After Wesleyan University moved all classes online because of the global outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the organic chemistry laboratory course adjusted its curriculum to fit the circumstances. A symposium project with several components was introduced, allowing students to develop their scientific writing, presentation, and critical thinking skills through the assigned quiz, reading questions, discussion forum, article summary, and oral presentation. A paper published in ACS Omega about compounds in garlic essential oil as a potential treatment for SARS-CoV-2 was chosen for literature review; many techniques used in the paper, such as distillation and GC–MS analysis, were familiar to students, and the content was relevant to both the course and current events. Presentations were given through Zoom, and all of the assignments were handed in electronically. This symposium-style project can be easily formatted for in-classroom or online learning and, on the basis of student survey data, was greatly beneficial to helping students improve key skills necessary for upper-level science courses at Wesleyan and beyond.

Developing a broadly based positive culture of safety in undergraduate instructional laboratory settings remains a significant challenge for chemical educators. An enhanced safety component has been developed for an upper-level laboratory course based on earning a Chemical Hygiene and Safety badge. The badge requires student engagement in interpreting the standard forms of hazard documentation, performing safety inspections of laboratory spaces, and understanding the principles of hazardous waste disposal. Several associated curricular activities are also described. The impact of the improvements to the safety curriculum was assessed by surveying students who had just completed the course and retrospective evaluations from alumni who took the course. Students who completed the badge reported a greater competence with and confidence in laboratory safety principles.

The focus on quantitative literacy has been increasingly outside the realm of mathematics. The social sciences are well suited to including quantitative elements throughout the curriculum but doing so can mean challenges in preparation and presentation of material for instructors and increased anxiety for students. This paper describes tools and resources available through the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) that will aid students and instructors engaging in quantitative literacy across the curriculum. The Online Learning Center is a source of empirical activities aimed at undergraduates in lower-division substantive courses and Exploring Data through Research Literature presents an alternative to traditional research methods assignments. Searching and browsing tools, archive structures, and extended online-analysis tools make it easier for students in upper-division undergraduate and graduate courses to engage in exercises that increase quantitative literacy, and paper competitions reward them for doing so.

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