CH478A and CH478B Chemistry Seminar Syllabus D. Mascotti – Spring 2018

CHEMISTRY SEMINAR SPRING SEMESTER 2018

Instructor: Dr. David Mascotti W 3:30-4:20 p.m.

Office location: W207 Class location: DSC E329

Office Hours: MF 10-12am, T 10:30-11:30am, W 10-11am & available by appointment.

Communications Policy: (Read emails that I send you and check my webpage at least once a week and Canvas when I tell you to do so.)

Telephone: 397-4216

Email: dmascotti@jcu.edu

Webpage: http://sites.jcu.edu/chemistry/professor/david-p-mascotti/

Seminar schedule on: http://sites.jcu.edu/chemistry/pages/seminar-series/

Course Description

The course description from the 2017-19 Undergraduate Bulletin is: “All chemistry majors are required to complete satisfactorily two semesters of CH 478. Meets one hour per week. Attendance at eight seminars per semester constitutes completion of this requirement. Offers the opportunity to learn about the frontiers of chemistry. Guest speakers from industry, government, and academe, including John Carroll faculty and students. Graded SA/FA.“

We attempt to schedule at least eight seminars and you are expected to attend at least eight of them, Seminar speakers will include faculty from JCU and other universities, graduate and undergraduate students, and industrial chemists and human resources professionals. They will present on a variety of topics including their research projects and programs, types of careers available to chemists, and those related to professional development.

Nearly all seminars will give you the opportunity to see how the principles and lab techniques you are learning, and will learn, in your biochemistry and chemistry courses are used in a variety of research and industrial contexts. You should also take note of how the presentations are organized, how complex topics are explained, and how the speaker answers questions as each seminar provides an opportunity to learn more about how to give (or not give) an effective seminar.

Many of the seminar speakers will describe the graduate programs at their universities or aspects of being an industrial chemist and often they will be interested in recruiting students. Take advantage of their visit to learn more about post-graduate opportunities, to practice networking, and how to develop professionally.

Most seminar speakers will be available to speak with students (as a group) in the chemistry conference room (W323) from 2:00 – 3:00 pm and will be available for a short time after seminar. You are encouraged to meet with as many speakers as possible and required to meet with at least 1 speaker before or after the seminar. Meetings prior to seminar will be informal; you will have the opportunity to talk to the speaker about their research, programs and post-graduate opportunities or life.

Course Student Learning Goals and Objectives

The main goal of the seminar program is for students to learn about “the frontiers of chemistry”. The main course student learning objective is for students to demonstrate how the biochemistry and chemistry concepts they have learned and are learning in lecture and laboratory courses can be applied to various research projects in academic and industrial contexts. Secondary goals include providing students professional development opportunities and examples of how to communicate chemical information in an oral seminar format. The secondary course student learning objective is for students to be able to critique a seminar presentation as it relates to organization, clarity, chemistry content, etc.

The main course student learning objective maps to the Chemistry Program’s Student Learning Outcome #1 - students demonstrate a working knowledge in the sub-disciplines of chemistry where they have completed coursework (JCU Chemistry Learning Goal), which maps to the JCU Academic Learning Goal that students demonstrate an integrative knowledge of human and natural worlds. The secondary course student learning objective maps to the Chemistry Program’s Student Learning Outcome #4 - effectively communicate scientific information in a variety of forms (written, oral, and mathematical) which maps to the JCU Academic Learning Goal that students communicate skillfully in multiple forms of expression.

Assessment of Student Learning Objectives

To assess the course student learning objectives, students will be required to complete a short reflection paper where students will be asked to (1) summarize the major points of the seminar in a few sentences; (2) provide several examples of how their chemistry knowledge was applied to the project in the presentation; and (3) a short critique of the presentation, including two aspects of the presentation that the student would like to emulate (or not emulate) as they develop their own communication skills. The format of the paper will be available on the course Canvas website and each reflection paper will be submitted electronically. It will be graded as either SA (satisfactory) or UN (unsatisfactory). Any unsatisfactory submissions will be discussed with the student and they will be given an opportunity to resubmit.

Satisfying the Course Requirement

Students are required to attend 8 seminars to satisfy the course requirement and receive a grade of SA (satisfactory). I expect students to attend all of the seminars, unless extraordinary circumstances exist. Successful attendance at a seminar will be accomplished by (1) attending the seminar and acting professionally during the seminar (see below); and (2) submitting a satisfactory seminar reflection within 72 hours of the seminar. Additionally, students must meet with at least 1 seminar speaker before or after the seminar. If these requirements are not met, you will receive a grade of FA (failure due to excessive absences).

Professional Conduct During a Seminar

Acting professionally during seminar is expected for both students and faculty. Failure to do so reflects poorly on you individually and on the department and university. Please show up on time for seminar and if you arrive late, please find a seat quickly and without disrupting the presentation. Refreshments are available – feel free to take them to your seat ONLY prior to the seminar. Please turn off cell phones and computers prior to the beginning of seminar, or place them on vibrate and in your pocket, purse, or bag. If you need to leave the room during seminar, do so quickly and without disrupting the presentation. Be attentive to the speaker and do not talk during the seminar. Any disruptive and unprofessional behavior will be discussed with you after the seminar and you will NOT receive credit for attendance at that seminar.

Textbook and Required Materials

The only requirement for this course is to have access to the course Canvas website to obtain the syllabus and submit the seminar feedback forms.

Seminar Schedule

Seminars will be held on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:20 pm in Dolan W329 and most seminar speakers will be available from 2:00 – 3:00 pm in the chemistry conference room (DW323) and for a short time after the seminar. The final seminar schedule can be found on the course Canvas website and on the Chemistry Department Web page (http://chemistry.jcu.edu). Announcements will be sent via the JCU Gmail system and will be placed on the Chemistry Department’s web page.

Attendance Policy

The official University Attendance Policies can be found in the 2017-2019 Undergraduate Bulletin (http://sites.jcu.edu/undergraduatebulletin/home/2017-2019-undergraduate-bulletin/). Seminars attended in other departments and at other universities will NOT be substituted unless (1) the total number of seminars held at JCU is reduced to eight due to cancellation by one or more speakers, or (2) you have received permission from the instructor due to an excused absence as outlined below. In the case of the second, you will need to discuss this as soon as possible with Dr. Mascotti. Attendance at another seminar as a substitute must be approved at least one week in advance. Substitute seminars will only be approved if they have substantial (as determined by Dr. Mascotti) chemistry content. You must provide a complete title, the seminar speaker’s name and affiliation, the date and time, and place of the seminar. You will be responsible for any transportation to the seminar. Once approved, a substitute seminar will receive credit after submission of a 1 page summary paper of the seminar’s content. Whether the talk is part of the normal JCU seminar series, or external, the paper must be submitted by email to dmascotti@jcu.edu (in body of email or as attachment) within 72 hours of attending the seminar. Failure to provide the paper will result in an unexcused absence and that seminar will NOT count toward fulfilling the course requirement.

An excused absence is one for which you can give me (or an Academic Dean) a written excuse from a non-relative, person of authority verifying your absence such as a doctor, or any health care professional, police, attorney, funeral director, coach, etc. Remember that an excused absence is one that can be documented. The documentation must contain the date and time of the absence and conformation of needed absence by the person of authority. It must also include that person’s contact information. The student is responsible for providing satisfactory evidence to substantiate the reason for absence. Among the reasons absences are considered excused are: *Death or major illness in a student’s immediate family; Participation in a university sponsored activity that has been documented by the coordinator of the activity. (See page the Undergraduate Bulletin for more information.); Illness of a dependent family member; Participation in legal procedures that require a student’s presence; Religious holy days that will not permit the student to be in lab; *Injury or illness that is too severe or contagious for the student to attend courses under ordinary circumstances; Required military duties; Mandatory admission interviews or job training that cannot be re-scheduled; Other reasons deemed appropriate by the instructor. (* It is recommended that these excused absences also be reported to your respective Academic Dean who will then inform ALL of your professors.)

An unexcused absence is one where you cannot provide me with a written excuse from a person of authority. Among the reasons absences are considered unexcused are: Over sleeping; Stuck in traffic; Not prepared to hand in completed assignments; Forgot about class; Meeting with other members of the university for a non-university sponsored event; Work related; Up all night the night before class……; Vacation; Un-documented sickness; Any absence that is not covered under the description of excused absences above and proper documentation cannot be provided. (These examples of excused and unexcused absences were adapted with permission from F.A. Whitworth, Department of Chemistry, JCU.)

Re-Scheduling of Seminars

There is always a possibility that the University may cancel classes due to inclement weather, a power outage to the campus and/or Dolan Science Center, or another unusual situation, such as an outbreak of bird-swine flu, ebola or zika, potential terrorist attack, etc. Students may check on the status of the University by calling (216) 397-4666 or at www.jcu.edu. If the University officially cancels classes either for the entire University or for the Dolan Science Center, the original seminar will be rescheduled or a replacement seminar will be scheduled, if possible.

Procedure for Dolan Science Center Evacuation

The official policy for evacuation from a campus building can be found at: http://webmedia.jcu.edu/emergency/files/2011/12/EVACUTATION.pdf (Please note that a power outage is not an order to evacuate and as long as there is sufficient light, the class period (including an examination) may proceed as usual.) If, during the class period, either an evacuation order or the fire alarm goes off in the Dolan Science center, you are instructed to immediately pack up all your materials and proceed to Kulas Auditorium and hallways in the Administration Building using the stairways. Please find Dr. Mascotti and check in. The policy calls for you to remain there until further instructions from the appropriate University officials are given. If it is possible for the seminar to be completed prior to 4:30 pm, we will return to W329 and continue the seminar. If not, the seminar will be cancelled for that day and if possible, the seminar will be rescheduled or a replacement scheduled.

Availability of Services for Students with Disabilities

University policy states: “In accordance with federal law, if you have a documented disability you may request accommodations from Student Accessibility Services (SAS). For more information go to http://sites.jcu.edu/accessibilty. Or you may contact the Director, Allison West Kaskey at awest@jcu.edu or 216.397.4967. Please keep in mind that accommodations are not retroactive so it is best to register at the beginning of each semester. Only accommodations approved by SAS will be recognized in the classroom. Please contact SAS if you have further questions.”

Academic Honesty

Any form of “academic dishonesty or cheating” when submitting seminar reflections will not be tolerated. For the purposes of this course, plagiarism is the main form of dishonesty. All seminar feedback forms will be checked for plagiarism. Dr. Mascotti will make no attempt to determine the identity of the cheater or cheatee, both will receive unsatisfactory evaluations of their forms. Another opportunity to submit a satisfactory feedback form will NOT be given and attendance at that seminar will NOT be counted. The most current University Policy on Academic Honesty can be found in the 2017-2019 Undergraduate Bulletin at the following website: http://sites.jcu.edu/undergraduatebulletin/home/2017-2019-undergraduate-bulletin/

Syllabus Statement on Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Bias

John Carroll University is committed to fostering a learning and working environment based upon open communication, mutual respect, and ethical and moral values consistent with Jesuit and Catholic traditions.

The University seeks to provide an environment that is free of bias, discrimination, and harassment, including sexual harassment. If you have experienced sexual harassment/assault/misconduct based upon gender/sex/sexual orientation, and you share this with a faculty member, the faculty member must notify the Interim Title IX Coordinator, Kendra Svilar, JD, who will discuss options with you. She can be reached at ksvilar@jcu.edu or (216) 397-1559. For more information about your options and resources, please go to http://sites.jcu.edu/title-ix, where you can file an online report. An option to report anonymously is available.

If you have experienced bias or discrimination based on race, religion, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, military or veteran status, genetic information or any factor protected by law, you are encouraged to report this via the Bias Reporting System at http://sites.jcu.edu/bias. For more information about the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, please see: http://sites.jcu.edu/diversity.