Syllabus

Science Prerequisites for Health Professionals

CHEM 1020L: Organic Chemistry I Lab – Summer 2024

Credits - 1

Description

This course is designed at a level to provide an introductory-level college organic chemistry course for health science majors. An emphasis is placed on understanding the concept of the labs and the scientific method, since today’s healthcare professionals are expected to have a general understanding of how science and the scientific method contribute to their profession. This course will introduce the student to important laboratory techniques covered on most professional entrance exams. Topics include separation and purification techniques and an introduction to spectroscopy. 

Course Prerequisite:  Two semesters of college level general chemistry with lab.

Materials

Resources

Subscription to Labflow ($50, plus tax). Signup details are available in Brightspace. 

Hardware

UNE-compliant external webcam and whiteboard – To be used during proctored exams

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Outcomes

In lecture courses, students should be able to:

  1. Communicate scientific concepts and information clearly.
  2. Illustrate fundamental laws, theories, and principles of scientific disciplines.
  3. Apply knowledge and critical thinking skills to scientific problems.

In lab courses, students should be able to:

  1. Ask a question or define a problem that can be tested.
  2. Hypothesize possible result(s).
  3. Plan and/or conduct an investigation individually and/or collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence.
  4. Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (i.e. computational, mathematical, graphical, etc.) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.
  5. Communicate the results by constructing an explanation based on multiple pieces of valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations, models, theories, simulations, peer review) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
  6. Apply scientific ideas, principles, and/or evidence gained from various experiments, as well as other observations and/or research, to provide an explanation of phenomena and solve design problems, taking into account possible unanticipated effects.

Course Objectives

  1. Demonstrate appropriate safety procedures in a lab.
  2. Predict solubility based on functional groups and IMF.
  3. Demonstrate the theory & practice of recrystallization.
  4. Demonstrate the theory & practice of chromatography.
  5. Demonstrate the theory & practice of liquid-liquid extraction.
  6. Develop a purification scheme for two organic structures using an acid-base extraction.
  7. Determine a structure using melting point determination and spectral techniques.

SELF PACED DESIGN

On the course start date, students will have access to orientation. This must be completed to be able to gain access to the first module in the course. Students must complete the first module to gain access to the next one. We recommend that students spend about 15 hours per week to complete a course in 16 weeks. When trying to complete the course in less than 16 weeks, we typically see students do this successfully within 12-14 weeks. Instructors will be timely in grading and feedback, but it will not be instant.

Assignments

Prelab Quizzes

Each week, you will complete the prelab quizzes to help understand the key foundational information that will be needed to complete the laboratory experiment. 

Laboratory Report  

Each week, you will complete a laboratory report. You will analyze the data, formulate answers about the results of the experiment, and answer critical thinking questions.

Lab Practical

This will be a cumulative assignment.  It will be a timed and proctored exam. You will have 90 minutes to complete the exam. This assignment is worth 75 points toward your final grade.

This exam must be taken through ProctorU. See UNE’s Online ProctorU Site for information about signing up and scheduling your exam. A UNE-compliant webcam is required (see the Course Materials section, above, for more information).

For proctored finals, grades will be posted 48-72 hours after taking the exams. At that time, you can expect an unofficial transcript.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignment CategoryNumber of Assignments & PointsTotal Point Values
Prelab quizzesSafety Quiz (1 point) and Math Review Quiz (1 point) 14 prelab quizzes (10 points each)142 points
Lab report14 Lab reports (100 points each)1400 points
Lab Practical1 lab practical (75 points)75 points
Total1617 points

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 94 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 93% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89% 3.50
B 84 – 86% 3.00
B- 80 – 83% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79% 2.50
C 74 – 76% 2.00
C- 70 – 73% 1.75
D 64 – 69% 1.00
F 00 – 63% 0.00

Schedule

 

Week

Topic

Readings

Assignments

1

Introduction to Safety in the Laboratory

Safety videos

Safety quiz

2

Separating a Mixture of Solids

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

3

Molecular Models

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

4

Melting Points of Compounds and Mixtures

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

5

Extraction of Caffeine

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

6

Recrystallization of Acetanilide

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

7

Separation of Benzoic Acid, Aniline, and Naphthalene

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

8

Separation by Distillation

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

9

Synthesis of Aspirin

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

10

Lipids in Hand Lotions

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

11

Amino Acids

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

12

Peptides and Proteins

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

13

Identifying Unknowns using IR spectroscopy

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

14

Banana Oil Synthesis

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

15

Identifying Unknowns using NMR spectroscopy

Lab Procedure

Lab Flow videos

Prelab Quiz 

Lab Report

16

Lab Practical

 

Lab Practical

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you - they will monitor course progression and provide assistance or guidance when needed. Please don’t hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, course materials, billing, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Science Prerequisites page

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Instructor and Support Contact Information

Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.

Student Lounge

The Student Lounge Discussion Forum is a designated support forum in which students may engage with each other and grapple with course content. Feel free to post questions, seek clarification, and support each other, but be mindful of UNE's Academic Integrity Policy.

Your instructor will monitor this forum. However, if you are seeking specific and timely answers to questions about course content or your personal grades, please contact your instructor via course messages. For questions about course materials, program policy, and how to navigate and proceed through the course, please contact your Student Service Advisor through the Student Portal.

Policies

Proctored Examinations

Your course may have proctored exams. The University of New England has contracted with ProctorU to provide students with the most convenient online exam proctoring system. This system provides a simple, no cost to the student, secure, online proctor for exams and allows the student to take all the exams at home and on their own schedule.

Upon enrollment into the course, each student will register with ProctorU and establish a login name and password. This will give the student access to all of ProctorU's services. When ready, students will schedule each of their proctored exams with ProctorU. Exams must be scheduled at least 72 hours in advance to avoid fees. Prior to taking their exams, students must be sure that they have downloaded any required additional software. They must also be sure their testing site's connection meets the minimum requirements by using ProctorU's "Test It Out" utility.

Upon the exam day and hour, students will log in to ProctorU and click on "exams". After following the procedures outlined at ProctorU's website, the student will log in to Brightspace and locate their correct exam. The proctor will then allow student access to that exam.

Students must follow all proctoring requirements for their exams to be credited. Please contact your instructor for specific feedback.

Exam Attempts Policy

Students will receive two attempts at all proctored examinations. The higher score of the two attempts will be calculated into the final grade. Students can schedule their second attempt by following the same ProctorU instructions as with the original exam.

All students are encouraged to utilize a second attempt on their exams in order to improve their overall performance in the course.

Course Discussions

Discussion topics cover events or materials related to this course that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. Each discussion topic may require you to conduct internet research, read additional materials, visit a specific webpage, AND/OR view a short video before writing a response following the specific guidelines in the discussion topic prompt.

To earn full credit you will need to post a response to the discussion topic, respond to the original posts of other students, and then contribute meaningfully to an ongoing discussion. You may need to post your initial response before you will see any posts from your classmates. For special cases where one or two students are accelerating faster through the course, the instructor will participate in the discussion so that everyone has the opportunity to interact.

Please see Brightspace for a full description, along with specific guidelines, for each discussion topic. Discussion board assignments should be completed, along with all other assignments in the course, in the order that they appear. Due to the course design, you may be unable to take a proctored exam if you do not complete all assignments that appear prior to that exam.

Please also refer to the Grading Policy/Grade Breakdown section of the syllabus to learn the percentage of your grade that each discussion is worth.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Length

A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus. This is, however a self-paced course and you can complete the course in less time.

  1. Courses in the SPHP program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 16 weeks
  2. Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar found on the Student Success Portal.
  3. Course start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.

Withdrawal and Refund Policies

Please visit the enrollment page to review the withdrawal and refund policies.

Grade Policy

Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course. View the incomplete grade policy..

Transcripts

Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.

Using Generative AI When Completing Coursework

Generative AI (GenAI) applications (like ChatGPT) have proven to be powerful and effective tools, and students are encouraged to become familiar with and use them. However, as with any tool, students must use GenAI in ways that support learning, not replace it. Learning to use AI responsibly and ethically is an important skill in today’s society.

In their courses, students are not allowed to use advanced automated tools, such as generative AI tools, on assignments unless explicitly directed to do so. Each student is expected to complete each assignment, including labs and quizzes as applicable, without substantive assistance from others, including automated tools.

Using AI-content generators to complete assignments without proper attribution violates academic integrity. By submitting assignments in UNE courses, you pledge to affirm that they are your own work and you attribute use of any and all tools and sources.

Unauthorized Use

Unauthorized use of AI is treated as a violation of academic integrity.

Citing AI Use

If permitted, students should indicate and cite any use of AI tools. 

Instructor responsibility

Instructors should clearly reiterate, using UNE Online’s Policy, how students can use AI tools in their courses, and communicate this policy to students at the beginning of the semester. 

Student responsibility

Students must follow the academic integrity policy of the University of New England.