Proposed Revisions to the ACS Guidelines
for Undergraduate Programs:
Motivation, Changes, and Possibilities
William F. Polik
Hope College
ACS Committee on Professional Training, Chair
MACTLAC, Fall 2006
ACS Committee on Professional Training
ACS Bylaws
The SOCIETY shall sponsor an activity for the approval of
undergraduate professional programs in chemistry. The Committee
on Professional Training...shall act for the Board and Council in the
formulation and implementation of the approval program...
The goals of the approval program shall be:
(a) promoting and assisting in the development of high standards of
excellence in all aspects of post-secondary education and undertaking
studies important to their maintenance
(b) collecting and making available information concerning trends and
developments in modern chemical education …
ACS Committee on Professional Training
ACS Bylaws
The SOCIETY shall sponsor an activity for the approval of
undergraduate professional programs in chemistry. The Committee
on Professional Training...shall act for the Board and Council in the
formulation and implementation of the approval program...
The goals of the approval program shall be:
(a) promoting and assisting in the development of high standards of
excellence in all aspects of post-secondary education and undertaking
studies important to their maintenance
(b) collecting and making available information concerning trends and
developments in modern chemical education …
Approval Program, Surveys and Reports, Resources
Committee Members
Dr. William F. Polik (Committee Chair)
HOPE COLLEGE
Dr. Suzanne Harris
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
Dr. Erik J. Sorensen
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Dr. F. Fleming Crim (Vice Chair)
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON
Dr. Ellen A. Keiter
EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Dr. George Wilson
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Dr. John W. Kozarich
ACTIVX BIOSCIENCES
Dr. Diane M. Bunce (consultant)
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF
AMERICA
Dr. Ruma Banerjee
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN
Dr. Charles E. Carraher, Jr.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
Dr. Joseph S. Francisco
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Dr. Cornelia D. Gillyard
SPELMAN COLLEGE
Dr. Carlos G. Gutierrez
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LOS ANGELES
Dr. Cynthia K. Larive
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,
RIVERSIDE
Dr. Margaret V. Merritt
WELLESLEY COLLEGE
Dr. Nancy S. Mills
TRINITY UNIVERSITY
Dr. Joel I. Shulman
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
Dr. Edward N. Kresge (consultant)
EXXONMOBIL CHEMICAL
COMPANY
Dr. Jeanne E. Pemberton (consultant)
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Cathy A. Nelson
(Committee Secretary, non-voting)
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
Surveys and Reports
Annual Report of Graduates
C&E News
www.chemistry.org/education/cpt
Surveys and Reports
www.chemistry.org/education/cpt
Resources
Directory of Graduate Research
(free on the web)
Planning for Graduate Work
in Chemistry
(new edition on the web)
Planning for a Career in Industry
www.chemistry.org/education/cpt
Approval Program
•
634 approved programs (196 research universities,
114 comprehensive universities, 324 baccalaureate
colleges)
•
The ACS (through CPT) approves programs; the
department chair certifies majors
• Benefits of ACS-approval:
– Institution: public recognition of an excellent program
– Department: document capabilities and leverage resources to
meet discipline-wide standards
– Faculty: professional development opportunities
– Students: participation in department with excellent capabilities
ands resources; external recognition of high quality degree
– Industry & Grad Schools: students and employees come from
high quality chemistry program
Rationale for Change
• Chemistry is changing
–
–
–
–
Interaction with other disciplines
More complex problems
Techniques and technology
Globalization
• Education is changing
– Pedagogy reflects new research in how students
learn (e.g., inquiry-based and active learning,
team experiences)
– Increasing student diversity (e.g., age, gender,
ethnicity and educational background)
• Guidelines must change to maintain utility
and relevance
Guidelines Revision Process
• 2005: Broad call for public comment on
ACS Guidelines and possible directions for
revision
• 2006: In response to comments from
community, CPT drafts and publicizes
proposed revisions to the ACS Guidelines
• 2007: Informed by comments on proposed
revisions, CPT drafts and publicizes draft of
new ACS Guidelines
• 2008: New ACS Guidelines are released
Goals of Current Revision
• Simplify the ACS guidelines and
procedures for approval of chemistry
programs
• Provide greater flexibility to approved
departments for designing certified
degrees
1999
Biochemistry
2003
Chemistry
Education
Option
• Encourage innovation and improvement
in curriculum and pedagogy by approved
departments
• Define faculty and infrastructure
attributes that support excellent
undergraduate chemistry programs
2008
Overview of Proposed ACS Guidelines
Program Organization
Program Organization
• Autonomous unit with control over
faculty selection, curriculum, etc.
Curriculum
Curriculum
Student Skills
•
•
•
•
Pedagogy
Foundation and in-depth courses
Degree tracks (replace options)
Laboratory experience
Undergraduate research
Faculty
Infrastructure
Student Skills
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ask questions, design, interpret experiments
Communicate orally and in writing
Work in a team
Work safely
Exhibit ethical scientific conduct
Lead and innovate
Pedagogy
• Many approaches that are integrative,
challenging, and engaging
Faculty
• Minimum number (4 or 5?)
• 15 contact hours maximum
• Use of adjunct faculty
Evaluation
2008
Infrastructure
•
•
•
•
Instrumentation (NMR required)
Computation and software
Chemical information resources
Physical plant and chemical safety
Evaluation
•
•
•
•
Description of “degree tracks” (curriculum implementation)
Exams and syllabi from defined in-depth courses
Discussion of process skill instruction
Description of most recent self-assessment
Proposed Curriculum Changes
Core and advanced course requirements will be replaced by...
•Foundation Coursework: Beyond introductory chemistry, five one-semester
foundation courses that provide breadth of coverage in each of the five major areas of
chemistry: analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical
•In-Depth Coursework: Four semester courses (totaling at least twelve semester credit
hours) that further develop or integrate topics introduced in foundation courses
In-depth courses have a foundation course pre-requisite, or contain a
significant amount of chemistry that is necessary for a degree track
500 total lab hour requirement will be replaced by...
• At least 180 hours in foundation courses, and 400 total hours beyond introductory chemistry
• Coverage of all 5 foundation areas
Undergraduate research producing a comprehensive written report
can be counted toward in-depth laboratory hours
ACS-defined option degrees will be replaced by...
• Department-defined degree tracks: a specialized curriculum meeting foundation, indepth, and laboratory requirements and focuses on:
– Chemistry, or
– A specific chemistry sub-discipline, or
– A chemistry-related interdisciplinary area
Other Proposed Changes
Student Skills and Pedagogy:
• Curriculum should develop skills that students need to become successful
professionals:
Ask questions and design experiments
Exhibit teamwork
and interpret results
Work safely and ethically
Communicate orally and in writing
Lead and innovate
• Pedagogy should be integrative, engaging, and inclusive; students should learn
both chemistry content and skills
Faculty and Infrastructure:
• Five full-time faculty members (teaching expertise in 5 areas, meet contact hour
limit, allow for professional development, limit use of adjunct/part-time faculty)
• Few infrastructure changes (NMR, computational capabilities, chemical
information resources all required)
Self-Evaluation:
• An excellent program regularly evaluates the effectiveness of its curricular and
pedagogical efforts and uses the evaluation results to further improve itself
• Departments will be asked to summarize their most recent self-evaluation and
outline their plans for acting upon the resulting recommendations
Summary
• Five one-semester foundation
courses in five areas of
chemistry, and four semesters
(twelve semester credit hours) of
in-depth courses
• Departments create and define
degree tracks
• Students skills that prepare them
to become professional chemists
• Regular self-evaluation of
chemistry program for the
purpose of continual
improvement
1999
Biochemistry
2003
Chemistry
Education
Option
2008
Flexibility
Innovation
2008
Questions and Answers
• Comments and/or questions about proposed changes
–
–
–
–
Curriculum
Student Skills
Faculty and Infrastructure
Program Self-Evaluation
• Comments or questions about revision process
• How would your current chemistry curriculum fit
within the proposed new ACS guidelines?
• What curricular innovations could you implement
within the proposed new ACS guidelines?
What New Curriculum Innovations
Could be Supported by the
Proposed ACS Guidelines?
Small Group Discussion
and
Reporting Out
MACTLAC, Fall 2006
Thoughts on Innovation
“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our
aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low
and we reach it.”
– Michelangelo
“The most successful people are those who are
good at Plan B.”
-- James Yorke, mathematician
Curricular Innovation ?
Current Guidelines
General Chemistry I and II
Core:
Proposed Guidelines
General Chemistry I and II
Foundation:
Organic Chemistry I
Organic Chemistry I
Organic Chemistry II
Analytical Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry
Physical Chemistry I
Instrumental Analysis
Inorganic Chemistry
Physical Chemistry I
Biochemistry
Physical Chemistry II
Inorganic Chemistry
Advanced:
In-Depth:
Organic Chemistry II
Instrumental Analysis
Biochemistry
Physical Chemistry II
Advanced Elective
Advanced Elective
A Thermodynamics Analogy
(from John Kozarich, CPT member)
DG = DH – TDS
ACS
Certification
Foundation
Course Work
In-Depth
Course Work
and
Degree Track
Flexibility
Plans of Implementation
PLAN A:
PLAN B:
• Map current curriculum
onto new guideline
structure
• Revamp curriculum to
reflect chemistry
profession and improve
student learning
• Imperfect fit but
serviceable
• Hopefully a temporary
solution
• Will take time and stages
to implement
• Ultimate goal of new
guidelines
A Paradigm Shift
•Shift curriculum responsibility from ACS to departments
•Redefine how chemistry is taught
– New courses and textbooks
– New course sequences, degree tracks
– Changes to general chemistry
– Can the foundations of organic and physical
chemistry be laid down in one semester?
•Create a new vision of an ACS-certified chemist
Let’s Innovate !
• Small group discussion: 30 minutes
– Form small groups in assigned rooms
– Introduce selves
– Select Time Keeper and Secretary
• What innovations could be introduced into your
curriculum under the proposed new ACS guidelines?
• Reporting out: 20 minutes
– Return to Science Hall 105
– Secretary reports one significant idea