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Academic Assessment Program	Chemistry
University of Central Arkansas

Statement of Departmental Purpose
Mission Statement The mission of the UCA Chemistry Department is to provide quality undergraduate instruction and mentoring to students, utilize research and scholarly activities to foster the continued professional growth of faculty, students, and staff, contribute to the field of chemistry, and serve the community at large. Goals CATEGORY A: Provide quality undergraduate instruction and mentoring to students Be the best undergraduate chemistry department in the state, and be acknowledged as such Recruit, hire, develop, and retain exceptional faculty Foster outstanding teaching Recruit, retain, and graduate highly qualified students who major or minor in Chemistry Offer a curriculum that is well-founded, contemporary, and reflective of faculty strengths Graduate students who have excellent communication and microcomputer skills Continue mentoring students in research to enrich their educational experience CATEGORY B: Utilize research and scholarly activities to foster the continued professional growth of faculty, students, and staff Continue mentoring students in research to enrich their educational experience Provide on-going opportunities, even exceptional ones, for faculty and staff continued professional development CATEGORY C: Contribute to the field of chemistry Continue mentoring students in research to enrich their educational experience Present results of student-faculty research at local, regional, and national meetings Disseminate the results of student-faculty research in appropriate publications CATEGORY D: Serve the community at large Provide outreach and expertise to business, industry, governmental agencies, schools, and the community at large Work cooperatively to meet the goals of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and of the University as a whole

Statement of Departmental Purpose

Mission Statement

The mission of the UCA Chemistry Department is to provide quality undergraduate instruction and mentoring to students, utilize research and scholarly activities to foster the continued professional growth of faculty, students, and staff, contribute to the field of chemistry, and serve the community at large.

Goals

CATEGORY A: Provide quality undergraduate instruction and mentoring to students

Be the best undergraduate chemistry department in the state, and be acknowledged as such
Recruit, hire, develop, and retain exceptional faculty
Foster outstanding teaching
Recruit, retain, and graduate highly qualified students who major or minor in Chemistry
Offer a curriculum that is well-founded, contemporary, and reflective of faculty strengths
Graduate students who have excellent communication and microcomputer skills
Continue mentoring students in research to enrich their educational experience

CATEGORY B: Utilize research and scholarly activities to foster the continued professional growth of faculty, students, and staff

Continue mentoring students in research to enrich their educational experience
Provide on-going opportunities, even exceptional ones, for faculty and staff continued professional development

CATEGORY C: Contribute to the field of chemistry

Continue mentoring students in research to enrich their educational experience
Present results of student-faculty research at local, regional, and national meetings
Disseminate the results of student-faculty research in appropriate publications

CATEGORY D: Serve the community at large

Provide outreach and expertise to business, industry, governmental agencies, schools, and the community at large
Work cooperatively to meet the goals of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and of the University as a whole

BS in Chemistry

Most recent assessment report: November 1998

View this plan in PDF format.

Intended Outcomes/Objectives	Assessment Procedures and Criteria
1. Students obtaining a bachelor of science degree in Chemistry will have the contemporary skills and knowledge for entry level positions in the field, or for admission to graduate or professional school.	1a. The Department will keep records of placement of its graduates into positions in the chemical sciences, graduate schools, and professional schools. At least 75% of all departmental graduates who apply will be admitted to the graduate schools of their choice. 1b. The Department will survey its graduates from three to five years after graduation. At least 80% of all graduates will feel that they were prepared satisfactorily for work in the chemical sciences or for graduate school. 1c and 2a. The mean scores for department graduates should be at or above the national average on the major field examination.
2. Chemistry graduates will have developed the ability to critically assess and solve problems requiring the application of chemical principles.	2b. Chemistry majors will score at least in the 70th percentile on standardized ACS examinations administered in upper-level courses. 2c. Textbooks used for all lower- and upper-division majors' courses are mainstream texts used nationwide by thousands of chemistry majors. At least 70% of all assigned problems from these texts must be completed satisfactorily in order to pass the courses.
3. Students completing the BS in Chemistry will be capable of using contemporary methods to scan, evaluate, and retrieve data.	3. All students will be proficient in the use of contemporary methods to scan, evaluate, and retrieve data. Evidence of such use is required to receive a C or better grade in CHEM 4112, 4290, 4320, 4351, 4380, 4450, 4451, and 4460. All chemistry graduates will demonstrate such proficiency. Skill-specific outcomes will be reported.
4. Chemistry graduates will know research design methodology and be able to use problem-solving techniques associated with such research.	4. Undergraduate research through research course credit is a significant part of the BS in Chemistry. It is required for an ACS-certified degree and is strongly suggested for a non-ACS degree. Understanding research design methodology and applying associated problem-solving techniques are required for a passing grade (C or better) in all research courses. All ACS-chemistry graduates and the majority of non-ACS-graduates will demonstrate such proficiency.
5. Chemistry graduates will be able to organize and present chemical information coherently through oral and written discourse.	5a. Detailed written reports are required in the laboratory portion of all courses beyond the 1000 level. These reports represent 30-40% of the laboratory grade. Students must also present oral and written reports satisfactorily in several courses (for example CHEM 4112, 4290, 4320, 4351, 4330, 4450, 4451, and 4460) in order to attain at least a C in such courses. All chemistry graduates will demonstrate such proficiency. Skill-specific outcomes will be reported. 5b. All research students are required to prepare biweekly or monthly written summary reports of their research, along with keeping a detailed laboratory notebook on a day-to-day basis. Such reports and notebook are an integral part of the course grade evaluation, comprising 25-40% of that grade. Skill-specific outcomes will be reported. 5c. Chemistry students have participated in and won honors for their oral and written presentations at regional undergraduate research symposia, and have participated in ACS national meetings. At least 50% of all research students will present the results of their research at such regional symposia. All research students must deliver an oral presentation and poster paper at a UCA research seminar and symposium, respectively.
Departmental Honors Program
A departmental Honors Program is available in the Chemistry Department for junior or senior students with an overall GPA of 3.25 or better and a chemistry GPA of 3.40 or better, and the consent of the department chair. The program consists of not less than two semesters of laboratory research in chemistry with a faculty mentor. An acceptable written and oral report of the research must also be completed.
Intended Outcomes/Objectives	Assessment Procedures and Criteria
1. To graduate with honors in chemistry, students will demonstrate chemical research competency by research with a chemistry faculty mentor.	1. Graduates will earn academic credits through a 2-hour undergraduate research course, passed with a C grade or better.
2. Honors students will write a report of their research using proper grammar and style.	2. The director of the honors research project, in conjunction with the departmental honors committee, will evaluate the written report of that honors student. The report will be evaluated as acceptable or unacceptable.
3. Each student will demonstrate proficiency in public speaking by making an oral presentation of her/his research results to the departmental honors committee, other chemistry faculty members, and students.	3. The director of the honors research project, in conjunction with the departmental honors committee, will evaluate the oral presentation of that honors student. The presentation will be evaluated as acceptable or unacceptable.
4. Each honors student will give oral presentations outside the Chemistry Department.	4. Honors students will present the results of their research at the College Research Symposium or at regional or national meetings of the American Chemical Society.

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