Twenty one Laboratory Directors representing the Nation's institutions that enroll large numbers of students in introductory chemistry courses intended for science and engineering majors are meeting for a three day conference to address the challenges associated with providing a modern general chemistry laboratory experience for upwards of 1000 students per term. The objectives of the conference are: (1) to outline several laboratory curricula based on materials, reactitivy, and environmental issues and develop detailed plans for implementing them in large, multi-section courses. (2) to address management issues and delivery systems. (3) to consider the responsibilities and role of teaching assistants in implementing the new curricula, and problems associated with language, cultural differences, and attitudes toward education arising from the international background of the teaching assistants. (4) to explore the possibilities for microscale quantitative determinations and the relative balance between the use of instruments and learning basic techniques.
