Minutes of Physical Sciences
Task Force
August 23, 2001
Meeting Place: RGC 326
Meeting Time: 1:30 pm
Participants: Jeff Bechtold, Dale Biggs,
Bob Blodgett, Leslie Davis, Dan Dewberry, Saad Eways, Jim Heath, Ron Johns,
Mostafa Pirnia, C. D. Rao, Elliot Richmond, Jan Smith, George Staff, Allen
Underwood, Sal Valastro
1.)
Approval of Agenda
2.)
Information items presented:
a.)
Introduction
of new full-time faculty
(George Staff & Laura
Tacheny)
b.)
Administrative
Rule 3.02.002 about campus representatives and Asst. TF chairs
c.)
New
overload/informal transfer procedures —
For our TF, there will be no enrollment above the class limits in any lab
courses. This is in keeping with the
Chemistry and Biology TF's. For all
other courses, a maximum of two students above the class limits may be allowed.
d.)
Reminder
that TF policy is against faculty withdrawal of students.
e.)
Brief
review of budget initiatives
f.)
Computer
replacement — NRG this year, RGC next year
g.)
New
science lab tech. positions, ranging from level I with no experience to level
IV with B.S. and college-wide duties.
h.)
Reminder
about getting in FT teaching assignments for spring.
i.)
Website
maintenance — Jim Heath will now maintain the TF website
j.)
Review
of status of Env. Tech. program. Should
be approved by THECB in October. Bob
Blodgett played a segment about the program and the monitoring well shown on
KXAN. It was quite entertaining.
k.)
Textbooks
— For once, there were no big problems with the right textbooks getting
ordered. All arrived in time for the
new semester. Yay!
3.)
Items presented for discussion:
a.)
Committee
staffing — People indicated on which committees they wished to serve.
b.)
Adjunct
faculty interview process — Questions had arisen regarding the manner in
which adjunct faculty interviews are conducted. A general agreement was reached to provide a given topic for each
class, and see how well the applicant can teach about that topic.
c.)
Linda
Clement moving to CYP — The TF decided to send a formal letter of protest
to the Dean of Library Services, and suggesting that ACC hire more reference
librarians.
d.)
Engineering
Technology program — Brief discussion of the material concerning an
engineering technology program before the THECB. This may be a program we might consider in future years.
e.)
Gathering
student info — To provide more background data, it was agreed that faculty
should try to gather info about their students. In particular, they should try to determine each student's: last
science class, when it was taken, and what major/profession that student is
pursuing.
f.)
Coordinating
physics labs and equipment use — To make thing easier for the lab techs
and more consistent college-wide, there will be an informal survey of what
equipment is available at each campus and steps taken to provide any needed
equipment.
4.)
Items presented for action:
a.)
Saad
Eways and Jeff Bechtold bravely "volunteered" to be the Assistant TF
Chairs.
b.)
The
TF Chair will draw up a schedule for TF meetings that will make everyone happy,
or at least bemused.
Minutes of ESTE/GEOL
Subcommittee
August 23, 2001
Participants: Bob Blodgett, Leslie
Davis, Dan Dewberry, Ron Johns, Jan Smith, George Staff, Sal Valastro
1.)
It
was decided that students may take an incomplete for a course if they miss the
field trip, but only if that course is taught the following semester.
2.)
The
participants expressed an interest in going on a tour of TMM and its
collections.
3.)
George
Staff will organize a cross-disciplinary committee to review the curricula of
PSC 1603 and BIOL 2106.