Increasing Physics and Astronomy Majors: SPIN-UP Workshop

1. SPIN-UP: How to Increase the Number of Physics and Astronomy Majors in Your Department New Faculty in Physics and Astronomy Workshop November 6-9, 2003 Robert C. Hilborn Amherst College Support from American Association of Physics Teachers, American Physical Society American Institute of Physics The ExxonMobil Foundation

2. Outline • Some statistics on physics and astronomy degrees • The scientific environment for P&A • SPIN-UP: site visits and survey • What makes a department thrive? • Take home lessons

3. Some Statistics • 27-28% of high school students take physics. The % is growing! 50:50 men/women!! • 70-75% of US high school students go on to 2-year, 4-year colleges and universities. • BS degrees awarded in math, physical science, engineering declined dramatically beginning in 1985. • The number of life science students going on for careers in basic research declined.

4. Physics Bachelor’s Degree Production Source: AIP Statistical Research Center: Enrollments and Degrees Report, and NCES Digest of Education Statistics

5. % of Women in Astronomy Two-year averages of Astronomy Degrees Astronomy Degrees

6. ConcepTest 1 In the US, what is the most probable number of BS/BA physics graduates per year per department? (1) 1-2 (2) 3-6 (3) 7-10 (4) 11-15 (5) 0 Some data: 760 BA/BS physics depts. About 4000 BA/BS physics degrees per year

7. National Statistics

8. Physics 21st Century 20th Century The Changing Place of Physics

9. Darwin? Summary of theNew Environment • Changing role for physics in the universe of science • Changing student population • demographics • preparation • interests • Changing National Focus • emphasis on K-12

10. A Puzzle Why and how did some physics departments increase the number of undergraduate majors during the 1990s while most experienced substantial declines?

11. National Task Forceon Undergraduate Physics • Sponsored by • American Association of Physics Teachers • American Physical Society • American Institute of Physics • ExxonMobil Foundation

12. National Task Force on Undergraduate Physics J. D. Garcia (U. Arizona) S. James Gates (U. Maryland) Robert Hilborn (Amherst College), Chair Ruth Howes (Ball State), Co-Chair Ken Krane (Oregon State) Elizabeth McCormack (Bryn Mawr) Laurie McNeil (U. North Carolina-Chapel Hill) Jose Mestre (U. Massachusetts) Tom O’Kuma (Lee College) Doug Osheroff (Stanford) Carl Wieman (U. Colorado) Joseph H. Taylor (Princeton) Ex Officio: AIP- J. Stith, J. Hehn APS-J. Franz, F. Stein AAPT-B. Khoury, W. Hein PKAL – J. Narum

13. Strategic Programs for Innovations in Undergraduate Physics SPIN-UP Supported by ExxonMobil Foundation American Institute of Physics American Association of Physics Teachers American Physical Society

14. SPIN-UP • Site Visits to 21 “thriving” undergraduate physics programs. • Survey (with AIP) all 761 bachelor’s degree granting physics programs in the US (74% response). • Report and Analysis: Available through AAPT web page (Projects -> National Task Force on Undergraduate Physics) • Physics Today, September 2003

15. ConcepTest 2 What is the median number of physics bachelor’s degrees awarded per Ph.D.- granting department in the U.S.? (1) < 6 (2) 6  N  12 (3) 13  N  20 (4) >20

16. Physics Department Statistics

17. “Thriving” Undergraduate Physics Programs • Produce > 4-5 times the national average of physics bachelor’s degrees (for their type of institution). • Actively engage students in the life of the department, including research. • Are viewed as excellent departments for both majors and non-majors.

18. SPIN-UP Site Visit Departments Lawrence University North Carolina State Univ. North Park University Oregon State University Reed College Rutgers University SUNY-Geneseo University of Virginia Whitman College Site visit teams employed about 65 physics volunteers. Angelo State University University of Arizona Bethel College Brigham Young University Bryn Mawr College Colorado School of Mines Cal State San Luis Obispo Carleton College Grove City College Harvard University University of Illinois University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse Could have done another 20 +/-

19. Trial Site Visit 2000 PhysTEC Site Visit 2000 SPIN-UP Site Visit 2001-02

20. What is a physics program? • Recruitment, advising, mentoring students. • Engaging students in research. • Providing appropriate and excellent courses for • all students, not just majors. • Talking to and getting feedback from your • students and to faculty in their home departments. • Building a sense of community among physics • students and faculty? • Informing students about and preparing them for • diverse careers.

21. What Makes an Undergraduate Physics Program Thrive? • Strong and sustained departmental leadership • Well-defined sense of mission • Recruit and retain students • Challenging and supportive program • Career information - alumni • Introductory courses • Prof. development and mentoring • Multiple-tracks/options • Research experiences – early and often • Emphasis on the entire program of the department, large fraction of the faculty engaged.

22. The Resistance • I was hired to do research. • My evaluations are great – of course my students are learning! • “Reform” is just dumbing down the curriculum. (see quote from Lloyd Taylor, 1938)

23. Some SPIN-UP Survey Results • 500/759 physics departments graduate < 5 majors/year • 54 Ph.D.-granting • 42 masters-granting • 394 bachelors-granting • The undergraduate program is remarkably “standard” across institutions. • 84% of the departments offer several alternative “tracks.” • Some correlation (with exceptions) between recruitment, community-building, career and professional development and number of bachelors degrees awarded. • 60% report “significant” changes in curriculum over the last several years.

24. Bob Ehrlich’s Survey of Departments with Large N/N • 28 “Big Losers” • tend to blame “external factors” • 7 “Big Gainers” • Recruitment, retention efforts • Reformed curricula and pedagogy, particularly at introductory level • Multi-track, flexible majors’ program The Physics Teacher, March, 1999

25. Connections • Sheila Tobias “Revitalizing Undergraduate Science” (1992) • Alan Tucker, “Models That Work,” MAA site visits to undergraduate math programs – 1995. • Jim Collins “From Good to Great” (2001).

26. Take Home Messages • A physics program is more than the courses. • The department is the critical unit for change. • All reform is ultimately local. One size does not fit all. • “Revitalization” is never finished.