Mission Statement

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The Department of Physics and Astronomy, as a member of the College of Letters and Science, strives to aid students to:

 

   1. Understand, effectively use, and appreciate the process of learning.

   2. Recognize the complexity of problems and improve the student’s ability to develop creative solutions.

   3. Join a community of teachers, scholars, and students who endeavor to higher standards of achievement.

 

As a science department, we regard our mission to also include:

 

   1. Exposing students to scientific methods for evaluating physical evidence or information.

   2. Helping students understand and apply the process of building and testing scientific hypotheses and theories.

   3. Fostering the development of students’ critical thinking skills, such as the ability to draw conclusions, infer relationships, solve
       problems, and make predictions about the physical world.

 

In addition to the above, as a department of physics and astronomy we are committed to providing:

 

   1. A rigorous and effective curriculum for physics majors and minors, with sufficient depth of study for those students who expect

       to pursue physics, astronomy, or engineering at the graduate level, or to embark on a career in technology or science

       education.

   2. Effective and relevant service courses for the many students whose majors or career goals require physics or astronomy 

       courses.

   3. Effective and engaging courses for the many students who choose to take physics or astronomy courses as part of the breadth    

       of a liberal arts education.

   4. Educational experiences in physics and astronomy, for Central Wisconsin and beyond, through public outreach.

   5. Opportunities for student and faculty engagement in research.

   6. An understanding of how physics and astronomy relate to the individual and to society.