WHY
C3S?
The
College Chemistry Consultants Service (C3S) consists of independent
chemistry educators and professionals committed to promoting positive change in
chemistry education in the United States and its territories. Upon request, the
consultants offer advice to academic institutions nationwide. C3S’s
goal is to help colleges and universities provide their students with the best
quality science education possible.
Established
in the mid-1960s, C3S is a service of the American Chemical Society (ACS)
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. (DivCHED). C3S consultants are
not employees or agents of the American Chemical Society or the Division of
Chemical Education. C3S consultants are chemists with diverse
professional experience as administrators, teachers, managers, and program
developers. They are committed to suggesting sound solutions to the complex
issues facing departments today. With
a wide consultant base and competitive rates, many institutions utilize C3S to conduct
departmental reviews on a regular basis.
Institutions
that use C3S find the visits and
follow-up reports useful and helpful. As a result of C3S
visits, chemistry departments have designed
safer laboratories, prepared for approval by
the ACS Committee on Professional Training,
established new programs, and written successful grant proposals.
Some departments have used the
consultants’ reports to justify obtaining
additional funds from the college administration for
a variety of projects and programs. Throughout its history,
C3S has had many success stories. We encourage you
to learn more about C3S and its consultants.
HOW CAN C3S
HELP MY DEPARTMENT?
C3S
consultants provide general departmental reviews for four-year, two-year and
chemical technology programs, or more specialized visits on:
HOW DO I
ARRANGE A VISIT?
Here
is a general time frame for the C3S process.
The time frames are intended to be guidelines and not absolute deadlines.
8-10
weeks prior to desired visit date:
□ Contact the DivCHED Administrative Assistant, Susan
Greer, who will put you in contact with the current chair of the C3S
Advisory Board, with whom you may discuss the possibility of, and goals for, a C3S
visit.
□
If you wish, select a few consultants for your needs (see Consultant List).
□
You may ask the C3S Advisory Board Chair for consultant
recommendations, if needed.
□ Obtain a Request for Consultation application.
□
Determine source of funding for the visit.
6-8
weeks prior to desired visit date:
□
Send all completed applications to the DivCHED office (Susan Greer).
□ Contact consultant(s), preferably directly, via phone or e-mail, to discuss goals of the visit.
4-6
weeks prior to visit date:
□
Make logistical arrangements with consultant(s), including travel plans.
□
Provide any background information necessary directly to consultant(s),
including any C3S background
information forms, depending on your visitation needs.
□
Begin to plan the visit internally.
2-4
weeks prior to visit:
□
Finalize the visit plan.
□
Make arrangements for any interviews, tours and class observances needed.
After
visit:
□
Take care of financial obligations to consultant(s).
Be sure to provide them with any institutional forms needed for
reimbursement.
A
written report of the consultant’s advice and recommendations will be provided
and is the sole property of the host institution. Neither ACS nor DivCHED
receive a copy of the report.
Within
six months of receipt of the consultant’s report, submit the completed
post-visit questionnaire so that C3S may evaluate and continually
improve its program.
WHAT DOES A
VISIT COST?
A
typical C3S
consulting visit will last one or two days. Costs include a suggested honorarium
(currently recommended at $300/day) and a written report fee (currently $250),
in addition to the expense of the consultant’s travel, lodging, and meals.
Actual arrangements are made between the institution and the individual
consultant(s). The institution must reimburse the consultant directly; neither C3S
nor DivCHED are not involved in any of the financial transactions related to the
consulting visit.
READY TO
INITIATE A C3S VISIT OR DISCUSS YOUR DEPARTMENT’S NEEDS?
Please
contact the DivCHED Administrative Assistant, Susan Greer, who will put you in
touch with the current C3S Advisory Board Chair, or contact the
consultant(s) of your choice directly.
ACS Division of Chemical Education 765-494-9264 (voice)
Purdue University 765-494-0239 (fax)
560 Oval Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2084
Disclaimer:
Please
note that consultants are not ACS employees nor are they agents of the Society,
but act as independent contractors to the requesting institution. ACS DivCHED
acts solely as a clearinghouse to broker contacts.
The College Chemistry Consultants Service (C3S) is a program
offered by the ACS Division of Chemical Education, Inc. ACS and the Division of
Chemical Education, Inc., sponsor workshops and training to keep the consultants
up-to-date on new information in chemical education and maintain an advisory
board whose members carefully select consultants to participate in the service.
Moreover, C3S suggests procedures and practices to its consultants.
However, the actual services within the C3S program are provided by
outside independent consultants. The specific terms of the services provided by
C3S consultants, including fees, method of payment, length of
contract, and scope of services offered, are to be negotiated by the consultant
and the person or group hiring the C3S consultant. Under no
circumstances shall ACS or DivCHED be liable for any damages of any kind that
arise from advice or information provided by C3S consultants or in
any way relating to the C3S program.