ASTRONOMY COMMITTEE

1
ASTRONOMY COMMITTEE
Program Review Motivation gt Possible
replacement of North Denton Observatory
gt Facility and equipment replacement
needs (esp. planetarium) gt Desire to expand
program as UNT enrollment grows, to
4000 year ?
2
Charge to Committee Develop a plan for
enrollment growth to 2000 students per
semester. Design for facilities, instructors,
staff, and curriculum Develop a facilities plan,
for all astronomy lab venues. Prepare a needs
and cost estimate for a new student
observatory, possibly at a UNT site near the
Denton airport. Investigate external funding
options for the new observatory, including the
NSF CCLI program, NASA, and other sources.
3
Continue implementation of the Monroe
Observatory, develop timeline and action
items Consider new laboratory experiments, as a
means of expanding enrollment, including radio
and solar astronomy labs. Consider joining the
Texas Space Grant Consortium