Minutes

of the Physics Department meeting held Monday January 26, 2004 in GO313.

Present: Benjamin, Constantinescu, Dasgupta, Menningen, Sahyun

Absent: Rybski

I. Call to order at 2:21 pm.

II. Sahyun/Constantinescu moved to approve the minutes of 1/14/04 meeting. Motion passed.

III. Announcements

A. The Society of Physics Students has teamed up with the AAPT and NSF to create The Nucleus, a resource site for undergraduate physics and astronomy students. Included at that site is a broad range of summer opportunities.

B. Faculty are “strongly encouraged” to contact University Police (472-4660, police@uww.edu) and the building supervisor (Upham Hall: Bruce Eshelman 472-5136, eshelmab@uww.edu; Goodhue Hall: Mitch Nettesheim, 472-1578, netteshm@uww.edu) whenever they are working in a building between the hours of 10:00pm and 6:00am.

C. On Friday, January 30, 2004, at 9:55am in 1005 Greenhill Center for the Arts, Stuart Anderson, a physics teacher from Augsburg College, will give a talk on saxophones and physics.

D. Larry Schuetz stated that the PHYSCS 210 course revision was significant enough to require a new course proposal. The new course will be PHYSCS 212 Physics for Elementary Teachers. Steve Sahyun will complete the necessary paperwork.

IV. Old Business

A. The following curricular matters are postponed:

i. Discuss the revision of the PHYSCS 303 Microprocessor Laboratory course.

ii. Discuss the proposals to delete the PHYSCS 173 and 175 courses.

iii. Discuss any information regarding how to offer online versions of ASTRONMY 114 Descriptive Astronomy and PHYSCS 150 From Einstein to Star Trek according to campus standards.

iv. Discuss the new materials science course proposal.

v. Discuss the new “Introduction to Engineering” course proposal.

vi. Discuss the streamlining of course requirements in the four major emphases.

vii. Create a “Physics Colloquium” course that is required of all physics majors, modeled after the chemistry and biology seminar courses.

B. There is no update on the status of the telescope renovation project.

C. The department newsletter is coming together. About 15 or 20 alumni have responded.

D. Howard Ross reports that work is underway to create a uniform web site for the university, where page templates will be prepared with places that we can insert content. There was no indication of when this plan will be implemented. Sahyun/ Constantinescu moved to table changes to the web site until details of the plan are released. Motion passed.

E. There is no update on the status of our recruitment poster.

F. Update on our participation in the Spring Major Fair, March 9, 2004, from 11:00am to 2:00pm, UC Hamilton Center: Steve will man the table from 11:00 – 12:30, Juliana from 12:15-1:00, Ken from 1:00-2:00pm.

V. New Business

A. The preliminary fall 2004 timetable was reviewed. J. Constantinescu requested the 280 course be moved to 3:45-5:00pm. No other changes were suggested.

B. When using the VISA purchasing card, please fill out an Expense Request form and have Ken Menningen sign it.

C. The AIP Enrollments and Degrees report was reviewed. UW-Whitewater graduated a comparable number of physics BS students as our sister instiutions. We will continue to work hard at recruiting talented students.

D. The Federal Indirect account contains indirect overhead funds from research grants. Benjamin/Constantinescu moved to divide these monies equally among the tenured or tenure-track faculty to use as seed money for research or research-related travel. Motion passed. Academic staff research can be funded from other accounts if necessary, see Ken Menningen. All expenditures from the Federal Indirect account must be justified with a short written statement.

E. The article by Robert Greenler on making public physics presentations attractive to families was reviewed.

The following items were postponed for a later meeting:

F. Discussion of the 2003-2005 merit spreadsheet was postponed.

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

H. Elaborate on the plans for wireless networking in Upham Hall. Build a consensus on the contents of the new basement computer lab to replace UH19.

I. Discuss the list of graduates document.

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

K. Develop an appeal to keep our cross-listed courses.

L. Arrange for an informal meeting between physics students and one or more alumni.

VI. Benjamin/Dasgupta moved to adjourn 3:14 pm.

Respectfully Submitted, cc: Chancellor Miller

Provost Telfer

Interim Dean Stone

Dean Ross

Kenneth L Menningen University archivist

Department chair