The number of students graduating from the majority of physics programs thr
oughout the nation is on the order of three students per year per departmen
t. This low number represents a problem for those programs that are located
at schools which measure success by how many graduates a program creates.
This was the problem faced by the physics departments located in three scho
ols in the Texas A&M University System. A solution which alleviated our imm
ediate concerns, and how it is evolving into a "virtual" department, is des
cribed. (C) 1999 American Association of Physics Teachers.