Mississippi College has striven to improve science education by curriculum development employing spectroscopy and biochemical subject matter for science and non-science undergraduate students. Extending these changes, we are implementing a significant upgrade of nuclear magnetic resonance instrumental capability with broad implications for the chemistry curriculum at Mississippi College and five local two-year community colleges, Hinds, Holmes, Copiah-Lincoln, Jones County, and Southwest Mississippi Community Colleges. Curricular changes range from foundational to specialized courses and improve student skills in stages through the higher three years of the degree program. These changes are made by adapting experiments from the educational and research literature into undergraduate courses. In this project, a first goal is foundational for the second undergraduate year: improving student understanding and practice of magnetic resonance in organic chemistry at Mississippi College, and developing and implementing an outreach to the five local two-year colleges for annual instructor training, ongoing materials development, support and visiting class practice in infrared and nuclear magnetic spectroscopy. A second goal is developmental: introducing students to more searching experiments which take advantage of the wide analytical range of the instrumentation and its specialized applications in biochemistry, organic and instrumental analysis, and chemical dynamics. Supportive internet resources are being developed for both of these goals. A third goal is investigational: improving undergraduate research and honors by providing students with modern spectroscopic means for their synthetic and experimental work. Facilities are available to colleagues at other local four-year institutions. Following the implementation period, the project will support a long-term improvement of basic student skills in organic chemistry locally, and more specialized activities by upper-division students. Each planned element and the off-campus outreach will be evaluated by the end of the first year with annual assessments thereafter. Both intramural and extramural programs are being assessed based on student and faculty evaluation of the methods and experiences. Affected two-year college programs, which presently lack instrumental support, should realize significant science student, faculty, and program improvements. Science students will be better prepared for higher division classes, transfer programs, and for graduate and professional studies.
