Deliver A Curriculum With Appropriate Discipline Specific Skill Sets
The curriculum will provide students with opportunities to develop the skills typically required of professionals in the area of study.
Objective
Ability To Conduct Research In Physics
Students will develop the skills to conduct resaerch, both experimental and theoretical.
Indicator
Presentation Of Research Results.
As a part of the required research course the student will,at minimum, present the results of their research to selected members of the faculty. In many cases the results will be presented by the student at a professional conference.
Criterion
Professional Conference Presentations
80% of students after completing the required research class will present their research at a professional conference.
Finding
Professional Presentations
3 of the 5 (60%) students who completed the research class presented their research at a professional conference, including the Texas Section of the American Physical Society, The American Association of Physics Teachers, and the Society of Physics Students. The students presented five papers. They will have another opportunity to present in the fall.
Action
Professional Presentations
Since 4 of the students completed the research class in the spring, many of them will present for the first time in the fall. At that time, we will look to see if all of them have presented. We will also have faculty work as mentors for those students in the research class to involve them in research with the faculty and to encourage them to present professionally.
Goal
Deliver A Curriculum With Appropriate Discipline Specific Knowledge
The curriculum will address the discipline specific knowledge dictated by professional societies and/or professionals in the workforce.
Objective
Foundation Concepts
Students will have an understanding of foundational concepts.
Indicator
Foundational Concepts
Students will be given a comprehensive exam in Physics 141 on the foundational concepts in Physics that have been agreed upon by the faculty.
Criterion
Foundational Concepts
80% of students will receive a 70% or above on the comprehensive final covering foundational concepts in physics.
Finding
Foundational Concepts
79.6% of the students scored a 70% or above on the comprehensive final covering foundational concepts in physics. Students appeared to struggle in two key areas: the translation of physics problems into mathematical equations and the ability to perform proofs and derivations.
Action
Foundational Concepts
In order to improve where students demonstrated the most difficulty, the physics faculty will assign more proofs for students to demonstrate on their own and will have students work on more assignments that involve the translation of story problems into mathematical equations.
Goal
Prepare Students For The Job Market Or Further Study
Students will be prepared to enter the job market or graduate school after completing the Physics BS.
Objective
Job Market And Graduate School
Students will be able to obtain jobs in Physics after graduation or enter a graduate school.
Indicator
Job Market And Graduate School
Students will successfully obtain a job one semester after graduation or will enter graduate school.
Criterion
Job Market And Graduate School
100% of students will obtain jobs one semester after graduation or will be accepted into a graduate program.
Finding
Job Market And Graduate School
Of the 4 students that graduated in Spring 2009, 2 were accepted into graduate school and one was employed outside of physics and one is seeking employment.Of the 2 students who graduated in Fall 2009, one was accepted into graduate school and one is still seeking employment in Physics. Of the two students who graduated in Spring 2010, one has been accepted into graduate school and one is seeking employment.
Action
Job Market And Graduate School
Our program is doing a very good job of placing our students in excellent graduate programs. We are not as successful placing students in jobs. Part of this is because of the difficult job market. The faculty will look into the feasibilityof offering internships through our independent study course for students not wishing to pursue graduate study.