UW-Stout Physics Department meeting minutes

2007-08-27 Jarvis Hall SW 103-J

Members present: Mark Larchez (chair), Paul Henkiel, Jo Hopp, Laura McCullough, Jim Pejsa, John Rompala, Alan Scott, Ellen Carlson

1. Meeting was called to order at 2:10 p.m. by Mark Larchez.

2. Minutes for meeting of 2007-04-27 were approved (McCullough/Scott).

3. Faculty Senate:

Alan Scott’s term as Faculty Senator has ended. Thanks to Alan for his service. John Rompala begins a 3-year term as the Department’s Faculty Senator this fall.

Give John comments about realignment and other issues relating to Faculty Senate.

 4.  Announcements

a. Regular department meetings will be at 9:05 am Fridays as needed.  Tentative plan is for alternate Fridays beginning Aug 31 or Sep 7. Reserve the other Fridays in case of special needs, which may come up more often than in the past. Some of the meetings will be of the personnel committee. We may also use 9:05 on Wednesdays for meetings.

 b) Reminder: There are deadlines for promotion and sabbatical applications. We will need to elect a rep for the CAS promotion committee. Departmental committee will consist of faculty not applying for promotion.

c) Ellen will recruit students for office/lab help.

d) Please try to identify students who might be good tutors and give their names and courses taken to Ellen by Tuesday September 4th.  She will contact them. We need approximately two new tutors.

e) The revised Lab Manuals for College Physics are available in SW 122.

f) Reminder: meeting about the Science Wing remodeling project on August 30 at Price Commons 144.

g) THINGS TO DO: Register your computer according to the NETREG procedure. The department needs to contact Joe Conway about registration for student worker computers.

h) THINGS TO DO: Give Ellen a copy of your “first day” info for students.

i) THINGS TO DO: Give Ellen three copies of your fall schedule by Friday August 31^st.

j) Lab set-up: Student Casey Konopacky will return.  He generally will be doing set-up overnight.

k) There is a sign-up sheet in the workroom for classroom use and the cart projector use.

5. Budget

a) Travel: Laura’s summer expenses were covered by a University professional development grant. Approximately $1600 for this year (same as last year).

b) Equipment: Approximately same as last year except that Access to Learning has been cut.

c) Student help: Some last-minute changes may come with the STAR program, severely curtailing our student help.

d) Computer cost-share this year: These funds are in the budget.  Expected for Rompala, Scott, and Larchez.

e) Motion passed to allot $500 to each faculty/staff member for professional development. ($4000 total) (Scott/Henkiel)

f) $5000 for office supplies is set aside. $1000 for laboratory needs is set aside. (Reference 12-15-06 minutes)

g) Possible needs: color printer, document scanner.

 6. Registration: Most classes are full. Demand for many classes has exceeded capacity.

 7. Equipment, Lab Scheduling and Setup: Lab classes will all meet as scheduled, but we need to decide when to begin synchronizing the schedules of various courses/section.

8. Personnel committee convenes at 2:52 p.m.

Discussion of the possible needs and issues surrounding retirements and hiring.

Motion to move forward with two separate searches and one search committee, one position having a geology focus and one without, with one or two search committee chairs, and with applications sent to the search committee chair(s), not to the department chair. (McCullough/Hopp) Passed with one abstention.

Motion to have two separate chairs for the two separate searches, with Alan Scott as the chair of the geology search and Laura McCullough as the chair of the non-geology search. (Hopp/Scott) Passed with one abstention.

9. Additional items of concern to the department were discussed.

The following items were tabled.

10. Replacement of chair (group acting as the department)

In case of the resignation of the chair, or other vacancy of the office, the bylaws call for a special election to select an individual to complete the unexpired portion of the term.  A suggestion is that the election be held ASAP to identify the replacement person and facilitate the transition.

11. The department should prepare to present remodeling requirements to the architects on Thursday.  Time for preparation has been designated for Tuesday at 11:00 am.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:10 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Laura McCullough, recording secretary