The SCU Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry is a community of students, faculty, and staff dedicated to:
fostering a culture that values teaching and research
promoting innovative teaching and personalized instruction
providing undergraduate research opportunities
encouraging women and minorities to pursue scientific endeavors
encouraging scientific and technical literacy throughout the university and the community at large
projecting a positive image of science in general, and chemistry & biochemistry in particular.
Goals
Learning Outcomes for Chemistry & Biochemistry Majors
Basic Knowledge
Learn the symbols and terminology (the language) of chemistry
Learn a base of sound mathematical concepts and be able to apply them to chemical systems.
Have a basic knowledge of the organization of the periodic table.
Have a basic knowledge of the atomic and quantum mechanical basis of chemical behavior.
Have a basic knowledge of chemical bonding and structure/reactivity relationships.
Have a basic knowledge of chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium.
Have a basic knowledge of descriptive chemistry and of practical and everyday chemistry.
Inquiry/Problem Solving
Be able to employ the scientific method.
Be able to learn independently.
Be able to define a problem and develop and implement a strategy to solve it.
Be able to evaluate scientific findings critically.
Skills and Techniques
Be able to perform laboratory work in the safest manner possible and dispose of waste materials according to safe and established procedures.
Be able to design and perform a controlled experiment and be knowledgeable about methods of instrumentation and materials available, including knowledge of design, operation, capabilities and limitations.
Be able to maintain a proper laboratory notebook.
Develop an appreciation of the importance of uncertainty in scientific measurements and develop the judgment to recognize that different levels of accuracy and reproducibility are appropriate in different settings.
Develop the ability to communicate scientific results effectively both orally and in written form, including displaying information clearly using graphs and tables.
Master a variety of standard laboratory procedures and operations, including the ability to prepare solutions from raw materials and stock concentrates.
Become familiar with modern instruments and computer methods of analysis in chemical sciences.
Values, Beliefs, Attitudes
Recognize the value of self-discipline, persistence and excelling beyond the minimum requirements of a task.
Value the sharing of knowledge with peers and society, emphasizing that science is a human endeavor and a vital part of a liberal arts education.
Be receptive to new ideas and new approaches.
Appreciate that science involves an ever changing, frequently modified body of information and that theories are only as good as the experimental evidence that supports them.
Understand that scientific work should be carried out honestly and objectively with a concern for the moral, ethical and environmental aspects of the work.
Value independent and creative thinking based on a sound base of knowledge. Appreciate the history and traditions of science.
Believe that education and self-improvement are ongoing processes which must continue after the completion of formal education.