FORMAT FOR APR COMMITTEE REPORTS TO THE FACULTY SENATE
1. The Academic Program Review (APR) Committee makes recommendations
about each program that it reviews in written reports to the Faculty Senate.
The APR Committee Report to the Faculty Senate should provide
constructive feedback that encourages program improvement. APR should
provide a report to Faculty Senate using the reporting grid attached to this
document. In addition, APR may choose to request a mid-review period
follow-up (3 years) to concerns raised regarding the program.
2. All materials referenced by the APR Committee should be in electronic format
and are received from the Deans’ Office. The following materials comprise
the report to APR:
 The APR Self-Study Report provided by the departmental self-study
committee (including the annual reports and other important
departmental documents contained therein);
 the unit data sheet provided by the Office of Institutional Research to
the department under review
 the report of the external consultant(s) or accreditation agency;
 the departmental response to the aforementioned reports; and
 the dean’s summary report, which is prepared by the dean after
reviewing the APR Self-Study Report, the external consultant’s or
accreditation agency’s report, and the departmental response to this
report.
Approved by Faculty Senate 9/28/06
Academic Program Review SUMMARY*
Department under review: Physics
Date self-study received in Dean’s office: September 2012
Date of external consultant’s review:
Date APR received report: September 2012
APR’S summary of self-study (first two boxes must be completed)
APR’s summary of how the academic program attempts to reach its goals and objectives
and the extent to which those goals and objectives have been achieved.
The Physics Department is designed to prepare students for a variety of workforce and/or graduate
school options. They do so by offering an assortment of majors (10) and minors (3), a diverse and
flexible curriculum, and a very strong student-centered program. The program achieves these goals
due to an impressive array of faculty representing diverse fields; highly committed student-faculty
advising, mentoring and research; extensive assessment of the program; and excellent leadership.
The department has transitioned from facing “certain extinction” in the late 1980s to being a
thriving program. This occurs at a time when many physics programs throughout the nation are
under risk. The department possesses the nation’s third highest in undergraduate graduation rates,
currently has 160 majors, and 11.5 FTE. Finally, the department is viewed as a model of success
for other physics programs; in March 2012, the American Institute of Physics (AIP) Career
Pathways Project visited UW-L’s Physics Department to gain an understanding of its techniques
for success. Many students go on to “high-tech” careers, STEM based vocations, and/or gain
entrance to highly competitive graduate programs. The physics department is truly an impressive
entity.
APR’s comments including:
Notable strengths
1. Having faced “extinction” in the 1980s, the UW-L Physics Department now ranks third in
the nation for its graduation rate. Cited as a model for its revitalization efforts by the
National Science Foundation and the National Task Force on Undergraduate Physics, it
succeeds in the context of continuing closures of physics departments across the nation.
2. The program Physics followed to avoid closure found a precise balance between studentcentered teaching, for which it was recognized in 2004 with a UW-System Board of
Regents Teaching Excellence Award (the first for UW-L), and support for active faculty
research.
3. The department successfully places 70% of its graduates in STEM careers within three
months of graduation.
4. From all accounts, the department’s leadership has been important to steering the
curriculum toward success, ensuring department collegiality, creating a healthy work
environment and enabling faculty research. Its faculty makes it one of the best programs in
the nation (ranked by the National Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Education).
5. Physics has made public engagement central to the program. It conducts outreach to local
K-12 students and teachers and offers two lecture series that bring Nobel Laureate’s and
renowned women physicists to campus. The department’s planetarium plays a major role
in these outreach programs. It is unique in SAH for having a student group for women
majors.
6. The department’s efforts at general assessment are exceptionally thorough, organized,
rigorous and recognized nationally.
Notable weaknesses
1. The number of students in the department’s intro courses have increased impressively
(doubling in the last decade) and its majors have risen from 120 to 160, but there is not
sufficient space allotted to Physics in Cowley classrooms/labs to accommodate this
increase. This forces the department to limit enrollment in these courses. Some of this
problem will be alleviated with the new science building.
2. The department should be cognizant of the credit load of its students given that many take
20-40 credits over the required number for the major.
APR comments on any/all of the six specific components of the self-study (if applicable)
Self Study: Purposes
The main purpose of the Physics Department is to offer a wide variety of concentrations within the
major, to promote scholarly activities that both faculty and students can engage in together (i.e.,
undergraduate research), and to provide services to the University and the public. More broadly,
the department acts to provide an impressively diverse curriculum, a wide variety of general
education courses, and numerous undergraduate research opportunities. It attracts high quality
students and trains them in the latest technology in several branches of physics. These strategies
prepare students for entrance to competitive graduate schools and employment in a diversity of
careers, particularly in STEM fields.
Self Study: Curriculum
After a complete overhaul of the curriculum in the 1990s, the program now has a traditional B.S.
degree (120 credits) that prepares majors for graduate school or work in various industries as well
as combined majors designed to offer students options to meet a variety of interests and needs.
These options, unique nationally in their diversity and extent of specialization, allow students two
years to decide before choosing the traditional major or an emphasis in Astronomy, Computational
Physics, Optics, Physics Education or General Science Education. Students may also choose a
Biomedical or Business concentration in addition to a dual degree program in Physics-Engineering
and Physics-Physical Therapy. The Optics emphasis and the Biomedical concentration remain the
most popular, while the Physics-Engineering Dual Degree has attracted national attention. This
innovative degree allows students to complete three years at UW-L before transferring to
University of Minnesota, UW- Madison, Milwaukee or Platteville for two years of engineering
after which they obtain a B.S. in Physics and a B.S. in Engineering. The program’s newest major,
Physics Education, provides a B.S. and Wisconsin teacher certification in 4.5 years. In 2012 it was
one of seven nationally to receive a grant from the Physics Teacher Education Coalition. Unlike
most physics programs, UW-L’s offers Electrical Circuits, Statics, and Engineering
Thermodynamics. Its six service courses (a number greater than any other program in the SAH)
serve as science electives; some of which were developed in response to requests from Biology and
Education.
The 11.5 FTE faculty members provide undergraduate research experiences for the majority of the
160 majors—a unique feature of the program—and work closely with these majors and students in
the three minors (Physics, Physics with Astronomy and Physics Education) to ensure their
retention. Majors are recommended to participate in the research of faculty members and complete
a capstone experience. Notably this program stands out in comparison to others nationally by
enabling those in the Optics emphasis to obtain research experience in UW-L’s state of the art laser
laboratory, while others receive these research experiences in other UW-L labs or at national labs.
The physics 203-304 classroom experience was changed recently as a result of findings from a
Curricular Redesign Grant from lecture-lab to a workshop style class in which students predict lab
outcomes prior to carrying out experiments and work collaboratively in groups. The department is
testing the impact of these changes on student success in advanced physics classes.
Majors typically graduate with 20-40 credits over the 120 required by the major because they take
an additional major or minor in mathematics, take additional courses in the major or enroll multiple
times in PHY 498, research. Majoring in math is often a recommendation because it will
contribute to employment and graduate school opportunities. Most majors are advised by the Chair
in mandatory sessions prior to registration and in PHY 497, where they learn about courses,
scholarships, research or internship opportunities and career options.
Self Study: Assessment of Student Learning & Degree of Program Success
After the 2005 APR review in which assessment was diagnosed as a weakness, the department
formed a committee (in 2006), and enlisted faculty to collaboratively develop program goals and
assessment measures, resulting in an integrated program of general education, course-level, and
programmatic assessment. Its numerous changes to specific courses and the overall program as
well as its multiple measures of assessment led to its recognition by the university for its work. On
this basis, Drs. Sudhakaran and Sallmen were invited to create a presentation on general education
assessment for the 2009 Association of American Colleges & Universities Engaging Departments
Institute.
The Assessment Committee assigns instructors program goals to be assessed in certain classes at
the 200-400 level. Those instructors with an assignment complete a combined direct/indirect
measures form, while those without a specific assignment complete a stand-alone indirect measures
form.
The program’s 10 learning goals are assessed through indirect measures like an alumni survey and
direct proficiency measurements including the Mechanics Baseline Test and the Conceptual Survey
of Electricity and Magnetism as well as the Major Field Test conducted in the Capstone. For
proficiency on the Major Field Test, UW-L ranked in the top half of physics programs nation-wide
over the 2006-2012 period. Specific questions and measures used across the program’s courses test
capacity for each of the 10 learning goals. For the dual degree in Physics and Engineering, the
program coordinators have suggested no curricular changes and GPA levels of UW-L students are
strong. The department’s reporting on the results of these measures honestly details students’
strengths and weaknesses, suggests reasons for the weaknesses and proposes steps to ensure the
goals are met.
As for indirect measures, the alumni survey revealed that 63% of respondents felt that the major
served them very or extremely well in preparing them for employment or enabling them to enter
graduate school. On the basis of feedback from former students now in graduate school, the
department added a course to better prepare them. A senior survey using a Likert scale measures
student perception of how their physics education met the ten program goals in addition to what
aspects were most helpful (faculty helpfulness, lab experience).
Self Study: Previous Academic Program Review and New Program Initiatives
In response to the ___ external review the department:
The physics department responded to all three recommendations from APR. The first concerns the
tracking of their 3/2 dual degree students after transfer from UW-L. The department is currently
using informal reports and transcripts as data. The second recommends continuing to seek
additional space, mostly laboratory, for new faculty. While some development in this matter has
occurred, it appears as if the situation will not improve until a new Cowley Hall Science Building
is constructed. There are also space issues because of the increase of students taking physics
courses. The third recommendation concerns the planetarium which is, in the words of a prior
academic program review, “a valuable departmental, campus, and community resources.” While
the planetarium is currently utilized for the sake of introductory astronomy labs, “sustaining
outreach in the Planetarium has become untenable for this Physics Department.” This is most
unfortunate. The UW-L planetarium is one of nine in the state of Wisconsin housed at UW
universities and the only one in the southwest of the state making it a valuable educational resource
for the area. For example, the planetarium is used in outreach efforts that introduce K-12 students
to the joys of astronomy. That being said, there have been many planetarium shows serving an
educational function available to the public and to people of all ages. Unfortunately funding
appears to be unstable, with no genuine commitment from the administrative office. While the
department will receive the funding from a donor necessary to sustain the planetarium and some of
these outreach programs for a while longer, its future existence is in question. As for initiatives, the
department has introduced a new program “Secondary Physics Education,” where a student can
earn a B.S. degree in Physics Education with Wisconsin teaching certification, in four and a half
years. Finally, the department continues to actively find ways to improve diversity in the physics
program.
Self Study: Personnel
The department possesses a diverse faculty who dedicate approximately 60% of their time to
teaching, and 20% each to scholarship and service. Faculty are encouraged to improve their
teaching effectiveness and remain current with the trends in physics education. They succeed in
this while continuing to publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at conferences, secure grant
funding and pursue college, university, department, and community service. Since 1997, faculty
have secured over 2 million dollars in external grants from NASA and NSF, among others. While
the department might need additional faculty depending on the success of the new degree in
Physics Education, or new instructional academic staff for the purpose of covering additional
laboratory sections, they are currently without need of any new tenure-track positions in the near
future.
Self Study: Support for Achieving Academic Program Goals (Resources)
Although the department has accommodated its three new faculty members with office space, it
needs space for teaching laboratories due to record enrollments in the introductory classes. The
construction of a new SAH building will solve this problem. Otherwise, they have the support they
need to achieve academic goals.
External Reviewer Recommendations
APR’s Comments on External Reviewer (if applicable)
External Reviewer’s comments included the following:
The department was reviewed by the American Institute of Physics in 2012. While the review had
much to do with how UW-L’s Physics Department excelled in preparing students for STEM based
careers, in truth the review is rather exhaustive. The review praises the department for many of the
reasons mentioned above: “aggressive advising,” dedication to students, flexible options, diverse
curriculum, talented faculty, and strong leadership. Based on the external assessment, the first two
from this list need to be underscored. The department is utterly committed, from the very
beginning, to all of its students, their development, and future success. The reviewer had fewer
suggestions for improvement and more a recommendation to continue developing and maintaining
this excellent program as new faculty are hired and others retire. The review noted the significant
effort of the Department’s Chair in advising, suggesting that this work might be distributed among
the faculty.
Department’s response to the Reviewer Recommendations
APR’s Comments on the Department’s Response (if applicable)
The Physics Department has sought to implement the recommendations from external reviewers
1. The department has hired two new faculty recently, which should help with the emphasis on
close contact with the majors and allow the department to offer their majors a variety of
emphasis options;
2. Advising is being distributed among the chair and three other faculty members;
3. Mentoring of the 50% of faculty who are untenured proceeds to ensure retention and
continuity of leadership;
4. The department now has a formal process of keeping track of alumni, communicating with
them and bringing them back to give seminars to current students.
Dean’s Letter
APR’s Comments on Dean’s Letter (if applicable)
The APR Committee concurs with Associate Dean Ray Abhold’s statement that the program has
“numerous strengths and no recognizable weaknesses.” These strengths include the dedication to
research and teaching evinced by all faculty.
APR’s Recommendations (must be completed)
Recommendations:
1. The department should continue its all-around excellent work, and in so doing, continue to
serve as a model of a highly successful and complete department.
2. In particular, the department sets the standard for student-teacher interaction and should
continue this good work.
3. The department should continue to do what it can to resolve current and future space issues.
4. The department should continue to look for funding opportunities for the planetarium, as
frustrating as this may be. Are there further ways to utilize the planetarium which might
attract funding?
5. The department should evaluate its stock of courses and diversity of concentrations in order
to discern whether or not they are a good use of the department’s resources. For example,
courses which are rarely taken, and concentrations with low yearly graduation rates.
No serious areas to address – review in next regularly scheduled cycle
*APR’s report to faculty senate will consist of this completed form in electronic form.