Department of Physics

University of WI-Whitewater

Faculty Meeting Minutes for April 29^th meeting

Meeting called to order at 2:36 pm.

I. Attending: R. Benjamin, J. Constantinescu; G. Chulick; S. DasGupta

(teleconference); P. Rybski; S. Sahyun; Jeffrey Polak (SPS

representative)

II. Benjamin/Sahyun moved approval of Meeting Minutes of April 22^nd meeting as amended.

Passed on voice vote.

III. Announcements

A. Chairπs Announcements

1. Physics majors Greg Erdahl, Brian Morrison and Jeffrey Polak received

Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Grants for academic expenses for the

2005-2006 academic year. Congratulations!

2. Congratulations to Heidi Gneiser for receiving a Wisconsin Space Grant

Consortium research grant.

2. Bob Benjamin is delivering a Physics Colloquium today at 4 pm in UH 136

on ≥A GLIMPSE of the Milky Way Galaxy.≤

3. Physics majors Mavis Fohtung and Steven McKeon participated in the

NCUR research conference in Lexington, VA, during the previous week.

Congratulations to these students for their hard work and thanks to the

faculty that helped them get there.

4. Congratulation to the following students for receiving academic awards

during this yearπs College of Letters and Sciences Math/Science Awards

Ceremony, held in the Fern Young Terrace of the Young Auditorium at 3:30

pm Thursday, April 21^st. The awards were in two categories: the first, the

A.A. Upham Scholarship for Science, was determined by joint decisions of

the faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Physics; the second, the remaining

four awards, were determined by the Faculty of the Department of Physics.

The awardees were as follows:

a. A.A. Upham Scholarship for Science ≠ Jeffrey M. Polak

b. Rudolph W. Prucha Memorial Scholarship for Physics Education

i. Travis C. Fischer

ii. John G. Wilson

c. Physics Scholarship ≠ Jeffrey M. Polak

d. First Year Physics Achievement Award

i. Algebra-based Physics award

-- Eric M. Hansen

-- Katie E. Olson

ii. Calculus-based Physics award

-- James A. Bartz

-- Ryan C. Haislmaier

5. Submission for Department Annual Report ≠ A schedule of questions to be

answered in the Departmental Final Report were sent to faculty and staff by

Email. Please respond explicitly to those questions in preparing your

submissions.

6. Instructional commitments during Final Examinations ≠ All classes must

meet at their scheduled final examination times; appropriate alternate

activities must be scheduled during those times if final exams are not to be

given.

7. George Savage and members of the Writing within the Curriculum

Committee are scheduled to meet with us this coming Friday at 2:30 pm.

B. Committee Reports

1. Curriculum ≠ No meeting

2. Graduate Council ≠ No meeting

3. Library ≠ No update

4. SPS ≠ The social on Wednesday, April 27^th, was attended by several non-

SPSers (hungry chemistry majors) for a total of 12 attendees. Fun was had

by all. Departmental minutes will be sent to SPS. Adam Kuhn and Jeff

Polak will attend the WSGC Sounding Rocket Competition Design Review

tonight at Milwaukee School of Engineering and Launch tomorrow at UW-

Oshkosh with Benjamin.

5. Upham renovation ≠ Plans for moving discussed later.

6. Webpage ≠ No additional news

C. Announcements from the Floor

1. Jon E. Fishwild defended his Masters thesis, entitled ≥Modeling Instruction

and the Nature of Science≤, on April 28^th. Sahyun was a member of the

thesis committee.

2. On Sunday, faculty members Steve Anderson, Pete Messner and Sahyun

competed in the J-Hawk triathlon. Once again, the faculty once again

triumphed over the biology students.

IV. Old Business

A. Departmental annual report and Faculty Senate recommendations -- Information has

been provided in your box concerning the national FSSE survey completed by

Whitewater students. Particular concern was expressed by the Faculty Senate over

the absence of higher level thinking skills being tasked in syllabi, over the apparent

lack of high expectations expressed in syllabi and over the apparent lack of higher

level thinking skills being required during classes and in assigned homework.

Please address these concerns in your submission by May 6^th of data to be included

in our Annual Report.

B. Planning for packing and moving equipment this summer

C. Curriculum for Spring 2006

D. Funding for students -- Greg Erdahl and Adam Kuhn will be hired for work with

faculty and staff on renovation moving, and Joe Grams will continue his work on

the departmental webpage; all this summer.

V. New Business

A. Laboratory procedures ≠ A day-long meeting will be scheduled during the week

before classes for all of us to learn what laboratories are possible and what safety

considerations are necessary.

Chulick/Sahyun move to adjourn at 3:37 pm. Passed on a voice vote.

Respectfully submitted,

Paul M. Rybski, Secretary of the Day

Xc: Chancellor Jack Miller

Provost Richard Telfer

Dean Howard Ross

Dean Lee Jones

Archivist Karen Weston