Current Program

Students enroll in Physics and Astronomy courses to meet requirements for transfer to a four-year institution or to meet degree or certificate requirements in several areas. Changes in technology and the increasing use of technology, as well as changes in population, college budget conditions and facility needs have had a significant impact on courses offered by this program in recent years.

Degrees and Certificates - No degrees or certificates are offered.

Personnel - Two full-time faculty and five part-time faculty, as well as one full-time classified staff member are employed in the program.

Teaching Methodologies - Teaching methods used include lecture, lecture/lab, lecture/ demonstration, lab, and some computerized instruction.

Technology - No classes are offered online or through other distance education means at this time. Astronomy courses make use of the latest global positioning (GPS) instruments as well as state-of-the-art remote control of large telescopes.

Equipment - Pieces of equipment in need of immediate repair or replacement include diodes, scales, free fall apparatus, rheostats, a galvanometer, VCRs, overhead projectors and computers. There is an immediate and urgent need to replace GPS units and specialized software.

Facilities - In general, the condition of classroom, office and lab space is poor and inadequate for instruction or for meeting with students.

Future Program

The program will need to adapt to changes in technology, teaching methods and curriculum development in the next ten years. It is expected that enrollment will match the enrollment rate of the college as a whole in both the mid term and long term. See Program Projections.

Degrees and Certificates - There are no plans to offer degrees or certificates in this program.

Personnel - See Projected Faculty and Staff Needs.

Teaching Methodologies - Teaching methods are expected to change with the increase in use of electronic presentation equipment and Internet accessibility.

Technology - Online courses, interactive video and other distance education technologies may be used in the future for some lecture presentations; however, the need for experimentation in the lab will preclude many courses from being offered to students in this way. Computer simulations and virtual reality programs will be useful tools in the classroom.

Equipment - Several items of equipment need to be replaced or purchased new within the next five years, including various pieces of physics/astronomy equipment and a computer interface for data collection and analysis. In Astronomy, five computer projectors, 20 laptop computers and specialized software will be needed.

Facilities - Electronic "smart" classrooms - at least four additional regular classrooms and two large lecture rooms - are needed, and two new labs with computer interface capabilities are needed. At least three new offices, a computer room with 30 computers, and a conference room are needed.

Staff Development - The use of computers in teaching is an appropriate topic for Staff Development activities, as well as additional instruction in computer programs such as PowerPoint, spreadsheets, databases and electronic imaging. Instruction in the use of the college's statistical database would benefit many employees.