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2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.7.1 | 2.7.2 | 2.7.3 | 2.7.4 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.10 | 2.11

Quality Enhancement Plan
2.12

Comprehensive Standards
3.1.1 (Mission)

3.2.1 | 3.2.2 | 3.2.3 | 3.2.4 | 3.2.5 | 3.2.6 | 3.2.7 | 3.2.8 | 3.2.9 | 3.2.10 | 3.2.11 | 3.2.12 | 3.2.13 | 3.2.14 (Admin.)

3.3.1 (Effectiveness)

3.4.1 | 3.4.2 | 3.4.3 | 3.4.4 | 3.4.5 | 3.4.6 | 3.4.7 | 3.4.8 | 3.4.9 | 3.4.10 | 3.4.11 | 3.4.12 | 3.4.13 | 3.4.14 (Educational Program)

3.5.1 | 3.5.2 (Undergraduate Program)

3.7.1 | 3.7.2 | 3.7.3 | 3.7.4 | 3.7.5 (Faculty)

3.8.1 | 3.8.2 | 3.8.3 (Library)

3.9.1 | 3.9.2 | 3.9.3 (Students)

3.10.1 | 3.10.2 | 3.10.3 | 3.10.4 | 3.10.5 | 3.10.6 | 3.10.7 (Resources)

Federal Requirements
4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.8

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Physics Department
Mission, Core Processes, and Assessment Tools

Mission:

The Physics Department at Davidson College seeks to offer a solid major in the context of a liberal arts education.  Since physics is, in some sense, the most fundamental of the sciences, some understanding of physics should be a part of the background of everyone who claims to be liberally educated. 

M1: Departmental Role
The role of the Department is, thus, threefold: 1) preparing physics majors for graduate school and employment in science, engineering, or other fields; 2) providing a firm foundation in physics to students planning careers in chemistry, biology or medicine; and 3) teaching physics in a meaningful and useful way to non-science majors;

M2: Broad Educational Experience
The Department provides a broad exposure to the basic areas of physics at the elementary, intermediate and advanced levels. All members of the Department are committed to quality teaching in small classes with much individual attention given to students. An important part of each course and laboratory is the incorporation of current topics and recent developments in all branches of physics and the connection of physics with other disciplines;

M3: Student Processes
The Physics Department teaches students at different levels to:

• think analytically, logically, creatively, and critically;
• appreciate a scientific view of the world;
• understand the theoretical and mathematical underpinnings of physics;
• acquire, analyze and interpret data;
• operate standard and state-of-the-art laboratory equipment;
• use state-of-the-art computers and software packages in their computational, experimental and theoretical work;
• recognize the social concerns that are raised by the uses of science and technology;
• adhere to professional research ethics guidelines in the process of their work;
• communicate the results of their studies and research to various audiences.

M4: Undergraduate Research
Physics majors are encouraged to participate in independent research projects so that as undergraduate students they are exposed to quality research experiences in close contact with a faculty mentor;

M5: Links to other academic endeavors:

• In the absence of a computer science major at Davidson College, the Department also sees itself as providing comprehensive training in computer-based technology.
• The Physics Department manages and maintains the Physics Computation Center as a college resource so that students can have access to high-end machines.

Core Processes:

In order to attain these goals, the Physics Department has set forth the following processes corresponding to the above goals:

M1-2: Excellence in classroom teaching at all levels of the curriculum;

M2: Quality computational, experimental, and theoretical experiences at all levels of the  curriculum;

M3-4: Research opportunities available for all physics majors;

M3: Availability of up-to-date equipment, computers, and software in all classes and labs;

M3-4: Honors program for majors;

M1-3: Departmental Seminar program with invited speakers;

M2-3: Build a sense of community for students through SPS and the Physics Computation Center;

M1-2: Continuing evaluation of curriculum and courses;

M5: Leadership in the Computer Science and Applied Math Concentrations;

M1-3: Development, implementation and assessment of new teaching and research techniques;

M1-4: Faculty who are professionally active in research;

M1-3: National and international outreach using the internet and departmental Web servers;

M1-3: Leadership in the greater physics community, including interactive curriculum development, elected office in professional societies, and other leadership roles.

Assessment Tools:

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of our core processes, the Physics Department has used the following evaluation techniques:

A. External sources of assessment

M1-5: March 2003 external review of Physics Department [Christopher Hughes (James Madison University) and John Brandenberger (Lawrence University)] - This external review addressed many of the areas that are listed in the Department’s Mission Statement.

The Executive Summary of this review stated: “The Department of Physics at Davidson College is strong and thriving; it is providing a multi-faceted program that is easily judged to be successful when measured against its mission statement and the mission of Davidson College. The Department offers a solid major that prepares students to pursue graduate study in physics or to enter various other fields to which well-trained physicists frequently contribute. The Department provides ample service to other students and departments at Davidson who require instruction in physics either as a cognate requirement in their majors or as part of the well-rounded liberal education offered to all students at Davidson. The Department maintains high standards in its curriculum and in the professional research endeavors of its faculty; it is well-equipped in both physical and human resources; and it maintains its position as a vital department within one of the nation’s strongest colleges of liberal arts and sciences.”

M3: National assessment tests – FCI, CSEM, QMVI
The department uses several nationally recognized assessment tests to evaluate teaching and learning. We have used the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) since 1998. This instrument evaluates the conceptual understanding of mechanics in the first semester of the introductory physics courses. Physics 120 and 130 are our two largest introductory courses and are the first courses that our physics students take. Our students consistently perform at the high end of the best measured outcomes on this assessment instrument. The Quantum Mechanics Visualization Inventory (QMVI) has been used since its inception in 2001. This assessment instrument is a visualization and conceptual instrument for sophomore level to graduate level quantum mechanics. The quantum mechanics course is the last course that all physics majors take. Our students typically outperform graduate students and have some of the highest scores on this assessment. The Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM) is designed to assess the conceptual learning of electricity and magnetism in the second semester of the introductory physics course. We have begun to use this instrument more regularly. Our students consistently do very well on this assessment.

As well as doing well on these assessments, our students also perform well on the problem solving skills that we teach. Several recent studies have shown that teaching more conceptually does not inhibit the learning of problem solving. Conversely, learning problem solving does not overcome conceptual difficulties;

M2-4: Student research projects
In the last ten years, 34 individual students (71% of majors) have done research with faculty. Many of these students have done more than one project, either during the academic year or during the summer. One high school student and a student from another college also participated in research projects;

M3-4: Student research posters selected for national, regional, or state conferences
Students regularly present posters and papers at state, regional, or national conferences. In the past ten years, students have presented 50 posters or oral papers at such meetings. Another student was selected to present a poster at the Council on Undergraduate Research’s Posters on Capital Hill in Washington, DC;

M3-4: Student awards for their work
Students have won awards for their paper presentations at the Southeastern Section of the American Physical Society and the North Carolina Academy of Science. Students have also won awards for work with faculty from Computers in Physics (3) and Computers in Science and Engineering (1);

M4: Student authorship on published papers and books
Students regularly publish research papers with faculty. In the past ten years, students have appeared as co-authors on 14 published journal articles and a book;

M1-4: Graduate school admissions and career paths for physics majors
The Physics Department has graduated 48 majors over the last 10 years. The following data attest to the ability of our majors to be accepted to a variety of graduate programs or to successfully seek employment:

• 35.4% admitted to physics and engineering grad schools such as Harvard, Princeton, UC Berkeley, Penn State, Washington University at St. Louis, Duke, Brown, Scripps Institute, Rochester, and Georgia Tech
• 16.7% admitted to professional schools (medicine, business, seminary) such as Johns Hopkins, Emory, Princeton, Wake Forest
• 6.3% admitted to other grad schools (math, public policy) such as Harvard and Texas
• 8.3% take teaching positions (about twice as many teach for a few years before returning to graduate or professional school)
• 33.3% take other career positions (software, engineer, business, social work, US patent office, professional athlete)

M2-3: Sigma Pi Sigma National Physics Honor Society
Sigma Pi Sigma was founded at Davidson College in 1921. Since that time we have been active participants in the Honor Society and have admitted 22 qualified majors to Sigma Pi Sigma in the last ten years;

M2-4: Students accepted by other summer research programs
Davidson physics majors are successful at being accepted to participate in summer research programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation and other government agencies and institutions. Programs recently attended by our majors were based at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Oak Ridge National Lab, James Madison University, JILA, LIGO-Cal Tech, Cleveland Clinic, and NRAO-Green Bank;

M1,3: Society of Physics Students chapter chosen for National Awards
The Physics Department’s chapter of the national Society of Physics students is an active chapter that has won Outstanding Chapter awards in 1995-96, 1996-97, and 2000-01;

M3-4: Sigma Xi Research Awards
The Charlotte Chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, has recognized the Physics Department for Outstanding Undergraduate Research every year since 1996 by honoring a student for outstanding research.

B. Internal sources of assessment

M1-4: Organization of the major
The curriculum for the major is based on our Mission Statement and is designed to enhance the learning of our students. The Department regularly evaluates and modifies the major curriculum to keep it up-to-date and flexible. The major includes theory courses, laboratory courses, and computational courses. It is designed to give students the broad knowledge and skills that will allow them to pursue whatever career option they want. Students who so desire can participate in research projects with faculty to enhance that portion of their education. The acceptance of our majors in graduate and professional programs across the nation and in careers of their choice is evidence for the quality of our program;

M2-3: Required projects of all majors
Students taking the Electronics, Intermediate Lab, and Computational Physics courses are required to do independent projects as part of the course. Presentation of these projects occurs in different ways. In Electronics the professor evaluates the projects. In Intermediate Lab and Computational Physics the projects are presented at a campus-wide science poster session attended by campus and community members.

Other courses also require projects. Astrophysics requires a project of its students. These projects are presented at the campus-wide science poster session;

M3-4: Campus-wide Science Poster Session
Students taking some courses and participating in Independent Study or Independent Research courses present their work at a campus-wide poster session in the spring semester. This session is attended by faculty, staff and students, as well as members of the wider community. Students must describe their project and defend it based on questions and comments from those attending the session.

M3-4: Seminars for Independent Research and Independent Study courses
Every student who takes an Independent Research course is required to present a departmental seminar at the end of the course. This seminar is attended by faculty and students from across the campus. Students who take Independent Study courses are encouraged to present such a seminar;

M3-4: Honors program
The department offers an Honors program for those students who are interested and qualified. The Honors student performs an Independent Research project in experimental, theoretical or computational physics and writes an Honors Thesis which is read by all faculty members. The student presents a seminar in which they defend the topic of their thesis.

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