GENERAL LAB RULES

Lab technique will be part of each student's grade on every experiment. Here are some guidelines which will determine the student technique grade as evaluated by the TA and lab instructor.

Safety:  All students are required to abide by the safety rules of the lab as given in the course syllabus, the experiment instructions, and by the TAs and instructors.  Violations of safe paboratory practices will not be tolerated and can result in being excused from the lab and major grade deductions.

Cleanliness:  Each student is expected to leave the lab and all equipment used in clean, working order. This means balance area and balances should be kept clean and bench and hood areas should also be competely cleaned at the end of each laboratory.  The TA and instructor will inspect these areas after each lab period. Technique points will be deducted for any student who leaves items out or fails to leave his/her workspace clean.

Care for Equipment (balances, heating wells, stirrers, rotovaps, meltemps, etc):  Proper use and care of lab equipment is required.  Leave equipment clean and in good working order for the next student.  Report any malfunctioning equipment.

Attention to Experiment:  Experiments should be attended at all times during the lab. Do not use cell phones during the lab or conduct other business unrelated to the laboratory work.  A good degree of familiarity with the experiment is expected. Students should know what materials they are handling and the purpose of each step in the experiment.  Lack of knowledge in these areas can result in experiment grade reduction.

Honor Code:  It is expected that students adhere to the University honor code in all aspects of laboratory work, including using the specified amounts of materials, reporting accurate product weights, providing independently written lab reports, and conducting all lab work in an honest manner.  Any suspected violations of the honor code will be turned over to the Deans office for investigation and prosecution.