ASTRONOMY
Appendix F6: Conference and Travel Requests [ Acct. Category 5000]
Audience: Staff Development Committee, Administrators, Budget Committee, PRBC
Purpose: To request funding for conference attendance, and to guide the Budget and Staff Development
Committees in allocation of funds.
Instructions: Please list specific conferences/training programs, including specific information on the
name of the conference and location. Note that the Staff Development Committee currently has no
budget, so this data is primarily intended to identify areas of need that could perhaps be fulfilled on
campus, and to establish a historical record of need. Your rationale should discuss student learning goals
and/or connection to the Strategic Plan goal.
Conference/Training
Program
Astronomical Society of the
Pacific – Cosmos in the
Classroom ( San Jose, CA:
July 2013)
2013-14 Request
$300 for one
faculty member
Spitz Summer Institute,
(Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania:
August 2013)
$525 for 5-day
session, plus
travel
Rationale
Every 3 years, the ASP holds a national conference
about the teaching of astronomy for community
college and university faculty. Attended by well
over 200 faculty, the conferences offer chances to
learn and share with colleagues teaching
introductory astronomy lecture and lab classes
identical to those we offer at Chabot. Expected
topics include student learning outcomes,
increasing student success with online resources,
developing new science labs, and more – all topics
that are part of our program review goals.
Our planetarium projector and software control
systems were provided by Spitz, an international
leader in planetarium equipment. To full develop
our system, and take advantage of its capabilities
for public shows as well as for integrated
curriculum, we need training. The Spitz Institute
provides hands-on training for planetarium
professionals looking to create course material, and
learn how to utilize existing equipment to improve
student learning.