Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Introduction to Undergraduate Research (Face-to-Face)

CHEM 2990-10

Course: CHEM 2990-10
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCI
CRN: 33004

Course Description

Lab and/or field course centered on helping the student gain insight into the research arena. Introduction to the scientific process and research techniques will be given. This course may be repeated but credit earned in this course cannot be used to satisfy requirements for the major or minor. 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 [As Needed], Spring [As Needed]) [Pass/Fail] Repeatable for Add’l Credit? Yes - Total Credits: 10 Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll

Required Texts

None

Learning Outcomes

Students in this course will conduct novel and meaningful undergraduate research. The learning outcomes personified by successful students of this course include: thorough inquiry of related materials; thoughtful analysis of data obtained from chemical experiments; skillful use of acquired knowledge to critically analyze and creatively solve chemical problems including the application of basic principles to more complicated situations. Students will need to productively engage in teamwork with their lab associates in order to collect and record data from experiments. Successful students are required to communicate correctly and thoroughly to demonstrate quantitative literacy in the chemical sciences.

Course Requirements

  • Students earning credit for undergraduate research are expected to log at least 3 hours per week per credit hour earned. 
    • For example: 1 credit × 3 (hr / credit) / week × 15 weeks = 45 hours. This equates to ~7 reactions with purified yields.
  • You may only count the time spent while a reaction is running if you are actively monitoring the reaction, purifying another chemical, writing a research report, or engaged in other productive research related activities.

Course Outline

Lab Notebooks:
  • A well-kept lab notebook is required of every research student. 
  • The lab notebook contains dated, detailed experimental procedures.
  • Record of all information necessary to duplicate experiments and draw conclusions from experimental data are to be kept in the lab notebook.
  • Lab notebooks are expected to always be up to date.
 
Safety/Technique/Clean-Up:
  • Safe laboratory practices are required of every research student.
  • Each student is required to read, understand and comply with SUU’s Chemistry Laboratory Safety Contract.
  • Any infractions to proper laboratory safety and technique will be deducted from the students Final Grade.
  • If you are unsure of how to carry out an experiment, ask the instructor before setting up the experiment.
  • Leave the laboratory cleaner than you found it. Clean all glassware, syringes, needles, and equipment used. Wipe down and your area and common areas. Clean around the balances. Properly dispose of waste.
 
Research Reports:
  • Research reports are to be turned into the instructor regularly.
  • Each research report will detail all research activities conducted since the previous report.
  • Research reports will include all data necessary to draw conclusions from conducted experiments.
  • Research that does not include wet-lab experiments will also be included in research reports to document the student’s progress toward the research goals and essential learning outcomes.

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

Late work suffers a 30% penalty, and will only be accepted up to 1 week after the due date.

Attendance Policy

  • Students earning credit for undergraduate research are expected to log at least 3 hours per week per credit hour earned. 
    • For example: 1 credit × 3 (hr / credit) / week × 15 weeks = 45 hours. This equates to ~7 reactions with purified yields.
  • You may only count the time spent while a reaction is running if you are actively monitoring the reaction, purifying another chemical, writing a research report, or engaged in other productive research related activities.

Course Fees

None

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.