Department of Physics

University of WI-Whitewater

 

Meeting Minutes for December 15th meeting

 

            Meeting called to order at 3:07 p.m.

 

I.          Attending:        A. Boukahil (teleconference), J. Constantinescu, G. Chulick, P. Rybski, S.

                                    Sahyun

            Absent:            S. DasGupta (professional obligation)

           

II.        Approval of Meeting Minutes of November 19th and December 3rd meetings-postponed until January  14th, 2005.

 

III.       Announcements

 

            A.        Chairıs Announcements

 

                        1.         Final examinations and contractual obligations

 

                        2.         December sick leave forms -- See Lynn Miller if you wonıt be here on

                                    January 3rd, 2005

 

                        3.         Observatory fire safety report -- Passed without a problem

 

                        4.         Sahyun class/lab proposal -- Proposal will be submitted in coordination

                                    with Upham Hall Renovation Project

 

            5.         Professional software (Adobe, Tech-X OOPICpro) -- Academic versions of

                        this software are available at substantially reduced price for both faculty and

                                    students.  See Rybski for further information.

 

                        6.         Book orders -- Due to Benjamin by end of January.

 

                        7.         Living and Learning Communities -- Faculty are invited to attend two

                                    sessions, held one week before classes, in which Learning Communities

                                    will be discussed.  Rybski will attend with the intent of facilitating the start

                                    of a Natural Science or Chemistry-Mathematics-Physics Learning

                                    Community.

 

                        8.         Spring 2005 registration numbers -- All introductory courses are filled, except for a few seats available in the third Physics 163 lab.  Upper-level courses have registrations higher than we have seen for several years.

 

                        9.         Agenda items for Spring 2005 and beyond -- Due to Lynn by 4:30 on Thursday prior to the Friday meeting.  Items on which we must vote must be included on the agenda.  In the absence of the item appearing on the agenda, it will be discussed for information only without a vote being taken.

 

                        10.       Summer course offerings and student requests

 

                        11.       University exit interview results for Fall 2002-Spring 2004 -- Rybski distributed a handout of the results for later discussion.

 

            B.        Committee Reports

 

                        1.         Curriculum -- No report because no meeting this week

 

                        2.         Graduate Council -- Met last Thursday, though no Physics-related items

                                    were discussed.

 

                        3.         Library -- Requests were received from Sahyun;  others are encouraged to send requests to Benjamin as soon as possible.

 

                        4.         Promotions -- Committee from College of L&S has met this past two weeks;  Rybski completed his assigned work and voted through proxy.

 

                        5.         SPS-No report because no meeting this week.

                       

IV.       Old Business

 

            A.        The Self-Study Process-you will get this by Tuesday, January 18th. In Spring 2006, the Higher Education Review committee will be coming to the Whitewater, and regular faculty will be involved in presenting departmental results from this Self-Study.

 

            B.        FACT sheet revisions have been made and submitted as requested.

           

V.        New Business

 

            A.        Change of Major Survey -- A new survey, authored by Sahyun, was distributed to everyone;  give your ideas for revisions to him.  The purpose of this survey is to assist in departmental self-assessment. Sahyun will present a final draft with revisions at our next meeting for approval. 

 

            B.        Course Revisions -- Meeting planned for January 6th, 2005, 9:00 a.m.

 

            C.        Discussion about labs and structure of classes is needed now to help plan for next phase of renovation . Constantinescu has been designated as storage space coordinator and will work with Chair to see that specific storage needs are addressed prior to May 15th, 2005.  It will be the coordinatorıs responsibility to work with specific faculty to make certain individual faculty have the storage bins they require to pack and move to new space -- or pack and arrange to move to off-site long-term storage -- the contents of the following rooms.  Specific faculty room assignments are as follows:  UH 131 -- Constantinescu = cabinets;  Benjamin = South shelf tier;  Sahyun = North shelf tier;  UH 132 (Optics), Sahyun;  UH 133 (Modern Physics), Benjamin;  UH 138, Benjamin and Sahyun;  UH 140, Rybski;  UH 141, Sahyun;  UH 14, Rybski;  UH 20, Constantinescu;  UH 21, Sahyun.

 

            D.        Current assignment of Physics teaching and laboratory space during Phase 2B of the Upham Hall Renovation is as follows.

 

                        1.         All of the large lecture classes (Physics 130, 160, 170 and 212 and Astronomy 112 and 114) and Astronomy 112 laboratories will be run in UH 141E (now renumbered UH 141).

 

                        2.         All of Sahyunıs Physics 212 material will be stored in UH 141E along the south and west walls.  All of UH 131 (Demonstration Setup and Storage Area) will be moved to the Physics Secretaryıs and Chairıs offices, as will astronomy laboratory supplies currently in UH 20. 

 

                        3.         All material related to laboratories to be taught in Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 will be housed in cabinets in the area immediately above the current location of the vending machines in the Upham extension.  The new Upham 238 will be where all Physics laboratories will be run and where some, if not all, of the upper-level classes will be held.

 

                        All of the storage space assignments are subject to revision through the conclusion of Phase 2A of the renovation.

 

Benjamin/Chulick  moved that the meeting be adjourned.  Passed on a voice vote at 4:16 p.m.

 

Respectfully  submitted,

 

 

Lynn Miller