Minutes

for the Physics Department meeting held Friday August 31, 2001 in UH134.

Present: Constantinescu, Menningen, Rybski, Sahyun, Tscharnack, Watchorn

Absent: none

I. Call to order at 1:03 pm

II. Tscharnack/Constantinescu moved for approval of 8/27/01 minutes. Motion passed.

III. Announcements

A. Chair workshop report from 8/27/01

i. The merit review cycle begins again this fall for the period July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2001.

ii. Much work is continuing in order to improve the WINS system for faculty and students.

iii. Final work on the university promotion standards is being done. Departmental standards will need to be revised shortly after the university standards are approved by the faculty senate and the chancellor, which may occur by mid-semester.

iv. The high failure rate of new faculty searches appears to be system wide. Please forward to the Dean any suggestions on how we might improve our success rate. Departments should strongly consider getting started now on the fall 2002 searches.

v. There was discussion about the pay plan, the Enrollment Management 21 program, and the incoming freshman class, but no directives were given concerning these matters.

B. There is a call for course proposals for Winterim. If you are interested in teaching a Winterim course we have until September 14 to propose it. Please consult Dr. Menningen.

C. There is a call for a representative to the Campus Landscape Planning Committee. Contact Dr. Menningen by September 5 if you are interested.

D. Encourage students to attend the Career Services Open House, Wednesday, September 12, 2001, 11:00am – 4:00pm, Anderson library room 2002.

E. You are invited to attend the 2001 Industrial Physics Forum in Rochester, New York, October 22-23, 2001. Deadline for registration is October 5, and of course you must secure travel funding before then if you wish to attend.

F. We can request a Harlow Shapley Visiting Lecturer in astronomy if we so desire. Requests will be considered beginning in early September.

G. The Society of Physics Students is calling for abstracts in undergraduate research to be presented at the AAPT winter meeting, January 19-23, 2002, in Philadelphia, PA. The due date is September 10, 2001.

H. The National Physical Science Consortium announces graduate fellowships in the physical sciences and related engineering fields. Applications are required by November 5, 2001.

I. New faculty should familiarize themselves with the professional development resources available at the LEARN center.

J. Faculty are invited to attend a workshop entitled, “Developing Electronic Portfolios to Demonstrate Student Achievement,” Thursday, September 27, 2001, 8:30am-4:00pm, Winther Hall 1006. Contact the LEARN center x5242 learn@mail.uww.edu .

IV. Old Business

A. Organize high school physics class visits? Proposed getting revised fact sheet printed on glossy paper and mailing to state physics teachers. Request funds from the College of L&S. This sheet will serve the department in the interim until Admissions prints a new sheet.

B. Tscharnack/Sahyun moved to approve the department chair job description and evaluation sheets. Motion passed unanimously.

V. New Business

A. Curricular matters

i. Each faculty should review the proposed spring 2002 timetable. Changes must be made before the September 12 deadline.

ii. Tscharnack/Rybski moved we retain the ASTRON 350 Astrophotography for the Amateur course. Motion passed.

iii. Rybski volunteered to investigate lab durations at other universities. For the time being all upper-level labs will be assigned to two hours as written in the catalog.

iv. Rybski will begin curricular action to change COMPSCI 171 to COMPSCI 173 in the Industry track. It will hopefully be prepared in time for the 9/10/01 meeting.

v. Menningen will begin curricular action to mandate the use of Major Field tests in Senior Seminar. The course may have to be expanded to 2 credits. Tscharnack pointed out that the course needs revision in order to satisfy the objectives for which it was created. The exclusion of education majors is a problem. There was discussion about prize incentives for scoring well on the MFT.

vi. Sahyun suggested a portfolio be made for each physics major. Each advisor would require students to update their portfolios with a minimum of one item each semester that represents their best work. The portfolio should also include a personal goals sheet. The portfolios would be archived and used for departmental assessment. Rybski suggested the portfolios would be commenced after passing PHYSCS 175. Menningen will prepare a formal proposal and the matter will be voted upon as a departmental advising policy at a subsequent faculty meeting.

vii. There was some discussion about the evolving NCATE assessment standards.

viii. Tscharnack will begin curricular action to change MATH 141 Intermediate Algebra from a corequisite to a prerequisite for PHYSCS 130 Physics Foundations. Some education majors are not required to take MATH 141.

VI. Constantinescu/Rybski moved to adjourn 2:10pm.

Respectfully Submitted, cc: Chancellor Miller

Provost Prior

Dean Lee

Dean Ross

Kenneth L Menningen Susan Matula, L&S Development

Secretary of the Day University archivist

Attachments: Department chair job description and evaluation sheets.