Modeling Collaboration and Partnership in a Program Integrating NMR across the Chemistry Curriculum at a University and a Community and Technical College

In this NSF-supported project, two Anasazi FT-NMRs are being integrated simultaneously across the chemistry curriculum at Western Kentucky University (WKU) and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC). The collaborative project adds to a new curriculum initiative by integrating NMR throughout the chemistry curriculum to enhance both undergraduate programs. For the first time, students at ECTC now are able to gain on-site access to an NMR, which has dramatically improved the community college student’s educational experience. The project has stimulated WKU and ECTC efforts to establish an equal and sustainable partnership in a broad range. The outcome and viability of the partnership between ECTC and WKU has been externally assessed. Through strategic planning, new insights for the future of the WKU–ECTC chemistry partnership have been generated. The transformative and dynamic partnership between WKU and ECTC provides a model for other disciplines and institutions.