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SELF STUDY – DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRYAcademic Years 1999-2000 through 2003-2004

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Department Mission and Goals............................................................................3A. Departmental Mission Statement...................................................................3B. Overview and Context...................................................................................3C. Programmatic Goals......................................................................................3D. Centrality/Essentiality....................................................................................8E. Departmental Governance System……………………………………………….12

II. Chemistry Program Descriptions.........................................................................14A. Programs Offered...........................................................................................14

1. Undergraduate Programs...................................................................142. Graduate Program..............................................................................153. General Education..............................................................................164. Teacher Preparation...........................................................................165. Service to Other Programs.................................................................166. Summer Session..................................................................................18

B. Currency of Curricula ...................................................................................19C. Curriculum Review........................................................................................20D. Effectiveness of Instruction...........................................................................20

1. Instructional Methods..........................................................................212. Information Technology Used.............................................................23

E. Measures of Quantity.....................................................................................23F. Measures of Efficiency .................................................................................27

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G. Assessment of Students and Programs of Students and Programs…...... 281. Admission-to-Program.......................................................................282. End-of-Program............................................................................ 283. Post-Graduate......................................................................................294. Faculty Involvement............................................................................295. Program Assessment............................................................................296. Steps to Ensure Appropriate Assessment...........................................30

III. Faculty..................................................................................................................30

A. Faculty Profile................................................................................................30B. Faculty Professional Records and CVs..........................................................33C. Teaching Effectiveness..................................................................................33D. Scholarship.....................................................................................................34E. Service............................................................................................................

34F. Student Research Supervision…………………………………………........35

IV. Students................................................................................................................35A. Majors ............................................................................................................35B. General Education and Service Courses .......................................................36C. Student Accomplishments.............................................................................38D. Advising Services..........................................................................................39E. Other Student Services...................................................................................39

V. Library and Technological Resources.................................................................40A. Library Requirements....................................................................................40B. Student Information Literacy Proficiencies...................................................41

1. Instruction Provided............................................................................41

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2. Assessment of Proficiency..................................................................41

VI. Instrumentation and Facilities ............................................................................41

VII. Reflections ................................................................................................... 42

A. Accomplishments and Successes............................................................. 42

B. Challenges and Solutions......................................................................... 45

C. Increasing quality, quantity, and/or efficiency............................................. 48

VIII. Future Directions...............................................................................................48 A. Current national trends in the discipline and the department’s response. ......48B. How faculty set goals and balance teaching, research and service .............. 49C. The five-year vision for the Chemistry Department.......................................50D. Targeting replacement positions to optimize department goals......................50E. Resources required to pursue future directions...............................................51

IX. Suggestions for the Program Review Process.....................................................51

List of Tables ............................................................................................................52

List of Appendices ....................................................................................................53

Abbreviations

ACS American Chemical SocietyCOTS College of the SciencesCTL Center for Teaching and LearningCWU Central Washington UniversityFTE Full Time EquivalentsFTEF Full Time Equivalent FacultyFTES Full Time Equivalent StudentsGEAR UP Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate

Programs (US Department of Education) GC Gas ChromatographyGRE Graduate Record Examination

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NCATE National Council for Accreditation of Teacher EducationNIH National Institutes of HealthNMR Nuclear Magnetic ResonanceNSF National Science FoundationPANWAT Pacific Northwest Association of ToxicologistsSEOI Student Evaluation of InstructionSOURCE Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative ExpressionSTEP Science Talent Expansion Program (NSF program)TA Teaching AssistantTOEFL Test of English as a Foreign LanguageWCCTA Washington College Chemistry Teacher’s Association

Program Review Self StudyDepartment of Chemistry

Year 2004-2005

I. Department Mission and Goals

A. Departmental Mission StatementThe mission of the Department of Chemistry at Central Washington

University (CWU) is to send into society thoughtful, creative, and informed people grounded in the principles and applications of chemistry.

B. Overview and ContextThe Chemistry Department houses a dynamic and dedicated faculty whose

common goal is to offer students the best possible education in the chemical sciences. We offer a variety of programs including Bachelors of Science degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry Specialization, Bachelors of Arts in Chemistry and Chemistry Teaching, minors in Chemistry and Chemistry Teaching, and a Masters of Science degree in Chemistry. We are a small department that serves our own majors and minors, other departments’ needs, and the General Education Program. The department consists of eight faculty representing seven full time equivalents with expertise in all major areas of the chemical sciences: analytical, biochemistry, chemical education, inorganic, environmental, organic, and physical. Three and a half staff including a stockroom manager, a staff supervisor/lab manager, a secretary, and a half-time instrument technician support the faculty. For the past three years, the department has employed a full-time non tenure-track position and last year hired an additional full-time non tenure-track person to replace faculty on professional leave.

The department resides in a modern science facility with technology rich offices, lecture rooms, laboratories, and research space. Over one million dollars worth of scientific equipment is used in support of the educational enterprise and the pursuit of scholarly work.

The chemistry department contributes significantly to the university by 1) providing quality scientific training to an increasing number of majors and minors, 2) serving the needs of the General Education Program and providing a

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foundation in chemistry for majors in other departments, 3) fostering strong undergraduate and graduate research programs, 4) training teachers grounded in content and inquiry-based learning, and 5) conducting rigorous, externally funded scholarly programs. These contributions are highly valued by the faculty and staff of our department and we strive to excel in each.

C. Programmatic GoalsThe goals of the Chemistry Department reflect short term and long term

planning efforts on the part of the faculty and staff. The goals are intended to provide the direction necessary to achieve high-quality education for students and a quality working environment for our faculty and staff so that we may effectively carry out our mission.

Goal 1. Offer excellent instruction in chemistry to meet the needs of the variety of undergraduate and graduate students the department serves.a. Offer expanded opportunities for students to take general education and

specialized course work in chemistry.i. Schedule general education courses throughout the academic year.

b. Offer chemistry course work directed to the needs of students who will apply chemistry in the understanding of disciplines such as Biology, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Geology, and Professional Programs (Medicine, Veterinary Science, Dentistry, etc.).i. Maintain communication with the other science departments and

professional schools to ensure that our course work is meeting the needs of the other programs.

ii. Continue offering chemistry courses during summers to allow students to complete chemistry and professional program requirements in a timely manner.

c. Maintain and continually improve on a chemistry curriculum that fosters a quality and up-to-date education for chemistry students.i. Continue to seek and obtain American Chemical Society (ACS) degree

certification. Obtain certification within the next three years.ii. Continually engage in critical discussion of departmental courses,

curricular objectives, and student achievement.iii. Increase the number of tenure-track faculty to better serve the

increasing number of students. iv. Enhance the support and foster the appreciation for undergraduate

research. Enhance opportunities for undergraduate research by seeking sources of funding to support summer research.

v. Continue to incorporate the use of state-of-the-art instrumentation in the chemistry curriculum. Obtain support for updating and maintaining instrumentation.

vi. Continue to offer upper division electives.vii. Expand co-operative education and internship opportunities for

students.

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d. Refine and promote the delivery and exchange of chemistry curricula through the mode of distance education.i. Continue offering the distance education classes already in place.ii. Identify unmet regional needs.iii. Identify opportunities to bring instruction to CWU through distance

education.iv. Identify sources of external funding.

e. Enhance the interdisciplinary scope of our programs and activities.i. Enhance collaborations with other CWU departments on campus, such

as Biology and Geology.ii. Work with faculty from other CWU departments and other experts to

offer specialized courses in chemistry.f. Pursue external funding to promote programs of common interest.

Goal 2. Maintain and update instrument, equipment and computing resources for the quality instruction of graduate and undergraduate students.a. Implement curricular revisions incorporating computer-aided delivery of

instruction in both lecture and laboratory courses.i. Continue to develop and test computer-aided labs.

b. Maintain and upgrade existing instrumentsi. Instrument Tech shall be responsible for periodic maintenance of

instruments, keep them operational and advise on new instrument and software upgrades.

ii. Upgrade instrument computers and specific software.iii. Use Information Technology Services (ITS) to aid in the setup,

upgrade and operation of computing in the facility.c. Pursue funding sources for upgrades and new equipment purchases in both

the undergraduate and graduate laboratories.d. Facilitate the intra- and inter-departmental sharing of equipment.

i. Instrument Technician will establish clear user guidelines and train new operators.

e. Pursue more space to satisfy individualized instruction (research) needs.

Goal 3. Increase the quality and diversity of undergraduate majors in the various chemistry programs.a. Increase recruiting of high school students.

i. Increase outreach to regional high schools.ii. Participate in the NSF-STEP Summer Science Institute.

b. Increase the enrollment of community college transfer students.i. Visit community colleges for recruitment.ii. Maintain existing distance education collaborations with regional two

year colleges. c. Emphasize opportunities for student involvement in chemistry.

i. Offer and publicize chemistry-related activities, including chemistry club.

ii. Encourage employment as chemistry undergraduate teaching assistants.

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iii. Offer tours of chemistry-related industries, universities, and national laboratories.

iv. Maintain an active seminar program.v. Identify regional and national employment opportunities for chemistry

graduates.vi. Invite visitors from industry, national labs, and universities to talk to

students about employment possibilities.vii. Make connections with university, industry, and national lab student

internship programs.d. Improve the visibility of the chemistry staff and department.

i. Attend regional, national and international meetings of chemistry-related professional organizations.

ii. Publicize accomplishments.iii. Increase outreach to local and regional high school science teachers.iv. Increase the frequency of communication with peers at other

institutions.v. Continue to be involved in CWU activities including university-level

committee participation.vi. Continue to develop chemistry client-server electronics platforms

including web pages and interactive curricula content.vii. List the department in various guides to undergraduate programs.viii. Increase publication rate.ix. Visit other chemistry departments regionally, nationally and

internationally and give research seminars.

Goal 4. Maintain a high quality graduate program in chemistry. a. Work with the administration to develop commonly agreed upon

guidelines concerning acceptable graduate and undergraduate research student credit hour generation and distribution.

b. Maintain a strong curriculum.i. Offer a core of regularly scheduled graduate courses.ii. Offer viable program choices to graduate students in both course and

research opportunities.iii. Promote collaboration in research and course development between

chemistry faculty and faculty in other departments by offering a program that is rigorous but flexible.

c. Increase the chemistry faculty by two tenure-track positions. d. Facilitate adjunct faculty appointments.

i. Identify and employ scientists in the region, especially Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, interested in teaching graduate courses.

e. Provide financial support for graduate assistantships.i. Obtain institutional commitments for additional graduate

assistantships.ii. Obtain external funding to support graduate assistantships.

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iii. Work with the Graduate Studies Office and the Graduate Council to increase the stipend offered to graduate students in chemistry.

f. Increase graduate enrollment.i. Enhance liaisons with community colleges and regional universities,

through collaborations, speaker exchanges, and exchange of senior lists.

ii. Participate in graduate recruiting events, such as graduate recruiting breakfasts hosted by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

iii. Continually update and improve the graduate brochure.g. Develop tools to assess the effectiveness of the graduate program.

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Goal 5. Maintain an enthusiastic, active faculty.a. Recognizing that service and scholarship contributions by faculty are key

to the vitality and growth of a department, work towards filling all full-time teaching positions with tenured or tenure-track faculty.

b. Recruit, then hire, quality faculty using institutional and departmental goals as a guide.

c. Work toward and then maintain reasonable teaching loads that recognize the time required for excellence in classroom and laboratory teaching, as well as thoughtful and effective supervision of undergraduate and graduate research students in a laboratory science.

d. Aid faculty in maintaining a continuing growth of knowledge of their field and new developments in teaching methodology.i. Offer new faculty "start up" funds and time to initiate programs of

scholarly work.ii. Offer encouragement, and seek to offer monetary support, for travel to

workshops, professional meetings, etc.iii. Encourage and facilitate applications for professional leave.iv. Offer recognition of professional efforts.v. Refine the Chemistry Department tenure and promotion guidelines

document.vi. Work toward a system of regular post-tenure review that rewards

contributions in the areas of teaching, service and scholarship.e. Encourage faculty communication.

i. Maintain an active seminar program.ii. Encourage intra- and inter-departmental multidisciplinary teaching and

research endeavors.f. Facilitate efficient use of faculty time.

i. Maintain long-term planning with respect to teaching loads, schedules, service assignments, departmental projects, etc.

Goal 6. Maintain an enthusiastic, active staff. a. Maintain a highly qualified and well-trained support staff.b. Provide staff opportunities for continued growth of knowledge in their

field.i. Encourage staff to participate in workshops, appropriate professional

meetings, and trainings.ii. When feasible allow release time for job related training.iii. Provide regular professional development funding for staff to attend

workshops, appropriate professional meetings, and trainings. c. Evaluate staff annually with emphasis on professional growth and mutual

feedback.d. Solicit staff input on departmental decisions.

i. Include staff in department meetings.e. Allow for flexible working hours when feasible such as during summer

quarter.

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Goal 7. Serve the academic community and the general public through scholarly research and service activities. a. Foster laboratory and field-oriented research programs that involve the

students of Central Washington University through experimentation and grant writing.i. Target and submit proposals to grant programs at Research

Corporation, the American Chemical Society-Petroleum Research Fund (ACS-PRF), the Henry and Camille Dreyfus Foundation, the National Science Foundation-Research at Undergraduate Institutions (NSF-RUI), the National Institutes of Health – Academic Research Enhancement Award (NIH-AREA) and the U. S. Departments of Agriculture, Defense, and Energy.

ii. Continue to engage undergraduate and graduate students in faculty laboratory research programs.

b. Serve on national, regional or local boards concerned with professional and/or research activities. i. Maintain memberships in professional organizations such as the

American Chemical Society (ACS), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Society of Toxicology (SOT).

ii. Increase activity in professional organizations by serving as officers, committee chairs and members.

iii. Host the regional American Chemical Society Undergraduate Research Conference and the Washington College Chemistry Teachers Association (WCCTA) Conference as needed.

c. Actively produce and disseminate teaching and research related materials at professional meetings and in peer-reviewed literature.

d. Provide consulting services in areas of expertise.e. Provide editorial services for scholarly journals.f. Provide educational programs for the community.

i. Participate in outreach efforts to the K-12 schools.ii. Present scholarly work to non-expert audiences such as the Central

Adult Lifelong Learning (CALL) group.iii. Provide hands-on workshops to students at events such as Expanding

Your Horizons in Science and Math.g. Maintain state certification of the Environmental Testing Laboratory in the

Department of Chemistry and assess the feasibility of expansion.

D. Centrality/Essentiality1. Centrality to the University’s Mission

Central Washington University’s mission is to prepare students for responsible citizenship, responsible stewardship of the earth, and enlightened and productive lives. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni serve as an intellectual resource to assist central Washington, the state, and the region in solving human and environmental problems.

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Scientific literacy allows for responsible citizenship, responsible stewardship of the earth and enlightened and productive lives. The chemistry department provides educational programs that result in scientifically literate graduates. A fundamental knowledge of chemistry is important in developing a scientific philosophy, in understanding the impact that humans have on the earth, and in understanding life and the human body. The department offers courses to all CWU students in the applications of chemistry in their world. Faculty, students, and alumni actively participate in solving human and environmental problems through scientific chemical research.

2. Promotion of University Strategic Goals within the Department

Goal I: Provide for an outstanding academic and student life on the Ellensburg campus.

The Chemistry Department offers programs designed to give students experience in all areas of chemical sciences. The department excels at providing students with hands-on laboratory experience using state-of-the-art equipment. Students have multiple options for undergraduate research experiences. The department is currently seeking American Chemical Society program accreditation. Department faculty members provide both academic and career advising to all Chemistry majors as they progress through their major. Faculty also serve as advisors to student clubs including the Chemistry Club, the Science Education Club, and the Pre-Pharmacy Club.

Goal II: Provide for an outstanding academic and student life at the university centers.

The Chemistry Department currently offers Organic Chemistry via distance education technology to CWU-Yakima and CWU-Wenatchee. Organic Chemistry is a second year sequence required for chemistry and biology majors. This offering is particularly important for students planning to transfer since Yakima Valley and Wenatchee Valley Community Colleges do not offer this sequence. Department faculty have also been in communication with Edmonds Community College about the possibility of a Chemistry Education major at CWU-Lynnwood. The department will continue to support programs at university centers as the need arises and if appropriate resources are available.

Goal III: Develop a diversified funding base to support our academic and student programs.

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Chemistry Department faculty have been active in seeking and obtaining external funding in support of individual research efforts, department curriculum efforts, and university priorities. Department faculty have garnered over two million dollars in the last five years as principle investigators (PIs) or co-PIs from agencies and businesses including the National Science Foundation (NSF), Research Corporation, OSRAM SYLVANIA, M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust, National Park Service, the Higher Education Coordinating Board and The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. Detailed information about faculty grant success is located in Appendix I.

Faculty have worked in less tangible ways to increase the funding base for programs. They have worked closely with the CWU University Relations Calling Connection Program to provide information to enhance their fundraising efforts. They have worked closely with the Office of Admissions as part of a Natural Science Recruitment Committee to recruit students into the natural sciences in general and chemistry in particular. Several members of the department have participated in the NSF Science Talent Expansion Program (STEP) as co-Principal Investigators, an assessment expert, freshman science series instructor, and summer science institute instructors. The department’s energetic faculty and broad expertise has increased student participation in research and increased enrollments in both the undergraduate and graduate programs.

Goal IV: Build mutually beneficial partnerships with industry, professional groups, institutions, and the communities surrounding our campus locations.

The Chemistry Department maintains several partnerships with constituents in industry, professional groups, institutions and the local community. The department is a member of the Washington College Chemistry Teachers Association (WCCTA). Several faculty attend the WCCTA annual meeting each year. Members of the department belong to the regional American Chemical Society section (Puget Sound Section), and maintain professional relationships with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), OSRAM SYLVANIA, the Pacific Northwest Association of Toxicologists and the National Park Service (see Appendix II A). All of the department faculty engage in research collaborations with individual scientific colleagues at other academic institutions in the United States and abroad.

Locally, the department faculty, staff, and students work with K-12 students and teachers by participating in outreach activities as well as hosting on-campus events. The department participates each year in Expanding Your Horizons, Multicultural Experiences in Math and Science, the summer science institute as part of STEP, GEAR-UP 6th grade campus visitations and many others. See Appendix II B for a listing of Chemistry Faculty K-12 and community outreach activities.

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Goal V: Strengthen the university’s position as a leader in the field of education.

The Chemistry Department offers a major and a minor in Chemistry Teaching designed to prepare secondary teachers in chemistry. The department has one half-time faculty member dedicated to chemical education who plays a leading role in the administration of the University’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) by serving on the CTL Advisory Board and the CTL Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. In the fall of 2004 the department will add a second half-time position in chemical education to strengthen our ties with the Science Education Program. Members of the department have served on statewide committees dealing with transfer agreements for articulation of pre-service science teachers, standards setting for the new WEST-E exit exam for teachers in chemistry, and development of writing in the content rubric (State Writing Project).

Goal VI: Create and sustain productive, civil, and pleasant campuses and workplaces.

The Chemistry Department consists of dedicated, talented, and collegial faculty and staff working toward program quality and professional growth. We are a relatively small department (7.0 FTEF) that participates widely in college and university decision-making bodies including Faculty Senate, Graduate Council, CTL Advisory Board, Employee Council of Civil Service Employees, SOURCE committee and the COTS Undergraduate Research Committee among many others. The department embraces a gender diverse workplace as exemplified by a 50% female faculty and a 75% female staff. Department members also represent several different socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. Many in the department have accomplished educational and research goals by working in foreign countries. This diversity contributes to a quality workplace. Faculty have actively participated in programs that value diversity and create opportunities for underrepresented minorities such as the McNair Program, Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Math, Multicultural Experiences in Math and Science, and the STEP Program.

3. Promotion of College of the Sciences Mission within the Department

The mission of the College of the Sciences is to provide students with knowledge and skills in the behavioral, natural, and social sciences. This knowledge is intended to enable students to better understand the physical and social world in which they live, to become more effective in their human relationships, and to sustain their state and nation in the demanding years ahead. The primary focus of the College is excellence in instruction, with the recognition that teaching, research, and service are interdependent activities.

The Chemistry Department promotes the mission of the College of the Sciences (COTS) and the University through its programmatic goals. The

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Chemistry Department provides students with knowledge of their natural world through degree programs in chemistry and by participation in the General Education Program at CWU. Chemistry courses and programs offer students the opportunity to learn about the physical make up of the world in which they live. This education gives students the scientific literacy and, in particular, the chemical literacy to effectively sustain their state and nation. Faculty participate with students in laboratory and educational research to improve the world including such wide ranging outcomes as enhanced drug design, better display technology, cleaner air, and improved student learning. It is the emphasis on faculty and student partnerships, accompanied by high quality instrumentation that allows the Chemistry Department to provide excellent instruction at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. The rigor and quality of our programs prepare students for the demanding years ahead whether they choose graduate school, a career in chemistry, or informed citizenship.

E. Departmental Governance SystemThe Chemistry Department consists of seven full-time equivalent faculty,

several adjunct faculty, and 3.5 classified staff. The Department Chair oversees all of the department personnel. The department has a Staff Supervisor who manages staff positions. The department employs many students as research assistants, teaching assistants, stockroom assistants, and office assistants who are supervised by faculty and staff. The organizational chart below depicts the relationships as they were during the 2003-2004 academic year with updates to 2004-2005.

1. Chair 2001-2004 Martha Kurtz , Associate Professor (1/2 time Science Ed)2004-2005 Carin Thomas, Associate Professor (1/2 time Associate Dean)

2. Tenure-Track FacultyEric Bullock Assistant ProfessorJoAnn DeLuca ProfessorAnthony Diaz Assistant ProfessorLevente Fabry Assistant ProfessorAnne Johansen Assistant ProfessorDavid Lygre Professor Martha Kurtz Associate Professor (1/2 time Science Ed)

Sabbatical 2004-2005Tim Sorey Assistant Professor (1/2 time Science Ed)

2004-2005, first year of appointmentCarin Thomas Associate Professor (1/2 time Associate Dean)

3. Non Tenure-Track and Adjunct Faculty2003-2004 2004-2005Marci Bailey, FTNTT Wajdi Zoghaib, FTNTTKalyn Owens, FTNTT Gabor Konya, FTNTTJeff Owens, Adjunct Ted McConnaughy, Adjunct

4. Staff Supervisor

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Cynthia Kuhlken Scientific Instructional Supervisora. Staff

Lisa Stowe Secretary Seniori. Student Office Assistant

Heather HinermanTony Brown Scientific Technician II

i. Student Stockroom AssistantsVarious

Ying Qi Engineering Technician II (1/2 time Biology)Resigned in August 2004

2004-2005 A search is in process for two staff positions to be shared among Biology, Chemistry, and Geology:Engineering Technician II (1.00) and Engineering Technician I (0.75)

5. Student Teaching AssistantsVarious, approximately 20 per quarter

CommitteesThe department has formed several committees to assist in formulating

department policy and governing the work of the faculty and staff. The following are active committees within the department:

Department Committee of the Whole – All Chemistry faculty and staff meet once each week to discuss department business. These meetings consist of information items, reports from department representatives (e.g., Faculty Senate), committee reports, and action items. Business includes strategic planning, curricular improvements, resource use, student scholarships, department policy, and prioritization of work. Committee recommendations are discussed and approved or sent back to committee. The faculty feel strongly that the staff should participate in appropriate decisions of the department. Staff do not vote on faculty issues or curricular issues and they do not participate in chair elections.

Personnel Committee – Ideally this committee consists of at least three tenured faculty excluding the Department Chair. The committee reviews faculty performance for reappointment, promotion, tenure, merit, and post-tenure review and makes recommendations to the Dean of COTS. Because of the relative youth of the department, it has been difficult to staff this committee with tenured faculty. Tenured faculty of other closely related departments have been asked to serve for promotion and tenure decisions in the past, however, merit and reappointment evaluations have often included experienced tenure-track faculty.

Undergraduate Committee – This committee considers all issues related to chemistry undergraduate programs including General Education curricula. The committee discusses and brings to the Committee of the Whole proposals related to curricula, program goals, and assessments. The committee reviews and reports

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the results of program assessments including ACS standardized exams, end-of-major portfolios and alumni surveys.

Graduate Committee - This committee considers all issues related to the chemistry graduate program. The Graduate Program Coordinator chairs the committee. The committee discusses and brings to the Committee of the Whole proposals related to curricula, program goals, and assessments. The committee reviews graduate student applications and requests Teaching Assistantships from the Office of Graduate Studies and Research.

Safety Committee- This committee is responsible for the safety policies of the department. They keep abreast of new federal and state regulations and advise the department on appropriate responses.

Instrument Technician Committee – The Engineering Technician II (working title is Instrument Technician) is currently a position shared by the Biological Sciences Department and the Chemistry Department. This committee with members from both departments oversees the workload and addresses any issues related to this position.

Other duties – Other duties are assigned to facilitate smooth running of the department. These include such assignments as Seminar Coordinator, Teaching Assistant Orientation, Library Representative, Faculty Senate Representative, Webmaster and Student Scholarship Coordinator.

II. Chemistry Program Descriptions

A. Programs OfferedThe Chemistry Department offers several academic programs to students of

Central Washington University. The catalog description for the Chemistry Department can be found in Appendix III. The following descriptions outline the department’s contributions in each of the various programs.

1. Undergraduate ProgramsThe Chemistry Department offers four undergraduate degree programs: B.A.

in Chemistry, B.A. in Chemistry Teaching, B.S. in Chemistry and a B.S. in Chemistry with Biochemistry specialization. These broad-based chemistry degree programs are designed to effectively generate well-prepared, self-sufficient learners, teachers and problem solvers that are successful in pursuing graduate degrees as well as securing employment in the various fields of chemistry. The department also offers two minors: Chemistry and Chemistry Teaching.

Students completing any of the four undergraduate chemistry major programs will:

Know the standard technical information and be able to perform experimental techniques of general, organic, analytical and physical chemistry.

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Be able to speak and write clearly in the language and style of the discipline. Demonstrate quantitative problem-solving skills. This includes having a firm

foundation in the fundamentals and applications of the necessary mathematics, physics and statistics as it applies to experimental design and data analysis.

Be able to use computers and discipline specific software. Be able to retrieve and critically analyze chemical literature. Be aware of current health and safety protocols that are an integral part of the

discipline. Be able to work effectively in group situations.

Bachelor of Arts: Chemistry – The B.A. curriculum in Chemistry gives students the basic core of chemistry content while allowing some flexibility in upper division science elective courses. The degree prepares students to pursue careers in any chemical field. The B.A. satisfies the prerequisites of some graduate schools, but students intending to pursue graduate work are encouraged to obtain the B.S. degree.

Bachelor of Arts: Chemistry Teaching – This B.A. degree prepares students to teach chemistry in the secondary schools. The Chemistry Teaching major provides students with a broad background in chemistry and is designed to meet the Washington State, National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) standards. Once the department has obtained ACS accreditation for our B.S. program, we can apply for certification of our teaching major.

Bachelor of Science: Chemistry – The B.S. curriculum in Chemistry prepares students for graduate school or a career in chemistry. The B.S. degree also provides appropriate training for pre-professional programs. The program contains a high level of chemistry content including courses in all traditional branches of chemistry. One year of physics and two quarters of calculus are required. The American Chemical Society provides national recognition and certification of this degree and the Chemistry department is currently taking steps to attain such certification.

Bachelor of Science: Chemistry with Biochemistry Specialization – This B.S. curriculum in Chemistry prepares students for graduate school or a career in chemistry with emphasis on biotechnology and professional health fields. The program contains courses in all traditional branches of chemistry and includes a group of courses with significant molecular sciences content from the biological sciences. One year of physics and two quarters of calculus are required. After the department has obtained American Chemical Society accreditation for the B.S. degree in Chemistry, application can be made for certification of the Biochemistry Specialization B.S. degree.

Minors in Chemistry – The Chemistry minor curriculum allows maximum flexibility for students to tailor their program to meet their professional goals and to align with their major program goals. The Chemistry Teaching minor allows students pursuing a teaching degree in another science to add an endorsement in chemistry.

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2. Graduate ProgramThe graduate program in chemistry is tailored to satisfy individual student

aspirations and is designed to provide knowledge, skills and discovery within the chemical sciences. The program prepares candidates for professional employment in chemistry careers including industry, consulting, and government, and for teaching at the community college or secondary level. Additionally, the program provides a foundation for further graduate studies beyond the M.S. level in chemistry and related fields. Chemistry graduate students may focus their studies in any of these major areas: biochemistry; organic, physical, analytical or inorganic chemistry; and chemistry education.

Emphasis in a specific area is achieved through graduate research and enhanced by appropriate course work and seminars. The department utilizes state-of-the-art laboratory facilities with an array of modern instrumentation and computational capabilities.

The graduate program is relatively new and small but growing. The Graduate Program Coordinator has worked diligently to increase awareness of the program including arranging faculty seminar exchanges, recruiting at national meetings, and making university administration aware of the limitation the teaching assistant stipend places on us. The current stipend is not competitive with other similar institutions in the state and restricts our ability to attract students to our program.

Faculty are eager to mentor graduate students and to serve as members of their thesis committees. Chemistry Department faculty regularly serve as members of thesis committees for students in other graduate programs including Biological Sciences, Geological Sciences, Exercise Science and Education.

3. General EducationThe Chemistry Department serves the General Education Program by offering

three courses: CHEM 101, 111 and 181. CHEM 101 is an elective in the General Education requirement for Applications of Natural Sciences. This course treats social, ethical, economic, or technological implications of natural phenomena. CHEM 111 and 181, and their associated laboratory courses, meet the General Education requirement for a Fundamental Discipline of Physical and Biological Sciences. These courses provide basic methods for describing and comprehending the natural world. Average annual enrollments in CHEM 111 and 181 have increased from 230 to 260 in the last five years while those in CHEM 101 have decreased from 204 to 106, probably due to other attractive electives in the Applications of Natural Sciences General Education program.

4. Teacher PreparationThe Chemistry Department offers both a major and a minor to students

planning on teaching at the secondary level. Our General Education courses serve to give basic chemical knowledge to other pre-service teachers including Elementary Education majors who get the Science Education minor and pre-service teachers earning a Middle Level Math Science minor. Three graduate courses, offered when sufficient interest exists, address chemical education at higher levels.

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Having multiple endorsements in the science areas enhances employment of science teachers in our region. For that reason, the department offers a Chemistry Teaching minor, which in the past resulted in a Supporting Endorsement in Chemistry. Beginning in Fall 2005 students will be required to pass an exit exam to be endorsed in Chemistry. The minor will provide the requisite knowledge and skills in chemistry to students who get a teaching major in another science discipline.

5. Service to Other ProgramsThe Chemistry Department plays a large role in support of other programs.

Table 1 demonstrates the importance of chemistry courses to other programs showing the total number of students enrolled in each support course per year. Although chemistry majors are not disaggregated from this data, they represent the clear minority in lower division courses.

Table 1. Student Enrollment in Service CoursesCourse 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004111* 247 245 237 248 258111Lab* 240 238 223 247 257112* 54 44 34 60 55112Lab* 51 41 33 60 54113* 53 29 32 37 53113Lab* 48 29 32 35 49181 214 194 229 212 260181Lab 204 178 215 202 253182 149 118 154 146 174182Lab 145 114 156 140 166183 113 105 123 136 156183Lab 103 96 123 122 135345 16 13 12 15 10361 104 89 94 125 115361Lab 89 77 88 125 110362 88 89 71 127 107363 23 35 39 68 46363Lab 18 28 29 58 38431 40 32 44 36 70431Lab 28 18 30 27 55432 22 18 30 28 52

*Course not applicable to chemistry major programs.

The following descriptions identify the programs that depend on the department’s offerings:

CHEM 111-113 series: One course (or more) in this sequence is required in certain programs of Biological Sciences, Nutrition, Industrial and Engineering Technology, Safety and Health Management, and preparation for allied health science programs such as dental hygiene and nursing.

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CHEM 181-183 series: The general chemistry 180-series is required for all chemistry majors. One course (or more) in the sequence is required in certain programs of Biological Sciences, Geological Sciences, Physics, Industrial and Engineering Technology, and preparation for professional health science programs such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and veterinary medicine.

CHEM 361-363 series: The organic chemistry 360-series is required for all B.S. chemistry majors. The first two courses in the CHEM 360-series are required for all B.A. chemistry majors. One course (or more) in the sequence is required in certain programs of Biological Sciences and preparation for professional health science programs such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine.

CHEM 431-432 series: Two courses in the biochemistry 430-series are required for all B.S. chemistry majors. One course (or more) in the sequence is a requirement or elective in certain programs of Biological Sciences and preparation for professional health science programs such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine.

As a comparison to the service courses shown in Table 1, the following is a list of courses that are required for and populated mostly by chemistry majors.CHEM 251 Quantitative ChemistryCHEM 350 Inorganic ChemistryCHEM 380-series, Physical ChemistryCHEM 473 Transition MetalsCHEM 452 Instrumental AnalysisCHEM 388 Chemistry ColloquiumCHEM 488 Chemistry Colloquium

6. Summer SessionThe Chemistry Department summer program has two components:

coursework of a service/general education nature and research opportunities for science majors.

The summer course offerings are severely limited by the Washington state requirement for self-support, and to a lesser extent, by the department's desire to offer courses for chemistry majors and minors during the academic year in order to fully document FTE generation in those courses. Experience has shown that adequate student enrollment numbers in CHEM 111, Introduction to Chemistry, and CHEM 112, Introduction to Organic Chemistry, along with the associated laboratory courses, financially justify the summer offerings. Students take these courses to satisfy general education requirements, or to satisfy requirements within their major (see above description in Service to Other Programs section). CHEM 111 also serves to prepare students for the year-long general chemistry sequence (CHEM 181, 182, 183). Summer session provides summer earnings for one or two (often adjunct) faculty. Little, if any, income is generated for the Chemistry Department from summer revenue.

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For chemistry majors, minors, and graduate students, summer offerings are limited to opportunities for involvement in faculty mentored research. Laboratory research in chemistry is a time intensive enterprise, well suited to the summer months. During the last five years, four to six faculty members and 10 to 20 students have been involved in research during the summer. Students receive credit in CHEM 495, Senior Research or CHEM 595, Graduate Research, or are paid as laboratory assistants, depending on the project and faculty mentor. Faculty are either paid through research grants or work without pay. Faculty typically are not paid by the University for independent study credits generated. Little, if any, income is typically generated for chemistry department coffers.

B. Currency of CurriculaThe B.S. in Chemistry conforms to the recommendations of the American

Chemical Society (ACS), with whom certification is currently being sought. The process of ACS certification requires a formal assessment of the curriculum included in a self-study document that was submitted to ACS in spring 2004. The department hosted a formal site visit by Dr. Phil Reid, a representative of the Committee on Professional Training, in November 2004 and anticipates information on the status of our application in March 2005. Chemistry department program currency is ensured through the faculty's involvement in fundable scholarly activity, through the annual updating of courses to meet modern trends, and through the continuous examination of curricular issues that occur in discussions or workshops at professional meetings (e.g., yearly Washington College Chemistry Teacher’s Association meeting, American Chemical Society National meeting, and Biennial Conference on Chemical Education). American Chemical Society national standardized exams are also used at the close of several courses to assure currency and adherence to national chemistry educational standards. The Chemistry Teaching major reflects national trends and standards prepared by the NSTA, NCATE, and the State of Washington.

Recently, the Undergraduate Committee proposed changes to the B.S. in Chemistry to improve the curriculum relative to national standards. The physical and inorganic chemists suggested a merging of the two labs into one integrated lab, in response to a national trend to provide a more interdisciplinary experience for graduates. In addition, the B.A. in Chemistry Teaching degree has integrated an undergraduate research experience requirement to meet new state and national standards.

The curricula for introductory courses, which are taught by several faculty, are developed through consensus and with the oversight of the department Undergraduate Committee. The newest editions of standard textbooks are used in all instruction. Curricula for upper division service courses is developed through discussions of the department Undergraduate Committee and the Department Committee of the Whole in consultation with faculty in the served departments. Such discussions have led to three major changes within the last decade. The department updated its coverage and offerings in biochemistry and inorganic chemistry, making them 400-level courses (CHEM 431 and 432, and CHEM 473, respectively). The department also reconfigured the lecture course content and laboratory requirement for the organic chemistry series (CHEM 360 series) to enable non-major students to complete the

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first two quarters and receive good preparation for the Biological Science major. The reconfiguration of organic chemistry allowed the department to streamline its curriculum and remove three courses, CHEM 311, CHEM 312, and CHEM 362 Laboratory, which are no longer offered.

The content for lecture courses in chemistry is fairly standard as evidenced by the similarity of the available textbooks. In the laboratory, it is easier to document a pattern of change over time. Lab manuals for most of our courses are written by our own faculty and are updated and improved quarterly to incorporate more active learning pedagogies, modern content, and advanced technologies.

Faculty have worked consistently to ensure the currency of the graduate program curricula. The Chemistry Graduate Program was reinstated one year prior to the beginning of the review period in 1998-1999. Faculty members of the department have rigorous research programs, involving both graduate and undergraduate students. They attend national and international meetings to keep abreast of recent trends in their fields. All graduate courses are under continuous review by the graduate committee to ensure that they incorporate recent scientific discoveries made in the field. Seminars by outside speakers also expose students to other areas of research and scientists from other universities.

C. Curriculum ReviewAll faculty are members of either the undergraduate or graduate curriculum

committees, which meet regularly to discuss the effectiveness of the curricula in attaining our stated departmental goals. These committees review the curriculum and propose changes, which are then presented to the department as a whole during weekly department meetings. In August 2003, the department held an all-day retreat to discuss the content of all courses taught in the department in order to streamline the curriculum and to ensure that all educational goals were being met as efficiently as possible.

A subcommittee of the Chemistry Department, involving the instructors of a given course, typically meet to review the text being used. In some cases the departmental Undergraduate Committee also reviews the course. The usual approach is to select representative chapters for analysis. In addition, information is included from student evaluations each quarter in each course that include comments about the text and instruction. Major criteria in textbook selection include clarity of explanations, writing style, appropriate rigor, accuracy, coverage, student learning objectives, and usefulness of homework and other exercises. Associated laboratory courses are also reviewed, taking into account the philosophy of the course, national trends, local needs, student evaluations, and the relationship of the laboratory to lecture content. Chemistry laboratory exercises are modified regularly to reflect these considerations.

Curriculum review of the graduate program falls under the purview of the Graduate Committee, which is typically comprised of the Graduate Program Coordinator and at least three tenure-track faculty in chemistry. Criteria for review emphasize rigorous and modern training for graduate students through course work and research. A secondary goal is to allow as much flexibility as possible so that students may develop specialized knowledge within the field. Additional feedback is provided through informal exit interviews with graduates. In 2002, the department made substantial changes in our graduate program to achieve these goals. These changes

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included the introduction of several new courses, as well as a re-design of the program that gives students more opportunities to take graduate courses in disciplines outside of chemistry.

D. Effectiveness of InstructionEffectiveness of instruction is measured similarly for all courses and instructors.

Effectiveness of methods, both innovative and traditional, used by each faculty member is under continuous self-evaluation. During the last week of every course, including laboratories, each faculty member has a colleague or staff member administer a Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEOI). These evaluations consist of 29 questions to be rated from 1-5 (with 5 being excellent and 1 being very poor) as well as written comments under the headings: "What aspects of the teaching of this course do you feel were especially good?" and "What changes could be made to improve learning in this course?" A summary of this data is provided to the instructor, the Department Chair, and the Dean.

Tenure-track faculty are evaluated annually by the Personnel Committee using material supplied by the faculty member. These materials include course syllabi, exams, assignments, and results of student evaluations. In addition, annual peer evaluation of instruction is conducted for both tenured and tenure-track faculty. At least once a year, each faculty member receives a class visitation by either the Department Chair or another faculty member. The reviewer then writes a letter reporting on a critical analysis of the effectiveness of instruction. Both the SEOI's and the visitation letter go into the instructor's performance review file. Every year, the Department Chair and Personnel Committee review this file and evaluate the faculty member's teaching as a whole, commenting on the effectiveness of the teaching as well as recommendations for improvement.

The effectiveness of instruction is also indicated by results of standardized American Chemical Society exams where appropriate. These exams are administered during the final exam period in the following courses: CHEM 183, 251, 363, 381, 432, 452. Students typically perform at the national average on these exams.

1. Instructional Methods The Chemistry Department faculty display the scholarship of teaching, in part,

through the wide range of instructional methodologies used. Different instructors use different combinations of tools in teaching their classes. These tools reflect the philosophy of the course in general, the nature and level of the students involved, and the skill and experience of the instructor in using particular tools. Table 2 summarizes the modes of instruction used in chemistry courses. Most courses involve some lecture component, but instructors also use in-class experimental demonstrations, group discussions, activities, quizzes, and a wide range of information technology based approaches. Many courses also have an associated laboratory section in which students typically work both independently and in collaboration to apply their chemical knowledge and produce results using modern instrumentation and associated computer technology. Some courses use a seminar-style approach in which students read, present and discuss current research articles

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or other readings. Students participate in group projects that culminate in written and/or oral presentations to meet one of the department’s program goals.

The department is particularly proud of the integration of teaching and research through our active undergraduate and graduate research programs. Many of our students collaborate with faculty on various research projects. Students present their results at the annual campus-wide SOURCE and Conference of Graduate Student and Faculty Scholarship events as well as at regional, national, and international conferences.

Table 2. Modes of Instruction Used in Chemistry Courses.

CHEM Title Lect

ure

Info

rmat

ion

Tech

nolo

gy

Labo

rato

ry

Inst

rum

ent T

echn

olog

y

Fiel

d Tr

ips

Sem

inar

/Lit

Rev

iew

Smal

l Gro

up

Gro

up o

r Cla

ss P

roje

cts

Indi

vidu

al p

roje

cts

Teac

hing

Exp

erie

nce

101 Contemporary Chemistry X X X X111 Introduction to Chemistry X X111 L Introduction to Chemistry Lab X X X112 Introduction to Organic Chemistry X X112 L Introduction to Organic Chemistry Lab X X X X113 Introduction to Biochemistry X X113 L Introduction to Biochemistry Lab X X X X X181 General Chemistry X X X181 L General Chemistry Lab X X X X X182 General Chemistry X X X182 L General Chemistry Lab X X X X X183 General Chemistry X X X183 L General Chemistry Lab X X X X X251 Quantitative Analysis X X X251 L Quantitative Analysis Lab X X X X345 Environmental Chem (lecture & lab) X X X X X X X X X350 Inorganic Chemistry X X X361 Organic Chemistry X X X361 L Organic Chemistry Lab I X X X X X X X362 Organic Chemistry X X X X363 Organic Chemistry X X X363 L Organic Chemistry Lab II X X X X X X381 Physical Chemistry Thermodynamics X X X X382 Physical Chemistry X X X X382 L Physical Chemistry Lab I X X X383 Physical Chemistry X X X X383 L Physical Chemistry Lab II X X X X X388 Colloquium – poster presentation X X X X X431 Biochemistry I, Macromolecules X X431 L Biochemistry Lab X X X X X432 Biochemistry II, Metabolism X X X X452 Instrumental Analysis X X X452 L Instrumental Analysis Lab X X X X473 Transition Metal Chemistry X X X X X488 Colloquium – oral presentation X X X X X492/592 Laboratory – Experience in Teaching Chem X X X495/595 Undergraduate/Graduate Research X X X X X X X X X503 Introduction to Research X X505 Current Topics in Chemistry X X X X X X X511 Advanced Biochemistry X X X X X512 Biochemical Toxicology X X X X X542 Teaching Chem at the Comm. College X X X X X

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551 Atmospheric Chemistry X X X X X X552 The Chemistry of Natural Waters X X X X X561 Organic Reaction Mechanisms X X X X X562 Physical Organic Chemistry X X X X563 Advanced Synthetic Methods X X X X X571 Topics in Solid State Chemistry X X X X X X582 Chemical Kinetics X X X X583 Quantum Chemistry X X X X589 Graduate Student Seminar X X X

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2. Information Technologies UsedDepartment faculty regularly utilize a range of information technologies to

foster student learning. Due to the abstract nature of our discipline, information technology is particularly important for faculty to convey chemical concepts and ideas. The resources that are routinely used in the department are: PowerPoint presentations; web pages with course information, activities, practice tests and supplementary links and materials; CDs accompanying textbooks; educational videos; and the campus-wide Blackboard program for course structuring and tests.

Discipline specific software for molecular representation and modeling, such as ChemDraw, Spartan and Gaussian, and symbolic logic programs for problem solving, such as Mathcad, are also incorporated into the curriculum for student use in a number of courses. Computer facilities with discipline-specific software as well as standard spreadsheet, word processing and internet browsers are available and essential for students and faculty to accomplish their work in the chemistry department.

Students use many of these information technologies for in-class presentations. The undergraduate curriculum includes two required Colloquium classes: CHEM 388 in which students prepare posters on various topics in chemistry for end-of-the-quarter presentations to the department, and CHEM 488 in which students give oral PowerPoint presentations to the department on a topic from a literature search or their own laboratory research. In all cases the students make use of the information technologies outlined above.

Students taking general chemistry have access to computers on their lab bench that are interfaced with probes to assist in the collection of physical data. Few chemistry programs across the country have the resources to incorporate technology at such an early juncture in the students’ academic experience. As they progress through laboratory courses in the major, students experience increasing instrument technology sophistication culminating in the instrumental analysis course, CHEM 452 and 452 laboratory.

In addition, the department offers distance education courses in organic chemistry using our Science Building facilities for the benefit of students at regional community colleges.

E. Measures of QuantityMeasures of quantity include the number of Full Time Equivalent Students (FTES)

served by the department (Table 3), Percent Change in FTES over the review period (Table 4), and the number of graduates from chemistry degree programs (Table 5). The CWU Office of Institutional Research provided data for these tables. The number of Full Time Equivalent Faculty (FTEF) in Chemistry over the review period is also shown in Table 6. The data in Table 6 were provided by Dean Miller of the College of the Sciences.

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Table 3. Annual Average Full Time Equivalent Students (FTES) by Department, College, and Level: Academic Years 1998-1999 through 2003-2004

Chemistry Department1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04

Lower Division 92.4 114.4 97.7 110.7 110.0 119.3 Upper Division 31.7 34.1 31.0 34.9 45.6 48.2

Graduate 4.0 5.7 4.7 3.1 3.7 3.8 Overall Average 128.1 154.1 133.4 148.7 159.2 171.2

Total Credits Attempted

5,706 6,849 5,932 6,644 7,110 7,649

College of the Sciences 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04

Lower Division 1,308.5 1,355.0 1,340.8 1,418.2 1,491.4 1,584.6 Upper Division 1,029.2 1,019.5 1,012.0 1,047.4 1,122.3 1,218.6

Graduate 155.0 159.0 146.5 119.8 126.5 142.9 Overall Average 2,492.7 2,533.5 2,499.3 2,585.4 2,740.2 2,946.1


109,848 111,621 110,271 114,541 121,411 130,433

Central Washington University

1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 Lower Division 3,239.6 3,352.6 3,392.4 3,645.1 3,858.6 4,021.7 Upper Division 3,866.6 3,731.8 3,571.7 3,689.5 3,906.2 4,254.9

Graduate 360.8 366.4 323.9 336.9 341.1 372.8 Overall Average 7,467.0 7,450.8 7,288.0 7,671.5 8,105.9 8,649.4


330,601.0 329,789.0 323,105.0 340,165.0 359,648.0 383,631.0

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Table 4. Percent Change in Average Full Time Equivalent Students (FTES) by Department, College, and University Level: Change Over The Review Period

1998-99 2003-04

% Change

ChemistryDepartment

Lower Division 92.4 119.3 29

Upper Division 31.7 48.2 52

Graduate 4.0 3.8 -7

Overall Average 128.1 171.2 34

1998-99 2003-04 % Change

College of the Sciences

Lower Division 1,308.5 1,584.6 21

Upper Division 1,029.2 1,218.6 18

Graduate 155.0 142.9 -8

Overall Average 2,492.7 2,946.1 18

1998-99 2003-04 % Change

Central WashingtonUniversity

Lower Division 3,239.6 4,021.7 24

Upper Division 3,866.6 4,254.9 10

Graduate 360.8 372.8 3

Overall Average 7,467.0 8,649.4 16

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Table 5. Chemistry Degrees Conferred, 1999-2000 through 2003-2004.Degree Level

Major & Specialization

1999-2000

2000-2001

2001-2002

2002-2003

2003-2004

Total

B.A. Chemistry 4 2 1 2 3 12B.A. Chemistry Teaching 2 2 0 0 0 4B.S. Chemistry 5 4 1 6 5 21B.S. Biochemistry 0 3 9 3 5 20

Total Bachelors Degrees 11 11 11 11 13 57Minor 14 14 16 19 27 90Minor: Teaching 0 0 2 4 3 9Total Minors 14 14 18 23 30 99

M.S. Chemistry 0 2 3 1 0 6Total Masters Degrees 0 2 3 1 0 6

Analysis of Tables 3 and 5 shows the department to be relatively small in terms of graduates with an increasing number of total FTES served over the review period. The total FTES reflects the trend in the university with the majority of the FTES generated by the department in the lower division category where we offer general education and service courses. Much of the upper division FTES may represent students who are acquiring a chemistry minor, data that is listed in Table 5. It should be noted that the decline in the number of conferred Masters Degrees the last two years was the direct result of the loss of three research-active faculty in 2001. These faculty members had graduated 2 Masters students and had commitments from 3 additional incoming students before they left CWU. We have made a substantial recruiting effort since 2001, and there are currently 6 students enrolled in the Masters program with two expected to graduate in winter 2005.

Analysis of the percent change in FTES over the review period shows that FTES growth trends in chemistry outstrip trends at the college and university levels (Table 4; % change calculated by the chemistry department). Particularly startling growth is observed in upper division chemistry courses. Chemistry upper division courses increased 52% in FTES while COTS grew 18% and the university overall grew 10%. These data most probably reflect the Chemistry Department’s ability to retain lower division students in programs and highlight its ability to recruit two-year college transfer students and chemistry minors. Lower division course FTES growth in chemistry is not as remarkable as upper division growth, however, it consistently exceeds college and university growth by 8 and 6 percent, respectively. Clearly, chemistry FTES growth has outpaced university growth over the last five or six years. Within this same time frame, the Chemistry Department experienced a decrease in Tenure Track faculty lines. The physical chemist who retired in 1999 was not replaced in the following year. However, in October 2004, Provost Soltz and Dean Miller approved the Chemistry Department’s search request for a tenure track position in Physical/Analytical Chemistry. This increase in faculty resource will help to alleviate pressure that the department is experiencing in upper division course enrollment. Overall FTEF during the review period has remained stable (Table 6; next page) even as some chemistry faculty have been reassigned to administrative duties, clearly indicating administrative support for faculty positions of FTNTT and Adjunct status.

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Table 6. Numbers of Full Time Equivalent Faculty (FTEF) in Chemistry according to Adjunct, Full Time Non-Tenure Track (FTNTT) and Tenure Track (TT) status: Academic Years 1999-2000 through 2003-2004.

Faculty Type

1999-00 FTE Faculty

2000-01 FTE Faculty

2001-02 FTE Faculty

2002-03 FTE Faculty

2003-04 FTE Faculty

Growth: 2003-2004/ 1999-2000

Growth: 2002-2004/ 1999-2001

Adjunct 1.42 0.58 0.51 0.53 0.20 -1.22 14% -0.63 37%FTNTT 1.00 1.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 1.00 200% 1.00 200%TT 6.50 7.50 4.50 6.00 7.25 0.75 112% -0.38 95%Total 8.92 9.08 7.01 8.53 9.45 0.53 106% -0.01 100%

F. Measures of Efficiency The Chemistry Department has dedicated much time and effort to maximizing the

efficiency in our instruction. We have structured our labs to maximize faculty efficiency while continuing to maintain a safe learning environment. Faculty members are assigned three concurrent 24-student laboratory sections. An undergraduate teaching assistant is assigned to each section. This arrangement not only maximizes faculty efficiency, but also provides students the opportunity to further their education by serving as teaching assistants.

One measure of instructional efficiency is class size. Average class sizes in the department, the college and the university are given in Table 7. The CWU Office of Institutional Research provided data for this table.

Table 7. Average Undergraduate Class Size by Department, College, and University Level.

Chemistry Department1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04

Lower Division 44.2 59.0 52.4 59.2 58.9 63.9Upper Division 24.1 25.2 21.8 22.4 30.4 32.0

Overall Average 36.5 44.2 38.1 40.8 45.1 48.5

College of the Sciences1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04


Overall Average 27.0 28.2 26.8 30.8 30.8 31.1

Central Washington University1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04


Overall Average 24.1 24.1 23.6 26.2 27.0 27.6

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Analysis of Table 7 shows the Chemistry Department has an average class size consistently above both the college and university average for both lower and upper division courses. The data for lower division chemistry courses are most striking and indicate that Chemistry Department lower division courses contribute significantly to increasing COTS class size averages over the university’s averages. In 2003-2004, the average Chemistry lower division class size was 56% larger than the average COTS class and 76% larger than the average university class. For upper division courses in 2003-2004, average chemistry upper division class size was 37% larger than the average COTS class and 40% larger than the average university class. Class sizes have continued to grow without growth in faculty resource. The department faculty have been very conscious of the increased class sizes and have struggled with the educational impact it has on our students. Continued growth in FTES without additional faculty resource has already begun to impact upper division chemistry laboratories in a serious and negative way as we struggle to balance excellent teaching and learning with budgetary restraints.

G. Assessment of Students and Programs1. Admission-to-Program Assessment

Before beginning the initial required course for all undergraduate degree programs, CHEM 181 General Chemistry, students must have successfully completed high school chemistry and demonstrate a minimum proficiency in mathematics by qualification for pre-calculus. Registration for all subsequent required chemistry courses depends on successful completion of at least one chemistry prerequisite course. Admission to any of the four majors requires a meeting with a chemistry advisor. Chemistry Teaching majors must also meet with an advisor in the Education Program.

Students entering the graduate program are assessed through (a) transcripts of their undergraduate coursework; (b) standardized testing (GRE general test for all applicants, GRE subject exam if deemed appropriate, and TOEFL exam for foreign applicants); (c) three letters of recommendation from faculty familiar with the applicant’s knowledge and abilities; and (d) a written statement from the applicant describing their goals and future plans. The Graduate Committee reviews applications and recommends action.

2. End-of-Program Assessment Before they graduate, students are required to assemble an exit portfolio

containing the following items: A copy of transcripts plus a list of courses not yet completed. A list of ACS exam scores. A copy for a lab report demonstrating writing skills and use of the computer. A copy of an abstract for the CHEM 488 seminar, including literature

correctly cited. A resume. A copy of a research lab report if research was conducted.

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The Undergraduate Committee reviews these portfolios at least once every three years. Results of the review are communicated to the department as a whole including recommendations for change.

The primary data used in assessing the graduate program success is the placement of graduates after leaving the program. Over the past five years, every graduate from chemistry department programs has either entered the workplace in chemistry or entered a doctorate program (Table 11 B).

3. Post-Graduate Assessment Post-graduate assessment is accomplished through three- and five-year alumni

surveys administered by the Office of Institutional Research. Appendix IV (A) contains the latest data from these surveys. The data indicate that 75% of the students surveyed were “very satisfied” with the quality of their major, their ability to apply quantitative principles and problem solving skills, and “mostly satisfied” with their readiness for their career. In the most recent survey of graduating seniors (Appendix IV (B)), students were 100% satisfied with the science laboratory instruction they received which speaks to the department’s excellent program and facilities. Although these surveys provide useful information about university programs as a whole, the chemistry department recognized the lack of specific information about chemistry in particular and developed an assessment policy that incorporates specific department generated alumni surveys. The Undergraduate Committee is in the process of developing an appropriate survey.

The department secretary maintains a database that contains information on students’ post-graduation activities, which contains placements of those who maintain ties with the faculty and staff. Appendix V summarizes the career and graduate-school placements of graduates for whom the department currently has information.

Current assessment data for the graduate program is the placement of students after leaving the program. The Graduate Committee is charged next year with evaluating the possibility of developing an alumni survey.

4. Faculty Involvement in Assessment All faculty are involved in all aspects of curriculum and program assessment.

Reports and proposals from the Undergraduate and Graduate Committees are reviewed by the Committee of the Whole. Action is taken based on faculty consensus.

The focus of graduate work in chemistry is the research project culminating in a written thesis. Thus, the quality of student seminars, as well as the quality of the written thesis and oral defense, are the primary means of assessing a student’s development. The faculty mentor plays a critical role in guiding the student through his or her research project, from experimental design to analysis, interpretation and dissemination. The student’s graduate committee plays a similar role, although to a lesser extent.

5. Program Assessment The Chemistry Department undergraduate programs are assessed using a variety

of internal and external tools. The department is in the process of seeking program certification from the American Chemical Society (ACS) and has recently developed an

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integrated Physical Chemistry/Inorganic laboratory course in part to fulfill the requirements of the ACS certification. Faculty also use ACS national standardized exams at the close of several courses in the chemistry curriculum (e.g., CHEM 183, 251, 363, 381, 432, 452). Comparing ACS exam scores of CWU students to the national norms allows faculty to determine the strengths and weaknesses of content area covered in each course.

All instructors participate in the SEOI program each quarter. The instructors, personnel committee, and chair review each report. The relevance of the CWU chemistry course work in specific subject areas is assessed at different levels by administering standardized subject exams as provided by the ACS. Course objectives and learner outcomes are required on all course syllabi. Throughout the year, the Undergraduate Committee and individual faculty with specific concerns bring curriculum changes, resource requirements, and other programmatic changes to the attention of the department at weekly meetings.

An example of using assessment results to change program curriculum was the inclusion of the colloquium courses as an end-of-the-major assessment. Alumni surveys indicated that students did not feel comfortable with the development of their oral skills. CHEM 388 and 488 curricula were updated to provide experience in presenting scientific data in both written and oral forms. These courses also play a significant role in accomplishing the program goal of information literacy.

One goal of the chemistry faculty for the coming year is improving assessment techniques for the graduate program. Presently, the primary mechanism for assessing program quality is through evaluation of the students thesis work (written and oral defense) by the thesis committee. Appendix VI contains a representative master’s thesis from the chemistry program written by Anthony Brown who graduated in 2002. It is a goal of the department to create improved mechanisms of feedback to the Graduate Committee, as well as the development of more defined assessment tools.

6. Steps to Ensure Appropriate Assessment The department as a whole discusses assessment activities, their progress,

strengths, and weaknesses. These are regular items on department meeting agendas to ensure that these activities are accomplished. The department also considers feedback from employers of our graduates, research advisors of students who continue to pursue advanced degrees, and alumni of our programs.

The Graduate Committee must develop specific assessment guidelines that are consistent with the goal of producing knowledgeable students capable of independent work in the field. New assessment tools must also be developed and may include (a) a formal exit interview; (b) an alumni survey; and (c) a formal report of a student’s thesis to the department’s Graduate Committee.

III.Faculty

A. Faculty ProfileThe Chemistry Department has eight tenure track faculty who are highly dynamic

individuals representing all basic sub-disciplines within the field of chemistry: analytical, biochemistry, chemical education, environmental, inorganic, organic, and physical. The

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faculty are dedicated to excellence in teaching, superior scholarly work, and extensive, broadly applied service. Two faculty in the department currently have half-time assignments in chemistry: one is reassigned half-time to the Dean’s office as the Associate Dean for Resource Development and the other has a permanent half-time position in the Science Education Program. In addition, the department routinely employs several adjuncts and, for the three years 2001-2004, one full-time non tenure-track line.

As a group, the Chemistry Department faculty are also gender and ethnically diverse. According to data from the CWU Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO), the CWU Chemistry faculty cohort meets and exceeds gender and minority diversity requirements. The department boasts 42% female and 11% Hispanic faculty (OEO data target 30% and 3%, respectively). In addition, approximately 50% of the department faculty are bilingual.

The department has experienced a large turnover of faculty in the last five years. Retirement and other professional or personal opportunities account for the turnover in tenure-track positions. Due to the timing of the resignations and the nature of the budget during this time, one-year non tenure-track employees have filled many tenure-track lines over the five-year period of this review. The department’s non-tenure track faculty profile completely turned over during summer 2004; one adjunct and two new full time non-tenure-track faculty were hired. In addition, during summer 2004, Tim Sorey was appointed to a half-time time tenure track position in Chemistry with a half-time appointment in Science Education. Tim Sorey is currently in the first year of his appointment. Most notably, in October 2004, Dean Miller and Provost Soltz authorized a tenure track position in Physical/Analytical Chemistry. This position accounts for one of two new tenure track faculty lines that were available in the College of the Sciences. A jubilant search committee quickly organized within the Chemistry Department and began the search process.

Table 8 summarizes a number of performance measures for Chemistry Department tenured and tenure track faculty over the last five years. The table reflects the high degree of activity of these tenure track faculty and contains data only for the faculty that are currently in the department. It is impossible to retroactively construct the activity of faculty who are no longer part of the department but who were employed by CWU during a portion of the review period. The first row of the table indicates the number of faculty represented in the data for that year. Note that in 1999-2000 the work of only four faculty is represented.

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Table 8. Faculty Performance Measures of Scholarship, Service and Student Research MentoringScholarship measures 1999-

2000% of

faculty 2000-2001

% of faculty

2001-2002

% of faculty

2002-2003

% of faculty

2003-2004

% of faculty

5-yr total

annual avg

% of faculty

Total faculty incl. in data 4 5 6 7 8

Abstracts presented 11 75 3 40 7 67 5 57 13 75 39 8 88

Add'l conferences attended 3 75 5 60 3 50 9 71 15 75 35 7 88

Peer-reviewed publications 2 50 3 40 1 17 3 50 4 38 13 3 75

Peer-reviewed publications with undergraduates

1 25 2 40 1 17 1 17 1 14 6 2 57

Peer reviewed publications with graduate students

0 0 1 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 14

External grants written research

2 25 3 20 3 17 8 71 12 63 28 6 63

External grants funded research

1 25 2 20 2 17 5 50 3 25 13 3 63

External grants written curriculum-infrastructure

3 25 2 20 3 17 6 29 3 14 17 3 25

External grants funded curriculum-infrastructure

3 25 1 20 1 17 2 29 1 14 8 2 25

Internal grants written research

0 0 2 20 2 17 0 0 8 75 12 2 88

Internal grants funded research

0 0 1 20 0 0 0 0 6 75 7 1 75

Internal grants written curriculum-infrastructure

3 50 0 0 2 33 3 17 2 29 10 2 43

Internal grants funded curriculum-infrastructure

2 50 0 0 2 33 2 17 2 29 8 2 43

Department committees 17 100 16 100 23 100 23 100 30 86 109 22 100

College committees 6 100 12 100 7 83 7 83 10 86 42 8 100

University committees 5 50 7 40 12 67 15 71 14 63 53 11 75

Community service 14 75 12 80 12 33 16 57 20 57 74 15 71

Professional org. Committee

1 25 2 40 1 17 2 33 3 38 9 2 50

Leadership position in professional org.

2 50 2 40 2 33 2 33 3 38 11 2 50

Participation on proposal review panel

1 25 1 20 1 17 1 17 0 0 4 1 14

Invited seminars 4 25 2 40 6 50 4 43 8 63 24 5 88

Manuscripts reviewed 1 25 0 0 1 17 6 33 10 63 18 4 75

Textbooks reviewed 1 25 2 40 1 17 1 17 2 29 7 1 43

Grant proposals reviewed 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 33 4 29 6 1 57

Involvement in external tenure reviews

0 0 0 0 1 17 0 0 2 29 3 1 14

Supervision of SOURCE presentations

1 25 2 40 2 33 2 29 6 63 13 3 75

Undergraduate student projects

14 75 8 80 18 67 18 86 21 75 79 16 88

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B. Faculty Professional Records and CurriculumVitaeChemistry Department faculty Curricula Vitae and 5-year Structured Performance

Records are provided in Appendix VII A and B.

C. Teaching EffectivenessThe Chemistry Department measures teaching effectiveness in two ways: Student

Evaluation of Instruction (SEOI) results and peer review.

7. Student Evaluation of Instruction – SEOI scores for the Chemistry Department as a whole, College of the Sciences as a whole, and University as a whole, as provided by the Office of Institutional Research, are given in Table 9 for the Effectiveness of Instructor. Chemistry course content is rigorous and requires substantial quantitative reasoning skills of students. Despite the demanding nature of chemistry course content and potential for student dissatisfaction due to the course difficulty, the SEOI data indicate that chemistry faculty as a whole are delivering effective instruction. Chemistry values in Table 9 are consistently at or above a value of 4, on a 1 – 5 scale in which 5 is rated “most” effective. The trend in the table shows an increase over the four-year period from an academic year average of 4.1 in 1999-2000 to 4.4 in 2003-2004. Since 50% of current chemistry faculty are new hires during the review period, this trend probably represents an improvement in faculty as they gain expertise in teaching.

8. Peer Review – Tenured and tenure-track faculty seek out regular peer review of their instruction as a means to document effectiveness and to gain ideas for improvement. The review generally consists of a class visitation and follow-up conversation, but may also include extensive evaluation of course materials (e.g., syllabi, exams, textbook). Faculty peer evaluations of chemistry faculty are presented in Appendix VIII.

Table 9. SEOI Data for Effectiveness of Instructor: Comparison of Chemistry, COTS and University values.

Fall Winter Spring1999-00 Chemistry 4.0 4.2 4.1 The Sciences 4.2 4.2 4.3 CWU 4.3 4.3 4.32000-01 Chemistry 4.2 4.1 4.1 The Sciences 4.3 4.3 4.3 CWU 4.3 4.3 4.32001-02 Chemistry 4.4 4.1 4.3 The Sciences 4.2 4.3 4.3 CWU 4.3 4.3 4.3

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2002-03 Chemistry 4.2 4.5 4.3 The Sciences 4.3 4.2 4.4 CWU 4.3 4.3 4.32003-04 Chemistry 4.2 4.4 4.5 The Sciences 4.3 4.3 4.4 CWU 4.3 4.3 4.4

D. ScholarshipChemistry Department faculty consider scholarship of paramount importance as

evidenced by their record in measures such as mentored student research, peer-review publication, and grant writing. As shown in Table 8 faculty have presented at national and international conferences, authored peer-reviewed publications including papers with CWU student co-authors, and received external funding. Considering the turnover in faculty and the youth of the department in general, this record is substantial. Over the last five years the faculty have garnered over 2 million dollars in external funding (see Appendix I). As of September 2004, almost one million dollars in requests to external federal and private agencies were pending. Chemistry faculty have also enjoyed over $80,000 of support from CWU internal granting mechanisms during the review period (Appendix I). The department values inquiry-driven research that involves CWU students and recognizes that such work may result in longer timeframes between publications, especially when most of the work is done in conjunction with undergraduate students.

E. ServiceThe Chemistry Department faculty participate fully in service activities at all

levels including department, college, university, local, and state. Table 8 indicates the numbers and types of committees faculty served on over the last five years. The Department provided faculty representatives on eight college and eleven university committees, on average per year. Committee service for the department has remained high throughout the review period, despite the fact that the department was often working with high percentages of non tenure-track faculty. Department faculty have been willing to serve the university in administration as well with one faculty member reassigned half-time as the Associate Dean for Resource Development and one serving as the Science Education Program Director.

In addition to service within the university, the department faculty serve in the local Kittitas County community and on state and national committees and boards. One member of the department is the Treasurer of PANWAT (Pacific Northwest Association of Toxicologists), one is the Treasurer of the local chapter of the honor society Phi Kappa Phi, one has consulted with local residents about their water quality, one has served on the Ellensburg School District Science Adoption committee, and one serves on the dissertation committee of a student at the University of Washington. The majority of tenured and tenure-track faculty have either given invited seminars, reviewed journal or textbook manuscripts, or reviewed grant

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proposals. As a service to the regional chapter of our national organization, the department hosted the ACS Puget Sound Section Undergraduate Research Symposium in Spring 2004.

F. Student Research SupervisionThe Chemistry Department faculty value the experience gained by students

who participate in research. To that end, faculty spend an inordinate amount of time supervising student projects. The nature of chemical lab work requires close supervision by faculty mentors. Safety and data accuracy are of extreme importance when conducting chemical experiments. Many projects require substantial knowledge and understanding of advanced chemical principles and laboratory skills. Faculty dedicate their time to ensure effective instruction and successful completion of student projects. Undergraduate and graduate student research projects taking place over the last five years are listed in faculty CVs and structured performance records (Appendix VII).

The department feels strongly about the undergraduate research experience as evidenced by the requirement for tenure that faculty publish work conducted with students at CWU. Despite this feeling, we have not made undergraduate research a requirement for graduation due in large part to the number of majors we have in relation to the number of faculty and to the intensity of work required for each project. Depending on the faculty member and the project, different numbers of undergraduate students can be mentored during a given quarter, but the average is approximately three.

Graduate student theses represent a slightly different scenario. The level of knowledge is increased and so is the experience of the student. Each year there are fewer graduate students in the program than there are faculty wanting to mentor. Comparatively low graduate stipends make it difficult to compete with other schools for students. However, we have had several outstanding graduate students mentored by our faculty. The faculty also serve on thesis committees of students in other departments.

Students have presented the results of their work at SOURCE (28 presentations), the CWU Conference of Graduate Student and Faculty Scholarship (4 presentations), at national meetings (10 presentations), at regional meetings (10 presentations), winning awards in many cases (see Appendix IX (A through F)). They have been supported by grants from the CWU Office of Undergraduate Research, the College of the Sciences, and externally funded faculty research grants. The faculty are proud of the results of these projects and the maturity of our students in garnering their own support, carrying out their projects, and winning presentation awards for their work.

III. Students

A. MajorsThe Chemistry Department offers four degree options: B.A. Chemistry, B.A.

Chemistry Teaching, B.S. Chemistry, and B.S. Chemistry with Biochemistry Specialization. The number of majors declared over all four college years (freshman to

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senior) in spring 2004 was 77 (data from department secretary). The distribution of these students among the four degree options as shown below indicates that the Chemistry BS degree programs are quite popular.

Number of declared majorsB.A. in Chemistry, 8 B.A. in Chemistry Teaching, 6 B.S. in Chemistry, 22 B.S. in Chemistry with Biochemistry Specialization, 41

The class distribution of the 77 chemistry majors in Spring 2004 was: Seniors: 43Juniors: 25Sophomores: 8Freshman: 1

The department also supports several other majors by offering two minors in chemistry. In spring 2004, 65 chemistry minors were declared, including 58 chemistry minors and 7 chemistry teaching minors.

The number of chemistry degrees conferred over the last five years is given in Table 5. During the review period the number of minors graduating and chemistry bachelor degrees conferred have increased, particularly in the latter years. However, only 30% of the declared chemistry major seniors graduated in spring 2004. This may indicate that students require more than four years to finish their degrees or that they change their major in their senior year. In any case, the observed increase from 11 graduates per year in 2000-2003 to 13 graduates in 2004 may indicate the beginning of a growth trend. The department expects the numbers of graduates to continue to rise in concert with the expanded enrollment and the increase in declared chemistry majors. The numbers of majors may also rise in response to two explicit efforts to recruit students into the natural sciences: the STEP program and the COTS ad hoc committee to recruit more students expressing an interest in the physical sciences (chemistry, geology, and physics). These programs will also assist the Chemistry Department in retaining students as these students will likely be more prepared for a rigorous physical sciences program.

The department would like the cohort of chemistry graduate students to grow to approximately six to twelve. We have averaged 2-3 over the last several years. More growth is expected in upcoming years due to a more permanent faculty, efforts to increase student stipends to a competitive level, and increased external grant success funding student stipends.

B. General Education and Service CoursesChemistry plays a major role in providing Service and General Education courses to

the students of CWU. Table 10 shows the number of these course offerings each quarter, as well as the total number of students served each year. Note that the Chemistry Department serves other programs by offering a wide range of courses (general, organic, and biochemistry) taught at both the lower and upper division level, as well as environmental chemistry. For the General Education program, the chemistry department offers three types of lower division general chemistry.

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Table 10. Number of General Education and Service Courses Offered in ChemistryGeneral Education

1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004F W S F W S F W S F W S F W S

CHEM 101 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1CHEM 111 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1CHEM 111Lab 5 4 2 5 5 2 4 4 3 4 4 4 5 3 4CHEM 181 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1CHEM 181Lab 7 2 6 2 7 3 6 3 8 3Total sections 15 8 4 15 9 4 16 9 5 14 9 6 17 8 6Total sections per year 27 28 30 29 31Total students per year 665 588 643 610 624

Service1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004

F W S F W S F W S F W S F W SCHEM 111 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1CHEM 111Lab 5 4 2 5 5 2 4 4 3 4 4 4 5 3 4CHEM 112 1 1 1 1 1CHEM 112Lab 2 2 2 3 3CHEM 113 1 1 1 1 1CHEM 113Lab 2 2 2 2 2CHEM 181 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1CHEM 181Lab 7 2 6 2 7 3 6 3 8 3CHEM 182 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1CHEM 182Lab 5 2 4 2 6 2 5 2 6 2CHEM 183 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2CHEM 183Lab 1 4 2 4 1 5 2 4 2 6CHEM 345 1 1 1 1 1CHEM 361 2 2 2 2 2CHEM 361Lab 2 3 2 3 2 2 3 3 3 3CHEM 362 2 2 2 2 2CHEM 363 1 1 1 1 1CHEM 363Lab 1 1 2 3 2CHEM 431 1 1 1 1 1CHEM 431Lab 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1CHEM 432 1 1 1 1 1Total sections 23 24 15 17 18 14 17 21 17 12 22 17 21 23 18Total sections per year 62 49 55 51 62Total students per year 1123 1011 1099 1238 1356

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C. Student AccomplishmentsThe accomplishments of our students are a source of great pride in the Chemistry

Department. Students annually present at SOURCE and regularly win presentation awards. During the review period chemistry students have won two oral presentation awards, two poster presentation awards and an honorable mention (Appendix IX (A)). Students have also presented at regional and national meetings including the ACS National Meeting, Northwest Regional ACS Meeting, Murdock College Science Conference, ACS Puget Sound Section Undergraduate Research Symposium, Council on Undergraduate Research conference and the Pacific Northwest Association of Toxicologists annual meeting.

Chemistry Department graduates have been successful in obtaining industrial positions, teaching positions, admittance to graduate school, and acceptance to professional programs. Table 11 shows total placements for undergraduate and graduate students during the review period. Specific placements are shown for each graduate student in Table 11 B. Appendix V details specific placements for undergraduates.

Students who have matriculated with baccalaureate degrees from the Chemistry Department have entered Ph.D. programs at the following institutions: University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Montana, University of Oregon, Ohio State University, University of Washington, and Washington State University. One student who graduated from Indiana University and who is finishing post-doctoral training at Los Alamos National Laboratories, is currently applying for chemistry faculty positions in the Pacific Northwest.

The Chemistry Department also sends high quality students to professional schools of medicine, pharmacy, optometry and dentistry and to Ph.D. programs in the health sciences. Most of these students have been undergraduate researchers in chemistry faculty laboratories. Saundra Schoenberg entered the Toxicology Graduate Program at Vanderbilt University. Ben Howie and Kent Zettel entered Loma Linda School of Medicine and the School of Medicine at University of Cincinnati, respectively, in fall 2004. Two other chemistry students, Scott Oltman and Sarah Key, graduated from Optometry programs at the University of Tennessee and the University of California Berkeley, respectively, and both have returned to Ellensburg to practice. Dawn (Sanderlin) Ipsen completed her Doctorate of Pharmacy at the University of Washington in 2002 and is now a practicing compounding specialist in the Puget Sound area.

The pre-pharmacy students of CWU require a separate note to describe their unique circumstance. Pre-pharmacy students need only to complete prerequisites to enter Doctorate of Pharmacy programs. No degree is required. Dawn (Sanderlin) Ipsen is an example of a student who never graduated from CWU. Yet she spent several years in the chemistry department acquiring her prerequisites for pharmacy school, participating in undergraduate research, and serving as a teaching assistant. Such students are not counted in the measures of quantity included in this report. They are nevertheless our loyal alumni and the Chemistry Department is proud of their accomplishments.

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Table 11 A. Chemistry Department Graduate Placement

Indu

stry

Gra

duat

e Sc

hool

Teac

hing

Prof

essi

onal

Pr

ogra

ms

Oth

er

Unk

now

n

Undergraduate Students 13 17 6 2 3 15

Graduate Students 3 1 2

Table 11 B. Specific placement for Chemistry Department Graduate StudentsStudent Name Year PlacementBrenda Broers 2002 Teaching: Wenatchee Comm. CollegeTony Brown 2002 Industry: Central Washington UniversityMarie Dunn 2002 Teaching: Yakima Valley Comm. CollegeManshun Lai 2001 Industry: Cell TherapeuticsMelissa Mackey 2003 PhD Program: University of CincinnatiMarc Walker 2001 Industry: Novartis

Award winning presentations and success after graduation reflect only a piece of Chemistry Department student achievements. Eighteen students have received undergraduate research grants from the Office of Undergraduate Research or the College of the Sciences. Each year at least one and sometimes three students have been awarded CWU Alumni Association Departmental Scholarships. The Chemistry Club regularly receives recognition from the ACS for the service they provide. Appendix IX (A through F) summarizes the student accomplishments in the last 5 years.

D. Advising ServicesAll tenured and tenure-track faculty take part in undergraduate advising. In some

cases, the department secretary who has initial contact with students, directs students looking for an advisor to a faculty member. Students must select an official department advisor when they apply to the major. The department secretary keeps records on students and their advisors. Faculty typically advise students who are interested in their area of expertise. Students must meet with an advisor prior to being admitted to the major. The department also serves students by advising for professional programs including pharmacy and teaching. Three of the last five years a department faculty member has served as a UNIV 101 teacher and advisor.

Graduate student advising is carried out by the student’s faculty mentor, members of their thesis committee, and by the Graduate Program Coordinator. All faculty serve as members of thesis committees.

E. Other Student ServicesThe Chemistry Club is a service provided through the department by the students.

The Chemistry Club, a Student Affiliates Chapter of the American Chemical Society,

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continues to grow in member numbers and enthusiasm. Students direct the club with guidance from a chemistry department faculty advisor. The club has received national recognition each year from the ACS for its service and educational efforts. The club offers students experiences apart from their traditional academic activities, such as field trips, educational outreach, fund raising, and promotional events (for the club and for chemistry in general).

The department offers several professional growth opportunities for students through student employment. Each quarter approximately 20 students are hired to serve as teaching assistants (T.A.s) in the undergraduate laboratories or as stockroom assistants. These students gain valuable experience in applying the knowledge they have gained in our programs. Students receive credit the first quarter they T.A., and minimum wage hourly pay for subsequent quarters, with a fifty-cent hourly raise after three quarters of service. Many students return to T.A. for four to six quarters.

V. Library and Technological Resources

A. Library requirementsThe CWU Library represents an important piece in the success of the Chemistry

Department’s educational and research objectives. One of the department’s program goals relates to information literacy, i.e., students must be able to retrieve and critically analyze chemical literature. The department is also seeking American Chemical Society (ACS) certification of our B.S. program. The ACS requires that (1) Chemical Abstracts must be available, either in print or electronically. Electronic access is currently available after 5 pm; (2) the library must provide ready access to at least 20 refereed journals, in print or electronically. With the library's ACS publications subscription and current print holdings this requirement is satisfied.

The following journals, not currently subscribed to, would enhance our programs and our faculty work:

1. Journal of Research in Science Teaching2. Journal of Chemical Education3. Methods in Enzymology4. Journal of Luminescence5. Journal of Solid State Chemistry6. Surface Science7. Surface Science Reports8. Applied Surface Science9. Surface and Interface Analysis10. Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design11. European Journal of Organic Chemistry12. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters13. Synlett

The department would also benefit greatly from a subscription to SciFinder, which is a more up-to-date and user-friendly electronic searching service.

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The following library services are critical support to chemistry programs:1. Interlibrary loan office2. Journal holdings in Chemistry3. Shared non-journal library collections with Oregon and Washington

(Summit)4. Online database access (Web of Science, etc.)

B. Student Information Literacy Proficiencies1. Instruction ProvidedCHEM 388 and CHEM 488 are colloquium courses in which students perform an

extensive literature study on a topic of their choosing. At the end of the term they present either a poster (CHEM 388) or an oral seminar (CHEM 488) to the faculty as well as their peers in chemistry. They are instructed in the use of library resources, the use of the various electronic search engines used by scientists, the difference between peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed literature, and proper citation of the literature. They are also taught the importance of obtaining information on a topic from a variety of different sources. Students involved in undergraduate research projects (CHEM 495) must also familiarize themselves with the peer-reviewed literature related to their work.

2. Assessment of ProficiencyIn CHEM 388/488, peer and faculty review are used throughout the term to assess

student information literacy proficiencies. Students are given feedback on their progress as well as input for improvement. The quality of their presentation at the end of the term is the final assessment tool. Students include their CHEM 488 abstract with literature cited in the end-of-major portfolio. Computer literacy is assessed through lab reports, homework assignments, research reports, and presentations. Students who prepare research reports in CHEM 495 must include proper citation of the relevant peer-reviewed literature. The research mentor evaluates this report.

VI. Instrumentation and Facilities

Chemistry Department faculty, staff, and students are dependent on sophisticated computer software and equipment in order to carry out the work of the discipline. Since chemistry practice is linked to laboratory work, the department is necessarily resource intensive.

One strength of the department is that students receive hands-on training operating complex equipment that at other universities would be operated by graduate students or staff. The chemistry curriculum has been written to provide students numerous opportunities to gain experience on a wide range of instruments, from general chemistry students who analyze samples with gas chromatographs to organic chemistry students who use the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer). The department has purchased robust equipment that is still technologically sound, however requirements for computer upgrades limit our instrumentation use.

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Appendix X contains lists of the computer and instrumentation resources available to the department. State-of-the-art computer technology is essential to accomplish our academic and scholarly work. Along with instrumentation, the department relies heavily on computer resources for teaching and research. The lower division general chemistry laboratories are outfitted with computers and Labworks interfaces that allow students to determine physical quantities with probeware and import the data directly into spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel for analysis. Silicon Graphics computers with UNIX operating systems are used for molecular modeling and computational chemistry in upper division chemistry courses. PCs are available in all student and research labs for data analysis, graphing and statistical computation. In addition, virtually all of the instruments are interfaced to 'dedicated' computers with instrument-specific software.

The computer systems currently in operation are five years old, most use Windows NT operating systems and are in need of upgrading. Also, the interface hardware on the lower division general chemistry laboratories has been discontinued and needs replacement. The CWU Information Technology Services Department does not support old technologies. Upgrading chemistry computers dictates upgrading the instrument-specific software, which adds significantly to the cost.

In an effort to maintain current computer resources in faculty and staff offices, the department has implemented a plan to replace all office computers on a rotating basis. The goal is to replace three each year. Two years ago the department purchased three desktop computers. In 2003-2004, three more PCs were purchased and partially funded by the COTS Dean’s Office. The department recycles the replaced computers, using them for student and research labs. Through the dedication of faculty and staff, the department has been able to adequately manage the large number of computer resources available. However, human resources are strained and as student enrollment grows, the department will need a computer technician to maintain the more than 250 computers, printers and peripherals in use.

Scholarly work in chemistry requires dedicated laboratory space. With the renovation of two Science Building spaces into research labs, the department has been able to support its faculty in accomplishing their scholarly work. The department has requested two tenure-track faculty lines to begin Fall 2005. As new faculty join the department, research laboratory space will become a pressing issue. Office space is adequate for faculty and staff, however, as the graduate program grows more graduate student office space will need to be considered.

VII. Reflections

A. Accomplishments and Successes

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Faculty, Staff, Research and Overall Program.

1. Over the review period, the Chemistry Department has successfully hired quality faculty for full time tenure-track and non-tenure track positions. Although faculty turnover has disrupted departmental efficiency and effectiveness, the department now has a core group of collegial faculty dedicated to a common vision. The new faculty hires have assisted the department in moving successfully toward a common vision.

2. The chemistry faculty and staff embrace culture and gender diversity. Recently hired faculty members offer a diversity of experience and a global perspective to the department. According to data from the CWU Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO), the CWU Chemistry faculty cohort meets and exceeds gender and minority diversity requirements. The department boasts 42% female and 11% Hispanic faculty (OEO data target 30% and 3%, respectively).

3. Over the last decade the department has witnessed explosive growth of students involved in undergraduate research. The Chemistry Department has built a team of faculty who value undergraduate research as a means to educate students and promote the academic enterprise. As a result, a significant increase in the numbers and quality of students involved in research projects and presentations has occurred. Chemistry students regularly present their research results at SOURCE, regional and national ACS meetings, and other national meetings. More students are writing and receiving undergraduate research grants and many students have been successfully employed in summer research projects with external support (NSF, Research Corporation, National Park Service). Many students also share co-authorship of peer-reviewed research publications with chemistry faculty.

4. Chemistry faculty have been productive proposal writers. Over the last five years, the total dollars of external funding obtained by department faculty for scientific research and curriculum development exceeds two million dollars. Faculty have received 13 research grants and 8 curriculum grants, averaging three grants per faculty.

5. Chemistry Department faculty have been involved in interdepartmental and intradepartmental collaborations. These include collaborations with geological science, computer science, biological science, and mathematics. Within the department, faculty have collaborated on an NIH AREA proposal in environmental research and the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust grant titled, “A Renaissance in Chemistry Research”. Outside the department, chemistry faculty have been active participants and co-PIs who have contributed scientific and assessment expertise in several proposal writing and curriculum reform efforts including NSF-STEP, NSF-CCLI, and NSF-PRISM.

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6. Resource sharing. Departmental faculty share analytical instrumentation in upper division coursework and in research and have increased access of instrumental resources to other departments.

7. Collaborations external to the university. Several Chemistry faculty maintain close collaborative ties with academic and industrial institutions outside of CWU. These include research and consulting agreements with OSRAM SYLVANIA, Inc. (studies of luminescent materials), with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (modeling atmospheric iron), and on surface science projects with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the University of Ulm, Germany, Western Washington University and Washington State University.

8. Contributions to university governance. Chemistry faculty and staff have provided a remarkable amount of service to university committees considering the size of the department. In a period of limited tenured and tenure-track faculty resource, chemistry faculty have contributed to an average of two university committees per faculty member per year. Chemistry faculty and staff are good department citizens and university team members. They have a reputation for active leadership and are frequently requested to serve.

9. CWU relations with the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust. The Chemistry Department has been instrumental in developing a positive relationship between the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust and CWU. The relationship evolved from an initial contact in 1996 at a Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) conference regarding a grant proposal and has progressed toward the hosting of the Regional Murdock College Science Symposium at CWU. Since the initial contact, CWU programs have benefited from three major grants totaling almost one million dollars from the Trust.

Curriculum and Students

1. Streamlined the graduate program. The graduate program has been updated to provide more flexibility, possibilities for specialization, and more of a research focus. Previously, graduate students were required to take coursework in each of the major sub-disciplines in chemistry. Our new program allows students to focus their coursework on topics relevant to their thesis research project, including coursework outside of chemistry where appropriate. Two new courses were added to the degree: CHEM 503, Introduction to Research, which exposes students to the faculty and their research interests, and CHEM 505 which is a one-credit special topics course that is rotated among the faculty.

2. ACS accreditation of the B.S. in Chemistry. After intensive effort, the department is nearing its goal of obtaining American Chemical Society (ACS) certification of the B.S. degree in Chemistry. The ACS is an internationally recognized professional organization with rigorous standards for certifying degree programs. ACS certification lends important national credibility to the degree and

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creates additional opportunities for students after graduation. For certification, a detailed self-study was prepared and submitted and the department ACS coordinator met with the ACS Committee on Professional Training at the March 2004 national conference. In November 2004, an ACS representative completed a CWU site visit and the department is currently in the final stages of review.

3. A more flexible chemistry minor that serves student needs. The chemistry minor has been updated to increase flexibility, allowing students to tailor a program to match their career goals. The chemistry teaching minor was designed specifically to meet state criteria for endorsement in secondary chemistry teaching.

4. New science building instrumentation brought on-line. The department has successfully brought new Science building instrumentation online, incorporated the instrumentation into the curriculum and research programs, and facilitated student access to instrumentation data storage on university servers. All modern instrumentation is driven by computer software. Over the last five years the department has worked with university computer and engineering technicians to setup and maintain the instrumentation.

5. Modernization of the upper division labs. With the addition of new faculty and the new Science Building, the department has updated the upper division labs including analytical, inorganic, organic, physical and biochemistry. Improvements include pedagogical and technological areas such as incorporating cooperative learning exercises into the laboratories, increasing technological and instrumental sophistication, and modernizing current content.

6. Undergraduate research focus. One of the strengths of the department is the dedication of the faculty to creating quality research opportunities for undergraduates. Approximately twenty undergraduates participate in research each year. Such research is an important supplement to student training in chemistry, and provides excellent preparation for graduate school or work in industry. Many of these students present posters and talks at SOURCE and at the Murdock College Science Research Symposium, as well as at regional and national meetings. Some of these students have also appeared as co-authors on peer-reviewed journal publications.

7. Collaborative curriculum reform. Chemistry faculty participate as co-PIs in collaborative efforts to reform and update the curriculum such as the NSF-STEP, NSF-CCLI, and NSF-PRISM programs.

B. Challenges and Solutions.

1. Increasing FTES. One of the most significant challenges for the chemistry department is continuing to accommodate growth in FTES without increasing faculty resource. The Chemistry Department already surpasses COTS and

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university averages for class size in both upper and lower division courses. In prior years the department has greeted the challenge of increased FTES as a happy circumstance as courses increased toward maximum enrollment. However, in many cases maximum enrollment has been reached. The department has met this challenge by offering more sections to serve the students. The Chemistry Department teaches lower division general chemistry courses at maximum efficiency. Lectures are filled to capacity (100 students) and the laboratories fill at 72 (3 sections of 24 students). One faculty member teaches three concurrent general chemistry laboratories with the assistance of 3 T.A.s.

2. Increasing enrollments in upper division laboratory courses. Within the last year or two chemistry upper division laboratories have reached and exceeded maximum capacity. The department has met this challenge by increasing enrollment from 20 to 24 students. One strategy for greater efficiency is to schedule two upper division lab sections concurrently as in the lower division labs. The analytical chemistry lab has already been identified as a potential laboratory space for organic chemistry labs, however lack of hood space and cup sinks limit the room use. A remodel of this room to allow organic chemistry instruction would assist the chemistry department.

3. Insufficient budget allocation for Teaching Assistants. The chemistry department is efficient in offering multiple, concurrent laboratory sections, however, this efficiency depends on hiring teaching assistants (T.A.s). The department’s T.A. budget allocation has been $9,214 for the last decade. Over that decade the U.S. has witnessed 7 minimum wage increases and the Chemistry Department has grown in FTES served and lab sections offered. The department has overspent the T.A. allocation by 72 to 100% for the last 5 years. This challenge has been met annually by using the department’s Goods and Services budget and by requesting supplements from the Dean and the Provost to pay T.A. salaries.

4. Increasing costs of laboratory chemicals and supplies. Market increases in chemicals and laboratory supplies strain the chemistry stockroom budget. The department has met this challenge by increasing student laboratory and breakage fees twice over the last five years. In order to keep pace with market adjustments, another fee increase will be requested in the 2005-2006 academic year.

5. Growing the graduate program in the face of low graduate stipends. The current graduate student stipend at CWU is the lowest in the state by a considerable amount. Ph.D. granting institutions such as WSU and UW offer yearlong graduate stipends in excess of $20,000 per year, although CWU does not consider itself to be in direct competition with these schools for graduate students. However, Western Washington University offers an academic year stipend of about $17,000 (tuition plus salary), while CWU's offer is about $13,000. Most of the $4,000 difference is in student salary. In addition, WWU operates on a sliding scale in which chemistry receives the largest stipends of any department. This

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puts our department at a considerable recruiting disadvantage in the region. We have significantly increased our recruiting efforts the last three years, but the majority of students who choose not to attend CWU state that it is because of the low graduate stipends. We are currently working with the Graduate Office to look at ways to improve the situation. For chemistry it is clear that fewer large stipends is a more effective recruiting tool than more small stipends. In the meantime, we also recognize the importance of obtaining external funding for research, especially funding that provides graduate student support. In addition, we are working to develop nationally recognized research programs through publication and presentation at local and national conferences.

6. Release time for research. Faculty need release time to develop and maintain their laboratory-intensive research programs. The chemistry faculty have met this challenge by using external grants (e.g., NSF) to buy out of their teaching duties. Faculty have also used internal CWU research and sabbatical leave mechanisms to reallocate time for research.

7. Office space for new faculty and graduate students. The department is reaching its limits on office space. To meet the demand for faculty office space during the 2004-2005 academic year, the chemistry graduate students were moved out of office spaces and into a large classroom that is shared with Biology graduate students. The chemistry T.A.s who used to occupy this large classroom have subsequently lost their office space. The solution for the T.A.s is to have office hours in the Science Building third floor commons or the SCI 311 conference room.

8. Research space for new faculty. While the department believes that it is critically important to add more tenure-track faculty, limited laboratory research space in the science building restricts the ability to recruit new hires. Every room designed for faculty research is in use, and some faculty have reconfigured laboratory-teaching space for their research needs. To meet this challenge, the department continues to evaluate ways to improve the efficiency of lab space utilization. Ultimately, some modification or remodeling of the existing space may be necessary.

9. Maintaining instrumentation. All faculty face challenges in balancing their teaching, research and service loads. An additional burden on chemistry faculty is the use of sophisticated instrumentation as part of laboratory teaching and research. Instruments used by students during regular coursework include gas and liquid chromatographs, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, and UV-visible spectrometers, as well as a variety of other equipment used in biochemistry, physical chemistry and instrumental laboratory courses. These instruments require routine maintenance, which is a faculty responsibility. To meet this challenge, 1.75 engineering technician positions (1.0 existing and 0.75 new) have been created and a search is underway.

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10. Library Holdings. Although the CWU library provides fairly good support to chemistry, an upgrade to the current slate of holdings is desirable. A "wish list" has been created of journals for which various faculty would like subscriptions, but very limited funds are available for new journal subscriptions. Another item of interest is a subscription to a modern literature search engine, Sci Finder. This is generally regarded as the most effective electronic database for chemists, although it is too expensive to be purchased by the library or department alone (about $25,000 per year.). We are currently looking into the possibility of pooling our resources with other regional undergraduate institutions to create a combined subscription.

C. Increasing quality, quantity, and/or efficiency.

1. Add two more tenure track faculty to contribute to the research-rich environment and intradepartmental collaborations in chemistry.

2. Alter the faculty load allocation to encourage and reward scholarly productivity.3. Recognize excellent teaching with a reward structure.4. Encourage continued attendance of scholarly conferences that focus on teaching

excellence and modern pedagogies such as WCCTA.5. Establish a repair and maintenance fund for analytical equipment used in the

curriculum and in scholarship. A quality program requires functional equipment.6. Increase funding for faculty development. 7. Establish development funding for staff. Chemistry Department staff are one of

our greatest assets. Investing in their development equates to an investment in CWU.

8. Maintain departmental collegiality and model excellence in teaching, research, and service.

9. Increase majors by increasing excellent advising and regular scheduling of tenure track faculty to teach the general chemistry course sequence for majors CHEM 181, 182, and 183.

10. Increase the number of graduate students by continued recruiting.11. Maintain class enrollments at room capacity.12. Offer upper division low enrollment elective courses every second year, e.g.,

CHEM 345 and 473.13. Continue to offer CHEM 112 once a year (decreased from two offerings per year)

and CHEM 101 twice a year (decreased from three offerings per year).14. Schedule concurrent upper division lab sections, e.g., organic chemistry, with one

faculty instructor and two T.A.s.

VIII. Future directions

A. Current national trends in the discipline and the department’s response.

1. There is an increased emphasis on undergraduate research at the national level. Our response is to include more undergraduate students in existing

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research laboratories, and make this an expectation for new tenure track faculty. A complementary and supporting development within the department has been to reinstate and expand the graduate program.

2. Another national trend is that more research is interdisciplinary, collaborative, and/or applied (e.g., more biological - health related, material science - new electronic, structural materials, nanoscience). Within the department it has been difficult to find enough common ground with overlapping interests because each faculty member has a separate area of specialization in chemistry. Opportunities for collaboration within the department have recently been explored and a grant was submitted to NIH that involves 3 out of the 8 tenure track faculty members. Efforts have also been made beyond the department at CWU (Geology and Biology) and off campus. The department anticipates that new hires in chemistry will have collaborative connections with existing research programs. Another way that chemistry has responded to this trend of interdisciplinary collaboration has been through the increased sharing of institutional resources across departments, facilitated by the pooling of the 1.75 Engineering Technician positions across COTS. Our goal is to further identify areas within the department in which collaborative research can be nurtured. Increased numbers of tenure track faculty in chemistry will move this effort forward.

3. We are also seeking ACS accreditation of our B.S. in Chemistry. This is an ongoing effort that will influence the curriculum in the future, including developing and maintaining modern laboratory exercises and equipment. Once this degree is recognized by ACS accreditation, the department intends to seek accreditation of two other degree programs: the B.A. in Chemistry Teaching and the B.S. in Chemistry with Biochemistry Specialization.

B. How faculty set goals and balance teaching, research and service.

1. Faculty members set their own goals guided by department policies and yearly reviews from the chair and the personnel committee. Balance between the three areas, however, is difficult to reach. In order to maintain an active, successful, externally funded research program over a faculty member’s entire career, a modest reduction in our current teaching loads (for example, from 12 to 10 contact hours per quarter) is required.

2. Chemistry faculty envision that teaching responsibilities will be increasingly carried out by tenured and tenure track faculty who share service obligations, in contrast to the current situation where adjunct faculty teach many courses but have no service or research obligations. The department would like the majority of chemistry courses to be taught by tenured and tenure-track faculty. While the department believes that all faculty should share the service load, it is appropriate for newer faculty members to take on less service responsibilities, particularly at the university level.

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3. As evidenced by this review, the department faculty hold scholarship produced with undergraduate and graduate student assistance of high importance and, therefore, dedicate a significant amount of time to scholarship. The department faculty also participate heavily in service to the university and community. On top of those two endeavors the faculty believe in and demonstrate teaching excellence. Balancing teaching, scholarship, and service is difficult. Scholarly expectations and the need for active participation in service roles leaves little time for serious reflection on teaching practices. The department is lucky to have such dedicated individuals that they are able to be successful in all areas, but the time commitment necessary to achieve this state is a concern of the faculty.

C. The five-year vision for the Chemistry Department.

1. Increase tenure track faculty positions by two to create opportunities in collaborative research and teaching and share service obligations.

2. The goal is for all classes to be taught by tenured and tenure track faculty members.

3. With the hire of new tenure track faculty members we will need to reevaluate and possibly remodel our facility to accommodate new faculty’s office space and research needs.

4. Increasing enrollment requires increased efficiency in the use of laboratory space facilitated by remodeling existing labs. In particular, chemistry needs to accommodate increased enrollment pressure in upper division courses such as CHEM 251, CHEM 360 series and CHEM 431. The space and time pressures imposed by increased enrollment is exacerbated by new research active faculty members. Remodeling existing labs to allow the scheduling of concurrent upper division lab sections may be more cost effective than paying for faculty to cover multiple, non-concurrent laboratory sessions.

5. We remain committed to the graduate program and will continue to seek additional internal and external funding for graduate students. We envision a graduate program with a larger number of graduate students.

6. Institutional commitment to maintain and update computing and instrumentation is critical. Without this support, the equipment that is essential to carry out the departmental mission and operations will become obsolete as occurred in the previous science building (Dean Hall).

7. The department intends to discuss and formulate one or two areas of research focus in the chemical sciences. The expectation is that a focus will facilitate intradepartmental collaboration and professional growth of the faculty.

8. Due to the increased enrollment in upper division courses, the department anticipates offering a greater variety of upper division elective courses.

D. Targeting replacement positions to optimize department goals.

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1. One retirement is anticipated in the next 5 years and we anticipate that new tenure track faculty positions will be filled in that time. These faculty positions can be used to increase collaborative interactions in both the teaching and research efforts. We are considering using new positions as they become available to strengthen areas of emphasis, possibly including: organic/biochemistry/biotechnology, material science, environmental chemistry and chemical education.

E. Resources required to pursue future directions.

1. Replace adjunct positions with tenure track positions (2 positions needed).2. Offer competitive startup packages and research space for tenure track faculty.3. Allocate funds to improve or remodel laboratory facilities making them more

flexible and useable by more than one area of specialization within chemistry. 4. Allocate a permanent fund for T.A. salaries or increase current allocation.5. Develop a regular schedule and permanent funds for computer and instrument

maintenance, repair, and replacement. 6. Hire a full time computer technician to assist Chemistry with discipline

specific software and computer use.7. Hire 1.75 engineering technicians to assist Chemistry, Geological Sciences

and Biological Sciences with instrumentation maintenance and repair.8. Decrease teaching loads to 10 contact hours per quarter.

IX. Suggestions for the program review process or contents of the self-study.

A. The self-study would benefit from an analysis of department budget and operating expenses.

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Chemistry Program Review Self StudyList of Tables

Table Title page

1. Student enrollment in service courses 17

2. Modes of Instruction Used in Chemistry Courses 22

3. Annual Average Full Time Equivalent Students (FTES) by Department, College, and Level: Academic Years 1998-1999 through 2003-2004 24

4. Percent Change in Average Full Time Equivalent Students (FTES) by Department, College, and University Level: Change Over Review Period 25

5. Chemistry Degrees Conferred, 1999-2000 through 2003-2004 26

6. Numbers of Full Time Equivalent Faculty (FTEF) in Chemistry according to Adjunct, Full Time Non-Tenure Track (FTNTT) and Tenure Track (TT) status: Academic Years 1999-2000 through 2003-2004 27

7. Average Undergraduate Class Size by Department, College and University Level 27

8. Faculty Performance Measures in Scholarship, Service, and Student Research Mentoring 32

9. SEOI scores for Effectiveness of Instructor: Comparison of Chemistry, COTS and University Values 33

10. Number of General Education and Service Courses Offered in Chemistry 37

11. A. Chemistry Department Graduate Placement 39B. Specific placement for Chemistry Department Graduate Students

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Chemistry Program Review Self Study 1999-2004List of Appendices

referenceAppendix Title page *

I Chemistry Faculty Grant Success: 1999-2004 10

II. Chemistry Faculty ServiceA. Professional Service 10B. Community or K-12 Outreach 1999-2004 10

III Chemistry Programs CWU Catalog Description 14

IV Alumni Surveys (from Institutional Research)A. Chemistry Alumni Data from 1997 and 2001 Graduates 27B. Chemistry Department Graduating Senior Data

from 2002 and 2003 Graduates 27

V Career and graduate school placements of alumni 27

VI Representative Master’s Thesis: Anthony Brown 2002 28

VII Faculty DataA. CVs and B. SPRs 31

VIII Faculty Peer Evaluation of Instruction 31

IX Student Accomplishments 36Undergraduate Students

A. SOURCE Presentations and Awards 37B. COTS and OUR Undergraduate Research Grants fundedC. CWU Alumni Association Departmental Scholarships: Chemistry Students Nominated and Awarded.D. Chemistry Club National ACS Recognition

Graduate StudentsE. Graduate Student Research Projects and PresentationsF. Graduate Student Awards

X FacilitiesA. Computer & B. Instrumentation Resources 40

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* This is the page where the appendix is first mentioned in the self-study text.

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