Assessment Report Template (2015-2016)
College: Arts and Sciences
Unit: Chemistry
Degree: B.S. and B.A. in Chemistry
The UNO Assessment Committee is responsible for guiding the process of campus-wide
academic assessment of student learning, and to that end it conducts regular reviews of
student learning outcome (SLO) assessment in each degree granted. This template is intended
as a guideline to help reporting units organize the relevant information.
Assessment reports should answer a few basic questions: 1) How are students different after
completing this degree, and what evidence of student learning outcomes demonstrates this?
2) How is evidence about student learning outcomes used to inform the unit’s decision-making?
Units are asked to indicate whether their SLO assessment practice falls into the domain of
Examination, Product, or Performance. Each unit should identify an assessment activity in at
least one of the three domains, and may opt to report results of assessment activity in more
than one domain. Reports should offer detailed results - including an explanation of what
counts as a successful outcome, along with evidence of whether that level of proficiency was
achieved - and should state how the unit responded to the findings.
Examination: includes standardized tests or qualifying exams, content exams, pre- and
post-test comparisons, oral defenses, comprehensive exams, exit exams, etc.
Product: includes refereed student portfolios, theses, publications, capstone projects,
original creative works, software, apps or programs, etc.
Performance: includes presentations, recitals, exhibits, speeches, demonstrations, field
experiences, internships, etc.
I. Student Learning Outcomes for this Degree
Please define the unit’s major goals in preparing students in this degree. The focus should be on
learning outcomes that students should know or be able to do upon graduation. Please identify
as many objectives as deemed appropriate and state the outcomes to be measured accordingly.
1. Baccalaureate graduates in chemistry will display understanding of the
fundamental operations and concepts of chemistry.
2. Baccalaureate graduates in chemistry will be able to gather information
from the various sources of chemical literature.
3. Baccalaureate graduates in chemistry will be able to evaluate chemical
data and information.
4. Baccalaureate graduates in chemistry will be able to apply their
knowledge, experiences and skills to deal with unfamiliar situations related
to chemistry.
II. Methods of Assessment
For each student learning outcome identified in Section I, please explain the element or artifact
that is measured to assess it, and state the method of assessment employed. If desired, a table like
the samples below may be used as an aid in compiling information. Under “Assessment domain”,
please identify whether the assessment activity best fits into the area of Examination, Product, or
Performance.
SLO addressed (from Section I)
Baccalaureate graduates in chemistry will display
understanding of the fundamental operations and
concepts of chemistry.
Element or artifact measured
Depth and breadth of chemistry knowledge
Assessment method
Exams graded according to a scale.
Assessment domain
Examination
Students assessed
Graduating Chemistry majors, Fall/Summer/Spring
2015-2016; 6*
*6 graduates, 5 assessed. The one B.A. graduate was a
student who completed requirements many years ago
and just filed for graduation. This person was not on
campus during this academic year.
When and by whom administered
Major Field Exam in Chemistry; Testing Center
Proficiency target
On average, students will do as well or better than
students nationwide on standardized exams.
SLO addressed (from Section I)
Baccalaureate graduates in chemistry will be able to
gather information from the various sources of
chemical literature.
Element or artifact measured
Produce passing reports or poster presentations
including references from the chemical literature.
Assessment method
Faculty grade the reports/poster presentations.
Posters may also be graded by professionals outside of
UNO
Assessment domain
Product
Students assessed
Graduating Chemistry majors, Fall/Summer/Spring
2015-2016; 5* see note in first block
When and by whom administered
These activities took place at various stages
throughout their UNO career; primarily Physical
Chemistry I & II, Biochemistry I, Medicinal Chemistry,
and independent research projects.
Proficiency target
100% complete and judged satisfactory by reviewers.
SLO addressed (from Section I)
Baccalaureate graduates in chemistry will be able to
evaluate chemical data and information.
Element or artifact measured
Chemistry majors will satisfactorily present results from
research or critique a primary journal article in a forum
attended by chemistry faculty, as judged by clarity of
speech, logical order of presentation, satisfactory
understanding of the science, ability to explain the
science and the ability to answer questions.
Assessment method
Presentations/written reports at UNO are graded either
by a team of faculty/chemistry professionals according
to a rubric; the research advisor for research projects;
or the faculty member in charge of the course.
Assessment domain
Performance
Students assessed
Graduating Chemistry majors, Fall/Summer/Spring
2015-2016; 5* see note in first block
When and by whom administered
These activities took place at various stages throughout
their UNO career; primarily undergraduate research at
UNO or at a professional scientific meeting (2 of the
graduates presented at the American Chemical Society
Midwest Regional Meeting in Oct. 2015); or Physical
Chemistry I & II and Biochemistry I & II.
Proficiency target
100% passing; acceptable performance at scientific
meetings but there is no single grading rubric for these
presentations.
SLO addressed (from Section I)
Baccalaureate graduates in chemistry will be able to
apply their knowledge, experiences and skills to deal
with unfamiliar situations related to chemistry.
Element or artifact measured
Chemistry majors will gain exposure to chemistry
outside of the classroom by attendance at local,
regional or national professional meetings,
participation in Chem Club or such student professional
groups, internships or undergraduate research.
Assessment method
Presentations/written reports at UNO are graded either
by a team of faculty/chemistry professionals according
to a rubric; the research advisor for research projects;
or the faculty member in charge of the course.
Assessment domain
Performance
Students assessed
Graduating Chemistry majors, Fall/Summer/Spring
2015-2016; 5* see note in first block
When and by whom administered
These activities took place at various stages throughout
their UNO career, including 3 who did research for
course credit and/or FUSE, 2 ACS MWRM presentations
as previously mentioned, 1 student worked for UNO
Environmental Health Services collecting used
chemicals for disposal, 2 were UNO Chemistry
stockroom employees.
Proficiency target
80% participation activities outside the classroom;
100% acceptable performance in internships and
research.
III. Results
I. Baccalaureate graduates in chemistry will display understanding of the
fundamental operations and concepts of chemistry.
Included below are individual (table) and group (graphs) results for the graduating Chemistry
Majors on the Major Field Exam (MFE) in Chemistry. Group results for the most recent class are
included as the last data point of the history of student results. Individual scores for Critical
Thinking and Biochemistry are not reported by the MFE. The overall goal was met, with this
student group scoring in the 91
st
percentile overall, which is slightly above our group median of
the 85
th
percentile over the past 20 years.
Individual
Results
(Percentiles shown for individual students overall in 4 subdisiplines)
Year
Overall
%
Physical
Organic
Inorganic
Analytical
2015-2016
96
92
98
83
97
93
57
94
95
84
89
75
92
91
80
81
85
65
78
88
64
75
71
52
33
64
34
80
66
63
34
49
19
29
41
Note: Exams are taken as a group and those students expected to graduate,
but who did not are included. This is why they may not match
exactly to our graduating class.
0
20
40
60
80
100
1996 2001 2006 2011 2016
Percentile
Year
Overall Group Score on
ETS Exam
0
20
40
60
80
100
1996 2001 2006 2011 2016
Percentile
Year
Group Physical
Score on ETS Exam
0
20
40
60
80
100
1996 2001 2006 2011 2016
Percentile
Year
Group Organic Score
on ETS Exam
0
20
40
60
80
100
1996 2001 2006 2011 2016
Percentile
Year
Group Inorganic Score
on ETS Exam
0
20
40
60
80
100
1996 2001 2006 2011 2016
Percentile
Year
Group Analytical
Score on ETS Exam
II. Baccalaureate graduates in chemistry will be able to evaluate chemical
data and information.
5/5 chemistry majors graduating during the 2015/2016 academic year were documented to
have written acceptable papers. The overall goal was met.
III. Baccalaureate graduates in chemistry will be able to evaluate chemical
data and information.
5/5 chemistry majors graduating during the 2015/2016 academic year were documented to
have satisfactorily presented results from their research or from a primary journal article. The
overall goal was met.
0
20
40
60
80
100
1996 2001 2006 2011 2016
Percentile
Year
Group Critical Thinking
Score on ETS Exam
0
20
40
60
80
100
1996 2001 2006 2011 2016
Percentile
Year
Group Biochemistry
Score on ETS Exam
IV. Baccalaureate graduates in chemistry will be able to apply their
knowledge, experiences and skills to deal with unfamiliar situations
related to chemistry.
4/5 chemistry majors graduating during the 2015/2016 academic year were documented to
have participated in chemistry activities outside the classroom including 3 who engaged in
research for course credit or FUSE. The overall goal was met.
IV. Analysis and Response
The standardized test scores demonstrate a very good knowledge of subject material by
chemistry majors. Chemistry majors consistently score above the national average standardized
exams, on many occasions well above the national average. Aggregate scores on the Major Field
Exam in Chemistry reveal differences from year to year, but this variation is to be expected with
the small number of majors who take the exams each year. The overall trends demonstrate
consistent excellence over 20 years.
Chemistry majors are gaining valuable experience outside the classroom, being engaged in
research, presenting research results (both in writing and orally), becoming involved in
internships, attending scientific meetings, being active in the UNO Chem Club. These activities
provide insight to the applications of chemistry they might not otherwise learn and improve their
ability to critically evaluate information. We will continue to encourage students to be active in
these areas and plan to provide more opportunities to be engaged in chemistry outside of our
department. The student responses indicate they are confident in their knowledge of chemistry
and their ability to apply chemistry in their next endeavor.
From the data we have, our majors are doing well finding employment or acceptance into
professional and graduate programs. We have begun to better track our recent graduates to
learn more about how well prepared they were for the challenges of the workforce or their
postgraduate education.
We are pleased that the rigor of the chemistry program has allowed students to learn chemistry
and leave UNO confident in their abilities. We need to be vigilant to collect student interview
data each year and start collecting information from our graduates to improve our assessment
procedures.
V. Reflection and Future SLO Assessment
In addition to the assessment outcomes listed above, the Department of Chemistry has
additional assessment measures which include additional standardized test scores, student
assessment of their abilities and success post-graduation. With the small numbers of graduates
in our department, we look at trends in student responses and performance over time. One
example of the way we look at the data is to examine the performance of recent graduates
(within the past 5 years) with the performance of all students over the past 20 years. One
example is shown below.
This figure and other similar figures demonstrate student performance on the MFE has not
changed dramatically in recent years. We have also looked at the students in the Medicinal
Chemistry track compared to the “traditional” track and seen no significant difference (data not
shown, last analysis ~ 2yrs ago).
Overall trends demonstrate the students have learned chemistry, have applied their knowledge
in research and internship experiences, can synthesize and present what they have learned in
the lab and literature, and feel confident in their abilities when they graduate.
We will continue to monitor the data and review our assessment tools to see how they can be
improved.
Student success in chemistry as defined by the assessment measures used by the Department
of Chemistry lines up well with the three goals of the UNO strategic plan. Goal 1 – Student
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
% of Students
Percentile
Overall Individual Student Percentile
Rankings
Cumulative
Past 5 years
Centered. Students are central the mission of the department and their academic success is a
tribute to the willingness of students to work hard and be willing to stretch their limits by
engaging in research and upper level classes. To achieve these goals, the faculty have
demonstrated the high priority they place on educating students both in and outside the
classroom. Goal 2 – Academic Excellence. Student success on nationally normed standardized
chemistry exams provides clear evidence of their academic excellence. In addition, the
requirements for presentation of chemical information in multiple venues further strengthens
their academic training. Goal 3 – Community Engagement. Although not clearly demonstrated
in this assessment report, our expanding internship program allows students to engage with
employers in the area. Also majors aid in promoting STEM activities through their volunteer
work with Chemistry Field Day for area high school students and chemistry workshops with the
Girl Scouts and Girls, Inc. Also we have initiated a program to work with high school chemistry
teachers in rural Nebraska to help improve their chemistry education.
There are currently 5 campus priority areas: Doctoral/Graduate Research; Early Childhood/Child
Welfare; Global Engagement; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
Initiatives, and Sustainability. Let me address each of these.
--Doctoral/Graduate Research. The Department of Chemistry does not have a graduate
program, but does have an active undergraduate research program which contributes to overall
research at UNO and provides valuable research experience to better prepare students who do
enter graduate research programs.
--Early Childhood/Child Welfare. The Department of Chemistry has limited contribution in this
area, though two alumni worked on projects related to indoor air quality – a potential issue for
day care centers – when they were students. No current projects relate to this topic.
--Global Engagement. The Department of Chemistry is not directly involved in the area of
global engagement.
--Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Initiatives. Student success in
chemistry obviously is a component of success in a field of science. Initiatives to improve
student learning are not directly mentioned here, but impact the success of our students. To
reiterate, the chemistry graduates are very successful as judged by their test scores and
engagement in chemistry-related activities.
--Sustainability. The Department of Chemistry offers no formal training in sustainability to our
students. However, by learning about lab safety, proper disposal of used chemical reagents and
research in areas such as biofuels, students learn principles that offer a foundation for their
understanding of sustainability.
In summary, graduation of well trained, competent and engaged chemists is the highest priority
of the Department of Chemistry and also fits in well with the mission of the university and
College of Arts & Sciences.
We sent an email survey to alumni who graduated with a chemistry degree from 2013 to 2015
(31 alumni, 27 with current email addresses, 18 replies) and asked them to agree or disagree
with the following statement: “I feel my undergraduate experiences in chemistry have allowed
me to perform competently in my post baccalaureate studies or occupation.” 17 of 18 alumni
strongly agreed or agreed with the statement. (11 strongly agreed.) Although this is qualitative
information, the perception of alumni who have entered the workforce or professional
programs is overwhelmingly positive. One alum who is in medical school commented: “…I
struggled in anatomy the first 10 weeks, and it was really refreshing to turn it all around when I
had 6 weeks of biochem. Even while I am studying for Step 1, I feel like my grasp on chemistry
concepts are strong.” Another alum who is working in industry stated, “Overall I agree that my
undergraduate experiences have allowed me to perform competently in my job as a QC
Analyst. It was nice going into my job with a strong analytical background.”
It is nice to bask in the supportive comments, but not always most help. One theme among the
alumni working in industry was they wish they had more “industrial” experience. We have an
active internship program, but the comments indicate the importance of the internship for any
student planning to start a career in chemistry upon graduation.
