Minutes of Physical Sciences Task Force
March 4, 2004
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:
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
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.