Syllabus

Science Prerequisites for Health Professionals

CHEM 1000: Survey of Chemistry

Credits - 3

Description

This course is an introduction to the principles of general, organic, and biological chemistry that are relevant to students interested in health-related and other professions. Students will gain familiarity with such concepts as the following: atomic theory, measurements, significant figures, dimensional analysis, chemical compounds and their bonds, molecular geometry, polarity, the mole concept, stoichiometry, redox reactions and energetics of chemical reactions, gases, solutions, acids and bases, and nuclear chemistry. This will be followed by a thorough introduction to structural formulas; chemical and physical properties of organic compounds; and, finally, the biochemistry of nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and metabolism.


Course Prerequisite: No chemistry background required.

Materials

Textbooks

Stacy, A. M. (2015). Living by chemistry (2nd ed.). W. H. Freeman and Company.

Saylor Academy. (2012). The basics of general, organic, and biological chemistry. https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_the-basics-of-general-organic-and-biological-chemistry/

Resources

UNE-compliant webcam – To be used during proctored exams

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Outcomes

In lecture courses, students should be able to:

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

Course Objectives

  • Solve basic unit calculations and conversions
  • Investigate the nature of matter and matter’s composition
  • Apply the periodic table to compounds and their chemical reactivity
  • Investigate the theory of gases 
  • Investigate the rules governing how atoms come together to form molecules
  • Examine the complexity of molecular interactions essential to living organisms
  • Compare how biochemical interactions drive metabolic reactions

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

Worksheets

Each week, you will explore new topics through readings, videos, and worksheets. The worksheets are a place for you to take notes, draw, and try to answer problems. The materials are designed to help you walk through key ideas for the week. You can read the texts, watch the videos, or play a game while you are doing the worksheets. You might find it effective to move back and forth between these activities. Research shows that active engagement can increase your understanding and retention of the materials. To that end, you are strongly encouraged to complete the worksheet revision opportunities for any worksheet items marked incorrect by your instructor. If you are not understanding a topic through these materials, please contact the instructor!

Quizzes

There are 6 biweekly knowledge check quizzes, each consisting of 15 multiple-choice questions. Each quiz is worth 15 points. 

Discussion Boards

There are weekly discussion boards this semester. There is an introductory board, followed by additional weekly discussions that encourage you to apply your knowledge in new and fascinating situations! You will have two weeks to complete each discussion board and are encouraged to do your initial post the first week, then an interactive post later in the first week,  followed by a second interactive post early in the second week. 

Midterm Exam

You have a midterm exam worth 50 points. The exam will cover Weeks 1–8 and will ensure that you are retaining the material as we progress through the semester. You will have 60 minutes to complete the exam.

This exam must be taken through ProctorU. See UNE’s Online ProctorU Site for information about signing up and scheduling your exam. The official UNE webcam is required (see syllabus for more information).

Final Exam

This will not be a cumulative exam. It will cover Weeks 9–16 and is a timed and proctored exam. There are 50 questions. You will have 60 minutes to complete the exam. This assignment is worth 50 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. The official UNE webcam is required (see syllabus for more information).

Grading Policy

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

Grade Breakdown

CategoryGrade
Worksheets20%
Discussions20%
Quizzes25%
Exams25%
Participation10%
Total100%

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

Assignments

1

Overview

Readings, Video, Worksheet, Simulation, Discussion

2

Alchemy

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Simulation, Discussion, Quiz 1

3

Build Your Own Molecule

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Simulation, Discussion

4

pH and Solutions

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion, Quiz 2

5

Gas Laws, Thermodynamics and Kinetics

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Simulation, Discussion

6

Introduction to Organic Chemistry

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion, Quiz 3

7

Delightful Aromas/Home Brewing

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Molecule Drawing, Simulation, Discussion

8

Putrid Organics

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion, Study Guide, Midterm Exam Weeks 1-8

9

Covid-19

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Simulation, Discussion

10

Dealing with Antibiotic Resistance

Readings,Videos,

Worksheet, Discussion, Quiz 4

11

Pesticides: How to Break Them Down

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion

12

Lipids Versus Carbs

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion, Quiz 5

13

The Routes of Metabolism

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion

14

Feeling Energized

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion, Quiz 6

15

Metabolism in Desperate Times

Readings, Videos, Worksheet, Discussion

16

Course Review

Course Review Weeks 9-15, Final Exam Weeks 9-15

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

Instructor and Support Contact Information

Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.

Student Lounge

The Student Lounge Discussion Board 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 use ProctorU and 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.