The astronomy option of the physics major could see changes after the Council on Academic Affairs meeting Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Witters Conference Room in Booth Library.

Changes would include adding the course Plasma Physics to the electives list, adding the course Planetary Geology to the list of required courses, making the course Astrophysics a singular requirement, moving the courses Classical Dynamics and Differential Equations from the list of electives for the option to the list of required courses.

Additionally, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is asking the council to approve a change that would make the electives list to a list that students in the program must chose nine credit hours from and add the courses Experimental Physics 1, 2 and 3 to the list.

The rationale explains the reasoning behind the changes is to further students’ knowledge of cosmic phenomena.

“Stars, interstellar gas, nebulae, and even the Van Allen Belts are composed of plasma,” the proposal reads. “It makes sense for anyone studying these and other cosmic phenomena to understand how plasmas interact with electric and magnetic fields.  Therefore, Plasma Physics will benefit the students in this concentration throughout their careers.”

If approved, the changes would be effective in Fall 2022.

Two history courses will be voted on, with one new course and revisions to an existing course.

The new course, Methods, Theory and Pedagogy for History and Social Studies, would focus on students “(building) a foundation for their work as a social studies educator and reflective practitioner through study of pedagogy, instructional strategies, resources, lesson and inquiry unit design, and technology appropriate for the teaching of history, civics, and other social studies courses at the middle and secondary level.”

If approved, the course will focus on reading and analyzing “current literature on topics related to historical thinking, social studies pedagogy, and culturally responsive and anti-racist social studies practice.”

The course is intended to serve as a graduate level of social studies teaching methods.

The History Capstone Seminar course will also be up for a vote to make it a replacement for senior seminar courses for history majors.

The Political Science Capstone will also be voted on to become a replacement for a senior seminar.

Two educational psychology courses will also be voted on, one as a new course and the other as a revised course.

“Topics in educational psychology including individual growth and development, motivation, learning theories, intelligence and personality, classroom management, student evaluation, and best practices in the classroom” will be the focus of the new course, Educational Psychology/Foundations for Teachers, if approved.

Changes in EDP 2330, Educational Psychology/Foundations for Teachers, will be voted on as well because of the crossovers between it and the above course.

Corryn Brock can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].