Attendance and Participation

Attendance and participation in laboratory activities is essential for chemistry education. Students are expected to attend and participate in all scheduled labs. We understand there may be circumstances when an absence is unavoidable; however, students may not miss more than two laboratory sessions for any chemistry course for any reason (i.e. participation in athletic competition, performance, illness, etc). Absence from more than two laboratory sessions for any course will result in a failure for that course. Some laboratory courses may allow fewer than two absences, but those courses will offer an opportunity to make up for one or more missed laboratory sessions. It is every student’s responsibility to ensure they can attend the required laboratory sessions and to be familiar with the absence policy for their courses. Exemption from this policy requires permission from the course instructor . It is each student’s responsibility to review their schedule and commitments prior to the beginning of a chemistry laboratory course to ensure their schedules allow them to attend the required laboratory sessions. 

Safety, Appropriate Attire, and Behavior in Laboratory Settings

Safety is our priority in all our laboratories. Students are expected to review and adhere to all safety protocols in laboratory courses. To ensure student safety, students must (1) be familiar with laboratory protocols, hazards, and procedures before entering the lab and be prepared to execute those protocols safely, (2) be aware of the locations and operation of safety equipment in the laboratory, e.g., eye-wash stations and emergency showers, (3) wear appropriate attire, i.e., covered legs, shoes that cover the entire foot, eye protection, lab coat/apron, and gloves when appropriate, with no skin exposed between neck and toes(4) conduct themselves in a manner that ensures the safety and acknowledges the dignity of all present in the laboratory. Students who fail to adhere to this policy will not be granted access to the lab or will be ejected from the lab. Under these circumstances, students who cannot attend and participate in a lab will be considered absent (see Attendance and Participation policy). No exceptions will be made to these policies unless written exceptions are formalized in the course syllabus. 

Transfer Credits

Students may take chemistry courses at other institutions and wish for that work to be credited to their degree at Catholic U. We review these courses regularly and work to help students complete their chemistry education by combining Catholic U chemistry courses with those taken elsewhere. However, attendance and participation in laboratory activities is essential for chemistry education. We will not consider any remote or virtual chemistry laboratory courses to be equivalent to our intensive in-person laboratory courses. We will review virtual lecture courses from other institutions based on their content for equivalency, but all laboratory courses that contribute to your chemistry degree from Catholic U must be in-person, have an equivalent number of laboratory hours, and cover content that is considered comparable to our courses.