UCC/UGC/YCC
Proposal for Course Change
FAST TRACK
(Select if this will be a fast track item. Refer to UCC or UGC Fast Track Policy for eligibility)
1. Effective BEGINNING of what term and year?:
Fall 2012
See effective dates calendar.
2. College:
CEFNS
4. Current course subject and number:
3. Academic Unit:
PHY 161
5. Current title, description and units. Cut and
paste, in its entirety, from the current on-line
academic catalog*.
(www4.nau.edu/aio/AcademicCatalog/academiccatalogs.htm)
PHY 161 UNIVERSITY PHYSICS I (4)
First course in the three-semester, calculusbased, introductory physics sequence. Classical
mechanics. 3 hrs. lecture, 3 hrs. lab. Letter
grade only. Course fee required. Prerequisite
or Corequisite: MAT 136 or MAT 136H or
higher LAB
*if there has been a previously approved UCC/UGC/YCC
change since the last catalog year, please copy the
approved text from the proposal form into this field.
Revised 06/22/2011
Physics and Astronomy
Bold the proposed changes in this column to
differentiate from what is not changing, and
Bold with strikethrough what is being
deleted.
PHY 161 UNIVERSITY PHYSICS I (4)
First course in the three-semester, calculusbased, introductory physics
sequence. Classical mechanics. 3 hrs. lecture,
3 hrs. lab. Letter grade only. Course fee
required. Prerequisite or Corequisite: (MAT
136 or MAT 136H) or higher with a grade of
C or better. LAB
6. Is this course in any plan (major, minor or certificate) or sub plan (emphasis or concentration)?
Yes
No
If yes, describe the impact and attach written responses from the affected academic units
prior to college curricular submission.
BS Astronomy, BS Physics, BS Physics and Astronomy (merged), BSED Secondary
Education; Physics, BS Geology-all emphases (core elective), BS Environmental Science;
Applied Geology and Chemistry Emphases (elective), BS Exercise Science (elective), BSE
Electrical Engineering, BS Construction Management (elective), BS Biology (elective), BS
Biomedical Science (elective), BS Chemistry-all emphases, BSED Secondary Education;
Chemistry, BS Microbiology (elective), BSCS Computer Science (elective), BSE Civil
Engineering, BSE Environmental Engineering, BSE Mechanical Engineering, Minor
Astronomy, Minor Physics.
Attached are approvals from all three engineering departments as well as Chemistry,
Biology, and Geology.
7. Is there a related plan or sub plan change proposal being submitted?
Yes
No
If no, explain.
This course pertains to prerequisite change so no plan proposals are necessary.
However, this proposal does affect several progression plans related to the affected plans
named above. Please see attached.
8. Does this course include combined lecture and lab components?
Yes
If yes, note the units specific to each component in the course description above.
No
9. Is there a course fee?
No
Yes
10. Justification for course change.
Many universities in the U.S. have Calculus 1 as a pre-requisite for Physics 1 rather than a
co-requisite. At NAU we have traditionally had Calculus 1 as a co-requisite; this was done
as a practical issue because most of our incoming freshmen placed into Pre-Calculus
rather than into Calculus. However, in the summer of 2011 the professional advisor for
Physics, Chemistry, and Math (Jared Gardner) analyzed the grade distribution from the
Spring 2011 PHY 161 classes. He found that the students who had successfully completed
MAT 136 before taking PHY 161 had an average GPA in the class of 0.73 points higher than
the students who had not successfully completed MAT 136 previous to taking the physics
class. A T test showed that this result was statistically significant. A similar study for PHY
262 with Calculus 2 as co-req/pre-req did not show the same results, so our belief is that it
is not actually the knowledge of the calculus that makes the difference, but the overall math
skills of the students that make the difference. With the new emphasis on student success,
we feel that it is time to change Calculus 1 from a co-requisite to a pre-requisite in order to
make sure that students have the skills they need to succeed in PHY 161.
Revised 06/22/2011
IN THE FOLLOWING SECTION, COMPLETE ONLY WHAT IS CHANGING
If the changes included in this proposal are significant, attach copies of original and
proposed syllabi
CURRENT
Current course subject and number
PROPOSED
Proposed course subject and number
Current number of units
Proposed number of units
Current short course title
Proposed short course title (max 30 characters)
Current long course title
Proposed long course title (max 100 characters)
Current grading option
letter grade
pass/fail
or both
Current repeat for additional units
Proposed grading option
letter grade
pass/fail
or both
Proposed repeat for additional units
Current max number of units
Proposed max number of units
Current prerequisite
MAT 136 or MAT 136H or higher
Current co-requisite
MAT 136 or MAT 136H or higher
Current co-convene with
Proposed prerequisite
(MAT 136 or MAT 136H) or higher with a grade
of C or better.
Proposed co-requisite
NONE
Proposed co-convene with
Current cross list with
Proposed cross list with
Answer 11-15 for UCC/YCC only:
11. Is this course an approved Liberal Studies or Diversity course?
If yes, select all that apply. Liberal Studies
Diversity
Yes
No
Both
12. Do you want to remove the Liberal Studies or Diversity designation?
If yes, select all that apply. Liberal Studies
Diversity
Both
Yes
No
Yes
No
14. Is the course a Common Course as defined by your Articulation Task Force? Yes
No
15. Is this course a Shared Unique Numbering (SUN) course?
No
13. Is this course listed in the Course Equivalency Guide?
Revised 06/22/2011
Yes
Scott Galland
Reviewed by Curriculum Process Associate
11/29/2011
Date
Approvals:
Kathleen D Eastwood
Department Chair/ Unit Head (if appropriate)
11/28/11
Date
Chair of college curriculum committee
Date
1/5/12
Dean of college
Date
For Committee use only:
UCC/UGC/YCC Approval
Approved as submitted:
NAU PHY 161 (4)
2011- UNIVERSITY
PHYSICS I
12
Date
Yes
No
Approved as modified: Yes
PHY 121 (3) & PHY 122
(1) , Natural Science Quantitative (SQ),
Natural Science Quantitative (SQ)
PHYS 141
Matrix
Block / Category
School / Course
Annotation
Geology
Common Courses / Intro Mech & Intro Elect &
Mag
NAU
PHY161 & PHY262 & PHY262L
Physics, Physical Science & Astronomy
NAU
Revised 06/22/2011
No
Common Courses / Intro Mech & Intro Elect &
Mag
PHY161 & PHY262 & PHY262L
Chemistry
Common Courses / University Physics
NAU
PHY161 & PHY262 & PHY262L
Special Education
Electives / Cultural or World Geography
NAU
One Course in Cultural or World
Geography
Engineering
Common Courses / Calculus-based Physics
(Mechanics)
NAU
PHY161
From: Thomas David Hoisch <Thomas.Hoisch@nau.edu>
Date: Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 2:49 PM
Subject: RE: curriculum change
To: Kathy Eastwood <Kathy.Eastwood@nau.edu>
Cc: David Scott Brumbaugh <David.Brumbaugh@nau.edu>, James Clifford Sample
<James.Sample@nau.edu>, Carrie Rae Brugger-Schorr <Carrie.Brugger@nau.edu>
Dear Kathy - I've received input from our undergraduate committee on this. Although
not unanimous, it was generally felt that geology students who opted for PHY161/262
would be better served by having
MAT136 as a pre-requisite than as a co-requisite. If a geology student needs to take
their required physics classes prior to or coincident with MAT136, they can take
PHY111/112 instead, unless they are in our hydrogeology emphasis program, which
requires them to take PHY161/262. For those students, proper advisement will be
important to make sure they are not hindered by the new prerequisite. It is possible
that occasions will arise when students will ask for the requirement to be waived,
especially in the near-term, because programs of study for current students were
prepared without knowledge of the change.
Best wishes,
Thomas Hoisch
Professor of Geology
Interim Director of the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability
Revised 06/22/2011