Education
How to Build a Thriving Undergrad Physics Program
Undergraduate physics programs introduce students to the wonderful world of optics. This case study from California provides insight into how to strengthen your department and improve recruitment strategies.
The CalPoly physics department’s delegation to Stanford’s 2012 conference for undergraduate women in physics.
An undergraduate degree in physics is often the foundation for a career in optics. Yet in the wake of low participation and tight budgets, many institutions are cutting departments and reducing class offerings. In 2009, we led a group of junior and mid-career physics and astronomy faculty at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona (CPP) to develop a multifaceted strategy to build up our undergraduate physics program. Taking inspiration from the Strategic Programs for Innovations in Undergraduate Physics report (SPIN UP), a study of successful undergraduate physics programs from the American Association of Physics Teachers, we dedicated ourselves to actively recruiting new physics majors and minors. Here’s how we did it.
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