Science

Everything Is Bigger In Texas - Except Physics

Maybe not the best title. There are some really nice physics programs in Texas. We all know that. Well, it appears that Texas will be canceling some of the physics majors degree programs at some of the smaller institutions. Here are a few commentaries on the problem: Budget Cuts Threaten Underenrolled Physics Departments. The New […]

Maybe not the best title. There are some really nice physics programs in Texas. We all know that. Well, it appears that Texas will be canceling some of the physics majors degree programs at some of the smaller institutions. Here are a few commentaries on the problem:

The NSBP link includes all the details. Basically, Texas wants to cancel programs that don't 'produce' more than 5 majors a year. Here is a quick quote from the NSBP post:

The State of Texas is leading the country down an abysmal path. If all the other states were to adopt Texas’ approach, which the State of Florida is already considering, 526 of the roughly 760 physics departments in the US would be shuttered. All but 2 of the 34 HBCU physics programs would be closed. A third of underrepresented minorities and women studying physics would have their programs eliminated. Physics training would be increasingly concentrated in larger elite universities with very adverse effects on the future scientific workforce.

Really, there are two main points I like to emphasize (as I have in the past).

Universities Do Not Function on a Normal Business Model

It is unfortunate that there are many administrators that don't agree with me on this point. But really, what is a business? What is the goal of a business? It seems the current definition is a company that has the goal of generating revenue. Look at Microsoft. Look at General Electric. Look at StarBucks. Maybe they all want to make the world a better place, but their board of directors want them to make money. They also want them to make more money this year than the did last year.

Can a university have the goal of making money? I guess they can, look at the online or for-profit universities. It might be difficult to argue that is the way we should go (but some poor fool probably will). Oh, but maybe the university could be an indirect business. They "produce" students and then those students work at companies that make money for the state. The more workers in a state, the more taxes. This is a much more common way to think about university business models. Still, not great. Our goal (as educators) is not to produce workers, but to produce humans.

Here is the source of this business model problem. Look at the governing bodies for public universities. How would one get on one of these boards? Most likely, it is by being political or by proving that you are a good business person. So, it is no surprise that people in charge want to use their tactics in making a successful business apply to universities.

Degree Programs Should Not Be Job Training

Again, I know this is not the popular view. If a college degree is about job training, then why do all degrees require math? Why are there general degree requirements anyway (like english, art, math, science)? If I went around and polled different professionals (like lawyers and medical doctors) how often do they actually use algebra? You might claim that it is the thinking process that is important in algebra and not the algebra itself. You might be correct, but it seems you could get this process another way other than just algebra.

Some Random Comments

  • What if they canceled football positions that had low numbers? If only a couple of the players are quarterbacks, couldn't we do without this position? It would make the team more efficient.
  • What if there was a gym that trained people for track-like events? However, this gym was also in charge of making up the rules for the track events AND judging these events.
  • What if they keep canceling programs at universities (cutting the low hanging fruit)? Eventually, wouldn't we be left with just a couple of majors?
  • Personally, I say if there are only a few majors in a particular program (say latin or something like that), more reason to keep it. Diversity in thinking and degrees are useful things.
  • Do you really save that much money from canceling a physics degree? How much of the faculty time goes towards teaching service courses? It seems like you would save just a little and lose much in terms of the reputation of the university. Don't you think students view a university without a physics degree differently than a university with a physics degree?
  • On a slightly different note, how would a department or university become successful? Maybe by not making "being successful" your goal. Here is a (http://quantumprogress.wordpress.com/2011/07/31/how-do-you-measure-character-by-stories/).

Ok, I think I am finished with my rant.

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