Thank you for your interest in my online course. I am looking forward to having you as students for the next several weeks. My hope is that you have a terrific semester and that I can help you learn the basic fundamentals of chemistry. Please have me help you.
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Before you go any further in this course, using a computer with Firefox as your browser and with QuickTime movie player installed, please complete the "Online Learning Readiness Assessment" (click here), and then give critical thought as to whether this is the right course for you.

For the online lecture there are NO mandatory on-campus meetings. This course is taught fully online. We will have no meetings on campus, but feel free to stop by and say hi at any time. My office hours are posted on my office door, I3-407.

IMPORTANT: There is a CHEM100L laboratory corequisite which is STRICTLY enforced within our District. As you may know, the Chemistry Department has decided to drop students who are not concurrently enrolled in, or have not successfully completed the required co-requisite course. Please be mindful of this requirement. If students process add codes and are NOT in the required co-requisite course, or have not previously completed it, they will be dropped by census. This includes students who are currently wait listed in the co-requisites who do not add the required co-requisite class by the add deadline. NOTE: There is an online lab at Miramar (my sister college), however, it is not advisable to take lecture and lab at two separate institutions because our laboratory schedules would be different; the online laboratory schedule at Mesa is very different from our laboratory schedule at Miramar.

If you are crashing Chem100L, do not miss the safety talk during the first week.

BE SURE TO ATTEND any laboratory section to hear the safety talk during the first week and get proof from the instructor you did by having them sign the attached form (click here).

Please check the online schedule of classes for the laboratory schedule. The lecture and laboratory schedules for CHEM100 and CHEM100L can be accessed at the URL below.

IF YOU ARE NEED OF the textbook, I have several students from last semester willing to sell you your course materials. Just let me know (e-mail me) if you are interested and I will put you in contact with them. For required textbooks (click here)

As your instructor, I am here for your student success. I have received a lot of positive feedback from regarding my podcasts and powerpoints. So please let know how I might me help you master the material. I am here to help serve you.

Students are often surprised by the amount of work this course requires to master the material, and as a reminder, the laboratory corequisite is strictly enforced. As your instructor, I am here for your student success. Students however are surprised by the amount of work this course requires to master the material. So please let know how I might me help you master the material. Please ask questions if you don't understand. I am here to help serve you.

GETTING STARTED - Using a computer with Firefox as your browser and with QuickTime movie player installed, please complete the following before the first day of class :

0) Macintosh Users should install the plugin to read PDF files within your browser window (click here)

3) If you don't have QuickTime Movie Player installed on your computer, please download and install it on your computer (click here).

5) Watch and listen carefully to the infomercial for the course (click here). HAVE PATIENCE while it downloads. It is a large video file. Most students have told me they had wished they had listened to the presenter in the video. Have patience while it loads; it is a large video file.

6) Look over my "Instructor Information Page" (click here) provides important and helpful information about your course, such as textbook requirements, access code information, course requirements, instructions, contact information, prerequisites, and other information the instructor wants you to be aware of before the course starts.

7) Watch the following videos on how to use our calendar and handouts. The videos will open in a new window.

A. Watch the video on how to use our calendar (click here)

B. Watch the video on how to use the handouts in this course (click here)

8) After you have completed 1-7, please view my welcome message (click here). It is a QuickTime movie being shown in You-Tube.

9) Assessments are located under "Assessments" in the left margin in Blackboard. All assignments this semester should be completed from a computer using Firefox as your browser and QuickTime movie player installed on your computer. Using a computer with Firefox as your browser and with QuickTime movie player installed, please complete alls assessments which will be listed under "Assessements" in Blackboad following the gvien assessment guidelines and during a period Blackboard's functionality works best for you following the directions given.

10) Go into your Blackboard account and under Content Modules (scroll to the bottom of this page) or click on "Content Modules" in the left hand margin and open and complete the content Modules listed below:

A) Chemistry is Chemical & Physical (click here)

B) States of Matter (click here)

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We have such a short time together. As your instructor, I am here for your student success. So please let me help you master the material. Likewise, your feedback on how to improve this course is much appreciated as well.

So lets begin. If you like a head start, begin by watching my podcasts in iTunes. The direct RSS feed can also be used instead of iTunes to access my podcasts as well (RSS feed, click here). DON'T have an RSS feed reader, then learn how to get one (click here)

Sincerely, DrGergens