Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Chemistry 1215, Fall 2025

CHEM 1215-09

Course: CHEM 1215-09
Credits: 1
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCI
CRN: 31683

Course Description

Lab to accompany CHEM 1210. A minimum grade of "C" (2.0 or above) must be earned in this course before it can be counted in a physical science major or minor or as a prerequisite for any other course. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): CHEM 1210 Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll General Education Category: Physical Sciences

Required Texts

Experiments for Chemical Principles I Lab, CHEM 1215, 2025, available at the bookstore for around $10. Please be sure you have the updated version.

Recommended text: your CHEM 1210 textbook.

Learning Outcomes

●               Develop and apply critical thinking skills in solving problems related to chemistry.
●               Understand the fundamental principles and theories in the field of chemistry.
●               Think critically and analyze physical phenomena using fundamental chemical principles.
●               Appreciate chemistry’s benefit to humanity through medicine, materials, and quality of life. 
●               Understand and use chemical vocabulary in the correct context.
●               Understand and describe atoms in detail, including structure, properties, and reactivity.
●               Develop mathematical skills for calculating chemistry related values. 
●               Demonstrate understanding of science as a way of knowing about the physical world.
●               Demonstrate understanding of forces in the physical world; Discuss the flow of matter and energy through systems (in large and small scales). 
●               Develop evidence-based arguments regarding the effect of human activity on the Earth.

Course Requirements

GRADING

  1. Weekly lab assignments are either in the form of “tear-out” sheets from the laboratory manual, or handouts, or both. Labs are worth 30-40 points each—10 points for each lab preview, and 30 for data sheets and questions. Up to 5 points may be deducted for poor lab cleanup and/or safety practices.
  2. Quizzes. There will be several short quizzes given at random throughout the semester. These will be given during the first ten minutes of class and reviewed as soon as they are collected. The previous week’s lab and the current lab are both fair game, so make sure you read through the day’s lab and complete your pre-lab! If you miss a quiz, it cannot be made up, so be on time!
  3. Lab Exam. The final comprehensive test will be given at the end of the semester, and will consist of between twenty and forty questions corresponding with the course objectives.
Grading is on a straight percentage scale.

Grade                          %  
A                     93.00-100.00
A-                   90.00-92.99
B+                   87.00-89.99
B                     83.00-86.99    
B-                    80.00-82.99
C+                   77.00-79.99
C                     73.00-76.99
C-                   70.00-72.99
D+                   67.00-69.99
D                     63.00-66.99
D-                   60.00-62.99
F                      0-59.99

 Labs are worth 70% of your final grade, and quizzes and tests will be scaled to comprise 30% of your grade.

You are expected to show your work on any assignment in which multistep calculations are required. Even if you do it all on your calculator, show the setup. It is impossible to know whether you have copied the answer if all you show is an answer. It’s also impossible to give partial credit!

AI and/or Googling: Ideally, once a lab gets going, it’s a fairly noisy place. Experiments are collaborative. You’ll work with your lab partners, talk to other students, and above all, consult with the instructor if you have questions. Please don’t default to picking up your phone to find answers. Copying the work of others is not allowed and will earn you a zero.

Wandering eyes will earn you a zero on a test. This includes quizzes.

Course Outline

1215 LAB SCHEDULE
Fall 2025
(May change with sufficient notice)

WEEK                                    ASSIGNMENT
Sept 1                                      Safety in the Laboratory/Lab Check-In
Sept 8                                      Measurement
Sept 15                                    Nomenclature (dry lab)/Formulas
Sept. 22                                   Hydrates
Sept. 29                                   Limiting Reactant and % Copper
Oct 6                                       Spectrophotometry
Oct 13                                     No Lab—Fall Break
Oct. 20                                     Calorimetry
Oct. 27                                    Spectroscopy
Nov 3                                      Chemical Reactions of Metals
Nov 10                                     Halogens/Molecular Geometry (dry lab)
Nov 17                                     Gas Laws
Nov 24                                     No Lab—Thanksgiving Break
Dec 1                                       Lab Checkout/Lab Exam

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Unexcused late work loses 25% of total credit for every week it is late. Work that is four or more weeks late will not be graded. No work will be accepted after December 5.  Lab preview exercises are due at the start of each laboratory period, and data sheets and post-lab questions may be turned in up to two days following the lab. For example, if your lab is on Thursday, you may turn in your work any time before Tuesday morning.

Make-ups may be allowed on an individual basis, but only for approved absences. The best course of action, if you miss a lab, is to arrange with the instructor to come to another lab section that week. The instructor for the alternate lab section must provide a signature to indicate that you were present. If other arrangements are required, the makeup lab may or may not be the same as the missed experiment, and may require additional work or a greater time commitment.

A laboratory is a hands-on experience. Although attendance points are not given, your attendance and participation are nevertheless required in order to get credit. If you know you are going to miss a lab, please make arrangements beforehand with your instructor (preferably to attend another lab that week).

Attendance Policy

ATTENDANCE: Given the nature of this course, attendance is required and adjustments cannot be granted to allow non-attendance. A lab is by design a hands-on, face-to-face environment. If you cannot be here in person to take this course, you’ll need to delay enrollment until you’re back on campus. 

BEING ON TIME: Class begins at the time listed in the course schedule. If you are late, you may miss a quiz or important information about the lab. Points may be deducted for tardiness. Missed quizzes cannot be made up.

Course Fees

Fees: Your College of Science program fees help pay for reagents and other consumables, as well as equipment and equipment maintenance. A lab drawer stocked with glassware and supplies will be checked out to you and your lab partner(s) on the first day of lab. You are responsible for maintaining this glassware throughout the course, and returning it in good condition at the end of the semester. As your program fees cover only chemicals and general lab maintenance, you will be charged for any losses or breakages you incur. All fees must be paid before you can receive a grade in this class!

Safety and Risk

Safety goggles: OSHA-approved safety goggles, not safety glasses, are required for all “wet labs” (i.e., all labs involving more than just pencil, paper, and calculator). You must provide your own safety goggles, they are not supplied for you. Goggles labeled Z87 are acceptable. Anyone without eye protection will be asked to leave the lab and will receive a zero for the day’s lab.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.