USI Board of Trustees approves new degree program in physics

At its regular meeting on November 5, 2015, the University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees approved a new degree program, a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in Physics, housed within the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education.

The new program would be the only degree program of its kind offered by a public institution in the Southwest Indiana region. It will next move to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education for approval, with an implementation date of the fall 2016 semester.

According to the American Institute of Physics, one of the most needed positions in the field is high school physics teachers, and school districts consistently rank physics as the highest need among all academic disciplines. This program would complete USI's offerings in the sciences, provide alignment with the needs of the workforce and prepare students for post-baccalaureate studies. 

The board also heard a report on the Veteran, Military and Family Resource Center and a report on 2015-16 Student Financial Aid Programs. The report contained a summary and program specific data of all student aid programs administered by Student Financial Assistance, Veterans' Support Services and Career Services and Internships.

In other business, the Board of Trustees heard updates on current construction projects and approved the awarding of doctoral, master, baccalaureate and associate degrees to qualified candidates. Those degrees will be conferred at the University's Fall Commencement ceremonies on December 12, 2015.