The development of standards & guidelines for undergraduate chemistry education

Abstract The development of standards and guidelines for undergraduate chemistry programs across the globe can ensure that students and faculty have the facilities, curriculum, skills, and infrastructure to support chemistry education. The American Chemical Society began its exploration of standards in the United State in the 1930s culminating in the ACS Approval Program, which currently includes over 700 programs in the United States. In 2019, ACS embarked on the development of an ACS Recognition Program for programs worldwide. The development of guidelines and standards for these related, but not identical, programs is based on the core principles of the ACS and the needs of the broader chemistry education community. It involved an iterative process that included contributions from chemistry professionals, educators, employers, and other stakeholders, with feedback from the broader academic community. The goal of these guidelines and the approval and recognition programs is to ensure that students have an engaged faculty, a safe and inviting space to learn, access to modern instrumentation for teaching and research, a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment in which to learn, and the content knowledge and skills needed for success as a chemical professional.