Wichita State University Physics Department External Review

1. Wichita State UniversityPhysics DepartmentExternal Review Recommendations of Review Panel S.Hinks, Y.Onel, P.Ratoff, R.Rosner 4th December 2007

2. The Charge • To undertake a review of the activities of the Physics Department • To advise the Faculty Chair & CLAS Dean on • future directions for education • future directions for basic & interdisciplinary research • the optimum number of faculty to sustain a viable program • the future of the graduate program • student recruitment & retention • equipment & infrastructure needs

3. The Review Process • Dep’t Chair’s open presentation – status & vision • Individual interviews with faculty members • Interviews with Dean, VP/Research & Provost • Interviews with current students • Interviews with several other representatives • Tour of teaching laboratories • Panel private deliberations • Today’s conclusions/recommendations are preliminary • Final report due on 22nd January 2008

4. Vision of WSU • WSU is an urban-serving university in a city that is an aircraft manufacturing hub • The main research niche is engineering, especially aerospace engineering • The greatest support is felt by those research entities tied directly or indirectly to the main research niche • Seeking ways to tether basic sciences to the applied niche research area • Emerging research directions are • biomedical, supporting the second strongest sector of the region’s economy (healthcare) • sustainable energy, aligned to state-wide initiative (but lower priority) VP/Research JD McDonald

5. Physics Department Mission • Teach Physics to any of the 15,000 students at Wichita State University that need it. • Offer a Physics BA and BS degree program. • Scientific Research in Physics and Astronomy. • Physics Graduate program, currently in suspension awaiting recommendation for its future. Faculty Chair N Solomey

6. Physics Department Profile Faculty Chair N Solomey • Staff: • 6 faculty (one of which is on phased retirement) • 1 Lab Coordinator who is a lecturer in two classes • 1 Secretary who does some administrative duties • 4 Graduate Teaching Assistants (from Engineering) • Outside lecturers • Students: • 22 (?) undergraduate Physics majors

7. Population Distribution of Students in Physics Classes Faculty Chair N Solomey

8. Future of the Physics Department Faculty Chair N Solomey • The Dean has made the statement that the nominal strength of the Physics Department is about 10 full-time faculty. • The College of Engineering would like us to improve the quality of the introductory Physics classes. • The VP for Research would like the Physics Research to improve. • New hires: • (1) high energy experimental (started) • (2) low energy experimental nuclear physics (unique in Kansas) • (3) experimental astrophysics (possible cooperation with NIAR)

9. Funding the Growth • Funding for this growth has to come from many sources: • LAS support for faculty • Outside funding for a faculty for supporting the graduate program for 4 years. • Clair Booth foundation • WSU foundation • Physics department Benefactor • Support for Introductory Lab equipment: • LAS Technology grants • WSU Foundation • STEM grants • Industry (HP, MS, local companies) Faculty Chair N Solomey

10. The Panel’s Observations • Anomalously small faculty • ~50% of historical maximum (15 years ago) • excessive teaching loads for research faculty • failure to replace departing/retiring faculty • relative lack of junior faculty • Teaching laboratory equipment in urgent need of updating • Graduate program suspended

11. Panel Observations (Cont’d) • Failure to satisfy educational needs of • physics majors • non-physics majors (engineering, health, etc) • High student attrition rate (up to 50%) • Research output is low (#pubs, cites, talks, PhDs…) • Some successes • Astronomy (PHYS195) • Placement of graduates to elite programs • Student praise for some faculty

12. Panel Observations (Cont’d) • Serious personal conflict within faculty is limiting departmental effectiveness in research & teaching • consistent message emerged from interviews • a long standing problem • has affected faculty and student retention • adversely impacts morale of faculty & students • jeopardizes future growth

13. Panel Preliminary Recommendations • The serious personal conflict within the faculty needs to be addressed as first priority • While this is fundamentally the responsibility of senior management, the panel will make some specific recommendations directly to the Dean of CLAS

14. Panel Preliminary Recommendations (Cont’d) • The Department must improve its teaching effectiveness by • small class sizes or additional recitation sections for large classes • broader & higher level course options • more careful matching of faculty to courses • reviewing course content to meet needs of engineering & other departments • greater commitment by all faculty to high quality delivery of teaching

15. Panel Preliminary Recommendations (Cont’d) • The Department must improve its research effectiveness by • strategic new hires • aligning research activities with WSU’s niche research areas (biomedical & nanoscience, jointly with other departments) • investing in necessary research infrastructure • re-establishing a Masters program as soon as new hires & funding is in place (subject to further review) • consideration of PhD program in 3-5 years

16. Panel Preliminary Recommendations (Cont’d) • New hires strategy • establish high energy focus • support WSU niche research areas • wherever possible recruit excellent teachers

17. Thanks • The panel wishes to thank WSU faculty & senior managers for the invitation to carry out this review • We hope that our recommendations will be helpful to WSU and enable it to re-establish the Physics Department as a viable and successful academic unit (in research & teaching) • Thank-you for the warm welcome and hospitality that we received in Wichita • Our final report will be submitted by 22nd Jan 2008