Strategies for Physics Department Growth at Lewis University*

The Physics Department at Lewis University has experienced significant growth over a little more than a decade, going from graduating fewer than five per year to 13 per year on average over the last five years. This growth was attributed a variety of initiatives, including modernizing the major, adding concentrations to provide flexibility for students, and establishing dual-degree partnerships. One area that did not see growth, however, was the physics teacher preparation program which averaged a graduate roughly every two years. Through a PhysTEC Recruiting Grant, we developed and implemented several recruiting strategies over the last three years designed to help grow this program. These strategies included adding a new pathway to licensure, developing marketing materials and a website based on Get the Facts Out resources but modified to focus on the Chicagoland area, and exploring ways to more effectively inform students, internally and at high schools and community colleges, about teaching as a career path. This talk will provide an overview of the Lewis Physics Department and its growth and discuss outcomes from the PhysTEC Recruiting Grant in detail.