Town Hall: Guide to Effective Practices for Physics Departments: Implications for Program Review and Accreditation

ABET, the accrediting body for nearly every engineering program in the U.S., recently announced that they were actively pursuing accreditation of physics and other undergraduate science programs. APS is concerned that accreditation may stifle educational innovation or lead us into a “check the box” mentality of program review. On the positive side, many chairs have indicated the need for a helpful set of resources that will enable them to run a department more effectively, and address areas of need. As a response to these concerns the APS Council approved the formation of a task force to: “Develop a guide for self-assessment of undergraduate physics programs founded on documented best practices linked to measurable outcomes.” The task force has been working on developing a community-based, living-document that will serve as a guide on how to improve the health of a physics department, tackle common problems, and prepare for external review. We will discuss progress on developing this guide, and solicit input on how to make these materials useful and accessible to the physics community.