Spring Break
Astronomy classes get their own identity
By: Chris Hokanson
Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: News
Students looking to register for an astronomy class won't find them listed under physics, as they have been in previous years. This fall, the department of physic's astronomy classes will fall under the most logical heading: Astronomy.
Now that the department has seven astronomers teaching various classes, said physics and astronomy lecturer Kevin Krisciunas, it wanted to make the astronomy class numbers more accurately represent those classes. Originally, the introductory astronomy class was listed as physics (PHYS) 306. That led students to believe it more advanced than basic astronomy, Krisciunas said.
"[Physics 306] sounds like a hard thing, and I think that scared away a lot of freshmen and sophomores," he said. "But it's just a basic, non-algebraic, non-calculus class."
Now, the class is listed - more accurately, Krisciunas said - as ASTR 101. The calculus-based astronomy class, previously listed as PHYS 314, was switched to ASTR 314. Krisciunas, who teaches PHYS 304/ASTR 101, said the department is pushing for the class to become part of the classes available for the University Core Curriculum-required science credits. That, along with the listing change, should encourage more students to take astronomy courses who would have been intimidated by the previous 300-level listing.
"Our goal is to teach astronomy in one form or another to more than 1,000 students each semester," he said. "Just as Biology 101 and Chemistry 101 are standard science credits, we want Astronomy 101 to become one as well."
Chris Hokanson, staff writer
Now that the department has seven astronomers teaching various classes, said physics and astronomy lecturer Kevin Krisciunas, it wanted to make the astronomy class numbers more accurately represent those classes. Originally, the introductory astronomy class was listed as physics (PHYS) 306. That led students to believe it more advanced than basic astronomy, Krisciunas said.
"[Physics 306] sounds like a hard thing, and I think that scared away a lot of freshmen and sophomores," he said. "But it's just a basic, non-algebraic, non-calculus class."
Now, the class is listed - more accurately, Krisciunas said - as ASTR 101. The calculus-based astronomy class, previously listed as PHYS 314, was switched to ASTR 314. Krisciunas, who teaches PHYS 304/ASTR 101, said the department is pushing for the class to become part of the classes available for the University Core Curriculum-required science credits. That, along with the listing change, should encourage more students to take astronomy courses who would have been intimidated by the previous 300-level listing.
"Our goal is to teach astronomy in one form or another to more than 1,000 students each semester," he said. "Just as Biology 101 and Chemistry 101 are standard science credits, we want Astronomy 101 to become one as well."
Chris Hokanson, staff writer
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