January 2011
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The ICUC (International Center for First-Year Undergraduate Chemistry Education) is an international organization that focuses attention on entry-level chemistry education and provides information and expertise for educators and other supporters throughout the world (ICUC, 2012). The ICUC was established in 2003, and grew to over 200 members by 2010 (Kelter and Castro-Acuna, 2012). It has provided opportunities for exchange of best practices in the teaching of first-year chemistry through a listserv, a newsletter entitled the ICUC Quarterly, a yearly journal published in Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Argentina named Anuario Latinoamericano de Educacion Quimica (ALDEQ) and sponsorship of the ICUC FYI-Chem conferences in 2005 and 2007. Due to a decrease in funding and the evolving needs of the membership, the ICUC Board of Directors has been discussing the best means for retooling the ICUC so that it can remain a vital organization for international chemistry educators and attract new members. Some of the issues faced by the organization, the personal contributions of current and former Board members, and the Board’s vision for the future of the organization are presented here.