Charge: Update Physics faculty and staff on important developments at the Campus level. Provide written reports following each Representative Assembly meeting.

Charge: Serve as a conduit of information to/from their constituencies. Seek input and feedback from departmental faculty, staff, and students on budgetary matters. Organize and work with faculty constituents in the preparation of reports concerning various departmental matters.

Provide advice to the Department Chair on a range of departmental matters including recommendations on matters related to the allocation and utilization of financial resources, as well as advising on strategic decisions and initiatives. This committee serves to ensure transparency, accountability, and the optimal utilization of departmental resources as well as chart the department’s long-term strategic plans.

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Charge:

Support departmental goals of fostering and sustaining a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for all members of the Physics community. Cultivate improvements in departmental transparency, so all members of the community are informed and given the opportunity to provide input into departmental policies and processes.

Help the Department Chair and departmental leadership ensure a professional work environment that encourages respectful communication and interactions between all members of the department.

Evaluate methods to improve the climate within the department. Conduct and/or commission climate surveys as necessary. Evaluate survey data to determine the needs of the Physics community at UC San Diego.

Devise and recommend implementation strategies to overcome challenges to achieving a supportive and inclusive environment for students, staff, faculty, and all members of the Physics community.

Partner with the Colloquium & Events Committee to organize events and activities to foster a sense of belonging and community.

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The Committee Chair oversees scheduling coordination and delegates to subgroups and leads the responsibility of gathering speaker recommendations from both committee members and external constituencies.

Identify and secure speakers for departmental colloquia, ensuring diverse topical coverage throughout the academic year. Evaluate current colloquium venues, scheduling frequency, and promotional approaches. Research strategies to enhance attendance and foster meaningful interactions between speakers and department members at all career levels, with particular focus on students and postdocs.

Create an annual departmental events calendar and coordinate institution-wide events alongside special lectures (Dashen, Memorial, etc.) in partnership with the Department Events Coordinator.

Gather attendee feedback to evaluate event effectiveness. Submit quarterly post-event summaries to departmental leadership, documenting outcomes and key takeaways from each quarter's programming.

Conclude the academic year with a comprehensive report on attendance metrics and the impact of implemented process modifications; provide insights and strategic recommendations for subsequent years.

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Members:

Charge: Update and maintain a database of prizes in physics to bring to the attention of the faculty. Update and maintain aggregate information on prize nominations and prizes awarded.

Solicit and review potential nominees, evaluate likelihood of success, and conduct a fair and impartial evaluation of all nominees, avoiding bias or favoritism; draw strategy and timeline for nominations; ensure that all nominations meet the eligibility criteria and are complete; submit nominations.        

Report in a Spring Quarter faculty meeting: (1) the number and type of nominations made, (2) the results to date.

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Charge: 

Administer the Department’s graduate admissions process under the parameters set forth by the Department Chair. Meet early in the academic year to plan the admissions cycle and address graduate student admission issues.

Develop and maintain a transparent and fair application review process. Establish guidelines for evaluating applications, including standardized rubrics if applicable. Ensure that all admission decisions comply with University and Department policies. Maintain confidentiality and security of applicant data.

Promote diversity and inclusivity in the applicant pool. Develop strategies to attract applicants from underrepresented groups. Consider ways to reduce bias in the admission process.

Regularly assess the effectiveness of the admission and recruitment processes. Solicit feedback from faculty, staff, and students to identify areas for improvement, including how to improve methods for anticipating demand and matching offers to demand. Assess and implement new methods for successful recruitment of top candidates, increasing the number of students supported by NSF, Hertz, and other fellowships. Explore new avenues for advertising and promoting the department's PhD program.

Collaborate with the Graduate Admissions Coordinator and Student Affairs staff to plan and execute Open House activities for admitted students. Review and assign endowed graduate scholarship awards to maximize yield and competitive advantage in admissions.

Develop guidelines for managing waitlisted applicants and deferral requests. Ensure a fair and consistent approach in these cases.

Collect and analyze data on admission trends and outcomes. Prepare reports and presentations to inform department faculty and stakeholders.

Members:

Charge: Review and recommend improvements to graduate advising policies, practices, and procedures. Propose methods for assessing and reporting on student performance and progress to degree. Disseminate information about resources, opportunities, and updates related to graduate advising, student life, and awards. Collaborate with Student Affairs staff to promote the committee's initiatives and engage the broader departmental community.

Develop and implement strategies to support and improve the academic and professional development of graduate students. Encourage participation in conferences, seminars, and other opportunities for skill-building and networking. Monitor and assess the impact of professional development initiatives on students' success. Develop strategies to increase the probability of success of underrepresented and/or marginalized students.  

Foster a positive and inclusive academic environment for graduate students. Organize and support activities, events, and initiatives that enhance the overall student experience. Address issues related to student well-being and retention within the department. Gather feedback from students to identify areas for improvement in student life and implement changes accordingly.

Administer departmental awards and recognitions for graduate students. Establish and maintain clear criteria and procedures for award nominations and selections. Promote opportunities for students to apply for external awards, scholarships, and grants. Ensure fairness and transparency in the award selection process.

Promptly bring to the attention of the Vice Chair of Graduate Education any student you feel is having serious trouble with the program. Meet with the Physics Graduate Council (PGC) to solicit feedback on the effectiveness of faculty advising and mentorship programs.   

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Charge: 

Prepare departmental diagnostic exam for incoming graduate students; includes preparing solutions and properly verifying all questions and solutions. Analyze and compare student outcomes following participation in coursework against diagnostic exam results to address preparation gaps and other concerns. 

Collaborate with Graduate CEP to investigate the underlying factors contributing to graduate student course repetition and assess whether implementing diagnostic examinations is serving as an effective preventive intervention.

Members:

Charge:

Evaluate and report on instructional, curricular, or graduate student education issues. Review and recommend updates to the department's graduate program policies and procedures. Consider and advise on policies related to graduate student progression, milestones, and degree completion.

Monitor and assess the effectiveness of the graduate curriculum, including course offerings and program requirements. Determine the appropriate course content and level, as well as the description of course content, for the campus course catalog; ensure the course catalog reflects these decisions. Determine what leeway instructors should have in selecting course materials in light of descriptions in the course catalog. Recommend mechanisms for enforcement of content control. 

Assess the benefits/drawbacks of adding courses on teaching methods and modern practices, including issues of dealing with diversity and different learning styles. 

Evaluate, discuss, and propose effective ways of assessing teaching performance (in consultation with the Teaching Evaluation Committee), including past grading practices. Meet with the PGC to discuss issues related to the graduate curriculum.

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Charge: 

Develop a clear and concise mission statement for the department's outreach efforts. Establish specific, measurable, and achievable outreach goals; define both short-term and long-term objectives. Identify and define the profile of target audiences for community engagement efforts (e.g., students, parents, local community, alumni). Ensure that outreach programs are inclusive and accessible to a diverse audience.

Establish a system for collecting feedback from participants and stakeholders and use feedback to improve and refine outreach initiatives. Prepare periodic reports for departmental leadership and stakeholders.

Create innovative outreach programs and activities that align with the department's mission and goals. Consider various formats, such as workshops, seminars/webinars, demonstrations, and community events. Organize summer outreach activities with visiting groups and help advertise outreach opportunities. Explore partnerships to enhance the impact of outreach efforts.

Develop a comprehensive communication plan to promote outreach activities utilizing various channels, including the departmental website, social media, list-serves, and newsletter. Collect information on all outreach efforts conducted within the department and post annually on the department website. 

Determine budgetary needs for future outreach initiatives and submit a budget request for the subsequent year to departmental leadership in June. 

Participate directly in at least two (2) outreach activities per year (e.g., Triton Day, Admit Day, YPP, public lecture, talk at a school, lab tours).
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Members:

Charge:

Attend class sessions for selected instructors and evaluate teaching methods, materials, and learning outcomes, including an assessment of past grading consistency with established departmental and campus standards.

Conduct objective and unbiased evaluations, ensuring fairness and impartiality throughout the process. Submit written reports to Student Affairs staff within one (1) week following each observed session.

Develop, refine, and execute comprehensive strategies to broaden peer-evaluation practices for teaching within the Physics department, in view of holistic teaching evaluation review instituted by UC San Diego campus recently.

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Charge:

Review and recommend improvements to undergraduate advising policies, practices, and procedures. Collaborate with Student Affairs staff to disseminate information about resources, opportunities, and updates related to undergraduate advising, student life, and awards. Organize 2-3 quarterly panel discussions on selected topics.

Develop and implement strategies to support and improve the academic and professional development of undergraduate students. Encourage participation in research, seminars, and other opportunities for skill-building and networking. Monitor and assess the impact of professional development initiatives on students' success. Develop strategies to increase the probability of success of underrepresented and/or marginalized students.  

Foster a positive and inclusive academic environment for undergraduate students. Organize and support activities, events, and initiatives that enhance the overall student experience. Address issues related to student well-being, diversity, equity, inclusion, and retention within the department. Gather feedback from students to identify areas for improvement in student life and implement changes accordingly.

Administer departmental awards and recognitions for undergraduate students. Establish and maintain clear criteria and procedures for award nominations and selections. Promote opportunities for students to apply for external awards, scholarships, and grants. Ensure fairness and transparency in the award selection process.

Participate in at least three (3) undergraduate-related activities per year: e.g., Triton Day, Admit Day, YPP, graduation, etc.  

Promptly bring to the attention of the Vice Chair of Undergraduate Education any student you feel is having serious trouble with the program. Meet with the Society of Physics Students (SPS) to solicit feedback on the effectiveness of advising and mentorship programs. 

Members:

Charge: 

Collaborate with the Vice Chair of Undergraduate Education to address Physics major enrollment challenges.

Evaluate and report on instructional, curricular, and undergraduate educational concerns. Review and propose revisions to departmental undergraduate program policies and procedures. Provide guidance on policies governing undergraduate student advancement, milestone achievement, and degree completion requirements.

Assess and monitor undergraduate curriculum effectiveness, including course availability and program prerequisites. Establish appropriate course content, academic level, and catalog descriptions for campus course listings; ensure catalog accuracy reflects these determinations. Define instructor flexibility in course material selection within catalog parameters and recommend content oversight mechanisms.

Engage with the Society of Physics Students (SPS) to address undergraduate curriculum matters. Analyze the Undergraduate Program Review report and provide actionable recommendations. Evaluate departmental adherence to University and external accreditation requirements for undergraduate programs.

FA’25 Priority: Develop and present a comprehensive framework addressing the academic needs of students registered with the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD).

AY25/26 Priority: Examine AI usage by students and faculty, both positive and negative. Review departmental grading standards, practices, and expectations, facilitating faculty-wide discussions on these topics, relate those to the Teaching Evaluation Committee.

Members: