Please direct comments to Doug Scott.
The Honours Programme in Physics & Astronomy is intended to introduce students to a comprehensive range of areas of astrophysics. This provides an excellent preparation for employment in many areas of industry and business where broad problem-solving skills are valued, as well as the laying the groundwork necessary for pursuing graduate work in astronomy. This programme should remain focussed and high-level so as to continue to satisfy the goals.
The Majors Programme in Astronomy is meant to to expose students to a diverse range of astronomical topics, but with less emphasis on physics. We hope to expand this programme, and to introduce a greater element of interactive teaching. A more formal CO-OP program in astronomy could also be established, and this could be extended to include the majors programme.
We would also like to pursue ideas of how astronomy courses could play an integral role in more interdisciplinary and less traditional degree programmes (in science but possibly also in arts and professional faculties). One simple example would be a course on ``Life in the Universe'' in the overlap area with the biological sciences.
Astronomy courses offered as electives, particularly to students outside the Faculty of Science, are of growing interest to today's undergraduates. We plan to continue to offer such courses, both as an introduction to the grander vision of the Cosmos, and as a vehicle for exposing the students to the methodology and rigour of the physical sciences. There is even greater potential here for improving the involvement of the students in hands-on activities, plus increased use of multimedia tools and distance learning. To teach these courses efficiently there should be an upgrade of the lecture rooms in Hennings to include modern electronic teaching aids.
Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics is currently at a very exciting time, when many new observational and computational facilities promise big breakthroughs. UBC astronomers are playing important roles in many of these developments. We will continue our Masters and Doctoral programmes in Astronomy, where students are taught through high-level courses and perform their own cutting-edge research projects. Graduates from this programme go on to successful research careers, as well as jobs in imaging and computer companies, education and communications. In the area of graduate teaching we intend to pursue video-conferencing possibilities with neighbouring (and perhaps more distant) institutions.
Astronomy research is carried out for purely reasons of intellectual curiosity, and the strong appeal of astronomical concepts for the general public means that outreach must always be a strong component of an active Astronomy programme. At UBC we encourage participation by Astronomy faculty and students in public events through schools, teachers groups, local astronomy clubs, public science centres, like the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and Science World, and many other avenues. We also maintain good connections with the media at local, national and international levels. People are fascinated with the Heavens, and seeing the night sky for oneself through a professional telescope is a constant attraction. Our 42cm diameter telescope at the UBC Observatory is widely used on weekly public viewing nights (10s to 100s of people each Saturday). It is used extensively on pre-arranged visits by schools and other groups, and has regularly attracted more than 1000 people at a time for special events, such as comet appearances.
With the merging of Astronomy with the Physics Department, the astronomy presence in the Geophysics & Astronomy Building will soon come to an end, except for the telescope in its dome on the roof. In the long term it is important that this facility be moved to be physically close to those who use and maintain it. A site on the roof of the Hebb Building has been identified, and we plan to pursue all possible funding sources to enable the telescope to be moved in the near future.