I. ASCRC General Education Form (revised 1/27/11)
Use to propose new general education courses (except writing courses), to change existing
gen ed courses and to remove designations for existing gen ed courses.
Note: One-time-only general education designation may be requested for experimental courses
(X91-previously X95), granted only for the semester taught. A NEW request must be
submitted for the course to receive subsequent general education status.
Group
III. Language
VII: Social Sciences
(submit
III Exception: Symbolic Systems * VIII: Ethics & Human Values
separate forms
IV: Expressive Arts
IX: American & European
if requesting
V: Literary & Artistic Studies
X: Indigenous & Global
more than one
VI: Historical & Cultural Studies
XI: Natural Sciences
general
w/ lab  w/out lab 
education
group
*Courses proposed for this designation must be standing requirements of
designation)
majors that qualify for exceptions to the modern and classical language
requirement
Dept/Program Chemistry
Course #
101
Course Title
Prerequisite
Consumer Chemistry
None
Credits
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
Earle R. Adams
Phone / Email 243-4196 earle.adams@umontana.edu
Program Chair Mark Cracolice
Dean
Chris Comer
III. Type of request
New
One-time Only
Renew x
Reason for Gen Ed inclusion, change or deletion
Description of change
Change
3
Date
Remove
IV. Description and purpose of new general education course: General Education courses
must be introductory and foundational within the offering department or within the General
Education Group. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/archives/minutes/gened/GE_preamble.aspx
The purpose of this general education chemistry course is to provide students with a beginning
foundation in fundamental chemical principles and exemplify how chemistry permeates our
everyday lives from the commercial products we depend upon all the way to our connectivity
with our environment.
The course initially sets forth in setting up chemical principles to guide students from the
particulate world of atoms and molecules to the chemical macro world of compounds and
substances all the way to our everyday lives and the materials we use and depend upon. A
second focus and theme is the underlying principle of energy which is a fundamental concept in
understanding why chemical substances are created all the way to our present need and
consumption of energy in our everyday lives.
In our fast expanding world in which technology is quickly changing and the general public’s
conception and understanding of scientific concepts can be at times misconstrued, it is
important to strengthen the general public’s understanding of scientific happenings and how it
pertains to their lives, finances and environment.
V. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
1. Courses explore a discipline in the natural sciences and demonstrate how the
scientific method is used within the discipline to draw scientific conclusions.
2. Courses address the concept of analytic uncertainty and the rigorous process
required to take an idea to a hypothesis and then to a validated scientific theory.
3. Lab courses engage students in inquiry-based learning activities where they
formulate a hypothesis, design an experiment to test the hypothesis, and collect,
interpret, and present the data to support their conclusions
This course explores the natural science of chemistry, and its basic principles.
Chemistry 101 is course that historically has a substantial laboratory component. The
first part of the lab experience is designed with hands on experiments which reinforce
the chemical principles and concepts introduced in class.
In order to integrate the scientific method along with a beginning student experience in
testing scientific theory and developing a hypothesis, students will have an opportunity
to research a community based relevant environmental problem in their own
community. This ‘hands on’, research component, will incorporate the entire process in
investigating a scientific problem. Students will collect and analyze their own data and
then link back their conclusion of their results back to their hypothesis to make a
determination if the theory and experiment held up to scientific rigor. Students will keep
a laboratory notebook, write a scientific report on their work, and present their data and
conclusions in class in front of their peers. Going through this research process will
strengthen a student’s insight on the role of science and research in their own lives and
science’s role in our society.
VI. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
1. Understand the general principles associated with the discipline(s) studied;
2. Understand the methodology and activities scientists use to gather, validate and
interpret data related to natural processes;
3. Detect patterns, draw conclusions, develop conjectures and hypotheses, and test them
by appropriate means and experiments;
4. Understand how scientific laws and theories are verified by quantitative measurement,
scientific observation, and logical/critical reasoning; and
5. Understand the means by which analytic uncertainty is quantified and expressed in the
natural sciences.
A primary goal of this class is to give students a foundation of basic chemistry and scientific
principles. The course is designed to give students an understanding of how science (in this
case chemistry) permeates their everyday lives from our society need for energy all the way
to everyday consumer goods and products. While certain lab experiments are designed to test
and show specific validity to chemical fact and principles, newly designed modules from our
Chemical Educator and Department Chair have been implemented which are more based in
guided inquiry allowing students to strengthen their reasoning skills through scientific
observation and exercises.
Goals two, three and four will be accomplished via a community based relevant
environmental research problem that is currently researched on our campus. Students will
have research equipment to pursue an environmental research problem on indoor air quality
in homes and businesses. This research problem will allow students the opportunity to ask a
scientific question, formulate a hypothesis and use the scientific method. This guided
inquiry approach to scientific problem will allow critical reasoning skills to be fostered,
scientific observations, and quantitative measurements to be formed. The research project
experience will also allow students to directly experience data variation and errors in their
data analysis.
VII. Justification: Normally, general education courses will not carry pre-requisites, will carry
at least 3 credits, and will be numbered at the 100-200 level. If the course has more than one
pre-requisite, carries fewer than three credits, or is upper division (numbered above the 200
level), provide rationale for exception(s).
While the majority if not all chemistry courses are hierarchical in their nature and design, this
class will assume no chemistry experience or chemistry background from any student. This
course would best continue as a three credit hour course with lab at the ‘101’ level with no
prerequisites required.
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.  The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
Please note: Approved general education changes will take effect next fall.
General education instructors will be expected to provide sample assessment items and
corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.