Kansas State University is a comprehensive, research, land grant institution first serving students and the people of Kansas, and also the nation and the world. Since its founding in 1863, the University has evolved into a modern institution of higher education, committed to quality programs, and responsive to a rapidly changing world and the aspirations of an increasingly diverse society. Together with other major comprehensive universities, Kansas State shares responsibilities for developing human potential, expanding knowledge, enriching cultural expression, and extending its expertise to individuals, business, education, and government. These responsibilities are addressed through an array of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, research and creative activities, and outreach and public service programs. In addition, its land grant mandate, based on federal and state legislation, establishes a focus to its instructional, research, and extension activities which is unique among the Regents' institutions.
Program review serves the purpose of attainment of future goals, development of fresh curricula, and meeting the needs of students, faculty, and the Board of Regents (BOR). In developing a review process, the Program Review Task Force at K-State seriously considered what faculty and department administrators should provide to make the review useful while avoiding unnecessary work. The materials used to prepare the review were consistent with the six criteria identified by the BOR in their program review document. Departments provided information on their instructional, scholarly, and service activities and programs. Deans have received a detailed Statistical Overview prepared by the Office of Planning and Analysis and specified by the Board of Regents. In response to the Program Review process, each Department prepared a Program Review Report (PRR) containing common information. In preparing the PRR, the Colleges and Departments were aware of degree standards for the number of majors, number of degrees granted annually, number of faculty supporting a degree, and quality of undergraduate students suggested by the Board of Regents. After a review of the Program Review Report and the information in the Statistical Overview by the College Dean, the Graduate School Dean and the College Committees on Planning, additional information could also be requested. The Deans are responsible for preparing the two page summaries. Drafts of the PRR and the two page summaries were provided to the Provost for review and comment.
As part of the annual Board of Regents Program Review process, Kansas State University reviewed the academic programs for the Departments of Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics. The two page summaries for each degree program are attached to this report. The following materials provide short reviews for each department and their related degree programs, a summary of the major issues, and summaries of major changes and plans.
The Department of Chemistry is central to both the instructional and research missions of the university. Among twenty-five academic units within the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Chemistry ranked fourth in total student credit hour production and third in extramural research funding in 1998. Chemistry is a foundation course required in many degree programs. Freshman level chemistry and organic chemistry courses are required by majors offered in the Colleges of Agriculture, Arts and Sciences, Education, Engineering, and Human Ecology as well as majors in pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, and pre-veterinary medicine. Analytical and physical chemistry courses appear in curricula for biochemistry, chemical engineering, textiles, physical science, and pre-medicine. Non-majors take more than 93 percent of the department's student credit hours. Chemistry is a science that responds to societal needs. According to the National Academy of Science, the discipline is critical for developing new materials, feeding the world's population, conquering disease, monitoring and protecting the environment, and keeping our nation economically competitive. Chemistry is essential for providing the educational and research capabilities expected of new industries interested in locating in Kansas.
The undergraduate and graduate students in chemistry are highly qualified. The faculty in the Chemistry Department possess impressive academic credentials including three University Distinguished Professors. Many of the undergraduate students go on to graduate school programs and graduates are employed in research positions in universities, industry and government. The B.S. program in general chemistry (CIP 400501) is certified by the American Chemical Society.
The Chemistry Department offers the BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees in general chemistry (CIP 400501) and the BS degree in chemical science (CIP 400599). Enrollment levels and graduation rates for the Ph.D. degree in General Chemistry have been strong and more than meet BOR' guidelines. The M.S. degree is offered to students who either decide to not complete the Ph.D. or for students who are judged to be unable to complete the Ph.D. The number of graduates tends to meet BOR' guidelines, however, enrollments are low. The costs associated with the M.S. degree program are part of the Ph.D. program. The two B.S. degrees, General Chemistry (CIP 400501) and Chemical Sciences(CIP 400599) serve different career tracks for students and no additional courses are offered because of the two degrees. The degree program for Chemical Sciences does not meet the certification requirements of the American Chemical Society, thus this program must be kept separate from the other. Together the two degree programs meet BOR' guidelines. All degrees will be continued as they are currently structured.
The two page Summaries for the two degree programs in Chemistry can be found in the Appendix.
The Department of Mathematics plays a central role in the mission of Kansas State University: mathematics is now employed in a fundamental way in almost every area. Few careers these days do not require sophisticated quantitative skills. Today, even artists and musicians use mathematically based computer algorithms to enhance their scholarly work. The Department of Mathematics has a pervasive presence in the curriculum of the University and quantitative reasoning is required of all students regardless of their discipline.
The quality of undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics is very high. Some undergraduates have been named Goldwater Scholars and others engaged in research programs at Argonne and Oakridge National Laboratories, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and at many universities, both in the United States and abroad. Recent Kansas State mathematics graduates have been accepted to advanced degree programs at the most prestigious universities in the world, such as Princeton and Oxford University. Graduate students go on to a variety of industry and academic positions. During the last five years, the faculty have produced more than 280 articles in referred journals, and their work and that of their graduate students is an important part of the research programs of the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. One of the faculty members is a Regents Distinguished Professor, and another is a University Distinguished Professor.
The Department of Mathematics offers the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in mathematics (CIP 270101).
Enrollment levels in all three degree levels exceed BOR' guidelines. All degrees will be continued as they are currently structured.
The two page Summary for the degree programs in Mathematics can be found in the Appendix.
Kansas State University has the responsibility to provide all students an understanding of the physical world. These fundamental notions of the workings of the world come from the discipline of physics and form the essential underpinning of scientific, technical, and engineering education. The Physics Department has traditionally served a large and varied clientele from other departments across the University. The Physics Department also has the responsibility to maintain undergraduate and graduate programs of high quality in order to educate future generations of scientists. Undergraduate majors are provided the skills needed to contribute effectively in the chosen career, and will produce through its graduate education an individual able to function confidently as a professional physicist. The Physics Department maintains a very active research program which contributes to society through the generation of a better understanding of the physical world and our relationship to that world.
The Physics Department has a small but very high quality undergraduate program with almost half of the students going on to graduate training. One of it teachers was named the CASE Professor of the year by the Carnegie Foundation. Doctoral students have had no difficulty securing careers in industry and in higher education. The James R. Mcdonald Laboratory, operated through the Physics Department, has been designated a national user facility by the Department of Energy. The High Energy Group, which only started at K-State in 1993, is now a mature and well funded research group engaged in several experiments at the FERMI National Accelerator Laboratory. The condensed matter group is multi-disciplinary in nature and has strong on-going collaborations not only with faculty in chemistry and engineering at Kansas State, but also with research groups around the world. Funding for this group comes from individual grants from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and other federal agencies.
The Physics Department offers the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in General Physics (CIP 400801).
Enrollment levels and number of graduates for the B.S. degree do not currently meet BOR' guidelines. The program has developed plans to double the number of undergraduates in the next seven years. The training model in the Department of Physics is very similar to that in Chemistry, the M.S. degree is offered to students who want to quit at this level or for students who are judged to be unable to complete the Ph.D. Therefore, the number of graduates and enrollment levels are low. The costs associated with the M.S. degree program are part of the Ph.D. program. All degrees will be continued as they are currently structured.
The two page Summary for the degree programs in Physics can be found in the Appendix.
Geology is concerned with activities that develop and protect natural resources including water, oil, gas, stone, coal, sand, and salt; thus, preserving the natural resources of Kansas. A thorough understanding of the structure of the earth is necessary for well-educated students, particularly for those contemplating careers in engineering and agriculture. Geology is heavily involved in the University's General Education Program and attracts over 1,000 students from all disciplines across the university in supporting the general education classes each semester.
The faculty in Geology are moving into a transitional stage. In the review period we have seen two retirements and one faculty resignation, and in the next few years we anticipate more turnover, particularly through retirement. Given the number of faculty members in the department (seven), the turnover is very substantial and creates a unique opportunity for the Department to refocus its activities and refine its programs. Since 1995, two new faculty members have been recruited who are both excellent teachers and have research interests which assist the Department in its goal of building strength in the research area of sedimentary basins. In building a thematic emphasis in sedimentary basins, the department will maintain and enhance its expertise in hydrogeology, basin tectonics, and basic stratigraphy resulting in a vital dynamic program with a unique focus among Regents' Institutions. The quality of the masters program is high and students graduating from the masters program have succeeded with placement either into geology careers or in Ph.D. programs at other universities.
The Department of Geology offers degrees at the BS and MS level in geology (CIP 400601) and a BS degree in geophysics and seismology (CIP 400603). Enrollment levels in the BS degree in geophysics and seismology have consistently fallen below BOR' established guidelines. The department has asked to discontinue the degree in geophysics and seismology (CIP 400603). The request to drop the degree is being processed by the Faculty Senate and, if approved, will be forwarded to the BOR for action. Both the BS and MS degrees in geology (CIP 400601) will be continued. However, enrollment levels and number of graduates for the MS program have not meet the BOR' guidelines. The College of Arts and Sciences has required the Department of Geology to develop and submit in the Fall of 2000 a detailed plan to enhance enrollments. This plan will be implemented for recruitment of students entering in the Fall of 2001. Progress will be closely monitored and the department expects to meet BOR guidelines by the Fall of 2003.
The two page Summary for the degree programs in Geology can be found in the Appendix.
The Department of Statistics was created in 1959 and is the only statistics department in the State of Kansas. The mission of the department includes: training and educating future generations of statisticians at the bachelors, masters and doctoral levels; providing quality undergraduate and graduate education through its service courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels; pursuing both theoretical and applied research; and contributing to research in science and engineering through active collaboration. The Department is an innovator in the implementation of computer assisted approaches for the enhancement of undergraduate education in statistics. Statistics plays a unique role within the College of Arts and Sciences with respect to its close collaboration with, and statistical consulting for, researchers in the Agriculture Experiment Station over five colleges.
Four faculty members have been elected Fellows of the American Statistical Association; one has completed a five-year term as the founding editor of the Journal of Agricultural, Biological and Environmental Statistics, and several faculty members serve as associate editors for various journals. All faculty members are actively engaged in research and have collectively published over 120 articles in professional journals during the review period. A 1993 National Research Council survey of graduate faculty in statistics ranked Kansas State third in the Big 12 after programs at Iowa State and Texas A&M. The average ACT score of junior and senior majors over the past two years is 29.6. One of the department's seven-year goals is to increase the number of undergraduates majoring in Statistics. The purpose of the Master's degree program is to train students who will become outstanding applied statisticians with exceptional consulting and communication skills. The doctoral program in Statistics has distinguished itself nationally and internationally by providing a blend of applied and theoretical statistics, coupled with hands-on exposure to real world problems. Graduate students are encouraged to obtain collaborative consulting experience. They have the opportunity to obtain formal training in consulting for credit whereby they receive supervised experience with campus researchers. Graduate students are well prepared to work in government, industry, and academia.
The Department of Statistics offers degrees at the BS, MS, and Ph.D. level in Mathematical Statistics (CIP 270501). Enrollment levels in the BS degree program are below BOR established guidelines. The programmatic focus in the Department of Statistics is on the graduate program rather than on the undergraduate major. This is typical of the situation at other major public universities in the United States. Some institutions do not even offer the bachelor's degree in statistics while those that do tend to have very small programs. Importantly, no statistics courses at K-State are specifically designated just for statistics undergraduate majors. The current service offerings for other majors suffice for undergraduate statistic majors and no additional instructional resources are required by undergraduate statistics majors. The enrollment level for the MS is slightly below BOR' standards, but the number of graduates is more than adequate. Both enrollment levels and number of graduates for the Ph.D. program meet BOR standards. All degrees will be continued as they are currently structured.
The two page Summary for the degree programs in Statistics can be found in the Appendix.
The five departments in the physical sciences and quantitative areas and their associated seven degree programs generally represent a strong set of academic programs. Four of the departments offer degrees at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral level and the fifth offers degrees at the baccalaureate, and master's level. Collectively, the instructional, research and service activities of these departments is very high and they make major contributions to producing high quality graduates both within their own departments and for other academic programs. The faculty's ability to produce high quality research and secure grant funding is high. Collectively, these departments historically account for over 15% of the University's extramural funding. The research programs in chemistry and physics are among the premier programs at Kansas State University. The departments and their faculty provide high quality services to the university, profession, and the community and, together, the faculty members contain 9 University Distinguished Professors (40% of the total at Kansas State University).
The majority of the degrees programs meet BOR' standards at all degree levels. The graduate education models in Chemistry and Physics create the illusion that the master's program are under-enrolled. The majority of graduate students in these areas are not expected seek a master's degree, but move directly to a Ph.D. The master's degree is needed for those students who want it and for the limited number of graduate students who will not continue on for a Ph.D. The low enrollment levels in each of the two BS degrees in Chemistry reflect the need to differentiate two sub-populations of undergraduates and allow proper recognition of one of the programs. The majority of the undergraduate courses for majors are required for both degrees. Minimal costs are required by having the two degrees and collectively the programs meet BOR' guidelines. The undergraduate degree in Statistics has very low enrollments, however other than time required to advise these students it incurs no additional cost. No additional courses other than those offered for service purposes are required and the cost of the degree is, therefore infinitesimal. In Geology, the faculty propose to drop one very low enrollment BS degree in geophysics and sesmology (CIP 400603) and the master's degree program will be closely monitored and the department expects to meet BOR guidelines by the Fall of 2003.
Thus one degree program will be discontinued and one will be closely monitored.
The Department of Chemistry was the first department at Kansas State University to offer the Ph.D. The program is central to both the research and instructional missions of the university. Among twenty-five academic units within the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Chemistry ranked third in extramural research funding and fourth in total student credit hour production in 1998.
Chemistry is a foundation course required in many degree programs. Freshman and organic chemistry courses are required by majors offered in the Colleges of Agriculture, Arts and Sciences, Education, Engineering, and Human Ecology as well as majors in pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, and pre-veterinary science. Analytical and physical chemistry courses appear in Biochemistry, chemical engineering, textile, physical science and pre-medicine curricula. Non-majors take more than 93 percent of the department's student credit hours.
Chemistry is a central science that responds to societal needs. According to the National Academy of Science, the discipline is critical for developing new materials, feeding the world's population, conquering disease, monitoring and protecting the environment, and keeping our nation economically competitive. Chemistry is essential for providing the educational and research capabilities expected of new industries interested in locating in Kansas.
The department consists of 18 graduate faculty in the fall of 1999. Many of these have been hired over the past six years. They possess impressive academic credentials, and a number of faculty have had their scholarship recognized by Kansas State University, national and international awards. The department has three University Distinguished Professors. The National Research Council rates the quality of faculty in the Department of Chemistry as in the upper half of all doctoral programs in chemistry. The department is among the leaders at K-State with respect to success in obtaining extra-mural research grants. During the review period, the department received between $1.6 and $2.5 million per year. Among EPSCoR states, Kansas leads in the number of grants from the National Science Foundation Chemistry Division. During the review period, K-State has received 12 of the 16 grants within the state of Kansas.
The graduate program focus is on the Ph.D. Students are not actively recruited into the MS program. Two other Regents institutions have programs that serve the needs of those who wish to receive the MS degree in chemistry. The National Research Council rates the graduate program in the top 50 percent of all chemistry programs nationally. While the graduate program is very strong, the quality of undergraduate instruction also receives substantial emphasis. The average ACT composite for undergraduate majors was 27.7 for fall 1998. All ranked faculty members are involved in teaching in the undergraduate program. The department offers six general education courses. The department participates in an undergraduate exchange program with the United Kingdom and promotes a National Science Foundation summer research program for undergraduates.
The department's seven-year goals include expanding the number of graduate students from 55 to between 80 and 100 students. Additional emphasis is being placed on recruiting domestic students. The program has also taken several steps to increase the number of majors to include: expanding the numbers of scholarships, diversifying international recruitment, and expanding the recruitment of chemistry majors from Kansas's high schools.
Training in chemistry provides many different career possibilities. Chemists are employed in the chemical industry, industry in general, government and education. Also, chemists with the bachelor's degree are particularly well prepared for advanced study in medicine, pharmacy and other health areas as well as teaching.
Many students in the bachelors program have been admitted to the nation's best graduate programs.
The graduate program focuses on preparing chemists to do research in universities, industry, and government. The chemical industry in the U.S. is a major employer of chemists. It contributes 17 percent of the gross domestic product with more than $200 billion in sales and is a net exporter with a $15 billion positive balance of trade. Research chemists explore and synthesize new compounds while development chemists translate research findings into products, working in such areas as marketing, economics, management and safety.
The Department of Chemistry plays a central role in a doctoral research university. At Kansas State University, the department provides a large number of courses to serve other programs within the university; some 3,500 students take freshman level courses in the program each year. The pursuit of scholarship in the department contributes to the national and international research efforts in chemistry and many of the faculty enjoy an international reputation. Graduates at the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels possess skills considered essential by employers inside and outside the state of Kansas.
The Department of Chemistry produces 3.5 percent of the institution's
undergraduate student credit hours, and 1.6 percent of graduate
credit hours with 3.0 percent of the institution's general
use expenditures. Considering the high resource demands associated
with operating instructional science laboratories, the program
appears to be very cost effective. Importantly, the department
typically brings the university over $2 million of extramural
support each year.
Descriptions of centrality, curriculum quality, faculty quality, and service provided to the discipline and Kansas State University are the same as those offered for the Chemistry Major.
The Chemical Science undergraduate major was established about twenty years ago. It is different from the chemistry major in that it provides the student with a broader program with less specialization in chemistry than the American Chemical Society certified B.S. program. The chemical science major uses a different mix of existing courses but does not require specialized, majors only, courses beyond those already required of the chemistry major an average of five students per year receive their degree in Chemical Science. However, the major does not require any additional resources dedicated exclusively to the program.
The Chemical Science curriculum, either as a primary or secondary
major, is appropriate for students who wish to enter a health-care
field such as medicine or medical technology, for persons
who wish to become secondary school science teachers, and
for those who wish to work as a professional in a chemical
laboratory. The curriculum also serves those who wish to pursue
graduate work in public health or another discipline in which
chemistry is important, but not the principal area of emphasis.
The Department of Mathematics plays a central role in the mission of Kansas State University, through its degree programs, its research, and service course work provided to all sectors of the Institution. All three mathematics degree programs: bachelors, masters, and doctorate help to develop the highly skilled and educated work force necessary for the economic well being of the state of Kansas. In particular, the Ph.D. program produces scientifically proficient graduates who function as part of the technology leadership needed to make the state and the nation economically competitive. Mathematics, traditionally used in the sciences and engineering, is now employed in a fundamental way in almost every area. Few careers these days do not require sophisticated quantitative skills, and some of the most explosive areas of growth in mathematical applications have been in the social, biological and behavioral sciences. Today, even artists and musicians use mathematically based computer algorithms to enhance their scholarly work. The Department has a pervasive presence in the curriculum of the University and this reflects the universal recognition that numeracy is a hallmark of the educated person, and that quantitative reasoning is required of all students regardless of their discipline.
All faculty possess the terminal degree and teach both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. During the last five years, fourteen of the faculty (fifty-percent) have obtained extramural support for their scholarly programs. Much of this support has come from the National Science Foundation and it is worth noting that mathematics funding from such national agencies is extremely competitive, far more so than in the sciences or engineering. These research grants have brought in one-and-a- quarter million dollars to the University. During the last five years, the faculty have produced more than 280 articles in referred journals, and their work and that of their graduate students is an important part of the research programs of the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. One of the faculty is a Regents Distinguished Professor, and another is a University Distinguished Professor. Over the last five years, faculty in the Department have won numerous university teaching awards, and departmental GTAs have been winners of both the Stamey Graduate Student Teaching Award and the Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence.
The undergraduate emphasis in the actuarial sciences is unique among the Regents' Universities and maintains close ties to the insurance industry. The Graduate Program offers training in many specialties in pure and applied mathematics, some of which are unique in the region. Several indicators speak to the quality of undergraduate and graduate instruction in mathematics. In particular, it should be noted that departmental teams have been very successful in the national Putnam competition, departmental students have been very successful in the Goldwater Scholarship Program, undergraduate students are engaged in research programs at Argonne and Oakridge National Laboratories, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and at many universities, both in the United States and abroad. Recent Kansas State mathematics graduates have been accepted to advanced degree programs at the most prestigious universities in the world, such as Princeton and Oxford University.
The Ph.D. Program in Mathematics was initiated in the 1960s, and was for many years ranked by the American Mathematical Society as a group three program. However, the latest report in 1995 has elevated the Ph.D. program to group two status--the only program in the state ranked this high. This ranking reflects the reputation of the faculty, their success in attracting grant support, the currency of the Ph.D. program and the reputation of its graduates.
Mathematics is a central core discipline and at Kansas State four emphases are available for undergraduate majors: an actuarial mathematics emphasis for students wishing to become actuaries or seeking a career in the financial sector; an applied mathematics emphasis for students seeking a career in business, government or industry; a pre-graduate emphasis for students intending to enter graduate school; a mathematics education emphasis for students who intend to become secondary school mathematics teachers. The masters degree program prepares graduates for high school and community college mathematics teaching and for a variety of technical and administrative careers in industry and government. The Ph.D. Program is designed to educate mathematicians who intend to make research or teaching at the university level their career. These degree programs, each in its own way, serve the need of the state and the nation for a work force with a high level of technical sophistication.
We have remarked elsewhere on the contributions of the faculty and students of the Mathematics Department to the discipline. The impact of the Mathematics Department and its programs on the University is substantial and fundamental. Every student at the University takes mathematics classes, and the Department has made its service obligations a very high priority. In particular, we note that the success rate for students enrolled in college algebra is far above the nation wide average, and this derives from the serious attention paid to these students and their needs by the Mathematics Department. In addition to such service courses as college algebra, trigonometry, and the calculus sequence, the Department also offers eight sections each year of a general education course designed to enhance student understanding and appreciation of mathematical topics. Approximately 250 undergraduates from a variety of departments across the campus take this course.
The Department of Mathematics produces annually more student credit hours than any other department on the campus, and generates student credit hours per full time equivalent at a rate substantially in excess of the college average, for ranked faculty, for instructors, and for GTAs.
We note that graduate credit hour costs exceed those for most
science programs, and in part this is a reflection of a relatively
small doctoral program. The department will need to maintain
its recruitment efforts at the graduate level and also ensure
that there is an appropriate balance of faculty effort between
the undergraduate and graduate instructional programs.
As a comprehensive land grant University, Kansas State has the responsibility to provide for all students a liberal education and this should include an understanding of the physical world. In addition to this, the University with its scientific and technically oriented programs has a need for instruction in the physical laws of the world. These fundamental notions of the workings of the world come from the discipline of physics and form the essential underpinning of scientific, technical, and engineering education. The Physics Department has traditionally served a large and varied clientele from other departments across the University and has always worked hard to ensure that these students receive the best and most appropriate physics instruction.
The Department also has the responsibility to maintain undergraduate and graduate programs of high quality in order to educate future generations of scientists. The Department provides the undergraduate major with the skills needed to contribute effectively in the chosen career, and will produce through its graduate education an individual able to function confidently as a professional physicist.
The Department also needs to maintain an active research program in order to contribute to society through the generation of a better understanding of the physical world and our relationship to that world.
The Department of Physics has twenty-eight tenured or tenure-track faculty with state appointments. There are also a number of research professors employed on grants. The Department has built internationally known research efforts in atomic physics, science education, high energy physics, and condensed matter physics, and over the five-year review period extramural funding has increased from approximately 3.7 million dollars per year to 6.3 million dollars in fiscal year 1998. The faculty all have the terminal degree and many have international reputations for the quality of their work. We note that the James R. Mcdonald Laboratory, operated through the Physics Department, has been designated a national user facility by the Department of Energy. The High Energy Group, which only started at K-State in 1993, is now a mature and well funded research group engaged in several experiments at the FERMI National Accelerator Laboratory. The condensed matter group is multi-disciplinary in nature and has strong on-going collaborations not only with faculty in chemistry and engineering at Kansas State, but also with research groups around the world. Funding for this group comes from individual grants from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and other federal agencies. The education group, although small, is doing outstanding work that is nationally recognized. Particularly noteworthy is that Dean Zollman, the leader of this group, was selected to be CASE Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation. The Physics faculty are truly one of the strongest and most productive at Kansas State.
In 1996 a ranking by U.S. News and World Report of atomic/molecular/optical programs at major U.S. universities ranked the K-State Program 18th in the nation. Other data collected and published by the National Academy of Sciences, and by the National Research Council speak highly to the relative quality of the Kansas State physics programs. Such data, including for example numbers of publications per faculty member places the Kansas State program highly in the nation.
Approximately one-half of our baccalaureate physics graduates go on to post- graduate study and have been consistently accepted into the very best programs in the nation. The Department has made a conscious effort to involve undergraduate students in research programs and has recently adopted a new physics curriculum involving a second bachelor's degree giving the department flexibility to direct students to the appropriate path depending on their professional goals. The opportunities for undergraduates in physics have been strengthened in recent years, and it is a goal of the department to double the number of physics majors in the next seven years.
The Ph.D. program, building as it does upon the research strengths of the faculty, is of outstanding quality, and graduates have had no difficulty securing careers in industry and in education.
Training in physics allows for many different career possibilities. Physicists are employed in industry, research labs, government, and education. Many students in the bachelors program have been admitted to the nation's best graduate programs. The Graduate Program focuses on preparing physicists to carry out independent research.
Education in physics is required of almost all science and engineering majors. In addition to this, the general education experience at Kansas State involves physics courses. Thus, the Physics Department contributes on a large scale to the undergraduate educational experience across the campus. The research and graduate programs are well-integrated on campus and involve joint activity, particularly with chemistry and engineering disciplines, on materials science questions. Our physics faculty and graduate students through their research contribute in fundamental ways to the nation's technical and scientific agenda, and to the research programs of the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, and many other major research agencies.
The Department's credit hour per FTE is right at the college
average. Dollar instructional costs per credit hour are almost
exactly at the University's average. It is noteworthy that
this reasonable level of cost is obtained even though Physics
must be taught with the use of expensive laboratory equipment.
It is also noteworthy that the Physics Department generates
a very large extramural funding base and indeed averages over
$240,000 per year per faculty member in competitive extramural
funding. This level of extramural research is vastly greater
than in most other units and further shows a pattern of constant
increases in the recent past.
Geology as a discipline is concerned with activities that develop and protect natural resources including water, oil, gas, stone, coal, sand, and salt. As such, Geology is crucial to the protection of natural resources and to the mission of Kansas State University. In addition, a thorough understanding of the structure of the earth is necessary for well-educated students, but particularly for those contemplating careers in engineering and agriculture.
Geology is further involved in the University's general education program by attracting over 1,000 students from all disciplines across the university to general education geology classes each semester.
The faculty in Geology are moving into a transitional stage. In the review period we have seen two retirements and one faculty resignation, and in the next few years we anticipate more turnover, particularly through retirement. Given that the number of faculty currently in the department is seven, this level of turnover is very substantial and creates a unique opportunity for the Department to refocus its activities and refine its programs. Two new faculty have been recruited since 1995 who are not only excellent teachers, but also whose research interests assist the Department in its goal of building strength in the research area of sedimentary basins. It is anticipated that faculty recruitment will continue over the next several years as retirements take place. In building a thematic emphasis in sedimentary basins, we will maintain and enhance our expertise in hydrogeology, basin tectonics, and basic stratigraphy resulting in a vital dynamic program with a unique focus among Regents' Institutions.
The bachelors program provides graduates with a solid background in the fundamentals of geology including a strength in field geology. Undergraduate students are actively involved in research with the faculty. Through direct experience, undergraduate students learn the scientific method and how to apply geologic research techniques. Senior faculty members are heavily involved in teaching undergraduate classes, and indeed ranked faculty produce student credit hours at a higher rate than any other program in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The quality of the masters program is high and students are required to conduct an original, independent research project under the supervision of a faculty adviser. All students graduating from the masters program have succeeded with placement either into geology careers or in Ph.D. programs at other universities. Enrollment in the masters program has been low for many years, and the Department is well aware of the absolute necessity to increase enrollments if the master's degree is to remain viable in the long term. The College has required the Department to develop a detailed plan to enhance enrollments in the Masters program. This plan is to be submitted to the Dean during spring 2000, and will be implemented in the next recruiting cycle. The College will institute internal reviews of graduate enrollments in fall 2001 and again in fall 2003. We fully expect to see 20 percent enrollment gains in each such review, so that we may exceed the Regents minimal enrollment guidelines by fall 2003. It is intended that new faculty hired will have the type of well-funded research projects that are needed to support graduate students.
Enrollment is consistent from year to year and is well balanced with the job market. Of the 45 students who have graduated in the review period, 29 are pursuing geology careers and 13 have entered graduate programs.
In terms of faculty positions and operating expenditures, Geology is a small program, and production of students is correspondingly low, but enrollment is consistent from year to year and is well balanced with the job market. Thus, it appears that the Geology Program is meeting student and employer needs.
Geology faculty are engaged in many areas of basic geologic research and are productive in publishing their work. Research has been supported by a variety of agencies including the U.S. Geological Survey, the Kansas Geological Survey, the U.S. Army, the National Science Foundation, and NASA. The faculty have developed some interactions with other units on the campus, and we hope to see an expansion of these activities.
It is to be noted also that Geology course work is utilized by many other majors on the campus, in agriculture, engineering, and education particularly, but also by the general student body meeting natural science and general education requirements.
It has been noted above that Geology is a small program. Its general use expenditures currently comprise 0.7 percent of the University's instructional expenditures, and this represents a decline of 18% over the review period. During this period, student credit hour production has remained about level, comprising two percent of the Institution's undergraduate SCH and .2 percent of the institution's graduate SCH. Thus, the cost effectiveness of this program appears to be about average for the College.
It is however, critical that the College and the Department
maintain a clear commitment to enhance enrollments, particularly
at the graduate level, to increase extramural funding, to
support more graduate students, and to fill vacated faculty
lines only with an understanding of the need for a vital,
and focused geology program at Kansas State University.
Statistics is the science of decision making under uncertainty. The Department of Statistics was created in 1959 and is the only statistics department in the state of Kansas. The department has 13 tenured or tenure track faculty positions. Six faculty members hold half-time appointments with the Agricultural Experiment Station.
The mission of the department includes: training and educating future generations of statisticians at the bachelors, masters and doctoral levels; providing quality undergraduate and graduate education through its service courses; pursuing both theoretical and applied research; and contributing to research in science and engineering through active collaboration. The department is an innovator in the implementation of computer assisted approaches for the enhancement of undergraduate education in statistics. Statistics plays a unique role within the College of Arts and Sciences with respect to its close collaboration with, and statistical consulting for, researchers in the College of Agriculture and elsewhere on campus.
Among 13 faculty members in the Department of Statistics, four have been elected Fellows of the American Statistical Association. One has completed a five-year term as the founding editor of the Journal of Agricultural, Biological and Environmental Statistics, which is published by the American Statistical Association and the International Biometric Society. Several faculty members serve as associate editors for various journals. All faculty members are actively engaged in research and have collectively published over 120 articles in professional journals during the review period. Faculty research encompasses both applied and theoretical statistics. A 1993 National Research Council survey of graduate faculty in statistics ranked Kansas State third in the Big 12 after programs at Iowa State and Texas A&M.
During the period 1994-1998, the department is credited with attracting approximately $680,000 for extramural sponsored research. Funding has been received from such agencies as the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Defense, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the National Science Foundation.
The programmatic focus in statistics is on the graduate program rather than on the undergraduate major. This is typical of the situation at other major public universities in the United States. Some institutions do not even offer the bachelor's degree in statistics while those that do tend to have very small programs. Importantly, no courses are specifically designated just for undergraduate majors. Thus, current offerings suffice and no additional instructional resources are required to provide for the major at this time. Most students who receive the bachelor's degree in Statistics go on to graduate school. The average ACT score of junior and senior majors over the past two years is 29.6. One of the department's seven-year goals is to increase the number of undergraduates majoring in statistics.
The purpose of the Master's degree program is to train students who will become outstanding applied statisticians with exceptional consulting and communication skills. The doctoral program in statistics has distinguished itself nationally and internationally by providing a blend of applied and theoretical statistics, coupled with hands-on exposure to real world problems. Graduate students are encouraged to obtain collaborative consulting experience. They have the opportunity to obtain formal training in consulting for credit whereby they receive supervised experience with campus researchers. Graduate students are well prepared to work in government, industry, and academia.
Bachelor's graduates seeking immediate employment are able to find jobs, however, most graduates have gone on to graduate school. Of the 43 master's students who graduated during the review period, 37 are employed as statisticians, primarily in large corporations, while 6 are pursuing the Ph.D. The job market for Ph.D. statisticians is very strong, particularly in industry. Since 1994, the department graduated 25 Ph.D. students. Six are employed in academia, 15 work for U.S. industries while 4 returned to their home countries.
Many different programs across campus require Statistics courses. During FY98, non-majors accounted for 95.7 percent of the 10,146 student credit hours offered. The department is heavily involved with providing courses that meet university general education requirements. During FY98 over 2,150 students took statistics general education courses.
The Department of Statistics Statistical Laboratory serves researchers and students from across the campus. Faculty are heavily involved in graduate education in other departments. During the review period, statistics faculty members served on 111 MS and 216 Ph.D. committees. Each year, the department hosts the K-State Applied Statistics in Agriculture Conference.
The Department of Statistics is efficient in student credit hour production with credit hours per FTE at the College average for 1998. This is particularly impressive considering that statistics classes demand smaller numbers of students per section than is the case for courses in many other departments in the College. Graduate level costs per credit hour are significantly lower in statistics than those for programs in the natural sciences and mathematics. Importantly, undergraduate majors in statistics complete their degree requirements without specialized, "majors only" courses. The undergraduate major in statistics requires no additional funding above and beyond that required to meet the department's service mission to the university.