The Division of Chemical Education of the American Chemical Society established a Task Force to study the General Chemistry curriculum in the Fall of 1989. It has met four times as a body, held two public sessions, and presented a full-day symposium at the 1991 ACS meeting. FIPSE supported four lectures by Task Force members on revising general chemistry that were part of the symposium, and NSF supported a two-day workshop of the Task Force in August 1991. As a result of the workshop, the Task Force has appointed three new subgroups and expanded its membership to include a fuller representation of the research community. One subgroup is explicitly charged with recommending administrative reorganization of the Task Force and its relationship to the disciplinary community. Other subgroups focus on: studying innovations in general chemistry across the country; building general chemistry curriculum form a base of zero; a laboratory-based curriculum; a modular/core approach; and a curriculum drawn conceptually from important applications of chemistry. During the 1992-93 period the Task Force will continue its efforts to recognize the key elements, approaches, personnel, and organization of national reform of general chemistry instruction. It will also continue to plan proposals seeking major support of the Task Force to initiate large-scale changes in general chemistry instruction.
