Agenda

for the Physics Department meeting
to be held Monday, September 8, 2003 in GO313.

I. Call to order at 2:15 pm

II. Approve minutes of 8/27/03 meeting.

III. Announcements

A. The department now has a paper shredder. It is kept in Ken Menningen’s office but is available for faculty to borrow or use.

B. The first wave of computers were ordered for the 2003-04 Faculty PC program. Orders are being bundled together to save costs, with the next order being placed in October. If your PC is 3 years old or older it is eligible for replacement. Send requests to Mary Pinkerton.

C. The application deadline for 2003-04 Graduate Research Grants is Wednesday, October 15, 2003. (This is a change from the previous February 15th deadline.) The grants, which are available for up to $500, are awarded to single or multiple-student research projects that involve supervision by a member of the graduate faculty. Funds may be used for travel, supplies, photocopying, long-distance calls, or wages for student help. Please contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Roseman 2023, for further information.

D. Faculty and staff are invited to attend a ceremony for the L&S College Award Recipients to be held on Tuesday, September 9^th at 3:00p.m. in the Salisbury Conference Room #102.

E. Faculty are invited to participate in the L&S Sophomore Connections program. The program is scheduled for Wed., Sept. 17, 4:00-5:15 in the Hamilton Center. About 200 sophomores have been invited. The main goals of the program are to develop and encourage a link between students and their faculty advisors to provide them information about typical trouble spots.

F. Initial inquiries have been made to upgrade Bill Fitzgerald’s position to a building-wide chemical safety officer. Vay Rodman is spearheading the effort.

G. National Instruments is holding a live web event, Thursday, September 11, 2003, to promote its Educational Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Suite, designed for science and engineering labs. It will be webcast at 8:00am and again at 3:00pm, lasting 45 minutes each time, and you must first register to participate.

IV. Old Business

A. Curricular matters

i. Discuss how ASTRONMY 114 Descriptive Astronomy and PHYSCS 150 From Einstein to Star Trek are two courses that might be offered online.

ii. Discuss the new materials science course proposal for a 4 credit materials science class built around the text, Materials in Today’s World by Peter Thrower.

iii. Discuss the new “Introduction to Engineering” course built around the text, Engineering Fundamentals by Saeed Moaveni.

iv. Propose a four credit expansion of the PHYSCS 210 Descriptive Physics course to four credits that implements the San Diego State University curriculum by Fred Goldberg.

B. Discuss proofs for the physics portion of the 2004-2006 UWW Catalog. Changes are due October 8 to Pat Waege in the Registrar’s office.

C. Update the progress on the telescope renovation project.

D. Verify that room use charts have been created and installed by each of the physics lecture rooms.

V. New Business

A. Discuss plans for the fall/spring seminar series.

B. Make preliminary plans for the Advisory Council meeting.

C. Decide whether to endorse the 1999 AAPT statement on improving science education at the K-12 levels.

D. Examine the departmental promotion standards and merit procedures and decide whether alterations are required in light of new university and college standards.

E. Discuss the implications of the removal of the administrative drop procedure. In particular, will it produce a large number of F’s due to non-attendance?

F. Explore the creation of a scholarship for women physics majors.

G. Begin curricular process to delete PHYSCS 173 and 175 courses.

H. Consider the creation of an astronomy minor.

I. Plan a meeting(s) for informal discussions about the emphasis of the physics program.

J. Discuss the physics component of the Integrated Science and Business program.

K. Take photographs for the web site.

VI. Adjourn