The university is developing a set of new laboratory exercises for its basic astronomy courses, which introduce students to modern telescope automation and data acquisition techniques, and upgrading and modernizing its telescope. Included in the up- grade is a new mechanical guiding system and a Cassegrain secondary. The modernization involves automating the drive system and introducing digital optics, such as a CCD and digital spectrograph. These improvements can increase the interest that minority students have in astronomy and in science in general.
