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The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry actively engages in the advancement of the chemical sciences in the modern world. The department delivers an ACS-certified chemistry education of the highest possible quality while simultaneously facilitating excellence in chemical scholarship and promoting generous service to the University of North Georgia and the profession as a whole.

The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry strives to develop a diverse, intellectually prospering learning community of students, faculty, and staff. We desire to promote excellence in the classroom from both a teaching and learning perspective leading to the development of outstanding teachers and the next generation of leaders within the scientific and health care communities. We strive to stimulate scientific inquiry through collaborative faculty-student research activities. Finally, we aspire to promote a high level of service to the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, the College of Science & Mathematics, the broader university community, and the chemistry profession.

The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry shares and promotes the same values that the University of North Georgia embraces. As promulgated in the University of North Georgia Strategic Plan 2014 - 2019, these values are:

1. excellence;
2. student-focus;
3. integrity;
4. engagement;
5. service.

In addition, the department holds the following values:

We strongly support the idea that research and scholarship are the chief means of revealing fundamental scientific knowledge. Inter-disciplinary research is an especially valuable tool in this area.

We have a healthy respect for the Earth and its natural resources. We will institute necessary procedures and policies that will protect our environment while allowing the department to effectively carryout its duties.

We support a culture within the department that promotes diversity, respect, beneficial dialogue, and shared responsibility (from both the faculty and staff as well as the student).

We believe in leading by example in the classroom, laboratory, and through our professional lives.

This strategic plan along with the associated strategic goals are predicated on the following assumptions:

1. A new STEM building will be built on the Dahlonega campus within the next five years with adequate faculty offices and state-of-the-art classrooms, teaching labs, and research facilities.
2. Through the acquisition of the Lanier Technical College campus, the Gainesville campus will significantly expand its classrooms, teaching labs, research facilities, and faculty offices.
3. The original chemistry lab (Room 534) on the Oconee campus will be sufficiently modified to allow meaningful faculty-student research to be conducted.

Objective 1.1 By 2020, rollout at least one ACS-certified B.S. degree on the Gainesville campus.

Objective 1.2 Continue to expand course offerings on the Oconee campus.

Objective 1.3 Develop and offer more upper-level chemistry courses on the Dahlonega campus.

Objective 1.4 Develop a new 2-year course rotation plan as new courses get added to the schedules on the Dahlonega, Gainesville, and Oconee campuses.

Objective 1.5 Promote international faculty exchange and student study abroad programs.

Objective 1.6 Produce chemistry majors who are proficient communicators in oral and written form.

Objective 1.7 Review and enhance the three ACS-certified plans of study to ensure that graduating students have at least 400 hours of laboratory experience.

Objective 1.8 By 2020, meet the new ACS “polymer requirement” by either developing a new class that covers the appropriate topics or modifying existing courses to include the necessary topics.

Objective 1.9 Through various curriculum committees, ensure that the department has an integrated curriculum across all courses. This includes coordination of topics between the lecture and laboratory components of courses. In addition, consistency of topics in lower-level prerequisite courses will be enhanced so that students will be adequately prepared for future courses.

Objective 1.10 Expand the use of technology in the teaching laboratories by:

1. developing on-line lab manuals for CHEM 1151L, 1152L, 1211L, 1212L
2. incorporating more instrumentation into lab experiments

Objective 2.1 Promote chemistry scholarship by reducing teaching loads for tenure-track faculty to an average of 12-13 contact hours.

Objective 2.2 Strive to send at least ten students each academic year to regional or national conferences to present their research.

Objective 2.3 Strive to send at least three students each year to REU programs at R1 institutions.

Objective 2.4 Seek funding to support up to five students and up to two faculty members participating in summer research projects at ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ.

Objective 2.5 Seek additional funding to increase faculty and student travel to professional conferences.

Objective 2.6 Promote and disseminate faculty scholarship through the departmental website.

Objective 2.7 Investigate the possibility of requiring a research experience for all students graduating with an ACS-certified chemistry degree from ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ.

Objective 2.8 Promote international scholarship activities such as research in foreign countries, participation in international collaborations, and attendance at international conferences.

Objective 3.1 Promote service to the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ community by posting all current committee and task force assignments in prominent locations within the department on the Dahlonega, Gainesville, and Oconee campuses.

Objective 3.2 Provide leadership in professional organizations by encouraging faculty members to serve on state and/or national committees.

Objective 3.3 Increase the number of faculty members serving as reviewers and/or editors of professional journals.

Objective 3.4 Increase the outreach efforts to local K-12 schools. Involve faculty and Society of Chemistry Students in public science demonstrations and/or science-related activities on the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ campuses and at local schools.

Objective 3.5 Enhance communication between the department and the Society of Chemistry Students by holding monthly meetings involving the department head and club officers.