Chemistry Program Evaluation

Chemistry Program Evaluation Program Purpose  Advisory Committee Recommendations Descriptive Information Department or Program Name Date of Evaluation

Evaluation Sub-committee Members: Department or Program Description

Physical Resources: Facilities, esp. those which are Facilities: Physical Science classes are scheduled in the following facilities: dedicated or specialized; Science and Engineering (SE) Building Equipment; Math and Science (MS) Building Supplies Geology class at South High School? Campus computer labs

On-line Courses The department currently has two classes that are taught via the internet (Astronomy and Geology).

Equipment: Each faculty member has a Pentium computer system. Some are severely outdated, and at least one faculty member has resorted to purchasing a private computer for their office. Many science based software titles require more modern computers, and upgrades are severely needed.

A separate list of equipment specific to each of the disciplines is attached as an appendix.

Current Issues and Concerns

Quantitative Information The quantitative information summarized here pertains primarily to instructional departments. Information and summaries for programs and for service and support areas such as Counseling must be extracted and calculated, as necessary, from data shown on the printout copies supplied, or from information maintained by your department. Instructional Departments and Number of full-time faculty Programs Number of part-time faculty Total FTE faculty (FTEF) Number of full-time classified employees Number of part-time classified employees Total FTE part-time classified employees Total full-time equivalent students (FTES) FTES/FTEF Total number of students served Total cost (actual expenditures for year) Cost/FTES Student Services Programs Number of full-time faculty Number of part-time faculty Total FTEF Number of full-time classified employees Number of part-time classified employees Total FTE classified employees Total number of students served per year Total cost (actual total expenditures for year) Cost/number of students served Other Support Programs Number of full-time faculty and management staff (including Administrative and other support functions, such as academic and student services administration, M&O, Media Services, Library) Number of part-time faculty and management staff Total FTE faculty and management staff Number of full-time support staff Number of part-time support staff Total FTE support staff Total cost (actual total expenditures for year)

Program purpose Transfer. A strong transfer program is the primary focus of this department. Core science classes, such as chemistry and physics, are essential to many technical disciplines, and are required for CSU and UC transfer students. Physical Science Department offers Service Courses for Allied Health, Applied Science and Technology, Agriculture and Liberal Studies. All courses offered in Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Geology, and Geography are transferable. Most are articulated with UC and CSU campuses and many have CAN numbers. General Education. A background in physical sciences is a steadily growing requirement for a wide variety of scholastic and professional disciplines, and plays an ever-increasing role in many aspects of modern life. Integrated science is now required for all UC and CSU liberal studies majors (primarily K-12 teachers), and the physical science course fulfills the prerequisite for this essential class. Many of our classes are easily accessed by non-scientists and lead to a better understanding and appreciation of the natural world. All areas (except Architecture) offer courses that meet general education requirements for Bakersfield College, IGETC, CSU and the UC System. Degrees Offered: AA degree in Architectural Drafting. AS degrees in Architecture/Architectural Drafting, Chemistry, Engineering, Geology and Physics. Certificate Programs: Architecture (2001) and Engineering (2002). Vocational Education. Several courses qualify as vocational education, and we serve vocational programs at Bakersfield College. Remedial. There are no remedial courses offered in the department. Relationship to This department meets the mission of Bakersfield College by providing college mission an excellent science foundation and building the critical thinking skills for our students that they will need to continue their college education and in future careers. This excellent education is provided within the economic limitations that allow expansion of course offerings and the availability of adjunct staff. Affirmative action The Physical Science Department is "underrepresented" with respect to goals and progress affirmative action and faculty and adjunct and staff diversity goals. AB 1725 has as its goal that the workforce to reflect the adult population of California by 2005. The following table presents the affirmative action/diversity goals for the Physical Science Department and our current workforce statistics

Group Phys Sci. Phys. Sci. Phys. Sci. Goal 1996 2001 1996 Women 5 0 2 Native American 0 0 0 Asian/Pacific Islander 0 1 1 Black 0 0 0 Chicano/Hispanic 1 0 0

The Physical Science Department is committed to an aggressive effort in recruiting a diverse staff. Position announcement brochures address our commitment to staff diversity. However, we suffer from a shortage of available and qualified professionals representing these groups. Level of service to The physical science department provides an essential level of service to other college programs such as biology, nursing, AST, and agriculture. The need for a departments/programs scientifically literate population will only increase as science and technology become more prevalent in our society. Many of the physical science courses will satisfy the general education requirement for a science courses with and without laboratory. Many physical science courses satisfy prerequisites for other departments or programs. Only approx 400 majors in the Physical Science Department in spring 2000. Find # of students taking phys sci classes and get ratio. Physical science majors account for only X% of all BC students taking classes from this department, demonstrating a large level of service to other departments at the college. Community and Does this mean how are we needed by the community and students? student need As science and technology becomes more prevalent in our society, the needs for scientifically literate students and teacher will likewise increase. Students taking any of the general education science classes will be better able to lead our community in scientifically related matters. In addition, many employers desire the type of critical thinking and problem solving skills that are also developed in science courses. Physical Science courses satisfy prerequisites needed by transferring/continuing students as stated above in addition to satisfying the general education requirement for science classes.

On-campus offerings are scheduled throughout the day and evening in order to better accommodate student schedules. Astronomy and Geology courses are offered via three different modalities (face to face, internet- online, and telecourse ITV) to broaden the community access to science education. The difficulty and liability of scheduling or completing science labs in a distance learning situation has precluded the extensive use of this tool in Architecture, Chemistry, Engineering, Physics and (similar problems are found at other colleges).

K-12 classes come to the on-campus Planetarium as part of their astronomy curriculum (approximately 4500 students per year).

Projections of future Bakersfield College, and California as a state, expects significant enrollment/need enrollment increases in the near future (Tidal Wave II). The Physical Science department is expected to at least meet this growth estimate, with significant growth coming in the general physical science course, courses covering chemistry for nursing students. Physical science enrollments should continue to grow in light of the trend for increasing the core science prerequisites for UC and CSU transfer students combined with the ever higher cost differential between universities and colleges. The demand for engineers is on a significant upswing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that over the next seven years, the US can expect to see a 45% increase in the demand for engineers and systems managers. Furthermore, CSU Bakersfield will be developing a four-year engineering program, and BC’s pre-engineering program will grow to meet local need. Consequently, BC can expect to see the current increasing enrollment trend in engineering to continue. Get numbers from Rondi or Bob or Carlson? Comparison with Compare in what ways? No of classes, no of instructors, budget, specific similar classes offered, no. of students served? How much research should we departments/programs do? Just look on the internet, get statistics from schools? Here's a vague at other community statement: colleges The Physical Science Department at Bakersfield College has similar course offerings compared to similar departments at other community colleges. In chemistry, other colleges often have multiple sections of individual courses (and presumably smaller enrollments), allowing for students more flexibility to schedule additional lab intensive science courses during the same semester. The Architecture program is similar to that of other community colleges. By maintaining close ties with the four-year degree program at Cal Poly, SLO.

Planetarium Insert Liz’s paragraph.

Advisory committee The present Architectural Advisory Committee has made no recent recommendations recommendations and fully supports the program as it stands. Engineering Program Outcomes

Instructional Programs (Additional outcomes and related information should be added as appropriate to the program under review) Transfer Programs Content mastery (from pre- and post-test data, results of standardized tests, licensure examination pass rates, etc.) Program Outcomes (con’t.) Student satisfaction (from surveys given to students by class/program, attitude inventories, interviews of students, etc.)

Retention rates (available from District MIS but should be supplemented with student exit interviews, surveys and other data as available and appropriate) Transfer rates (available from Transfer rate data by department CSU, UC, the Transfer is unavailable. Coordinator, and from program follow-up data) Architecture has done a self study… Performance/success of transfer Anecdotal evidence? students (available from CSU and UC as well as from followup surveys completed by the department or program)

Vocational Programs Program completion rates (These outcomes (available from college should be addressed institutional research data and to the extent that they from information maintained by are appropriate to the individual programs) specific program's objectives) Job placement rates (from Statewide Student Followup Survey [SSFS], institutional and program information)

Job success (SSFS, other employer surveys, interviews with employers and graduates which include information on rate of advancement, employer assessments of student preparation and abilities) Meeting employer needs (SSFS, other employer surveys, interviews with employers and graduates which include information on rate of advancement, employer assessments of student preparation and abilities) Program Outcomes (con’t.) Faculty opinions of program effectiveness

Student Services and Because these programs vary widely in their goals and purposes, Support Programs outline expected changes and other relevant matters over the next three to five years. Be as specific as possible and include approximate target dates for the completion of tasks and accomplishment of identified goals:

Program Needs Describe both current and future department/program needs, linking such future needs to the changes and goals, if any, described above, as well as to budget and personnel requests for next year. Program needs: These are particular to chemistry: 1. Reinstate 19-hour/week chemistry technician position, to maintain a high level of service to students and faculty and a high level of safety monitoring over the chemistry stockroom. During Spring 2001 semester, there were 4 simultaneous chemistry/physical science laboratories on Tuesday and Thursday evenings with no stockroom support. 2. Hire a new chemistry instructor (?) so that we can open more sections of impacted classes, Chem 2A, Chem 1A, Chem 15?, PhysSciB11. 3. Increase supply budget for the chemistry stockroom to accommodate increased needs of expanding PhysSciB11 course, and to keep pace with inflation. Sample supply cost increases are attached. (get numbers from Meg) 4. Obtain new faculty computers (most current units are terribly outdated), computers for labs 5.