Program Standards for Applied Physics

This policy covers all members of the Applied Physics faculty, including tenure-track 
faculty, non-tenure track faculty, and part-time faculty.
Preamble 
The faculty of the Applied Physics program support the University and School (NAMS) 
standards and intend for the elements of this document to further elucidate the areas of 
teaching, scholarship, and service from the perspective of physics.

6.0 ELABORATION OF PROGRAM STANDARDS FOR TEACHING FACULTY

6.1 Teaching

6.1.1 Educating students, both inside and outside the classroom, studio, or 
laboratory  is  the  University’s  primary  purpose.  Therefore, 
performance in teaching carries the greatest weight in the evaluation 
of faculty. All aspects of teaching, including preceptorial teaching as 
applicable, will be evaluated in order to gain a clear understanding 
of  each  faculty  member’s performance. Same  as  University  and 
School standards.
6.1.2 The Physics Program adheres to the School of Natural Sciences and 
Mathematics (NAMS) standard, emphasizing diverse methods to 
demonstrate teaching effectiveness. An exemplary physics teacher in 
our program engages and motivates students, fostering enthusiasm 
for learning while embodying scientific inquiry. We recognize the 
importance of various instructional approaches, including traditional 
classroom teaching, independent studies, and laboratory work. To 
showcase teaching excellence, faculty members are encouraged to 
use multiple indicators beyond IDEA evaluations, such as innovative 
instructional methods, active student engagement, adaptability to 
diverse teaching environments, regular reflection on teaching 
practices, and contribution to curriculum development. Our 
commitment is to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere, 
valuing both traditional and non-traditional pathways to effective 
teaching within the ever-evolving landscape of physics education. In 
broad terms excellence in teaching is characterizedby:
6.1.2.1 A  thorough  and  current  command  of  the  subject  matter, 
teaching  techniques,  and  methodologies in  physics 
education. Syllabi,  teaching  portfolios, and  other  course 
materials may be submitted as indicators, as well as peer 
evaluations of teaching.
6.1.2.2 Sound  course  design  and  delivery  in  all  teaching 
assignments–whether  program  or  General  Studies, 
introductory  or  advanced  offerings–as  evident  in  clear 
learning goals and expectations, content reflecting the best 
available  scholarship  or  artistic  practices,  and  teaching 
techniques  aimed  at  student  learning. Syllabi,  teaching 
portfolios and other evidence, such as assessment results 
and that indicated in Section 6.1.2.2 of this Policy, may be 
submitted as indicators. Faculty may submit evaluation of 
one's  course  materials  and  content  by  members  of  their 
program or of General Studies who do not participate in the 
formal  “Peer  Evaluation  of  Teaching”  as  described  in 
Section 7.3.3 of the Procedures. Same as School Standards.
6.1.2.3 The ability to organize course material and to communicate 
this  information  effectively.  The  development  of  a 
comprehensive syllabus  for each course  taught, including 
expectations,  grading,  and  attendance  policies  and  the 
timely  provision  of  copies  to students.  Syllabi  and  peer 
evaluations along with student evaluations and assessment 
(such as IDEA, informal assessment, and formal assessment 
administered  by  outside  observers) may  be  submitted as 
indicators. Same as School Standards.
6.1.2.4 Excellence in  teaching also entails respect  for students as 
members  of  the  Stockton  academic  community,  the 
effective  response  to  student  questions,  and  the  timely 
evaluation of and feedback to students. Same as University 
and School Standards.
6.1.3 Where  appropriate,  additional  measures  of  teaching  excellence  are
(Same as School Standards):
6.1.3.1 Ability to use technology in teaching.
6.1.3.2 The capacity to relate the subject matter to other fields of 
knowledge.
6.1.3.3 Seeking  opportunities  outside  the  classroom  to  enhance 
student learning of the subject matter.
6.1.3.4 The  ability  to  lead,  promote,  and/or  participate  in
successful  credit-bearing  experiences  in  community 
engagement, service-learning, international education, and 
global engagement.
6.1.3.5 Ability to create an inclusive and respectful environment.
6.1.3.6 Evidence of effectiveness for alternate assignments and/or 
non-teaching responsibilities should be demonstrated.

6.2 Scholarly and Creative Activity. 1

6.2.1 The  teacher-scholar  model  emphasizes a  dedicated  and  ongoing 
commitment  to  scholarly  and  creative  activities in  the  discipline.  This 
commitment, consistent with rank and assigned responsibilities, serves 
as  the  cornerstone  for  enriching  teaching  and  achieving  sustained 
excellence  in  the  classroom.  In  addition  to  scholarship  within  one's 
specialty,  consideration  is  given  to  scholarly  contributions  in 
interdisciplinary  areas,  fostering  intellectual  and  scholastic 
development. This aligns with Stockton's mission as a liberal arts college. 
Faculty members are encouraged to engage in scholarly work both on 
and  off  campus,  recognizing  that  such  endeavors  may  take  place  in 
various  teaching  environments,  including  the  classroom,  teaching 
laboratories,  or  tutorials.  Faculty  members  are  further  encouraged  to 
involve  students  in their  research  programs  whenever  feasible, 
promoting a holistic integration of scholarship and teaching within the 
physics education experience.
6.2.2 Publications and creative work in support of reappointment and tenure 
are  those achieved during  the  tenure candidate’s probationary period. 
Activity in  support  of a  post-tenure  promotion  or  range adjustment is 
that  work  completed  since  the  most  recent  promotion  or  range 
adjustment. Same as University and School standards.
6.2.3 The  University  recognizes  a  wide  variety  of  scholarly  vehicles: 
disciplinary or interdisciplinary research, pedagogical research, applied 
research,  integrative  scholarship,  community  engagement,  servicelearning,  artistic  or  creative  activity,  and  grant  writing.  Scholarly  or 
creative  activities  may  take  many  forms  and  use  different  vehicles  to 
communicate with the broader academic community. Same as University 
and School standards.
6.2.3.1 The Applied Physics Program recognizes that the time and 
effort  required  to  complete  scholarly  or  artistic  projects 
may vary markedly among sub-disciplines of Physics. The 
Physics Program PRC is best equipped to evaluate the rate 
and quality of scholarly dissemination.  
6.2.4 The  burden is  always  on  the  candidate  to  document  the  excellence  of 
one’s work. In cases of shared or multiple authorship, clarification of the 
degree  of  one’s  participation  is  expected.  In  cases  of  conference 
presentations  or  proceedings,  clarification  should  be  provided  with 
regard  to  the selectivity of the review process. Same as University and 
School standards.
Typically, central to judgments regarding scholarly and creative activity 
are:
6.2.4.1 The  capacity  to  bring  scholarly  or  creative  projects  to 
completion may  be  demonstrated  by  a  publication  and 
presentation record, as well as by periodic grant reports. 
For  projects  that  have  not  yet  resulted  in  publication, 
current  unpublished  manuscripts  and  comments  by 
knowledgeable  peers  both  internal  and  external  to  the 
University are  appropriate  to  include  in  the  candidate's 
file.
6.2.4.2 A  mix  of  scholarly  activities  appropriate  to  one’s 
appointment e.g., in some cases scholarly activity will be 
primary,  in  others  creative activity. Same  as  School 
Standards.
6.2.4.3 Judgments of the worth and significance of the candidate's 
scholarship,  given  the  laboratory  space  and  equipment 
available, provided by knowledgeable peers; professional 
organizations;  funding  agencies;  conference organizers; 
and refereeing panels. 
6.2.4.4 Documentation  of  the  impact  of  one’s work (Same  and 
School Standards):
• with students
• inclusion into the classroom or teaching laboratory
• within the scholarly area
• within higher education generally
• on documented standards of best practices in pedagogy
• in the application of one’s work
• as evident in citations of one’s work

• on public policy or institutions
• in the artistic/cultural realm
• or in educational settings
6.2.4.5 Just as in the case of traditional scholarship involving the 
discovery of new knowledge, when one’s work consists of 
pedagogical,  integrative,  or  applied  scholarship,  its 
significance  may  be  documented  by  demonstration  of 
clear  goals,  adequate  preparation,  appropriate  methods, 
significant  results,  effective  presentation,  and  reflective 
critique.  Presentation  before  peers  and  colleagues  and 
advancing the discipline are also expectations of alternate 
forms  of scholarship. Same  as  the  University  and  School 
Standards.
6.2.4.6 The  University  understands  excellence  in  a  variety  of 
scholarly or creative activities to embody the following:
6.2.4.6.1 Books  should  be  published  by  reputable  academic  or 
trade presses and reviewed in appropriate journals. Same 
as University and School Standards.
6.2.4.6.2 Articles and other scholarly works should be published in 
appropriate  journals  or  conference  proceedings.  The 
quality and importance of  the journal/proceedings may 
be  judged  by  knowledgeable  faculty.  University 
publications,  such  as  laboratory  manuals  and  other 
teaching  materials,  should  be  evaluated  by 
knowledgeable  peers,  who  may  be  external  to  the 
University.  The  quality  of  material  submitted  to  or 
contained in government documents should be judged by 
the level of its pre-publication review. The main criteria 
should  be  the  quality  of  the  work,  not  the  number  of 
publications and presentations.
6.2.4.6.3 Scholarly activity that involves students as co-authors and
co-presenters is valued regardless of the venue. Although all
venues are valued, there is a hierarchy with peer reviewed or
highly cited work being of higher value.
6.2.4.6.4 A presentation should be evaluated on  the quality of its 
content and on the prestige of the meeting where it was 
delivered.  Qualitative  judgments  are  best  made  when 
copies of presentations are made available. National and 
regional meetings should rank higher than local meetings 
in  most  instances.  Scholarly  presentations  should  be 
ranked more highly than non-scholarly ones. Competitive 
selections as well as presentations receiving disciplinary 
acknowledgement for excellence should be noted. In most 
disciplines  a  record  of  scholarship  based  on 
presentations alone will not be evaluated as highly as one 
including refereed publications. Same as University and 
School Standards.
6.2.4.6.5 Work  in  the  arts  may  be  evaluated  by  a  number  of 
different measures: assessment of its quality by peers or 
professional  critics;  the  reputation  of  the  gallery, 
museum,  or  other  artistic  venue  where  it  is  shown  or 
presented;  the  respect  afforded  the  organization  for 
which it is performed or under contract; or some other 
measure of its success or impact (e.g. royalties, awards, or 
impact  on  public  debate  or  on  other artists). Same  as 
University and School Standards.
6.2.4.6.6 Other forms of scholarly activity appearing in emerging
media, such as online journals, websites, forums, and blogs,
may be included, provided the quality of the work is
evaluated by knowledgeable peers, who may be external to
the University.
6.2.4.6.7 Reviews  (if  submitted  as  documentation)  from 
appropriate  journals  and  other  outlets  specified  at  the 
School  and  Program  level  may  be  included.  Where 
reviews are included in a file as evidence of the worth of 
scholarly or artistic work, attention should be given to the 
professional  credentials  of  the  reviewer  and  the 
reputation  of  the  journal  or publication. Same  as 
University and School Standards.
6.2.4.6.8 Professional  activities  undertaken  as  a  practitioner  or 
consultant are considered scholarly activity when they go 
beyond  the  routine  application  of  knowledge  to  the 
creation of new knowledge and the development of new 
standards  for  practice.  Such  qualities  distinguish 
between  scholarship  and  professional  service.  Those 
making  the  judgments  regarding  the  standards  for 
applied  research  necessarily  involve  more  than  clients 
and  include  academic  peers  familiar  with  the  area  of 
practice  under consideration. These  activities  may include but are not limited to serving as a peer reviewer 
or an external program or department reviewer, serving 
on  editorial  boards  of  scientific  or  other  professional 
journals  and  publications,  and  conducting  contract 
research  with  the  appropriate  evaluation  by  the 
contracting government agency or private company.
6.2.4.6.9 In those disciplines with strong expectations of practice 
to maintain current competency, appropriate  standards 
for  determining  the  significance  of  this  work  will  be 
developed at the Program level and approved through the 
standard procedure. Same  as  University  and  School 
Standards.
6.2.4.6.10 Grants or monetary awards that are funded or reviewed 
as  fundable  from  governmental  or  non- governmental 
organizations are considered examples of scholarship if 
those  grants  and  awards  are  subject  to  external  peer
review. In  addition,  grant  applications  that  receive 
positive  reviews  from  the  external  evaluators  and  the 
College  faculty may  be  included  as  evidence  of 
scholarship.
6.2.4.6.11 Faculty  engaged  in  community  outreach  can  make  a 
difference in the communities and beyond by defining or 
resolving  relevant  social  problems  or  issues,  by 
facilitating  organizational  development,  by  improving 
existing  practices  or  programs,  and  by  enriching the 
cultural life of the community. Scholarship may take the 
form  of  widely  disseminating  the  knowledge  gained  in 
community-based  projects  in  appropriate  professional 
venues in order to share its significance with those who 
do  not  benefit  directly  from  the project. Same  as 
University School Standards.

6.3 University and Community Service

6.3.1 A faculty member in the Applied Physics Program may contribute to the 
achievement of the University 's mission by effectively collaborating in 
activities  at  the  Program,  School,  or  University  level.  The  Program 
evaluates  these  contributions  based  on  their  quality  rather  than  their 
number. Contributions outside of the Program may require the capacity 
to work collaboratively with other members of the University, profession 
and other off-campus communities and may include activities related to 
the University 's Foundation or Alumni Association.
6.3.2 Faculty may  also  contribute in broader  arenas  such  as  state,  regional, 
national  or  international  organizations  and  disciplinary/professional 
associations.  In  addition,  faculty  may  contribute  to  the  University’s 
public mission through service to our community, region, state, ornation. 
Per  the  Carnegie  definition,  community  engagement  and  servicelearning  that  enriches  scholarship,  research,  and  creative  activity; 
enhances curriculum, teaching, and service-learning; prepares educated, 
engaged citizens; strengthens democratic values and civic responsibility; 
addresses  critical  societal  issues;  contributes  to  the  public  good;  and 
enriches scholarship. Community engagement and service-learning are 
particularly  valued  at  Stockton. Same  as  University and  School
Standards.
6.3.3 The University expects faculty in their first five years of service to serve 
the University and community at levels commensurate with their rank. 
Faculty who are tenured, have multi-year contracts, and/or are of senior 
rank would be expected to have more substantial records in this area, as 
demonstrated  by  achievements  in  leadership  on  campus,  in  the 
community, to their disciplines, and to professional organizations. Same 
as University and School Standards.
6.3.4 Evaluation  of  achievements in  this  area  focuses  on  the  significance  of 
participation,  the  impact  of  service,  the  scope  of  responsibilities,  the 
effectiveness  of  participation,  and  contributions  to  the functioning, 
administration,  and  development  of  the  University  and  other  entities. 
Clear goals, adequate preparation, and appropriate methods of providing 
service,  significant  results of the  service,  and  reflection  on  the 
contribution and its use to improve the quality of future service are all 
aspects of documenting achievement in campus and community service. 
Sustained,  significant  service  is  expected  to  meet  the  minimum 
requirement for this responsibility. The University standards state that 
compensated  service  is  generally  not  sufficient  to  meet  the  minimum 
requirements. However, NAMS values all service irrespective of whether 
it is compensated or uncompensated. Same as School Standards.
6.3.5 Evidence  of  effectiveness  in  University  or  community  service  may 
include such items as (Same as University and School Standards):
6.3.5.1 One  or  more  instances  when  one  has  used  one’s 
professional  skills  or  knowledge  for  the  benefit  of  the 
University, or of a non-University group or individual.
6.3.5.2 Contributions  to  professional  organizations  that  are 
focused  on  service  or  professional  responsibility  as 
opposed  to  scholarship,  research,  or  artistic/creative 
work.  For  example,  an  officership  or  service  on  a 
professional  board  may  be  more  appropriately  listed 
here, whereas editing a special issue of a journal may be 
more  appropriately  listed  under  the  section  on 
scholarship.
6.3.5.3 General  civic  or  community  activities  to  which  one  has 
contributed  one’s  professional  skills  or  a  significant 
amount of time, talent, energy, and involvement beyond 
that  which  might  be  expected  by  the  usual  citizen  or
member.