One of the first things I remember noticing when walking into my Chemistry 1 class during my first semester at Mississippi State University was the condition of the Hand Chemical Laboratory.
From the outside of the building, it became evident that it has been in use for many years and was in desperate need of repairs and redevelopment. 
The lecture hall my chemistry class met in was lifeless; the desks were small and cramped. The lab rooms were overcrowded and out of date. There was a dispirited tension among the room of nervous freshmen.
This would turn out to foreshadow the general mismanagement that would become clear in coming weeks.
My Chemistry 1 class met four days a week, including the lectures, weekly recitation session and lab. Full disclosure, my lab class met in the new Richard A. Rula Engineering and Science Complex, though, some of the other chemistry lab classes still used the Hand Lab. Along with class meetings, there were weekly Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions and tutoring meetings available to students. 
Despite the amount of time the department delegates to the course, I still showed up to take the American Chemical Society final exam feeling unprepared. Although I studied the online sample tests and class lecture notes for over a week, I did not perform well. I made a C, even after the curve. When I took the test, I felt like I was unprepared and studied for the wrong exam. I was disappointed and dissatisfied with my performance; the chemistry department had let me down. Now, I am wondering why I even bothered studying. 
We should also consider the grading scale. 
In Calculus 1, another time consuming and difficult core course, any grade below 60% is failing. In contrast, according to my Chemistry 1 syllabus, a failing grade was any grade below 52%. I took both classes in unison and performed better in calculus than chemistry. If Chemistry 1 is having to give an eight-point passing buffer to students, it seems like the time for adjusting curves is over. The time has come for the chemistry department to investigate structural issues and possible paths forward. 
According to the chemistry department’s current vision statement, “The Department of Chemistry will be a U.S. Top 75 doctoral program and an internationally recognized leader in chemical science & technology education, research, and service for the economic prosperity of Mississippi and the World.” This vision statement is contained to a top-ranking doctoral program. It is perhaps easy to see why.
MSU’s chemistry program is tied with 14 other universities’ programs with a ranking of 150th and a peer review score of 2.2 out of 5, according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Chemistry Programs,
Fixing such a major core class as Chemistry 1 should be a top priority. It stands as a prerequisite for many of Mississippi State’s most ubiquitous majors. Especially for something so foundational, a stable, standard Chemistry 1 course and a comfortable lab space seem like small asks.

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