Senate Document Number 1200S

Date of Senate Approval 2/10/00

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 7: Chemistry: Reclassification of the current BA and BS degree requirements as a "Concentration in Chemistry" within the BA and BS degrees.

Effective Date: Fall, 2000

Add on page 74, 1999-00 catalog, after "Major in Chemistry for the Bachelor of Science Degree" and on page 75, after "Major in Chemistry for the Bachelor of Arts Degree"

"Concentration in Chemistry"

Impact Statement
This change does not impact the day-to-day function of the Chemistry Department or its students. It is an administrative change that is consistent with the practices of other departments at UNCA that have multiple concentrations within a degree. This change will not impact major, minor, or University requirements, the education Department's Licensure Programs, other departments that require chemistry courses, or the Chemistry Department's current and future staffing needs and course offerings.

Rationale
Historically, Departments of Chemistry at liberal arts institutions, including UNCA, have offered majors that survey the traditional four sub-disciplines of chemistry (analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical). While this is still a highly desirable approach, the growth of past "specialty areas," such as biochemistry and environmental chemistry, into legitimate interdisciplinary areas has necessitated a reorganization of curricula. Since additional hours are not available for the requirement of new courses to cover these areas, material is being added to existing lower-level courses and upper-level courses are being grouped into concentrations that allow students to emphasize an area of chemistry that most interests them. The "Concentration in Chemistry" is designed for students who are interested in the more traditional areas of chemistry.