Changes in Introductory Chemistry Courses for 2008-2009, and the Chemistry Placement Exam

Beginning in Fall 2008, the course(s) by which students will prepare for intermediate and advanced chemistry courses will be CHEM 115-116 only. CHEM 119 will not be offered. Further, students with reasonable backgrounds in chemistry (at least one course in high school chemistry) will have the opportunity to place into CHEM 116 by placement examination (see below). CHEM 115 will become primarily a preparatory course for students who have little or no background in chemistry, who need substantial review of high school chemistry, or who need more practice with the mathematical manipulations of chemistry. There will also be some changes in the content of CHEM 116, which will be the standard introductory course.

This change is not intended to imply that students need less preparation in chemistry. Rather, the intent is that students who need the equivalent of two terms of chemistry as preparation for advanced study in graduate or professional programs (including medical school), will take CHEM 116 plus an additional intermediate-level course in analytical, inorganic, or physical chemistry rather than 2 terms of 'introductory' chemistry. That will provide a stronger and more appropriate preparation. Thus the normal preparation for medical students will be CHEM 116, one of CHEM 210, 320 or 370, and two terms of organic chemistry. CHEM 115 will not, in the future, be regarded as satisfying any part of the 'inorganic chemistry' expectations of medical schools or similar programs.

Along with this change in the nature of the introductory courses, changes in their scheduling will enable students to move more quickly into courses at the intermediate level (analytical, organic, inorganic). For chemistry majors or minors, that will allow more efficient completion of the requirements for those programs. For students completing majors in related disciplines (biology, biochemistry, ENST, for example), offering CHEM 116 in both fall and spring will allow more timely and stronger support for those majors. It will, for example, be easier for such students to complete the introductory course plus analytical and/or inorganic, or the introductory course plus Organic I and II, by the end of the sophomore year. That in turn will free up scheduling in the junior and senior years, allow potential biochemistry majors to get to the Biochemistry I earlier in their careers, and provide better preparation for MCAT and similar exams.

Chemistry Placement Examination

All students beginning their college study of chemistry here, at the introductory level or beyond, are expected to take the Chemistry Placement Exam before registering for either CHEM 115 or 116, though there are some exceptions.

1) Students who have taken no chemistry courses at the high school or college level need not take the placement exam, but will need instructor approval to register and should mention their background when requesting that approval.

2) Students who have AP or IB exam scores need not take the exam (see "Advanced Placement" in the menu bar to the left), and students who have taken 115 or who have transfer credit for a term of introductory chemistry elsewhere need not take it if they plan to continue with 116. Questions about these introductory chemistry courses or about placement issues should be addressed to a department faculty member.

The Chemistry Placement Exam is a set of 20 questions available on the Lawrence Moodle site. The exam should be taken on-line; questions are not to be printed or shared with other students. Students must present their own work, but may refer to a standard general chemistry text and may use a calculator. Since the exam score may allow a student to go directly to CHEM 116, the questions deal with topics that will be covered in CHEM 115, including atomic and molecular structure, periodic properties, general stoichiometry, gases, and the like. Review of those or related topics before taking the exam is likely to be helpful and is strongly encouraged.

To take the exam, go to the Lawrence Moodle Site for Chemistry. In the list of "courses" on that page you will find CHEMISTRY PLACEMENT EXAM. Open that link, 'enroll' in the exam, read the instructions, and proceed.

Students who take the exam will be notified of placement recommendations within a day or two. Information on interpreting scores and suggestions for placement are on the Placement Scores page.

Last updated July, 2008

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