| Originator: | Cox, Russell Status: Approved Department: PHY Physics |
| Date Created: | 10/22/2017 Submitted: 10/22/2017 Completed: 10/30/2017 |
| ATF (Program or Discipline): | Physics, Physical Science & Astronomy |
| Date of the ATF: | 10/20/2017 |
| Statewide Update: | The majority of the discussion, as it has been for the last two years, has been about the EEG blanking. For the last two meetings, the common exam equivalency guide on the AZ transfer website has been blanked and all the particular decisions made on IB, AP, and Cambridge exam equivalences have been switched from a meticulously referenced table to a grid of "under review" for all universities and community colleges.
While some members think something malicious is going on (altering the tables in order to get the group to reassess the non-transferable assessment of some of the exams), the blanking seems to be done every year exactly one week prior to the meeting. This could indicate either an automated script or an uninformed employee of AZ transfer is doing the changes. What this leads to is a reassessment of every Physics exam for credit during the meeting, which has been done now for four consecutive years. After initially starting the processes over for the fourth time, many task force members complained. As AP and Cambridge have not updated their tests in those times or provided the task force with any new information, the table was repopulated with a back up from home institutions webpages. IB had split their test up into a Physics 1 and 2 tests and an SL and HL level. Completing the HL level for both tests yielded a Phys 111/112 equivalency. The new SL designation covered parts of Phys 111 and 112, only lighter coverage. The universities decided to give passing both tests only Phys 111 equivalency, which was odd as only parts of Phys 111 were covered but parts of Phys 112 were also covered. MCC and other community colleges eventually decided to follow suit, as that is how it would show up in a university transfer anyways. Last year's preemptive declaration of PHY 107 equivalency to ITT's defunct physics course was ignored by the university presidents on the ITT bridge program. No new information about that is known. The Math ATF wants the universities to post course outlines on the CEG website so that CCs can more easily tailor new courses to them. They are asking the physics ATF to make the same request. Note: The engineering ATF did not receive a similar request. |
| University Curricular updates: | The key person in the meeting was the person that keeps messing with our EEG table. Don't know who it is though. UoA seemed to be very upset that they kept having to review the same test over and over again, particularly Cambridge A level. My personal opinion is that Cambridge A is at least Phys 111/112, but that would clash with the universities consensus making it confusing for transfer students.
Exact positions held by people other than UoA and other online participants were hard to ascertain as the moderator forgot to bring a microphone capable of picking up anyone but the moderator. |
| Community college Curricular Updates: | Requesting course outlines would be helpful. Make sure students go to MCC's Exam Equivalency guide (EEG) page and not AZtransfer's EEG page, as it most likely will be blanked again. |
| Suggested changes to matricies: | One week before the next Physics ATF meeting, and will be undone at the meeting. |
| Articulation: | |
| Volunteering: | N/a |
| Certificates: | N/a |
| Degrees: | N/a |
| Other: | |
| Additional Comments: |