9450604 Whitesell We have devised a sequence of instruction that addresses many of the concerns that have been raised about the quality of lower-division education in chemistry. At this point, it represents a working plan that will be extensively modified in the next year as we gather background information and advice from institutions both within and outside the core group of four. The core of the first two years is a two-semester sequence that covers the essences of organic, bioorganic, and bio-inorganic chemistry. This core is preceded and followed by a group of one-semester courses that, on the one hand, introduce the basic elements of chemistry and, on the other, deal in greater detail with specific areas that bridge the class divisions. This new program of instruction will require a body of teaching materials that, at best, must be brought together from many different sources. Other essential teaching aids must be developed from scratch. In the next nine months we intend to explore available resources and to begin the development of these new materials. We are especially keen on developing integrated packages of audio-visual aides to be used in lectures as well as hands on, interactive packages of audio-visual aides to be used for student self-study. Further, we anticipate that faculty from other departments and colleges within the universities involved (University of Texas at Austin, Trinity University, St. Edwards University, and Austin Community College) will be able to contribute substantially to the development of the curriculum and also be directly involved in instruction. We will also interface with institutions outside the primary group of four, seeking their involvement in this planning stage as well as possible participation.
