I suspect that many physics dept. throughout the country (and possibly the world) are having a similar difficult times, especially those at state universities that depend directly on state funding. However, this article, written by the head of the Physics Dept. at the University of Tennessee, brought home all the relevant issues being faced when the funding causes a lot of problem with their mission of education.
How has the tough economic times impacted your physics program?
Zz.
At UCLA the department has reduced the number of TA positions by 10%. One positive aspect of that change is that they have also required that research funds available from individual professors be advertised to the graduate students. There is still a net shortage of funding, but now all of the research opportunities are known.
ReplyDeleteThe other, and more surprising change, is that some University fellowships are no longer available to physics students. The University has determined that the physics department is better funded than most of the other departments and has decided to restrict some fellowships to the more needy departments.