Meeting Place: NRG 2242

Meeting Time: 1:30 pm

Participants: Jeff Bechtold, Dean Becker, Bob Blodgett, Chris Cavalli, Saad Eways, James Friedrichsen, Jim Heath, Ron Johns, Paul Nacozy, Hadi Parhikhteh, Maurine Poe, C.D. Rao, Jan Smith, Laura Tacheny, Allen Underwood, Sal Valastro, Paul Williams

1.) Approval of Agenda

2.) Approval of Minutes from: 2/4/05

3.) Information items presented:

a.) Faculty Evaluations – The evaluations are proceeding. The GEOL/ESTE evaluation committee will meet on March 11 at RVS to review portfolios and other materials..

b.) Honors Course – Seems to be going well. Saad will follow up on a mid-semester review of student work.

c.) New Astronomy Course – The Curriculum Committee approved the addition of PHYS 1411 (Stellar Astronomy and Laboratory) to the college inventory. Arrangements are being made to find a suitable time and space for the course at NRG.

d.) CYP Planning Process – As of this moment, Physics is part of the planned expansion at CYP. Ron will compile the data gathered to date and write a report outlining the case for having physics at CYP.

4.) Discussion Items:

a.) PHY 1653 – Saad has looked into courses at other colleges that might be comparable to PHY 1653 and found very few. Generally, most schools have students who are not ready for calculus-based physics take a full year of general college physics. The people Saad spoke to felt that their students really needed improvement in their math skills, which was best provided by a year of algebra-based physics.

b.) Master Syllabi – It has come to the administration’s notice that a lot of master syllabi have not been updated recently. Ours is no exception. Updating volunteers are:

Astronomy = Chris

Engineering = Saad

Env. Science = George

Geology =Ron

Physics = Paul W.

We also need to make the various webmasters aware of our departmental page.

c.) Webpage – Jim is finishing his dissertation so the position of virtual Shelob is open. Paul Williams volunteered to take over.

d.) Course Notes – It is too late to add course notes to the printed summer schedule, but they can be added on-line and for the fall. They should include statements that the prereqs for each course are required or the instructor will drop the student.

e.) March Matriculation Madness – ACC has looked at senior populations at area high schools and concluded that it needs to add about 50 new sections per campus in the fall. This is a great opportunity to add sections we have long desired. We have already gotten new astronomy and physics sections into the schedule, so Ron will try to get some geology and Env. Science classes added.

5.) Action Items:

a.) Engineering Degree Plan – It was decided to add DFTG 1405 (Technical Drafting) as a choice for engineering students under the “Approved Engineering or Technical Elective”. This course transfers for academic credit to UT, UTSA, A&M, and TSU, among other colleges.

b.) Env. Technology Degree Plan – It was decided to replace EPCT 2415 (Chemistry of Natural Waters) with a “Restricted Elective” that would be either BIOL 2420 (Microbiology) or CHEM 2423 (Organic Chemistry I).

c.) Departmental Elections – Ron will be Election Coordinator. James Friedrichsen is the designated vict…uh, candidate. The election will be held at the next meeting.

6.) New Business:

a.) HP Grant – Paul Williams and Jeff Bechtold have submitted a grant to Hewlitt-packard to get 20 tablet computers and a wireless network. They have met with Bill Carter who supports it.

Minutes of ESTE/GEOL Subcommittee

March 4, 2005

Participants Bob Blodgett, Ron Johns, Maurine Poe, Jan Smith, Sal Valastro

Prentice Hall will arrange a meeting with Ron and Bob to discuss a custom GEOL 14093 lab manual.

A decision will be made at the next meeting about the textbook for GEOL 1305.

Jan prepared a list of 21 questions to serve as an assessment instrument for GEOL 1403. They were gone through and some revisions were suggested. She will bring the revised list to the next meeting for approval.