Increasing access to higher education is integral to UD’s mission.
One of myriad ways the University is opening doors is through the
Associate in Arts Program (AAP), an affordable pathway to college for
Delaware residents. With locations in Wilmington, Dover and Georgetown,
the two-year program offers small class sizes, specialized advising and
low or—in most cases—no tuition. Students are full-fledged Blue Hens
who, after earning an associate degree, may transition to UD’s main
campus, which nine out of 10 do.
“As much as the students need to be ready for secondary education,
the faculty, staff and institution need to be ready for the students,”
says David Satran, AAP director. “We need to welcome them with a
curriculum and experience that speaks to their needs and ambitions.”
By opening doors to a greater pool of scholars, AAP is advancing
ideas of what it means to be a college student. But AAP is itself
continually evolving. Now, with a recently secured grant to help meet
the post-COVID moment, the program is broadening its services. This
includes the hiring of four new positions: two mental health counselors
and two student engagement and support facilitators. Two of these
positions will be based in Wilmington, and two will be shared between
Dover and Georgetown. The move is the latest manifestation of a bona
fide commitment to the people of the Diamond State.
“UD needs to be for Delaware,” Satran says. “We can’t do much better
than making this an inclusive environment—in a really sincere way.”
It’s a mission that AAP students are paying forward, long after they graduate.
Consider Christian Wills, an alumnus of AAP who went on to earn a
bachelor’s degree in English from UD’s main campus in 2020. Today, he’s
so inspired by the commitment to equitable education and community
outreach that was modeled for him by AAP, Wills spends his days as a
student advocate for junior high schoolers in Wilmington. As a mentor,
he strives to replicate the sense of belonging that was afforded to him
as a new college student several years ago.
“The staff and professors nurtured not just my learning, but my
self-discovery,” he says of his AAP community. “Now, I try to relay to
my own students: In this community space, everyone is worthy.”
