University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 17, Jan. 23, 1997
UD helping plan TRIO programs' 30th anniversary

     Ronald Whittington, affirmative action, is serving on the
committee making plans to celebrate this spring the 30th
anniversary of TRIO programs.
     A federally funded program under the National Council of
Educational Opportunity Associations, TRIO programs encourage and
support students who meet certain criteria in terms of income,
whose parents have not graduated from college or who are disabled
but who want to seek a college education.
     The University was among the first group of schools to be
selected to sponsor TRIO programs, beginning the summer of 1965.
Whittington, Delaware '71, was in the first class of Upward
Bound-a TRIO program-to be graduated from the University.  He and
two other graduates in the class-Carl Turner, a physician, and
Alton Williams, an optician-were recognized in 1985 with national
TRIO achievement awards, and several other graduates of TRIO have
become community leaders in Delaware.
     TRIO programs identify promising high school students
through Talent Search; prepare them for college-level work
through Upward Bound and upward Bound Math/Science, yearlong
programs with a summer session on campus; provide information on
academic and financial aid opportunities through Educational
Opportunity Centers; and provide tutoring and other assistance
through Student Support Services to ensure retention and
graduation.
     At Delaware, three TRIO programs are housed in the Academic
Services Center-the Upward Bound Program, coordinated by Barbara
Thomas, the Upward Bound Math/Science program coordinated by
Marjorie Hingston, and Student Support Services, coordinated by
Lin Gordon. William Morris served as Upward Bound coordinator for
more than 20 years. Although he has retired, he is still working
on a part-time basis with the University program in southern
Delaware.
     On a national scale, there are 1,750 TRIO programs, serving
close to 700,000 Americans. Of these, 42 percent are white, 35
percent are African-American, 15 percent are Hispanic, 4 percent
are Native American and 4 percent are Asian. Approximately 16,000
participants are students with disabilities.