UNDERGRADUATE SEMINAR
    CHE 572-1 and 2
    Spring Semester 2005, Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m., CP-137

Instructors:      Prof. Robert Grossman, CP-339:    Office Hours:  by appointment call or e-mail
                            Prof. Arthur Cammers,   CP-349:    Office Hours:  by appointment call or e-mail
    
Titles and Outlines:   

Please discuss your seminar title with your instructor (a good time is just after one of the first class meetings).  Have several alternate titles in mind.  Hand in a written note with the approved title, your name, the length of seminar, and the seminar date in class on September 8, or before.  In the case of duplicate topics, the first approved topic handed in has priority.

A week before you are due to speak you need to e-mail an outline to professors Arthur Cammers AND Robert Grossman for approval.

Grading Policy:    1st Semester students - Abstract = 15%, short seminar = 55%, colloquium evaluation = 10%, speaker introduction = 5%, class participation = 10%, and timely return of the videotape = 5%.
    2nd Semester students - Abstract = 10%, long seminar = 50%, résumé = 10%, colloquium evaluation = 10%, speaker introduction = 5%, class participation = 10%, and timely return of the videotape = 5%.
    All students-  Attendance will be taken.  Each two unexcused absences will lower your grade by one full letter grade.  Policies related to excused absences may be found in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Manual.  Excused absences must be approved by your instructor.
*INSTRUCTORS EVALUATION SHEET*

Abstracts:     Either, (1) give a clean, high-quality printed copy of your abstract to the receptionist in the Chemistry Office by noon on Monday of the week of your seminar and pick up copies on class day before seminar, or (2) make enough copies of the abstract yourself and bring them to class.  You must include citations to at least five (5) literature articles, presented in accordance with the ACS style guide.  *EXAMPLE ABSTRACT*

Overheads:    Computer-based presentations are strongly encouraged, but up to ten overhead transparencies will be made free by the Department of Chemistry.  Give your printed copy to the receptionist in the Chemistry Office by noon on Monday of the week before your seminar.  Any additional overheads you use are at your own expense.  Films and pens may be purchased at bookstores and extra overheads can be made at commercial copy centers.

Seminars:    Short seminar (students taking CHE 572 the first time) = 10-12 min.; Long seminar (students taking CHE 572 the second time) = 20-22 min.  An additional 2 - 3 min. will be allowed for questions. *THINGS TO AVOID IN PUBLIC SPEECH*

Viewing:    View the videotape of your seminar on your own VCR, or use the VCR in CP-133 (Demonstration Room) by the Friday after your seminar and return the tape to your instructor during your conference.

Conference:    After viewing your tape use an extra student evaluation form to evaluate yourself and bring the form to your instructor for a brief conference before the following class meeting.

Introductions:    Talk to the person you are going to introduce at least one week ahead of his/her seminar.  Suggestions: Give the speaker's name, home town, academic year, other interests, general plans after graduation, and finally the title of the seminar. The total time for the introduction should be 1 minute or less.

Camera:    You may be assigned to obtain and set up the camera before class starts (see the assignment sheet and the video camera instruction sheet).  Tape each seminar on a separate tape.  Give the tape to each speaker immediately after the presentation and insert a new tape for the next speaker.  After seminar, help the instructors return the camera and tripod to CP-120.

Seminar
Evaluation:    Attend one (1) chemistry department seminars and turn in a completed evaluation for each.  One evaluation must be submitted before Thanksgiving (see course schedule).  The other must be submitted on or before December 10 (5 PM).  You must evaluate 2 speakers not associated with the University of Kentucky.  You will find a list of the departmental seminars on the web at:  http://www.chem.uky.edu/seminars/dept.html. *EXAMPLE SEMINAR EVALUATION*
    A note about Chemistry Seminars. If you are a Chem major, you should try to attend all the Chemistry Department seminars. If you are not a Chemistry major, you should subscribe to the seminar program in your home department. Seminars often present the very latest knowledge about a particular subject. Attending seminars will, 1) teach you something, 2) show you how much you don't know about a particular field, and 3) allow you to mark your development as you learn. At some point with some effort you will understand the seminars; be patient. You will be able to cast you mind back to when you didn't understand the content very well. At some point you might do some Chemistry research. A history of seminar attendance will help you in making the right choice of research topic. Seminar attendance now will make you a better educator if you go into teaching and more literate in various fields pertinent to whatever the profession you choose.

Résumés:    Second time students are required to prepare a résumé according to guidelines presented by the representative from the Careers Office.  The résumés are due in class on November 3.

Exams:    There are no exams in this course.

Attendance:  Your attendance is mandatory. Support your classmates; in a class like this habitual non-attendance is rude to the presenters. If you are truant more than once, you run the risk of loosing a letter grade. If you have to miss class notify one of the instructors.