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Re: [Phys-l] Physics Program Reviews



We have had a review program like this in the SDBOR system (South Dakota Board of Regents) for over 15 years or more in our Regental system. We are on a seven year review cycles and last year was the third one our department has gone through.

The requirements are to bring in one outside person for a site visit who writes a report. They are provided with an extensive self-study document prior to their visit. If you have the money and if your administration allows I recommend bringing in a panel of reviewers, three is not a bad number. The recommendations of a panel will be harder for your administration to ignore than the recommendations of single professor from Lower Nowhere University.

Our Chemistry Department actually contracted with AAAS consultant group to do the job. Their advice will be even harder to ignore, but they are more expensive.

This is becoming an issue in Physics in my opinion as administrations tend to not listen to anything other than what accrediting bodies say and physics has no disciplinary accreditation the equivalent of the ACS certification for chemistry programs.

Those that can manage it can create "Engineering Physics" programs and have that accredited by ABET; but I'd like it if APS would do something the equivalent to what ACS does. It would make some bureaucratic battles easier to fight.

Joel

_________________________

Joel Rauber, Ph.D 
Professor and Head of Physics
Department of Physics
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD 57007
Joel.Rauber@sdstate.edu
605.688.5428 (w)
605.688.5878 (fax)

-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-
bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of LaMontagne, Bob
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2011 9:21 AM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: [Phys-l] Physics Program Reviews

This is basically addressed to those of you teaching in a college level
physics program.

Have any of you had an outside agency or group of individuals come in
and review your physics degree program. Did you use a group or agency
that specialized in this service or did you just invite coleagues from
another college or university?

We are being asked by our administration to review our program. We have
been supplied very little in terms of guidance - the model the
administration is using appears to be targeted at administrative
departments instead of academic ones.

Since we have to do this, we would like to get the most value possible
from the process. I would appreciate any recounting of experiences
people have had with such reviews.

Bob at PC

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