Chemistry Program Annual Review
Name of Program: Chemistry Program Annual Review
Name of person(s) preparing document: Paul Fregene, Denisha Dawson, Paul Fregene, Dee Sigismond, Brandon Tenn, April Weathers, Krista
Wilson
Dates of meeting(s) to discuss and review document:
See the following website for meeting minutes: https://mysite.mccd.edu/personal/wilson_d/mercedcollegechemistry/SitePages/Home.aspx
Names of Participants and Titles:
Denisha Dawson, PhD Full-Time Faculty
April Weathers, MS Full-Time Faculty
Brandon Tenn, PhD Full-Time Faculty
Krista Wilson, PhD Full-Time Faculty
Dee Sigismond, PhD Full-Time Faculty
Paul Fregene, PhD Full-Time Faculty
Marina Stavytska-Barba, PhD Adjunct Faculty
Gagandeep Bains, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Degrees and Certificates:
Chemistry (AS), Chemistry - Pre-Professional (AS)
Year: 2013/2014
Discipline: Chemistry (CHEM)
1. Have there been any changes in this program over the last years which have had a significant impact on the program's goals and/or
effectiveness? If so, please explain the changes that have occured and how the changes have impacted the program.
Budgetary challenges have had a significant impact on the program goals. Budgetary cuts have hindered the goal of ensuring that faculty
are abreast of the most recent innovations in the field of chemistry. The goal included offering research training opportunities and/or
conferences that focus on chemical education and innovations to faculty at least once every two years. With the current budget issues
faculty will not have any such opportunities. Budgetary challenges have also affected the goal of providing students with a state-of-the-art
laboratory experience that enhances student success by utilizing technology-oriented curricula and instrumentation. Needed equipment to
attain this goal was purchased using funds from the HSI-STEM Grant.
After discussion amongst the chemistry faculty, the A.S. Chemistry Pre-professional degree has been submitted for deactivation effective
Summer 2014.
In order to streamline the Program SLO assessment process, all chemistry courses share similar SLO to the A.S. Chemsitry Program SLO.
The A.S. Chemistry Program SLO have been submitted and approved by the curriculum committee and will be effective Summer 2014.
CHEM 2A, 4A, and 4B have new SLO that directly reflect the new PSLO, also effective Summer 2014. CHEM 2B, 12A, and 12B are in the
process of updating their course SLO to match.
2. Please summarize the progress the program has made on Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) assessments at the course and program level
since the last review and how the findings of those assessment have been utilized to improve student learning.
Chemistry 2A, 2B, and 4A were assessed in fall 2011. Chemistry 4B was assessed in Spring 2012. Chemistry 12A and
12B were assessed in the fall 2012. The chemistry faculty will continue to assess each course once every two years
according to the following schedule:
Fall 2013 Spring 2014 Fall 2014 Spring 2015
2A
2B, 4A
4B, 12A
12B
CHEM 2B
Reaction worksheets and quizzes have been implemented for more practice on reactions.
The online homework system, OWL, was replaced with an easier to use, more robust, complete
system made by Sapling Learning in all chemistry courses. In CHEM 12A/B, Sapling will help address the inability of students to properly
draw resonance structures, reaction mechanisms, and predict the outcomes of organic reactions using a plethora of reagents. Students in
CHEM 2A, 4B, and 12A have commented that the Sapling Learning
system is easier to use, and more helpful since the problems types and format are more aligned with the lecture
material.
In addition, more practice problems are being used in all courses to improve student understanding. The chemistry faculty are also writing
new lab manuals in CHEM 2A, 2B, 4A, and 4B to offer students experiments which utilize availble technology and to align the experiments
better with the current course content and faculty
teaching styles.
3. Include a plan for assessing the course and program SLOs that have not been assessed at this time.
In order to streamline the program SLO assessment process, the program SLO have been updated and all course SLOs now directly
reflect the program SLO.
New Program SLO (effective Summer 2014):
A. Demonstrate an understanding of various chemical representations of elements, compounds, and chemical reactions.
B. Solve problems utilizing chemical concepts and equations.
C. Collect and analyze laboratory data.
D. Demonstrate scientific literacy.
Course SLO:
A. Demonstrate an understanding of various chemical representations of elements, compounds, and chemical reactions.
B. Solve problems utilizing chemical concepts and equations.
C. Collect and analyze laboratory data.
D. Demonstrate scientific literacy.
We plan on updating the CHEM 12A, 12B, and 2A course SLO by next fall. We will have assessment data from all course utilizing the new,
aligned SLO by the end of the 2015-16 academic year. In the mean time, we plan on presenting preliminary Program SLO assessment
data in the 2015-16 A.S. Chemsitry annual program review.
4. Please summarize any changes in retention, success, productivity, or other relevant data that have occured since completion of the last
planning document, whether a comphrehensive review or annual planning document.
The chemistry program experienced a 9.23% increase in the average success rate as well as a 5.89% average increase in retention rate
and graduated 3 students with an A.S. degree. The data does not specify whether the students earned an A.S. Chemistry or A.S.
Chemistry Pre-professional degree.
84.44% of the chemistry courss were taught by FT faculty members and 15.56% were taught by PT faculty members. Approximately 25%
of chemistry courses were either taught by PT faculty or as overload by FT faculty.
CHEM 4A and CHEM 4B experienced drops of 8.24% and 12.30% in success rate while CHEM 12A and 12B experienced 12.41% and
8.27% increases in success rate as compared with the 2011-12 academic year. The success and retention rates for CHEM 2A and CHEM
2B remained relatively constant as compared with the 2011-12 academic year.
5. Provide a status update on the 5-year Planning Goals identified in the most recent comprehensive program review.
Is the program on target to meet the most recent 5 Year Planning Goals?
Goal 1: Maintain consistency across multiple sections of a given course (COMPLETED)
The chemistry department has held monthly meetings for planning and assessment purposes. All sections of a course
use a common syllabus, common SLO assessment methods, and adjunct instructors are involved in the process.
Goal 2: Maintain the established SLO assessment cycle (COMPLETED, ongoing)
All chemistry courses have been assessed and are continuing to be assessed on schedule. Data for SLO assessments in
all chemistry courses are collected every semester the course is offered.
Goal 3: Ensure faculty are abreast of the most recent innovations in their fields (NOT MET)
Due to budgetary issues, chemistry faculty have not been able to attend seminars, conferences, and workshops.
Chemistry faculty, however, have been posing related articles and webinars onto the chemistry website for all faculty to
review
(click here)
Goal 4: Investigate a possible correlation between completion of advisories and student success and retention (in CHEM 2A)
(COMPLETED)
A student survey was given to all CHEM 2A students in the Fall 2012 semester to determine student completion of
advisories and math skills. The results of the survey were inconclusive. A title V update for CHEM 2A was submitted and
will be approved for implementation in the Summer 2014 semester. The chemistry faculty asked Campus researchers to
compile data regarding adding a MATH-C prerequisite to CHEM 2A. The results of the research request came back
positive, and MATH-C will be a prerequisite for CHEM 2A starting Summer 2014.
Goal 5: Provide students with a state-of-the-art laboratory experience (COMPLETED, on going)
The chemistry department was able to purchase laptops and instrumentation using funds from the HSI-STEM grant.
Experiments using the equipment have been implemented in CHEM 4A and 4B and are always in the process of being
improved.
Are the program's 5 Year Planning Goals still relevant?
Yes
Has there been a change in the priority of the program's 5 Year Planning Goals?
Goal 1, 2, and 4 do not require any resources other than faculty time and commitment. As stated above, Goals 1 and 2 have been
met. Goal 4 is an ongoing investigation. Goals 3 and 5 do, however, require monetary resources. The faculty have prioritized Goal 5
before Goal 3.
6. Provide an Update on any Grants, External Reviewers, and Advisory Committees
Grant Restrictions:
Name of Grant: HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION-SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, & MATHEMATICS (US
Department of Education): Central Valley HSI STEM Articulation and Transfer Project
Grant Goal:
Central Valley HSI Cooperative STEM Articulation and Transfer Project (HSI-STEM) is funding many new resources at
Merced College targeted at students within our discipline. We expect this program to have a beneficial effect on our
program completion and transfer rate as well as student success and retention.
Summary of activities related to each grant goal since completion of the last planning document, whether a comprehenisve
program review or annual planning document:
New Supplemental Instruction sections are now being offered and funded by this grant. A mini grant proposal has been
written by the Chemistry faculty in conjunction with the biology faculty to utilize a portion of STEM funds to help us update
our laboratories with current technology. (see attached "STEM GRANT")
Identify any changes that have affected your program.
There is potential for improvement in student success and retention since SI offers students additional contact hours to
ask questions ad discuss concepts. If the mini-grant proposal is accepted then it is possible that we will meet Goal 5, to
update laboratories with current technology.
Name of Grant: HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION-SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, & MATHEMATICS (US
Department of Education): Central Valley HSI STEM Articulation and Transfer Project
Grant Goal:
WOW 2 STEM a project of the Central Valley HSI Cooperative STEM Articulation and Transfer Project (HSI-STEM) is
underway at Merced College. Our program should see an increase in success and transfer rate due to the WOW 2 STEM
program which helps students develop successful ed. plans through specialized advising with STEM counselors from the
discipline.
Summary of activities related to each grant goal since completion of the last planning document, whether a comprehenisve
program review or annual planning document:
Doug Kain has visited many of our classes to talk with students about the benefits available to them through WOW 2
STEM.
Identify any changes that have affected your program.
It is possible that students utilizing the STEM counselors are refining and improving their ed. plans. This may increase or
decrease enrollment in courses in our program. It is too soon to see the effect of this new resource.
Name of Grant: test
Grant Goal:
Grant with FSU
Summary of activities related to each grant goal since completion of the last planning document, whether a comprehenisve
program review or annual planning document:
Identify any changes that have affected your program.
Name of Grant: test
Grant Goal:
NSF grant to provide research fellowships to undergraduate students in the greater Fresno area. (8 internships total).
Summary of activities related to each grant goal since completion of the last planning document, whether a comprehenisve
program review or annual planning document:
Grant will fund summer research undergraduate internship for 10 weeks. In addition to the opportunity to work with one of
faculty members, the students will be compensated for their research time,accommodation and meals. All the
undergraduate students in the greater Fresno area are eligible to apply for these fellowships (8 in total). If funded, the
program is expected to start by next summer with the application process during the spring.
Identify any changes that have affected your program.
7. Program SLOs
a. Chemistry (AS)
i. Solve using the appropriate chemical, physical or mathematical principle and express their answer in an appropriate form.
ii. Determine the identity, composition or structure using chemical methods, instruments or the technology available in our labs.
iii. Communicate their knowledge of chemical principles in written or oral form using the language of chemistry.
iv. Predict the properties, structure or quantity of a product of a chemical reaction.
v. Select the appropriate reaction(s), reactants and reaction conditions, to prepare the specific product.
vi. Identify applications to other scientific fields and technology areas.
b. Chemistry - Pre-Professional (AS)
i. The student will be able to communicate their knowledge of chemical principles in written and oral form using the language of
chemistry.
ii. The student will be able to predict the properties, structure or quantity of a product of a chemical reaction.
iii. The student will be able to select the appropriate reaction(s), reactants and reaction conditions, to prepare the specified product.
iv. A student will be able to solve using the appropriate chemical, physical or mathematical principle and express their answer in an
appropriate form.
v. A student will be able to determine the identify , composition or structure using chemical methods, instrumentation or the technology
available in our labs.
vi. The student will be able to identify applications to other scientific fields and technology areas.
8. 5-Year Plans
Goal Statement 1: Maintain Consistency across multiple sections of a given course.
Objectives:
In order to maintain consistency across multiple sections of a given course the department will hold periodic planning and evaluation meetings,
use a common syllabus and common final, use common lab schedule and establish requirements for the laboratory exercises, use a common
SLO assessment method, and involve part-time faculty in the process
Target Date for Completion: 02/28/2014
Person(s) Responsible for Completion: All Chemistry Faculty
Benchmark: 100% of faculty will participate
Describe the Means of Assessment: Faculty proof and agree to use a common syllabus a the start of each semester. In addition, faculty agrees
to common lab schedule. Instructions/requirements for laboratory exercises will be outlined at the start of each laboratory week for use by all
laboratory Faculty and students. Finally, faculty will meet as a group to analyze common SLO assessment data.
Program Outcomes: None
Strategic Planning Goals:
1. Assure student access and success.
2. Improve communication throughout the district.
ISLOs:
a. Communication
b. Computation
c. Cognition
d. Global and Community Consciousness and Responsibility
e. Personal Development and Life-Long Learning
Goal Statement 2: A. Maintain the established SLO assessment cycle for all chemistry courses. B. Develop measurable and sustainable SLO
assessment methods for the chemistry program.
Objectives:
In order to maintain the established SLO assessment cycle for all chemistry courses the faculty will meet to review and/or revise
course SLO assessments as needed, will implement any revisions into subsequent course SLO assessments, adhere to the timeline for the
collection of data and completion of assessment reports and involve adjunct faculty in the process
In order to develop measurable and sustainable assessment methods for the chemistry program the faculty will review current program
SLOs and revise if necessary, will develop program SLO assessment methods using current course assessments as models, will
implement assessment methods for the program SLOs, will decide on a timeline for the collection of data and completion of assessment reports
and will involve adjunct faculty in the process.
Target Date for Completion: 05/23/2014
Person(s) Responsible for Completion: All chemistry Faculty
Benchmark: 100% of all chemistry courses will have completed assessments as determined by the attached timeline. Measurable and
sustainable assessment methods for the chemistry program SLOs will be developed.
Describe the Means of Assessment: Regular department meetings.
Program Outcomes: None
Strategic Planning Goals:
1. Improve communication throughout the district.
ISLOs:
a. Communication
b. Computation
c. Cognition
Goal Statement 3: Ensure faculty are abreast of the most recent innovations in their fields in order to provide students with a state-of-the-art
learning experience.
Objectives:
In order to ensure faculty are abreast of the most recent innovations in their fields to provide students with a state-of-the-art learning experience
faculty will research training opportunities and/or conferences that focus on chemical education and innovations, will survey faculty
regarding their staff development needs or interests and research cost neutral alternatives such as webinars.
Target Date for Completion: 02/28/2014
Person(s) Responsible for Completion: All Chemistry Faculty Area Dean
Benchmark: Each faculty will attend at least one conference every two years.
Describe the Means of Assessment: Number of conferences attended; how many faculty were able to attend; faculty survey.
Program Outcomes: None
Strategic Planning Goals:
1. Assure student access and success.
2. Enhance technology and systems integration.
3. Promote a Sustainable, Supportive, and Safe Learning Environment.
ISLOs:
a. Communication
b. Computation
c. Cognition
Goal Statement 4: Investigate a possible correlation between completion of course advisories and student success and retention in chemistry
02A.
Objectives:
The faculty will survey chemistry 2A students regarding the completion of advisories, will analyze data, will discuss results will all program faculty
and arrive at a conclusion as to whether or not the results correlate with course success rate, will discuss the potential need to convert Chemistry
02A advisories to prerequisites and will discuss other methods for improving success and retention.
Target Date for Completion: 02/28/2014
Person(s) Responsible for Completion: All Chemistry Faculty
Benchmark: Survey will be administered to all sections of Chemistry 2A
Describe the Means of Assessment: Completion of the student survey and analysis of the findings.
Program Outcomes: None
Strategic Planning Goals:
1. Assure student access and success.
2. Partner with the community.
ISLOs:
a. Communication
b. Cognition
c. Global and Community Consciousness and Responsibility
d. Personal Development and Life-Long Learning
Goal Statement 5: Provide students with a state-of-the-art laboratory experience that enhances student success by utilizing technology-oriented
curricula and instrumentation.
Objectives:
The chemistry faculty will work to update equipment and instrumentation for all laboratories in both Merced and Los Banos.
The Chemistry department has obtained
For general chemistry laboratories (currently offered at Merced campus only) the faculty integrated technology-oriented experiments into the
current lab curriculum, obtained a portable computer station equipped with 12 laptop computers for student use in the chemistry laboratories,
obtained software for electronic data collection and analysis, and obtained a portable UV/Vis spectrometer and various probes from Vernier to
be used for electronic data collection. The faculty are also working on a grant to obtain a PicoSpin NMR spectrometer and an IR spectrometer
with an ATR attachment. (type in more info)
Target Date for Completion: 02/28/2014
Person(s) Responsible for Completion: All Chemistry Faculty Area Dean Chemistry Support Technician
Benchmark: Conversion and updating of the laboratory program
Describe the Means of Assessment: Collect data from local high schools and other central 14 community colleges in order to compare the lab
experience offered at Merced College to offered elsewhere. Survey students regarding the availability and use of data collecting technology in
their high school chemistry courses.
Program Outcomes: None
Strategic Planning Goals:
1. Assure student access and success.
2. Enhance technology and systems integration.
3. Promote a Sustainable, Supportive, and Safe Learning Environment.
ISLOs:
a. Communication
b. Computation
c. Global and Community Consciousness and Responsibility
d. Personal Development and Life-Long Learning
9. Yearly Objectives
Priority
Objective
1
5 Year
Planning Goal
Discussions to The A.S.
deactivate A.S. Chemistry
Chemistry
Pre-professional
Pre-professional degree is very
Degree
similar to the
A.S. Chemistry
degree,
however a
student earning
the
Pre-professional
degree does not
lead directly to
a bachelor's
degree in
chemistry.
1
Create
department
wide common
laboratory
report grading
rubric.
1
Use common
SLO for the
Chemistry A.S.
degree and for
all chemistry
courses.
2
Obtain C-ID
numbers for
Chemistry 2A
and 2B
Person(s)
Timeline Resources Program Institutional SLOs Strategic Planning
Responsible
SLOs
Goals
All chemistry Discussions No monitary None
None
None
faculty.
took place resources
during
needed. The
Spring 2014 only
semester, resource
and the
necessary
program
was the time
deactivation to discuss
was passed the
through the deactivation,
curriculum and to work
committee with the
in Feb
curriculum
2014,
committee
effective
rep to learn
Summer
how to
2014.
proceed.
Maintain
All
This should Time
None
1. Assure student
1. Communication
Consistency
Chemistry
be
access and
across multiple Faculty
completed
success.
sections of a
by the end
2. Improve
given course.
of Spring
communication
semester
throughout the
2014
district.
3. Promote a
Sustainable,
Supportive,
and Safe
Learning
Environment.
By using
All chemistry Spring 2014 Time
None
1. Assure student
1. Communication
common SLO
faculty
access and
2. Computation
for all chemistry
success.
3. Cognition
courses and the
2. Improve
4. Global and
program, the
communication
Community
faculty will be
throughout the
Consciousness
able to quickly
district.
and
and accurately
3. Enhance
Responsibility
assess student
technology
5. Personal
learning.
and systems
Development
integration.
and Life-Long
4. Promote a
Learning
Sustainable,
Supportive,
and Safe
Learning
Environment.
Maintain
All
Should be Time
None
1. Assure student
1. Communication
Consistency
Chemistry
completed
access and
2. Cognition
across multiple Faculty
by the end
success.
sections of a
of Spring
2. Improve
given course.
semester
communication
2015
throughout the
district.
3
Implement new
laboratory
manuals for all
chemistry lab
courses
Maintain
Consistency
across multiple
sections of a
given course.
All chemistry Completed
faculty.
by Spring
2015
Time
None
1. Assure student
access and
success.
2. Improve
communication
throughout the
district.
1. Communication
2. Computation
3. Cognition
10. Evaluation
1: Was the time frame for completion of the Program Review adequate? Yes
2: Was the Review Module Clear and understandable? No
The resource requests could not be edited in Spring 2014. They were editable during the Fall 2013 semester. I found the resource request
portion difficult to work with. Each item had to be entered individually instead of all at once in a table. In addition, it was difficult to make
modifications to the resource requests as they were only visible if you clicked on "show requests" and they were listed categorically instead of in
priority order.
3: Was it wasy to use? Yes
4: Were the questions relevant? Yes
5: Did you find the Program Review process to have value? Yes
6: Was the data you reviewed completed and presented in a clear format? Yes
7: Please identify data source(s) used to provide data for this review metrics presented by IPRSLOAC
8: Would you like additional data?
No
9: Please offer any comment that could improve and/or streamline Program Review.
11. Appendices
a. STEM Grant
b. Resource Allocation
c. Retention and Success Data
12. Other: If there is anything else you would like to be considered in the annual planning document, please describe it here.
At this time, there is no published TMC for chemistry. The CC Chancelor's office should be approving the finalized TMC for chemistry
sometime in the Fall 2014 semester. We plan on creating an AS-T Chemistry degree based on the TMC to be effective Summer 2015 and
deactivating the current A.S. Chemistry degree at that time.