Physics Department Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2005
Jarvis Hall Science Wing 103J
Members Present: Mark Larchez (chair), Jim Pejsa, Laura McCullough, Jo Hopp (recording secretary), Alan Scott, Bob Foley, John Rompala, Ellen Carlson
Mark called the meeting to order at 9:10am.
Mark asked that agenda go slightly out of order to insure discussion of topics prior to members needing to leave for class.
These minutes reflect the order of the agenda and will indicate if topics were not covered due to adjournment prior to discussion.
I. Announcements
1. Mark informed the department that UW-Oshkosh is starting a bachelor’s program for emergency firefighters, etc. They would like to use Strengths of Materials ONLINE as a course in their program. Bob suggested that Statics and Strengths of Materials online would be a more appropriate course since it doesn’t involve calculus. Combining UWO students with UWS students might result in too high of enrollment for that class. Mark offered that if someone wants to teach an additional course, this may be one to do. Bob suggested, however that it would be important that someone at UWO offer a discussion section because of the difficulty of this class for a purely online environment.
2. Mark went to the presentation of the SEM by the chemistry students and commented that it was done very well.
3. Input needs to be given to Laura by the end of 11/18/05 regarding the new building adjacency matrix.
4. Mark reminded the department about the ERA deadline of 11/18/05.
5. Bob submitted a proposal to the dean for the material analysis lab. He is waiting for a response.
6. Laura announced that the CIC approved the science ed. courses.
7. There will be no office operation Wed-Friday of Thanksgiving weekend as Ellen will be gone and she has stopped the mail to our department until her return on Monday 11/28/05.
8. There will be 2 work study positions open for office help starting next semester. Ellen has requested that these positions be announced in classes.
9. Paul Henkiel has signed a contract for spring semester. Ellen will begin the process of setting up his office in 103J.
10. Mark announced that we will need to schedule a meeting before the beginning of next semester.
II. Minutes:
1. Minor changes (spelling and typos) were made on the minutes from the department meeting on 11-11-2005. Laura made a motion to approve the minutes; Jim seconded. Minutes were approved.
III. Faculty Senate
Report:
Allen Scott reported from the faculty senate meeting:
Faculty senate had a listening session with the Chancellor. It involved discussing the polytechnic designation. It was reported that is was not a done deal according to the Chancellor and there was discussion of the impact it would have on internal structure.
IV. Science Wing
Renovation
Laura reminded the department that input about the document from Chuck Bomar, including the adjacency matrix, needed to get to her today (11/18/05).
V. Lab Equipment and
Procedures:
John recommended that we make a request to have LoggerPro accessible for our students on the Key Server (for all the lab classes).
John requested that Maple be put on the Key Server for his students in the Atomic and Nuclear course.
VI. Budget (current year)
Travel: Alan will submit a reimbursement for AAPT meeting. Laura and Jo expressed interested in going to the Women and Science Spring Retreat. They would only need funds for travel to and from the meeting.
S&S: Bob discussed the $11,000 maintenance contract for the GCMS and its current usage.
Access to Learning: Items for next semester included – ScienceNews subscription, springs, hoot tubes, physics guides and calculators. There is still ~$3000 left uncommitted.
VII. Summer School
2006:
Mark reminded the department that the payment method has changed. Bob suggested that individual instructors submit proposals for summer courses.
VIII. Other
These comments were brought up during the Faculty Senate Report.
The Applied Science Committee had a meeting and Laura and Alan wanted to report on that meeting.
The program director wants to restructure the applied science degree. He wants to eliminate the ‘scientific sales and support’ and ‘lab management’ concentrations. The committee then discussed how to move the program into the future. The first discussion was the name of the program itself. It was suggested that the remaining three concentrations be split into individual degree granting programs rather than concentrations within an applied science degree.
Alan and Laura sought input from the department and a discussion ensued. Some points of the discussion included the following: it would be a long/difficult process to make individual programs rather it might be better the strengthen the existing program itself, the potential impact on the physics department, applied science degree is a way to start concentrations and see if they can be successful, too few people are in the individual concentrations to justify them being their own programs, as it currently stands there is flexibility in changing the concentrations.
It was mentioned that the majority of graduating applied science students are going on to advance degree programs.
Bob made a motion that the physics department opposes the elimination of the applied science degree program and opposes replacing applied science concentrations with separate degree programs. Laura seconds the motion. The motion is approved.
The department does support the elimination of the two previously mentioned concentrations (‘scientific sales and support’ and ‘lab management’).
Laura also mentioned a related issue to the above and that was the suggestion of having an applied science degree without a concentration. A discussion of this topic ensued. The main points from that discussion were the necessity to define the minimum requirements and that there would be electives across the concentrations to fill the remaining requirements.
Mark also mentioned that the Chancellor wants to make getting new programs approved an easier process.
Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 am.
Submitted by Jo Hopp (recording secretary)