9455830 Watts A curriculum for chemistry at the undergraduate level is being developed that will better prepare chemistry and biochemistry majors for employment through a novel Joint Industrial Chemistry Degree (JICD) which includes a two year work experience graded by term papers and oral presentations. Majors will also be afforded extensive research experience through a new undergraduate degree graded by thesis with an oral defense. These changes will allow the intensive industrial and research degrees to be conducted off- campus, and facilitate the pathway to a degree by economically disadvantaged students, by developing a module-based study sequence at the junior and senior level. The curriculum also introduces new technologies through extensive use of computers, and it improves opportunities for minority groups by using concepts adapted from our existing Native American, Women in Science and High School outreach programs. Concurrent pathways at the freshman and sophomore level for non-science majors, life science majors including nursing and pre-meds, and physical sciences majors including pre-engineering are being developed. Close collaboration with the chemical and biochemical industry, other departments within the University, and Community Colleges and other four year colleges in the Pacific Northwest is planned. Program assessment will be based on methods developed in collaboration with a management consultant group. Results will be disseminated by peer- reviewed publications, monographs presenting upper level modules, software publication and presentations at national meetings.
