Green chemistry and sustainability concepts have been woven into the University of Toronto undergraduate curriculum for almost two decades. This has been achieved through (i) development of expository, discovery-based, and student-directed laboratory experiments; (ii) evolution of several upper-year courses; and (iii) strategic integration of these components into two academic programs. In conjunction with the establishment of a graduate student-run organization known as the Green Chemistry Initiative who assists with curricular redesign, a committed departmental attitude has developed toward sustainability education. The notion of systems thinking (where links are forged between varying systemic components which affect each other in different ways, and separate components are considered as a whole) influences both specific green instructional practices and the broader Department of Chemistry approach to sustainable education and research. This article outlines the departmental mindset in relation to green chemistry, and how systems thinking has inherently informed the progress made. The connection between systems thinking and green chemistry is solidified through discussion of the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) learning objectives. The GCC is a voluntary initiative designed by a nonprofit organization (Beyond Benign) to assist in the preparation of chemists whose skills are aligned with the needs of the planet and its inhabitants in the 21st century.

This communication describes a variety of virtual student assessment strategies employed at the University of Toronto during the academic disruption caused by the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. Instructors focused their efforts toward maintaining a positive learning environment and offering meaningful evaluation methods for students in each of three introductory organic chemistry courses. Assessment schemes were initially modified in response to moving courses to a virtual platform, and a variety of support measures were used while students completed the course material and prepared for online “final assignments”, which in two courses included a virtual rehearsal test. The readiness for and delivery of online final assignments is outlined (including methods to effectively maintain academic integrity), and the important roles of graduate student teaching assistants in successfully completing each course are highlighted. Specific outcomes and reflections are discussed, including approaches which, with hindsight, were considered unnecessary, and others that proved to be valuable virtual teaching and assessment tools.

A thought-provoking activity called the "Chemistry Connections Challenge" (CCC) has been introduced to an introductory organic chemistry course as a method of highlighting the real-world applications of course content. Identifying how course material can be utilized in the world around them may be difficult for students in introductory organic chemistry courses, particularly those geared toward life science disciplines. This activity was created as a means to improve student attitudes toward organic chemistry by encouraging them to explore how course content is applied to nature, research, and everyday life. In preparation for the activity, students are exposed to several instructor-generated "Chemistry Connections" slides shown in class during the first 4 weeks of the semester. Then, students are invited to create their own slide as part of the "Chemistry Connections Challenge" activity. As students complete the activity they engage with the course material in a meaningful way which can stimulate new ways of thinking about organic chemistry, identify the value of course content, and improve the overall learning process. This simple activity can be a valuable part of any chemistry course, as it can easily be applied in a variety of class sizes, and is suitable for students with diverse educational backgrounds and goals.

The Chemistry Teaching Fellowship Program (CTFP) is offered to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at the University of Toronto as an opportunity to undertake curriculum development and chemistry education research. Projects are run with faculty supervision and focus on designing new laboratory activities, lectures, tutorials, workshops, and assignments. Since its launch in 2002, many CTFP projects have been implemented in the departmental undergraduate curriculum, and several have been published in this Journal. The structure and history of the CTFP and its impact on undergraduate education and graduate student professional development is discussed in this paper, with a selection of projects highlighted as case studies. The CTFP provides a successful model of curriculum renewal that can easily be incorporated into other chemistry departments.

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