ACADEMIC PROGRAM APPROVAL

 

                                                                                             CHECKLIST

 

This form is a routing document for the approval of new and revised academic programs.  Page 2 will serve as an attachment to the Faculty Senate agenda.  Proposing department should complete form, attach as a cover page and forward to the college dean. Documentation should include copy of curriculum as it is to appear in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog.  Proposals must arrive to the Undergraduate/Graduate Committee by November in order to reach the Faculty Senate by March 1.   Proposals received after this date cannot be implemented the following year nor included in the catalog for that year.

                                                                                                                                                                                                              

1.        Proposed change leads to the degree of

 

(  ) Bachelor of Arts                                (  ) Master of Arts                  (  ) Doctor of Philosophy      

 

(X) Bachelor of Science          (  ) Master of Science              (  ) Other ______________________________________

 

2.   (  ) New major/curriculum                                                                                                                                                                                                               Title to be entered in record of students who select this program

 

       (  ) New minor                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Title to be entered in record of students who select this program

 

       (  ) Change from provisional to permanent status.

 

 

3.   (X) Revision of existing:         (X) major                          (  ) minor                                 (  ) concentration

 

Present title   BS Physics                                                                                                                                                                      

 

Records System Program Code  ASPS                                                                                                                                         

 

(X) Add/delete required courses/credit hours

 

                (  ) Add concentration                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Title

(  ) Delete concentration                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Title

 

4.  (  ) Deletion of existing/disestablish:    (  ) major               (  ) minor                 ( ) Other _______________________________

 

                 Title                                                                                                                              Code______________________                                              

 

5.  (  )  Policy Change____________________________________________________________________________________

                                                Title/Department

 

ROUTING AND APPROVALS: (Please do not remove supporting documentation.)

 

Department Chairperson:  George Hadjipanayis                                                                   Date October 3, 2003            

 

Dean of College                                                                                                                       Date                                       

 

Chairperson, Senate Com. On UG or GR Studies                                                                  Date                                       

 

Chairperson, Senate Coordinating Com.                                                                 Date                                       

 

Secretary, Faculty Senate                                                                                                       Date                                       

 

Date of Senate Resolution                                                                                                      Date to be Effective               

 

Registrar                                                                  Program Code                                         Date                                       

 

Vice Provost for Academic Programs & Planning                                                                  Date                                       

 

Provost                                                                                                                                   Date                                       

 

Board of Trustee Notification                                                                                                                Date                                       

 

 


a.  Rationale for creation, revision, or  deletion:

 

1.        The first goal of our revision is to add flexibility to the program by giving the student more control over which physics classes they take.  Students vary as to which subfields most interest them, and in whether they are more oriented towards theoretical or experimental work.  In addition, students are often interested in working on a senior research project under the supervision of a faculty member, which is something we would like to encourage.  The existing requirements simply state which physics courses a major must take, and leave essentially no time free for any other physics courses to be added or alternative courses to be taken. 

 

2.        Bring the Physics B.S. major into the university norm of 124 total credits required.  Currently, the major requires 130 credits.

 

3.        Update the program by giving our majors exposure to both chemistry and biological sciences. 

 

4.        Allow students to choose between a foreign language and a computer science sequence for the B.S. degree only.  Both areas are a critical part of a student’s future career, but within the confines of 124 credits we wish to allow the students to choose one or the other sequence.  A full sequence in foreign language is currently required for the Physics B.A. and the Physics Education degrees, and this will not change.

 

 

 

 

b.  Summary of program:

 

We show the proposed requirements as they would appear in the catalog later in this document.   Here, we compare our proposed requirements with the current ones.

 

1.        Physics and total credit requirements  The existing requirements state that a major must take 42 credits in specified (‘core’) physics courses.   In order to increase the students’ flexibility, we propose to require 45 credits in physics, with only 27 of these specified.  This table shows the current and proposed core, and our proposed reduction in total credits required.

 

Current physics requirements for B.S.

Proposed

PHYS207

Fund. of Physics I

4

PHYS207

4

PHYS208

Fund. of Physics II

4

PHYS208

4

PHYS209

Fund. of Physics III

3

PHYS309

3

PHYS306

Computational Methods of Phys.

3

 

 

PHYS313

Physical Optics

4

PHYS313

4

PHYS419

Classical Mechanics I

3

PHYS419

3

PHYS424

Quantum Mechanics

3

PHYS424

3

PHYS603

Electricity & Magnetism I

3

PHYS603

3

PHYS604

Electricity & Magnetism II

3

 

 

PHYS616

Kinetic Theory & Thermo.

3

 

 

PHYS620

Classical Mechanics II

3

 

 

PHYS621

Fund. of Modern Physics

3

 

 

PHYS647

Modern Physics Laboratory

3

 

 

 

Introduction to Thermal Physics

 

PHYS310

3

‘Core’

 

42

 

27

 

 

 

Additional credits of PHYS at or above 400 level, e.g. PHYS604, PHYS616, PHYS607, PHYS645, PHYS646, PHYS460

18

 

 

 

‘Core’ + required credits

45

Total credits

 

130

 

124

 


 

2.        Natural science requirements  The current requirements are for 8 credits of chemistry.  While the interface of physics and chemistry continues to be an important part of our field, the physics of biological systems is arguably the most exciting frontier in physics at the present time.  In light of this, we propose to require exposure to both a chemistry and biology laboratory course.

 

 

Current natural science requirements for B.S.

Proposed

CHEM103

General Chemistry

4

CHEM103 or CHEM111/119

4 / 5

CHEM104

General Chemistry

4

 

 

 

Introductory Biology

 

BISC207

4

Total

 

8

 

8 / 9

 

 

 

 

3.        Mathematics requirements  The current requirements are for 21 credits of mathematic, we propose to reduce this to 18 credits while adding the option of a new sequence offered in MATH341, 342.

 

 

Current mathematics requirements for B.S.

Proposed

MATH241

Analytic Geometry and Calculus A

4

MATH241

4

MATH242

Analytic Geometry and Calculus B

4

MATH242

4

MATH243

Analytic Geometry and Calculus C

4

MATH243

4

MATH302

Ordinary Differential Equations

3

MATH302 or MATH341

3

MATH349

Elementary Linear Algebra

3

MATH349 or MATH342

3

MATH503 or 508

Advanced Calculus for Applications or Introduction to Complex Variables

3

 

 

Total

 

21

 

18

 

 

4.        Foreign language or computer science requirements 

 

 

Current requirements for B.S.

Proposed

Completion of the intermediate-level course (107 or 112) in a given language.  Number of credits needed and initial placement will depend on number of years of high school study of foreign language.  Students with four or more years of high school work may attempt to fulfill the requirement in that language by taking an exemption examination.

0-12

Completion of the intermediate-level course (107 or 112) in a given language.  Number of credits needed and initial placement will depend on number of years of high school study of foreign language.  Students with four or more years of high school work may attempt to fulfill the requirement in that language by taking an exemption examination.

0-12

 

or

CISC105

General Computer Science

3

CISC181

Intro. to Computer Science

3

CISC220

Data Structures

3

CISC260

or CISC280, CISC300 levels

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

AUTHORIZED DEGREE TITLES

Please check the appropriate degree:

 

(   )          Bachelor of Applied Science

(   )          Bachelor of Arts

(   )          Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies

(   )          Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies

(   )          Bachelor of Chemical Engineering

(   )          Bachelor of Civil Engineering

(   )          Bachelor of Computer Engineering

(   )          Bachelor of Electrical Engineering

(   )          Bachelor of Environmental Engineering

(   )          Bachelor of Fine Arts

(   )          Bachelor of Liberal Studies

(   )          Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering

(   )          Bachelor of Music

(X )          Bachelor of Science

(   )          Bachelor of Science in Accounting

(   )          Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

(   )          Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

(   )          Bachelor of Science in Education

(   )          Bachelor of Science in Nursing

(   )          Master  of Applied Sciences

(   )          Master of Arts

(   )          Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

(   )          Master of Business Administration

(   )          Master of Chemical Engineering

(   )          Master of Civil Engineering

(   )          Master of Education

(   )          Master of Electrical Engineering

(   )          Master of Environmental and Energy Policy

(   )          Master of Fine Arts

(   )          Master of Instruction

(   )          Master of Marine Policy

(   )          Master of Materials Science and Engineering

(   )          Master of Mechanical Engineering

(   )          Master of Music

(   )          Master of Physical Therapy

(   )          Master of Public Administration

(   )          Master of Science