Faculty+Meeting,+Oct.+4

Mark's Summary:

Dear Colleagues,

The discussion of the grad curriculum was very constructive and collegial.

Jean-Luc and I can summarize it when we meet*, but here are a few quick points ...

1. the faculty would like access to the wiki, when we deem it ready, so that they can see the syllabi and the detailed proposal, once it is ready.

2. At the next faculty meeting on this in the not-too-distant future, there should be a proposal on the table that the faculty can vote on.

3. There was no objection to having most classes rotate through a 2-year cycle, as long as attention is paid to sensible ordering within each year's offerings. The notion of teaching Radiation I, and only Radiation I, every year did not meet with any opposition.

4. The idea of offering choices among a set of courses was not very popular. People felt that we should give exposure to all students in everything we consider fundamental. By the time the meeting finished, the faculty wanted 11 required fundamental courses: _______________________ Radiation I and II Quantum Astrophysical Dynamics _______________________ Stars ISM (with fluid dynamics) Galaxies Cosmology Observational Techniques Exoplanets/planets Statistics and numerical analysis _______________________ so the only things left as electives are high-energy, OOMA, and any other 278 courses that one wants to offer.

5. The idea of alternative tracks in exoplanets/planets and high-energy astrophysics met with little enthusiasm. It seemed like most people felt that, if students want a concentration in any particular area, they can just take the classes as they can, even continuing into their 3rd year.

6. There was some discussion of balance (do we need more or less than 10 weeks in some courses?), and if we deem it necessary, we should consider 15 weeks in some subjects and 5 in others. That would be acceptable to most. However, nobody pointed to anything that really required that.

7. Any concern that there may be too much emphasis on any particular domain (e.g., extragalactic) was largely absent.

- Mark

insist on being present at the next meeting.
 * I'm gone from this weekend through the following Thursday, but I do not