New Text ΊΠΗΕ
AMERICAN
CHEMICAL
SOCIETY
through its committee is very anxious t h a t quality of staff, quality of instruction, and basic course offerings be maintained, or better still, bo improved, so that young people passing through our universities and colleges and then entering industrial and faculty positions will be prepared in the hest possible manner. During t h e past eight years in its con tacts with universities and colleges, tin* commit tee has m a d e it very clear that it is not a body set up to dictate or even to standardize methods of chemical instruction. It has been the committee's position to outline minimum conditions and minimum course offerings upon which could b e based a fundamental program of training deemed a d e q u a t e for prepara tion for a professional career in the fields of chemistry. Staff training, staff activi ties including research, course offerings, course prerequisites, and physical condi tions have an important bearing on the training which a student m a y receive in a given institution. In order to be sun» that it* future activi ties are in line with current thinking, the committee asked a few eminent chemists, chemical engineers, and college adminis trators to aid it in making predictions con cerning professional training in the post war world. This group wiis representative of the faculty of the small college, the col lege of medium size, the p r i v a t e institu tion, the large state university, the woman's college, and the sectarian a n d nonsectarian college. It also represented t h e administration of the small college, t h e technical school, and the large state university. Both chemistry a n d chemical engineering points of view were repre sented by well-known industrialists. Those present at this conference held at t h e Hotel Commodore, New York, Decem ber 8 a n d 9, 1944, in addition to t h e person nel of t h e committee, were as follows : Roger Adams, chairman, Department, of Chemistry, University of Illinois J a m e s P. Baxter, 3rd, president, Williams College N o r m a n J. Brumbaugh, c h a i r m a n , De p a r t m e n t of Chemistry, J u n i a t a College E m m a P . Carr, chairman, D e p a r t m e n t of Chemistrv, M o u n t Holyoke College Charles K. Friley, president, Iowa State College Paul Gross, chairman, D e p a r t m e n t of Chemistry, D u k e University A r t h u r W. Hixson, executive officer, D e p a r t m e n t of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University Charles L. Parsons, secretary, AMEKICAN C H E M I C A L SOCIETY
F.
O. Rice, chairman, D e p a r t m e n t of Chemistry, Catholic University X o r m a n A. Shepard, chemical director. American O y a n a m i d Co. H u g h S. Taylor, chairman, D e p a r t m e n t of Chemistry, Princeton University
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William K. Wickenden, president, Case School of Applied Science; Robert K. Wilson, president. Pan-Ameri can Petroleum and T r a n s p o r t Co. Faculty T h e conference discussion revealed unanimity of opinion that good teaching can be ensured only if the teachers have good graduate training or equivalent experience. T h e courses for the junior ;uni senior years should be t a u g h t by those with specialized training in the particular subject in question. Thus organic chemistry should be t a u g h t by one who has had good advanced training in organic chemistry a n d physical chem istry should be t a u g h t by one who has specialized in that field. It was generally felt t h a t graduate work should be taken in a different institution from undergraduate work. Aioreover, it was felt t h a t " i n b r e e d i n g " is a vicious practice. Some institutions find it easier to a t t r a c t their own graduates than gradu ates of other institutions, ^ h u s school loyalty has been used as a means of main taining low salary scales. Admittedly, the problem is a complex one but it is felt that careful attention should be given to this mat ter by college administrators. Breadth of point of view in a d e p a r t m e n t can best be acquired by bringing together faculty members from a variety of institutions. T h e committee agrees t h a t professional training to meet the SOCIETY'S minimum standards can be carried out by a faculty of three members. A two-man depart ment can give a portion of the training with high standards, b u t the teaching load would be excessive if all courses re quired for proper professional training were offered yearly. Students from a small d e p a r t m e n t often find it necessary to complete undergraduate requirements at some larger institution, but it is frankly recognized by the committee t h a t m a n y of such students are of excellent caliber and eventually become leaders in the profession. One of the weaknesses of the committee's activities has been its inabil ity to devise a system which gives proper recognition to the small department of high quality but inadequate course offerings. Faculty members might well visit gradu ate schools and industries which employ their graduates so as not only to keep in formed of new processes and appliances but to ascertain the a t t i t u d e which has been developed toward their graduates. Stress was laid upon t h e importance of staff quality. In employing faculty members every attention should be given to strengthening the d e p a r t m e n t . By keeping the lower brackets of the faculty in a fluid condition during these war days, the college or university administra-
CHEMICAL
tion can maintain itself in a good position to select outstanding individuals inter ested in teaching and in research. I t was pointed out t h a t this is an excellent time to get information concerning promising y o u n g people who are conducting N D R C •or O S R D work in university laboratories. A similar situation existed during the last war, b u t it is more prevalent this time be cause of the extensive scope of military research projects. T h e need for chemists is such a t the present time that depart m e n t chairmen can rectify a n y undesirable situation and faculty members can seek new positions if they consider their present prospects unsatisfactory. Attention was also directed to the desirability of choosing; the staff in such a m a n n e r that the ages of appointees are properly separated, so t h a t retirement d a t e s will not coincide. T h i s helps bal a n c e the faculty from the s t a n d p o i n t of age a n d of salary. I t was agreed that in order to recruit and build faculties, a d e q u a t e salaries m u s t be offered to appointees. It seems t h a t $2,000 which used to be more or less s t a n d a r d for instructors m a y not be ade q u a t e to a t t r a c t the o u t s t a n d i n g young chemist. Probably at least a 2 0 % a n d in s o m e cases a 30 or 4 0 % increase in salary m a y be necessary. I n small colleges, as well as in large colleges and universities, atten tion m u s t be given to salary scales, with special consideration t o the lower ranks. I n his annual report for 1944, President Butler of Columbia University m a d e the following s t a t e m e n t : The entire salary schedule should be re vised at the earliest possible moment. I t is not fitting that young men and young women who have chosen scholarship as their career, and who have devoted six or more years to college anil university study and training for that career, should be asked to begin their services in the world a t salaries which are not more than one half of what they well might be. Moreover, the scholars of greatest achievement and longest service deserve much larger salaries than those now paid. M a n y a d m i n i s t r a t o r s feel t h a t promo tion in salary and in rank for those in the armed services should proceed as though the individuals were actually in residence. I t is shortsighted to let excellent men resign to accept positions for salary differ entials of a few h u n d r e d dollars. Consult ing work is often used t o a u g m e n t faculty salaries, and this device has promoted the retention of some men who receive inade q u a t e stipends, b u t it was felt t h a t such work should not form t h e h&m* for academic promotion. I n some in stances consulting work is desirable a s a m e a n s of keeping those interested in ap plied chemistry and in chemical engineer ing u p to date.
AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
Conditions within a department must he such as to make a good m a n want Ur stay. T h e teaching load must b e reasonable, probably not over 10 or J2 hours per week, a n d heavier assignments should be given t o those not actively engaged in research. Heavy teaching loads are now given t o instructors a t a time when they are building the foundation for scientific careers. Probably the assigned hours for this group should be lowered. Course Requirements
T h e r e was no desire to lower the minim u m standards for professional training; in fact, it was emphasized t h a t the S O CIETY has been too lenient in t h e requirement of courses outside of chemistry. I t was pointed out t h a t four fundamental courses (general, analytical, organic, and physical) must be taken before an individual can begin to think of chemistry a.s a whole. T h e r e was stressed the necessity of s t u d e n t s being able to read technical Germ a n a n d , in the very near future, Russian as well. One visitor to the conference stated that the chemistry curriculum of a n y college which does not require Germ a n should be labeled as very weak and seriously questioned. I t was suggested t h a t possibly some exchange professors from Russia to teach Russian might be a m e a n s of providing a d e q u a t e training for a second foreign language. Not enough emphasis is placed either b y t h e English d e p a r t m e n t o r by t h e chemistry faculty on the s t u d e n t ' s use of English. A glaring weakness of t h e average chemist is his inability to write a clear, concise report. In discussing b e t t e r English training, one individual said: " I believe it is i m p o r t a n t t h a t *he English training be sufficiently broad and of a character t h a t will m a k e the s t u d e n t n o t only able to express himself in writing, b u t t o express himself verbally. W e need t o train more articulate chemists. I believe t h e trend toward lecture courses almost t o t h e exclusion of recitations, and classroom oral quizzes has been detrimental to t h e s t u d e n t from the standpoint of his poise a n d ability to get u p on his feet a n d express himself clearly.'' In connection with lecture courses the same individual Kaid: " T h e lecture course formalizes t h e faculty-student contact in an undesirable way from the standpoint of t h e personal influence of the faculty member on his students." A very important prerequisite for t h e p r o p e r teaching of physical chemistry is two years of college mathematics, a year of which is differential a n d integral ealculus. Accetarated Programs
It was felt t h a t accelerated programs should be discontinued a t t h e earliest possible moment. These programs have a very deleteri- _s influence upon scholarship, deaden; .ig enthusiasm of t h e s t u d e n t s a s well as f:«,iigain/? members of the facult}'. Besides affecting the scholarship of t h e s t u d e n t and the enthuûiasm a n d inspiraV O L U M E
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tion of the faculty, the accelerated programs cause drastic diminution of fundamental research work in the university and college. Some studies indicate t h a t the scholarship of students under the accelerated program has dropped from 10 to 1 2 % below previous standards. Probably some colleges will be obliged to operate on two bases: (1) to return to normal time basis for civilian students; (2) to operate on an accelerated program for returning veterans who will be anxious to complete their training in the shortest time possible. Programs of the latter sort will probably continue over four or more years, depending on when the war ends and on how many veterans wish to avail themselves of special college training. Some colleges and universities are planning definitely to return to the twsemester program this coming college year. There is an impression that the quality or content of most of the special war training courses is not high. In cases where these courses are submitted for credit, it is deemed best to subject the students to rather searching examinations to indicate just what course of study is wise. For those men who have good records, it was suggested that the tutorial system might be employed. When special courses are offered for credit, such credit should be given after suitable examination and with due consideration for the objectives to be attained b y the student in the institution of higher learning. Substitution of a course taken in the armed services for a required course should rarely ne made and the standard to be maintained for veterans m u s t be maintained a t the same level as for other students. Each veteran may present an individual case which must be studied oii its merits. T h e fear was expressed that there will be all sorts of makeshift programs provided by some colleges and universities. I t was thought there might be a temptation to offer such courses on the part of some schools in order to assure themselves of a student bodj r . Quoted is a paragraph from President Hutchins' report to the alumni of the University of Chicago: The financial uncertainties that have afflicted the colleges and universities in the last fifteen y^ars and those which will afflict them in the postwar period will make them reluctant to reject any student who can pay his way; and patriotic will combine with financial motives to induce them to admit ail the veterans who can be crowded onto the campus. A serious dilution of an already diluted educational system is in prospect. Some of the schools seemed to have crystallized their thinking concerning undergraduates or graduates as follows: These veterans will be treated as people who deserve extra guidance over and above what the average student would expect, and there will be provided a special setup which will take care of these people to give them this additional counseling and advice, b u t in no instance will there be a segregation of them ; it is proposed to keep them non-departmentalized
^ F E B R U A R Y
2 5,
1945
for a t least one term, in which time they may be oriented and then the university faculty will counsel them as to t h e type of work which they can best do. I t is felt t h a t some such plan, also, could be put into effect in the graduate school. Guesses were t h a t 7 5 % of veterans who return for courses in college will take degree programs. It was thought the remaining 2 5 % would take short courses such as two-year programs in agriculture, etc.; naturally, courses of this type are dependent upon the local demand. Wasted National Resource
The lack of scientifically t r a i n e d manpower for university appointments or for industrial development and research positions is one of the alarming national situations which is rapidly developing on account of the Selective Service policy. It was remarked that our country is the only large nation which is not following a forward-looking program in this matter. T h e opinion was expressed that some government authorities have a feeling that essential research work, as far as it affects a r m a m e n t and ordnance development, etc., in its bearing on the war, is ab#out over, and t h a t the scientific and technically trained men who have been and are still engaged in this work may be inducted into the armed forces as soon as their present assignments end. T h u s there will be a further loss to essential manpower in our colleges, universities, and war industries. It is to professionally trained young people t h a t we must look for the future training of scientists, teachers, and doctors. At present very few are being trained to replenish t h e supply. T h e source of supply is practically closed. I t is a very ominous situation which faces veterans who will seek professional training to prepare themselves for useful careers in scientific and technical professions. Future Trends
T h e thought was expressed that programs for chemical engineers, as -veil as for chemists, should contain basic and fundamental courses in chemistry. Probably a longer program in the case of chemical engineering would assure this. However, conditions after the war m a y be such as to discourage the inauguration of fiveyear programs. Fear w?*s expressed that higher taxes which m a y prevail at that time may affect the finances of the average family to such an extent t h a t their sons and daughters will not be able to t a k e a five-year college program. Also, the very important consideration with reference to the five-year trend is whether a year of compulsory military training is instituted for the nation's young people. To summarize, it was thought that t h e five-year program for chemical engineering was a move in the right direction provided it would be done without the inclusion of too much highly specialized chemistry and chemical engineering training. One of the major difficulties which confront young people on entering college for 371
ii scientific course is the lack of sufficient preparation in high school mathematics. This deficiency has affected a very large number of young people in relation to war training courses and programs. I t is hoped that the high schools ami the authorities who are responsible for their curricula will remedy t h e difficulties. No doubt from time to time there will he considerable pressure placed upon colleges and universities by their alumni who are in industrial positions and b y the returning veterans for highly special ized course training in chemistry. All present at the conference agreed t h a t fundamentals should b e taught ratl.jr than special techniques, unless a college or university is willing to t u r n its chemistry and chemical engineering departments into mere industiial service laboratories. The thought was t h a t there should n o t be the least recession in fundamental sci entific research as conducted by leading colleges and universities. As one par ticipant in the conference ably stated, "We must keep our whole scientific ac tivity a t the top level." To assist colleges a n d universities in maintaining fundamental research after the war, it was hoped t h a t industry would be willing to set u p fellowship plans on a n extensive scale. These should be so organized as to avoid making colleges and universities into service stations for industry. Hope was expressed t h a t when industry grants fellowships or scholar ships, such donations would be on t h e basis of fundamental research and no re strictions would be attached to them b y the university or its departments. In a discussion of the topic of future en rollment, one individual gave three rea sons why there will be a greater gain in enrollment t h a n after t h e last w a r : (1) the " G . I. Bill"; (2) higher level of educa tional a t t a i n m e n t of the soldier of this war than of the last; (3) recognition of t h e necessity for the best possible training. I t was felt that m a n y of the young people returning would seek vocational and occupational training a n d desire to complete it a t as early a d a t e a s possible. In planning for future enrollments, there seemed to be several groups of young people to be considered: (1) t h e high school graduate who had expected to go to college b u t who joined the military services instead ; (2) the college m a n whose work was interrupted b y t h e w a r ; (3) the college graduate w h o will return for refresher courses; (4) a certain type of mature student who will work along some specific line; (5) the veteran for rehabilita tion because of injuries suffered in t h e war; and (6) students just graduating from high school. T o summarize: it is difficult t o place too much stress upon quality and breadth of faculty training;
t h e SOCIETY'S mini
mum standards for professional training of chemists are really minima; in most in stances faculty salaries a r e too low in ail ranks; teaching loads a r e high, especially for instructors; hope w a s expressed that 372
scientific faculties would p u t emphasis upwii the best possible use of English, b o t h "written a n d spoken; there is a plea for better high school preparation in mathematics; accelerated programs are harmful to scholarship a n d reduce drasti cally the a m o u n t of fundamental research usually carried o u t b y progressive faculty members; w a r training courses vary widely in content and in quality; fear is expressed relative to t h e dilution of basic educational p r o g r a m s through the desire for large s t u d e n t bodies; o u r national leaders must be m a d e to realize t h a t gradu ate schools are v i r t u a l l y destroyed because personnel is b e i n g inducted into service while little specific military use is m a d e of special training—thus is lost this precious national resource; there is a slight trend toward five-year programs for chemical engineering education. There follows a list of institutions whose graduates, who h a v e fulfilled the mini mum requirements as specified b y t h e Committee on t h e Professional Training of Chemists and are s o certified by the chemis try department c h a i r m a n , are eligible for membership in t h e AMERICAN
CHEMICAL
SOCIETY in t h e m i n i m u m period of two
years after g r a d u a t i o n : Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. College 8tation, T e x . Allegheny College, Mead ville. Pa. Amherst College, Amherst, Mass. Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass. Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, Ν. Υ. Brown University, Providence, R. I. Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pa. Bucknel) University, Lewisburg, Pa. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. Carleton College, Northfield, Minn. Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, Pa. Case School of Applied Science, Cleveland, Ohio. Catholic University of America, Washington, D. C. City College, College of the City of New York, New York, Ν. Υ. Columbia University, New York, Ν. Υ. Cornell University, Ithaca, Ν. Υ. Dartmouth College, Hanover, Ν. Η. DePauw University, Gr^encastle, Ind. Drexel Institute of Technology, Philadelphia, Pa. Duke University, Durham, N. C. Emory University,rEmory University, GÏ>. Fordham University, New York, Ν. Υ. Georgia School of Technology, Atlanta, Ga. HarvardJUnjveraity, Cambridge, Mass. Haverlora College, Hsverford, Pa. Howard University, Washington, D. C. Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, 111. Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind. Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pa. Kansas State College. Manhattan, Kane. Lafayette College, Easton, Pa. Lawrence College, Appleton, Wis. Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa. Louisiana State University, University, La. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cam bridge, Mass. Massachusetts State College, Amherst, Mass. Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Michigan College of Mining and Technology, Houghton, Mich. Middlebury College, IMiddlebury, Vt. Mississippi State College, State College, Miss Missouri School of Mines, Rolla, Mo. Montana State College, Bozeman, Mont. Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass. New York University (University Heights and Washington Square College), New York, Ν. Υ. Γ-ewcomD .Memorial College, H. Sophie, New Orleans, La. Northeastern University, Boston, Mass. Northwestern University, Evanston, 111. Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio. Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, Still water, Okla. Oregon State College, Corvallis, Oreg. Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa. Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, Philadelphia, Pa. Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Ν. Υ. Pomona College, Claremont, Calif. Princeton University, Princeton, N. J. Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.
C H E M I C A L
Queens College, Flushing, Ν. Υ. Ru'lcliffe College, Cambridge, Mass. Randolph-Macon Woman's College, Lynchburg, Va. Reed College, Portland, Ore. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N\ Y. Rice Institute, Houston, Tex. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N. J. St. Louis University, St. Louie, Mo. Smith College, Northampton, Mass. South Dakota 8tate College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, Brookings, S. Dak. Stanford University, Stanford University, Calif. State College of Washington, Pullman, Wash. State University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pa. Syracuse University, Syracuse, Ν. Υ. Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa. Trinity College, Hartford, Conn. Tufts College, Medford, Mass. Tjijane University, Nev; Orleans, La. Union College, Schenectady, Ν. Υ. University of Akron, Akron, Ohio. University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark. University of Buffalo, Buffalo, Ν . Υ. University of California, Berkeley, Calif. University of California, Los Angeles, Calif. University of Chicago, Chicago, 111. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio. University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. University of Delaware, Newark, Del. University of Denver, Denver, Colo. University of Detroit, Detroit, Mich. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla. University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho. University of Illinois. Urbana, 111. University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kana.. University of Maine, Orono, Maine. University of Maryland, College Park, Md. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo. University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebr. University of Nevada, Reno, Nev. University of New Hampshire, Darham, Ν. Η. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N. C. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind. University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. University of Rochester, Rochester, Ν. Υ. University of South Dakota, Vermillion, S. Dak. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn. University of Texas, Austin, Tex. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va. University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. University of Wichita, Wichita, Kans. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. Vasear College, Poughkeepsie, Ν. Υ. Villanova College, Viilanova, Pa. Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, Va. Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. Washington and Lee University, Lexington. Va. Wayne University, Detroit, Mich. Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass. Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn. West Virginia University, Morgan town, \V. V'a. Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. Williams College, Williamstown, Mass. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Mass. Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
The Council Policy Committee recom mended the following motion to t h e Coun cil a t the Detroit meeting, September 1940, a n d it was unanimously passed: Moved,
t h a t t h e AMERICAN
CHEMJCAL
SOCIETY accredit for chemical engineering
instruction those institutions as and when accredited b y the American I n s t i t u t e of Chemical Engineers. (The 1943 list of accredited chemical engi neering departments appears on page 710 of the May 10, 1944, CHEMICAL A.NT> ENGI NEERING N E W S . Because of the effecte of
war upon civilian education, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers has an nounced that there will be n o additions or changes in this list until a resumption of reasonably normal educational activities and a re-examination.) S. C. LlND H. W. W. Ε.
B. WEISEII G. Y O U N G A. N O Y E S , J R . , Chairman Μ . B I L L I N G S , Secretary
F e b r u a r y 9, 1945 A N D
ENG8NEERÎNG
N E
