How will the Science Group Continue to Operate

Continue the Science Group?*

ACA Science Group - Summary of Activities and Ideas for Continuance*
Founder, Coordinator - Mark Lassiter

Introduction to the Science Group and Summary of Activities

Activities of the Science Group - History of Significant Steps

Science Group - Events 2000 - 2004

Coordinator Responsibilities / Activities

Science Group Leadership Team and Continuance

Specific Projects Proposed as Mini-Grants to Continue Work

-Ten Mini-Grants are proposed and outlined for Potential Development-

Note: Printing of document.

These materials are organized on a single html document if you desire to print this whole report.

Each section has links back to this top position and in some cases to sub-heading of sections.

Presentation Outline Link

Materials taken from Report submited to the ACA

by Mark Lassiter

ACA Science Group Activity Report and Request for Continuance

*The Science Group is at a point of transition. Its history, goals, and accomplishments need to be evaluated in determining its future ACA role and its ability to continue operation. This document attempts to provide an understanding of the Science Group and propose how its activities might be continued.

Site Goal - to enable collaborative interchange of information and training between ACA schools. This site is hosted as a construction site on the CESC server until tested out for placement on the ACA servers.
Mark Lassiter (mlassiter@montreat.edu), 10/11/04

Introduction to the Science Group and Summary of Activities back to top

The Science Group has been a strong support effort for science programs of the ACA 34 colleges. It has been responsible for multiple ACA collaborative projects and initiated groups that are now pursuing their own funding. Projects have sought to support curriculum, instrumentation, and professional development for the faculty (contact list of over 600 participants) of the Science Group which represents the disciplines invited by each campus to participate (Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Health Sciences, Physics, Geology, Astronomy, Mathematics, Computer Science, Psychology, etc. ). Many spin-offs of the work of the Science Group have lead to a strong involvement of these participants in most all of the developing programs of the ACA. In short, the Science Group has brought a communication avenue to these faculty and by involving core individuals from many campuses, their involvement has spread to other components of the larger ACA and in the process brought many other faculty from their campuses to increased involvement in the ACA.

I am excited about how this group has lead to a greater involvement in ACA-wide opportunities (a major focus of our group in the formation years five years ago). As an example, a large component of presentation proposals for the ACA Summit come from this group. However, the most significant component that this groups brings to the ACA is the encouragement of other discipline groups that have been initiated, hopefully bringing these components to the ACA as a whole, moving us into the next step in discipline development within the ACA.

The major goals in initiating the Science Group about five years ago was to enable a better communication among the scientists and both open the doors to collaboration and increase their awareness of and participation in, ACA opportunities. I additionally hoped to bring together a group that could communicate their needs to the ACA as foundations were sought to bring support to the needs to these Appalachian Colleges. As a basic concern, but one that could not develop until these initial steps had been well founded, was my interest in advancing the professional development of science programs within the ACA. Due to both the extreme cost of supporting science programs, and the excessive burden on scientists (curriculum / committee loads while maintaining buildings, equipment, seeking funds, pursuing the ever changing professional training, etc.) science programs were loosing their ability to be contemporary and thus attract and retain students.

[Note: The below was proposed as an effort to continue the Science Group, and of yet, it will not be possible, but included so that this might be a directive for future development.]

The Science Group is ready for the independent efforts that should happen for disciplines that emerge with specific needs within the ACA and have faculty ready to take the responsibility to advance themselves and their programs. I do not want to prevent other disciplines from pursuing similar routes to advance their needs. However, when discipline collaboration reaches the point where it is possible to address critical, discipline specific needs, then it should be helpful to enable them to pursue their specific needs. One possible avenue would be to provide a trial period (much like a planning grant) for emerging funding that is specific for a discipline. Those in leadership within a discipline group could work within the ACA supported initiative to locate funding specific for this discipline. While, I think that it is time for the Science Group to take up this venture and that we can be successful, it is necessary to plan for the work within this period such that the process is valuable to the ACA even if during the supported period we fail to establish a partnership with foundations for ongoing funding. Two such byproducts that I think would come from this venture, even if we fail to find this independent funding, would first be the leaders that pursue this funding and their ability to now be available to assist others in the ACA. Secondly, the required outcomes of the work during this period could be developed as a model for future efforts.

Activities of the Science Group - History of Significant Steps back to top

Fall 1999
-Proposal submitted to JP Brantley to start Science Group

Spring 2000
-Started Science Group under Teaching and Technology Program
-Held first meeting of Science Group -all campuses invited and Campus Contacts established
-Started a Posting / Communication Web Site hosted on CESC Server at Montreat College

Fall 2000
-First Pre-Summit Conference (continued each year after this) with Three Mellon Collaboratives Funded from within the Science Group:
-GIS Training Project - Approx. $30,000
-Collaborative Appalachian Watershed Studies Approx. $160,000 -continues seeking independent funding
-Green Chemistry lead by three Science Group Faculty. Approx. $35,000
-Hosted a Grant Writing Workshop with Bob Watson

Spring 2001
-Launched first Training Effort of the Science Group for the ACA - GIS Workshops

Spring 2002
-Developed a Spring Workshop for Scientist to meet with Funding Foundations - Transferred to an ACA-Wide Event as offered and continued today as Funding Fair.
-Ideas for NSF-STEP Grant Compiled and Passed to ACA,

Fall 2002
Start Joint VC Development: Melissa P. Taverner Student / Faculty Research Database and Project Group Independ Web Development Linked with ACA-VC web site.

Spring 2003
Science Group Meets with Quad Planning Meeting to pass ideas as Science Group

Fall 2003
-Reworking Communication and Updating mailing list of approximately 600 participants.
-Initiated Efforts to Encourage Faculty Partnership Development with Corporations and Curriculum Publication / Web Publication (e-Manual of CAWS)

Spring 2004
-Science Group Managed Funds from ACA to send faculty (Chemistry,Health Sciences,Psychology, Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, Biology) to Chautauqua NSF Short Courses in their Disciplines
-Proposals to include a Leadership Team and Funds for New Collaborative Projects.

Activities of the Science Group- Events 2000 - 2004 back to top

[Thirteen events hosted for whole group and six for project groups.]

Hosted Pre-Summit Conferences / Workshops...... [Now lead to multiple Discipline Groups at Summit]

Fall 2004, November 4th- - Strengthening our Collaboration -Determining how we might continue in the Future!!

Fall 2003, November 13th - Strengthening our Collaboration -New Ventures!!

Fall 2002, October 24th - Thursday, Pre-conference workshop of the ACA Technology Summit 2002

Fall 2001, October 18th - Thursday, Pre-conference workshop of the ACA Technology Summit 2001

Fall 2000, October 12th - Thursday, Pre-conference workshop of the ACA Technology Summit 2000

Joint ACA and Science Group Events........

Spring 2003, April 11-13 - Peer Training and our Joint Opportunities [w/ACA Quad Planning Meeting]

Spring 2002, June 9 - 11 Science Group Agenda expaned to ACA-wide Program that continues[Science Group Combined with the ACA Funding Fair]

Spring 2001, June 25 - ACA Wide: Grant-Writing Workshop

Hosted Spring Semester Workshops Just for Science Group........

Spring 2001 - Ferrum College, February 15 - 17, 2001 -Strengthening Our Collaboration:
Highlighting our Current Projects - Focus on Watershed Ecology Group

Spring 2000 - Montreat College, March 24-25, 2000
[Goals - to initiate collaborative efforts, begin training in html, and start the development of web sites for the ACA virtual center.]

Science Project Group that Provided Training Events for their Groups (two a year for two years)

GIS, CAWS, Green Chemistry

Science Groups that Held Training Workshops for Science and Other Disciplines....

GIS Project Group-three training events [One week& two three day workshops, approx 50 participants]

Activities of the Science Group - Coordinator Responsibilities / Activities back to top

Communication (03-04 update in process)
-Established and Posted on SciGr Web Posting Site Campus Contacts for Each Campus Science Disciplines and those considered by campus to be in the Science Group
List Serve
Maintanance of Posting Web Site / Development of Virtual Center Links
Voice for Science Faculty to ACA Project Development
-NSF-STEP
-ACA Quad Proposals

Conferences
Hosting twelve Workshops / Conferences for ACA Scientists
Established Partnerships and Professional Opportunities for Science Group

Negotiate ACA Funding for Scientists
-Planning Grants for ACA Scientists
-Three Collaboratives involving about 16 colleges

Training Programs for Scientists
-Peer Training Initiated through Collaborative Projects
-GIS Program
-eManual Initiation with CAWS
-Chautauqua NSF Short Courses

Donations
-Software
-Equipment from GlaxoSmithCline

Consulting
-Project / Publication Development
-Program Assistance [Bluefield suggestions on starting an Environmental Studies Program]
-Grant Design and models that link individual projects with ACA Collaboratives

Science Group Models that Lead to ACA-wide Efforts
-Discipline Group Program was initited for numerous Disciplines
-Pre-Summit Conference / Workshop [This year almost all discipline groups are having workshops.]
-Funding Fair

Faculty Professional Development
Collaborative Connections with Professional Organizations - CAWS-AL, GreenChem-ACS, etc.
Encouraged joint participation - CAWS-ACS, Chemists-Serena Inc., etc.

Encouarged the Initiation of Sub-Discipline Involvement
Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Health Sciences, Physics, Geology, Astronomy, Mathematics, Computer Science, Psychology, etc.

Science Group Leadership Team and Continuance back to top

__________

The needs of the ACA Science Group should be focused upon its continuance. The required next step could be initiated by the development funds over a two year period and establish the components that would enable the needed expansion of this group.

This proposal presents three strategies for meeting the seven goals for the continuance of the Science Group and addressing some needs of scientists in the ACA. These are given as funding options and each is inserted in the proposal as components of specific budget requests.

Proposals and Strategies:
#1. The first proposal focuses on the development of a leadership team and preparing for partnerships with funding foundations specific for the Science Group.

#2. The second proposal focuses on the current operational structure of supporting project groups but extends the role of the coordinator to seek foundational support and establish a Training Institute that incorporates the outcomes of these project groups.

#3. This third proposal continues to operate the Science Group in its current status and passes most funding to the project groups without seeking independent funding for the Science Group. The third proposal focuses upon funding specific projects with an ongoing stipend to the Science Coordinator, thus providing for continuance through the efforts of the Science Group Coordinator at the current status of this group while strengthening specific projects that will address major needs of the sciences as a whole and requires web postings to make the developments within these projects available to all in the ACA. It is the attractiveness of ongoing projects and their funding through the ACA that will keep the Science Group functional.

Goals Summary:

1. Continue funds for meeting as a group for a Conference on the day before the ACA Summit.

2. Establish a “State of Science” study and report for Foundations that includes strategic initiatives to address the critical needs of Science Programs within the ACA.

3. Establish an Operational Plan for a Self-Supportive Science Group

4. Provide funds for visitations and presentations to Foundations that could potentially take up the support of the Science Group.

5. Establish new partnerships with other Collaborative Science Organizations and Institutions

6.. Continue support for the Science Group Coordinator and discipline leaders that would establish an advisory leadership group for the Science Group.

7. Provide transitional funding for existing and developing Project Groups

The budget would need to be expanded to include a more comprehensive funding for all the below groups and projects. It may be that the next phase of ACA funding, the Quad, could provide monies to support the below ongoing projects.

Goals with Development Plans and Budget Outline:

1. Continue funds for meeting as a group for a Conference on the day before the ACA Summit.......................

This Novembrer 2004 will be the fifth year of the Science Group meeting for a day conference before the ACA Summit. Funding is needed to provide for materials and program needs. It is often a need to pay travel and/or stipend for invited guests or those with immediate responsibilities.

Proposal #1 and #2:
Budget: $2,000 for two years, Summit 05,06.

Proposal #3:
Minor incidentals, registration and meals for pre-summit conference invited participants [Current condition.].

2. Establish a “State of Science” study and report for Foundations that includes strategic initiatives to address the critical needs of Science Programs within the ACA.............................

This project will require establishing a leadership team of a faculty participant (to be determined at the November 2004 Science Group Pre-Summit Conference) from each of the following most popular disciplines within the Science Group:

Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics
Biology
Ecology / Environmental Sciences
[and Science Group Coordinator]

These individuals would serve as the advisory group for the Science Group and will be involved in gathering data and establishing strategies for each of these disciplines. Much work will be required in both studying the needs of their own discipline and meeting to determine what is best for the group as a whole in its service to the ACA. The interchange of ideas and perceptions from these key people will be a major investment towards the development of wise decisions to be determined during this period. It will be necessary to have this group look back at our needs and to look at the future needs of our scientists. These individuals will need to be excellent communicators and committed to developing significant strategies for this group, thus these individuals will need support for developing communication skills and exchanging ideas together.

Proposal #1:
Most importantly, this team is becoming a polished leadership team that will present these ideas to our institutions, foundations and funding arenas.

Semiannual meeting while attending cutting-edge national professional meetings with direct connection to Science Group needs. [6 participants] Budget: $2,000 each - $12,000

Regional ACA meetings (called meeting at ACA schools) of the leadership Team.
Budget: $500 each - $3000

Proposal #2:
The coordinator will attend two annual cutting-edge national professional meetings with direct connection to Science Group needs to establish partnerships and network with organizations/foundations. Budget: $2,500 per year - $5,000

Two regional meetings of the leadership team will be needed to exchange ideas and compile data [6 participants] Budget: $3,000

Proposal #3
No development of this study or documents. No leadership team or conference attendance supported except through the individual efforts of those involved and interested. [Current condition.]

3. Establish an Operational Plan for a Self-Supportive Science Group....................

Proposal #1:
This plan is part of the reporting and prepared presentations that the Leadership Team is responsible for in its efforts to development Foundational Funding. Budget: expenses for reporting and presentation materials- Office materials, presentation materials - $500

Proposal #2:
This plan is part of the reporting and prepared presentations that the Science Group Coordinator is responsible for in its efforts to development Foundational Funding. Budget: expenses for reporting and presentation materials- Office materials, presentation materials - $500

Proposal #3:
No plan development.

4. Provide funds for visitations and presentations to Foundations that could potentially take up the support of the Science Group...................

Proposal #1:
This group will choose representatives to make polished presentations to foundations in efforts to establish partnership funding. Funding will be required for travel and miscellaneous expenses.
Budget: -$2500

Proposal #2:
The coordinator will make presentations to foundations in efforts to establish partnership funding. Funding will be required for travel and miscellaneous expenses.
Budget: -$2000

Proposal #3:
Foundational support not pursued.

5. Establish new partnerships with other Collaborative Science Organizations and Institutions..................

Proposal #1:
Collaborative efforts and organizations can be investigated for potential partnership. This is one reason for the leadership team targeting national meetings so that we will be with these other organizations and be able to work multiple contacts. Additionally, I would like to make efforts to invite these representatives to the annual Science Group conference and the following ACA Summit. I would request that we waive registration for these individuals and that we pay for travel expenses. Budget: $3000

Proposal #2 and #3:
Collaborative efforts and organizations can be investigated for potential partnership. This is one reason for attending national meetings so that I can work with these organizations and be able to develop multiple contacts. Additionally, I would like to make efforts to invite these representatives to the annual Science Group conference and the following ACA Summit. I would request that we waive registration for these individuals and that we pay for travel expenses. Budget: $2000

6.. Continue support for the Science Group Coordinator and discipline leaders that would establish an advisory leadership group for the Science Group.............

Proposal #1:
Each of the leadership team individuals will need to receive $1000 stipend each year for their work.
Science Coordinator receives a stipend.
Budget: _____

Proposal #2:
Each of the leadership team individuals will be payed for their expenses to the ACA Summit where multiple meetings will be held and to the Training Institute Budget: $4000.
Stipend for Science Coordinator. Budget:______

Proposal #3:
No advisory group. Continue stipend for Science Group Coordinator. Budget: _____

7. Provide transitional funding for existing and developing Project Groups:...........

While the most basic need is to provide the foundations for a self-supportive funding effort for the Science Group that would meet the specific needs of these faculty (and spin off to faculty of the ACA as a whole as well), there needs to be support for ongoing and developing projects within this group. The Pre-Summit Science Group Conference has successfully launched collaborative projects ( offering scientists and ACA GIS training, CAWS watershed work that tied into the Appalachian laboratories Mellon project, Green Chemistry, etc.) and supporting the Science Group’s ability to initiate such projects would enable the ongoing efforts of specific projects.

The above objectives have lead to the following outcomes:

Proposals for Strategies to Address Science Needs
Proposals for Science Group
Model for addressing Collaboratives for Struggling Disciplines
Development of Leaders for Grants within Disciplines
Avenue for Distribution of Contemporary Training for ACA Specific Needs
Operational Plan for Self-Supportive Science Group
Foundational Relationship Specific for Science Group

Specific Projects Proposed as Mini-Grants to Continue Work back to top

Submitted by Mark Lassiter to the ACA in June 2004 as a compilation of projects to be considered in the future ACA funding and directed to Science Group projects. These projects have either come from project groups within the ACA or designed by Mark Lassiter to address needs of the Science Group.

Hit the Mini-Grant title below for the link to detailed information of each idea. The information provides a description, example activities of each project, and a projected budget.

I. Added as new ideas from the Science Group - 10/24/05:

1. Develop a project to compile and develop physics curriculum

2. Develop a curriculum Unit for Isocitrate Dehydrogenase laboratory exercises.

3. Develop extended Curriculum with Au Sable Field Study Sites at the Pacific Rim on the Pacific Coast; Great Lakes, Florida Everglades, Tropical Rain Forest in India, and Kenya's Rift Valley - available to six of our colleges with others working through these colleges.

II. Mini-Grant ideas

MG#1. e-Manual Publication - Discipline Specific - CAWS

MG#2. Chemical Modeling Curriculum Development - PC Model Publication - Mark Lassiter

MG#3. CART Assisted funding [Needs to be confirmed with Ray Bloomer as an interest to be pursued.]

MG#4. Instrumentation Training Project - Mark Lassiter

MG#6. On-Line Course Training - Mark Lassiter

MG#7. Publication and Joint Research Mentorships - Mark Lassiter

MG#8. Faculty Server Training - Mark Lassiter

MG#9. Establish a Training Institute. - Mark Lassiter

MG#10 - Renewing and Improving Collaboration Across Colleges: A new approach to collaboration in a consortium -Mike Sonnenberg, Susan Monteleone, and Mark Lassiter

Materials taken from Report submited to the ACA by Mark Lassiter, ACA Science Group Activity Report and Request for Continuance, June 2004.

Site Goal - to enable collaborative interchange of information and training between ACA schools. This site is hosted as a construction site on the CESC server until tested out for placement on the ACA servers.
Mark Lassiter (mlassiter@montreat.edu), 10/24/05

MG#1. e-Manual Publication - Discipline Specific back to top Back to Mini-Grants

Both CAWS and Green Chemistry collaborative projects have moved to posting e-manual procedures that are helpful in lecture and laboratory. This could be extended by encouraging leaders from each group to look for funding that could extend this work and expand the integration of other related disciplines.
The ACA Virtual Center would become the front page into the discipline specific modules of the e-Manual and multiple disciplines would be brought into compiling exercises for the site.

Examples:
Host two workshops to bring together development of curriculum modules that can be posted in the Virtual Center multiple-Discipline e-Manual for Science procedures or protocols used in laboratories or lecture. This would both allow both CAWS (watershed group) and Green Chemistry to continue posting their curriculum modules (see currently posted links on the ACA Virtual Center), however, other participants would attend with others to development and web-post additional educational modules:
-Additional Chemistry modules could be developed for organic chemistry laboratory synthesis exercises
-Field Test protocols to use measurement probes in the field to collect data to evaluate soil and water components.
-Field protocols for ecology measurements.
-Biology assay protocols to evaluate enzyme activity.
-Biology procedures for bacterial identification and population density determinations.
-Mathematical statistic design for laboratory data collection.
-Statistical analysis procedures for scientific evaluation.
-Computer procedures for use in digital media evaluation of biological processes
-Computer data logger procedures for laboratory experiments.
-etc....

Basically, procedures that are needed to set up classroom demonstrations or to successfully operate a laboratory exercise all require the location of dependable procedures. This project would bring together participants to exchange ideas to finalize posting on the e-Manual.

Curriculum:
Classes in all of the Science Group (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Ecology, Geology, Health Science, Computer Science, Mathematics, etc.) require the location and utilization of procedures. This eManual would provide classroom and laboratory procedures that your fellow ACA scientists are using. This tool both provides a great source of procedures for a faculty's needs as well as providing faculty that have developed these to assist the faculty newly using these in their classes.

Outcome: A developing Virtual Center Curriculum Module Resources of procedures for Science classes and Laboratories.

Budget:$7000-Two annual meetings to include anyone interested in meeting with these two groups in a combined meetings to design a laboratory posted exercise. Expenses and a $200 stipend is provided for each participant.

MG#2. Chemical Modeling Curriculum Development - PC Model Publication back to top Back to Mini-Grants

The Green Chemistry collaborative group has developed exercises with this chemistry modeling software. I met with Serena software owners at the American Chemical Society meeting and one of the developers has completed materials for a book and he is interested in joining with our scientists to pursue a publication. This group could be initiated to develop curricula with this software and additionally gain the professional distinction of publication.

Examples:
This group would develop exercises for chemisty, biology, and biochemistry classes. PC Model allows the faculty to develop 3D chemical models and to computer simulate chemical interactions. The group would develop visualization modeling exercises. Chemicals, compounds, and molecules can be developed and placed in 3D animations that are then used to study structure interactions and structure dynamics in the form of instructional modules that allow faculty and students that help to:
-Faculty development of chemical families 3D structure to show students chemical form and bond dynamics.
-Students have to prepare the correct elements in the computer simulated structure to produce the desired product, thus learning bond formation and interaction.
-Biochemical molecules can be downloaded from the internet resources and then the student can manipulate this stucture for various exercises.
-Genetics classes manipulate molecular structures to understand subcellular interactions.
-etc.

Curriculum:
Exercises will be prepared for chemisty, biology, and biochemistry so that faculty can readily use this software which is now offered to the ACA schools for a very reduced price of under $40/ license. A publication would enable a curriculum resource that could be prepared specifically for classes offered within the ACA.

Outcome: A publication of chemical modeling curricullum exercises in partnership with a software publisher.

Budget: $7000 - Serena software personnel travel expense and five faculty that would be interested in committing to a chemical modeling web posting and publication. The monies cover meeting expenses and a $ 100 a day stipend for the time that is spent together in collaborative development or planning.

MG#3. CART Assisted funding [Needs to be confirmed with Ray Bloomer as an interest to be pursued.]

back to top Back to Mini-Grants

Enable the continual development of the education (including curricular web postings) and research of the CART collaborative group to provide assistance in gaining outside funding.

CART project description:

The Consortium joins three ACA colleges together to encourage undergraduate research in astronomy and improved teaching of related subjects. The University of the South (Doug Durig), Emory & Henry College (Mike Duffy and Jim Warden), and King College (Ray Bloomer) will meet annually to share information and projects and fund summer research activities of our faculty and students.CART meetings include tutorials on CCD theory and practical use, planning research projects, tours of our observatory facilities, and specific objects (e.g., stars, asteroids, supernovae) that we are observing. Students travel to the Air Force Academy for a two-week run on the 61-cm telescope, observing asteroids and binary stars of interest and students work to reduce, analyze, and publish the data. The CART faculty hopes to submit another proposal to the ACA for expanded operations to include web site development, travel to scientific meetings, more joint meetings, and research for undergraduates. CART encourages other ACA schools to join in this effort.
Group Contact: "Bloomer, Raymond" <rhbloome@king.edu>

Examples:
Fund workshops for the expansion of CART's collaboration to include other colleges.
Develop tutorials on CCD theory and the practical use and planning of research projects.

Curriculum:
Development of tutorials and student / faculty reseach to support classroom exercises and observations.

Outcome: Further curriculum development and utilization of astronomy tools in participating institutions (successful recruitment of two additional collborating instititutions)

Budget: $6000 - Provide for two collaborative planning meetings to launch new funding efforts. This might involve a joint national meeting attendance to set up partnerships and enhance development or research efforts for this group.

MG#4. Instrumentation Training Project back to top Back to Mini-Grants

A list of instruments expected to be a component of basic laboratory courses in Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, and Field Analysis would be compiled. Individuals that are experts in these instruments would serve as ACA trainers for these instruments and would be recruited to participate in this project. Each instrument would have a training video and web training module developed for it by these leaders and workshops would be offered for scientists needing training in these instruments. [Note: As more scientists become trained in various instruments, more laboratory applications could be developed and added to the growing e-Manual postings.]

Examples:
-Gas Chromatographic (GC) Instrumentation training and its use in basic analysis in Organic Chemistry (standard instrument that needs to be used in all organic chemistry courses - 70% of schools have some form of this instrument, but its operation level is quite varied and many are not operational)

-GC-MS Instrumentaion training for use in Organic Chemistry exercises and investigatory analysis (standard instrument in analytical chemistry but only a few schools have an operational instrument -approximately 30% )

-UV-VIS Spectrophotometer / VIS- Spectrophotometer training for exercises in Inorganic Chemistrty, Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Biology, and Biochemistry classes (standard instrument for analysis, chemical characterization, and assays - about 80% of schools have an operation instrument used for this in some capacity due to its comparatively reduced cost.

-HPLC or some Chromotography instrumentation exericises in Inorganic Chemistrty, Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Biology, and Biochemistry classes. (standard instrumentation for multiple classes, mostly in use in simplistic versions with about 50% of programs having some version of low pressure or HPLC)

-Data Logger probe analysis instrumentation is used across all disciplines in some form and a wide array of training exercises can suit faculty in setting up the loggers with various probes suited for these different disciplines. (about 90% of all programs use this in some form.

-etc.

Added note about collaborative and assisted instrumentation use:
The best setting for this type of training in a hands-on setting is found in the last proposed mini-grant - the Training Institute. It is through the gathering of faculty for specific hands-on training that collaborative curriculum development will be launched. The posted training that this projects requests will be very valuable to individuals with these instruments that need assistance in the older versions of these instruments that our various campuses have. However, the training web and video projects will best be used in supporting and following the hands-on training of the Training Institute seen below.

Most importantly, the web and video training modules will assist students in their use of instrumentation. Additionally, these can supplement the hands-on training by faculty with their students.

Additionally, after meeting each other in training workshops, faculty will initiate equipment sharing until personal acquisition can occur. Arranged sharing of instrumentation outside of personal gathering and training will have a reduced success.

Note about instrumentation acquisition:
Often acquisition of instrumentation through grants requires a knowledge of the use of the instrumentation and some credibility related to the use of the instrument. These training modules (along with the training workshops of the Training Institute-MG#9 below) will provide for increased use of owned instrumentation that is not used, but also initiate collaborate use that develops proficient use by the learning faculty. The learning faculty is able to use and see potential use for various instruments, thus laying the foundation for grant pursuits in gaining instrumentation through grants programs like Pittcon Instrumentation Grants and others.

Also, I have arranged for the Science Group institutions to also be on the donation list of GlaxoSmithCline. Many schools have obtained instrumentation here that they would not have been otherwise able to get. It all comes fully operational but the faculty must pursue training. The modules of this project will assist this need. However, if the faculty has been able to see how the instrument is used (through video/web training supplemented with hands-on training), the faculty is more apt to request this instrument in donations!!!

Curriculum: Inorganic Chemistrty, Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Biology, and Biochemistry classes will now have training components for student assistance while also providing supplemental training for faculty that encourages their investigation of new instrumentation use while opening the avenues for pursuits of instrumentation acquisition.

Outcome: Instrumentation training modules will be available for faculty and student training on the web and on video.

Budget: $16,000 - Fifteen instruments will be targeted to have these training materials developed for and the faculty working on the training module will receive a $1000 stipend upon completion of the posting. A coordinator of the project will receive an additional $1000.

MG#5. Database compilation of Science faculty research and potential student research opportunities. Additional database development is need to support instrumentation, data exchange, and student / faculty research efforts. This would be developed to be placed on the ACA Virtual Center. back to top Back to Mini-Grants

Example:
A database web entry and search tool would be developed on the ACA or Science Group hosting web site,but linked to the Virtual Center. The database tool would have the following as components of this tool:

-Compilation of all ACA faculty research and classroom development interests and projects

-Student / Faculty research opportunities are posted so that potential collaboration among faculty and students from different campuses can be initiated.

-Means to share data of various projects among collaborators and among larger groups as desired.

-Posting of Student / Faculty efforts.

Curriculum:
Any curriculum that could benefit from project work and involving students in research (all upper-level science classes) would now have a wide range of opportunities for our students and partnerships between campuses.

As an example....Genetics has a component of determining base sequences in DNA strands. I would not have a DNA sequencer nor have experience in using it. However, if looking on this posted database, I see that Steve Wright has this instrument as CNC and that he is using it for these posted projects, then I can share this with my students as a way to see its applications. In addition, my students could contact him for opportunities to work with him, thus opening opportunities for partnership between myself and Steve through student work with him.

Outcome: A contemporary and utilized database exchange of active research interests.

Budget: $3000 Responsibility of Science Group Coordinator - budget is for upgraded computer and software to more effectively interface with ACA servers.

MG#6. On-Line Course Training back to top Back to Mini-Grants

A training group would be established to share insight and challenges of developing and offering on-line courses. Numerous science faculty are involved in the current on-line project in the ACA and their experiences will be very helpful to others considering such curriculum development.

Examples:
This web site would compile the resources of science group participants in the current on-line ACA project. The following are involved currently:
Steve Wright - Bioinformatics, Mike Sonnenberg and Bob Pohlad-Appalachian Trail course, etc.

The following are examples of what could be on the site:

-An evaluation of various media used in On-line Cources
-How were web assignments organized?
-How did faculty manage their time and effectively serve their students?
-How did students respond to various components of the course?
-How did you build community among your students on-line?
-etc.

Curriculum:
This would provide ideas and evaluations for all classes considered foe On-Line development.

Outcome: A web site for On-Line Course resources and evaluation.

Budget: $6000. A team of five faculty will be targeted to compile an on-line training manual and to present a ÒHow ToÓ session at a Science Group meeting. Two project meetings will be funded where the group develops that web project and each participant receives a $500 stipend.

MG#7. Publication and Joint Research Mentorships back to top Back to Mini-Grants

As numerous faculty pursue training and gain proficiencies in procedures now available through the e-Manual, faculty will need the means to recruit collaborators through web communications and workshops. The funds to support emerging groups will enable successful collaboration. Groups that have publication objectives could be supported for a period of one year (seed monies - ACA provide two collaboration group meetings for such groups) prior to obtaining their independent funding. These meetings may be held concurrently with national associational conferences / meetings where these national researchers and product vendors are already attending in order to concentrate the efforts of the group. Additionally, resources that would assist these groups are combined and potentially a focus of these conferences.

Examples:

-Chemistry and Biology laboratories have been compiled by various faculty and wish to compile these into a joint publication. They meet to determine rationale and goals for their course resource publication and select exercises before meeting with a potential publisher.

-Astronomy participants in CART desire to partner with national leaders in bringing various observation protocols to the classrooms of the ACA schools. They gather to first research what they would like to pursue and then meet to invite indiviuals from university programs that are doing what they hope to summarize into exercise publications.

-The watershed group (CAWS) meets leaders from various field research facilities to research the most common field research procedures in order to direct their collaborative development of joint laboratory exercises for the classes that they each teach on different campuses.

-The GIS training group in the Science Groups meets with leader manufactures of Palm and PocketPC to determine which best suites the needs of upcoming map integation, GIS / GPS, photo-database integration, analysis probe data logging input in preparation for publications that can best our scientists in their purchases for course development.

-The Green Chemistry meet with future module developers that are designing laboratory web-posted modules that utilize new, inexpensive instrumentation. [This would be a great example of where the best meeting arrangement would be at the American Chemical Society meeting where the National Chemical Education Division is giving educational presentations and numerous national vendors are gathered that would be a source of seeking out new and inexpensive options to standard contemporary laboratory instrumentation.]

-etc.

Curriculum:
All course curriculum would be supplemented by the target needs of each group. The publication would have to be directly linked to curriculum needs.

Outcome: Two publication projects will be recruited and supported to provide for professional publication for faculty not able to do so without partnerships and mentorships.

Budget: $10,000. Seed monies for four research / publication groups for two planning meetings or provide supplementary monies for scientists to jointly attend national meetings where they can meet with these needed national leaders or vendors.

MG#8. Faculty Server Training back to top Back to Mini-Grants

A training group will need to provide training for faculty to maintain their own servers as they have ongoing needs to share data and training media through means that they need immediate access to.

Examples:
-Faculty would pursue training in establishing their independent home internet service that allows dedicated IP assignment for setting up an independent server.

-Faculty would be trained in managing their own server - setting up directories to organize their web pages.

-Faculty would be trained in setting up basic database postings so that they could share data among collaboratores and students at distant sites or at other partnering institutions.

-Faculty could prepare to develop their own curricula materials that would help in all areas of their teaching and collaborative developments and avoid the complicated ownership issues produced by individual and joint development efforts of multiple campuses.

-etc.

Curriculum:
All courses and development needs related to network exchange and student participation could be addressed through independent faculty servers that free the institution of issues related to faculty use of campus networks and servers.

Outcomes: Faculty will be able to maintain their own servers (on independent private web networks) to launch a new stage of cutting - edge development and exchange as personal management frees faculty from ownership issues and campus utilization issues.

Budget: $4000. One workshop expenses for training all interested ACA faculty. Expenses are paid for participants and a stipend is provided for the instruction team.

MG#9. Establish a Training Institute. back to top Back to Mini-Grants

A training meeting would be held in the spring semester each year to provide a joint, simultaneous collaborative meeting for all of the project groups but also provide a training program that would be open to the whole ACA.

The program would involve meetings of all project groups that would choose to attend in a training program. Trainers would be selected by the ACA Fall Semester Summit and the program published for sign-up.

The establishment of a Training Institute would dually serve as a meeting for collaborative teams and launch new efforts through Mini-Grants to Leading Teams for additional meetings. Budget: $11,500 [ expanded to 12,500 if possible]

This Institute (three day meeting) is set up to both provide for project groups to meet and complete projects while also providing for a schedule of various training opportunities. Each faculty coming to the institute that is either completing a project or giving a training workshop, receives a $200 stipend and has all their expenses covered. Other participants come to the training institute free of charge but do not have their traveling expenses covered. As a target for the two meetings, we will offer approximately 6-10 training programs per meeting and fund projects completed at the Institute (such as a group meeting to finalize a laboratory exercise publication for the web e-Manual). Mini-Grants may be given to emerging groups prior to the meetings to enable them to initiate their work on projects.

The institute would address and incorporate many of the joint meetings described in the projects above.

Examples:
The best way to provide a vision of this Institute might be to provide an example agenda (hypothetical examples, but probable) for a meeting (Institute Summit) showing the multiple components of participants (both faculty and lead students): -

**Collaborative Group Meeting-
CAWS, GreenChemistry, CART, BioInformatics, ON-Line Course Collaborative Development Teams will hold their annual collaborative meeting for the first day during the Pre-Conference activities and meet throughout the Institute.

**Training Institute Hands-On Workshops-
DNA / RNA sequencing
Data Loger Set-Up and Sensor Probes for Ecology and Field Biology Laboratories
GC Set-Up and Use for the Analysis of Orgnanic Synthesis Products in Organic Chemistry laboratory
HPLC Set-Up and Use of the Relative Inexpensive Buck HPLC
Micro-Titer Plate UV-VIS [and Ocean Optics UV-VIS] use in assays for Biology, Ecology, and Chemistry laboratories

**Initiation of Partnerships for Student Research with Faculty from University Systems
-North Carolina State University faculty will meet with Individuals interested in launching Collaborative Water Analysis through their Inorganic Chemistry Classes in order to compile data across the ACA and expose students to data compilation.

-ETSU faculty will meet with faculty interested in developing Molecular and Genetic Research that can be integrated into the Undergraduate Program.

-University of Maryland, Appalachian Laboratories will meet with all faculty interested in gathering data through class exercises with their student to be placed in a growing database that can be used as actual data in upper-class Field Biology laboratories.

-Faculty from the North Carolina System [Web Assign] and a private publication firm [Houghton Publishers Homework Assignments / tutorials connected with their texts] will meet with faculty interested in establishing Web Curricula programs as homework assignments for their students.

**Student / Faculty Research Projects and Class Project Presentations
-Poster Sessions to present these projects and to prompt interchange will be offered as mixers.

-A presentation schedule will be established to provide for formal presentations within the institute or through a partnering Student Presentation program, like the Blue Ridge Undergraduate program.

-Faculty will be presenting their research interests and projects on the walls of the meeting room and mixer times will allow initiations of new collaborations and student discussions with faculty from other institutions that may launch new collaborations and summer work for the student.....[This will also be posted in a web database.]

**Emerging Teaching Technologies Demonstrations (Presentations of such work would be given at the ACA Summit, this is a chance to extend this into demonstrations that are not done at the ACA - wide Summit due time and program restraints.
-Chemistry on-line and hands-on calculation conversion tools.

-Smart Board interaction demonstration to illustrate bond dynamics and reaction mechanisms

-Nanotechnology in the Standard Classroom

-BioInformatics exercises in the classroom and in student assignments.

-How watershed instrumentation might be used in multiple laboratories for a wide range of biology and chemistry laboratories

-How faculty have successfully designed their server to provide for student and faculty interaction

-Web Cam and Virtual Instrument Use - Emerging technolgies for use with sharing field or laboratory components.

**Project group time in the Laboratories and Student Class use of Instruments.
-Laboratories and instruments will be available for shared use

-Project groups may meet with a faculty expert with a certain instrument, GC-MS or LC-MS to work through and analyze unknown samples

-CAWS brings all water samples together for joint extraction and ELISA analysis

-Participants that have contacted workshop leaders to use their instruments, meet with these instructors for further use of instruments for actual data collection by their lead students as part of their classes. Example - all organic chemistry classes that could not use an NMR came together to use the NMR at this hosting institution, thus getting class credit for their work and assisting their faculty in coming together for utilization of instrumentation that was not on their campus.

**Vendor Demonstration and Workshop on selected instruments that are in Collaborative Grant Efforts

-Buck Instruments holds a morning demonstration on their suit of inexpensive instruments and their developed application laboratory exercises customized to their instruments. Core Participants are preparing a grant to the Pittcon Instrumentation Grant for $9000 to small school science programs.

-HP holds a workshop for using their pocket PC for use with MapTech's maps and analysis probes.

-Bio-Rad holds a training workshop on using their free Download software for Chemical Teaching ansd Learning. This software includes Modeling and Informatics tools, drawing structures, reports and calculations for students. The group is applying for updated computers to effectively take advantage of this free software and other products (by WaveFunction) released similar to these products

**Collaborative Classroom Meetings
various classes from different campuses meet to perform components of their separate classes that need to be done together.

Curriculum:
A wide range of curriculum can be developed, supported, and actually taught (upper level classes may all attend for class time) through the efforts of the Institute.

Outcomes for the above projects that are integrated into the Training and Research Institute:

Strong Projects that Provide for Professional Growth
Integrative Training for ACA -wide benefits
Strengthen Professional Credibility
Virtual Center Development-Expansion into a training Center

MG #10
The below idea has been added to include a collaborative student training project from the CAWS group. This may be integrated into the Institute described above:

Renewing and Improving Collaboration Across Colleges: A new approach to collaboration in a consortium

back to top Back to Mini-Grants

The CAWS faculty seek to provide a project that may integrate with the components of the Mellon follow-up monies by proposing a model for application and duplication across disciplines.

Overview:
The CAWS collaborative involving eight schools, provides the framework into which this model for student enrichment can be launched. Students will be provided educational opportunities through joint collaborative training and workshop activities at various campuses and/or regional facilities, that bring together students and college faculty. Select students from participating campuses will network to provide a community of cross-ACA peers. Various opportunities through term field activities, research, on-line linked exercises, class modules, student peer education, internships, and/or on-going opportunities that integrate these engaged students with each other and a broad range of faculty from across the ACA.

Addressing strengths and weaknesses:
This proposal is made in an effort to link the colleges in ways that enable faculty and students to work across institutional boundaries.

Isolation of small, private colleges often result in programs with reduced numbers of faculty, and limited opportunities for students to interact with other actively engaged students, and a diversity of faculty. As a result, insular experiences limit student vision. The strength of this model is that it economizes operations and extends curricular offerings by combining resources. Resources are the students, faculty, institutions, and regions. Also this model, is designed to enrich curricula and, enhance and diversify academic experiences of students. Resources at participating ACA institutions are limited, e.g. instructional equipment and funds. Collaboration not only strengthens the curriculum, but it empowers the group to seek external funding.

Exmaple of how this would work:

The CAWS campuses launch a student training course to be collaboratively taught as the students and faculty travel to all the campuses involved. This is necesssary since different components of the class are taught using instrumentation and resources of that campus not available at other campuses, but most importantly, the course deals with the comparison of watersheds of each campus. The combined group of all faculty and students from different campuses travel together.

Hypothetical Example:

Course- Watershed Study and Ecological Community Evaluation
Who - Eight ACA Campuses (of the CAWS group) involved with two faculty from each campus and about 5 students from each campus.
When- school year when leave could be worked out for the faculty and students.
How - Techniques used are performed at the host watershed and if possible, at the home watershed. If unique instruments are used, then samples can be collected at home watersheds and then evaluated upon a later visit, through mailed samples, or at the Science Institute.

Campus #1 - Forestry Techniques

Campus #2 - Stream Micro-Invertebrates survey and identification instrumentation use

Campus #3 - GIS and GPS mapping skills and training related to the expertise of these faculty and their specialized analysis and printing equipment

Campus #4 - Soil Analysis with FTIR and UV-VIS

Campus #5 - Micro-nutrients in Soil and Water using Microtiter plate Assays

Campus #6 - Campus Plannin and Development using Campus Watersheds

Campus #7 - Visitation to adjacent National Watershed Laboratories - Coweeta National Forestry Research station.

Campus #8 - Geology and Landform Analysis

Curriculum and Outcomes:
The participating campuses will have comparative Appalachian course that will be very valuable to both students and faculty. Resources and facilities are extended to numerous campuses for curricular offerings in Ecology,Field Biology, and Environmental Science programs. Additionally, a model for use is established to be used in various other disciplines within the sciences or other disciplines within the ACA.

Taken from : ACA Science Group Activity Report and Request for Continuance - Mark Lassiter