Minutes of the Meeting of the NMT Physics Department

4:00 PM, 11 October 2005

352 Workman

Present: Paul Arendt, Gina Chavez, Michelle Creech-Eakman, Jean Eilek, Tim Hankins, Peter Hofner, Danielle Lucero, Ken Minschwaner, Raul Morales Juberias, Dave Raymond, Barry Sabol, Sharon Sessions, Richard Sonnenfeld, Dave Westpfahl, Lisa Young

Announcements

Dr. Gerity will not authorize a faculty replacement search or a search for a temporary replacement until he has a letter of retirement or resignation from the faculty member being replaced.

The Council of Chairs is considering a change in the General Degree Requirements

that would allow 100-level foreign language courses to count toward the humanities requirement. Individual comments on this proposed change are welcomed.

Lisa Young proposes that we start each meeting with good news.

Good News

Michelle Creech-Eakman reports that Congress authorized $1.4M for improvements to the road to Langmuir Lab and MRO.

The Physics Department team won the intramural soccer title.

There will be another Department meeting next week, on Thursday, October 20.

Agenda Items

1. Discussion of the role of Physics 131 and 132

Dave Raymond has circulated a proposal to:

Require 131/132 of all physics majors,

Drop the requirement of high-school physics and some calculus as a prerequisite

for 131, and

Replace Physics 232 with a course in computational and theoretical mechanics.

Barry Sabol has circulated ideas for the future of Physics 232.

Richard Sonnenfeld and Michelle Creech-Eakman have circulated a proposal for a

new course called Computational Mechanics, Physics 241.

Question: How would this change impact other degree programs? For instance, are

Physics 232 or 242 required of any other majors? Yes, Geophysics requires Physics 242 (and 333).

The discussion reviewed the curriculum from the 100 level to the 300 level.

Points of discussion:

Our program would benefit from more computational physics, but there is not yet

agreement on where that should be in the curriculum.

We do not want to have semesters in the sophomore year with no physics offerings.

We should pay attention to the content of the GRE and where in our curriculum

those topics are covered. We should not build our curriculum around the GRE.

Physics majors have a heavy load of courses in the junior year. It may be possible to ease this my moving mechanics to the sophomore spring, but are the students ready for mechanics then?

Dave Raymond moved that we accept the proposed curriculum change. Jean Eilek

seconded.

There was extended discussion of the motion. Some were not in favor because the

ideas were not yet thoroughly worked out. Ultimately, Tim Hankins moved to

table and Richard Sonnenfeld seconded. The motion to table passed 4 to 3.

2. Adjunct appointments

The list of current adjuncts has been distributed. Do we wish to make any changes? Do we wish to review the list every two years instead of every year?

Dave Westpfahl will contact K.S. Balasubramaniam at NSO to ask if he wishes to remain an adjunct. Kem Minschwaner is encouraged to propose Gloria Manney as an adjunct at the next department meeting.

3. Condition and maintenance of the computer lab

The chairs, keyboards, and monitors are in especially bad condition. What else is needed? Can we identify a budget?

Dave Westpfahl will contact the TCC about their willingness to take over the lab and the accompanying conditions on schedule, access, and software.

Lab fees from the courses that use the lab should be used to maintain it.

4. List of graduate students willing to proctor tests

Gina now keeps a list. Please ask the students if they are available before assigning the proctoring to Gina.

5. The Graduate Dean's recruitment money

The Dean has recruiting funds available. We had some of this money last year, but did not use it all, and are now under increased scrutiny. Do we wish to apply for more? How will it be used?

The Graduate Recruiting Committee - Hofner (chair), Creech-Eakman, Hankins,

Lucero, Sessions, and Sonnenfeld - will examine this issue.

6. Do we know of any upcoming vacancies?

Tim Hankins has an appointment with Peter Gerity to discuss retirement.

Lisa Young has petitioned the department for sabbatical leave next year. She is

exploring opportunities to spend time at the University of Wisconsin, Berkeley,

and Oxford.

Dave Raymond moved that we accept her petition and Danielle Lucero seconded.

The motion passed unanimously. Dave Westpfahl will relay it to Academic Affaris.

Adjourned at 5:30 PM

2006-08-29T10:40:52