Academic Program Proposal

Date Proposal Activated	Institution and Proposal	Degree Awarded	Academic Program Name	Objection Deadline
	College of Southern Maryland Proposal	Associate of Science (A.S.)	Physical Science to include in Area of Concentration in Physics	4/17/2025
Physical Science to include in Area of Concentration in Physics Program Description
A program review of the mathematics and sciences A.S. degree was completed in 2021. The program review included a self-study and an evaluation by an external reviewer. The external reviewer was Dr. Jeffrey J. Byrd, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Biology &amp; Microbiology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Dr. Byrd had been an external reviewer for both biology and natural sciences at other institutions, commissioner for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and was a member of the Transfer with Success Act Committee for MHEC. Both the self-study and <br>external reviewer concluded that the Mathematics and Sciences degree should be split, with the physical sciences (physics and chemistry) separating from the other mathematics and sciences disciplines. The physics concentration was designed to meet the College of Southern Maryland&#39;s Strategic Goal #1: Improve student progress and completion. Physics previously was <br>part of the mathematics and sciences A.S. degree that is being deactivated. The decision to deactivate resulted from the 2021 program review. The premise for separating chemistry and physics into a stand-alone degree would allow for this flexibility in course sequencing to better match the degree requirements at the transfer institutions. Instead of having to massage five concentrations (mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, general) into one program, the physical sciences with the two <br>concentrations (chemistry and physics) would produce a course sequence that would improve student completion, since the courses would better align with transfer institutions. Funding will be from existing resources. No new courses result from this program; therefore, there is no need for additional resources, neither in personnel nor supplies. This program is only the separation of the physical sciences from the other mathematics <br>and sciences disciplines into a stand-alone program.