Community College Physics

About 100 000 students a year take introductory physics at US community colleges, reports the American Institute of Physics in a five-year follow-up to its first comprehensive look at two-year colleges. Although many two-year colleges aim to serve as a training ground for technicians, applied and technical physics make up only 8% of physics classes. Instead, most two-year physics programs focus on preparing students to transfer to four-year degree programs.

In 2001, 43% of physics programs at two-year campuses had only one instructor. Of those instructors, 64% were employed full-time and the rest were part-time. Women made up 14% of physics instructors, up from 11% five years earlier.

These and other data are presented in the report Physics in the Two-Year Colleges: 2001–02. Single copies may be obtained free of charge from AIP, Statistical Research Center, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740; e-mail stats@aip.org ; Web site http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/hstrends.htm .