Through UCAIR, a project sponsored in its initial phase by
a $15,000 Dreyfus Foundation Chemical Informatics Planning Grant,
Chemistry faculty at four primarily undergraduate institutions
(PUI's) explored how they and their students, using cooperative
learning strategies at multiple institutions, may access the literature
effectively and economically in the virtual library mode.
PHASE I PLANNING OBJECTIVES FOR
PROJECT UCAIR
Insights and perspectives of experts in areas related
to the overall project are being secured.
Selected faculty are receiving orientation and training
in accessing/managing chemical information.
Use of state-of-the-art technologies is being tested
by chemistry students in the undergraduate curricular environment.
Phase I of Project UCAIR focused on identification of state-of-the-art
technology, establishment of a "demonstration" cooperative
pilot study on four PUI campuses, Tarleton State, Texas Lutheran,
Texas Wesleyan, and the University of Dallas, and creation of
a regional communications link for undergraduate Chemistry programs.
ACTIVITIES
Project UCAIR was announced at a meeting for Texas PUI Chemistry
faculty arranged with support of the Robert A. Welch Foundation
at the Welch Chemical Research Conference in Houston in October,
1993. Orientation and hands-on training on Internet use and STN
access to Chemical Abstracts and ACS journals were provided
by the Alliance for Higher Education (AHE) to Chemistry faculty
and other representatives from the four Phase I site campuses
at the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory in January, 1994.
At the outset of the program, two Phase I site campuses initially
without Internet connectivity acquired "guest" status
with neighboring institutions. Each has applied for and received
NSF grants to provide direct Internet services, so that all Phase
I programs are on track to make full use of the Internet.
Participating chemistry and library faculty have become avid
e-mail users. Listservs, including CURLS, CHEMED, SAFETY,
STS-L and CHMINF are proving
to be valuable program assets.
Presentations focusing on goals and objectives of UCAIR and
seeking feedback and critiques of project strategies were made
at the following professional conferences:
THE NATIONAL CHEMICAL INFORMATION SYMPOSIUM, University of
Vermont.
THE 5TH NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH (CUR) CONFERENCE,
Bates College.
THE 1994 ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT CHAIRPERSON'S
CONFERENCE, Colorado State University..
THE 1994 WELCH FOUNDATION CHEMICAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE, Houston.
Information about UCAIR and distribution of the survey of use
of electronic information technology by chemistry faculty has
been facilitated by publication in the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL
EDUCATION, vol. 71, p. 678, 1994, and citation on the
JCHEMED GOPHER (JCHEMED.CHEM.WISC.EDU). Efficient
distribution and response to the survey also has been achieved
through the CURLS, CHEMED, and CHINFO
listservs and dissemination at the 1994 annual meeting of the
Midwestern Association of Chemistry Teachers in Liberal Arts Colleges
(MATLAC). To date, over 100 individuals have responded.
UNANTICIPATED BENEFICIAL EFFECTS:
The e-mail-facilitated presentation in Russia of a
technical paper by a Professor at Texas Lutheran in 1994;
Recruitment and coordination of seminar speaker programs
by e-mail;
Development of a collaborative research project between
Texas Lutheran and Rice University;
Utility of "First Search" and "CARL"
in developing an experiment for non-science majors at the University
of Dallas; Convenience of e-mail for coordination of the Dallas/Fort
Worth ACS Section's "Meeting-In-Miniature" undergraduate
research symposium at Texas Wesleyan;
Student-conducted two-week test of "CURE,"
a Cooperative Undergraduate Research Endeavor, using electronic
channels to coordinate a joint research effort; and
Ease of testing the relative convenience of using Material
Safety Data Sheets obtained on line vs both paper and CD-ROM based
technology.