Required by the nature of its work to be as ambidextrous as a minor league switch-hitter, the Chemistry Department maintains an anomalous position that is unique throughout the college. Forced to meet the needs of both the concentrator preparing for graduate work and the liberal arts man filling a distribution requirement, the department must cater to both these interests in a plant already operating at full capacity. The result is satisfactory to neither faction.

Since the first duty of any department is to meet the needs of its concentrators, the chemistry faculty must assure its students adequate preparation to withstand national competition. To this end, it has arranged a sequence of courses to be followed with little variation, a step-by-step arrangement common to most sciences. In chemistry, however, the large number of required lab hours further limit the student's academic freedom, and unless he chooses chemistry upon entering college, he will be over-whelmed by his later schedule. Running contrary to the University policy of letting the Freshman browse before striking out for himself, these stipulations unnecessarily handicap the man who enters college undecided and practically circumvent the theory of the elective system.

Added to the necessity of an early start is the desirability for honors. Because of the present hair-splitting standards of the graduate schools, any chemistry major who plans on advanced work must aim at least for a cum laude, and to qualify for his Latin suffix must straddle himself with two extra half-courses. But this additional load is not supplemented with any tutorial assistance and the student must assimilate this extra helping by himself, without the benefit of well-versed personal guidance. Despite the claim that lab sections are the nearest thing possible to group tutorial, few of the section men become well-acquainted with their students and, with the exception of his advisor, the chemistry major must plod his formula-laden path alone.

Though not subject to the long-term sequence required of the concentrator, the department dabbler is little better off. Lacking the manpower requisite for duplicate elementary courses, the department can differentiate its beginning students only on the basis of their high school preparation. But a similarity of background will not make up for pronounced differences in ability and the liberal arts man, strayed from his home department, often finds the division arbitrary and the subject-matter over-whelming. The emphasis on memory work in the elementary stage is another irritant for the non-concentrator who would like a survey of the subject, not a detailed dissection, and although the present General Education natural science courses alleviate the problem somewhat, they do not replace a chemistry course.

Seconding the dissatisfaction of the non-concentrator are the demands of the pre-med, another department patron by necessity rather than by choice. Loath to duplicate the concentrator's heavy lab schedule, the pre-med must nevertheless abstract the meat of the fundamental courses and consequently asks for a tailor-made class. But department inertia and/or the lack of facilities have prevented the realization of a special course and, despite the success of its pre-war counterpart, no revival is in the offing.

Suffering from a teacher shortage that precludes any large-scale expansion, and a dearth of facilities that requires a finely-adjusted schedule, the Chemistry Department is doing its best to handle all comers. Despite the hoterogeneous demands and varied abilities of its students, the department has achieved a standard that ranks it with the country's best and this reputation stones in part for its minor shortennilngs. But the significance of this degree does not entirely compensate for the overtime hours in the lab, and until the Department can achieve a more equitable balance between professional requirements and undergraduate limitations, the chemistry concentrator will continue a neglected man.