Report from the National Task Force on Undergraduate Physics (NTFUP)

 

1.                  A joint effort of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), American Institute

of Physics (AIP), and the American Physical Society (APS).

2.                  Other partners:  ExxonMobile Foundation and PKAL

3.                  Steering Committee:  Bob Hilborn, Chair; Ruth Howes, Deputy Chair

Members:  Jim Gates (UMD), David Wilkinson (Princeton), Carl Wieman (UCO), Doug Osheroff (Stanford), Ken Krane (Or SU), Laurie McNeil (UNC), J.D. Garcia (UAZ), Jose Mestre (UMA-A), Tom O’Kuma (LC)

Ex-Officio:  Bernie Khoury (AAPT), Warren Hein (AAPT), Jack Hehn (AIP), Fred Stein (APS), Jim Stith (AIP), Judy Franz (APS), Truman Bell (ExxonMobile Foundation)

 

4.                  Past Activities

a.                   An extension of AAPT’s efforts in Revitalizing Undergraduate Physics – started in September 1996

b.                  Meetings in Jan 00, June 00, Jan 01, June 01, and Jan 02 (scheduled)

c.                   Trial Site Visits – NCSU and Co School of Mines; + Xavier Univ and Or St Univ

d.                  Sessions at AAPT, APS, and other meetings

 

5.                  Current Activities  -  SPIN-UP – Strategic Programs for Innovations in Undergraduate Physics

a.                   Long Range Goals of SPIN-UP

i.         Within five years at least 50% of the 762 US undergraduate physics programs will be involved in active “revitalization.”

ii.                   More students choose physics as an undergraduate major and use a physics background to pursue a diverse range of careers.

iii.                  Undergraduate physics courses are widely viewed as making important

contributions to the education of all undergraduate students, including

science majors, pre-service teachers and other non-science majors.

b.                  Objectives of SPIN-UP

i.                     Investigate and analyze the current state of undergraduate physics

programs in the US emphasizing changes that successful departments have

made and the means by which they have implemented lasting change.

ii.                   Publicize the results of that analysis within the physics community and other scientific disciplines

iii.                  Develop a strategy for persuading physics departments to undertake strategic planning to improve their undergraduate programs.

iv.                 Establish communications between NTFUP and similar groups in other

disciplines so that we can exchange good ideas and negotiate with funding

agencies and foundations about long-term funding programs for

undergraduate SME&T education.

c.                   ExxonMobile Foundation grant of $133K to do the following:

i.                     Conduct site visits to 20 Physics Departments leading to a case study

analysis report focusing on the features necessary for an excellent

undergraduate physics program

ii.                   Conduct Departmental Survey of 762 bachelor-granting institutions giving a good sense of the current state of undergraduate physics programs, provide leads for site visits, and identify those departments that would be likely candidates for a future departmental development program.

iii.                  Publicize the results of the site visits and the survey in helping departments develop a plan to “revitalize” their undergraduate physics programs.

d.                  PhysTech – collaboration with this program

e.                   New Faculty Conference – collaboration with this program

f.                    Other efforts with AAPT, APS, PKAL, department chairs

 

6.                  Future Efforts

a.                   A Conference on the Introductory Physics Course – Ramon Lopez and Bob

Beichner, Chairs – Steering Committee of Jose Mestre, J. D. Garcia, Priscilla

Laws, Tom O’Kuma, Gary Gladding; Preliminary Date:  4/5-7/02 (F-Su) in

College Park, MD area

b.                  Next Chairs Conference

 

c.                   TYC efforts – NTFUP wants to work closely with TYC faculty and CPTYC

d.                  Others

 

7.                  TYC Efforts with NTFUP and CPTYC

a.                   Determination of the “critical unit” of change at TYC’s by doing

i.                     site visits to TYCs (suggest 10)

ii.                   By conducting a survey of TYC “departments” (with AIP)

iii.                  Help support a 2nd AIP Survey of TYC Physics and Astronomy (with AIP)

iv.                 Effort underway with Ruth Howes, Mary Beth Monroe, and Tom O’Kuma

b.                  Training of Future Teachers

c.                   Conferences on the Introductory Course – Trig-Based, Conceptual and Technical

Physics

            d.         Others