Janzlary, 1975 CORRESPONDENCE 33 Correspondence Correspondence is accepted on all matters of interest to analytical chemists. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Proceedings of the Analytical Division, The Chemical Society, Burlington House, London, W1 V OBN. Analytical Chemistry in the Polytechnics Sir, In a recent Editoria1,l Dr. J. M. Ottaway described the present level of activity in the undergraduate teaching of analytical chemistry within the Universities. He drew attention to an excessive orientation towards the training of pure chemists specialising in organic, inorganic, physical or theoretical chemistry and the need for a better balance between analytical chemi- stry and these subjects.Chemistry degree courses in the Polytechnics present a different picture. The Polytechnics inherited a commitment to a tradition of vocational orientation, resulting in the emer- gence of a large number of applied degrees within higher education.In addition to the sandwich structure of many of these courses, i t may well be that analytical chemistry is also one of the vehicles of vocational relevance. Of the thirty designated Polytechnics, nineteen now offer undergraduate degree courses in chemistry or applied chemistry and, of these, seventeen offer courses that contain an option, specialisation or module in analytical chemistry.The report of a survey by the Education and Training Committee of the SAC2 did not, unfortunately, give specific figures for the numbers of academic Polytechnic staff whose major teaching function was concerned with analytical chemistry.In this department, there are three full-time analytxal chemists out of a total of twenty chemistry staff. In addition, the general interest in analytical chemistry may be reflected by the fact that about five other staff also teach some aspects of the subject to varying extents at both BSc and MSc levels. While in this case the pro- portion of analytical staff is 15 per cent.this is probably above the average for Polytechnics, and we would estimate the true figure to be in the region of 10 per cent. Why were so many of the Polytechnics’ chemistry degree courses designed with an analytical flavour? Was it partly the com- bined forces of Polytechnic vocational tra- ditions, an obvious lack of undergraduate analytical chemistry in the Universities, and the desire to offer new, different and relevant courses? Whatever the answer, we have, along with many other Polytechnics, experienced a small but significant increase in student interest in our applied chemistry degree courses over the last few years.The resulting graduates have apparently not found employment so difficult to come by as have the “pure” chemistry graduates of the Universities, but of course the latter are in the majority (chemistry degree enrolments 1972-73 in Universities totalled 2300 and in Polytechnics 400). It would seem that there is a reasonable and growing provision for undergraduate analytical chemistry.However, as pointed out in the SAC report,l the separation of the high level of analytical research activity in the Universities from the high level of analy- tical teaching activity in the Polytechnics is regrettable and causes speculation about how this situation may change over the next few years.We think it fairly safe to assume that the higher education sector will comprise two distinct types of institution (Polytechnics and Universities) for many years to come, and therefore that any change that may occur should come from a growth of research activity in the Polytechnics.Unfortunately, it may well take several years for such growth to become significant. This is due to a number of factors, any one of which can discourage research but in combination very often pre- vents or seriously curtails it. During the next few years the rate of change occurring within the Polytechnics is likely to remain a t the present high level and to continue to consume large amounts of staff time through committees, planning and teaching on new courses.This situation is aggravated by the relatively high teaching and administrative load carried by the Polytechnic lecturer and which shows no sign of decreasing. Nevertheless, many Poly- technics are actively seeking to increase their research activity. We believe that if this ex- pansion is to be successful, then it must be accompanied by close liaison and co-operation with industry.It is early days for much of industry to have learned to accept that the34 CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS Proc. Analyt. Div. Chem. SOC. Polytechnics are institutions in higher edu- cation alongside the Universities and to under- stand that they can and should play an im- portant role in helping to shape the indi- viduality and character of these developing institutions.We look fonvard optimistically to increasing activity in Polytechnic analytical research and on the industrial collaboration that must accompany it. References 1. Ottaway, J. M., “Analytical Chemistry in the Universities,” Proc. Sac. Analyt. Chem., 1974, 11, 73. “Education and Training in Analytical Chem- istry a t Educational Establishments,” a Report by the Education and Training Committee of the Society for Analytical Chemistry, Proc. SOC. Analyt. Chem., 1972, 9, 173. 2. Yours faithfully , N. A. Bell D. J. Mowthorpe Shefield Polytechnic Obituaries We regret to announce the deaths of Mr. C. J. House, Chairman of the North of England Section of the SAC in 1963-64, and Dr. D. P. Hubbard, recently appointed as a Regional Advisory Editor of The Analyst.