Minutes of the Physics Department

Meeting held Thursday July 29, 2004 in GO 313

 

Present: Benjamin, Constantinescu, Dasgupta, Rybski, Sahyun

 

1.     Meeting called to order at 1:27 pm

 

2.     No Review and approval of minutes of previous meeting.

 

3.     Announcements

 

A.    Chair's Announcements:

 

                         I.        Activity reports for L&S webpage.

 

B.    Announcements from the Floor.

 

                         I.        Committee or Observatory Director Reports

 

a.     Telescope Drive System renovation funds of $4750 have been returned to Mary Pinkerton owing to the contractor's inability to complete the scheduled changes. A new contractor is being sought.

 

b.     University Small Projects Funds in the amount of $5000 have been granted to the Observatory for Dome renovations.

 

                           II.        Faculty and Staff Announcements.

 

a.     The GLIMPSE image of RCW49, on which Dr. Benjamin is co-investigator,  has been used as the cover on the UW-Madison College of Letters and Science Annual Report

 

b.     Dr. Benjamin has been selected to serve on the American Astronomical Society's Committee for the Status of Minorities in Astronomy. This is a 3-year term

 

c.     Juliana Constantinescu has invited Dr. Ayanna Howard, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to visit our campus in mid-October.

 

d.     Juliana Constantinescu participated in a workshop for Learner Centered Astronomy in Bozeman, Montana. She was funded by a UWW Academic staff development grant.

 

e.     Dr. Sahyun participated in a workshop for Physics for Elementary Teachers at San Diego State University. This workshop has direct bearing on the new PHYSCS 212 course to be taught this Fall.

 

4.     Old Business

 

A.    No Old Business for this meeting.

 

 

5.     New Business

 

A.    Review of registration and necessary response.

 

B.    Instructional change: PHYSCS 150 will be cancelled. Dasgupta will teach PHYSCS 130. Sahyun will teach PHYSCS 410.

 

C.    Discussion of "Growing the Program"

                         I.        Short Term

 

a.     Curricular Changes

 

i.               Alter the course rotation schedule to reflect the 170 sequence.

 

ii.              Electronics course sequence altered to be 1 semester of analog, and 1 semester of digital. Altered in alternate years. This will replace the current offering of PHYSCS 330/331: Analog & Digital and the PHYSCS 303: Microprocessor Lab courses.

 

iii.            Mechanics. Convert the PHYSCS 280: Statics, PHYSCS 282: Dynamics, and PHYSCS 310: Mechanics to two courses Physics Statics and Physics Dynamics, incorporating some computational analysis and chaotic systems.

 

iv.             Physics Colloquium Course, using Biology Department's course.

 

b.     Recruitment

 

i.               Create Freshman Physics Major Counselors. Write personal letters welcoming prospective student majors. Invite new students to dinner before classes, then have a Physics fall social with all majors. Students see our facilities, faculty, and other majors.

 

ii.              Summer UWW students present their research projects.

 

                           II.        Long Term

 

a.     Curricular Changes

 

i.               Mathematical Methods for Physics or Computational Physics

ii.              Solid State Physics

iii.            Physics of Materials

iv.             Quantum Mechanics (Revision of 410 and 412 courses)

v.              Consideration of Paradigms year at Oregon State

vi.             Introduction to Engineering

 

b.     Recruitment

 

i.               Recruitment from our service area high schools. UWW Physics Students need to participate in this process. Convince the counselors first, then have students go. Train students first semester, then second semester, students go out for the program. Have teacher training workshops during the summer.

 

ii.              Workshops for students. Students need to have registered to come to UWW. Weekend workshop. Scholarship for attendance.

           

iii.            One-day conference for regional high-school teachers. Tie in with 100th anniversary of Einstein's theories. Work with the outreach extension division. Fall 2005.

 

        c. New Program initiatives

 

            i.          Work with State Representative Debbi Townes to bring state money

                        to our department to enhance Engineering Course offerings for

Janesville residents seeking additional training or advanced degrees.

 

                        ii.         With Department of Homeland Security assistance and funding and

with cooperation from other departments in Letters and Sciences,

create an interdisciplinary program in Criminal Forensics, which brings majors into each science discipline.

 

D.   Juliana Constantinescu is starting a program called "Tools for Girls" that involves UWW students from the university training high-school female students to use tools.

 

E.    Create an appealing Physics Department Web Site including a page on Departmental and Faculty Accomplishments.

 

F.    General announcements will be e-mailed prior to the weekly departmental meetings

 

6.     Meeting adjourned at 4:30 pm.

 

Dr. Sahyun was Secretary of the Day

 

Distribution List:         Chancellor Jack Miller

                                    Provost Richard Telfer

                                    Dean Lee Jones, Graduate School, Extension Division/Summer Session

                                    Dean Howard Ross, College of Letters and Sciences

                                    University Archivist Karen Weston