Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Assessment Report, 2013-2014

COST, Chemistry

Assessment Identifiers

College / School
College of Science and Technology

Department
Chemistry and Forensic Science

Program / Major / Certificate
Chemistry (BS)

Assessment Coordinator(s)
Dr. Binda

Has there been a change to the Assessment Coordinator(s) since the last assessment plan?
No

Person(s) responsible for writing and/or submitting this report:
Dr. Binda

Program Mission Statement

The mission of the Chemistry program at Savannah State University is to graduate students prepared to perform at high levels of excellence and productivity in their chosen fields of endeavors in a changing technological society and the global community. The academic course offerings provide strong and innovative instruction on the theory and practice of the chemical sciences. This program will prepare graduates to be proficient in the methods of scientific inquiry. This program is designed to accommodate a range of career goals such as research scientists in varied research laboratories and industrial settings, and associate professions such as health sciences and public policy.

Has this mission statement been revised since the last plan?
No

PSLOs

1. Students will be able to develop in-depth knowledge of the major concepts, theoretical principles and experimental methods in chemistry.

2. Students will be able to use modern instrumentations and classical techniques to design experiments and to interpret the results of the experiments

3. Students will be able to demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills necessary to transmit complex technical information clearly and in a concise manner.

4. Students will be able to demonstrate awareness and understanding of academic integrity and the ethical standards of the chemistry profession.

5. Students will be able to develop in-depth knowledge of procedures and regulations for the safe handling and use of chemicals.

LINK TO: Assessment Report, 2013-2014 – Supporting Documents

Assessment Results (PSLOs)

SSU Strategic Plan Goal	PSLO	Semester	Professor	Courses	Assessment Artifacts and Instruments	Target Levels	Results and Analysis of Results	Actions in Response to Results
Academic Engagement and Achievement	1. Students will be able to develop in-depth knowledge of the major concepts, theoretical principles and experimental methods in chemistry.	Fall 2013	Jones	CHEM 1211 Principles of Chemistry II	Exam – Rubric/key	80% will a rating of Satisfactory on all Course Learning Outcomes	TARGET 1 NOT MET 45%	OVERALL: TARGET PARTIALLY MET Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: More classroom review sessions, timely feedback, math review, and mandatory tutorial sessions will be provided.
			Song	CHEM 1212 Principles of Chemistry II			TARGET 2 NOT MET 58%
			Zhao	CHEM 2511 Organic Chemistry II			TARGET 3 NOT MET 59%
			Binda	CHEM 2511L Organic Chemistry II	Lab Exam – Rubric/key		TARGET 4 MET 96%
		Spring 2014	Zhao	CHEM 2501L Organic Chemistry I	Test – Rubric/KEY		TARGET 5 NOT MET 51%
		Spring 2014	Binda	CHEM 4601 Polymer Chemistry	Research paper – Rubric		TARGET 6 MET 100%
Academic Engagement and Achievement	2. Students will be able to use modern instrumentations and classical techniques to design experiments and to interpret the results of the experiments	Fall 2013	Jones	CHEM 3101 Analytical Chemistry	Exam – Rubric/key	80% will a rating of Satisfactory on all Course Learning Outcomes	TARGET 1 MET 100%	OVERALL: TARGET MET Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: Successful strategies will be employed again to meet targets.
Academic Engagement and Achievement		Spring 2014	Binda	CHEM 4601 Polymer Chemistry	Test – Rubric/KEY		TARGET 2 MET 100%
Academic Engagement and Achievement	3. Students will be able to demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills necessary to transmit complex technical information clearly and in a concise manner.	Fall 2013	Binda	CHEM 2511L Organic Chemistry II	Lab Report - grades	80% will a rating of Satisfactory on all Course Learning Outcomes	TARGET 1 MET 96%	OVERALL: TARGET MET Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: TARGETS 1 & 2: Successful strategies will be employed again to meet targets.
Academic Engagement and Achievement		Spring 2014	Binda	CHEM 4601 Polymer Chemistry	Research paper - Rubric		TARGET 2 MET 100%
Academic Engagement and Achievement	4. Students will be able to demonstrate awareness and understanding of academic integrity and the ethical standards of the chemistry profession.	Spring 2014	Binda	CHEM 2511L Organic Chemistry II	Lab Report - grades	80% will a rating of Satisfactory on all Course Learning Outcomes	TARGET MET 96%	OVERALL: TARGET MET Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: Successful strategies will be employed again to meet targets.
Academic Engagement and Achievement	5. Students will be able to develop in-depth knowledge of procedures and regulations for the safe handling and use of chemicals.	Spring 2014	Binda	CHEM 2511L Organic Chemistry II	Safety Quiz - Grading Rubric	80% will a rating of Satisfactory on all Course Learning Outcomes	TARGET NOT MET 20%	OVERALL: TARGET NOT MET Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: More opportunities to practice and learn chemistry safety standards will be introduced.

Assessment Results (POs)

SSU Strategic Plan Goal	PO Goal	Enabling Strategies	Measures	Targets	Results and Analysis of Results	Actions in Response to Results
Academic Engagement and Achievement	Maintain or increase enrollment	a. Participate at SSU open campus day to meet interested freshmen b. Redesign departmental brochure to include faculty research and chemistry instrumentation c. Starting a departmental newsletter with one publication per semester d. Visitation to local high schools by senior students and faculty e. Starting a departmental seminar series where successful researchers are invited to campus f. Involvement of High School Students in summer research projects with chemistry faculty g. Re-organization of Student Chapter of American Chemical Society (ACS) with the institution of annual ACS week.	Banner enrollment data	80 majors each year	TARGET NOT MET 73—Enrolled Majors Target shortfall 7 majors.	OVERALL: TARGET NOT MET Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: Our enabling strategies will be continued to increase enrollment next AY.
Academic Engagement and Achievement	Increase course completion rates	Additional tutorial sessions and active instructional approaches	Banner course completion data	70% minimum pass rate for all courses	TARGET NOT MET Courses highlighted still require a lot of work to meet the target of 70%.	OVERALL: TARGET NOT MET Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: Instructional delivery methods such as flipped classroom model will be tested.
Academic Engagement and Achievement	Help students prepare for graduate school and career placement upon graduation.	a. Encourage Chemistry students (sophomores upward) to participate in NSF funded summer Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) programs at different sites across the US. b. Encourage students to participate in different research training programs including ethical conduct in research, professional writing, work ethic, literature review, literature search, library usage, preparations for successful graduate studies, career preparation and oral presentation. c. Encourage students to present at professional conferences such as Southeastern Regional Conference of American Chemical Society (SERMACS), Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference, and Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS).	Student summer research participation data	3 students participate in summer research	TARGET MET 3 student participants	OVERALL: TARGET MET Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: Continue to encourage students to participate in summer research.