1998 Annual Report - gsw.edu Affairs/files... · Georgia Southwestern FY 2017 ANNUAL REPORT Page 1 Georgia Southwestern State University FY2016 Annual Report UNIT: GSW ANNUAL REPORT

Georgia Southwestern FY 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

Page 1

Georgia Southwestern State University

FY2016 Annual Report

UNIT:

GSW ANNUAL REPORT 2016/2017

Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... Page

Section 1-State of the Organizational Unit ......................................................................................2

Section 2-Annual Assessment Summary .........................................................................................4

Section 3-Highlights of Faculty/Staff Activities..............................................................................6

Section 4- Unit Changes (including changes in unit responsibilities, academic programs, faculty-

staff changes, etc.) .........................................................................................................................10

UNIT: CHEMISTRY


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SECTION 1

STATE OF THE SCHOOL/COLLEGE/UNIT

Graduates:

The Department of Chemistry graduated ONE student with BS in Chemistry

Christopher Odom, graduated May 2017

Prepharmacy completers:

The Department of Chemistry had 1 student successfully apply and be accepted to Pharmacy

school within the last academic year: Ryan Cromer.

We expect 3 more students to be accepted this year:

Lindsay Brooks, Brandon Doggett, and Terrance Mann

Courses:

Dr. Iordanov continues to teach eCore CHEM 1211K and CHEM 1212K.The Department offered

six courses during the summer semesters: ENVS 1100, CHEM 1040, CHEM 1211, CHEM 1211L,

CHEM 1212, CHEM 1212L. This continues the commitment the Department has to offering

Chemistry core courses to students in the summer. This is particularly important for the CHEM

1211/CHEM 1212 sequence to make sure that students do not fall behind on their way to

graduation.

Program: No changes have been made to the BS in Chemistry program or in the Pre-pharmacy

program.

Equipment: The Department needs a new ultracentrifuge for use in the Biochemistry laboratory.

The old ultracentrifuge no longer spins at all. It was approximately 12 years old.

Allocation of Budget: Other than regular supplies and expenses, the following items were

purchased:

One LaserJet Enterprise M553 (Roney 318) ($441)

Two Replacement cartridges for the Still (approximately $200)

The Department obtained several micropipeters from Cofer Funds for use by students in all of the

upper division lab courses and for research projects.


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Needs: The following needs have been identified for the Department:

o Micro-ultracentrifuge (see above): This piece of equipment serves the

Biochemistry course on a routine basis and other courses on occasion.

o Still in Science 207: The still in Science 207 needs replacement parts, including but

not necessarily limited one of the heating elements.

o Improved water quality to still in Roney 207: The still in Science 207 supplies water

for ALL sections of ALL laboratory courses in the Chemistry department. The still

has had several parts destroyed by having very poor (un-prefiltered, metal rich)

water passing through it. Improving the quality of water going into Science

building will significantly help prolong the life of this expensive equipment.

o Updated laboratory space: The biochemistry lab space (RONEY 306) requires a

great deal up updating. The laboratory space is allocated in such a way that the

students are crowded. The benches and cabinets are old and broken. The hoods

and storage cabinets are corroded. The lab needs new benches, cabinets and

drawers, and new hoods and storage cabinets. The storeroom needs new shelves.

The sinks do not run hot water at all and the blackboard should either be replaced

with a new blackboard or a whiteboard as the surface is worn out. As far as

equipment however, only the centrifuge (see above) needs replacing.

o Laboratory Manager/Assistant: A Lab Manager to help maintain the chemical

inventory, set up the labs each week and assist in the running of the labs would be

extremely useful. The chemistry department carries a large load of Area D Core

courses that support the Biology and Geology programs as well as the Exercise

Science, Pre-Nursing, and Engineering students. Our Faculty cannot offer more

sections of core courses because they are overloaded with so many lab sections.

Having someone to assist in the would open up the option of offering more courses

for incoming freshmen, in particular more sections of CHEM 1151/1151L and

CHEM 1152/1152L (Survey of Chemistry Sequence) to accommodate the large

number of incoming pre-Nursing students.


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UNIT: CHEMISTRY

SECTION 2

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

(Unit Name) Assessment Plan (Year(s)

Outcomes Outcome Measures

Review of Outcome

Data

Outcome Target

Students will

demonstrate

conceptual

understanding of

inorganic, organic,

analytical, biological,

and physical

chemistry. Curricular

guidelines are those

suggested by the

American Chemical

Society (ACS).

1. ACS Standardized

Exams are

administered every

semester for the

general chemistry

series.

2. ACS Standardized

Exams are

administered in the

five subdisciplines of

chemistry.

3. The ACS DUCK

(Diagnostic of

Undergraduate

Chemistry

Knowledge) exam

will be administered

at the end of the

undergraduate career.

4. An exit survey with

questions regarding

undergraduate course

content is

administered at the

end of the

undergraduate career.

1. Results of

standardized exams

are reviewed

annually by faculty.

2. Exit survey

responses are

reviewed annually

by department chair.

3. All data is shared

with the faculty of

the department.

Students’

performance in our

courses should

reflect their

performance in the

standardized exams.

Therefore, the

minimum that a

student should get

on any of the

standardized exams

is 70%.

Also, the score on

the individualized

ACS exams in the

subdisciplines

should be close to

their average grade

in the class. If they

score considerably

HIGHER on the

exams, then our

courses are being

graded too harshly.

Conversely, if they

score considerably

LOWER on the

exams, then our

courses are being

graded too softly.

Every student should

therefore score a

minimum of 70% on

applicable exams.


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Students will

demonstrate critical

thinking and problem

solving skills related

to the discipline.

1. Laboratory projects

in which students

design and execute

experiments, utilize

and integrate both

classical laboratory

techniques and

modern

instrumentation, and

analyze and interpret

results.

1. Laboratory

projects and reports

are evaluated by

faculty members in

the given sub-

discipline.

All students should

pass with at least a

“satisfactory” or

70% average to

show competence in

these areas.

Students will

demonstrate effective

communication of

technical information.

1. Laboratory reports

in advanced chemistry

courses are required to

be in ACS publication

format.

2. Written and oral

presentations in

advanced chemistry

courses.

1. Laboratory reports

are evaluated by

faculty members in

the given sub-

discipline.

2. Student

presentations in

advanced chemistry

courses are

evaluated by the

faculty

Students must score

at a “satisfactory”

level on EVERY

assessment of

effective

communication.

This will include

oral and written

presentations in

several upper

division courses,

including the Senior

Seminar Courses.


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UNIT: CHEMISTRY

SECTION 3

SUMMARY OF FACULTY-STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Dr. Elizabeth Gurnack:

I. TEACHING:

Dr. Gurnack taught the following courses over the year:

FALL 2016 (12 contact hours)

o CHEM 4410

o CHEM 4410L

o CHEM 1151

o CHEM 1151L

SPRING 2017 (10 contact hours)

o CHEM 1152

o CHEM 1152L

o CHEM 1211

o CHEM 4491

SUMMER 2017 (6 contact hours)

o CHEM 1212

o CHEM 1212L

II. SCHOLARSHIP

Dr. Gurnack has continued to develop the flipped strategy for the following courses:

CHEM 4410, CHEM 1151, CHEM 1152. She has also been developing using board/card games

in the classroom. She hosted a Teaching Circle titled “Games Across the Curriculum” and

received a Faculty Development Grant to present at the TIES (Technology, Innovation, &

Educational Strategies) Conference at Valdosta State University from February 22-24, 2017.

The title of her presentation was, “Games in the Introductory Chemistry Courses.” She also

received a Faculty Instructional Grant for performing electrophoresis on proteins for the

Biochemistry laboratory. (approximately $2500)

III. SERVICE

Dr. Gurnack serves as Chair of the Department of Chemistry, Secretary to the Faculty

Affairs Committee, is a member of the Faculty Senate, and serves on the Arts and Science

Committee for Tenure and Promotion.


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Dr. Nedialka Iordanova

I. TEACHING:

Dr. Iordanova taught the following courses over the year:


o CHEM 1020

o CHEM 1212

o CHEM 1212L (2 sections)


o CHEM 1212 (2 sections)



o CHEM 1020

II. SCHOLARSHIP

Dr. Iordanova applied for an external grant: Generation Study Abroad access Grant

($20,000) from the Council on International Educational Exchange. She also gave an invited

talk at the Chemistry department of University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign: “Challenges and

Benefits of Being a College Professor in a Predominantly Undergraduate Teaching Institution.”

She also acted as a reviewer for the Journal of Physical Chemistry.

III. SERVICE

Dr. Iordanova continues as Chair for the Faculty Affairs committee as well as the advisor

for the Chemistry club. She is also on the College of Arts and Science Promotion and Tenure

committee and is active around campus supporting many extracurricular student events.


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Dr. Michele Smith

I. TEACHING:

Dr. Smith taught the following courses over the year:


o CHEM 3301


o CHEM 1211L


o CHEM 3302


o CHEM 3310


o CHEM 1211

o CHEM 1211L

II. SCHOLARSHIP

Dr. Smith is certified as a Chemical and Bacterial Trainer for the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream

program. She received a Faculty Instructional Grant ($508) for Melting Point Determination

equipment. She is a Textbook reviewer for several Organic Chemistry publishers (Cengage,

Pearson Education, John Wiley & Sons, Macmillan Learning). She has one manuscript in

preparation: “Synthesis of Noel Linear Polydentate Phosphines and Characterization of the

Resulting Complexes with Silver (I)”.

III. SERVICE

Dr Smith acts as an advisor for the Pre-Pharmacy Program (currently 16 advisees). She

collaborated in writing an MOU with South University School of Pharmacy. She is also

extremely active in providing opportunities for students to engage with and visit Pharmacy

schools and organizes visits from representatives from the local Pharmacy schools for our

students. She is a Review panelist for 2017 SMART Schoolarhip Evaluatioin Panel; on the ACS

Webinars-Audience Advisory Group and participates in Georgia Adopt-A-Strem.


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Dr. Tzvetelin Iordanov

I. TEACHING:

Dr. Iordanov taught the following courses over the year:


o CHEM 1211 (2 sections) (Implementing Sapling homework assignments into

course.)



o CHEM 1211 (Implementing Sapling homework assignments into course.)

o CHEM 1212L

o CHEM 1211L

SUMMER 2017

o None

Dr. Iordanov has continued his eCore certification for the Principles of Chemistry sequence

(CHEM 1211/CHEM 1211L and CHEM 1212/CHEM 1212L)

II. SCHOLARSHIP

Faculty development:

o Smart Thinking, Smart Eval, Beacon, Sapling Learning, and eCore trainings;

o General Interest teaching circle;

o Publication in progress: T. D. Iordanov, A. E. Masunov, C. N. Odom, A. A. Atlanov,

G. Barari, B. Koroglu, S. S. Vasu “Propionaldehyde gas phase oxidation pathways:

combined experimental and quantum chemical study”

o Student poster at the regional ACS meeting - Fall 2016

III. SERVICE

Dr. Iordanov performs the following service for the Department:

Preview Day in Feb

Maintaining and troubleshooting the departmental instrumentation, worked on the

distiller in the first two weeks of August

Study abroad fairs in Fall 2016 and Spring 2017, Fall 2017

Past Chair of the local ACS section

Business and Finance Committee Fall 2016 and Spring 2017

Instructional Technology Committee – Fall 2017

Preparing a solution manual for CHEM 1211K – Spring 2017 and Summer 2017

Organizing UNIV 4000 to Nepal in May 2017


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UNIT: CHEMISTRY

SECTION 4

UNIT CHANGES

The following Personnel changes were made:

Dr. M. Elizabeth Gurnack promoted to Full Professor.

Dr. Tzvetelin Iordanov promoted to Full Professor.

Dr. Michele Smith promoted to Full Professor.

The department has worked on improving retention of students by adding an online homework

program to the Principles of Chemistry sequence. The low rate of student success in the

introductory course sequence (CHEM 1211/1212) has been targeted by the Department. In order

to improve student success and, hopefully science major retention, we have implemented a

required online component. The online Sapling homework system is now required for the students.

It allows students much more practice with detailed feedback on homework problems. It is too

early to say whether this has had a positive effect on student success and retention however we are

gathering data in order to make an assessment at the end of this academic year.

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Administrative, Academic, and Student Support Services Institutional Effectiveness

[DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY] – [2016]

Unit Mission Statement: The Mission of the Department of Chemistry is to provide:

1. An appreciation for the concepts and applications of Chemistry in everyday life for majors of all disciplines.

2. A firm background of Chemistry upon which students in pre-professional programs can link concepts of Biology, Physics, and Mathematics.

3. The ability to apply concepts and analyze data in Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and

Biochemistry for Chemistry majors. The goal is to provide the resources necessary for success upon graduation, independent of the chosen career

path.

4. An environment in which all students are encouraged to learn, question, and explore individually, and as part of a team, while under the guidance of

the faculty.

Unit Goal 1: Improve pass rates in introductory chemistry courses (CHEM 1211 and CHEM 1212 and CHEM 1151 and CHEM 1152)

University Strategic Theme(s) supported by Unit Goal 1: Strategic Theme 1. EXPANDING HIGH‐IMPACT TEACHING AND LEARNING

EXPERIENCES

Explanation of how Unit Goal 1 supports specified University Strategic Theme(s):This unit goal specifically addresses section 1.3.3 of the

institutional strategic plan (Increase student retention, persistence and timely graduation to support student success) by targeting an area of the Core that is a barrier to retention, persistence and timely graduation.

Goal 1, Objective 1:

Implement online homework system for CHEM 1211/1212

Implementation Strategy & Timeline:

We require students to register for the online Sapling homework system for CHEM 1211 and CHEM 1212 courses. This system provides excellent real time feedback to students as they work on homework problems. This system was initiated in Fall of 2015 and will remain in effect for 3 years. If it is found to be effective, it will be continued.

Assessment Method and Data Collection:

Monitor initial pass rates for both CHEM 1211 and CHEM 1212. Monitor student use of online homework system. Survey students on the use of and attitude towards the online homework system.

Target: Increase initial pass rates for CHEM 1211 and CHEM 1212 a minimum of 10% over the next 3 years.

Results and Findings:

Analysis and Discussion:

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Action Plan:


Increase supplemental instruction for all 1000 level courses.


Supplemental instruction and extra tutoring will be available for CHEM 1211, CHEM 1212, CHEM 1151, and CHEM 1152


Monitor initial pass rates for both CHEM 1211 and CHEM 1212 and CHEM 1151 and CHEM 1152. Monitor student use of the SI opportunities.

Target: Increase initial pass rates for CHEM 1211 and CHEM 1212 and CHEM 1151 and CHEM 1152 10% over the next 3 years. On average, a minimum of 75% of the students will attend each of the SI sessions.



Action Plan:


Implement early intervention for students in introductory chemistry courses.


Starting FALL 2017 the Chair of chemistry and/or Advisor of any student performing poorly in an introductory chemistry course will meet as soon as possible with that student and discuss the problems the student is having and make sure the student is aware of all options for assistance that GSW can offer. This includes students identified via Beacon, noted in class, or identified by the instructor of the course as a student who is struggling.


Monitor initial pass rates for both CHEM 1211 and CHEM 1212 and CHEM 1151 and CHEM 1152. Track visits by poorly performing students to the Advisor/Chair in Chemistry. Review SmartEvals for student comments on advisement/helpfulness in introductory chemistry courses.

Target: Initial pass rates will increase 10% over the next 3 years. Every student in 1211 or 1212 or 1151 or 1152 who is performing poorly will meet with his/her advisor or the Department Chair. Students will have positive comments to make about the attention by the advisor/Chair.


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Action Plan:

Unit Goal 2: Improve student writing and reading in Chemistry.

University Strategic Theme(s) supported by Unit Goal 2: 1.3.3 Increase student retention, persistence and timely graduation to support student success.

Explanation of how Unit Goal 2 supports specified University Strategic Theme(s): Chemistry majors must, in most of their upper division chemistry courses, be able to find, read, and explain primary research articles in chemistry. Students find this very difficult and helping them achieve these goals will help them continue in a timely manner towards graduation.


Rewrite writing guidelines and outcomes for introductory laboratory chemistry courses: CHEM 1211L, CHEM 1212L, CHEM 1151L, CHEM 1152L


Academic year 2017-2018 we will develop standardized guidelines and outcomes for the writing component of the introductory chemistry laboratory courses. Starting academic year 2018-2019 we will implement the new guidelines and outcomes for the writing component. Assessment of the change will begin in academic year 2019-2020.


We will monitor grades in the final writing assignments in the last (CHEM 1212L and CHEM 1152L) introductory laboratory courses. (all years) We will monitor grades in writing assignments in the upper division laboratory courses. (Starting in year 2019-2020).

Target: All writing assignments will meet ALL minimum satisfactory requirements as outlined in the Writing Guidelines and Outcomes.



Action Plan:


Develop sophomore Chemical Literature course for chemistry (major) curriculum.


Develop a course (CHEM 3100 Chemical Literature 1-0-1) focused on helping students read primary chemical literature and research papers and communicating the complex topics to others both in written and oral formats. The proposal will be in Academic Affairs during the academic year 2017-2018 and ready to offer by year 2018-2019.

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Add a survey question to senior exit survey regarding the students’ preparedness to read and write in upper level assignments. The survey question will ask:

How well prepared were you to be able to read a research paper?

How well prepared were you to research a topic for your seminar course?

How well prepared were you to present a topic in your seminar course? Likert choices: (not prepared at all, somewhat prepared, adequately prepared, very prepared)

Target: All students will consider themselves, at a minimum, “adequately prepared” to read, research and present a topic in the seminar course.



Action Plan:


[objective title here]



Target:



Action Plan:

Unit Goal 3 Develop undergraduate research program for Chemistry majors

University Strategic Theme(s) supported by Unit Goal 3: 1.1.3 Expose students to faculty expertise and scholarship through signature courses offered across majors and schools. 1.1.2 Increase opportunities for students to engage in research, scholarship, creative works, internships, civic involvement and other co-curricular learning experiences, and encourage and enable all students to participate.

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Explanation of how Unit Goal 3 supports specified University Strategic Theme(s):




Target:



Action Plan:




Target:



Action Plan:


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Target:



Action Plan:

Unit Goal 4:

University Strategic Theme(s) supported by Unit Goal 4:






Target:



Action Plan:



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Target:



Action Plan:





Target:



Action Plan:

Unit Goal 5:

University Strategic Theme(s) supported by Unit Goal 5:


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Target:



Action Plan:





Target:



Action Plan:




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Target:



Action Plan:

Documents

1998 Annual Report - gsw.edu Affairs/files... · Georgia Southwestern FY 2017 ANNUAL REPORT Page 1 Georgia Southwestern State University FY2016 Annual Report UNIT: GSW ANNUAL REPORT