February 17, 2003

The Associate in Arts Program

Beginning September 1, 2004, the University of Delaware (UD) in cooperation with Delaware Technical and Community College (DTCC) will offer all qualified applicants the opportunity to pursue a University of Delaware Associate in Arts (AA) degree.

The University will offer coursework supporting the AA degree at the Wilmington, Dover, and Georgetown locations of Delaware Technical and Community College.

The new AA degree program is designed specifically to increase the higher educational opportunities of Delawareans. An AA degree can be a valuable educational goal in itself or it can be an intermediate goal, bridging the period between matriculation and the completion of a four-year baccalaureate degree. Earning the AA degree represents confirmation that the student has completed approximately half of a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree program at the University of Delaware and guarantees eligibility to continue study for a University of Delaware BA degree.

Admission to the Program

Prospective students apply for admission to the AA program through the Admissions Office of the University of Delaware. Applicants must complete the UD application and must demonstrate scholastic aptitude, motivation for academic achievement, and adequate preparation for degree completion. All Delawareans who demonstrate the capacity to succeed will be admitted to the program.

Applicants must be graduates of accredited secondary schools or have equivalent credentials, and must have completed coursework at the high school level appropriate for continued academic achievement and learning; a complete list of expected high school courses is available from the Admissions Office. All applicants must submit SAT-I and/or ACT scores. Applicants may consult the UD Admissions Office website for complete information on admission to the AA program.

http://www.udel.edu/admissions/viewbook/apply

Financial aid will be available through the standard UD admissions process. Successfully completed coursework of students already enrolled at DTCC will be applied toward degree requirements if the courses completed meet the curriculum and transfer requirements of the AA degree.

Curriculum and Program Requirements

The course requirements for the AA degree are similar to the General Education course requirements in the University’s College of Arts and Science. These courses are normally taken during a student’s first two years at the University and provide necessary preparation for a traditional liberal arts education. The curriculum is designed to provide students with skills important for future success, including critical thinking, reading, reasoning and analysis, mathematics, and elementary foreign language skills. The curriculum also provides exposure to the various disciplines of the arts and humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Course requirements for the Associate in Arts degree are listed in the University of Delaware Catalog.

The AA degree requires the successful completion of 60 credit hours of approved academic work with a minimum grade point index of 2.0. Courses are offered at DTCC sites statewide and admitted students may enroll in approved AA courses at any of these sites. Students may pursue the degree part-time or full time. Full-time students may expect to complete the degree in about two years. The AA is a non-residential program; campus housing will not be provided.

The University provides advisement for AA students at all sites at which instruction is provided. General advisement as well as detailed program planning assistance is provided by the staff of the University Advisement Center as well as by faculty teaching in the program. Writing Center and Math lab assistance will be available to AA students at all sites.

Continuing toward the BA degree at UD

The University of Delaware offers over 90 combinations of majors and concentrations for students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Newark. Successful completion of the general AA curriculum will enable access to the College of Arts and Science and entry to many majors in that college and other colleges.

For admission directly to a particular academic major, however, AA students must complete the prescribed coursework for those majors and also must meet the entry requirements expected of all students admitted to the particular major. Some majors have competitive entry requirements, requiring selection through an internal application process that applies to all students, including those completing the AA degree.

The University provides students with lists of course combinations that will meet the requirements for the AA degree and, at the same time, serve as entry tracks into a variety of selected majors at the Newark campus. A draft track for a major in Sociology is attached.

All the courses needed to enter a particular major may not be available at all sites. The AA student handbook and related advisement documents contain details about the course combinations that lead to specific majors and their availability at the various sites.

AA graduates may apply to continue study for University of Delaware bachelor’s degree programs offered in Milford and Georgetown, so long as they meet the requirements for admission to the particular majors offered at those locations.

Students who entered the AA program but have not completed the AA degree may apply at any time to move to the Newark campus for pursuit of a Bachelors degree. These students will be expected to meet the same entry criteria as transfer applicants from other higher education institutions.

Some Delaware students who initially apply and are accepted to the Newark campus for pursuit of a four-year Bachelors degree may take early coursework at sites at which AA coursework is available. This is permitted so long as the student makes that intention known at the time of application; the timetable for moving to the Newark campus for completion of their degree should be stipulated in their letter of acceptance.

Faculty

University of Delaware faculty will provide most of the instruction for the AA degree; however, some approved courses taught by DTCC faculty and some courses transferred from other institutions also may be counted towards degree completion.

As is the case for all other UD degree programs, instruction for the AA program shall be the responsibility of the faculty of the academic departments of the University in which the instruction is offered. Recruitment, hiring, workload administration, evaluation and course scheduling for faculty contributing to the Associate in Arts program will be carried out through established procedures of the University of Delaware.

Existing Parallel Program

The AA program builds upon and greatly extends the higher educational opportunities now available through the Parallel Program. With the establishment of the AA program, the current Parallel Program will close, effective August 31, 2004.

Students will continue to be accepted to the Parallel Program for admission through fall, 2003 at all Program sites. All students enrolled in the Parallel Program in the Fall 2003 at any site will be eligible to continue until completion of their study plans. Parallel Program students may also apply for admission to the AA degree program, with the expectation that their work completed at the time of admission will count towards the completion of the degree.

Effective September 1, 2004, current Parallel Program faculty will be reassigned as non-tenure track faculty in the existing University Departments that correspond to their primary disciplinary field. All terms of their faculty appointment, including years of service and contract arrangements, will continue uninterrupted. Parallel Program faculty that are assigned to the University’s academic departments will play a central instructional role in the new AA program.

Effective with the FY05 State of Delaware budget, funds previously appropriated for the Parallel Program will be designated as funds for the Associate in Arts Program offered by a partnership of UD and DTCC.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for the AA degree follow the pattern set by the existing Parallel Program. Tuition and fees are set at a rate that provides sufficient funds to support the effective delivery of the program and that falls between the general tuition rates of DTCC and UD. Consistent with practices for the Parallel Program, 20% of tuition revenues go to DTCC and 80% go to UD.

Administration of the Program

Within the University of Delaware, general operation of the AA program will be the responsibility of the Provost’s Office with direct oversight provided by the Vice Provost for Academic and International Programs working with the Directors of the Office of Undergraduate Studies and the University Advisement Center.

On-site administrative support for the AA program is provided by DTCC under contract with the University of Delaware. DTCC provides on-site support services for AA instruction, including the provision of appropriate classrooms and facilities, instructional technology and library resources, as well as day-to-day operational support for faculty and students. In general, services for faculty and students participating in the AA program at any DTCC location are on a par with those provided for DTCC faculty and students at that location.

UD and DTCC will jointly develop an enrollment management process to assure that AA enrollments at all sites are congruent with available faculty resources, support services and facilities.

UD and DTCC will develop and implement assessment procedures to track student success in the AA program. This will include on-going assessment of retention and graduation rates for the AA program and for AA graduates who continue in BA programs.

Associate of Arts, Social Science Track – Bachelor of Arts, Sociology

Draft Semester Plan

Freshman Year (A.A. Program)
Fall	Spring
UNIV 101 (1) ANTH 101 (3) – Freshman LIFE GEOG 120 (3)	MAT 153 (3) (DTCC)
	ENGL 210 (3)
	SOCI 201 (3)
ENG 121 (3) (DTCC)	MUSC 101 (3)
BISC 103/113 (4)	ARTH 153 (3)
Total 14 credits	Total 15 credits
Sophomore Year (A.A. Program)
Fall	Spring
PSY 121 (3) (DTCC)	HIS 111 (3) (DTCC)
BISC 104 (3)	SPAN 105 (4)
POSC 150 (3)	GEOG 101 (3)
HIST 103 (3)	PSYC 303 (3)
SOCI 202 (3)	PHIL 100 (3)
Total 15 credits	Total 16 credits
Junior Year (UD - Newark)
Fall	Spring
SPAN 106 (4)	SPAN 107 (4)
SOCI 301 (4)	SOCI 312 (3)
SOCI 2xx, 3xx, or 4xx (3)	SOCI 2xx, 3xx, or 4xx (3)
Related Work (3)	Related Work (3)
One of Grp A or D (3)	One of Grp A or D (3)
Total 17 credits	Total 16 credits
Senior Year (UD - Newark)
Fall	Spring
SOCI 4xx (3)	SOCI 4xx (3)
SOCI 3xx or 4xx (3)	SOCI 3xx or 4xx (3)
Related Work (3)	Field Experience (4) (Related Work)
Related Work (3)	Electives (6)
Elective (3)
Total 15 credits	Total 16 credits
Grand Total 124 credits

AA SOCIAL SCIENCES TRACK LEADING TO B.A. IN SOCIOLOGY

DRAFT: COURSES FULFILLING AA REQUIREMENTS AT EACH SITE

	A.A. Requirements	Wilmington	Dover	Georgetown
University Requirements	ENGL110 (3)	ENG 121 (3) = ENGL 110	ENG 121 (3) = ENGL 110	ENG 121 (3) = ENGL 110
	Multicultural course (3)	ANTH 101 (3)	ANTH 101 (3)	ANTH 101 (3)
A&S Requirements	Group A (9)	ENGL 210 (3)	ENGL 210 (3)	ENGL 210 (3)
		MUSC 101 (3)	MUSC 101 (3)	MUSC 101 (3)
		PHIL 100 (3)	PHIL 100 (3)	PHIL 100 (3)
	Group B (9)	HIS 111 (3) = HIST 205	HIS 111 (3) = HIST 205	HIS 111 (3) = HIST 205
		HIST 103 (3)	HIST 103 (3)	HIST 103 (3)
		ARTH 153 (3)	ARTH 153 (3)	ARTH 153 (3)
	Group C (9)	PSY 121 (3) = PSYC 201	PSY 121 (3) = PSYC 201	PSY 121 (3) = PSYC 201
		SOCI 201 (3)*	SOCI 201 (3)*	SOCI 201 (3)*
		GEOG 120 (3)	GEOG 120 (3)	GEOG 120 (3)
	Group D, including one laboratory course (10)	BISC 103 (3)	BISC 103 (3)	BISC 103 (3)
		BISC 113 (1)	BISC 113 (1)	BISC 113 (1)
		BISC 104 (3)	BISC 104 (3)	BISC 104 (3)
		GEOG 101 (3)	GEOG 101 (3)	GEOG 101 (3)
	MATH 113, 114, 115, or MATH 200-level or above (3)	MAT 153 (3) = MATH 114	MAT 153 (3) = MATH 114	MAT 153 (3) = MATH 114
	Foreign Language Elementary level (4)	SPAN 105 (4)	SPAN 105 (4)	SPAN 105 (4)
	Electives - Social Science Core (10)	SOCI 202 (3) (new number = SOCI 302)	SOCI 202 (3) (new number = SOCI 302)	SOCI 202 (3) (new number = SOCI 302)
		POSC 150 (3)*	POSC 150 (3)*	POSC 150 (3)*
		PSYC 303 (3)	PSYC 303 (3)	PSYC 303 (3)
		UNIV 101 (1)	UNIV 101 (1)	UNIV 101 (1)
Subtotal A.A. Credits	60 Minimum	60	60	60
	Requirements Remaining for the B.A.	To be completed at UD-Newark
A&S Requirements	Group A (3)	Choose one course (3)
	Group B (3)	ANTH 101 taken for AA
	Group C (3)	Fulfilled through AA Social Sciences Core Electives (SOCI 202/302, POSC 150, PSYC 303)
	Group D (3)	Choose one course (3)
	Second Writing (3)	May be fulfilled through major (SOCI 3xx or 4xx)
	Foreign Language through Intermediate (8)	SPAN 106 (4)
		SPAN 107 (4)
Major Requirements (31 credits)	SOCI 201 (3)	SOC1 201 taken for AA
	SOCI 301 (4)	SOCI 301 (4)
	SOCI 312 (3)	SOCI 312 (3)
	SOCI 2xx, 3xx or 4xx (9)	SOCI 202/302 taken for AA
		Choose two additional courses (6)
	SOCI 3xx or 4xx (6)	Choose two courses (6), including one to fulfill Second Writing Requirement
	SOCI 4xx (6)	Choose two courses (6)
Related Work	Related Work (minimum 15 credits)	Must include Field Experience (4)
		Choose four additional courses (12)
Free Electives	Free Electives (9)	Choose three courses (9)
Subtotal Remaining B.A. Credits	64 Minimum	64
Grand Total Credits	124 Minimum	124

Yellow Highlighted courses are not currently offered at all Parallel sites and would have to be developed at the highlighted site(s)

Green Highlighted courses would tentatively by offered by DTCC and are currently available at all three sites; all have UD equivalents in current Transfer of Credit Matrix

* courses have DTCC equivalent in Transfer of Credit Matrix (overlap of offerings by UD and DTCC)