From:
James Caras <jamie**At_Symbol_Here**CATALYSTEDU.COM>
Subject:
Re: [DCHAS-L] Optimal Number of Students per TA/Instructor in General Chemistry Labs
Date:
Aug 28, 2025 05:00 UTC
Reply-To:
ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID:
<51521310-FB92-4C63-A8DB-C424F4FEEF67**At_Symbol_Here**catalystedu.com>
In-Reply-To:
<SN6PR01MB49275434BEAAF769F4E9D8BFEE3EA**At_Symbol_Here**SN6PR01MB4927.prod.exchangelabs.com>
Hi Patricia,
I am sorry to hear about your predicament. UT Dallas currently partners with my company, Catalyst Education, to provide a teaching and learning platform for your lab courses. We have helped a number of institutions who have dealt with issues such yours. I’d be happy to discuss with you some creative options that have worked for other institutions that would allow you to return to a safe TA/instructor:student ratio.
Feel free to call, text, or email. Or just schedule a meeting with the link in my signature.
Sincerely,
Jamie
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
James Caras, PhD
CEO
Catalyst Education
jamie**At_Symbol_Here**catalystedu.com
512.585.3281
www.linkedin.com/in/jamescaras/
Schedule a meeting with me
here
On Aug 25, 2025, at 12:00 PM, Leach, Patricia <Patricia.Leach**At_Symbol_Here**utdallas.edu> wrote:
Hello all,
We have had an explosion in the number of freshmen who are taking general chemistry this term, but funding has limited the number of TAs and instructors we have per lab room. The way the department has had to deal with this is to increase the number of students from 30 to 38 per section (limited by the Fire Marshall’s maximum occupancy of the rooms). They work in groups of 3 (not ideal at all). We have adjoining labs, so our shortage of instructors has been solved by having an instructor supervise two sections being held concurrently in a set of those labs. There is one TA per section.
In the past we have had 30 students (10 groups) supervised by a dedicated instructor (not working concurrent sections) and a TA, so about 15 students per person supervising. Now we can have as many as 38 students (13 groups) being supervised by one person at times, as the instructor moves between sections. I feel this is not safe.
What do people think is a safe ratio of supervising people to students (or student groups)?
Thanks,
Patricia Leach
Lab Manager
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
SLC 3.513
Office: 972-883-6583
Cell: 469-891-6426
