enter these spaces to identify items for their research or course needs at the sole discretion of the Storeroom Manager, Instructional Support Technician or Chairperson. Materials may only be removed from these spaces with the immediate and express consent of one of the same.
9. Except in cases of emergency, faculty and students will not loiter in the research space of another faculty member without express permission. Similarly, they will not take apparatus or supplies from another faculty members research space without express permission.
10. No student will work alone in a laboratory. Students will work in groups of two or more students, or under the direct visual supervision of a faculty member.
11. Student researchers must always be under the supervision (within visual sight or ‘shouting distance’) of a faculty member, ordinarily their research sponsor, supervisor or class instructor. In the event, during a regularly scheduled research time, that faculty member is called away for a short time, they will alert the faculty-member-on-duty who will supervise research students.
12. The faculty-member-on-duty agrees to remain on the second floor or in the basement of Physical Sciences to support and supervise research students and should be the students’ point of contact for questions or concerns.

Please contact the department chair for a copy of the Policy on Undergraduate Research, Space and Equipment Utilization form.