SPIN-UP Regional Workshops:Building Undergraduate

Physics Programs for the 21st Century

Robert C. HilbornUniversity of Texas at Dallas

Support fromAmerican Association of Physics TeachersAmerican Physical SocietyAmerican Institute of PhysicsNational Science Foundation

What do we propose to do? Four regional workshops:

MarquetteNorth Carolina StateRutgersCal Poly San Luis Obispo

About 20 participating departments per workshop

Project Management Bob Hilborn and Warren Hein, PIs Ruth Howes, Project Director Karen Johnston, external evaluator Steering Committee

Goals and Objectives

Goal: enhance undergraduate physics learning for both majors and non-majors

Project Objective: Have 80 physics departments in the U.S. implement significant improvements in their undergraduate programs.

Long-term Objective: Have 50% of physics departments do the same.

Overview of the Schedule

Planning Sessions

Consultants 

David GriffithsJack HehnBob HilbornRuth HowesRandy KnightCorrine ManogueMatthew MoelterRich SaenzSteve Turley

 

Planning Sessions - Overview

Saturday 11:15 am – First Session: Clarify department’s current

situation, define issues and goals 1:30 pm - Second Session – first draft of planned actions,

identify key players and resources, outline of timeline 3:30 pm -Third Session – focus plans, measures of

successSunday 9:15 am - Fourth Session – lists of resources, how to get

broad support, prep 5 minute report back to the group 10:15 Five minute oral reports

First Session – facing the facts Clarify current departmental situation What do we know and what is the evidence?

Nature of the institution Where do our students come from? How do they find their way to physics? Why do they leave? What do our majors do after graduation? How is the department viewed by the rest of the

institution? How does the department’s program fit into the

institutional mission?

First Session: Facing the facts What are the crucial issues facing the department? Is there agreement within the department about

the importance of these issues? Where does the department want to go? Are those

goals consistent with the institutional mission? Is there agreement within the department about

these goals? Use the AAPT Guide to Self-Study …….

Undergraduate Physics as a source of questions

Second Session – What should be done, by whom, and by when? Identify short-term (six months) and long-term

(3-5 years) goals and what needs to be done to meet those goals.

Think broadly and “outside the box”. Identify similar departments that can be used

as models. What is the evidence that what you propose to

do might work?

Second Session – What should be done, by whom, and by when? Who are the key players – both in the department

and outside the department? What resources will be needed to reach the

goals? What can be done quickly without major

resources? Think about a consulting site visit. How do you engage the administration in

supporting your efforts? Develop a draft timeline, including important

targets.

Third Session Focus plans – what gets done first,

what needs to get done to set the stage for subsequent developments

Where to look for resources? Identify “measures of success” Build in feedback for corrective

action as the program develops

Fourth Session Departmental leadership – who will

lead the charge? How to distribute leadership? How to sustain faculty focus?

Prepare 5 minute oral report to share with other departments at 10:15 Sunday morning.

Goals for the Consultations Departments leave with a set of preliminary plans

Short term (six months to a year) and long term (three-five years).

Plans may include gathering more information about the department

The team has a sense of how to engage the rest of the department in this effort

Reasonable draft timeline May want to visit other “thriving” departments May want to arrange for a consulting site visit

Common Concerns Increasing the number of majors Increasing the number of majors Increasing the number of majors Building a 21st century physics

curriculum, interdisciplinary work, diversity of student preparations, serving students other than physics majors, producing more high school physics teachers, …