Messenger - Vol. 2, No. 1, Page 16 Fall 1992 Parallel Program continues A new two-year agreement marks the continuation of the Delaware Tech/University of Delaware Parallel Program, which allows about 1,000 students a year to take liberal arts classes on the three campuses of Delaware Technical and Community College. The University will continue to admit students, select professors, determine the curriculum and set the tuition. Del Tech will provide classroom space and library support at its Wilmington campus, Southern campus at Georgetown and Terry campus in Dover. Under a formal referral system, students not meeting University standards for the program will be directed to Del Tech for alternate study courses or remedial work. Both institutions now will present a joint proposal to the state for funds, which are then to be placed into two budget lines within the office of the president of Del Tech, Thomas S. Kubula. The operations budget will pay for buildings, energy, supplies and computer time, while the academics budget will pay for staff and faculty. The agreement provides that tuition should not be more than 10 percent above Del Tech tuition and will not be more than 50 percent of University tuition. This year, Parallel Program students are paying $49 per hour, compared with a University rate of $141 and a Del Tech rate of $43.50. Parallel students will pay the same student service and course material fees as do Del Tech students, with these fees going to pay for supplies, equipment and library reference books. In support of the parallel program, Del Tech will change over to the semester system used by the University by September 1993. The University will assist Del Tech in meeting its liberal arts requirement for accreditation as a community college. Both schools will make semiannual reviews of the program, and the new contract is renewable if both institutions agree. "This agreement provides for a good, solid working relationship between the two institutions," says John T. Brook, vice president for government and public relations and a member of the University's negotiation team. According to John A. Murray, acting dean, "This agreement between Del Tech and the University is a partnership whose emphasis is on quality education and building a collegial, business-like relationship based on cooperation and mutual respect. The spirit will guide the future of the program." The parallel program was first established by the University in 1967. An internal search is under way for a permanent dean of the program to take office in July 1993.