UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 15, Page 5
December 14, 1995
Southern Delaware academic director appointed

     Well-known Delaware educator Primo Toccafondi has been appointed
director of academic programming for the southern Delaware campus of
the University of Delaware. He will hold a joint appointment with the
College of Education and the Division of Continuing Education.
     In this new post, he will coordinate programming for the four UD
undergraduate programs offered there, including criminal justice,
engineering technology, general agriculture and the Bachelor of Arts
in Liberal Studies.
     While assuming these duties, Toccafondi will retain his original
responsibilities in southern Delaware, which include administering the
College of Education's programs for educators in southern Delaware.
College of Education offerings include both master's and doctoral
degrees, as well as in-service and continuing education programs for
teachers. All offerings are designed year-round to accommodate working
educators.
     Additionally, Toccafondi is responsible for a grant that brought
interactive television courses to the southern Delaware campus. The
concept, which was piloted with one course, is used in five this
semester and next semester will expand even more.
     An exciting future project, in which Toccafondi will be involved,
is the establishment of a professional development school in the
Milford School District. The school would serve as a vehicle for
undergraduate teacher training for UD students, who might expect to
spend up to two years in clinical experience at the Ross Elementary
School. UD students would be able to complete the undergraduate
elementary teacher education degree in southern Delaware.
     Toccafondi is the former deputy state superintendent of the
Delaware Department of Public Instruction, where he also served as
assistant state superintendent and state director of instruction. He
also is the former superintendent of the Indian River School District.
     He received his bachelor of science degree from Indiana
University of Pennsylvania and his master's degree in education in
curriculum and mathematics from the University of Maryland. He holds a
Plus-30 certificate in secondary school administration and mathematics
from UD and a doctorate in educational administration from Nova
University in Florida.
     Toccafondi began his educational career as a math teacher at
Newark High, went on to coordinate the Career Education Program there
and was principal of what was then Christiana Middle School.
     His other positions have included serving as supervisor of
instruction for the New Castle County School District, as principal of
Westmont Hilltop Elementary School in Johnstown, Pa., and working as
director of curriculum for the Westmont Hilltop School District. He
lives in Georgetown.
                                                          -Beth Thomas