Accreditation and Assessment
Accreditation and Assessment information follows for
Biology and
Chemistry.
Biology
Mission
The mission of the Bachelors of Science in Biology (BIOL) supports the Vision and Mission of South Dakota Mines by providing students a solid foundation in biology with a strong focus at the molecular and cellular level combined with the relevant sciences of chemistry, math, and physics. Maintenance of a high quality curriculum with
excellent classroom teaching as well as state of the art research and practical hands on experience will prepare students for career opportunities or entrance into competitive pre-professional and graduate programs. This includes careers in health care,
biotechnology, environmental sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, education, law, and related disciplines.
Program Learning
Objectives (PLO)
Discipline-specific
knowledge:
1. Graduates will understand Biology based on principles of basic sciences and mathematics, preparing them for professional careers and graduate or professional school.
2. Graduates will acquire laboratory and data analysis skills required for careers in BIOL, graduate or professional school through laboratory courses and independent research experiences.
Communication
3. Graduates will communicate effectively and professionally through written and oral means on aspects of biology.
Critical Thinking
4. Graduates will master problem-solving skills in biology.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)
Discipline-specific
knowledge:
1a. Graduates will demonstrate understanding of mathematics and basic sciences, including chemistry and physics.
1b. Graduates will demonstrate understanding of principles of Biology.
2. Graduates will demonstrate laboratory and data analysis skills commensurate with entry-level positions in graduate and professional schools.
Communication
3a. Graduates can give effective oral presentations on as aspect of biology learned from course work, the literature, or laboratory research.
3b. Graduates can compose effective written presentations on an aspect of applied biological sciences learned from course work, the literature, or laboratory research.
Critical Thinking
4a. Graduates will demonstrate mastery of problem-solving skills in biology.
4b. Graduates will demonstrate the ability to integrate problem-solving skills into research-related problems.
Assessment Measures
Discipline-specific
knowledge:
1. Biology Basic and Advanced Knowledge
Students will take the
ETS
®
Major Field Test for Biology and perform at or above the national mean on this exam in the areas covered in BIOL curriculum, including cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics.
2. Biology Laboratory-Based Knowledge
Students will attain a rating of proficient or exemplary in describing and analyzing laboratory experiences by synthesizing this into Laboratory Notebooks or Laboratory Reports.
Communication
4. Written Presentation:
Students will attain 80% or better on their final written presentation in BIOL 480.
5. Oral presentation:
Students will attain 80% or better on their final oral presentations in BIOL 490 and CHEM 465.
Critical Thinking
6. Problem Solving:
Students will perform at or above the national mean on the Analytical Skills questions of the ETS® Major Field Test for Biology.
7. Integration of Problem Solving Skills in Research:
Students will attain 80% or better on their research experience in Undergraduate Research BIOL 498.
Chemistry
Mission
The mission of the Bachelors of Science in Chemistry is to provide students a high-quality foundation of study in areas of analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, polymer, and biochemistry. Through faculty-directed, hands-on, laboratory and independent research opportunities, students integrate
formal classroom knowledge to address real-world chemistry related issues. Our ACS-certified Chemistry Degree prepares undergraduate students for career opportunities in industry and government. In addition they are well prepared for graduate studies in chemistry, chemistry related
disciplines and professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, forensics, and law.
Program Learning
Objectives (PLOs)
Discipline-specific
knowledge:
1. Graduates will understand Chemistry based on principles of basic sciences and mathematics, preparing them for careers, graduate school, or professional school.
2. Graduates will acquire laboratory and data analysis skills required for careers in Chemistry, graduate or professional school through laboratory courses and independent student research.
Communication
3. Graduates will communicate effectively and professionally through written and oral means on aspects of Chemistry.
Critical Thinking
4. Graduates will master problem-solving skills in Chemistry.
Student Learning Outcomes
(SLO)
Discipline-specific
knowledge:
1a. Graduates will demonstrate understanding of mathematics and physics
1b. Graduates will demonstrate understanding of areas of Chemistry, including analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic and physical.
2. Graduates will demonstrate laboratory and data analysis skills commensurate with entry-level positions and graduate and professional schools.
Communication
3a. Graduates can give effective oral presentations on an aspect of Chemistry learned from course work, the literature, or laboratory research.
3b. Graduates can compose effective written presentations on as aspect of Chemistry learned from course work, the literature, or laboratory research.
Critical Thinking
4a. Graduates will demonstrate mastery of problem-solving skills in Chemistry.
4b. Graduates will demonstrate the ability to integrate problem-solving skills into research-related problems.
Assessment Measures
Discipline-specific
knowledge:
1. Chemistry Basic and Advanced Knowledge
In their final semester before graduation students will take the American Chemical Society (ACS) Diagnostic of Undergraduate Chemistry Knowledge (DUCK) exam and perform at or above the national mean on this exam. This exam, designed to be taken at the end of a four-year undergraduate curriculum, requires knowledge
from more than one traditional area of chemistry and provides an excellent assessment measure of comprehensive chemistry knowledge.
2. Chemistry Laboratory-Based Knowledge
Students will attain a rating of proficient or exemplary in describing and analyzing laboratory experiences by synthesizing this into Laboratory Notebooks or Laboratory Reports.
Communication
3. Written Presentation:
Students will attain 80% or better on their final written presentation in CHEM 328L and CHEM 370.
4. Oral presentation:
Students will attain 80% or better on their final oral presentation in CHEM 370, CHM 452, and CHEM 465.
Critical Thinking
5. Problem Solving:
Students will perform at or above the national mean on the DUCK exam.
6. Integration of Problem Solving Skills in Research:
Students will attain 80% or better on their research experience in CHEM 452L or CHEM 498 Undergraduate Research.