Chemistry Forensics
 |
 |
 |
 |
Outcome Statements for Chemistry Forensics Majors
The Chemistry Department at the University of Rhode Island offers three undergraduate degrees: the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, the Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, and the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Chemical Oceanography. The BS degrees are more scientifically intensive than the BA degree, so require more chemistry courses. The BA degree in Chemistry is typically earned as a second major by students, coupled with secondary education, biology (often pre-medical students), or pharmacy.
The degree programs for Chemistry majors are based upon the requirements set forth by the American Chemical Society (ACS). The ACS Committee on Professional Training (CPT) is the accrediting body for Chemistry degrees. Both industry and graduate schools recognize that students with an ACS certified degree have succeeded in a high quality program and have earned a valuable personal credential in the field of Chemistry. The BS in Chemistry is the ACS accredited degree at URI. The BS in Chemistry and Chemical Oceanography and the BA in Chemistry are not accredited, but are guided by the CPT mandates.
Outcomes and Assessment
Chemistry laboratory experiences are one of the best ways
to demonstrate student learning. In the laboratory students are expected
to learn certain physical skills such as using equipment or making measurements.
The student’s success in this endeavor is easily demonstrated:
the product was synthesized or the measured value was reasonable. Further,
laboratory reports require the student to describe the success (or failure)
of their physical skills and to integrate the results into the theoretical
background provided in lecture courses. Thus, laboratory reports provide
an ideal mechanism for assessing student outcomes, especially in the
upper level laboratories.
To assess student outcomes for the different degree programs, final laboratory reports will be collected for each student from selected laboratory classes. The most complete assessment tool is the final report from the student’s research experience because a research problem in chemistry is likely to require the student to integrate material from all of the areas of chemistry. However, to demonstrate progress, we will collect reports from disciplinary classes, as well. In most of the laboratory courses, the final “experiment” is a mini project that integrates multiple skills from the rest of the course. Thus, these final laboratory reports reflect a significant portion of the material taught in the course. Students who take the seminar course (CHM 492) will also be required to turn in a copy of their presentation (typically, this means a Power Point file) as an additional assessment component. The entire set of material turned in by the student will be a portfolio of student progress and demonstrate that they have learned the skills necessary for the degree.
Only upper level courses will be used in construction of the student portfolio. This is partly for pedagogical reasons and partly for logistical reasons. The laboratory components of introductory chemistry (CHM 191 & CHM 192) and organic chemistry (CHM 226) heavily rely on introduction of basic skills that are repeated frequently throughout the rest of the curriculum. Further, since introductory chemistry and organic chemistry are service courses heavily enrolled by non-chemistry majors, the administrative burden is high with minimal useful feedback. Finally, since many students do not declare themselves as a chemistry major until after taking the introductory and organic courses, we can not even identify many majors until they start taking the upper level courses. The specific components of the portfolio for each degree will be:
BS in Chemistry and Forensic Chemistry: final lab reports
from CHM 212, CHM 335, CHM
414, CHM 425.
Each year the faculty will review the portfolios of the
graduating seniors. The review will help
the Chemistry Department identify areas of success
and areas that need improvement in the curriculum. This review will rely
on the judgment and expertise of the chemistry faculty and will change
over time, depending upon the direction taken in the field of chemistry.
Given the small size of the graduating class of chemistry majors (typically,
5 – 10 graduates per year), it is anticipated that it will take
5 to 10 years of annual data to establish baseline norms.
