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NOTING OF DECISIONS TAKEN BY CIRCULATION TO FACULTY BOARD OF LIFE AND
PHYSICAL SCIENCES DATED 18 MAY 2009
The following items were circulated to Faculty Board members for consideration on 18 May 2009. Members
were requested to advise the Administrative Officer if they had any objections to the circulated items being
approved. As there were no objections from members, the items are hereby minuted accordingly.
Imelda Ooi
Administrative Officer
ITEMS FOR THE ATTENTION OF ACADEMIC SECRETARIAT
The following items were approved by the Board of Studies in Science at its meeting on 5 May 2009 and
subsequently approved by circulation to Faculty Board members on 18 May 2009:
1.
PROPOSED INTRODUCTION OF A MAJOR IN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REF:
F6294
The School of Physics had proposed to offer a new major in Astronomy and Astrophysics in order to
capitalize on the growing interest in astronomy shown by students and in line with a recommendation
from the 2008 Review of the School. With the opening of the new International Centre for Radio
Astronomy Research (ICRAR), the School expected to have an increase in staff who had the capability to
offer a new range of lectures. The major would be aligned with radio astronomy which is one of UWA’s
listed “emerging areas” of research strength and priority. The proposed major would attract and prepare
students for honours and postgraduate study in astronomy and astrophysics at UWA.
The School had proposed that the units in Levels 1 and 2 of the Astronomy and Astrophysics major be the
same as those for the Physics major. Two new 6-point Level 3 units were proposed.
RESOLVED – 6
to recommend to Academic Council the approval of the following with effect from 2010:
 introduction of the new major Astronomy and Astrophysics; and
 establishment of new units –
PHYS3303
Galaxies, Cosmology and Space Science
PHYS3304
Nuclear Astrophysics and Astronomical Techniques
2.
ADMISSION TO HONOURS FOR COMBINED DEGREE STUDENTS REF: F6294
The Head of the School of Physics had outlined a problem identified with the admission to Honours in
Physics for BSc/BE students. The University policy states that students should be admitted to honours
only if they have completed the requirements for the single BSc degree. In line with this policy, when the
combined BSc/BE was first established, students were required to complete the BSc in their first three
years of enrolment in order to provide an exit point for them, which included the option of honours in
physics or other areas, possibly followed by a PhD. As students had an option to complete more
engineering units in the first three years of their degree, some students were not completing the required
number of science points for admission to Honours in Physics (i.e. 144 points for the BSc inlcuding 114
points for the BSc component of the combined BSc/BE).
A number of students had wanted to pursue honours at the end of completing the Physics major, but were
not permitted to because they had not completed sufficient science units. In 2008, the School had sought
approval for students who had completed the requirements for the physics major to enrol in Honours in
Physics prior to completion of the points requirements for the BSc.
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At the Board of Studies meeting on 5 May 2009, members recommended the approval of provisions that
would allow combined course students to enrol in honours without completing the full requirements of the
BSc with effect from 2010.
RESOLVED – 7
to recommend to Academic Council that with effect from 2010, the following provisions be approved that would
allow combined course students to enrol in honours without completing the full requirements of the BSc as
follows:

science point shortfalls up to 12 points - that students be permitted to complete the requirements for the
BSc degree by February after the honours results were released;

results for honours to be withheld until the final unit for the undergraduate degree was completed; and

to allow the provision of honours results to the Graduate Research School for the purpose of PhD
scholarship applications in UPA/APA round in December of the honours year. However, award of a
scholarship to be subject to completion of the requirements for the BSc during the summer following the
honours year.
3.
PROPOSED SWAPPING OF LECTURE MODULES FOR PHYS3301 AND PHYSICS 3302 AND
INTRODUCTION OF PHYS3341 PHYSICS VACATION PROJECT II REF: F5075
The School of Physics had advised that the unit PHYS3301comprises Quantum Mechanics (26 lectures)
and Classical Mechanics (18 lectures). The unit PHYS3302 consisted of Modern Optics (15 lectures) and
Electrodynamics (18 lectures). The School wished to swap the 18-lectures between the two units and
requested that the two units be renamed with effect from 2010.
The School had also proposed the introduction of a second 6-point summer research unit at Level 3 i.e.
PHYS3341 Physics Vacation Project II. This unit would be intended for the combined BSc/BE students
who had completed the Physics major requirements in their first three years and wished to proceed to
Honours in Physics in their fourth year but were short of science points and could not complete the BSc.
Students would be able to enrol in this second summer unit immediately following their honours.
RESOLVED – 8
to recommend to Academic Council the approval of the following, with effect from 2010:
(i) renaming of the units as follows –
 PHYS3301 Classical and Quantum Physics to be renamed PHYS3301 Quantum Mechanics and
Electrodynamics;
 PHYS3302 Optics and Electrodynamics to be renamed PHYS3302 Optics and Classical Mechanics;
and
(ii) the introduction of new unit PHYS3341 Physics Vacation Project II, a 6-point summer research unit at
Level 3.
4.
PROPOSED RESTRUCTURE OF THE PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM REF: F6294
The School of Psychology currently offers 16 units across years 1-3 of the undergraduate degree. In an
attempt to reduce the overall teaching and co-ordination loads, the School had proposed to offer its second
and third year units only in alternate years. This would reduce the units on offer to ten across first to third
year. The proposed changes would result in a 25% reduction in the number of lectures offered each year.
For the new structure to work, the School would need to remove most of the prerequisite requirements for
its Level 2 and Level 3 units. However, PSYC1101 and PSYC1102 would remain prerequisites for all
students. Removing most of the prerequisites for these units would make them ‘stand-alone’ units and
more easily accessible as ‘broadening’ units under the new Future Framework.
In addition to the removal of prerequisites for the Level 2 and Level 3 units, the School had proposed to
amend the rules so that the units could be selected in any order and in either the second or the third year.
This would entail relabelling some of its Level 3 units as Level 2. Although the units were being
relabelled, the School had advised that the content would remain essentially the same.
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RESOLVED – 9
to recommend to Academic Council the approval of the following with effect from 2010:
(i) deletion of Level 3 units and proposal of new Level 2 units as follows–
Current units to be deleted
PSYC3312 Psychology: Social
PSYC3313 Psychology: Developmental
PSYC3314 Psychology: Abnormal
PSYC3315 Psychology: Cognitive
PSYC3317 Psychology: Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYC3318 Psychology: Perception and Sensory
Neuropsychology
Proposed new units
PSYC2212 Psychology and Social Behaviour
PSYC2213 Psychology: Lifespan Development
PSYC2214 Adult Psychopathology
PSYC2215 Cognitive Psychology
PSYC2217 Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYC2218 Perception and Sensory
Neuropsychology
and
(ii) introduction of the following new units:
 PSYC2208 Psychology: Atypical Development
 PSYC2209 Industrial & Organisational Psychology
 PSYC3303 Psychological Science in the Modern World: Challenges and Controversies;
5.
SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS - PROPOSED INTRODUCTION OF NEW
UNITS REF: F5075
The School of Mathematics and Statistics had proposed the introduction of a new unit in 2010 –
MATH7438 4P8: Advanced Group Theory. This unit would be a standard component of the Pure
Mathematics honours offering.
The School had also proposed the deletion of units STAT1510 Statistics A and STAT1530 Statistics B
and to replace them by a new unit STAT1400 Statistics for Science. The proposal was held over at the
meeting of the Board of Studies on 5 May 2009 with a request for further information.
RESOLVED – 10
to recommend to Academic Council that the unit MATH7438 4P8: Advanced Group Theory, be established and
included as a standard component of the Pure Mathematics honours offering, with effect from 2010.
6.
PROPOSED CHANGES TO BACHELOR OF SCIENCE/BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
(51160) REF: F5203, F6294
Dr Jane Emberson had proposed the following changes to the rules for the combined Bachelor of
Science/Bachelor of Engineering:



requirement of 30-48 level 1 science points leading to at least two possible science majors;
inclusion of Computer Science as a major in combination with Chemical & Process Engineering
program; and
inclusion of Geology as a major in combination with the following programs – petroleum engineering,
mechanical engineering and chemical & process engineering.
The proposed changes were approved by members of the Board of Studies in Science at its meeting on 5
May 2009. They were then forwarded to the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
(FECM) for approval. FECM had since advised that it had no objections to the proposed rule changes
shown in Attachment A and would formally approve them at their next Board meeting
RESOLVED – 11
to recommend to Academic Council that the following be approved with effect from 2010:
 that the rules for Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Engineering be amended (subject to approval by the
Faculty Board of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics), to require 30-48 level 1 science
points, leading to at least two possible science majors which must include:MATH1010 + MATH1020
PHYS1101
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

7.
either PHYS1102 plus at least one other science unit
or science units appropriate to the major sequence for the intended science major;
Computer Science to be included as an approved major in combination with Chemical & Process
Engineering program; and
Geology to be included an approved major in combination with the following programs – petroleum
engineering, mechanical engineering, and chemical & processing engineering
PROPOSED CHANGES TO BACHELOR OF SCIENCE/BACHELOR OF LAWS (21150)
REF: F5202, F6294
Dr Jane Emberson had also proposed changes to the combined Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Laws to
increase the range of science points from 96-102 points to 108-120 points. The current allowable science
points did not allow students to complete, for instance, a double major in psychology, unless they had
decided from the start and took only 24 science points at level 1 (the permitted range being 24-36 points),
which meant that they would probably take only 42 points in total in the first year. It had been suggested
to increase the range of maximum permitted science points to 108-120 which would be the same as for
the BSc/BA course. Another advantage would be that students who had decided that they wished to
graduate from the combined course with a BSc, without completing the LLB, would be able to take
enough science points within the combined course in order to do so.
The proposed changes as shown in Attachment B, were endorsed by members of the Board of Studies at
its meeting on 5 May 2009. These changes were then forwarded to the Board of the Faculty of Law and
were subsequently approved.
RESOLVED – 12
to recommend to Academic Council that the rules of the combined Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Laws be
amended to increase the maximum permitted science points to 108-120 points.
8.
ADDITION AND DELETION OF UNITS REF: F5075
The proposed new and deleted unit lists are attached (Attachment C).
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