Chemistry Department – Goals and Assessment

There are several programs administered within the chemistry department at CUA.  Bachelor’s degrees are awarded in the areas of chemistry, environmental chemistry, and chemistry with secondary education and, in conjunction with the biology and physics departments, respectively, biochemistry and chemical physics.  The programs are multidisciplinary.  All students are expected to complete a core of fundamental courses in chemistry spanning an introductory to an advanced level.  Beyond that goal, students in the various programs must complete specialty courses associated with their areas of concentration, for example, biochemistry, environmental, or education.  This usually involves studies in fields such as mathematics, biology, physics, engineering, and education methods.  Students gain research experience by enrolling in a research course with one of the chemistry department faculty and/or participating in one of the numerous NSF summer research opportunities for undergraduates (REU) around the country.  The department takes an active role in helping students to learn about and apply to programs available to them.  Not only does the NSF REU program provide an opportunity for hands-on research, but it exposes the student to active graduate programs and, in many cases, mentors the student in the choice of graduate education.  Since chemistry is a dynamic field, it is important that a chemistry graduate have knowledge of current methods and advances in the field as well as a strong grasp of fundamentals.  Exposure to other professionals with diverse research interests is an important part of the undergraduate education.  Besides working in a research group, attendance at seminars given by faculty members and invited speakers is strongly encouraged.  CUA’s chemistry department follows the guidelines published by the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training (ACS-CPT) for the choice and sequencing of topics in core areas and the amount of laboratory time required for courses in the major.  Every five years the chemistry program is evaluated by the ACS-CPT to insure that our program follows the mainstream of current thought in chemistry education and that the educational experiences of our graduates are at the level expected for students entering graduate school or professions in chemistry.

Assessment occurs at two levels – within structure of the individual courses, which is an ongoing process over the four years of the chemistry major and in the senior year with the senior comprehensive exam.  The comprehensive exam in the chemistry department consists of a research paper (either on a topic that a student has actually worked on in a research lab or on a literature topic) and a formal presentation of the research to the faculty and other students in the department.  The presentation is expected to be professional, following the examples of presentations of faculty and visiting speakers.  The student is evaluated on the content of the research paper, the thoroughness and accuracy of the chemistry presented and the effectiveness and professionalism of his or her presentation. Preparation for the comprehensive exam is given to students in their junior year or early in their senior year in Chem 500, Technical Writing and Information Retrieval, in which students are taught methods of searching the chemical literature and how to prepare an effective research paper, as well as standards for oral presentations.

Chemistry is an applied science, but understanding and knowledge of the basic principles alone does not make a chemist.  Being able to investigate a problem and to communicate effectively the results of the investigation are crucial to the chemist’s education.  Knowledge of fundamental principles can and is tested within the structure of each course that a student takes.  The senior comprehensive exam measures his or her ability to investigate a problem and effectively communicate results.  The best measure of the department’s success in education and assessments is in the product.  Most graduates of the chemistry department in recent years have applied to graduate chemistry or biochemistry departments upon leaving CUA and all have been accepted with tuition, stipend, and health benefits.