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Academic Program Review Physics Bachelor’s Program
Self-Study 2003-2004
Submitted by: C. Clifton Chancey, November 7, 2003. Prepared by members of the Physics Self-Study Committee: Fred Behroozi, Clifton Chancey (Chair), Larry Escalada, and Paul Shand. With assistance from: Becky Adams, David Berman, John Deisz, Larry Dirkes, Dale Olson, Andi Pascarella, and Michael Roth. Revised and Resubmitted: December 10, 2003.
Table of Contents
III. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..……………1 IV. Curriculum…………………………………………………………………………..………………….3
V. Student Outcomes Assessment……………………………………………………………………..9
VI. Students……………………………………………………………………………………………….16
VII. Faculty/Staff…………………………………………………………………………………………..19
VIII. Facilities and Resources…………………………………………………………………………….21
IX. Budget and Finance………………………………………………………………………………….24
X. Program Highlights…………………………………………………………………………………..25
XI. Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………25
Appendices
A. Courses B. Rates of Bachelor’s Program Completion C. Enrollments D. 3rd-Week Class Size Reports E. Mean GPA’s of Majors F. Physics Bachelor’s Degrees Granted G. Research Interests of Faculty H. Faculty Teaching Loads I. Faculty Summary Vitae J. Library Collections involving Undergraduate Physics K. Equipment in Physics L. Undergraduate Research: Titles and Research Supervisors M. Budget N. Grant Summaries O. 1996-97 Academic Program Review Summary and Reports
III. Introduction A. Campus unit responsible for delivery of program The unit responsible for delivering the Physics Program is the Physics Department. B. Department, School, and College administering the unit The unit is administered by the Physics Department, College of Natural Sciences. C. Brief history of the program The Department of Physics was formed in 1967 when UNI assumed its present university structure. Prior to that, the Physics Program whose primary mission was to train secondary school teachers was part of the Department of Science. During the period 1965–69, the physics faculty expanded to nine full-time persons including the Head. The newly appointed faculty members were charged with the development of research activities, which could provide additional educational opportunities for undergraduates. To accommodate a variety of student goals, three majors were instituted: B.A. Physics—Teaching; B.A. Physics A for students with a second major and those seeking less rigorous study; and B.A. Physics B for those planning graduate study in physics or related fields. In 1978, an Applied Physics Emphasis was introduced. With it, students in B.A. Physics B could, through proper choice of electives, choose applied laboratory courses over advanced theoretical courses and do a required Internship in Applied Physics. The Applied Physics Emphasis became B.A. Physics C in 1982. In 1986, with the advent of the B.S. degree at the University, the four physics degrees evolved into two B.A degrees (the B.A. Physics and the B.A. Physics Teaching) and two B.S. degrees (the B.S. Applied Physics and the B.S. Physics). In the early 1990s, a third B.A. degree was added, the B. A. Physics With Environmental Emphasis, as part of a College-wide expansion of environmental programs. Since the early 1970s, the department has also provided advising and guidance to pre-engineering students entering UNI to prepare for transfer to an engineering program in their junior year. In 1998, the department initiated a Physics/Engineering dual degree program through a formal agreement between UNI and the other two Regent Institutions in Iowa. In this program students spend three years at UNI followed by two years at ISU or UI. At the completion of the program they earn a B.S. degree in Applied Physics from UNI and a B.S. degree in a chosen field of Engineering at ISU or UI. In the early years of the Department, the traditional emphasis on the education of secondary teachers was strengthened, especially through in-service activities. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the curricula of the Physical Science Study Committee (PSSC) and Harvard Project Physics (HPP) were emphasized, both in the undergraduate program and in continuing education. From 1971 to 1975, about one hundred high school teachers, mostly from Iowa, were served through summer resident HPP programs and follow-up academic year activities. In the early 1980s, what began as a state task force chaired by a Department faculty member on the improvement of minimally prepared high school physics teachers grew into a nationally and internationally known program, Physics Resources and Instructional Strategies for Motivating Students (PRISMS). Approximately 2,000 teachers around the country have been served by PRISMS workshops, and there have been presentations in several foreign countries and at international conferences. The administration of all of the PRISMS activities and the distribution of associated materials are carried out within the Physics Department. In the past two years, the department, with support from the Federal government, has been offering a Summer Institute to prepare current or provisionally licensed high school science teachers to teach physics. A major mission of the Program is to provide service courses to other science majors and to contribute to the University’s Liberal Arts Core. Beginning in 1995, and heeding the national trends in teaching of introductory physics courses in a more effective format, the faculty initiated a major revision of the algebra-based sequence of General Physics I and II, our main service course for other science majors. The large lecture format has been replaced by many sections, each no more than 30 students, taught in a
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laboratory-intensive format. Further, the department has introduced a new course, Physics in Everyday Life, to serve as a Liberal Arts Core course for the non-science majors. Involvement of undergraduate students in research activities has been an emphasis and strength since 1968. Since 1992, a summer fellowship program has provided research experience to 6-8 students every summer. Under this program, students receive a stipend to do research for 10 weeks during the summer on an approved topic under guidance from a faculty member. The research often results in joint publications with faculty mentor and presentations at regional and national conferences. Within the limits of a small department, faculty members are engaged in a wide variety of physics research. In the late 1960s, two areas were developed: nuclear physics, principally gamma spectroscopy; and solid-state physics, principally nuclear magnetic resonance and electron spin resonance. As faculty and the nature of various disciplines changed, the research areas changed. Activity in the early 1970s in the new field of holography, especially as a teaching vehicle, grew into applied optics research. The Physics Department pioneered in interactive computing when it acquired a DEC PDP11 computer through a National Science Foundation grant in the mid 1970s. This was the first small interactive minicomputer on the campus and was operated with significant student involvement. As the nuclear and solid-state research ended in the early 1980s, research in musical acoustics and on energy-efficient homes was developed. With the replacement of several retiring faculty members in the early 1990s, research in acoustics expanded and new research in the physics of solids and fluids was developed. In the past five years, several theorists have joined the department providing expertise in condensed matter physics, acoustics, and computational physics. Though the number of permanent full-time faculty positions in the Department has stayed constant since 1969, a very important position, Electronics Technician, was established in the mid 1970s. The Program has been greatly aided by the very well qualified person holding the position. He is responsible, in collaboration with faculty, for setting up laboratories and maintaining and developing apparatus for instruction and research. A significant change in the Physics Program during the past 10 years has been the greatly increased use of computers, not only for traditional computing, but also for doing physics in a new way as computational physics. Complex systems previously inaccessible to traditional experimental and theoretical methods can now be studied with the aid of computer technology. To accommodate this, a new course, Physics III: Theory and Simulation (880:132), was added to the year-long sequence of Physics I for Science and Engineering (880:130), and Physics II for Science and Engineering (880: 131), to provide the physics majors with computational and modeling experience early on. Further, a new required advanced course, Computational Physics (880:150), has been introduced, and some other offerings have necessarily been reduced or consolidated. D. Summary of 1996-97 Program Review and resulting program improvements. The last program review highlighted the teaching strengths of the department but made recommendations intended to improve computing facilities and to ease the transition between lower-level and upper-level physics courses. Research activities by faculty and students were praised as “interesting and worthwhile endeavors in basic research.” All recommendations were implemented, as detailed in a memo by Dr. H. Kent Macomber, Acting Head (March 3, 1998). Dr. Macomber’s memo and the External Review Report are presented in Appendix O. E. The program's relationship to the mission of the College and the University The mission of the department is fourfold: 1) to provide undergraduate instruction in physics for physics majors and for elementary and secondary preservice teachers; 2) to fulfill some of the Liberal Arts Core needs of the university in physical sciences; 3) to provide graduate instruction in physics, applied physics and science education in the service of local and regional needs; and 4) to contribute to new knowledge in physics and physics education. This is fully in consonance with the university Strategic Plan 2001-2006 as published at http://www.uni.edu/pres/2001-2006strategicplan/.
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F. Program goals and objectives These are: 1) To provide a high quality program of study leading to a bachelor’s degree in physics through a
B.S. or B.A. major. The B.S. majors are for those who will pursue graduate study or employment in physics or a related field. The B.A. majors are for those who wish the preparation of physics for a different career, e.g., law or medicine, or who wish to teach physics at the secondary level.
2) To offer instruction in physics for students majoring in other fields of science or technology or preparing to study engineering.
3) To provide Liberal Arts Core courses in physics for the wider student body. 4) To participate in science education programs intended to prepare scientifically competent
teachers at all levels. 5) To foster physics research and promote scholarly activities by physics faculty and students. F. List of similar programs in Iowa Regent institutions, other institutions in Iowa Physics is part of most liberal arts and university programs. There are therefore several undergraduate physics programs offered in Iowa. Iowa State University offers B.S. degrees in Physics and Applied Physics. The University of Iowa offers both a B.S. and a B.A. in Physics and Applied Physics. In addition, they both offer B.S. degrees in Science Education With an Emphasis in Physics, similar to our B.A. Physics Major—Teaching. Twelve private institutions offer B.A. degrees in physics. Several institutions offering an undergraduate physics program also offer teacher certification in combination with the program. IV. Curriculum A. Lists of courses currently offered, with catalog descriptions. See the first part of Appendix A for courses taught by Physics or required in the physics Bachelor’s program. A list of all physics courses is also available on-line at www.uni.edu/pubrel/catalog/880.html. Mathematics courses are available at www.uni.edu/pubrel/catalog/800.html and chemistry courses are described at www.uni.edu/pubrel/catalog/860.html.
B. Schedule of Course Rotations.
Courses are scheduled such that all required courses are taught over a two-year cycle. Courses Offered Every Semester
880:011 Conceptual Physics 880:012 Physics in Everyday Life 880:054 General Physics I 880:056 General Physics II
Courses Offered Every Year
Fall 880:130 Physics I for Science and Engineering 880:132 Physics III theory & Simulation 880:140g Modern Optics: Holography & Imaging or 880:141g Modern Optics: Lasers 880:152g Electronics I
Spring 880:131 Physics II for Science and Engineering 880:137g Modern Physics 880:138g Modern Physics Laboratory 880:193g Current Curricula in Physics
Courses Offered in 2003-04, 2005-06…
Fall 880:150g Computational Physics 880:166g Classical Mechanics
Spring 880:120g Elementary Atomic and Nuclear Physics 880:145g Vibrations and Sound 880:172g Quantum Mechanics
Courses Offered in 2004-05, 2006-07…
Fall 880:134g Environmental Applications of Physics 880:136g Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics 880:174g Applied Quantum Mechanics
Spring 880:142g Musical Acoustics 880:154g Electronics II 880:167g Electrodynamics 880:189g Readings in Physics
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C. Requirements for completing program.
BA Programs
BS Programs Physics
(120-122 hrs) Physics
Teaching (128 hours)
Physics with Envir. Emphasis
(120 hours)
Physics (126-127 hours)
Applied Physics (126-127 hours)
Applied Physics/ Engineering
(126-127 hours)
University Electives
27 hours.
13 hours.
14-19 hours.
16 hours.
18 hours.
18 hours.
Liberal Arts Core
40-41 hours.
40 hours.
34 hours.
40-41 hours.
40-41 hours.
40-41 hours.
Professional
38 hours.
Other Science or Math Courses
15 hours.
6 hours.
1 of the following: 840:168 (3 hrs) 860:132 & 138g (8 hrs) 870:171g (3 hrs) 920:123g (3 hrs)
800:062 Calculus III (4 hours) 800:076 Linear Algebra for Applications (3 hours) 800:140g Differential Equations (3 hours)
860:044 General Chemistry I (4 hours) 860:048 General Chemistry II (4 hours)
OR 860:070 General Chemistry I-II (5 hours)
Physics Elective Hours
Physics 100-level, excluding 880:193 (11 hours)
Physics 100-level (7 hours)
Physics 100-level, excluding 880:193 (11 hrs)
Physics 100-level, excluding 880:193 (6 hrs)
Physics 100-level, excluding 880:193 (6 hrs)
Physics 100-level, excluding 880:193 (8 hrs)
Program specific Physics Required Courses
880:193 (2 hrs)
880:134g (3 hrs)
80:136g (4 hrs) 880:150g 9 (3 hrs) 880:166g (4 hrs) 880:167g (4 hrs) 880:172g (4 hrs) 880:180 (2 hrs) 880:187 (1 hr)
880:140g OR 880:141g (3 hrs) 880:145g (3 hrs) 880:150g (3 hrs) 880:152g (4 hrs) 880:154g (4 hrs) 880:179 OR 880:184 (2 hrs) 880:187 (1 hr)
2 of the following: 880:136g (4 hrs) 880:150g (3 hrs) 880:166g (4 hrs) 880:167g (4 hrs) 880:172g (4 hrs)
2 of the following: 880:140g (3 hrs) 880:141g (3 hrs) 880:145g (3 hrs) 880:152g (4 hrs) 880:174g (4 hrs)
Basic Core Courses Required For All Majors (24 hours)
880:060 Calculus I (4 hours) 800:061 Calculus II (4 hours) 880:130 Physics I for Science & Engineering (4 hours) 880:131 Physics II for Science & Engineering (4 hours) 880:132 Physics III: Theory and Simulation (3 hours) 880:137 Modern Physics (4 hours) 880:138 Modern Physics Lab (1 hour)
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D. Rates of program completion and average time to complete. The information supplied by the Office of the Registrar [Appendix B] for this category is too limited to be useful. Their statistics include only those majors who declare during the first semester of the freshman year. Many majors in Physics do not declare, at the earliest, until the second semester of the freshman year, and one third of all Physics graduates enter as Transfers [15 of 43 from AY 1996-97 through AY 2002-03, see below]. The distributions and discussion that follow use an exact accounting of physics majors and graduates during the past 7 years. Distributions of majors by classification year and by program type for selected fall semesters (using third-week data). Fall 1997: Numbers of Majors (Declared and those indicating a Preference)
Class (Year 1,
etc.)
BA Physics (including Teaching)
BA, with Environ.
Emphasis
BS
Physics
BS Applied Physics
BS Applied
Physics + Pre-Engin.
Total Number by Year
1
5
0
3
1
—
9
2
3
0
3
1
—
7
3
4
0
0
2
—
6
4
5
0
4
3
—
12 Total
Number by program
17
0
10
7
0
34
Fall 2000: Numbers of Majors (Declared and those indicating a Preference)
Class (Year 1,
etc.)
BA Physics (including Teaching)
BA, with Environ.
Emphasis
BS Physics
BS Applied Physics
BS Applied
Physics + Pre-Engin.
Total Number by Year
1
7
0
1
3
12
23
2
2
0
1
1
7
11
3
1
0
2
0
3
6
4
5
1
4
0
0
10 Total
Number by program
15
1
8
4
22
50
Fall 2003: Numbers of Majors (Declared and those indicating a Preference)
Class (Year 1,
etc.)
BA Physics (including Teaching)
BA, with Environ.
Emphasis
BS Physics
BS Applied Physics
BS Applied
Physics + Pre-Engin.
Total Number by Year
1
3
0
4
2
18
27
2
4
0
2
1
2
9
3
5
0
1
3
4
13
4
6
0
6
0
3
15
Total Number by
program
18
0
13
6
27
64
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Average Time to Completion: the number of semesters from arrival at UNI to a Physics Bachelor’s degree. All Bachelor’s Physics graduates from AY 1996-97 through AY 2002-03 are included.
UNI Entry Type
Number of distinct degrees
earned at UNI
Time to Degree for all
Bachelor’s Programs
(1996-2003 mean) [Sem.]
BA Physics Teach. [Sem.]
BA Physics [Sem.]
BS Physics [Sem.]
BS Applied Physics [Sem.]
BS Applied Physics
+ Pre-
Engineer. [Sem.]
No. of Grads
1
8.9
8.5
9.3
8.3
8.3
8.0
22
New from High
School
2+
9.8
13.0
9.0
9.3
—
—
6
1
6.4
7.0
7.0
6.0
4.5
—
10
Transfer with AA
2+
—
—
—
—
—
—
0
1
7.7
4.0
—
9.5
—
—
3
Transfer without AA
2+
11.0
11.0
—
—
—
—
1
Total Number of all Physics Bachelor’s graduates during AY 1996-97 through AY 2002-03
43*
* One of the 43 graduates is not included in the above distribution: this student was part-time, with several admissions, and had academic enrollments stretching over 19 years. During the past 7 years, an average of 6.1 students has graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics. The Applied Physics-Engineering (or 3-2 program) began in fall 1998. The 3-2 program’s chief effect has been to increase enrollments: both in the 3-2 program and overall since some entering 3-2 students move into other physics options. The 3-2 program’s growth is quickening: the first graduate took a BS in Applied Physics in May 2003; 4 students anticipate graduating during 2003-04. A student-by-student review of a two-year period (Fall 1997 – Fall 1999) shows the degree outcomes of students who declared or expressed a preference for Physics:
Those still enrolled in Fall 2003 (2 Physics + 1 CS): 3
Earth Sci: 2
Degrees in Physics: 13
Those earning CNS degrees:
22
Those earning UNI degrees by Spring 2003:
24
All students entering Physics from Fall 1997 through Fall 1999, including both Declared and Preferred, new from high school and transfers:
43
This population of prospective physics majors had a physics gUNI graduation rate of 24 out 43 (56%). If the 3 students cseniors), the physics graduation rate will increase to 35% (15 o
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Withdrew from UNI:
16
radurrf 4
German: 1 and El. Ed. 1
uation rate of 13 ently enrolled gra3) and the UNI g
Math: 5
Chemistry: 2
out of 43 (30%) and a duate (all are current
raduation rate of these
43 will be 63% (27 of 43). Several who earned physics degrees also earned degrees in other areas: these additional degrees are not shown (for simplicity). A review of composite ACT scores of entering students, year to year, shows a mean of about 26. In most cases, entering students appear to be moderately well prepared for physics majors. Faculty discussions of physics withdrawals did bring out a continuing concern over students’ lack of mathematical skills at the levels of multi-variable calculus and elementary differential equations. Since these skills are central to success in upper-level physics classes, it may be necessary to institute a junior course in mathematical physics. The lack of student interest in the BA Physics with Environmental Emphasis (seen in the yearly distributions, above) is clear. We intend to recommend that this degree option be discontinued. E. Anticipated new courses or changes in program requirements. The department has submitted a curriculum proposal to increase the hourly credit of Modern Physics Lab (880:138) from 1 hour to 2 hours, to better reflect the workload expected of students. Modern Physics is a required course in all Physics bachelor’s options. In cooperation with some chemistry faculty, the department has also submitted a proposal to create two new interdisciplinary courses in nanoscience, at the introductory and intermediate levels. These courses will be electives in all physics programs. In cooperation with the Science Education faculty, Physics has proposed that Current Curricula in Physics (880:193g, 2 cr hrs) be dropped and replaced with Current Curricula in the Physical Sciences (820:193g, 3 cr hrs). The department anticipates that a rising-juniors-level physics course focused on applied mathematics will be attempted as an experimental course in the near future, as teaching resources allow. The format is undecided: 1 or 2 hours; as a half-semester or full-semester course. F. Discussion: Should any part of this program’s curriculum be located in some other program? Should
any part of another program’s curriculum be located in this program? No part of the Physics Program curriculum should be located in another program. The mathematical needs of physics students—mentioned in the last academic program review—continue to be a concern. The program has no interest in absorbing multivariable calculus or elementary differential equations into Physics, but a one-semester physics course in mathematical methods is required. Physics majors need knowledge of several mathematical areas important in the upper-level physics courses. These areas include complex variables, Fourier analysis, Cartesian tensors, ordinary differential equations and associated special functions, elementary partial differential equations, Green’s functions, and an introduction to finite and continuous groups and their representations. G. Description of any non-degree and/or service curricula in terms of their value to other programs,
including College-wide and/or University-wide interests. The Physics Department contributes to Liberal Arts Core programming by offering Conceptual Physics (880:011) and Physics in Everyday Life (880:012). The second course (880:012) is particularly in demand by students, and the department offers as many seats as it can physically manage. The department also has for the past few years had complete staffing responsibility for the inquiry-based physical science course for elementary education majors, Inquiry into Physical Science (820:031). The physics faculty also regularly teaches at least one section of the university capstone course, Environment, Technology, and Society (820:140). These courses add up to over 1100 student credit hours per semester, nearly 50% of the total hours taught by the physics faculty. General Physics I (880:054) and General Physics II (880:056) are required in several majors, including some in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Industrial Technology. The first of these courses also
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satisfies the Category 3B requirement of the Liberal Arts Core for majors in the College of Natural Sciences. The student credit hours for 880:054 and 880:056 regularly sum to 660, roughly 30% of the physics faculty’s teaching load during any one semester. General Physics I and II are both taught in an activity-based format that combines what was formerly distinct in lecture and laboratory periods. This pedagogical initiative is in keeping with what is considered best practices in physics education. The activity-based format benefits student learning but requires time and skills beyond those typical of lecture/lab formats. Every semester, over half of the physics faculty teaches this sequence of courses. H. Description of external/distance delivery of courses. Possibilities for future program expansion via
distance education. The capabilities of distance and asynchronous education have developed a great deal since the last academic program review of Physics, but the benefit to undergraduate physics education is still slight. Best practices in physics teaching emphasize inquiry-based methods using teams of student learners. Asynchronous delivery of content cannot replicate team activities. Most undergraduate physics courses include significant laboratory activities, and these cannot easily be delivered on-line or via television. It is possible that an asynchronous on-line general physics course could be developed in the future—making use of interactive laboratories—but it would be quite different from our current best-practices course. Student outcomes assessment of such a course would be the only way to determine its validity. The department has no plan to develop such a course at this time. I. Description of opportunities provided for undergraduate research. The Physics program is justly proud of the research opportunities it provides its undergraduate majors. Of the 43 students who graduated with Bachelor’s degrees during the last 7 years (Summer 1996 to Spring 2003), 23 were mentored in summer research projects that produced formal written and oral reports. Two others undertook applied physics internships as part of their degree requirements. In sum, 25 of 43 (58%) graduates were involved in an extended research project that resulted in formal written and oral reports, under the personal direction of a physics faculty member. These 25 graduates include all who took BS degrees in Physics or Applied Physics, as well as several who graduated with BA degrees. Most undergraduate research occurs during summers when Physics and CNS fund summer undergraduate research fellowships. These are competitive and provide a small stipend (currently $2500) for 10 weeks of summer research work on a project of mutual interest to the student and faculty mentor. A list of student research projects since 1999 is available on-line at http://www.physics.uni.edu/research.shtml, and a list of refereed publications involving undergraduate physics majors is on a linked page at http://www.physics.uni.edu/articles.shtml. Physics faculty members also encourage undergraduate participation in research projects during the regular academic year. Eight of the nine regular faculty have been involved in mentoring undergraduate research projects during the past two years, in all areas of physics research: experimental, theoretical, computational and educational. The department edits and hosts the American Journal of Undergraduate Research, a refereed journal for undergraduate researchers in all pure and applied sciences. The journal provides an international perspective on undergraduate research—an important educational benefit to students at UNI. J. Description of experiential and/or service learning opportunities for students in the program. For undergraduate physics majors who plan to work as professional physicists or engineers, involvement in undergraduate research is the best predictor of future success according to recent American Institute of Physics surveys. This has been discussed, above (Item I).
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Service learning opportunities in the form of industrial or federal laboratory internships are a required part of the BS Applied Physics degree. Applied Physics students normally register for 2 credit hours or more in course 880:184, Internship in Applied Physics, during their internship service. A formal written report and oral report are normally required of students in this course. Applied Physics students in the 3-2 cooperative engineering program can use their internship experience at Iowa State University or the University of Iowa to meet this requirement. K. Discussion of strengths of program curriculum. Physics is the foundation for much of the technology, and students in other sciences and in engineering require an understanding of physics to fully appreciate the operational principles and technologies that arise in their programs of study. The Bachelor’s Physics program meets this need through specially designed Liberal Arts Core courses and technical service courses. Special care is taken to teach these courses as effectively as possible, using inquiry-based methods and employing pre- and post-testing of conceptual mastery levels. The program also emphasizes and provides research opportunities for students from the freshman year onward. The opportunity for students to work directly with faculty members is a great strength. The department also employs many physics majors as teaching lab assistants or general physics help-session tutors. A large majority of physics majors is employed in this way during the year, improving their own mastery of physics and their ability to present technical details to an unspecialized audience. L. Unique/distinctive features of program curriculum. The program’s commitment to undergraduate research opportunities for all BS majors, and as many BA majors as possible, is a distinct feature. During summer 2003, 11 students were engaged in research under faculty direction, all with direct financial support from the College of Natural Sciences, the Physics Department, or the National Science Foundation. The program’s commitment to activity-based teaching in the general physics classes is noteworthy. M. Discussion of weaknesses of curriculum. The undergraduate curriculum includes only one semester of electrodynamics at the junior/senior level (880:167g). The program also lacks junior-level courses in optics or mathematical physics. These omissions are not unusual in a program with 9 faculty members, but they do represent curricular weaknesses in comparison with the curricula at larger universities. N. Recommendations for improvement of program curriculum. The program would be strengthened by a mathematical physics course at the junior level. This course would provide students with increased preparation for the upper-level courses in electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, mechanics, and statistical mechanics. V. Student Outcomes Assessment A. Benchmarks for Student Outcomes Assessment. The June 25, 1992 (updated October 2003) Student Outcomes Assessment Plan of the Department of Physics lists the following outcomes for and requires the associated competencies of all Bachelor’s program students. ALL BACHELOR’S:
Outcome 1 The student shall understand and be able to apply the basic principles and concepts of physics utilizing differential and integral calculus.
Competency 1.1 The student must be successful in Physics I, II, and III [880:130, 880:131,
and 880:132] and the prerequisite courses in calculus. Topics include
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mechanics, heat wave motion, electricity and magnetism, optics and atomic and nuclear structure.
Competency 1.2 The student should have an appreciation for and be able to work with conservation laws that are so universally important in all of physics: momentum, angular momentum, energy and charge.
Competency 1.3 The student must be proficient in the use of standard instruments used in the experimental investigations of the topics listed in 1.1. Examples are oscilloscopes, electrical meters, and optical spectrometers.
Competency 1.4 The student must be able to use computers for processing, analyzing and displaying data, and to use them as components interfaced to the instrumentation used for acquiring data.
Outcome 2 Students must be able to communicate clearly their understandings of physics and of
their specific activity in the field both orally and in writing.
Competency 2.1 The student must be able to write reports in publishable form (this doesn’t imply that the content is publishable but that the form and use of language is suitable). This is required for several Modern Physics Laboratory [880:138] reports, as part of the Department of Physics “Writing Across the Curriculum” program.
The specialized Bachelor’s programs of study have these additional Outcomes and/or Competences: BA PHYSICS:
Competency 2.2 The student will prepare a well-written report based on work done in a course (could be a readings course) or on some project or interdisciplinary activity. Both the advisor and the department head must approve the choice of topic for the report.
Outcome 3 The student must acquire physics knowledge in several selected areas, beyond that done in Physics I, II, and III (880:130, 880:131, and 880:132).
Competency 3.1 The student must complete 13 semester hours of 100-level course work from a variety of available experimental or theoretical areas. These areas include lasers, holography, vibrations and sounds, and electronics—all of which have an experimental component; and thermodynamics, mechanics, electrodynamics, elementary particle physics, and quantum mechanics—which primarily have a theoretical emphasis.
Outcome 4 The student should be able to relate principles of physics and the approach of the physicist to other areas of interest.
Competency 4.1 The student should be able to explain to others outside the field some principles of physics that show up in other disciplines or in general reading or discussion. In some cases this may require review of material previously studied or the ability to read and understand new material based on a background of fundamentals of physics.
BA PHYSICS TEACHING:
Competency 2.2 The student will prepare lesson plans that address the needs of the students, are consistent with current learning theories and existing physics and science education research, and that are consistent with current national science education initiatives in methods courses, including Current Curricula in the Physical Sciences [820:193g], and teach some of these lessons in field experience settings.
Competency 2.3 The student will make oral teaching presentations in methods courses that address the needs of the students, are consistent with current learning
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theories and existing physics and science education research, and that are consistent with current national science education initiatives.
Outcome 3 The student will be able to apply and utilize innovative instructional methods and
resources to teach basic physics concepts and to develop student proficiency in problem solving/reasoning and scientific inquiry, to assess understanding of these concepts and proficiencies, and to communicate the essence of physics and its applications to secondary school physics students.
Competency 3.1 The student will be able to develop an activity-based pedagogy along with appropriate teaching strategies for secondary school physics that aid in the student understanding of basic physics concepts and the development of student proficiency in problem solving/reasoning and scientific inquiry.
Competency 3.2 The student will be able to utilize various current technologies as tools to meet his/her instructional objectives and to address student needs.
Competency 3.3 The student will be able to relate physics concepts to societal issues that arise due to the interaction of science, technology and society.
Competency 3.4 The student will demonstrate growth in professionalism by being an active member in at least one science teaching organization, attending at least one professional science teaching conference, and providing service to the K-12 science community by assisting with Physics Department sponsored outreach events such as the UNI/AEA 267 Regional Physics Olympics Competition prior to graduation.
Competency 3.5 The student will demonstrate a functional understanding of the nature of science.
BS PHYSICS:
Competency 2.2 The student will prepare a well-written report of the research project required for the BS degree and will make an oral public presentation to faculty and students on the project [see 880:180 and 880:187].
Outcome 3 The student must be able to work independently and to engage in the type of original, creative thinking required in a graduate degree program and/or as a research scientist in an industrial or government laboratory.
Competency 3.1 The student must successfully carry out an independent research project. In order to do this the student must be able to formulate questions to ask of nature and to devise ways of doing it. It is necessary to make intelligent hypotheses, to devise ways to test them, and to be able to make critical judgments about those tests. If the research is of an experimental nature, the student must be able to do the planning, building, assembling, and testing required. If it is of a mathematical or computational physics nature, there must be the ability to define such a problem and use the mathematical and computational tools to work toward its solution.
Competency 3.2 The student should be able to exhibit independence and creativity in research work in graduate school and/or in an employment position requiring such abilities.
Outcome 4 The student must acquire an understanding of the theoretical structure of mechanics,
electrodynamics, thermodynamics and quantum mechanics at an advanced undergraduate mathematical level (partial and ordinary differential equations, linear algebra, use of complex variables).
Competency 4.1 The student must successfully complete the four advanced undergraduate courses in the areas listed above and obtain the necessary mathematical background for study in those areas.
11
Competency 4.2 The student should be able to use effectively these understandings in theoretical physics courses in graduate school and/or in an employment position that requires such abilities.
Outcome 5 The student should obtain some knowledge and competency in computational physics,
a third way of learning about the world in addition to experimental and theoretical analyses. This outcome requires computer skills and facility significantly beyond that outlined in Competency 1.4.
Competency 5.1 The student shall successfully complete Computational Physics (880:150). BS APPLIED PHYSICS:
Competency 2.2 The student will prepare a well-written report of the required Internship in Applied Physics (880:184) and make an oral public presentation to faculty and students.
Outcome 3 The student must be able to work independently and to use imaginatively the
knowledge of physics and technical skills to solve the types of problems encountered in an industrial setting. Ability to work well with others in a team is also necessary to accomplish this.
Competency 3.1 The student must demonstrate the skills and abilities listed in Outcome 3 in successfully carrying out an Internship in Applied Physics (usually under the cooperative education program). Examples of settings in which this work can be carried out are an industrial laboratory, an engineering firm, and a government laboratory.
Competency 3.2 The student should be successful in solving problems and doing applied research or developmental work in an employment position.
Outcome 4 To acquire knowledge and skills in a variety of areas such as optics, vibrations and
sound, lasers, holography, and electronics—areas with knowledge and skill sets particularly applicable to practical problems.
Competency 4.1 The student must successfully complete courses in applied physics, such as Holography and Imaging (880:140g), Lasers (880:139g), Vibrations and Sound (880:145g), and Electronics I (880:152g) and II (880:154g), all of which have important laboratory components.
Competency 4.2 The student should, if needed, have the background to begin work in any of the areas listed and to be able to effectively continue the development of skills and knowledge in these area(s).
Outcome 5 The student should obtain some knowledge and competency in computational physics,
a third way of learning about the world in addition to experimental and theoretical analyses. This outcome requires computer skills and facility significantly beyond that outlined in Competency 1.4.
Competency 5.1 The student shall successfully complete Computational Physics (880:150). B. Procedures Course-embedded Assessment Success in meeting each competency standard is assessed in particular physics courses or sets of courses. The time frame for achieving these measures is outlined in the following table. Note that several competencies are benchmark in nature and are achieved by successfully completing a course or set of courses.
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Competency
BA Physics (880)
BA Physics Teaching
(880)
BS Physics (885)
BS Applied Physics
(886)
BS Applied Physics/
Engin. (888)
1.1
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
1.2
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
1.3
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
1.4
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
2.1
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
2.2
Yearly Yearly (Srs.) Yearly (Jrs./Srs.) Yearly (Jrs./Srs.) Yearly (Jrs./Srs.)
2.3
Yearly (Jrs./Srs.)
3.1
By Sem. 8
By Sem. 8
By Sem. 8
By Sem. 8
By Sem. 8
3.2
By Sem. 8
Post Grad.
Post Grad.
Post Grad.
3.3
By Sem. 8
3.4
By Sem. 8
3.5
By Sem. 8
4.1
By Sem. 8
By Sem. 8
By Sem. 8
By Sem. 8
4.2
Post Grad.
By Sem. 8
By Sem. 8
5.1
By Sem. 8
By Sem. 8
By Sem. 8
Summative Assessment In Spring 2003, the Department of Physics carried out a pilot program of summative assessment of its graduating seniors. The instrument used was the Physics II Test, one of the Major Field Tests provided by Educational Testing Services of Princeton, NJ. This two-hour, augmented multiple-choice exam covers the full range of undergraduate physics topics. ETS provides a nationally normed score. Beginning with the Fall 2003 semester, this exam will be given to every graduating senior (or rising senior in the case of applied physics/engineering majors). In-Process Review Beginning in Fall 2002, the department began an annual review of all majors. General progress-to-degree and performance in physics courses are discussed for each major (Declared and Preferred). One meeting in September of the physics faculty is devoted to this discussion. C. Findings. Course-Embedded Assessments: Mean Course Grades (1998-2003)—N.B. The number in square brackets in the last column gives the number of organized course sections included in this 5-year period.
Course Number
Course Title
Competencies Involved
Mean Grade (4.0 scale)
Number of Students [Organized sections]
880:130 Physics I for Science & Engineering
1.1-1.4 (All) 2.36 194 [5]
880:131
Physics II for Science & Engineering
1.1-1.4 (All)
2.67
77 [4]
880:132
Physics III: Theory & Simulation
1.1-1.4 (All)
2.55
54 [5]
880:136
Thermodynamics & Statistical Mechanics
3.1 (BA Physics)
2.69
16 [3]
13
880:137
Modern Physics
3.1 (BA Physics)
2.66
37 [4]
880:138
Modern Physics Lab
2.1 (All)
3.43
31 [4]
880:140
Modern Optics: Holography & Imaging
3.1 (BA Physics) 4.1 (BS App. Phys.)
3.18
40 [4]
880:141
Modern Optics: Lasers
3.1 (BA Physics) 4.1 (BS App. Phys.)
3.20
25 [2]
880:145
Vibrations & Sound
3.1 (BA Physics) 4.1 (BS App. Phys.)
2.00
2
880:150
Computational Physics
3.1 (BA Physics) 5.1 (BS Physics)
5.1 (BS App. Phys.)
3.13
13 [2]
880:152
Electronics I
3.1 (BA Physics) 4.1 (BS App. Phys.)
3.32
37 [4]
800:154
Electronics II
3.1 (BA Physics) 4.1 (BS App. Phys.)
—
—
880:166
Classical Mechanics
3.1 (BA Physics) 4.1 (BS Physics)
3.20
11 [2]
880:167
Electrodynamics
3.1 (BA Physics) 4.1 (BS Physics)
2.84
19 [2]
880:172
Quantum Mechanics
3.1 (BA Physics) 4.1 (BS Physics)
3.22
12 [2]
880:174
Applied Quantum Mechanics
4.1 (BS App. Phys.)
3.26
9 [2]
880:180
Undergraduate Research in Physics
3.1 (BS Physics) 2.2 (BS App. Phys.)
3.89
29
880:184
Internship in App. Phys.
2.2 (BS App. Phys.)
—
—
880:187
Physics Seminar
2.2 (BS Physics)
3.74
18
880:193
Current Curricula in Phys.
2.2 (BA Teaching)
3.41
14 Summative Assessments BS PHYSICS MAJORS The knowledge and skill to successfully complete a guided research project is one summative measure of BS Physics majors. A successful research project entails oral and written reports since writing and speaking clearly and cogently are central to a physicist’s professional life, whether in an academic or industrial venue. Each BS Physics major undertakes a research project under the mentorship of a faculty member. Each writes a report and gives a public presentation while enrolled in Undergraduate Research in Physics (880:180). Many BS majors carry out their research projects during the summer months, as Summer Research Fellows in Physics. These 10-week fellowships, with stipends and an equipment budget, are funded by the College of Natural Sciences and the Department of Physics. Between Fall 1996 and Spring 2003, 13 BS Physics and 6 BS Applied Physics degrees were earned by students. Each of these 19 students completed a research project, as described above. Appendix L provides titles and identifies the research supervisors for these 19 projects.
14
ALL MAJORS The Educational Testing Service’s Physics II Test was used in a pilot program during Spring 2003. The limited results from the pilot study are still under analysis, but the program will use this exam from Fall 2003 onward for all resident seniors in physics. The Pilot Study consisted of an optional one-hour, 35-question exam for graduating seniors. Specifically, 3 of 4 resident seniors took Part I of the ETS Physics II Test—1 BA Physics senior and 2 BS Physics seniors. The raw data is as follows, where Physics II Test question topics have been matched with UNI Physics courses:
Course Number
Title
Number of Questions (Out of 35)
BA Physics Senior
(% Correct)
BS Physics Senior A
(% Correct)
BS Physics Senior B
(% Correct)
880:130
Physics I for Science & Engineering
5
60%
100%
60%
880:131
Physics II for Science & Engineering
7
29%
57%
71%
88:136
Thermodynamics & Statistical Physics
2
50% 50%
50%
880:137 &
880:138
Modern Physics & Modern Physics Lab
10
50%
80%
80%
880:166
Classical Mechanics
3
—
33%
67%
880:167
Electrodynamics
1
100%
880:172
Quantum Mechanics
7
57%
43%
71% Total Number (% Correct)
35/35
15/35 (43%)
22/35 (63%)
25/35 (71%)
The remaining resident senior was a BA Physics Teaching major engaged in student teaching during spring 2003. There was one non-resident senior that semester: an Applied Physics/Engineering student resident at Iowa State University. D. Results. 1. The Educational Testing Service Physics II Test was selected as a summative assessment
instrument for all resident Bachelor’s seniors. 2. During Fall 2002, the Physics Department initiated a curricular request to increase Modern Physics
Lab (880:138) from 1 to 2 credit hours. This better represents the work required in the course and the course’s importance as the program’s writing-intensive course.
3. Physics Seminar (880:187) was added to BS Physics curriculum with the start of the Fall 2000 semester. This course provides a venue for research student presentations.
4. During Fall 2002, the Physics Department initiated a curricular request to add a computer science or programming course to the courses required of BS Physics and BS Applied Physics majors. This was done in response to faculty perceptions that students’ preparation for Computational Physics (880:150) was weakening. Adding a programming course will support students’ achievement of Competency 5.1.
15
E. Planned Modifications. 1. To use the nationally normed Mechanics Baseline Test (or an equivalent) in Physics I for Science &
Engineering (880:130), in a pre- and post-testing regime, to measure students’ knowledge of mechanics concepts and their problem-solving ability.
VI. Students A. Ways in which the program recruits qualified students. The program: 1) participates in annual Fall Science Symposium sponsored by the College of Natural Sciences; 2) keeps its web site updated, with especial attention to the site’s links for prospective students; 3) keeps good collegial relationships with area high school physics teachers, through Physics Department course offerings specifically designed for high school physics teachers (e.g., Workshop PRISMS: Activities for High School Physics Teachers) and Physics Department sponsored outreach opportunities (e.g., Physics Update conference and the UNI/AEA 267 Regional Physics Olympics Competition) and 4) by strengthening relationships—including articulation statements—with Iowa’s community colleges. B. Description of the strengths and weaknesses of students entering the program. Entering students span a wide spectrum in their verbal, writing and mathematical skills. The pre-professional engineering students [POPF or code 888] have the greatest variation: as a class they include some students whose preparation for physics is weakest as well as some whose preparation equals that of the best-prepared entering students. As a whole, entering physics students possess ACT composite scores above the mean typical of all entering UNI students [for example, see the mean ACT composite data in section IV C], but insufficient mathematical preparation at the pre-calculus level continues to be their greatest weakness. C. Description of the diversity of students in the program. Records are not kept by the department on enrollment by protected classes, but the following student percentages are based on current observations: black, 5%; female, 19%. These are near the national averages of 4% black and 23% female. The current Bachelor’s program percentages represent a significant increase since the 1996-97 program review. D. Ways in which student achievement is recognized/rewarded. 1. Scholarships. The department annually awards two Science Symposium full-tuition scholarships and
one McKay partial-tuition scholarship to entering students. The department also awards a Grossman-Perrine Scholarship as funds allow, with special consideration for women and minority students. Louis Begeman Memorial Scholarships and C. W. Lantz Undergraduate Scholarships are regularly awarded to program majors.
2. Undergraduate Research Awards. Between four and eight Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Physics are awarded each year to enable students to pursue summer research projects with faculty members.
3. Prizes and Awards. The program makes awards at its Annual Physics Banquet such as the Outstanding Performance in Introductory Physics Award, the Physics Department Service and Achievement Award and the Outstanding Research Presentation by a Physics Major Award.
4. Elections to Honorary Societies. A few Physics majors are elected to Sigma Pi Sigma, the undergraduate physics honor society, every year. Those who complete research projects are elected to membership in Sigma Xi: the Scientific Research Society.
16
E. Enrollment statistics for the preceding seven years; numbers of majors and minors in the program, represented by class years.
New programs (88E and 888) started within the last 7 years and a longer-term view of enrollments (beyond 7 years) provides a better perspective.
CLASS
AY
BA (880)
BA TEACH (880)
BA ENVIRON
(88E)
BS PHYSICS
(885)
BS APPLIED PHYSICS
(886)
BS APPLIED
3-2 (888/
POPF)
TOTAL MAJORS
1
2
3
4
1990-91
8
4
13
6
31
10
5
1
15
1991-92
10
4
13
7
34
5
8
7
14
1992-93
5
11
15
3
34
10
6
8
10
1993-94
6
11
17
5
40
8
11
3
18
1994-95
12
7
12
3
34
9
5
11
9
1995-96
16
7
13
2
38
10
9
7
12
1996-97
9
11
12
10
42
5
9
6
22
1997-98
7
9
0
6
6
28
4
5
6
13
1998-99
6
6
1
10
6
29
7
10
3
9
1999-00
6
4
2
9
4
9
34
13
3
7
11
2000-01
11
4
2
8
5
16
46
13
17
4
12
2001-02
6
4
0
9
6
17
42
14
7
12
9
2002-03
11
7
0
9
7
19
54
20
11
10
13
2003-04
15
4
0
15
6
23
63
28
10
11
14 F. Registrar’s third-week class-size reports for all courses in the program for the past two semesters
and summer session. See appendix D. G. Analysis of enrollment patterns for past seven years and discussion of planned/projected
changes in enrollment. Enrollments are steady except for moderate growth in the BS Physics program and rapid growth in the Applied Physics/Engineering program (code 888). There is a significant degree of attrition in the 888 program between the freshman and sophomore years—as the Calculus I and Physics I courses are encountered—and it will take another few years to discern a longer-term trend in upper-level enrollments. H. Mean GPA awarded to all students in the program over the past seven years, compared to mean
GPA for all University courses; represented by class year. Cumulative mean GPA’s for Physics majors compared against those for all UNI undergraduates.
Semester
Number of Physics Majors (with December grade
reports)
Mean Cumulative GPA of Physics Majors
Mean Cumulative GPA of all UNI undergraduates
Fall 1996
41
3.09
2.92
Fall 1997
29
3.12
2.94
Fall 1998
27
3.00
2.97
17
Fall 1999
34
3.07
2.98
Fall 2000
46
3.03
2.99
Fall 2001
41
2.92
3.00
Fall 2002
45
3.03
3.01 N.B. The differences between the number of majors in this table and those above (in E) are due to the additional students included in the section E table: Pre-professional engineering students (POPF), non-resident seniors in the 3-2 applied physics/engineering program, third-week enrolled students who have withdrawn or declared another major by the end of the Fall semester. For more data, see Appendix E for cumulative and semester data, arranged by student classification and calendar year.
I. Number of degrees granted in past seven years, by class year and gender. Codes: BA Physics (880), BA Physics with Environmental Emphasis (88E), BS Physics (885), BS Applied Physics (886), BS Applied Physics/Engineering (888).
First Majors Second Majors Total Teaching Liberal Arts Teaching Liberal Arts M W M W M W M W 2002-2003 7 880 1 1 2 885 3 1 4 888 1 1 2001-2002 4 880 1 1 885 2 1 3 2000-2001 7 880 1 1 2 885 4 4 88E 1 1 1999-2000 4 880 1 1 1 3 885 1 1 1998-1999 4 880 1 1 2 886 2 2 1997-1998 7 880 2 1 3 885 3 3 886 1 1 1996-1997 9 880 1 1 3 5 885 2 2 886 1 1 2 1995-1996 2 880 1 1 885 1 1
J. Ways in which the program places students, including graduate school, employment, other. All students who intend to pursue graduate study in physics are individually counseled by their academic advisor and their research supervisor. Generally, these students take the Graduate Record Exam (including the Physics GRE) prior to applying to graduate programs. In the past seven years, all who have applied to graduate school have been accepted with fellowships or assistantships.
18
Those who seek employment as teachers have used a variety of methods, including the UNI Career Center, faculty contacts with physics teachers and school districts, and personal visits. The current severe state shortage in high school physics teachers means that a number of opportunities exist for UNI BA Physics Teaching graduates. Graduates who look for industrial or government employment typically find positions through internships or similar cooperative employment prior to graduation. K. Ways in which students are counseled/advised. Incoming freshmen are met during summer orientation by a physics faculty advisor. One freshman advisor provides advising and mentoring during the first year to students who have declared an interest in the BA or BS Physics programs. Another advises those interested in pursuing a BA Physics Teaching degree. A third advisor handles all who have interests in the applied Physics/Engineering 3-2 program or who are listed as pre-professional engineering majors. After the first year, the department head assigns a faculty advisor to each major. Those in the more specialized teaching of pre-engineering programs typically remain with their first-year advisors. One faculty member serves as a liaison with the Cooperative Education Office for students pursuing internships. VII. Faculty/Staff A. List of Faculty/Staff (by rank) who participate in the program. The Physics Department has nine standard faculty appointments (eight regular plus the Head) and one additional faculty member whose chief duties are at the Price Laboratory School. Name Current Appointment Year of first appointment at UNI Fred Behroozi Professor of Physics 1992 David Berman Associate Professor of Physics 2000 Clifton Chancey Professor and Head of Physics 2001 Karen Couch-Breitbach Instructor of Teaching: Science Education 1985 John Deisz Assistant Professor of Physics 1999 Lawrence Escalada Associate Professor of Physics and Science Education 1997 Dale Olson Professor of Physics 1968 Andrea Pascarella Assistant Professor of Physics and Physics Education 2002 Michael Roth Associate Professor of Physics 2000 Paul Shand Associate Professor of Physics 1992 B. List of members of any program advisory board or similar entity. Physics Advisory Board: Mr. James Arns, Kaiser Optical Systems, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan
Dr. Daniel R. Claes, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska Dr. Rueben T. Collins, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado Dr. Richard A. Kroeger, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. Dr. Robert G. Spulak, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico Mr. Kenton Swartley, Cedar Falls High School, Cedar Falls, Iowa
C. List of support staff for program.
Ms. Becky Adams, Physics Department Secretary
Mr. Larry Dirkes, Electronics Technician D. Discussion of the balance in research and/or clinical interests among program faculty and the
desirability for maintaining or changing that balance. The department currently can be divided into three general areas: experimental physics (Behroozi, Olson, Shand); computational and theoretical physics (Berman, Chancey, Deisz, Roth); physics education (Escalada, Pascarella, Couch-Breitbach). This current balance serves the undergraduate program well,
19
though evolving student enrollments could shift the balance towards the experimental or computational areas. E. Analysis of balance between senior and junior faculty. Of the 9 faculty appointments with FTE’s of 0.82 or greater, 3 are probationary and 6 are tenured, with 3 professors, 4 associate professors, and 2 assistant professors. The 5 tenured faculty members with regular appointments are sufficient to provide reasonable staffing for departmental committees requiring senior appointments, such as the Professional Assessment Committee. Six of the 9 have joined the department since 1997. F. Analysis of balance of faculty according to gender and minority status. Of the 8 regular faculty members, one is female and one is black. According to University policy, the Department has met Affirmative Action goals. G. Analysis of teaching loads, including both the number of sections and their enrollments, over the
past seven years. Appendix C contains detailed data on enrollments. Here we abstract the mean values per instructional FTE (regular faculty) for organized sections taught, credit hours, and contact hours in organized sections.
Fall Spring Calendar Year Org. Sec.
Per FTE Cr Hrs
Per FTE Contact Hrs/FTE
Org. Sec. Per FTE
Cr. Hrs per FTE
Contact Hrs./FTE
1996 2.23 8.00 10.9 1997 2.59 9.65 11.4 2.35 8.12 10.2 1998 2.53 9.47 10.9 2.12 7.53 9.18 1999 2.57 9.71 11.6 2.46 8.62 10.5 2000 2.67 9.07 10.8 2.46 8.62 10.2 2001 2.13 7.47 9.20 2.53 8.27 10.3 2002 2.35 8.12 9.88 2.62 8.77 11.2 2003 2.82 8.71 10.5
Mean contact hours per regular faculty member per academic year have been stable, ranging from 10.2 to10.9 hours. These represent organized sections and an additional 2 hours in unorganized sections (independent reading, undergraduate research) per semester is typical. These hours are somewhat above the university mean, if that mean is near 9 hours. Hidden in these numbers are two facts of some concern: 1) 80% of the hours taught by the physics faculty are at the first-year level or in entry-level courses (such as Liberal Arts Core classes); 2) mean contact hours taught by physics education faculty are above those typical in the department. H. Analysis of morale of faculty and staff within the unit, including any morale challenges or
problems. Morale is generally very good within the Department, though there are the usual areas of pressure in a program of this type. Probationary faculty must invest significant time to be successful teachers in entry-level courses, a continuing pressure every semester. They must also work to advance their research careers, a greater challenge than it might be given the age of the Physics Building’s infrastructure. I. Analysis of the collegiality/organization/governance within the unit. The Department is quite collegial and operates by consensus as much as possible, taking the advice of its well-organized departmental committees on many academic and student-related matters.
20
J. Changes anticipated in faculty and staff composition in the next seven years, in the course of events or through targeted hiring.
Mr. Larry Dirkes, who acts as the physics instructional and research technician, will fully retire by July 2004. He has been a significant support to the Department and his replacement will entail a significant change. It is also possible that one member of the faculty will start phased retirement within 7 years. K. Faculty recruitment procedures/approaches. The Department has a recently revised recruitment plan, approved by the Office of Affirmative Action. The entire faculty takes part in crafting a job description and their collective opinions are primary for the Search Committee’s recommendation on a short list to the Head and CNS Dean. L. Ways in which the program promotes quality teaching, research and service on the part of its
faculty. The Professional Assessment Committee and Head provide each probationary faculty member with an annual assessment directed to improving teaching, research and service. The Head assesses each tenured faculty member once each year with the same goals. M. Ways in which faculty/staff achievement is recognized/rewarded. The reviews mentioned in item L are strongly correlated with the Head’s recommendations for merit pay raises to the CNS Dean. Faculty members have also earned college teaching awards. N. Summarize major external grants awarded to faculty in the program during the past seven years.
PI’s Grant Name Funding Source Award FY R. Unruh/L. Escalada
PRISM’S Enhancement
NSF
$609,948
1999
R. Unruh/L. Escalada
PRISMS Enhancement Supple.
NSF
$72,110
2001
See Appendix N for an executive summary of these grants. O. Faculty assessment procedures. See item L (above). P. Relationship of program governance to the admin. units within which the program functions. The governance of the Bachelor’s Physics Program is identical to that of the Physics Department. Q. Summary vitae. See Appendix I R. Recommendations for strengthening faculty/staff. A sustainable program of faculty development directed to continued research vitality would best counter the heavy entry-level and service-course teaching load of faculty. A professional master’s degree program directed to regional needs and faculty research interests might manage this. VIII. Facilities and Resources A. Physical facilities
The Physics Building is a four-story brick and concrete structure built in 1906. It houses the faculty offices, the teaching and research laboratories, and some classrooms. Not surprisingly, it does not meet the needs of modern physics teaching and research. It was first wired for electricity early in the century.
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This soon proved inadequate and was improved on several occasions, most recently in 1994 when the University spent nearly $60,000 to provide adequate power to the building. The electric distribution system within the building, however, remains archaic and inadequate. In 1979, the construction of a modern elevator and stairs on the west side and the provision of a ramp for the ground floor brought the building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The installation of modern lighting fixtures and acoustic ceiling tiles throughout the building and the renovation of windows, external brick facing, and the roof are other notable improvements. Since the last program review, Room 308 was renovated and now houses a modern climate-controlled computer-based teaching and research laboratory. The main introductory physics laboratory (Room 101) was also rearranged to make more efficient use of instructional space and to create more optics/holography research space. In spite of these improvements, the building's infrastructure remains woefully inadequate for modern research. For example, the heating and ventilation system is very primitive by modern standards and still operates with the original 97-year old equipment. This is because, short of a major renovation, the building design does not lend itself easily to the demands of modern heating, ventilating, and air conditioning practices. Consequently, the building suffers from an inadequate supply of fresh air, high humidity in spring and summer, and large temperature fluctuations all year round. B. Library resources and support The information given in Appendix J describes a physics collection and other Library resources that appear to adequately support the Physics Program. Though journal subscriptions have been curtailed in recent years due to extraordinary increases in costs, new computer-based substitutes are rapidly taking their place. In fact, the new electronic resources have provided access to many journals that were previously unavailable in the Library’s stacks. C. Computing resources and support The Physics Building is connected to the University Ethernet network, maintained by Information Technology Services (ITS). Every faculty and staff member has a networked personal computer in their office. (Faculty members who are computational or theoretical physicists also use these computers for extensive calculations.) Servers maintained by the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) provide e-mail service and storage for personal and departmental web pages. The CNS servers also provide access to Linux applications. ITS also maintains servers that handle e-mail and provide access to various software applications. Printing is available on five networked laser printers (including one color printer) dispersed around the building. Some faculty members have a laser or ink-jet printer in their office and/or research laboratory. Faculty computers include PCs and a Macintosh, provided by startup funds and the Microcomputer Equipment Grant program administered by the Provost's Office. In addition, five PCs are dedicated to research laboratories. There are three major computer-equipped laboratories in the department. All computers in these laboratories have network access and are dual-boot with Microsoft Windows and Debian Linux being the available operating systems. Standard Windows software includes browsers, file-transfer utilities, Graphical Analysis, Logger Pro, and CPU simulation software. Standard Linux software includes browsers and OpenOffice.org. Each laboratory is equipped with a laser printer. The Computer-equipped Teaching and Research Laboratory (Room 308) houses thirteen 1-GHz Dell Dimension 4100 PCs. Additional Windows software includes Microsoft Office 2000, MATLAB, Mathematica, Maple, Origin, Stella, and various simulation programs such as Graphical Schrodinger’s Equation. Additional Linux software includes MATLAB, Mathematica, Maple, Gnuplot, and Grace. The machines are connected to a 100 Mbit/s network switch, which allows them to function as a Beowulf cluster for parallel computing. The department’s computational physicists use this cluster extensively for their research. There are two computer-equipped introductory physics laboratories. The larger facility is housed in Room 101 and contains twelve 667-MHz Dell OptiPlex machines networked via wireless cards. A LabPro interface (Vernier) is connected to each machine and various probes (e.g., linear motion, force) plug into the interface allowing real-time data recording and graphing. This facility is an integral part of the department’s activity-based approach to introductory physics. The smaller laboratory is housed in Room
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108 and contains six Gateway E-4200 PC’s. The configuration is nearly identical to that of the larger laboratory. The Modern Physics Laboratory (Room 10) is outfitted with two 400 MHz Dell OptiPlex computers running Windows 98 and a Hewlett-Packard inkjet printer. The machines are equipped with LabPro interfaces and ICS-10 multichannel analyzer cards for gamma-ray spectroscopy. Finally, the Physics Major Computer Room (Room 300) is provided for physics majors to allow them 24-hour access to computing resources. It contains three Dell Dimension 4100 PCs as well as one Macintosh Power PC G4 computer. There is also a scanning station and a networked laser printer. Support for the department’s computing resources is provided by the CNS Unix Systems Administrator (SA) and a battery of student assistants. The SA is responsible for software installation and maintenance in all computer laboratories. Faculty and staff can seek assistance by sending an e-mail request. Response is usually quite prompt. Some assistance with hardware is available from ITS. Finally, using student computer fee funds, computer-related equipment for instructional use can be purchased each year. In addition, the computers in the student laboratories are upgraded every three years. D. Media and equipment resources and support Available media equipment includes two portable Sharp LCD projectors, one ceiling-mounted Sharp LCD projector (in Room 201—the main lecture hall), two Dell notebook computers, and several overhead projectors (one in each classroom). The notebook computers are equipped with wireless cards and are used in conjunction with the LCD projectors for instructional purposes and research presentations. All the LCD projectors accept audio-visual input from sources such as videodisc players and videocassette recorders (VCRs). A cart with a large television monitor holds another VCR and videodisc player and can be used in any of the classrooms or laboratories. Specifically for instruction, the Department possesses a collection of videodiscs, videocassettes, and digital versatile discs (DVDs). There is also a collection of demonstration and laboratory equipment for the introductory courses. In addition, there is a cart containing a PC connected to a PASCO interface and probes, which serves as a mobile computer-based data-acquisition and demonstration facility. The demonstration equipment has been collected over a long time and is added to periodically. The use of computers as an integral part of the measurement process in introductory laboratories has significantly increased the cost of updating these laboratories. However, as noted above, student computer-fee funding has been available to underwrite these costs. A collection of more advanced equipment is used both by faculty for their research and by students in advanced laboratories and for research. A list of some of the more expensive items (not including computers) acquired since the last review is included in Appendix K. Some of these have been purchased with departmental equipment funds, but the majority have been purchased with grants from Research Corporation and the National Science Foundation Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement Program (NSF-ILI), and from start-up funds awarded to new faculty. These have allowed the Department to greatly improve its research facilities but have raised concerns about whether the regular budget will be sufficient to keep the equipment operational and up-to-date. However, departmental funding, along with support from other sources (see Section E), has been sufficient to maintain the major research equipment in good working order. There is also a workshop with a drill press, band saw, power hacksaw, table saw, belt sander, arc welder, and metal lathe. Much of the equipment is quite old but still very useful. It seems adequate to the present needs of the Department. The support of all the equipment in the Physics Department is mainly the responsibility of the Electronics Technician, who is very skilled but has several other responsibilities. There is also available for the entire College of Natural Sciences an electronics technician and shop worker. Though there is a long tradition of physicists building and maintaining their own equipment, service on modern electronic equipment often requires specialized expertise and this can be very expensive.
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E. Research support The Physics Department currently dedicates a total of 2200 ft2 in five rooms to the four faculty members (including one emeritus) who are experimental physicists. The 600 ft2 workshop mentioned above supports both research and instruction. A darkroom (100 ft2) is used for both research and instruction. The Electronics Technician provides technical assistance for both research and instruction. The Graduate College plays a significant role in supporting research within the Department by administering a variety of grant programs, including Professional Development Assignments, Faculty Summer Research Fellowships, and the Carver Scientific Research Initiative, as well as smaller project grants and professional travel monies. It should be mentioned that funding from the Graduate College has been curtailed over the last year because of ongoing budget strictures. Support has also been received from the College of Natural Sciences. External support has been received from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. F. Teaching support The Department Secretary and a student assistant provide typing and photocopying services. The Electronics Technician sets up introductory laboratories with help from student assistants. Advanced laboratory courses are the responsibility of the instructor, but the Electronics Technician provides assistance as requested. Some student assistants are paid to give homework help sessions in the introductory courses. As previously mentioned, a collection of demonstration equipment and another of media materials are available to use in instruction. These are added to periodically. Instructional equipment that is not computer-related has been acquired mainly with departmental funding. A $22,000 rapid-scan spectrograph system was acquired with NSF-ILI and UNI matching funds (see Appendix K). G. Strengths and weaknesses of facilities and resources Currently, conditions in the Physics Building hinder experimental research. The absence of temperature and humidity controls and the presence everywhere of airborne dust make research in applied optics and surface physics especially difficult. The Department’s active program in applied optics and holography is supported by more than $200,000 worth of high-quality, precision research equipment. The lack of temperature and humidity controls only hastens the deterioration of this equipment. The aged appearance of the classrooms and furniture is not attractive to potential students or their parents. H. Recommendations for strengthening facilities and resources Currently, the renovation of the Physics Building is Priority No. 5 on the proposed list of FY 2005 capital requests by the Regent’s institutions. If funding is received from the State, the building will be transformed into a modern facility for research and teaching. Of great importance is the installation of a modern heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system to provide dust-free ventilation and temperature and humidity controls so vital to the conduct of current research in the Department. Another important need is for modern teaching laboratories and computer-equipped classrooms suitable for interactive instruction, in the manner of the renovated Room 308. IX. Budget and Finance Current FY. See Appendix M for detailed budget statements. A. Faculty Salaries (Total) $584,029 Individual range: $42,480 to $92,326 B. Staff Salaries (Total) $77,941 C. Student Budget $11,500 D. Fringe Benefits $200,868 E. Equipment $6,000 F. Supplies & Services (minus Travel) $26,359
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G. Travel $6750 $750 per regular faculty member H. Outside Sources of funding $6,000 CNS support of the Am. J. of Undergrad. Research I. Analysis of overall program budget emphasizing strengths and weaknesses. Apart from the fixed costs of operating the Program, a significant portion of the discretionary budget is spent on laboratory equipment, maintenance contracts for equipment upkeep, and laboratory supplies. The current budgeted amount ($6,000) does added service to make up for last year’s $0 equipment budget. This can be sustained over the short term but not the longer term. X. Program Highlights 1. An excellent faculty of remarkable teacher-scholars, student-centered in their teaching and research. 2. An outstanding program of undergraduate research, including academic year and summer research
opportunities as well as an undergraduate research journal of international scope. 3. Progressive teaching methodologies in the majors and non-majors courses, emphasizing inquiry-
based learning. XI. Summary A. Program history and development. The Bachelor’s Physics Program has grown and prospered as the university has grown and prospered, from an early emphasis on secondary teacher preparation to a more varied educational emphasis that includes future research scientists and engineers. The history of the program has been marked by a continuing emphasis on undergraduate research and close faculty-student cooperation. B. Nature/focus of the current program.
The Program’s focus continues to be the preparation of physics teachers and researchers who will possess the scientific knowledge and skills to empower them as professionals in the 21st Century economy. Physics program alumni of the past 25 years include several corporate presidents, more than a few technology entrepreneurs, some research physicists and university academics, and many Iowa high school physics teachers. The current program is focused on continuing and strengthening these trends.
C. Nature/focus/intent of program for the future.
Our focus on providing a high-quality physics education will continue, directed both to majors and non-majors. Specifically, during the next 7 years…
Our outreach to potential majors will be improved by:
• Stronger connections to Iowa’s community colleges—a process already begun this past year with NIACC and Kirkwood. This will allow us to reach a greater percentage of Iowa high school graduates.
• Better leveraging of our strengths to attract well-prepared students from outside Iowa, emphasizing our strong track record of undergraduate research preparation and our private-college level of faculty mentoring.
• Increased marketing of our applied physics/engineering 3-2 program in Iowa and surrounding states.
• Stronger cooperation with UNI’s astronomy faculty on an astrophysics option. • Programmatic expansion to cutting-edge fields in materials science and nanoscience.
Our commitment to improve physical science liberal arts education at UNI will be expanded by:
• New and revised course offerings that combine inquiry-based education with larger-format classes.
In sum, our focus will be: continued high quality teaching, directed to more students, building a premier regional reputation for undergraduate physics.