UW-Stout Physics Department Meeting Minutes

Monday, August 28, 2006

Jarvis Hall, SW 103J

Members Present: Mark Larchez (chair), Robert Foley, Jo Hopp, Laura McCullough, Jim Pejsa, John T. Rompala (secretary), Alan Scott, and Ellen Carlson

The meeting was called to order by Mark Larchez at 2:32 p.m..

1. Recording Secretary

J. Rompala will be recording secretary for this quarter.

2. Approval of Past Meeting Minutes

L. McCullough moved that the minutes for 05/10/06 be approved as submitted. This motion was seconded by A. Scott. M. Larchez asked that item 3a include a reference to ‘university enrollment’.

The minutes were approved with this modification in a voice vote.

3. Faculty Senate Report

A. Scott, department representative, had nothing to report on Faculty Senate activity.

4. Announcements

a) A. Scott’s new book, Addicted to Placebos, has been published and is in print. A copy will be circulated among members during the semester.

b) Each member was asked to submit a hard copy of the contact information they feel appropriate for department files along with a statement indicating the extent to which the department can disseminate that information. This locator information should be submitted to E. Carlson by the first day of classes.

c) Department travel funds of $200 are allocated to support J. Hopp’s attendance at a U of M neuroscience conference. E. Carlson informed members that about $600 is still available for travel.

d) Regular biweekly department meetings will be on Fridays at 9:05 a.m..

e) E. Carlson will be recruiting students for office/lab help. Office help will be available prior to the first day of classes to assist instructors in preparing first day materials.

f) Members were asked to supply E. Carlson with the names of potential tutors.

g) Revised lab manuals should be available by the first lab meetings. As a contingency, 75 copies of the first few labs will be prepared within the department. As a further contingency, e-copies of labs will be made available to instructors. M. Larchez informed members that configuring student computers to access department printers is not transparent from all approaches. L. McCullough offered to help with the configuration of student Mac’s.

h) Members were asked to mark their calendars for the 09/01/06 meeting regarding plans for the new science building. J. Kosloske of UW System Administration Capital Planning and Budget will be the presenter. The meeting will be in Applied Arts 210 beginning at 10:00 a.m.. Discussion on the current status of those plans followed.

i) Members were advised to take special care in following the new travel guidelines and restrictions. E. Carlson attended a university workshop on the subjects and is the department member’s first and best resource for details on this topic.

j) Members were advised to refresh their computer’s university network registrations. Separate registrations for wired and wireless access are required.

k) Members were reminded to submit copies of their ‘first class day’ distributions to E. Carlson.

l) Members were asked to give E. Carlson two copies of their weekly schedule (incorporating class time, research hours and office hours).

m) R. Foley informed members that as a result of his redirected research interests an opportunity exists to utilize the GCMS system in a research project.

J. Rompala informed members that he attended a beginner’s workshop at UW-Superior on GIS software applications. He is currently attempting to gain local access to this software.

5. Budget

a) travel: As noted above, $600 is available.

b) equipment: Members agreed to maintain at $500 monies available for each instructor’s discretionary equipment fund. A firm deadline will be established for accessing this resource.

Members were asked to suggest acquisitions to be made under the Learning Access heading. Suggestions through out the academic year were encouraged. In this regard L. McCullough plans to distribute the ‘Science News’ to her students and asked that if other members have similar plans they inform her of the number of copies need. J. Hopp asked that her request for lab journals be increased to 125.

6. Registration

Members were asked to consider modifications in offerings to meet the needs of various existing and anticipated programs. Enrollment in many department offerings is at or above ‘capacity’. A. Scott offered to contact ‘Construction’ for their projected needs. Discussion followed as to whether it is possible to expand department offerings. Members agreed that no new offerings be introduced at this time.

7. Equipment, Lab Scheduling and Setup: Copies of the Lab Activity Schedules for Introductory, College, and University Physics were distributed. Instructors for College Physics II asked that that lab schedule be set back one week. J. Hopp asked that her Introductory Physics Labs be transferred to SW 115. The arising conflict with University Physics classes will be resolved by those affected. The registrar should be informed of any permanent classroom rescheduling. Discussion followed regarding the arbitrary rescheduling of classrooms from outside the department.

8. Other

No topics under this heading were presented.

9. Adjourn

The meeting was adjourned at 3:52 p.m..

Respectfully Submitted,

JTR