Two-Year College Programs

Institutional Environment

Institutional Environment
Section 2

Effective chemistry education requires a substantial institutional commitment to an environment that supports long-term excellence. Existing within the context of the institutional mission, a two-year college chemistry program must support the needs, career goals, and interests of the institution’s students. 

Institution Accreditation

Essential Components

  • The institution must be accredited by a regional accrediting body.

Successful Practices

  • The ACS Guidelines for Chemistry in Two-Year College Programs are shared with accrediting bodies as part of the accreditation process.

Aspirational Goals

Institutional Policies

Essential Components

  • The institution’s policies regarding salaries, teaching loads, promotions, tenure and/or continuing contracts, leave policies (including sabbaticals), and equitable hiring practices: 
    • Are developed with faculty input.
    • Encourage improved faculty morale. 
    • Serve to attract and retain high-quality chemistry faculty members.

Successful Practices

  • Recognition programs are in place to foster and reward significant contributions and innovations by faculty, as a group, or individually
  • The ACS Guidelines for Chemistry in Two-Year College Programs are consulted as part of self-studies.

Aspirational Goals

  • The institution's policies support faculty efforts to develop high-quality instructional programs.
  • There is broad institutional support in areas such as mathematics, physics, related sciences, and the humanities.

Program Organization

Essential Components

  • The administration of the program resides in an appropriate department that includes full-time faculty members with advanced chemistry degrees.
  • The department has significant influence over faculty selection and promotion, curriculum development, and assignment of teaching responsibilities.

Successful Practices

  • Departmental input is solicited regarding hiring decisions and allotment of office, classroom, laboratory, and other spaces.
  • If part of a larger unit, the chemistry faculty has substantive autonomy over the functions relating to the chemistry courses.

Aspirational Goals

Program Budget

Essential Components

The program budget supports student learning and is sufficient to:

  • Attract, hire, and retain qualified faculty with the scientific breadth to offer the courses and educational experiences described in these guidelines.
  • Attract, hire, and retain non-academic staff and resources for administrative support services, stockroom operation, and instrument and equipment maintenance.
  • Support and maintain facilities that meet modern safety standards including appropriate chemical storage, hazardous waste handling, and disposal facilities.
  • Cover the costs of teaching a laboratory-based discipline.

Successful Practices

The program budget supports student learning and

  • Provides resources for capital equipment acquisition, long-term maintenance, and expendable supplies to ensure that equipment remains useful throughout its lifetime.
  • Supports the maintenance and replacement of instructional technology.
  • Supports training faculty and staff on new technology.
  • Provides opportunities for professional development for the faculty, including but not limited to sabbatical leaves. 
  • Supports faculty-mentored research as appropriate to the institutional mission.

Aspirational Goals

The program budget includes:

  • Modern chemical information resources appropriate for the breadth and depth of courses offered.
  • Funds and support to encourage faculty members to attend professional meetings and other activities that promote scholarly growth.
  • Personnel support to assist with the acquisition and administration of external funding.

Related Case Studies

Use of the Guidelines for Chemistry in Two-Year College Program