Improving Student Retention in Photonics Technician Education

This 30-page resource, developed by the National Center for Optics and Photonics Education (OP-TEC), offers strategies for improving student retention in photonics technician education. This paper discusses the need for more photonics technicians and photonics degree completion challenges, and provides strategies to increase the number of graduating technicians. Topics and issues discussed in this paper include the following: the culture of two-year college admissions practices, academic failure, loss of interest in photonics, social network connections in the photonics community, and more. The following three appendices are also included: Entering Student Assessment for Mathematics for Photonics Education, One-Credit Photonics Course for First-Semester Students: Introduction to Photonics, and Resources.