Executive Board Minutes - March 2006 (part 2)

Executive Board Minutes (Continued)
March 25-26, 2006
AAPT National Office
American Center for Physics

Session II, March 26
(Heller called Session II of the Board to order.)

18. Executive Session I. Heller convened the Board into Executive Session I (with Executive Officers and Holbrow) to consider (1) the Editor’s Response to the TPT Five-Year Review, (2) the Final Report of the PSRC Review, (3) the status report from the Book Editor Search Committee, and (4) continuation of the position of Senior Staff Physicist.

(Heller convened the Board into Open Session.)

19. 75th Anniversary. Mamola reported that the TPT has been publishing a section on important physics events that happened 75 years ago in commemoration of AAPT’s75th anniversary. Heller suggested that a selection of TPT articles, editor’s choice, be posted on the web so as to publicize our history during this commemoration. Monroe suggested that we should also consider posting some of the TPT covers on the AAPT website and in a special display at the Syracuse meeting. Heller asked if Tobochnik could post some articles published in the AJP. Khoury recommended that some articles from Romer’s term could be posted or maybe the Executive Office could provide a hot link to these articles. Heller explained that we had not been taking the 75th anniversary seriously and opined that the selection of articles should have substantive connection to AAPT’s history. Monroe suggested that Voss as AAPT Historian, or someone else, should update AAPT’s history to reflect our more recent initiatives such as the New Faculty Workshops and the two-year college programs.

20. AJP Review.Monroe reported that she continued to struggle in her efforts to complete the membership for the AJP Five-Year Review. She will ask for Board input as soon as the membership list has been completed.

21. 2008 Nominating Committee. Each year the Section Representatives appoint two members to serve on next year’s nominating committee and the Board appoints three members.The Board also designates one of the five members to serve as Chair. During its January meeting, the Section Representatives elected David Wright and John Fitzgibbons to serve on the 2008 Nominating Committee. Roeder moved that the Board authorize Heller to appoint three members and to designate the Chair, with input from the Board. Leff seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. General discussion then followed producing a list of proposed members and a prioritized list for Chair.

The 2008 Nominating Committee will be charged to find candidates for the Fall 2007 elections. Board positions to be filled include the Vice-President, the Treasurer, and the At-Large Member representing the high school community. The Committee will also appoint two members to each area committee. The elected candidates and appointed committee members will begin their terms of office at the end of the 2008 Winter Meeting.

22. Executive Session II. Heller called the Board into Executive Session II (without Executive Officers) to review the Executive Session Minutes for January 2006.

(Following a short break, Heller reconvened the Board into Open Session.)

23. Advanced Labs. Leff reported that he had received the Interim Report from the Task Force on Advanced Labs on March 24th, too late to share with the Board at this meeting. He will email a copy to all members. The committee reported that one or two of its members would attend the business meeting of the Gordon Research Conference to propose that the next topic for a conference be advanced labs. Chabay explained that the next conference would likely be on computational physics. Holbrow then suggested that the Task Force should pursue the organization of a topical conference and to consider asking the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) to be a cosponsor. Mostafa Hemmati, Division of Physics and Astronomy, would be the appropriate contact person. Holbrow asked Leff to see if some of the Task Force are members of CUR.

R. Peterson noted that the membership on the Task Force did not include a representative from the southern states. Heller said he could appoint another member to the Task Force if Leff felt it was appropriate.

Leff reported that one preliminary suggestion from the Task Force concerned the creation of a new section in the AJP on advanced labs techniques that would focus on pedagogy. Holbrow urged the Task Force to look at both camps – those schools that have advanced labs and those schools in which undergraduate research displaces advanced labs. Holbrow explained that this study would reach out to R1 universities. Another thought by the Task Force was that the NSF should provide funds for dissemination of advanced labs techniques since they provide funds for equipment grants. D. Peterson responded that the AAPT has provided that vehicle in our Summer meetings, having as many as three presentations.

24. Section Representatives.

• R. Peterson reported that the Louisiana Section apparently is reactivating following the interruptions caused by Hurricane Katrina.
  
  
• Gibson asked that the Vice Chair of Section Representatives be appointed to the Audit Committee, since the Chair of Section Reps serves as the committee Chair. He felt this appointment would prepare the Vice Chair of Section Reps for this responsibility. Following a short Board discussion, members agreed that an official appointment was not necessary. The Vice Chair should merely add attendance to the meeting of the Audit Committee to his list of responsibilities. The Board directed the Secretary to remind the Vice Chair of this each January.
  

25. Treasurer’s Report. Robertson reported that the AAPT had received $111 K in revenue for the Anchorage meeting, including $70 K in registration fees. However he estimated a $121 K deficit after all expenses have been paid. The deficit does include overhead expenses.

26. Secretary’s Report. Monroe reported that the Board had not had any electronic motions since its last meeting. Other items in her report had already been addressed.

27. Report from the Past President.

• D. Peterson distributed a list of the recipients for the Summer 2006 AAPT Awards: Klopsteg - Lisa Randall, Professor of Physics, Harvard University; Millikan - Art Hobson, Professor of Physics, University of Arkansas; Pre College Award for Excellence in Teaching - Steve Ethen, Physics Teacher, Burnsville Senior High School, Burnsville, MN; and Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Teaching - Michael Dubson, Dept. of Physics, University of Colorado.
  
  D. Peterson reported a change in the citation on the certificates for the Richtmyer and Klopsteg lecture awards, which more appropriately recognizes these as research presentations. The citations shall now conclude as “… for stimulating interest and knowledge of an active area of physics research and broadening its impact on the teaching of physics.” D. Peterson informed the Board that during its meeting in Syracuse, the Awards Committee would present its recommendation regarding proposed word changes in the criteria for Excellence Awards requested by Jim Nelson (See January 2006 Minutes, Item 35).
  
  
• D. Peterson distributed copies of his report as AAPT Representative at meetings of the APS Forum on Education and the APS Council. He explained that the Past President of AAPT attends meetings of the Forum and the President attends meetings of the Council, which meet twice a year. The Board had no questions regarding his report.

28. Report from the President Elect.

• Leff reported that he had contacted Rod Grant concerning the status of the article of Strassenburg’s interview for the Announcer. Grant said he had had some indications from Strassenburg that the article will be ready for the Fall issue.
  
  
• During the Anchorage meeting, a subcommittee of the Programs Committee was formed to review the structure of AAPT meetings. Gordon Ramsey will lead the group. Members include Andy Gavrin, Steve Shropshire, and Rachel Sherr. Leff pointed out that this was another meetings task force but this one was not the Board’s. In response to a question from Chabay, Leff said the subcommittee did have access to the data from previous task forces.
  
  
• Leff asked Khoury if meetings in the ACP area were cost effective. Khoury said that while such meetings were less expensive for the organization (no expenses for staff travel and shipping charges for equipment), they were a hassle because AAPT members expected staff to be in both places, at the ACP office and at the meeting. The estimated difference in cost is about $ 10-20,000.

29. Report from the Vice President.
Adair’s handout to the Board presented her progress report for the Winter 2007 meeting in Seattle. AAPT will be meeting jointly with the American Astronomical Society and therefore the dates for the deadlines have been changed.

Adair will represent the AAPT at the International Conference on Physics Education to be held August 13-18, 2006 in Tokyo, Japan. The meeting’s theme is “Physics for All”. Adair has been involved with the USA/Japan/China trilateral conferences since their inception in 1986.

30. Report from the President. Heller had no item to report at this time.

31. Affiliated Organizations. Mamola reported that he had met and talked with members of an AAPT affiliated group from Chicago during the Anchorage meeting. He was impressed with their energy and their enthusiasm. The group meets once a month, has a newsletter, and is a real asset to the Association. Mamola has asked Jim Hicks to write something about the group for publication in the TPT. The TPT article is an effort to persuade others to replicate this effort.

Gibson mentioned the efforts of another AAPT affiliate in Michigan, the first to receive such status. Khoury reported that the AAPT has a number of affiliated groups but many of them do not maintain communications with us. Mamola suggested that we should commit some resources to stimulate more groups and interactions. Monroe explained that she needed Board help in receiving regular information about the activities of AAPT affiliated groups.

31. Adjournment. A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting. Heller thanked the Board members and guests and adjourned the meeting.

Mary Beth Monroe, AAPT Secretary
 
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SUPPLEMENT
Called Meeting
April 22, 2006
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

Members Present: Ken Heller, President; Dick Peterson, Past President (by phone); Harvey Leff, President Elect; Lila Adair, Vice President; Mary Beth Monroe, Secretary; Chuck Robertson, Treasurer, Randy Peterson, Chair of Section Representatives; Al Gibson, Vice Chair of Section Representatives; Ruth Chabay, At-Large Member; John Roeder, At-Large Member; Dwain Desbien, At-Large Member, Jan Tobochnik, Editor, American Journal of Physics (by phone); Karl Mamola, Editor, The Physics Teacher; Bernard Khoury, Executive Officer (by phone)

Guest: Charlie Holbrow, Senior Staff Physicist and Member, Executive Officer Search Committee

During a special meeting called by the President, the Executive Board met in Executive Session at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The purpose of the meeting was twofold: (1) to act on the recommendation from the Executive Officer Search Committee regarding the appointment of a new Executive Officer, and (2) to act on the recommendation from the Book Editor Search Committee regarding the appointment of a Book Editor.

Mary Beth Monroe, AAPT Secretary