Participation Policies and Class Workload Expectation

Log-in and Participation Policy

Class participation during synchronous Zoom sessions is mandatory and is automatically recorded in Canvas as "Attendance," but is not part of your grade. Chem 101 homework, Canvas assignments, and Canvas discussions earn participation points that are part of your grade. Laboratory is a required part of this course. Every lab is graded and assigned points separately. You must complete at least 2/3 of the assigned labs to pass the course.

Instructor Initiated Contact Policy

All communications will be through Canvas, either as Announcements or through the Canvas Inbox function. Therefore it is important for students to adjust their Canvas settings to make sure that announcements are routed to their preferred communications channel - Solano email, personal email, or text.

Student Initiated Contact Policy

Messages to the instructor's Canvas Inbox or Solano email are automatically forwarded to Dr. Hawkes' personal email. Students should expect responses within 24 hours. Registered students will be provided Dr. Hawkes' personal cell phone number for any matters requiring a quicker response. Students are advised to NOT USE TEXT to contact Dr. Hawkes.

Student to Student Contact Policy

Science is a collaborative human endeavor and chemistry is hard, so students are encouraged and sometimes required to interact, share ideas, and learn from one another. Some labs will be done with partners or groups that require teamwork. Students are required to participate in online discussions by contributing substantative and relevant original posts, reading other student's posts, and posting thoughtful replies. Students are encouraged to form their own groups to work and/or study together

Assignment Grading and Feedback Policy

Lab reports are graded with written comments correcting the errors and explaining the points assigned. Exams are given in Canvas, so the results are immediately available. The correct answers are made available after all srudents have finished taking the exam. Exam questions are reviewed in class the day after the exam. The lab simulations use AI to provide context-sensitive help and feedback during the experiments.

Important course dates can be found here.

Class Workload Expectation

How much time and work is required?

Be prepared for about 15 hours of work per week in this course outside of class hours. A three unit "lecture" course, by virtue of what is known as the Carnegie Unit Links to an external site., mathematically establishes a standard the amount of work expected from a student (and the instructor) in a 18-week course. California state law upholds this, see California Code of Regulations, Education Code, Title 5, Section 55002.5. Links to an external site.

Table shows calculation of number of hours per week to be spent on class.
Type of Unit	Units	x Hours Per Unit	Total Hours
Lecture	3	1 x 18	= 54
2 hours homework per hour of lecture	3	2 x 3 x 18	= 108
Laboratory	2	2 x 3 x 18	=108
		Hours of work per term	= 270 hours of student work
		/ number of weeks	= 18
		Hours of work per week	= about 15