DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND APPLIED OPTICS
1990-00 Goals in Strategic Plan Format
This document contain the 1999-00 goals for the department in the format consistent with
the Academic Affairs Strategic Plan as well as the guiding principles of the institute.
These goals will be modified as necessary and approved in the 1999-00 academic year. It
includes the following:
1. The task will be to set goals for the Physics and Applied Optics department and
determine the environment of the PHAO program in the next three to five years.
2. Implement an external advisory board.
3. Develop a department strategic plan that meshes with the Academic Affairs Strategic
Plan.
4. Identify any other goals as they fit within the Academic Affairs Strategic Plan.
5. All departments must have ongoing assessment activities for North Central and ABET.
OVERALL STRATEGIC PLANNING ACTIVITIES
i) Develop a PHAO strategic plan by December 1, 1999 with the following:
 follow the guidelines from the previously approved goals statements
 establish timelines and measures of success
 establish interdepartmental activity
 establish assessment criterion
 identify problem areas and solutions
ii) Establish communication with departmental stakeholders
iii) Implement an external advisory board
PHAO KEY STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
These five key directions are patterned on the RHIT goals and objective.
1. Recruitment of highly qualified faculty and students and placement of students
2. Provide excellent learning environment by constantly improving curriculum and
educational resources
3. Foster faculty and staff professional development
4. Assessment of the graduates learning and professional skills
5. Resource management and infrastructure development to support the academic mission
1.0 PHYSICS AND APPLIED OPTICS KEY STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1
Recruitment of highly qualified faculty, students and placement of students:
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1.1 Faculty: Recruit faculty who are committed to excellence in teaching and have
demonstrated to be active researchers.
1.2 Physics and Applied Optics Majors: Develop and implement methods to increase the
number of majors by redefining the focus of the program. Continue to develop
interdisciplinary courses to bring about integration of the subjects. Develop methods to
increase the number in the upper division courses.
1.3 Physics and Applied Optics Certificates and minors: Develop appropriate course
sequence to motivate students to enroll in interdepartmental courses that lead to a minor
or certificate.
1.4 Student improvement and involvement: Increase the sense of interest and ownership
among Physics and Applied Optics majors and minors as well as increase the awareness
and interest in Physics and Applied Optics.
 Increase the activity of SCOPE to focus on demonstration and activities in the
campus and for local high schools
 Promote student and faculty research
 Increase student presentation in national and international conferences
 Create a physics and Applied Optics quiz contest to increase awareness
 Increase the activity of students to do projects for schools
1.5 Job and Graduate school Placement:
 Develop a network of potential employers for Physics and Applied Optics
Majors.
 To investigate the possibility of preparing students majoring in physics or in
applied optics to excel in graduate school or in their professional position
 Improve placement both in the industry and graduate school.
1.6 Physics placement and diagnostic tools:
 Review the physics placement methods
 Coordinate with Catapult and Fast track to increase support
1.7 To make the MS program in applied optics a nationally recognized program viewed
as a first choice program for a terminal degree in applied optics
2.0 PHYSICS AND APPLIED OPTICS KEY STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2
Provide excellent learning environment by constantly improving curriculum and
educational resources.
2.1 Freshman and sophomore curriculum: Evaluate the influence of the freshman and
sophomore curriculum on PHAO program. This will include the following:
 To coordinate physics sequence with the math
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2.2 To provide a relevant and coherent foundation in physics for all majors
2.3 To develop outreach programs in the areas such as physics, applied optics,
interdisciplinary courses, and science teaching for non-traditional students and offcampus constituencies
2.4 Physics and Applied Optics program review
 Assess the changes needed to modify the degree program as needed in the work
place
 Design and implement the certificate programs with interdepartmental needs
 Make the documentation of applied optics syllabi available in the PHAO home
page
 Develop the documentation for the physics syllabi
 Document examples of final exam materials in the home page
 Obtain NSF and other grants to develop new laboratories
2.5 Undergraduate research
 Increase and encourage research of faculty and students
 Work closely with TED/TASC to foster faculty and student interaction
 Increase the industrial involvement for the project courses
 Work closely to develop a materials center
 Look at possibility to interact with the Center for Applied Optics Studies to
develop graduate and undergraduate fellowships
2.5 Computer infrastructure
 Upgrade the computers in the undergraduate laboratories
 Increase the number of experiments that interface with computers
 Demonstrate the high end computer interface in physics and optics experiments
 Continue to use laptop computers in the upper division courses
2.6 Campus wide programs: Continue to actively participate and develop campus wide
programs such as:
 Fast-Track
 Research experience for undergraduates
 Rose-Hulman science contest
 Catapult
3.0 PHYSICS AND APPLIED OPTICS KEY STRATEGIC DIRECTION 3
Foster faculty and staff professional development
3.1 Education:
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Encourage and support curriculum innovation and development
Find appropriate ways to reduce the workload of faculty in the department
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Recognize and support the continuing educational and professional development
of faculty members
Establish methods to provide faculty and staff evaluation performance
Mentor and provide appropriate guidance for junior faculty members
Encourage faculty members to write grant proposals that have a global value for
RHIT
Support the sense of community among faculty members
3.2 Professional development:
 Recognize and continue to support professional scholarly activities of faculty
members
 Mentor and support junior faculty member’s professional development
 Support faculty to participate in RHIT sponsored projects and activities
 Provide appropriate avenues for staff to sharpen their skills
 Promote faculty seminars and colloquia
 Encourage faculty to write research grants that are appropriate to the
department’s as well as the institute’s goal
4.0 PHYSICS AND APPLIED OPTICS KEY STRATEGIC DIRECTION 4
Graduates learning and professional skills
4.1 Student in the majors: Provide the student with a global education that is needed in
graduate school and work place. When given the opportunity the student will:
 Recognize the role of professionals
 Demonstrate the understanding of contemporary issues
 Ability to work in teams
 Ability to communicate effectively
 Continue to support and develop the effectiveness of teaching strategy and
project based courses so that they meet the global needs of the students.
4.2 Students in other majors: Provide a sound understanding of the basic concepts of
physics that is related to their majors. These students will:
 Recognize the use of math, physics and chemistry in their profession
 Support the development to nurture problem solving ability
 Ability to communicate in written, graphical and visual forms
4.3 Assessment of student outcomes: Develop and implement assessment plans for ABET
and North Central accreditation. Discuss the effectiveness of teaching strategy such as
Studio Physics, Physics 1,2, and 3 sequence, Catapult, and other programs related to
physics.
4.4 Assessment of the physics and applied optics programs: Develop an assessment plan
for undergraduates and graduates in the program. Continue to support and evaluate the
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effectiveness of teaching strategy and project based courses so that they meet the global
needs of the students.
5.0 PHYSICS AND APPLIED OPTICS KEY STRATEGIC DIRECTION 5
Resource management and infrastructure development to support the academic mission
5.1 Space allocation:
 Review faculty and staff office spaces
 Review the stock room space and maximize its utilization
 Continue and develop the Moench hallway for physics and applied optics display
5.2 Undergraduate Physics laboratory
 Continue to improve undergraduate laboratories with appropriate renovations to
be the best in the nation
5.3 Undergraduate and Graduate Optics Laboratory
 Continue to improve undergraduate laboratories with appropriate renovations to
be the best in the nation
 Review office spaces for graduate students
5.4 Faculty research labs
 Review and renovate laboratory spaces for faculty especially junior faculty
 Work with Associate Dean to explore research lab spaces for faculty
 Look for ways to equip the laboratories
 Review the space allocation in Moench hall
5.5 Discussion room: Create an area to encourage formal discussions between faculty and
students, speakers and students, and student/student interaction.
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