A Report of The Task Force on the Teaching of Chemistry Unique Courses B. R. Siebring Universiiy of Wisconsin-Milwaukee,
Milwaukee. WI 53201
The Task Force on the T e a c h i n g of Chemistry1 has completed a study on u n i q u e undergraduate chemistry courses. A d m i t t e d l y , the word " u n i q u e " is nearly always controversial. A f t e r much d i s c u s s i o n , the Task Force agreed that a course c o u l d be u n i q u e i n terms o f c o n t e n t , m e t h o d o l o g y , c l i e n t e l e , l e n g t h , and i n other ways. A q u e s t i o n n a i r e w a s d e v i s e d that p r o v i d e d broad outlines o f what i s meant by " u n i q u e , " hut it a l l o w e d t h e i n d i v i d u a l c o m p l e t i n g the q u e s t i o n n a i r e to d e s c r i b e a course that was unique i n a way that the Task Force had not c o n s i d e r e d . T h i s q u e s t i o n n a i r e was d e s i g n e d to obtain t h e f o l l o w i n g i n f o r m a t i o n : t i t l e , u n i q u e f e a t u r e , length, t e x t b o o k ( i f a n y ) , e n r o l l m e n t , e x a m i n a t i o n s , s y l l a b u s , state of d e v e l o p m e n t ( w h e t h e r i n the p l a n n i n g stage or already being t a u g h t ) , c l i e n t e l e , etc. A f t e r c o n s i d e r a b l e r e v i s i o n , the quest i o n n a i r e was f i n a l l y m a i l e d on A p r i l 2,1979, to the C h e m i s t r y C h a i r p e r s o n s o f all f o u r - y e a r c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s . In a d d i t i o n . the a u e s t i o n n a i r e was d i s t r i b u t e d by the 2 Y C x ~ e w s l e t L tro r&rly a l l c o m m u n i t y r o l l r g e c h e m i s t r y t e a c h ers. T h e p e r c e n t r v t u r n f r o m t h e f o u r v r n r c o l l e a e s w a s a l ~ o u r 45%. A s result o f t h i s e f f o r t , 371 u n i q u e co&es that are b e i n g taught currently were i d e n t i f i e d . In a d d i t i o n , 44 unique u.ur;
