CHEMISTRY DISCIPLINE
PROGRAM REVIEW
2011
Riverside Community College District
Norco College
Chemistry Faculty
Dr. Siobhan S. F. Freitas
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A. Mission and Relationship to the College(s)
1.
What is the mission of your unit? Comment on the areas of the mission, vision, and strategic plan of the college(s) and
district that are most closely related to the mission of your unit. Please see website for the mission statements.
Chemistry Discipline Mission Statement
“The Chemistry Discipline provides learning opportunities to diverse students in Chemistry
leading to skills (e.g. problem solving and analytical thinking) needed for transfer, health
programs, and general education.”
Norco College Mission Statement
"Norco College provides educational programs, services, and learning environments for a
diverse community. We equip our students with the knowledge and skills to attain their
goals in higher, career/technical, and continuing education; workforce development; and
personal enrichment. To meet the evolving community needs, Norco College emphasizes
the development of technological programs. As a continuing process we listen to our
community and respond to its needs while engaging in self-examination, learning outcomes
assessment, ongoing dialogue, planning, and improvement."
Chemistry’s Relationship:
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Chemistry classes are a typical part of the freshman and sophomore level curriculum in
university offerings, particularly for science majors. At Norco College we currently teach
Introductory level chemistry (CHE 2A) to prepare students for subsequent college-level
chemistry courses and General (freshman level, 1AB) chemistry. Chemistry offerings are
transferable to 4-year institutions including CSU and UC, and are required for engineering
majors.
Introductory Chemistry classes (2A) are also necessary for many nursing and allied health
programs, including the Nursing, PA, and Dental Hygiene programs.
The content of chemistry classes requires critical thinking in mathematical problem solving
as well as the ability to assimilate many abstract concepts and theories. Students who study
chemistry often find that their abilities are stretched and strengthened due to the challenging
material presented.
Understanding basic chemical concepts is important to the General Education breadth
requirement. Many important issues in the news today (e.g. Global Warming, perchlorate
and nitrate contamination in local ground-water) require “chemical literacy” to understand.
B. History
1.
History (update) since last review:
a. What have been the major developments, activities, changes, and/or projects in the unit since the last review?

At Norco College, we have completed the design of a new organic/general chemistry
laboratory. This is an unusual laboratory in that most chemistry laboratories are designed for
one specific type of course (introductory level, general chemistry, organic chemistry, analytical
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2.
chemistry etc...). The lab will be home to three different types of courses and so will be more
utilized than other organic laboratories.
The chemistry discipline is one of the disciplines that has been awarded a STEM grant this year
(2011).
The chemistry discipline has added one more full-time tenure track faculty member (Fall 2009).
What were the goals and recommendations in the unit’s last program review (if any) and how has the unit responded to
those goals and recommendations?
a. For example, what strategies have been used to accomplish the goals and recommendations?
1. Curricular Projects
 Norco College currently teaches only Chem 2A, 1A, and 1B. The Chem 1A lab
manual has been substantially rewritten and is posted on Dr. Freitas' website so that
students can download each experiment instead of purchasing a book. The website
URL is http://faculty.rcc.edu/freitas. To access the page with the experimental
procedures, click on the yellow "General Chemistry 1" box and scroll down to the
"Laboratory Information" link. The procedures and report information are linked on
that page. Norco College has revised the Chem 1A lab manual independently of the
other colleges. Only a few of the Chem 2A and Chem 1B experiments have been
revised. It is a work in progress. Access to the other laboratory web pages is
analogous to that of the Chem 1A website.
 All faculty (both tenure track and part-time) are using these revised procedures
o Dr. Tyler has also mounted the new laboratory procedures on his website.
o Part-time faculty have access to the website and have also been given
hard-copies and/or electronic copies of the procedures if requested.
o Appendix A has samples of the revised and newly written experimental
procedures.
2. Goals to Improve Student Learning
 Increase Student Access - with the new laboratory being built, we will, over
the next 2-3 years, offer the full complement of freshman and sophomore
chemistry classes at Norco College, and an increase of sections of the course
currently offered, as the budget allows for section growth.
 Improve Student Learning Outcomes - The SLOs have been revised in the
course outline of record for the majority of the chemistry courses, including
all of those taught at Norco College.
 Improve the Quality of the Student Experience - in order to improve the
quality of the student experience, Dr. Freitas was involved in the STEM grant
at Norco College. Substantial ideas for incorporating engineering slants on
new chemistry experiments and quotes for new equipment that will be
necessary to implement the new experiments were forwarded to the grant
writers through the grant coordinators, Annebelle Nery and Kevin Fleming.
 As described above, the new facility with improved experiments and an
expanded course offering will improve the quality of the student experience in
chemistry at Norco College. Students will no longer have to leave the College
in order to be fully prepared to transfer as a science major to a four-year
college or university.
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Develop a Comprehensive Enrollment Management Program - This was
not a goal of Norco College and no changes have been made; however, the
STEM grant will create a comprehensive enrollment program for the STEM
grant participants.
3. Discipline SLO’s
 These have been revised and have been submitted through CurricuNet.
b.
Have these strategies proved successful? If so, please describe.
1. Curricular Projects
 The students no longer have to purchase a lab manual for the general chemistry sequence,
which lowers the cost of the course.
 The experimental procedures and report information have been tailored to lab improve student
learning by 1) include pre-lab information which may include problem solving before the start
of the laboratory period, 2) requiring the students to read through the experimental procedures
and determine the measured information and create data tables for themselves. This has been
done incrementally through a series of early laboratory procedures so that the students can
readily see what information to put into tables in the earliest experiments (italicized and bold)
and later in the semester, the bold/italics are removed as students are expected to read the report
and recognize the salient information for themeselves. (Sample reports in Appendix A)
 Two full-time and one part-time professor are currently using these revised procedures and the
general consensus is that they are a significant improvement from the previous versions. One
new suggestion was to integrate commonly used reference books so that students learn to look
up constants on their own.
Goals to Improve Student Learning
 The STEM grant has been awarded within the Fall 2010 semester, and not yet implemented.
 Much is expected to change in the next several years, but in the past several years, with the
substantial budget cuts, little has changed with respect to the chemistry facility, equipment or
series of experiments.
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Discipline SLO’s
These have been stream-lined to assist the discipline in more effectively assessing the courses,
but new assessments have not yet been developed and so we have no data as yet to determine
whether or not the revisions have been useful.
C. Data Analysis and Environmental Scan
1.
The unit was provided data from Institutional Research. Review the data, discuss it with your colleagues, and identify
major changes or trends you expect to be of particular relevance to your discipline in the next four years. Not
everything provided will be useful to every unit. Please use only data you believe to be of relevance to your discipline,
which should at a minimum include:
o
WSCH/FTES
Overall efficiencies are very good for chemistry (greater than 650 from 2005-2010; 525 is the State
advised benchmark. This is simply because we teach double sections of chemistry 2a (the
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introductory course) and so where many classes have 35 or 40 students, we have close to 64
students. We have a higher load, but the overall ratio is strong.
o
Student Success (including retention and persistence as applicable)
Looking at the general data, there are notable "dips" in both retention and success in 2004 and in
success in 2009. The first fact to note is that we have a very small amount of students and classes,
so any change in professor can create a marked overall change in student success and retention,
because one professor may teach as much as 20-25% of the total student population taking
chemistry. In 2002-2003, there was a particular part-time instructor who (it turned out) wasn't a
very good instructor, but he only assigned "A" and "B" grades (I was told this by Dr. Vasquez, then
dept. chair). He last taught in Spring or summer of 2004, and was not working here in the fall of
2004, and success and retention rates dropped. The rates returned to normal (here is my
assumption) when students learned that the new instructor was more rigorous, and were more
prepared for that kind of environment.
In 2009, the success rate again dipped, perhaps due to the fact that all classes were now being
taught by full time professors rather than one full time and several part-time professors. The dip in
success may be due to added rigor to the night class, but also a particularly terrible Chemistry 1A
class (taught by Dr. Freitas) which had a 25% success rate(!) however, the following semester
shows that both success and retention have again climbed.
One other note regarding this student success rate data: the Chemistry 1A and Chemistry 1B
success rates are routinely lower than the success rates of Chemistry 2A. This is not surprising as
the General Chemistry sequence is considerably more difficult than the Introductory chemistry
sequence. If the data is separated by course (which was done for me by David Torres -see
Appendix B) one can see that in 2009, the chem 2A success rate was lower, but also that the Chem
1A success rate was terrible (25% success -Dr. Freitas taught that class) and although the course
was taught normally, the body of students was particularly unsuccessful mostly due to a lack of
talent. It was just a poor class. Again, with such small numbers of students overall, that class
impacted the success rates of fall 2009 very significantly.
Having noted that the success rates are low in chem 1A, I had an idea that perhaps chemistry
2A wasn't preparing the students well enough for chemistry 1A. To begin to test this hypothesis, I
wrote an exit survey for students to fill out. The main question I was interested in was "what are
the obstacles to student success in Chemistry 1A as viewed by the students?" My current class was
a good class, but with low retention (as usual): out of 32 students to start, 18 remained, and 16
passed; however, I had 3 "A", 6 "B" , 7"C" and 2 "D" - this one of my highest set of grades in
recent memory. Of the questions asked on the survey, only 1 student stated that he/she didn't feel
prepared for chemistry 1A. That was a surprise to me, and suggests that the prep class is good
preparation, at least for the surviving population.
When asked about what factors the students perceive as could be improved to increase their
success rate, 5 students wrote into the "other" category that they took chem 2A more than 2 years
ago. I intend to ask David Torres to go back and look at the Chemistry 1A population and correlate
drop rates and failing grades with the dates that the introductory course was taken relative to the
5
dates that Chemistry 1A was taken. I have lots of anecdotal feedback that students who took
chemistry over two years ago often drop. They simply don't remember the most important
information and have to relearn the earlier information when the course is moving forward at a
fairly rapid pace, with more difficult material. There are exceptions of course, but I want to find
out if, on average, students who took chemistry over two years ago are more likely to drop or fail
the class than those who took the prerequisite more recently. If it turns out that this is the case,
perhaps we can continue to collect data and submit the appropriate information to create a time
limit on the use of the prerequisite, and see if that effects the overall success rate.
The survey and the results are added as Appendix C. In the future, I will ask that the
Chemistry 1A students fill out a modified version of the survey before exam 1, to collect the
baseline information, and then a second survey after exam 3 or at the final exam to learn more
about how the students perceived their preparedness for the coursework.
o
The number of degrees and certificates, if applicable - not applicable.
Discuss (verbally) with your unit enrollment trends which might include data on gender, ethnicity, night vs. day,
traditional vs. non-traditional age, etc. Think BIG picture trends, not small details.
a. Write about enrollment trends that the unit believes are important to the unit’s planning and resource needs.
Why might these trends be occurring? NOTE: If enrollment trends suggest stability, state that and go to question
2 in this section.
In general, the enrollment approaches 100% in all of our chemistry classes, regardless of
when they are offered. The nursing shortage (for which chemistry 2A is a prerequisite)
and the high unemployment rate are both factors. Another factor is that chemistry cannot
add more sections due to both the budget and space limitations in the lab. The high
enrollment has been a constant since about fall 2006.
b.
2.
Considering these trends how well is the unit doing in meeting the needs of the various learner populations in the
District? And, what might the unit need to do to address these trends?
In addition to the enrollment trends, which you have described above, what is the unit’s overall assessment of its
performance? Clearly state the performance/quality indicators unit uses to judges this (you may wish to reference the
District or College Strategic Plan). In framing your answer reflect on the strengths, weaknesses, improvements, and
accomplishments of the unit.
The focus of this program is 1) to teach students the basics of chemistry and 2) prepare them to
successfully transfer to their respective programs and majors.
Overall, the chemistry discipline is doing a good job of preparing the successful students for their
respective goals. Evidence is mostly anecdotal, in that professors at Riverside City College have told
me that our students are very well prepared for the organic chemistry sequence or the chemistry 2B
courses offered at Riverside, but not yet at Norco. Also, occasionally a student returns to tell me that he
or she is doing well in the next step.
Strengths: the ability to teach well, and the general personal attention students receive from the
chemistry faculty. The overall preparedness of the successful students.
Weaknesses: the experimental experience and the retention and success rates.
The student success rates of the general chemistry sequence need to be improved. We will learn
better how to address this question by surveying the students and by requesting that Institutional
Research generate some new forms of data that may elucidate some trends, if we are on the right track
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with our questions.
Other factors to student success will be addressed by the new STEM grant. In addition to greater
support services and a more collaborative learning environment, there will be brand new experiments,
and money for instrumentation and equipment. A science program is only as good as its experimental
sequence, and the current experimental sequence at Norco College is marginal at best. Hopefully, with
the implementation of some exciting experiments (have you ever seen glass made from dirt? - They
share the same chemical formula!! or seen nylon synthesized? our students will learn how to do this!
and then discuss the properties of the substances they have made in light of the molecular
composition), the integration of the more abstract formulas and the newly made substances that can be
tested in the lab will create greater comprehension and interest of the theoretical information that we
strive to impart. This may also lead to higher retention rates and greater student success.
D. Programs and Curriculum (please keep your response to two pages maximum – the
evidence to back this section will be in Curricunet)
One of the very important tasks within the program review process is to complete a thorough review of all Course
Outlines of Record (CORs), and Program Level SLOs.
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1.
What programs/courses do you currently offer and why? (This may be self-explanatory, if you choose to elaborate
please use an annotated list). Be sure to update the program level SLOs in Curricunet.
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2.
All of Norco College chemistry courses have been updated appropriately and all changes have
been document through CurricuNet.
Chemistry 1A, Chemistry 1B and Chemistry 2A.
Due to the current laboratory facility, Norco's ability to offer more chemistry courses has been
significantly restricted.
Review and summarize recent additions, deletions, or revisions. (if significant changes are made please use an
annotated list of the changes)

Chemistry 2B has been added to our course catalog this year.
3.
Check on the adequacy of offerings related to transfer articulation, vocational certificates and the relationship of your
offerings to our college’s mission statement (comment on this only if you make changes).
4.
A critical element of this review is the content review required for each prerequisite, co-requisite, advisory and limitation
on enrollment (LOE). The content review’s purpose is to ascertain that the prerequisite, co-requisite, advisory and LOE
are still supported by the discipline, your department and that they are in compliance with Title 5 Section 55201.
(Contact your curriculum committee representative for assistance if needed)
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The prerequisites are still supported by the chemistry discipline, across all three colleges.
The limitation on enrollment is determined by the laboratory facilities, and governmental
safety regulations and should be informed by the guidelines established by the American
Chemical Society.
Norco College currently has a higher enrollment for its general chemistry sequence than is
currently recommended by the American Chemical Society guidelines, due to the fact that
the laboratory has been designed to accommodate 32 students. The ACS Guidelines for
Chemistry in Two –Year College Programs (p.8) states that “Lab capacities should not
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exceed 25 students.” (ACS stands for the American Chemical Society, which is the
primary professional organization for chemists in this country).
Regarding suitability of the chemistry 2A course as the prerequisite for chemistry 1A: at
Riverside, both Chemistry 2A and Chemistry 3, a more rigorous course designed
specifically for students intending to enroll in chemistry 1A. The survey that has been
implemented this semester (Fall 2011) will continue to be used to determine whether
students are equally well prepared for chemistry 1A from chemistry 2A as from chemistry
3. We will be including chemistry 3 as one of our new courses, over the next several years.
a. Perform entry skill validation if applicable (If you have done this please attach a report in Appendix
providing appropriate evidence as required by matriculation regulations).
b. Perform validity of entrance skills testing, if applicable (If you have done this please attach a report in
Appendix providing appropriate evidence as required by matriculation regulations).
E. Student Learning Outcomes Assessment - omit.
F. Collaboration with Other Units including Instructional, Student Services or
Administrative Units (Internal)
Discuss any collaborative efforts you have undertaken with other units; offer an assessment of success and challenges; and
evaluate any potential changes in collaborative efforts.
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The chemistry program routinely shares equipment with the biology and physics programs.
Overall, the science faculty are very collegial.
Representatives from math, physics, chemistry, biology and drafting disciplines worked
together to develop ideas for the STEM grant.
The STEM grant was obtained, so that part of the collaboration was successful. The
collaboration was initiated and facilitated by a Norco College administrative team. I don’t
think this kind of collaboration would have occurred without help from Annebelle Nery and
Kevin Fleming.
Since it is too early to assess anything with respect to implementation of the STEM grant yet, it
is also too early to assess success, challenges or effects on collaborative efforts.
G. Outreach Activities (External)
Discuss any activities or projects you have undertaken with other educational institutions, the community, or
business/industry. Do you plan to begin any new outreach activities? If so, please describe.

The STEM grant plan for general chemistry 1B students is as follows: - the outreach part are
described in the 4th, 5th and 6th bullets but requires a little set-up explanation.
o Have students take fresh water samples from local rivers, dams, and/or well water.
o Determine whether or not a certain predetermined group of substances are present
in the water. These substances will be due to both natural causes and due to manmade contamination. Not all of the substances tested will be "contamination" some substances that we will be testing for are healthy for water to contain.
o Once the students have determined the substances that are present, determine the
concentration of the substance (quantity of substance per volume of water).
o Then, (here is the outreach part) have the concentration of each substance
evaluated by a local water company to determine accuracy of the student tests.
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o Request that the water company give our students a tour of the lab facility being
used to evaluate the results so the students can see inside an analytical chemistry
lab in local industry. This aspect should a) give students a better idea of what
chemists do for a living b) show students a potential career option in chemistry c)
strengthen community college- local industry relationships. The project itself,
should d) increase student awareness of local water-quality concerns and e)
demonstrate advanced chemical techniques unavailable to most undergraduate
chemistry students and f) we will create a water quality database at Norco College
that will be studied by future students, and we will be able to monitor certain
aspects of local bodies of water for years to come. This, hopefully, will
demonstrate to students how science is ACTUALLY done - a group of scientists
work to learn about/analyze a certain body of information, and a new group of
scientists continue to re-evaluate and expand upon the existing information.
o This particular project has a lot of potential for all kinds of outreach once the
curriculum has been created and the project is running smoothly (an expected 3-5
years out, since the first class project won't be attempted until 2013.)
 invite other colleges to collaborate and create a master data base. There
are literally hundreds of substances that can be tested for in water. The
STEM grant will be interfacing with UCR and Cal Poly Pomona, and so
these are natural starting points. Dr. Freitas and Dr. Tyler also have
significant professional relationships with faculty at UCI, Mt. SAC, San
Bernardino community college, LACC, LA Pierce College, and La Sierra
University, so there are many potential allies in this project.
 publish the results in the Norco Voice, annually.
 potentially, publish the results in the Press-Enterprise, either in print, on a
linked website so that the greater community can become more aware of
the water quality issues that the Inland Empire faces.
 Invite Norco college students, faculty and staff as well as the local
community to an annual presentation and discussion of the results
allowing for students to practice their presentation skills, and have a
question and answer session that will help the audience to understand the
data and interpretation of the stated results.
H.
Long Term Major Resource Planning
Due to the new chemistry lab facility being built in Spring 2012, which will include funds to create an
organic chemistry program and the introductory chemistry 2B course, and introductory Chem 3 course,
plus the STEM grant funding for the general chemistry sequence, the chemistry discipline budget will
need to be increased in order to offer these new classes. The resources (supplies, equipment, and
instrumentation) necessary for all of these new laboratory experiments are still in the process of being
determined and quotes are being obtained. The organic laboratory equipment and instrumentation list
has been completed and quoted.
I.
Summary
1.
Briefly summarize in list form the goals and objectives the unit has for the next four years?
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2.
Open a new organic / general / introductory biochemistry lab (just one lab, with 3 purposes)
Design of the organic chemistry lab experiments that will enable discussions of the "carbon
footprint" of materials used in industry and in the home, "green" chemistry and a greater
environmental awareness.
Design of the Chemistry 2B course.
Design of the Chemistry 3 course
Redesign the General Chemistry laboratory experience so that it emphasizes
o pre-engineering (Chem 1A)
o environmental concerns (Chem 1B)
o significant community outreach through the chemistry 1B water analysis project
with specific goals for collaboration with a) other colleges/universities (water
quality data base generated by students) b) the business community (an amenable
local analytical water/environmental company for result verification) and c)
education of the greater community at large through publications of results and an
annual forum for a discussion of the results and the implications of the results.
Describe support from the college or district that is needed to help the unit achieve its goals and objectiv es?
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Ensure that there is enough funds to adequately supply the new laboratory.
In addition to the increased work-load of the full-time faculty, due to this endeavor, the
laboratory technicians will also have extra heavy work-loads as new labs must be opened,
stocked, new experiments tested, many more quotes and new equipment purchased, unpacked,
and we all have to learn how to operate and care for the new equipment. It would be very
helpful if the laboratory technicians were prepared ahead of time and helped to understand that
they will be asked to do new things by the full time professors, and that they are expected to
work with us to create a really first rate science program here at Norco College.
The annual budget (especially after the STEM grant disappears) will have to be increased
appropriately to sustain the objectives described above.
J. Recommendations to the Program Review Committee:
What changes will make the program review process more helpful to you?
Here is the change that I would find most useful: stop changing the form every time! It would be nice
to keep the form unchanged for about a decade (three cycles) . If you continue to change the form
every time a fraction of people complain about it, no one will ever have the opportunity to get used to it.
Often, answering a set of questions is the most difficult when the questions are brand new, but after
several cycles, the process becomes routine. See if the same complaints persist after two or three
rounds of the same format. If the complaints persist, then it would be reasonable to reassess and revise
the format.
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APPENDIX A
Samples of Revised Experimental Procedures

Sodium Chloride Synthesis
 Hydrates
 Titration of Vinegar
Located on website: http://faculty.rcc.edu/freitas/
Click on yellow "General Chemistry 1" box
Click on "Laboratory Information" link
All links on this website are written by the chemistry discipline.
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Experiment #2 Sodium Chloride Synthesis
Objective
The objective is to make sodium chloride, also known as table salt and determine the
average percent yield.
Theory/Discussion
The title, Sodium Chloride Synthesis, means that sodium chloride is the main product of
interest. Synthesis means that one particular substance of interest is being produced through one
chemical reaction or through a series of chemical reactions. Sodium chloride, NaCl, is the
chemical formula for the salt that many people sprinkle on French Fries before eating them.
Like acids and bases, “salt” is actually an entire class of compounds, of which sodium chloride is
only one example. Salts are a subcategory of ionic compounds each of which contains a cation
(a positive ion) made from a metal element or a positive polyatomic ion, such as ammonium
(NH4+) and an anion (negative ion) which is derived from a nonmetal or an acid.1 Other
examples of compounds that are classified as salts are: Fe2O3, (iron(III) oxide, the reddish-brown
colored rust), NH4ClO4 (ammonium perchlorate, a pollutant in Norco well-water2), and NaHCO3,
sodium hydrogen carbonate or baking soda, which is used as an acid or base neutralizer in lab
and as its name implies, in baking.
There are many general ways to make a salt from other compounds. We are going to
start with a strong acid and a different salt. The reaction is as follows:
Na2CO3 ( ) + 2 HCl ( )  2 NaCl ( ) + H2O ( ) + CO2 ( )
The states are missing from the equation. You will be able to fill in the states as you read the
experimental instructions, and if not from the instructions, then as you observe the reactants and
products during the experiment.
Physical Processes
Na2CO3( )  2 Na+ ( ) + CO32- ( )
Chemical Reactions:
HCl ( ) + H2O (l)  H3O+ ( ) + Cl- ( )
Na2CO3 ( ) + 2 HCl ( )  2 NaCl ( ) + H2O ( ) + CO2 ( )
1
Most of the polyatomic ions are derived from acids after they have dissociated in water, for
example the carbonate ion [CO3-] comes from carbonic acid [H2CO3].
2
Ammonium perchlorate is used in making rocket fuels and some of the companies that made it
dumped the waste into the ground, and so it has leached into the local water supplies.
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Procedure
When you read the mass from the balance, always record the entire number displayed in your
lab notebook. Never round a measurement!
Weigh a watch glass that fits over the evaporating dish. Record the mass in the Data
Table. Weigh a clean, dry evaporating dish. Record the mass. Tare the balance with the
evaporating dish on it and weigh out between 0.3 – 0.5 grams of anhydrous Na2CO3. Record the
colors, states, textures, and clarity of the reactants in the Observation Table; examples of the
Data and Observation Tables are given at the end of this procedure.
Attach an iron ring onto the ring stand or metal support and place the evaporating dish in
it, or place a wire screen on the iron ring and place the evaporating dish on the metal screen.
CAUTION
3M HCl is concentrated enough to burn you if you come in contact with it. Redness, itchiness or
irritation is an indication that you have come in contact with an acid or base. Rinse the skin for
15 minutes with water immediately if you even think you have come in contact with an acid or
base, and let the professor know (ask someone near you to tell the professor – you should be
rinsing your skin).
Pour about 5 mL of 3 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) into the smallest beaker. You are about
to start the reaction; remember to make observations of how the reactants change as the reaction
proceeds. Slowly add the acid to the salt using an eyedropper. Take care not to allow the
solution to splash out of the container (if the solution spatters, this is an error and should be
noted in your lab book and the volume of solution lost should be estimated). Continue until you
see no more evidence of a gas being evolved. Consider the products given in the chemical
reaction equation. At the end of the chemical reaction, in what state is each product? This is the
state you use in the written chemical equation.
Place the watch glass over the evaporating dish and gently warm the contents to
evaporate the water. The watch glass surface will become wet with condensation. Also, some of
the sodium chloride will precipitate on the watch glass, so be careful not to let the watch glass
slide off of the dish.
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Be careful not to lose your solution because of vigorous boiling; heat your solution
gently, with a “cool” flame3. The goal is to evaporate all of the water so that you will soon have
dry sodium chloride crystals in your dish (and probably on the watch glass). Once the crystals
appear to be dry, heat them more thoroughly for about five minutes using a hotter flame, to
evaporate any remaining water. Let the dish, watch glass and salt cool completely. Hot dishes
will throw off the balances and you will record an incorrect measurement. Wait until the
container is cool enough to handle. Again, use three senses (no tasting or touching allowed!) to
make observations about the state, color, texture, odors etc... of the products. Record the mass of
the evaporating dish, the watch glass and the sodium chloride. Reheat the crystals a second time,
for five minutes. Cool and reweigh the evaporating dish, watch glass and sodium chloride.
Always use the same balance for an entire experiment. If the two masses of the sodium chloride
crystals agree to within 5 mg, you are finished with the first trial of this experiment. If the two
masses do not agree within 5 mg, then repeat the heating and re-weigh, a third time. If the
masses are within 5mg, do not reheat. This ends the first trial.
Wash out the evaporating dish, dry it, and repeat the entire procedure, two more times. If
you do not succeed in obtaining masses that agree within 5mg for the first trial, see the professor
before continuing to your second trial. To complete the experiment you need to have three
correctly completed trials.
Clean Up
Wash all equipment with soap and water, and dry.
A “cool” flame occurs when there is some yellow visible in the flame (due to a lack of oxygen
during combustion; this flame burns at a lower or “cooler” temperature than the blue flame in
which you can see the inner blue cone and no yellow coloring. An all-yellow flame will take too
long to evaporate the water
3
14
Report / Calculations
Check with your professor for the specific report style to be submitted for this experiment.
Determine the mass of sodium chloride made in each experiment, calculate the percent yield of
NaCl, and then calculate the average percent yield and average deviation.






Calculate the experimental yield of sodium chloride for each trial.
Calculate the theoretical yield of sodium chloride (use the mass of the reactant,
stoichoimetry, and the balanced chemical reaction to calculate how much sodium
chloride could be made in this reaction) for each trial.
Calculate the percent yield of NaCl, in grams, using the formula below, for each trial.
Calculate the average percent yield of NaCl, using the formula below.
Calculate the average deviation of the percent yield of NaCl using the formula below.
Do NOT calculate standard deviation – typically standard deviation calculations require
6-16 data points to be valid, and so it is not a useful calculation for only three trials.
Formulas:
% Yield = Experimental Yield x 100
Theoretical Yield
Average % yield = [% yield Trial 1 + %yield T2 + %yield T3 ] / number of trials
Average deviation
x  x(trial1)  x  x(trial2)  x  x(trial3)
# ofTrials

In the above formula, x with a bar over it means the average value of x.
The vertical bars mean Absolute Value (take the positive value).
15
Observations Table for Sodium Chloride Synthesis
When writing your data table and your observations table for the pre-lab, you should have the
top row and the first column filled in, completely. For both tables, the middle of the table gets
filled in while you are doing the experiment. For this experiment, the tables have been provided.
For future lab reports, you will be given less and less help to create the tables; you will learn
from these examples how to do it yourself.
Substance
State
Odor
Color
Texture
Clarity of
Solution
Na2CO3
HCl
NaCl
H2O
CO2
Leave enough space for you to write.
OBSERVATION NOTES
See the General Guidelines document for ideas as to what kind of descriptions should be written
under each category.
If the description is the same for all of the trials, note that. If there are differences, note them.
If the appearance is the same (for instance if a precipitate is white and cloudy looking in all three
trials), note that, but if the quantity is different, make a note of that as well.
So as you go through the trials, compare the products especially for similarities and differences.
16
Data Table
Return to the pre-lab. Note the underlined phrases and words. These are the things that need to
be measured. They belong in the first column of the data table. Most of the time, the
measurements must be made for each trial; however, some things only have to be measured once
for the whole experiment. If a substance or object only has to be measured once, put the
measurement in the box under Trial 1, and an X in the boxes for that measurement beneath the
other trials. This indicates that the one measurement is good for all of the trials.
Trial 1
Trial 2
Mass of
evaporating
dish (e.d.) (g)
Mass of
watch
glass (w.g.) (g)
mass of
Na2CO3 (g)
(.3-.5 g)
Volume of
3 M HCl (mL)
(about 5 mL)
mass of e.d.,
w.g. and NaCl
(g), after
Heating 1x
mass of e.d.,
w.g. and NaCl
(g), after
Heating 2x
Are the last 2
mass readings
within 5 mg?
(Y/N)
If N, above:
mass of e.d.,
w.g. and NaCl
(g), after
Heating 3x
If Y, above,
omit third
heating.
17
Trial 3
Trial 4 (if needed)
Exp#4 Hydrated Ionic Compounds
Objective
The first objective is to learn and practice the technique of dehydration of a hydrated ionic
compound, and the second objective is to use the technique to make measurements that will
enable the correct calculation of the moles of water associated with one mole of an unknown
ionic compound so that the correct mole ratio of water per one ionic formula unit may be
determined.
Theory/Discussion
Hydrated ionic compounds are regular ionic compounds that have the stated number of
water molecules lodged in between the ions in the ionic lattice. In introductory chemistry, ionic
compounds were described as alternating positive ions and negative ions in a continuous threedimensional array. What isn’t discussed, is that the lattice contains extra space or holes in it due
to the inefficiency of packing spheres and because of the different numbers and sizes of cations
(positive ions) and anions (negative ions). Water molecules from the air often work their way
into an ionic lattice. In hydrated compounds, or hydrates, a specific proportion of water
molecules becomes part of the lattice, and so they become part of the chemical formula. For
instance, anhydrous copper (II) sulfate (CuSO4) has no water molecules as part of its formula,
but copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4 5 H2O) has five water molecules for every formula
unit (not “molecule”) of CuSO4
4 that has more or less than
five molecules of water (except for the anhydrate, which has zero water molecules). The water
molecules in this context are not something that the copper (II) sulfate is mixed with or dissolved

in, rather it is part of the compound (a single, pure substance) and when the water molecules are
present, they give the hydrated substance a different set of physical properties than the physical
properties of the anhydrate4. For instance, CuSO4 is a pale bluish-white compound and CuSO4 
5 H2O is a bright blue color.
When heating any substance a variety of things can happen. Depending upon the

substance, the heating method, and the temperature change, one can 1) cause a physical change
of state (solid to liquid or liquid to gas) 2) decompose the substance such that it is degraded into
two or more simpler substances, 3) cause combustion of the substance, or 4) cause some other
chemical reaction to occur. In this process, a chemical change will occur. The water molecules
in the lattice will increase their energy and their movement, and they will move through the holes
in the ionic lattice and escape the lattice altogether. This loss of water changes the composition
of the ratio of atoms in the substance (the hydrate), and therefore a chemical change takes place.
The remaining substance is the anhydrate. The goal (when dehydrating the unknown hydrate) is
to determine the number of moles of water molecules per one mole of the formula unit of the
ionic compound.
Physical Processes
“an” means “without”, “hydrate” or “hydrous” means “water”. Anhydrate = without water
in the ionic lattice.
4
18
H2O (s)  H2O (g)
This process occurs at the same time as the chemical reaction.
Chemical Reactions
CuSO4(H2O)5 (s)  CuSO4 ( s ) + 5 H2O (g)
UnK(H2O)x (s)  UnK( s ) + X H2O (g)
Procedure
Support either an evaporating dish or a crucible (without cover) using an iron ring and
either a clay triangle or wire mesh. Heat the empty dish over a hot flame for five minutes, cool
(hot items can throw off a measurement made on a balance) and weigh. Record the mass of
the cooled, empty dish. Once heated, do not handle the dish with your hands; use crucible tongs
(for crucibles only!) or Kim-wipes or heat resistant gloves. This part must be repeated for each
trial, as you will have to wash the dish between trials. For the best results, use the same balance
for every mass measurement.
Tare the balance with the cooled evaporating dish on it, and measure between 0.5 – 1.0 g
of copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate into the dish and record 5 the mass of the hydrate. Next,
heat the hydrate over a low blue flame. Do not overheat because this substance can decompose.
Anhydrous copper(II) sulfate is very pale blue to white, but it is not tan or brown. Once heated,
cool the dish and salt, and reweigh. Record this mass. The object is to make sure that all of the
water molecules have been driven out of the ionic lattice. In order to determine this, a second
heating of the salt in the dish is required, for about 5 minutes. Again, cool and weigh the dish
and the salt. If these two masses are within 5 mg, then you can assume that your substance is
now anhydrous. If the two masses differ by more than 5 mg, then some water may still be
trapped in the lattice, and so a third heating and weighing is required (again, heat for about 5
minutes), and so on, until the last two masses are within 5 mg. Record the mass each time it is
measured, even if it is not within 5 mg. Describe (by color and texture) both the hydrate and
the anhydrous substance in your notebook. Finally, add some water back to your hydrate and
observe; record what you see. The measurements recorded above constitute one trial. To
complete this part of the experiment you need three good trials.
On day 2 of this experiment, an unknown compound will be assigned to you. Record the
unknown number in your lab notebook. Using the same technique as before, obtain data to
calculate the number of moles of water molecules per formula unit of the ionic compound. Even
if you are using the same crucible or evaporating dish, you must reheat the empty dish, allow to
5
Never round a measurement; always write all digits displayed on the balance.
19
cool, and record the mass. Most likely the measurement will not be identical to your original
measurement of the cooled dish from the previous day. Complete three trials for the dehydration
of the unknown ionic salt. In some cases, the hydrated compounds do not change color as they
change from hydrated to anhydrous. In these cases, heat the sample for a full 15 minutes for the
first heating, and then heat for five minutes more to confirm the dehydrated mass (and five
minutes more if needed). Observe these substances carefully, and use a spatula (after weighing!)
to determine if there are any texture differences to the substance before and after heating. Note
all observations, for all substances in the observations table in your notebook.
Clean Up
The hydrated salts should be dissolved in water and poured into the waste container. If the salt is
slow to dissolve, gentle heating with a low blue flame will help the anhydrous compounds to
dissolve. Wash all equipment with soap and water, and dry.
Report / Calculations
Check with your professor for the specific report style to be submitted for this experiment.
Using stoichiometry, determine the number of moles of water molecules per one mole of ionic
formula unit.




Calculate the mass of hydrate alone.
Calculate the mass of the anhydrate alone (use the lowest value for each trial).
Calculate the mass of the water alone.
Calculate the moles of the hydrate, the anhydrate and the water, using stoichiometry and
the chemical reactions.
 Calculate the mole ratio of water:anhydrate (moles of water/moles of anhydrate) for each
trial.
 Calculate the average mole ratio (to appropriate significant figures)
[ mole ratio (trial 1) + mole ratio (trial 2) + mole ratio (trial 3) ] / 3
 Round the average mole ratio to one significant figure.
20
Exp #8 The Titration of Vinegar
Objective
The objective is to determine how much acetic acid, by mass, is present in vinegar.
Theory/Discussion
Solutions
A solution has at least two components: the solute6 and the solvent7. By definition, the solvent in
an aqueous solution is water. Most of the solutions that we use in a general chemistry class are
aqueous solutions. Below are some examples of common solutions and their solutes.
Solution
Solvent
Solute
Approximate
% Solute in
solution8
wine
water
ethanol
14% (v/v) ethanol9
beer
water
ethanol
5% (v/v) ethanol
saline
water
sodium chloride
0.9% (m/v) NaCl10
milk11
water
fat
1.0% (m/v) fat12
milk
water
protein
4.6% (m/v)
protein13
vinegar
water
acetic acid
???
6
The solute is the substance present in lesser quantity.
The solvent, by definition, is the substance present in the greatest quantity.
8
All % solute information researched in 2010.
9
14 mL ethanol/100 mL wine (solution)
10
0.9 g NaCl / 100 mL saline (solution)
11
In both milk solutions, the milk label read is Knudsen brand 1% milkfat
12
2.5 g fat/240 mL milk
13
11 g protein/240 mL milk
7
21
Of course, in each solution, there may be more than one solute. In milk, for example, not only is
protein a solute, so is calcium, vitamin D, and fat (in varieties containing fat) and there are many
more. Each of those solutes has a concentration in the milk solution. So the listed solute may
only be the solute of interest in one particular experiment; it is often not the only solute present.
In today’s experiment, acetic acid is the solute of interest in the vinegar solution.
How much acetic acid is present?
A titration experiment determines the quantity of a substance present in a sample.
Figure 1
Vinegar: A mixture: [Acetic acid molecules + water molecules]
H
O
C
H
H
C
H
+
O
Acetic acid (solute)
O
H
H
Water (solvent)
Chemical Reactions with Acids and Bases
There is only one acidic hydrogen atom in the acetic acid molecule. It is the hydrogen atom
attached to the oxygen atom (see figure 1). None of the other hydrogen atoms will dissociate in
water. Acetic acid is a weak, monoprotic acid. Weak acids only dissociate a little bit, if left on
their own in water. This reaction is a chemical reaction as it involves breaking and forming
bonds which result in products that differ from the reactants. The hydrogen-oxygen bond breaks
in acetic acid and a hydrogen-oxygen bond forms to make the hydronium ion.
Physical Processes:
NaOH( )  Na+ ( ) + OH- ( )
Chemical Reactions:
Reaction 1
Reaction of a weak acid in water
22
CH3CO2H (aq) + H2O (l)
CH3CO2 (aq) + H3O+ (aq)
When an acid and base react, the products are a salt and water.
Reaction 2
Reaction occurring during the Titration experiment
CH3CO2H (aq) + NaOH(aq)  NaCH3CO2 (aq) + H2O (l)
Procedure
When preparing to do any titration experiment, first clean the glassware. Wash the
pipette and burette if the distilled water is not draining cleanly. Second, rinse the glassware (the
pipette and the burette) with the appropriate solution, three times.
Third, prepare the solutions. Obtain 75- 80 mL of the NaOH solution in a clean, dry
graduated cylinder. Use this solution to rinse the burette three times, and then fill the burette.
You only need about 5 mL of NaOH solution per rinse. Record the concentration of the sodium
hydroxide solution written on the solution container in lab into your notebook.
In this experiment, the unknown solution is the vinegar solution. The unknown solution
is always placed into the Erlenmeyer flask. The vinegar solution contains water and acetic acid;
the “unknown” part is how much acetic acid.
The known solution is the sodium hydroxide solution. This solution will be poured into
the burette. The “known” solution is the solution with a known concentration (usually in units of
molarity).
We need to prepare the vinegar solution in such a way that we can figure out how much
acetic acid there is in the solution. To make the first unknown solution for the experiment,
pipette 5 mL vinegar into an Erlenmeyer flask, add about 50 mL of DI Water (use your
graduated cylinder) and add 2-3 drops of phenolphthalein indicator solution. Stir the solution.
You need to titrate at least three samples, so two more unknown solutions are made in the same
way as this first one. The acid-base reaction will occur whether or not the phenolphthalein
indicator is added; however, the indicator indicates when to stop titrating, because there is a
color change to the solution once all of the reactant in the Erlenmeyer flask has been used up
(this is called the end point).
To start the titration experiment, first record the initial volume of NaOH in the burette.
As you add sodium hydroxide to the vinegar solution, you should see little swirls of pink in the
Erlenmeyer flask, which will go away very quickly, at first. As you continue, it will take longer
for the color to dissipate. A good endpoint, is when a very pale pink color remains in the
Erlenmeyer flask, even after one swirl and the pink color lasts for 30 seconds. Record the final
23
volume of sodium hydroxide dispensed into the Erlenmeyer flask in your notebook and record
the shade of pink at the end of each trial.
Clean Up
 Do not clean the glassware in between the samples.
 If any piece of glassware is not draining cleanly (if water droplets are clinging to the sides of
the pipette or burette, wash with the cleaning solution and brush on the cart.
 Once draining cleanly, rinse each pipette, volumetric flask and burette 3x with DI water. Use
about 5 mL of DI water per rinse.
 Fill the burette above the 0.00mL line with DI WATER, cork the top, and return to the cart.
 If used, fill the volumetric flask with DI WATER, above the etched line on the neck of the
flask.
 Let the inside of the pipette air dry.
 Clean the rest of your glassware with soap and water. You can save time and paper towels
by rinsing with DI water at the end, setting the glassware upside down in your lockers, and
letting the glassware air dry.
 Refill the DI water bottles.
Report / Calculations
Check with your professor for the specific report style to be submitted for this experiment.
The objective of the experiment is to determine the % by mass (%m/m) of acetic acid in vinegar.






Calculate the moles of sodium hydroxide used in each experiment.
Calculate the moles of acetic acid reacted in each experiment.
Calculate the grams of acetic acid reacted in each experiment.
Given that the density of the vinegar solution is 1.008 g/mL, calculate the % by mass of
acetic acid in the solution.
Calculate the average % by mass (%m/m) of acetic acid in vinegar from at least three
trials.
Calculate the average deviation of each trial from the average.
24
APPENDIX B
DATA
6 graphs depicting


Student Enrollment, Retention and Success for the Fall
semesters 2000-2010, separated by course.
Student Enrollment, Retention and Success for Spring
and Fall semesters 2000-2010, separated by course.
25
COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM REVIEW
DATA SUPPORTNOR Chemistry Enrollments,
Retention and
Success Rates, Fall 2000 - 2010
CHEMISTRY-NOR
300
100%
90%
240
80%
70%
180
60%
50%
120
40%
30%
60
20%
10%
-
0%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
83
80
130
152
176
172
183
224
293
223
224
Retention
50.6%
70.0%
85.4%
86.8%
75.0%
87.8%
83.1%
86.2%
84.0%
77.1%
74.6%
Success
33.7%
55.0%
78.5%
77.6%
55.7%
75.6%
66.7%
71.0%
74.7%
54.3%
63.4%
Enrollments
NOR Chemistry Efficiencies,
Fall Terms 2006 -2010
800
700
600
500
400
300
NOR Chemistry FTEF and WSCH,
Fall Terms 2006 -2010
3.5
200
3000
3.0
100
0
2500
Efficiency
2.5
FTEF
1500
1.5
WSCH
2000
2.0
1000
1.0
500
0.5
0.0
FTEF
Discipline WSCH
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2.20
2.40
3.30
2.41
2.48
1,462.41
1,756.80
2,258.22
1,745.82
1,626.91
0
26
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
664.73
732.00
684.31
725.16
657.34
NOR Chemistry Enrollments*,
course,
Fallrates,
2000 -fall
2010
Norco Chemistry enrollments,separated
retentionby
and
success
terms only, 20002010.
300
270
240
210
180
150
120
90
60
30
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
CHE-1A
11
18
23
30
30
20
27
32
29
31
2010
31
CHE-2A
53
54
104
122
146
152
156
192
264
192
193
Grand Total
64
72
127
152
176
172
183
224
293
223
224
*Includes only CHE-1A, CHE-1B and CHE-2A.
NOR Chemistry Retention Rates,
separated by course, Fall 2000 - 2010
100.0%
80.0%
60.0%
40.0%
20.0%
0.0%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
CHE-1A
100.0%
55.6%
73.9%
83.3%
70.0%
70.0%
85.2%
90.6%
58.6%
45.2%
80.6%
CHE-2A
58.5%
85.2%
90.4%
87.7%
76.0%
90.1%
82.7%
85.4%
86.7%
82.3%
73.6%
Grand Total 65.6%
77.8%
87.4%
86.8%
75.0%
87.8%
83.1%
86.2%
84.0%
77.1%
74.6%
*Includes only CHE-1A, CHE-1B and CHE-2A.
27
NOR Chemistry Success Rates,
separated by course, Fall 2000 - 2010
100.0%
80.0%
60.0%
40.0%
20.0%
0.0%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
CHE-1A
54.5%
44.4%
60.9%
73.3%
50.0%
50.0%
59.3%
65.6%
55.2%
25.8%
67.7%
CHE-2A
41.5%
66.7%
84.6%
78.7%
56.8%
78.9%
67.9%
71.9%
76.9%
58.9%
62.7%
Grand Total 43.8%
61.1%
80.3%
77.6%
55.7%
75.6%
66.7%
71.0%
74.7%
54.3%
63.4%
*Includes only CHE-1A, CHE-1B and CHE-2A.
Norco Chemistry enrollments, retention and success rates, academic years, 2000-2010
NOR Chemistry Enrollments,
separated by course, Academic Years 2000 - 2010
600
540
480
420
360
300
240
180
120
60
0
CHE-1A
200001
200102
200203
200304
200405
200506
200607
200708
200809
200910
201011
29
36
46
54
62
47
53
64
64
63
63
7
11
19
24
25
15
31
29
32
32
165
283
338
346
387
418
514
576
512
483
CHE-1B
CHE-2A
145
28
NOR Chemistry Retention Rates,
separated by course, Academic Years 2000 - 2010
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
200001
200102
200203
200304
200405
200506
200607
200708
200809
200910
201011
CHE-1A 82.8%
77.8%
78.3%
70.4%
75.8%
78.7%
90.6%
93.8%
75.0%
60.3%
61.9%
CHE-1B
85.7%
63.6%
84.2%
83.3%
68.0%
86.7%
67.7%
58.6%
43.8%
75.0%
CHE-2A 72.4%
87.9%
89.8%
87.3%
79.5%
88.9%
83.5%
90.5%
87.2%
85.0%
77.8%
NOR Chemistry Success Rates,
separated by course, Academic Years 2000 - 2010
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
200001
200102
200203
200304
200405
200506
200607
200708
200809
200910
201011
CHE-1A 55.2%
58.3%
67.4%
57.4%
64.5%
59.6%
75.5%
78.1%
68.8%
42.9%
46.0%
CHE-1B
85.7%
63.6%
73.7%
70.8%
48.0%
66.7%
58.1%
48.3%
31.3%
43.8%
CHE-2A 52.4%
65.5%
81.3%
76.3%
65.3%
79.3%
68.9%
79.6%
76.9%
70.3%
67.1%
29
COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM REVIEW
Data Support - Explanatory Notes
For Enrollments, Retention and Success Rates

This data comes from the California Community Colleges’ Chancellor’s Office
referential data files.

Enrollments are aggregated by the discipline / department, and are duplicated
headcounts. This means if a student enrolled in two courses of the same discipline /
department, they are counted twice during the semester. Only enrollments that
earned the following grades are included: A, B, C, D, DR, F, I,NP, P, W.

Retention rate is calculated as the total of A, B, C, D, DR, F, I,NP, and P grades divided
by the total of A, B, C, D, DR, F, I,NP, P, W grades, multiplied by 100. This is the
percentage of students who did not withdraw from the course, regardless of final
grade.

Success rate is calculated as the total of A, B, C, and P grades divided by the total of
A, B, C, D, DR, F, I,NP, P, W grades, multiplied by 100. This is the percentage of
students who successfully completed the course.
For discipline / department Full-Time Equivalent Faculty (FTEF), Weekly Student
Contact Hours (WSCH), and Efficiencies (WSCH per FTEF):

The data for these graphs come from RCCD Fact Books, 2006-2009.

These data only reflect non-cross listed sections.

From the 2009 RCCD Fact Book: “WSCH are based on our Term Length Multiplier
driven by the Calendar for the fiscal Year. The Standard Measure of Efficiency of 525
is defined by the state for a primary Term. However each discipline or campus may
be limited by Program restrictions, advanced courses or other such limitations to
achieve the efficiency level of 525.” (For more information on these accounting
methods, please contact Raj Bajaj, Institutional Reporting, raj.bajaj@rcc.edu, or
(951) 222- 8979.
30
31
APPENDIX C
Student Survey and Results
Fall 2011
The purpose of the survey is to determine student perceptions of the factors
affecting their success in chemistry 1A.
32
Name______________________________________________
Total number of students taking the survey = 18.
1. What is your major? (undergraduate) _________________________
2. How do you hope to make a living, after you finish your education?
- Aggregated the answers to these two questions:






Undecided - 2
Engineering/Physics - 3
Biology -1
Medically-related field - 7
Pharmacy - 4
Anthropology -1
3. How long ago did you take your last chemistry class (the prerequisite for this
course)? [If you remember the semester and year, please write it, if not make a
guess as to 1 year / 2 years ago, etc...] _____________________________
 within 1 year - 7
 1-2 years - 2
 more than 2 years - 7
 students tested into the course without taking chem 2A. - 2
4. How many science classes have you taken not including this class (include
high school and classes taken this semester):
Averaged these answers:
3 H.S.
3 college
5. Do you think your prerequisite chemistry course, adequately prepared you for
this course? If not, what was hardest about the transition?
Yes: 12
No - 1
No direct answer - 5 (but all suggested "yes" in comments)
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6. Given the current structure of the prerequisite class and this class, what changes
could be made to increase your success in this class? Mark all that apply:
a) more tutoring available 3
b) more feedback from the professor 5
c) earlier awareness of how time intensive this class is (some students find their
schedules too packed with activity to have enough time to study) 2
d) more problem solving in the previous class 3
e) more chemical knowledge in the previous class 5
f) "not applicable" if you were comfortable with the transition 8
g) Other - describe: (paraphrased)




took chem 2A too long ago and forgot a lot of information. 5
too many laboratory experiments 1
Teach from the textbook only, the worksheets confuse the students 1
update student standings in class. 1
7. You won't actually know whether this class prepared you well for Chemistry 1B
until you take Chemistry 1B, but on a scale of 1-5 (5 is learned the most), and
regardless of your grade, rate how much you think that you learned in the class,
relative to other classes you have taken.
Rating
1
2
3
3-4
4
4-5
5
# of Students
0
0
6
1
6
1
4
The 3-4 and 4-5 categories are how the students responded.
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