The chemistry department has devoted considerable effort during the past eight years to curriculum development and the preparation of instructional materials, based on their premise that a chemistry curriculum should: (1) be designed for specific students which it serves; (2) serve majors and non-majors equally well; (3) provide maximum flexibility; (4) reflect current practice in chemistry and chemical education at all levels in the curriculum, both in the classroom and the laboratory. Current laboratory practice implies the intorduction of students to modern instrumentation, an area in which the department has made significant gains in the last five years, due in part to a CSIP grant from NSF. They planned to offer a new course for both science and non-science majors. The faculty structured a laboratory experience that involves some of the senior majors working with the non-majors in a cooperative environmental study project. The institution sees this grouping of students as a microcosm of our society, i.e., a few scientifically aware persons working with a larger number of persons having marginal scientific literacy. Through the project, the department acquired a gas chromatographic system capable of analyzing for volatile organic compounds, including halogenated compounds. This instrument along with atomic absorption, dc-plasma, and anode stripping instruments allows the students to seek answers to analytical problems involving both inorganic and organic contaminants in the ground water. The institution contributed to this project in an amount equal to the NSF award.
