Syllabus

UNE Summer Session

LSCI 1003: Life Science – Summer A 2026

Credits - 3

Description

This course serves as an introductory course for pre-health professions students and non-science majors, covering basic chemical principles of general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry.  This foundational course is a systematic survey of measurements, atomic structure, periodic table trends, chemical bonding and equations, nomenclature, structures of organic compounds, and biochemicals. Altogether, this course will develop the critical thinking skills and self-confidence within the introductory sciences that come with foundational understandings.

Materials

Required:

Ball, D. W., Hill, J. W., & Scott, R. J. (2022). The basics of general, organic, and biological chemistry (OER) [LibreTexts]. 

NOTE: This Open Education Resource (OER) is available for free online; additional course materials will be provided in Brightspace. 

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Outcomes

In lecture courses, students should be able to:

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

Course Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 

  • Describe the composition of matter at multiple levels
  • Predict the properties of atoms alone and in combination (e.g. diatomic molecules, polyatomic as well as ions)
  • Write balanced chemical equations
  • Identify the main organic functional groups
  • Identify foundational organic molecules
  • Identify major classes of biological molecules
  • Describe how the chemical structure of endogenous biological molecules facilitates their biological function.
  • Utilize proper chemical nomenclature to describe common chemical and biological principles

Content-specific objectives

  • Chemistry

    • Solve basic unit calculations and conversions
    • Investigate the nature of matter and matter’s composition
    • Utilize the periodic table to predict the chemical reactivity of compounds
    • Investigate the rules governing how atoms come together to form molecules
    • Perform calculations that relate atoms, molecules, moles, and mass
    • Balance chemical reactions
    • Predict the products of common chemical reactions (e.g. decomposition, single/double replacement, synthesis)
    • Use the ideal gas law to determine the properties of gasses at varying temperatures and pressures
  • Organic Chemistry

    • Visually analyze the structures of organic molecules
    • Recognize common organic compounds based on the combination of functional groups
    • Identify organic functional groups
    • Demonstrate knowledge of naming organic molecules
    • Examine the complexity of molecular interactions essential to living organisms
  • Biochemistry

    • Describe biological molecules and their roles
    • Discuss the structure and function of biological molecules
    • Evaluate the complexity of carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, proteins
    • Examine how biochemical interactions drive metabolic reactions
    • Articulate the interdisciplinary nature of biochemistry in everyday life

Assignments

Homework Practice Quizzes

These will entail multiple-choice, matching, or true/false questions. These quizzes are untimed and are closed book and closed notes. These quizzes will be taken online through the Brightspace course site. Doing well on the quizzes will help prepare you for the weekly summative exams.

Weekly Summative Exams

These will entail multiple-choice, matching, or true/false questions. You will have 120 minutes and two attempts to complete each exam, which is closed book and closed notes. These quizzes will be taken online through the Brightspace course site.

Discussions

Each week, you will participate in discussions in which you will utilize key concepts and skills, as well as respond to your peers. These discussions emphasize the real-world application of life sciences.

Grading Policy

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

Grade Breakdown

CategoryPercentage
Introductory Discussion2%
Weekly Discussions (5 @ 4 points each)20%
Homework Practice Quizzes (6 @ 3 points each)18%
Weekly Summative Exams (6 @ 10 points each)60%
TOTAL100%

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 93 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 92.9% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89.9% 3.50
B 83 – 86.9% 3.00
B- 80 – 82.9% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79.9% 2.50
C 73 – 76.9% 2.00
C- 70 – 72.9% 1.75
D 60 – 69.9% 1.00
F 00 – 59.9% 0.00

Schedule

Term dates: May 18, 2026 – June 26, 2026

Week 1: May 18 – May 24
Week 2: May 25 – May 31
Week 3: Jun 1 – Jun 7
Week 4: Jun 8 – Jun 14
Week 5: Jun 15 – Jun 21
Week 6: Jun 22 – Jun 26

All assignments are due weekly by 11:59 PM ET at the designated times and days recorded below.

Week Key Concepts Learning Activities Due Dates
1
  • The basics of an atom
  • Unit conversions and measurements
  • The Periodic Table of Elements

Week 1 Discussion: Video Introductions and Chemistry in Everyday Life

Homework Practice Quiz

Weekly Summative Exam

Discussion (Initial Post) – Friday, 11:59 PM ET

Discussion (Response Posts) – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

Homework Practice Quiz – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

Weekly Summative Exam – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

2
  • Ionic and covalent molecules
  • Balancing chemical equations
  • Properties of gases

Week 2 Discussion: Ionic Compounds in Everyday Life

Homework Practice Quiz

Weekly Summative Exam

Discussion (Initial Post) – Friday, 11:59 PM ET

Discussion (Response Posts) – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

Homework Practice Quiz – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

Weekly Summative Exam – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

3
  • Intro to organic chemistry
  • Hydrocarbons

Week 3 Discussion: Dosage

Homework Practice Quiz

Weekly Summative Exam

Discussion (Initial Post) – Friday, 11:59 PM ET

Discussion (Response Posts) – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

Homework Practice Quiz – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

Weekly Summative Exam – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

4
  • Organic chemistry (continued)
  • Functional groups of organic molecules

Week 4 Discussion: Organic Molecules

Homework Practice Quiz

Weekly Summative Exam

Discussion (Initial Post) – Friday, 11:59 PM ET

Discussion (Response Posts) – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

Homework Practice Quiz – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

Weekly Summative Exam – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

5
  • Carbohydrates and lipids
  • Role of macromolecules in biological systems

Week 5 Discussion: Carbohydrates Provide Energy

Homework Practice Quiz

Weekly Summative Exam

Discussion (Initial Post) – Friday, 11:59 PM ET

Discussion (Response Posts) – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

Homework Practice Quiz – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

Weekly Summative Exam – Sunday, 11:59 PM ET

6
  • Nucleic acids and proteins

Week 6 Discussion: Epigenetics

Homework Practice Quiz

Weekly Summative Exam

Discussion (Initial Post) – WEDNESDAY, 11:59 PM ET

Discussion (Response Posts) – FRIDAY, 11:59 PM ET

Homework Practice Quiz – FRIDAY, 11:59 PM ET

Weekly Summative Exam – FRIDAY, 11:59 PM ET

 

Student Resources

Summer Session Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies. If you are a current UNE undergraduate taking online Summer Session courses, please continue to work with your Advisor and include them on your outreaches.

Questions? Email: summersessiononline@une.edu.

UNE Libraries

  • Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
  • Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.

Further Assistance and Accommodations

Your student support specialist monitors course progression and provides assistance or guidance when needed. They can assist questions regarding ordering course materials, University policies, billing, navigating the course in Brightspace, and more.

To request an accommodation a student needs to go through the process with our UNE office. If the student has a current/already established accommodation in place with UNE it is the responsibility of the student to notify the program at summersessiononline@une.edu to ensure it is applied properly.

If you need to inquire about a possible accommodation, please reach out to the Student Access Center by calling 207-221-4418 or send an email to pcstudentaccess@une.edu.

If you are a current UNE undergrad, please continue to work with your coordinator at bcstudentaccess@une.edu and ensure any accommodations you have in place - are put in place for your online Summer Session course(s).

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.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.

ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.

Instructor and Support Contact Information

Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.

Policies

Summer Session & Academic Engagement Policy

Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm EDT of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion by 11:59 pm EDT on Sunday of the first week, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation.

Proctored Examinations

Your course may have proctored exams. For all proctored exams, an external camera is required. Please see the course for the exact exam requirements, test-taker guidance, proctoring format, and allowances (such as calculators or whiteboards, as indicated in the course). https://success.une.edu/science-prerequisites/honorlock/ 

Information about exam attempts can be found in your course.

Course Length

A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus.

Courses in the program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 6 or 12 weeks.

  1. Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar. Students in online Summer Session courses will have early access the Saturday prior to the course start date to review course content as needed.
  2. Course due dates, start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.

Technology Requirements

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

Withdrawal and Refund Policies

Please review the policies in your confirmation email. Contact summersessiononline@une.edu with any questions.

Grade Policy

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

Late Policy

Unless stated otherwise by your faculty: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days, the assignment will not be accepted. Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3-point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded. Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

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 College. 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 AI Use 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.