I was the moderator of this session. Topics specific to the field were obviously discussed, such as textbooks, laboratory experiences, and course content. Time seemed to be the consensual enemy as far as the topics versus number of weeks in which to teach them was concerned. However, interesting and various methods of assessment in evaluating student aptitude were also mentioned. If the student is unable to meet the departmental minimum scores, the student needs to either retake the exam or retake the courses in which the student struggled.
Some schools assess aptitude by simply having a high enough grade point average.
This takes the idea of assessment to a different realm. No one has developed a good solution at the liberal arts level. However, institutions with less general education requirements and more major requirements handle this problem with less frustration. What is often lacking in those students is the well-rounded character that liberal arts schools treasure. As the title describes, there are concerns regarding the material presented to students that are taking chemistry for a general education requirement.