Calvin’s chemistry and biochemistry department is in the midst of restructuring its upper-level courses from four-credit-hour courses into two-credit-hour courses, allowing professors the ability to teach more classes within their specialty as well as further in-depth explorations of specific topics for students. 

Guidelines from the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training (ACS-CPT), the 4/2 credit switch, new faculty members and feedback from graduating seniors all came together to instigate the change, according to Rachel Baker, department of chemistry co-chair. The restructuring was undertaken with the goal of not making the program larger, or offering specialized upper-level courses inconsistently, according to Rachel Baker, department of chemistry co-chair.

The new courses will be largely focused on application, both for student chemistry skills and also for the discipline as a whole. Classes will also prepare students for professional careers. New class topics include the world of d-Orbitals, Molecules in the Spotlight: Nanoparticles, The Quantum World and Venom, according to Baker.

Junior Hannah King voiced concern about potential problems with graduating on time, something that the chemistry department has also thought about. According to Baker, the new plan should allow students to integrate the changes into their plans and schedules without having to take additional credits to complete the program. 

Kumar Sinniah, department of chemistry co-chair, stressed that these changes would also have minimal impact on professional tracks and programs, saying that some requirements may be dropped with new recommendations from the ACS. 

Despite her concerns, King is excited. “The professors are really excited about it and that excitement rubs off,” she said. “It’s more niche stuff that you wouldn’t usually get to talk about,” King told Chimes. “Because most of the classes before were almost survey classes….And now you can focus on electric cars if you want to.”