The MB A IS S U E Journal of Higher Learning for Today’s Servicemember
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Community Colleges
Airman Educator Kimberly A. Yates Chief Voluntary Education Air Force
Online MBA Programs O MBA Programs for Veterans MBA Veterans Network O IT Training
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June 2013
Volume 8, Issue 5
MILITARY ADVANCED EDUCATION Features
June 2013 Volume 8, Issue 5
Cover / Q&A
special section: community colleges
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Why Choose a Community College?
Community colleges deliver quality higher education and training that allow military-related students to access the jobs and opportunities that will lead to a better life. By Sarah Aktepy, Batanya Gipson and Calvin R. Scheidt Jr., Ph.D.
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Benefits of a Community College Experience
Community colleges are an attractive education option for military-affiliated students because of their affordability, the variety of program choices, and the convenience and flexibility of class offerings—including evenings, weekends and off-campus locations. By Kelly Fodel
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A 2011 analysis by the National Student Clearinghouse found that business administration was one of the top five most popular courses of study for veterans. By Ramsey Sulayman
A background of the MBA Veterans Network, a professional networking organization for military veteran students and alumni of the top-40 ranked U.S. and top20 ranked non-U.S. MBA programs. By Dave Chonowski and Chris Petersen
Many business schools are now offering online degree programs. MAE examines several online or hybrid MBA programs, and investigates why this may be an attractive program option for veterans. By Laural Hobbes
careers & transitions: MBA Programs for Veterans
The MBA Veterans Network
Departments
Exploring Online MBA Programs
Chief Voluntary Education Air Force
IT Training for a Transitioning Force
The IT Training and Certification Partnership is a program launched in April that allows transitioning servicemembers to gain certifications necessary for IT professions. GogoTraining, CompTIA and Futures Inc. are among the participating companies. By Laural Hobbes
Scott A. Kilgore
Senior Vice President of Military Affairs Kaplan University
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Kimberly A. Yates
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University Corner
2 Editor’s Perspective 14 CLASS NOTES 25 CCME GRAPVINE 26 RESOURCE CENTER
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“When airmen come back years later and show you their
master’s degrees or invite you to their commissioning ceremonies, that’s what makes what we do so rewarding.” -Kimberly A. Yates
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
Military Advanced Education Volume 8, Issue 5 June 2013
Journal of Higher Learning for Today’s Servicemember Editorial Editor Laural Hobbes lauralh@kmimediagroup.com Managing Editor Harrison Donnelly harrisond@kmimediagroup.com Online Editorial Manager Laura Davis laurad@kmimediagroup.com Copy Editor Sean Carmichael seanc@kmimediagroup.com Correspondents J.B. Bissell • Kelly Fodel • Michael Frigand Maura McCarthy • Ramsey Sulayman
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As the war in Afghanistan winds down and servicemembers transition out of the military, many business schools have reported larger populations of veterans among their students. According to MilitaryMBA.net’s 2013 MBA Enrollment Survey, veterans in MBA programs accounted for 8.1 percent of all enrollments from 2012-13. In 2010, the reported amount of veterans enrolled in MBA programs was 4.41 percent, which rose to 5.7 percent in 2011. Entrepreneurship is another popular option for veterans. According to the website for Boots to Business, a program offered by Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, although veterans represent approximately 6 percent of the U.S. population, they account for almost 15 percent of all busi- Laural C. Hobbes Editor ness owners. Approximately 50 percent of WWII veterans owned or led a business after leaving the military, as did 40 percent of Korean War veterans. The U.S. Small Business Administration currently estimates that 20 percent of veterans are entrepreneurs. Being a successful entrepreneur does not necessarily require an MBA—especially in the fast-paced world of startups, in which work experience and software development know-how are highly valued. “We are moving at an ever-accelerating pace to a time in which entrepreneurship will be the cornerstone of the business world, large companies will continue to shrink, agile methodologies will replace traditional topdown management, and ‘career management’ will be a personal rather than institutional responsibility,” wrote David S. Rose in an article entitled “MBA Programs Have Adapted to the Startup Model” on The Wall Street Journal’s blog, The Accelerators. However, he asserts that the traditional MBA is still valuable for entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, Maynard Webb, founder of the Webb Investment Network, wrote an article for The Accelerators that detailed possible shortcomings that job candidates with MBAs could bring to start-ups. Interestingly, many of the negative attributes he listed would not apply to the veterans with MBAs, such as: “tends to think that because of school they are good leaders or managers, but they still might not have ever actually managed people”; “may think more highly of themselves than they should as they have the education, but may not have practical experience”; “can possess a sense of entitlement that may rub very experienced and more operationally capable peers without advanced degrees the wrong way.” Experience gained from military service would render all of those criticisms null, suggesting that veterans with MBAs already have an edge.
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Careers & Transitions: mba programs
MBA Programs for Veterans Are veterans ready for business schools?
By Ramsey Sulayman, MAE Correspondent
student, then the housing allowance is paid in full but the student only receives $18,077.50 per year for tuition. The $18,077.50 rate also applies if the choice is a private school, such as the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. However, other programs and benefits are available to help offset the difference. The Yellow Ribbon Program, for example, will make up all or a portion of the difference between a school’s tuition and a student’s educational benefits, but only if the school participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Still, this can be significant and is where research pays off. Knowing what benefits one qualifies for and how those benefits work is the key to making a good business decision and leaving an MBA program with the least amount of debt possible. According to Military MBA (www.militarymba.net), a veteran or military member could attend a private institution like the Tepper Affording an MBA Program School of Business and have all tuition covered versus attending some state schools as an out-of-state student and carrying debt. The first question most veterans ask when considering an MBA Of course, there are always other avenues as well, including is, “Can I afford it?” With the cost of tuition at top-tier schools in federal financial aid and private loans. Many states and schools have the neighborhood of $200,000, if it’s not the first question it quickly stepped up and provide scholarships and financial aid specifically for becomes the second. Fortunately, veterans and servicemembers have a veterans. Texas, for instance, has the Hazlewood Act, which grants wealth of benefits that can help significantly defray the cost of an MBA free tuition to veterans and their dependents at Texas public unifrom even the most expensive school. versities. Programs like the Hazlewood Act and scholarships have Veterans have unprecedented access to educational opportunibeen slower to arrive for professional programs or ties through educational benefits administered by the graduate schools. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The premier benThe Carlson School of Management at the Univerefit is Chapter 33, more commonly known as the Postsity of Minnesota is leading the way in changing that. 9/11 GI Bill, and is available to any veteran who served Carlson has embarked on a $10 million campaign to on active duty after September 11, 2001. The Post-9/11 fund scholarships specifically for well-qualified veterans GI Bill is a generous program that pays tuition and and has received a $7 million gift from two alumni who housing costs for veterans who pursue higher educaare Vietnam veterans. tion, trade certification, or professional and graduate According to Phil Miller, assistant dean at the degrees. The benefit pays the full amount of in-state Carlson School and former professional director of the tuition at any public university in the nation where the consulting enterprise program, those veterans returned veteran is a state resident. For example, a veteran or Phil Miller from service in Vietnam and had a transformative expeservicemember who is a resident of Minnesota would pjmiller@umn.edu rience. “They have gone on to tremendous success, so receive full tuition to the Carlson School of Managethis is giving back and trying to help others,” said Miller. The target ment at the University of Minnesota and a housing allowance as well. goal is to provide financial assistance to between 10 and 15 veterans Veterans attending as out-of-state students and private schools per class. Miller emphasized that the Carlson School is committed to receive less. If a veteran or servicemember attends as an out-of-state It’s been six long years. Three deployments, two significant others, one broken engagement, a few good friends lost. Through it all you’ve kept your sights set and stayed focused. You’ve worked hard and been promoted, receiving awards in recognition of your leadership. The skinny kid who got on a bus to the unknown has matured into a military professional: physically and morally strong, confident and decisive. Now it’s time to move on to the next chapter: an MBA program. The paperwork has been filed, there were no hiccups, and the VA has come through: eligible for 100 percent of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The countdown has begun. Thirty-one days and a wake up, 30 days and a wake up, 29 days and a wake up … Are veterans ready for B-schools? And are B-schools ready for veterans?
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Careers & Transitions: mba programs Student Spotlight: Teresa Rolfe My journey with St. Ambrose University began the fall semester of 2012 when I entered the MBA program only weeks from my return off a one-year deployment in Afghanistan working as a combat logistics advisor for the Afghan National Civil Order Police. The unbelievable encouragement and support of my amazing wife convinced me to jump in with both feet and get my MBA from Saint Ambrose in one year. When I started classes in August 2012, I quickly saw that the program was in a different learning environment [from what I was used to]. The real challenge was that I had no background or previous undergraduate classes in the field of business; my bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University is in music education, so at first I was not sure I would be able to do the advanced level of the core business classes. I was “a duck out of water.” However, my 14 years of military training and experience from the United States Navy continued to give me the drive to push through
obstacles and challenges. The level of work for the MBA program was intense, but my determination, the work ethic I gained from the military, and the support of my family made it possible for me to complete my MBA in two semesters. The MBA faculty was always willing to give me their time to make sure I understood the concepts they were teaching. The MBA program provided me with an amazing understanding of the business world. At the same time, my experience in the military allowed me to give back to the university. Being in uniform has given me the opportunity to see most of the world, and exposed me to many different cultures and customs. Having these experiences permitted me to contribute different views that most students had not had the chance to experience. I knew I would graduate no matter what; I would not walk away even though the classes put me in unfamiliar territory. Saint Ambrose opened their doors to me and I was able to make my own path, always mindful of the Navy’s core values … Honor, Courage and Commitment.
helping veterans in a comprehensive way by offering pre-school internships, mentorships, and a strong and active military/veterans organization in the business school.
found that business administration was one of the top five most popular courses of study for veterans. National news outlets such as Forbes, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and US News and World Report have run stories about MBA programs recruiting veterans, focusing on the leadership and teamwork skills of veterans. Websites that deal only with veterans and MBA programs have sprung up and are easy to find. So, even if they can afford it, are veterans really a good fit for B-school? MBA school faculty and the Graduate Management admissions Council (GMAC) seem to think so. Many faculty note that it’s not a hollow for veterans to consider themselves well suited to pursu11:53 belief AM ing an MBA and that the skills that the military instills as a matter of
Preparing for B-School Veterans certainly believe that they are ready to pursue higher education. According to Navy Times, more than 646,000 people used the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2012 and 77 percent of those were veterans or servicemembers; the other 23 percent were eligible dependents. While the VA doesn’t have NCSUMBA figures 7.375x3.375 for the number of Mag veterans in 2013-05-31 Military Ad.pdfenrolled 1 5/31/13 MBA programs, a 2011 analysis by the National Student Clearinghouse
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course are skills that MBA programs try to instill in their students. Michael Dakduk, president of Student Veterans of America (SVA), said that veterans are particularly suited for MBA programs because of their military experience. “It’s a natural fit for military veterans to go into business or MBA programs. It builds on their previous experience dealing with strategy, operations, and tactics in the military regardless of whether they were a sergeant or a general.” SVA in partnership with GMAC, the entity that is responsible for administering the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) required for entry into most MBA programs, is also putting the spotlight on veterans. Through the partnership, SVA and GMAC are not only helping military members learn about MBA programs, their requirements and how to gain admittance, but are helping MBA programs tap into the pool of veterans who want to pursue graduate education and learn about what they can offer as well. According to Ann Marie Julian, associate director at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business, diversity is important when building a class, and military
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Michael Dakduk
Ann Marie Julian
adolan@andrew.cmw.edu
members bring different perspectives than students from traditional backgrounds. Student veterans “tend to bring some levity to the classroom when some of their peers” feel that circumstances might be overwhelming, she said. Miller told a similar story recalling his concern for a student, a former Navy SEAL, working on a stressful project. When Miller asked how he was doing, the student replied, “I’m not cold. I’m not wet. I’m not bleeding and I’m going to be sleeping in my bed tonight. So I’m good.” Dakduk said that officers attending MBA programs is not a new phenomenon but a new group, former enlisted, are increasingly looking to enter graduate programs. “This has been going on for a long time with military officers continuing their education with an MBA program as they’re rising in the ranks or getting out. With the Post-9/11 GI Bill, many of the enlisted folks are getting out and many save their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for grad school,” said Dakduk. Charles Altman, a retired Navy commander and former associate dean of the Marine Corps War College, recruits former military for the Carlson School. He said, “There just is not an open arms welcoming committee
MAE 8.5 | 5
that is taking 10-year vets that have been flying E2s into an [employment] program that’s commensurate with what they’ve been making as a senior lieutenant in the Navy. To go back to making $50,000 a year stocking shelves as a manager is not palatable.” Miller put it another way: “In some ways, that’s almost an invisible problem, because those folks get employed—they’re just underemployed. We’re not changing unemployment numbers. What we’re changing is wasting human capital. Taking someone from a significant position and putting them in something that’s not commensurate with their skills is a waste. It’s dispiriting for that person and it’s a waste in the economy.” Alan Belasen, Ph.D., chair of the MBA program at the State University of New York (SUNY) Empire State College, said, “Civilian employers don’t recognize the value of military training. They don’t offer jobs to veterans who may be very well-qualified for the jobs. This may add more to their anxiety when they leave military life and try to transition to civilian life. In many ways the MBA pathway serves a very important mission.”
Charles Altman
altman047@umn.edu
Translating Military Skills One of the challenges veterans face when applying to schools is the same one faced when applying for
Alan Belasen
alan.belasen@esc.edu
post-military employment: translation. Military skills and experiences rarely match up directly with civilian skills and experience, so whether looking for employment or educational opportunities, veterans have to think about how they present themselves. “[Professors] say the military candidates are standouts. They sit in the front of the class, they raise their hands, they ask questions, they volunteer, they’re there every time for every class,” said Altman. However, “the one thing that military candidates are the weakest on is understanding what they can do with that background they have in leadership and that experience taking people into stressful situations and articulating that into something they would like to do in the future, even if isn’t what they wind up doing in B-school,” Altman said. Meanwhile, Julian emphasized the importance of sharing stories in the essays that are part of the application process and in interviews. That part of the application process is often more important for veterans. “Some vets write very impactful essays and maybe their application wasn’t quite as competitive with the pool but the stories that they told …[were] enough to get them that interview, [which] helped get them in,” he said. “Not being afraid to really share those stories in the essays … might be what gets them to the next step in the process.”
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up to 24 credits for the experience they have accumulated in the miliBecause there is often a wide gap between civilian and military tary. Since the program requires 48 credits, students could conceivably vocabulary, she suggested that veterans “have someone who isn’t in the cut their program time in half—resulting in a significant savings in military read it over to make sure it’s understandable but still express[es] time and money. Because the content is delivered online, and the prothat story.” gram requires attendance at two to three day-long seminars, and has no GMAC is also addressing the divide between military and civilian GMAT requirement, it is more akin to executive MBA programs offered work experiences through a grant to three universities that will give by other schools. educational credit for work experience garnered in the military. This Belasen noted that the program is not for those idea was proposed by M. Kendall Fitch through the who seek a quick pathway to an MBA. The Empire State GMAC Management Education for Tomorrow Fund MBA program is accredited and assessments for credit Ideas to Innovation Challenge. She proposed that an are rigorous and individualized, so students will have MBA course called “Leading in a Civilian Context” could to demonstrate mastery of concepts for which they are help veterans transfer the leadership skills they gained granted credit. The MBA can also be tailored through in the military to the civilian workforce. five certificate programs in specialties like health care SUNY-Empire State College, along with Syrmanagement and global brand marketing. acuse and the University of South Florida, is one of the grant recipients. SUNY-Empire State College created a framework to grant credit for learning MBA Boot Camp gained through the military using American Council of Tai Arnold Education standards. In addition to traditional MBA programs, many Tai Arnold, Ph.D., acting dean of the SUNY Empire veterans are being exposed to business education tai.arnold@esc.edu State College School for Graduate Studies said, “We believe that stuthrough “MBA boot camps.” The Entrepreneurship Boot camp for dents shouldn’t have to repeat what they already know. We should be Veterans (EBV) is a program that is open to disabled veterans who awarding credit and moving people forward from where they are rather have an interested in starting their own business. The goal of the than holding on to this ivory tower notion that we’re the only experts.” program is to teach veterans to think in business terms and have This approach has both time- and cost-saving benefits for veterans. an awareness of important concepts that will affect the success of According to Arnold and Belasen, students in the program can receive their ventures.
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Grants are used to “provide the impetus for growth immediately, The Transition Assistance Program (TAP), a mandatory suite rather than trying to put together the capital for expansion,” because of classes designed to help separating servicemembers transition veteran entrepreneurs are often hampered by a lack of capital. Even back to civilian life, now includes an entrepreneurship track with though formal business education isn’t necessary to a curriculum designed by the Small Business apply for or receive a grant, Laurent-Ottomane said Administration with assistance from Syracuse Unithat having an education or MBA can help veterans versity’s Institute for Veterans and Military Famimove their plans forward. Veterans’ Pathway to Busilies and Mike Haynie, the pioneer of the EBV. ness Success is “not necessarily looking for that investTransitioning servicemembers can take a two-day ment banker type or an MBA,” but “we can’t just throw seminar and have the option for a more in-depth $30,000 to the wind,” she said. eight-week online course. “To start or run your own business you’ve got to Once students have their Master-of-the-Universe have a certain skill set,” she said. “You’ve got to have ticket in hand, they can pursue traditional routes that broad knowledge base in addition to your vision. to employment. However, if they have the entreYou need the ability to put that dream into practice, and preneurial bug, the Veterans’ Pathway to Business Success program can help put them on the road to Charlotte Laurent-Ottomane that’s what an MBA gives you.” More and more veterans are recognizing the value business ownership. Much like the Carlson School’s cottomane@veteranspathway.org of formal education and advanced degrees. Thanks to scholarship endowment, this program also began with educational benefits earned through service, more and more veterans a veteran of a prior conflict looking to give back to those who served can now afford them. Now, businesses and schools are increasingly in today’s conflicts. recognizing the value of military training and service and implementCharlotte Laurent-Ottomane, executive director of Veterans’ Pathing programs to formally recognize that value. O way to Business Success and herself an MBA graduate, said that the organization began with the a gift from Jerry Kramer, a Korean War veteran and Bronze Star recipient who went on to a successful business career. The program gives grants to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans For more information, contact MAE Editor Laural Hobbes at lauralh@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives “not to help pay for school costs, but to help them start or grow their for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com. business,” she said.
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The MBA Veterans Network Creating opportunities to connect employers and veterans.
By Dave Chonowski and Chris Petersen
During the fall of 2008, MBA programs across the nation expericareer paths such as marketing, investment banking, consulting and enced a significant decline in on-campus recruiting as corporations many other fields not traditionally associated with a military job responded to widespread economic uncertainty. While many students applicant. The educational component is accomplished through a viewed the new realities of the job market as a serious setback to their series of career panelists comprised of military veterans, as well as career searches, Chris Petersen and Dave Chonowski, two former U.S. presentations by high-level executives such as Don Knauss, a former Army officers and second-year MBA students at the University of IlliU.S. Marine Corps officer and the chief executive officer of The Clorox nois, viewed it as an opportunity. Company, who will address the audience at the 2013 conference. Recognizing an absence of military veteran advocacy within the As evidenced by the exceptional reputations of the firms sponsorbroader MBA diversity community, they created the MBA Veterans ing the MBA Veterans Conference, employers find the unique comNetwork, a professional networking orgabination of leadership abilities obtained nization for military veteran students and by years of military service, coupled with alumni of the top-40 ranked U.S. and topthe elite academic qualifications of a top20 ranked non-U.S. MBA programs. The ranked MBA, to be an unparalleled source objectives of this initiative were simple of future talent. As such, many leading but bold: to connect military veteran MBA programs are finding great sucstudents who exclusively represented the cess with the ease of placement of their most respected MBA programs with premilitary students who also tend to commier employers and each other. mand higher post-MBA salaries than their In only five years, the organization’s non-military peers. services have evolved from a simple hirWhen asked what advice he would give ing conference connecting 60 veterans to veterans or military members thinking and eight companies to a global network Dave Chonowski (L) and Chris Petersen (R) pose at the MBA Veterans Career about a career change, Chonowski said, “As which will take place again this year at the Holiday Inn Mary whose annual event attracts over 300 Conference, a veteran, employers absolutely value your Plaza in downtown Chicago. [Photo courtesy of Dave Chonowski] veterans and over 35 blue chip employers service and leadership abilities, but that including Google, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs and General Electric. In doesn’t mean that they understand how your skills and accomplishaddition, the MBA Veterans Network has also launched an academic ments will create value for their company. In my experience, the single partner program to help top-ranked B-schools like Boston College best way to find the post-military career that meets your professional and Notre Dame attract more veteran applicants, and it hosts MBA interests is to pursue a top-ranked MBA. You’ll get much better access Veterans Connect, a proprietary networking platform that connects to a variety of employers and your chances of earning a six-figure salthe entire community online. ary are significantly higher than just ‘getting a job.’” O This October, the organization will be hosting the 6th Annual MBA Veterans Career Conference. The beauty of the event is that it Dave Chonowski and Chris Petersen founded the MBA enables companies with extremely competitive hiring requirements to Veterans Network. connect with a segment within the military veteran community that has both the professional skills and academic credentials required for For more information, contact MAE Editor Laural Hobbes at lauralh@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives employment. Although maximizing job placement is a priority, the for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com. conference also makes great strides to educate veterans on new www.MAE-kmi.com
MAE 8.5 | 9
Exploring Online MBA Programs Many respected business schools offer online MBA programs. Indiana University’s Kelley School of Online Master of Business AdministraBusiness offers three general management tion programs offer their students the conMBA programs, which include the tradivenience of being able to take classes any tional full-time MBA program time, anywhere—an attractive in Bloomington, the evening option for the working adult MBA in Indianapolis, and the with additional responsibiliKelley Direct online MBA proties. “Whether taken online gram. Through Kelley Direct, or in the classroom, the MBA students can earn an MBA is a recognizable degree that and an MS degree in finance, does not need to be explained global supply chain manageto potential employers,” said ment, strategic management James M. Dorris, Ph.D., proor marketing (with four fessor and dean of the School additional classes). of Management in the Regis James M. Dorris “In all of our academic University College for Profescpssom@regis.edu programs, we stress real-world sional Studies. Online MBA learning opportunities, teamprograms are convenient, can work, and integrated learnpresent students with global ing,” said Klein. “In Kelley networking opportunities, and Direct, our students have the encourage students to work additional benefit of being effectively with colleagues at able to hone their virtual a distance. Additionally, purteam skills, which is becomsuing an MBA program can ing increasingly more imporallow a veteran to fine-tune tant in today’s global business the leadership, discipline and environment.” operations skills he or she Darren Klein The faculty that teach in developed in the military. Kelley Direct are the same faculty that teach in the KelIndiana University’s ley School of Business’ other Kelley School of MBA programs. Bloomberg Business Businessweek recently ranked Kelley faculty as number one “[Working toward an] for teaching quality in their MBA degree will further full-time MBA program. develop those skills while also Klein emphasized the providing the specific funcaccessibility and flexibiltional and analytical skills ity of taking online courses. needed to lead a business,” “Regardless of where you are said Darren Klein, director of Van Noah located, as long as you have an marketing for Kelley Direct, noah@idb.org Internet connection, you can the Indiana University’s Kelley work on your MBA. We’ve had students in the School of Business’ online program. 10 | MAE 8.5
By Laural Hobbes, MAE Editor program while based in Afghanistan, Iraq— and even a submarine! The other nice thing about our program is that you have up to five years to complete the degree, so you can take time off from your studies if necessary.”
The IU-UNC LogMBA Program Indiana University’s (IU’s) Kelley School of Business and the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School partnered with the Institute for Defense and Business to deliver a twoyear logistics MBA (LogMBA) program that can be satisfied through a mix of online and classroom instruction. The IU-UNC LogMBA was designed for active duty servicemembers, veterans, and private sector defense industry students. Each group of students begins with a residency in Chapel Hill and work together as they compete with other teams of Kelly Direct students. “Upon first meeting in Chapel Hill, the students are strangers, but depart well underway on their education journey and, more importantly, with a team of classmates ready to take on the challenges of this rigorous program,” said Van Noah, the program director for the IU-UNC LogMBA program. Students complete two online courses each quarter. “Each residency complements the core MBA and logistics- or strategy-focused courses with experience and instruction designed to maximize the value of the faceto-face instructional time.” Because the LogMBA is a hybrid distance program, the professors can continue the classroom discussion in innovative ways. Professors record the live sessions for students to review and respond to questions on open forums. www.MAE-kmi.com
Students work with their leadership, customers and faculty advisor to select a real-world problem to study and solve in an applied project on their organization. During their capstone course at the end of the MBA program, students work in teams to assist an industry, depot or arsenal with their real-world challenges. They also complete traditional individual assignments, quizzes and exams in most classes. “There are many business principles that drive successful organizations inside and outside the military,” said Noah. “We create entrepreneurs who can operate in the military to innovate, look at issues with a different lens, and lead and make critical decisions in new ways. Those entrepreneurial skills are universally powerful in the private sector, but we have students and graduates who effectively translate the profit and bottom line-focused business tools into greater effectiveness and more value for military application and investment. We are honored to be teaching the military who are already some of the strongest leaders in our nation. It is rewarding when we take such strong
foundational leadership mate“An online MBA allows sturial and help them reach new dents significant flexibility levels through our courseto complete a degree that is work, residencies and mentorviewed as the ‘gold standard’ ship over the two years.” for successful careers in busiHe continued, “Many ness and management,” said of our graduates are still Susan McTiernan, Ph.D., the on active duty using what associate dean for graduthey learned in the IU-UNC ate programs and associate LogMBA to continue achievprofessor of management ing great things for their serat Quinnipiac University’s Susan McTiernan vice. Many have transitioned School of Business. “Veteras well. The MBA is univer- susan.mctiernan@quinnipiac.edu ans and those who currently sally applicable in the private sector in both serve are able to complete the MBA at their non-profit and for profit businesses.” Graduown pace and from wherever they are in ates of the LogMBA program have gone into the world.” green energy, technology industries, educaAll of the MBA programs at Quinnipiac tion, second government careers and many University hold the accreditation of AACSB varying types of organizations supporting or International, an elite accrediting organizacontracting with the military. tion for business schools that less than 5 percent of institutions around the world have earned. The online MBA curriculum consists Quinnipiac University’s of 46 credits. “There is a strong 34-credit School of Business core of general business classes that includes accounting, information systems, finance, Quinnipiac University’s School of Busieconomics, management, marketing, analysis, ness also offers an online MBA program.
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ethics, communications and international business,” said McTiernan. “Students may take elective courses in finance, marketing, management, supply chain management and/ or computer information systems.” The online MBA is delivered through a learning management system that features discussion boards, video and podcasts, voiceover PowerPoint presentations, tutorials in various subject areas and other technology features that support effective teaching and learning. Regular Quinnipiac faculty teach the courses and can meet with students through virtual office hours and meetings, Skype and phone contact. As part of their workload, students complete a mixture of individual and group assignments on cases, papers, presentations and analyses. “These range from sorting out the intricacies of finance and investment strategies to understanding practices with respect to business management and leadership in our own and different cultures,” McTiernan explained. Students typically submit their assignments and receive their grades online.
Regis University Regis University has offered an online MBA since the late 1990s, which comprises 36 credit hours of advanced analysis and evaluation of the functional areas of business— accounting, finance, operations, marketing, management and strategy—plus an in-depth study of specialization areas in health care, marketing, business strategy, organizational performance management, management,
operations management and bases. “The online MBA proemerging markets. “Because gram offers students a blend of Regis University’s MBA is business theory and practice,” grounded in the Jesuit trasaid Steve Wiegenstein, Ph.D., dition, its curriculum has the dean of Columbia College’s threads of corporate social Graduate Studies. “The misresponsibility, entrepreneursion of the MBA program is ship, social innovation, shared to provide students with the values and ethics that run necessary knowledge, skills through its curriculum,” said and personal characteristics to Dorris. enhance performance in their Steve Wiegenstein Throughout their edupresent occupation, as well as cation, students write white advancement to upper-level papers, prepare PowerPoint management.” presentations, and engage in Students who want to purdebates, problem-solving exersue a degree in accounting or cises (in teams and individutake the CPA exam can take ally), brainstorming activities, the accounting track, while and structured discussions. All students looking to pursue discussions focus on evaluata career in human resource ing theories and putting theomanagement have the option ries into practice. of taking the human resources Donde Plowman To begin the MBA protrack. Regardless of the track, gram, all students take a “corall students will participate in deanplowman@unl.edu nerstone” course, MBAX600, group projects and presentawhich gives them the opportunity to explore tions, article reviews and case projects, online the theoretical foundations of business admindiscussions, and quizzes and exams. istration. The final course is a “capstone” course that allows students to reinforce the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s knowledge and skills they learned. College of Business Administration
Columbia College In addition to taking a Columbia College MBA degree online, servicemembers also have the option to take classes at Redstone Arsenal, Hancock Field and Fort Worth military
The online MBA program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is very flexible. “Students have the opportunity of taking two classes per term. If their work schedule doesn’t permit it, they can sit out a term,” said Donde Plowman, Ph.D., the James Jr. and Susan
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by faculty with strong academic credentials Stuart Endowed Dean of the University of and real-world industry experience. “UnderNebraska-Lincoln College of Business Adminstanding the challenges working and military istration. This MBA program includes matestudents face, our faculty help students build rial in marketing, accounting, economics, leadership and communicafinance, supply chain, strategy tion skills needed to thrive in and organizational behavior. today’s competitive business “Our instructors are also environment,” said Worthingvery flexible,” the team of ton. respondents continued. “They Brandman University work with students who get also awards servicemembers deployed in the middle of a credit for military education. term to allow students to fin“Whether you are on active ish up coursework.” Students duty, active reserve, retired or register for classes 30 days previously served in the United before a term starts, which Glenn Worthington States military, commissioned allows them to determine if officers, senior non-commisthey will be deployed or have sioned officers [E7 or above] and chief warconflicting work schedules. rant officers [level two or above] are eligible Brandman University’s School of to receive up to 15 credits from your previous Business and Professional Studies military education toward a master’s degree in organizational leadership. Designed as a parallel pathway with the MBA, this relevant graduBrandman University’s online MBA degree ate degree program is tailor-made for military prepares its graduates for management and personnel who look to further develop their leadership positions in fields like financial leadership skills to advance through the ranks management, entrepreneurship, health or transfer into the corporate/civilian sector,” administration, e-business, accounting, busiWorthington said. ness operations, human resources or marketing. Students can also choose to focus e-business strategic management, internaA Competitive Edge tional business marketing or organizational leadership. This program educates students “Servicemembers and veterans gain leadin how to analyze business functions and proership experience early in their career and cesses, formulate effective business strategies, have more opportunities to test and develop and identify characteristics and implications their professional skills than any of their civilof effective leadership and policy practices in ian world peers,” said the IU-UNC LogMBA a global and diverse business environment. program’s Noah. “That skill and knowledge U.S. News and World Report ranked is useful in all walks of life, but is even more Brandman’s online graduate business propowerful when enhanced by understanding grams in the top 30th percentile of the the business side of what drives success.” 2013 online graduate business programs. The Department of Labor’s reports “A Brandman MBA prepares you to manappear to support this: The DoL reported age and lead enterprises that create value lower unemployment rates and higher weekly for stakeholders in a dynamic, global busiincomes for those who’ve earned a graduate ness environment,” said Glenn Worthington, degree in 2012. “Certainly in today’s competiPh.D., Colonel (Ret.), U.S. Army, and dean, tive job market, candidates who have earned Brandman University School of Business and an MBA have an advantage over peers that Professional Studies. “With a unique focus do not; in some cases it is a must-have,” said on sustainability and innovation, BrandWorthington. man University faculty draw on real-world Earning an MBA, combined with previous industry experience and the latest academic military experience, vastly enhances a vetresearch to help you integrate ethics, corpoeran’s marketability. “The useful experience rate social responsibility and sustainability veterans develop during the military, cominto decision-making, and apply the innovabined with the education they receive in an tion process from creativity to solution design and implementation.” For more information, contact MAE Editor The Brandman University MBA was Laural Hobbes at lauralh@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories designed to meet the demands of both stuat www.mae-kmi.com. dents and employers, so students are taught www.MAE-kmi.com
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CLASS NOTES High School Students Honored
Our Community Salutes of San Antonio, a branch of the national non-profit organization that honors graduating high school students who plan to enlist in the armed services after graduation, hosted the second annual San Antonio dinner on May 23 at the University of the Incarnate Word. Guests included Lieutenant General “Ret” Ricardo Sanchez, CEO of Operational Technologies and former commander of coalition ground forces for the U.S. in Iraq June 2003–July 2004 (pictured above); Major General Adolph McQueen, deputy commander Army North; Air Force Colonel Kent Dalton, commander of the 369th Recruiting Group; Navy Admiral William Roberts, commandant, Medical Education and Training Campus, San Antonio; Lieutenant Colonel Richard Riley, commanding officer for the Wounded Warrior Detachment; and Major General Joyce Stevens, assistant adjutant general of the Army, Texas National Guard, and commander, Texas Army National Guard.
Director Details Furlough Plans for DoD Schools Students, teachers and parents of the Defense Department’s schools can be confident that despite the department’s upcoming civilian furloughs, the school year will start on time, the Department of Defense Education Activity’s (DoDEA’s) director said in May. DoDEA operates schools overseas and at some U.S. locations for the children of military families. In an interview at the school system’s headquarters at the Mark Center in Alexandria, Va., Marilee Fitzgerald told the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service that while her workforce will be affected by the coming furloughs, leaders are working together to ensure the least possible impact on students. “We’ll take a five-day instructional loss,” Fitzgerald explained. “Fortunately, this is occurring in the DoD schools, where there is probably no group of teachers who are better prepared for this kind of challenge.” Fitzgerald explained that like other DoD employees, 12-month DoDEA employees— including headquarters workers, principals and others—will be scheduled for up to 11 furlough days to begin no earlier than July 8. Nine-month DoDEA employees, including teachers and some staff members, will be scheduled for up to five furlough days beginning in September, she added. “The goal of all of our teachers—and everyone, really, in DoDEA—is to try to ensure that there is the least disruption possible to the educational life and experience of our children,” she said. DoDEA schools will be open, but will not conduct regular classes on furlough days, she said. Fitzgerald explained that many school employees, including host-nation employees in overseas schools, are exempt from furlough.
The teachers will focus on making the best possible use of the classroom time they do have, and will give students extra reading assignments and homework to help them make up the loss of classroom time, she added. Fitzgerald said the question of maintaining school accreditation—which the current plan will maintain—was important when the issue of furloughs arose. She said she had been troubled a few months ago, when early discussions spoke of possible 22-day furloughs. “This was a great concern to the department,” she said. “There are threshold requirements in our accreditation standards, and we felt that if we went below 175 days of classroom instruction, we were really threatening our accreditation process. Fortunately, the department was able, even in this very severe budget crisis, to ensure that we took a fewer number of days so that we wouldn’t in any way compromise our accreditation.” Furloughing school employees demonstrates the depth of crisis facing DoD, Fitzgerald said. “I don’t think the department would make this decision if it weren’t for this financial crisis,” she added. “I would tell you that the prevailing feeling is, while there is great disappointment and concern ... during this whole process, the one thing I think you’ll find in DoDEA is that they will rally, and they will look back on this—and they want everyone to do so—with the sense that, ‘Yes, those were tough times, and we performed magnificently,’” she added. Principals are now working to schedule the precise furlough schedules their schools will observe, Fitzgerald said. Adapted from article by Karen Parrish, American Forces Press Service
Get Skills to Work Program Expanded GE, in collaboration with the Manufacturing Institute and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), announced in May that 190 new manufacturers have joined the Get Skills to Work (GSTW) coalition. The increase of employers participating in the initiative will further expand career opportunities for U.S. veterans in advanced manufacturing. Many of the new coalition members are small- to mid-sized manufacturers, which often face a shortage of skilled workers. More than 82 percent of manufacturers report they cannot find people to fill their skilled production jobs. The companies will receive access to online resources to help connect them with veterans who possess skills important to manufacturers. These tools include LinkedIn and the U.S. Manufacturing Pipeline, which showcases digital “military manufacturing badges” for veterans with experience in welding, machining, logistics and other key high-demand occupations. Companies participating in 14 | MAE 8.5
the coalition will have their jobs appear on the Fast Track program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Founded last year, the GSTW coalition helps veterans and employers translate military skills to in-demand advanced manufacturing positions, accelerate skills training for U.S. veterans, and empower employers with tools to recruit, onboard, and mentor veterans. The addition of 190 new manufacturers represents a significant expansion of the coalition whose original members include GE, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Alcoa and the Manufacturing Institute. The GSTW coalition also announced an additional 1,000 training slots for veterans at TechShop, a membership-based do-it-yourself workshop and prototyping studio that supports both advanced manufacturing skills and entrepreneurism. The Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Innovation has also linked its partnership with TechShop by joining the GSTW coalition. www.MAE-kmi.com
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Troy Becomes First “Purple Heart” University Troy University has become the first university in America to be designated a “Purple Heart University.” The move comes in an effort to honor veterans who have been given the award that was created by George Washington. The Military Order of the Purple Heart is granted to those servicemembers who have been killed or wounded in battle. “Our status as the first Purple Heart University in America is a natural extension of Troy’s long history of service to the men and women in uniform,” said Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. “We are proud of the thousands of our students and graduates who are serving in harm’s way and it’s with pride that we serve them and support them.” One of the newest support efforts the university has undertaken is the creation of the Troy for Troops Center, a one-stop center for military students to access university services and problem resolution. In addition to the Troy for Troops Scholarship, given to dependents of Troy alumni killed in action, the university has established the Troy for Troops Military Tuition Discount Scholarship for each branch that will discount all tuition above that which is allowable by tuition assistance.
Currently, the university enrolls about 7,000 active-duty military personnel, National Guard members, reservists or veterans, and 62 Troy alumni serve as general or flag-rank officers or as members of the Senior Executive Service of all four branches of the U.S. military. Over the past 30 years, 123 Troy alumni have retired as general or flag-rank officers from all branches. The university’s tradition of military service has its roots in 1950, when it began offering extension courses at Fort Rucker. Later, these operations were expanded to Maxwell Air Force Base and these centers became the forerunner to what is known today as Global Campus, the division of the university that operates teaching sites outside the state of Alabama and internationally. Headquartered in Troy, Ala., the university operates campuses in Montgomery, Dothan and Phenix City in Alabama, and sites in seven states and six nations. Several members of the university’s senior leadership team are themselves veterans, including Hawkins, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam. He has also served as chair of the Board of Visitors for Air University, housed at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery. University officials formally signed a resolution designating the university in March.
CCME President Takes Part in White House Forum Michael Heberling, Ph.D., president of Baker College Center for Graduate Studies and president of the Council of College and Military Educators (CCME), was recently invited to Washington, D.C., to take part in a White House forum in late April on issues surrounding military credentialing and college credit. The forum was held to obtain information and ideas on ways to allow veterans to use their military training in career areas toward college credit or professional licenses. “Despite having valuable military experience, veterans frequently find it difficult to obtain formal private sector recognition of their military training and experiences,” said Heberling. “I am pleased the White House administration has recognized this important issue and is working toward a solution.”
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First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building South Court Auditorium to welcome the forum participants on April 29, 2013. In her remarks, Obama stated, “In the coming years, more than 1 million servicemembers will be hanging up their uniforms and transitioning to civilian life … It is unfair to this country, because when we don’t take advantage of the skills and talents of our veterans and military spouses, jobs go unfilled and, far worse, human potential goes untapped. And that’s bad for our economy, as we all know.” Representatives from various organizations across the country, including academic institutions and the departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense and Education, took part in the roundtable discussion.
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Airman Educator
Q& A
Striking the Right Balance Between Education Programs and Airmen’s Needs Kimberly A. Yates Chief Voluntary Education Air Force Kimberly A. (Kim) Yates assumed the duties of chief, Air Force voluntary education in February 2013. This position is the subject matter expert to senior Air Force leaders on the Voluntary Education program and provides policy and guidance to Air Force Major Commands and base education centers. This position works closely with OUSD (P&R), DANTES, and academic institutions to provide quality post-secondary programs such as academic degrees, testing, credentialing, counseling and funding. Yates holds a master’s degree in education psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a bachelor’s degree in history from Trinity University in San Antonio. She is pursuing an Ed.D. in educational leadership. She has attended the University of Tennessee and the Eastern and Western Development Centers for leadership development. Yates has held several positions at the Air Force Personnel Center, major commands and base level and now at Air Staff. Her assignments include Soesterberg AB, The Netherlands; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; Rhein-Main AB, Germany; and Colorado Springs, Colo. Yates has received the Civilian Exemplary Service Award, the Edwin C. Peterson Award (MAJCOM) and the Horace Wade Innovation Award (MAJCOM). Q: How has your background helped to prepare you for the role as the chief of Voluntary Education for the Air Force? What led you to this career choice? A: The Air Force has a program called Palace Acquire [PAQ] that hires recent college graduates into internship programs in a variety of career fields. I had just graduated from college [Trinity University in San Antonio] and was teaching high school. I had enjoyed working in education and was looking for a unique opportunity. I stumbled across the PAQ program and applied. The PAQ program exposes participants to many different opportunities within their chosen career— education services for me. Career-broadening positions also provided a chance to do new things in different career fields. Completing professional military education such as Air Command and Staff College and Air War College also helped develop a different perspective on Air Force [AF] issues. But, really, it is because I had—and still have—mentors who provided sound guidance and advice on career choices and options. They encouraged everyone who worked for them to seek out opportunities to do new things and branch out into other areas. Q: What does your position entail, and what are your priorities this year? 16 | MAE 8.5
A: This position is the subject matter expert for Air Force Voluntary Education. Our office provides advice to senior leaders on the voluntary education programs as well as provides policy and guidance to MAJCOMs and education centers. There are so many important things happening in voluntary education that it is hard to pick just one or two. Obviously, the first is meeting the fiscal challenges all of us are experiencing. We want to continue to emphasize the importance of education—and voluntary education in particular—in meeting current and future Air Force and airmen’s needs. We are building a strategic plan that, among many things, outlines training needs and requirements for our voluntary education members so they can continue to do the great job they are doing now. And, lastly, we want to continue to improve our communication channels with airmen at all levels. Q: What have the highlights been of your career? What are you the most proud of accomplishing? A: I remember a time when I was a counselor stationed in Europe. I was conducting an audit of airmen education records to see how close they were to finishing their Community College of the Air Force www.MAE-kmi.com
[CCAF] degree. One student only needed a speech class to complete but had put off finishing it for years. I took the tuition assistance form down to his workplace on the flight line and talked/pestered him into taking the class. He successfully finished the course and the next semester he started his bachelor’s degree and brought—i.e., strongarmed—a friend to the education center to start school. After that, we saw a marked increase in the number of flightline airmen working towards their college degrees. The last I heard of this airman he was working on his master’s degree. Fortunately, there have been other incidents like this, but it is moments like this that validate what we do. It’s fundamental to our work and to what we provide to the Air Force and to airmen. Another incident occurred early in my career. We had just completed our semi-annual CCAF graduation. One of our students, a chief master sergeant, couldn’t make the ceremony so he stopped by the office to pick up his diploma. Now, let me describe this gentleman. He was well over 6 feet tall, broad shoulders—a really big man. As we were talking about his accomplishment he started to tear up. It was a little unnerving to see this big, strong, confident chief show such emotion. Turns out his CCAF degree wasn’t just a degree. He was the first in his family to finish college and he had promised his mother, who had passed away, that he would get his degree. That associate degree was so much more for him—it was a promise made and a promise kept. As a young counselor, that was such a seminal moment—what we do can affect people at an elemental level.
Q: In your opinion, what are the most significant challenges facing military education today? A: There are a few challenges that quickly spring to mind. First is funding. We are all experiencing the pain of sequestration and budget constraints. We must provide for a sound program that has a solid financial foundation. Next is finding the right balance between educational programs and Air Force and airmen’s needs. In other words, leveraging educational programs/opportunities to maximize the AF’s and the airmen’s return on investment. And, lastly, continuing to work with our academic partners to ensure airmen are pursuing quality programs. Q: According to a presentation at CCME this year, the Air Force voluntary education community is concerned about the rising cost of tuition, sustainability and the pressure to reduce defense spending. What sorts of solutions have you and your team proposed in order to keep education a viable benefit for airmen? A: Senior leaders are looking at a variety of ways to find this balance. As you can imagine, the challenge is to find the right mix of solutions that will provide for the financial health of voluntary education and still provide programs that meet airmen’s needs. We don’t have a final decision yet. Q: What do you think has been the most important recent development in voluntary education?
Q: The tuition assistance program was suspended briefly in late March. Do you think more airmen decided to take advantage of TA benefits after they were reinstated? A: There are going to be airmen who are concerned about the future and want to take advantage of MilTA sooner rather than later. The greater concern is for airmen who want to take three or four courses at one time while still working full time and caring for their families. More often than not, they cannot complete the courses and end up having to reimburse the tuition. The important thing, and here is where you can help, is to assure airmen that the Air Force is committed to education and that there will continue to be a MilTA program. Education Center professionals are there to assist airmen in making sound decisions about their educational future. Q: Education is among the top reasons servicemembers have joined the Air Force and is cited as the top benefit that influences airmen to re-enlist. How important is pursuing higher education for advancement within the Air Force? A: The Air Force has introduced higher education in many of its programs. Having an associate degree is a factor in promotion to senior noncommissioned officer and master’s degrees make a difference in officers’ promotions. Air University is regionally accredited and has created a master’s degree out of the Air Command and Staff College program. The Community College of the Air Force is the only regionally accredited two-year college supported by a military service that provides associate’s degrees in enlisted airmen’s jobs. These are just a few of the ways the AF integrates higher education into the professional lives of airmen. The AF takes higher education seriously both for the professional development of airmen as well as for their own personal goals. www.MAE-kmi.com
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A: First, it is the centralization of the MilTA program. Recent manpower reductions required us to rethink how we did business. The Air Force had considered centralizing MilTA for quite a while, and the reductions spurred a call to action. We were able to reduce the burden of transactional work off the shoulders of already overtaxed education centers. This allowed education center staffs greater opportunity to do their primary mission, which is to work directly with airmen to help them develop their academic plans and goals. We are coming up on our one-year anniversary and the phenomenal team at the central office has done some exciting things to make centralization work. Second, it is the newly developed role the education centers have in the Transition-Goals Plan Success [T-GPS] program. This program-in law-requires the services to help their members prepare for life after the military. The education centers play an integral part in preparing airmen who want to go to college full time to navigate the world of higher education. Among many things, professional education counselors and specialists help airmen choose the right college, understand the many funding options and prepare an admissions package—anything a student needs to know to attend an institution of higher learning. We are newly engaged in this, but the feedback we have received so far is that airmen didn’t realize all that was involved in preparing for life in academia. It is important they realize how important it is to prepare early for their transition. Q: What education programs or policies inspire you the most?
A: Really, it’s the counseling and advising that goes on every day at the base education centers. There is something fundamentally satisfying when one can turn a reluctant airman into a lifelong student. When airmen come back years later and show you their master’s degrees or invite you to their commissioning ceremonies, that’s what makes what we do so rewarding. There is not a person in the education centers—from education technicians to education and training section chiefs—who does not play a vital role in working personally with airmen. Q: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned as the chief of voluntary education for the Air Force? A: Flexibility and developing partnerships. Just in my first two months, things have changed so quickly; it is important to be able to turn on a dime just as fast. It’s also important to develop partnerships across many functional areas. Q: Do you have any closing thoughts you’d like to share? A: I remain in awe of our airmen and their fellow servicemembers. Despite 10 years of war and the specter of ongoing conflicts, they make a conscious decision to join the military. While their reasons may be for better educational opportunities or economic stability, they know that they can be put in harm’s way and pay the ultimate sacrifice. With people like this, is there any doubt that our country’s future is secure? O
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community colleges
Pursuing a relevant, cutting-edge education. Community colleges deliver quality higher education and training that allow military-related students to access the jobs and opportunities that will lead to a better life, and strengthen the economy of their communities by providing a skilled and knowledgeable workforce through educational excellence and innovation. They offer educational programs ranging from associate degrees and certificates to continuing education units, apprenticeships and licensures. There are many known benefits to attending a local community college: Affordability: According to The College Board, community college “costs are much lower than those at four-year colleges; on average tuition and fees at two-year colleges are less than $3,150 a year.” Open access: Potential students that have the ability to succeed in college sometimes lack the high school GPA for selection into a fouryear program. Community colleges allow students to enroll regardless of past academic performance, while ensuring success with comprehensive student support services such as tutoring, study skills workshops, academic advising, counseling and career planning; many with programs designed specifically for military students and their families. Small class size: The transition to academic life is eased by class sizes that are smaller than those at many four-year institutions. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, this provides students with opportunities to easily converse with instructors and classmates, helping them grasp concepts as well as building relationships, which is particularly helpful for military-related students. Transfer opportunities: Most community colleges have transfer agreements with four-year institutions that allow students to transfer their credits directly into a bachelor’s degree program, significantly lowering the total cost of the degree and eliminating time wasted in completion of degree requirements.
Current and Relevant While these benefits are more than enough to attract students, other benefits may be less obvious. For instance, students seeking career and technical skills find programs at community colleges to be more current and relevant than similar programs at four-year institutions. Community colleges are designed to quickly respond to the dynamic needs of the workforce and, as a result, to the changes in industry, information and technology. Business and industry depend on community colleges to educate and train workers on the continually www.MAE-kmi.com
By Sarah Aktepy, Batanya Gipson and Calvin R. Scheidt Jr., Ph.D.
changing equipment, technology and processes that are essential for new and sustained growth. Students who plan to continue to live and work in a specific area can be confident that their local community college has both credit and continuing education programs that are relevant to the current and prospective needs of the community. Students graduating from these academic and workforce development programs find themselves highly sought-after in their competitive local employment market.
Ladder to High-Demand Employment Community college students have the ability to segment degree completion into small, quickly attainable parts, or “ladder” their education. For example, students can begin their education and/or training by working toward a certificate in a host of different fields and areas of study. These certificates can normally be completed within a year. Some certificates are designed to transfer directly into an associate level program, which then ladders directly into a bachelor-level program or licensure. In addition, it has been widely reported that a certificate or associate degree can have financial advantages over a four-year degree. EducationNews.org reports “community college graduates enter the workforce two years earlier than their peers who choose to enroll in a four-year school, padding their overall earning advantage.” A study by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce claims that nearly 30 percent of Americans with associate degrees now make more than those with bachelor’s degrees. In short, students seeking education from their local community college can expect to first graduate from community college programs with current, cutting-edge skills that are in high demand. Secondly, they have access to academic education and training programs that are relevant to local workforce needs, which significantly boost their earning potential. Finally, they can quickly earn a credential to become gainfully employed while continuing to work toward a degree for future employment in a sustainable high-demand, high-wage career field. A primary example is the area of logistics.
Associate in Applied Science Management-Maritime Logistics In today’s global business environment, businesses must have relevant and wdynamic logistics organizations to meet their customer needs, wants and requirements. Programs such as the Associate of MAE 8.5 | 19
community colleges Applied Science (AAS) degree in management, with a specialization in maritime logistics, were developed by Tidewater Community College (TCC) to meet the commercial workforce needs of the port region of Hampton Roads, Va., and the education needs of local military logisticians. Available to all TCC students interested in logistics, the AAS Management: Maritime Logistics prepares students for success in the supply chain process—a process that plans, implements and controls the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services and related information to the point of consumption, meeting customers’ requirements in the maritime and business environments. Supply chain management has evolved from a clerical function requiring limited education to dynamic strategic supply management. Strategic supply management demands a professional staff educated and trained to make logistics decisions on the fly using limited resources efficiently and effectively with a global view of international logistics availability and requirements. Using cooperative education and small classes, students gain knowledge and practical experience in the field while learning the risks of logistics decisions on the bottom line. Military-related students participating in the AAS Management: Maritime Logistics program have access to the TCC Center for Military and Veterans Education (CMVE) for student support services and can complete the program completely online through the Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership. Students already in
the logistics field can improve their net worth and employability by adding additional certificates in high-demand areas such as network and cyber security, acquisition and procurement, computer-aided drafting, modeling and simulation, food service management, and/ or industrial technology. These certificates are then used to enhance promotion potential, to provide for a change in career fields, and/ or to be stackable to meet the ever-changing logistics and business environments.
Supporting Military-related Students Military-related students deserve not only our respect, but also our support as they utilize the educational benefits they have earned while defending the United States. Community colleges provide military-related students the opportunity to quickly attain the knowledge and skills for employment, economic security, and long-term personal and professional development needed to excel in today’s dynamic global business environment. O Tidewater Community College Center for Military and Veterans Education (TCC CMVE) staff: Sarah Aktepy, a U.S. Navy veteran, develops and facilitates professional development training for faculty/ staff to promote military student success. She is responsible for community outreach to establish partnerships with military-related organizations.
Sarah Aktepy
Batanya Gipson, a military spouse, is the TCC CMVE academic program manager specializing in military experiential learning. She manages the TCC Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership and Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges programs.
Batanya Gipson
Calvin R. Scheidt Jr.
Calvin R. Scheidt Jr., Ph.D., Lt. Cdr. U.S. Navy (Ret.), is the TCC CMVE director of military contract programs. Scheidt is responsible for providing innovative education and training programs for military related agencies throughout the TCC service area. He is also an instructor for TCC, The Naval War College and other local academic institutions.
For more information, contact MAE Editor Laural Hobbes at lauralh@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.
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Benefits of a Community College Experience Many military-affiliated students have found community college programs to be a good fit for their academic goals. By Kelly Fodel, MAE Correspondent encounter can be as unique as the student themselves,” said Michael Community colleges are an attractive education option for militaryJohnson, director of military services at Northern Virginia Community affiliated students because of their affordability, the variety of program College (NOVA). “These challenges can range from having difficulty with choices (certificate, career-entry diploma, vocational and academic the Department of Veterans Affairs on educational benefits to combat transfer programs), and the convenience and flexibility of class offerstress related issues. As the military-affiliated student population continings—including evenings, weekends and off-campus locations. For ues to grow, NOVA understands that this diverse group of students has adult learners who have no experience in a postsecondary educational specialized needs, and the Office of Military Services strives to connect setting or have been out of school for several years, community coland support them as they pursue their studies at NOVA.” leges also provide a variety of support services, refresher At Erie Community College (ECC), staff has found courses and readiness programs to prepare them for the that selecting a degree path, adjusting to the flexibility academic rigors of college-level education. of college and the approach of other students, and read“There are many advantages a community college justing to their new normal are some of the main issues education offers servicemembers and veterans who have military students face, outside of issues with the GI Bill. recently returned to civilian life,” said Olayta L. Rigsby, “To help, we have every incoming student veteran who assistant registrar of veterans affairs and scheduling at is not locked onto a major use our Focus 2 vocational Howard Community College. “Military personnel and assessment and meet with a career advisor prior to meetveterans are nontraditional students; they are not coming with an academic advisor to make the best selection ing directly from high school. Active servicemembers’ of courses and career path,” said Dan Frontera, assistant careers are their priority, and veterans often have jobs Olayta L. Rigsby coordinator for veterans services at ECC. “We offer and families to support. Since their inception, comorigsby@howardcc.edu veteran-specific orientations, access centers for studymunity colleges have catered to nontraditional students, ing, vet center counseling, access to adaptive learning providing them multiple pathways to achieve a college aids, and tutors who understand how a military member education. Community colleges offer courses through learns. To help in the adjustment to their new normal, a variety of formats—in-person, online and hybrid forwe provide on-site outreach and counseling by the mats—at a variety of times and lengths that can accomVA-Vet Center, VA-Women’s Program, and community modate the work and home lives of non-traditional success multipliers and mentors who have successfully students. Class sizes tend to be small at community been through the readjustment process.” colleges. This gives the servicemembers and veterans For many veterans specifically, it has been quite the opportunity to personally interact with instructors, some time since they have been in a traditional academic to form relationships with them.” environment and it often takes a semester or even a full Earning a degree can be challenging for any student academic year to re-acclimate. They may need to take in a college setting. For military students, the challenges Michelle Ma developmental or “refresher” courses prior to registering are even greater. They are either juggling school with mma@coastline.edu for college-level courses. Some veterans become very their active duty work or trying to make a transition as aware that they are older than most or many of their classmates. Still a veteran. other veterans might be dealing with the adverse effects of their military “Veterans leaving active duty are presented with new opportunities service, such as injuries or PTSD. and new challenges,” said Michelle Ma, director of marketing and public Rigsby said that is why Howard Community College provides a wide relations at Coastline Community College. “Many veterans feel uncomrange of academic support services that are included in the students’ fortable with the lack of structure and direction they face outside of tuition: tutoring; academic, personal and career counseling; classroom the military. Veterans may feel isolated and believe others are unable to and testing accommodations; and two full-time VA certifying officials in relate or understand them or their experiences. Although a vast array of the Office of Records, Registration and Veterans’ Affairs. “We also have a resources are available, many veterans do not know exactly where to go student veterans organization designed to promote camaraderie among for information about their benefits. Many start with local VA offices, but this cohort constituency, serve as a peer support network, and promote do not receive the prompt and personal attention they need. Veterans understanding about veterans and military student issues in our campus often feel frustrated over delays, understaffing and red tape. This causes community,” Rigsby added. some veterans to give up on pursuing their educational goals.” According to Ma at Coastline, “Veterans often take courses that That is why many community colleges offer special services to assist are not required for them to efficiently complete degrees or to meet their military students. “The challenges that military affiliated students www.MAE-kmi.com
MAE 8.5 | 21
community colleges Said Howard Community College’s Rigsby, “The enrollment of transfer requirements. This unnecessary burden occurs because many military-affiliated students at Howard Community College has tripled educational institutions are not awarding full credit for military training since the implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The estimated size and experience. Coastline evaluates prior military training and educaof the our military-affiliated student population is 400; 342 using VA tional experiences to grant up to 44 semester hours towards the veteran benefits, while the rest are using some form of tuition assistance or are student’s major requirements, general education requirements and/or members of the National Guard.” elective requirements. Erie Community College experienced an approximately 61 percent “Also, veteran benefit and payment delays cause some veterans enrollment increase, “which has added to the size, diversity and supto pay out of pocket for courses,” Ma continued. “Some VA programs port system of our already established student veteran community,” [e.g. VRAP] release funds well after the semester starts. Veterans are said Frontera. sometimes dropped from courses by the educational institution for nonLooking to the future, most schools have additional initiatives in payment because of delays in receiving VA educational benefits. Also, the works to improve their offerings to the veteran community. Said veterans are not receiving financial benefits for textbook purchases in NOVA’s Johnson, “NOVA’s graduation rate specifically for veterans is 18 a timely manner. This affects their ability to actively participate and be percent, in comparison to a national average of 3 percent. In an effort successful in college courses. Coastline maintains a library of commonly to increase retention and graduation rates, NOVA has developed and will used textbooks that veterans are able to ‘borrow’ until they receive their implement new strategies focused on pre-enrollment advising for active benefits. Coastline is also developing a short-term, no-interest microduty servicemembers prior to their retirement or separation. NOVA is grant/scholarship program, funded by private contributions, to help our currently devising information sessions, open to all veterans and active veterans bridge the funding gap they experience between school comduty servicemembers, to inform them about resources that will aid mencement and receipt of benefits.” in a successful transition to college. Furthermore, NOVA has career At Copiah-Lincoln Community College, staff have found a primary planning and job placement assistance to offer students throughout challenge for veteran students is not having a full grasp of benefits and their academic career, supported by government-funded entitlements allotted to them. Said Tim C. Lea, Ph.D., grants aimed at specifically aiding veterans. NOVA will director of Veteran Services, “I attribute this to the ‘en continue its outreach to local veteran organizations in masse’ method the military and/or veteran services areas order to develop and maintain strong working relationbrief and/or distribute information. The veteran encounships and take advantage of any resources that they have ters briefings along with 200 others, then may be herded to offer to its students. It is NOVA’s objective to ensure through some line in an expeditious manner. I am not that veterans are made aware of all of these opportunities saying this is overwhelmingly good or bad, it is just the prior to beginning their career here.” way it is. Yet this can set the stage for the veteran to not Two areas where Erie Community College will be be aware of all the requirements or best options. It also furthering its efforts in the coming year are the Veterans can condition the veteran to not always be forthcoming Leadership Council and the Western New York (WNY) on seeking out information or clarification. Here at our Tim Lea Veterans One-Stop Center. The Leadership Council procollege, the Veteran Services office practices ‘one-stop tim.lea@colin.edu vides an opportunity for the student veterans to connect shopping’ and has learned to sit with the veteran in a with mentors in the community to further advance their readjustment, personalized Q&A manner to ensure they know as much as possible on while also helping to shape the initiatives of the future for other veterall nuances with their educational pursuits.” ans both on and off campus. This model incorporates mentoring and Schools are also going the extra mile to educate faculty and staff relationship models similar to the enlisted/junior non-commissioned so that these employees can better assist the military student. For officer/senior non-commissioned officer model of the military. example, nearly all of the faculty who teach for Coastline Community “The WNY Veterans One-Stop allows the college to support the College’s military programs have prior experience teaching online. Upon needs of veterans in the community in a stronger partnership with accepting a teaching assignment with Coastline Military Programs, the the other colleges in the WNY Consortium of Higher Education,” said instructor is given a one-on-one orientation which provides information Frontera. about the background and lifestyles of the military and veteran students, “Coastline understands that veterans need a central location where and the unique needs of this student population. Emphasis is placed on they can get answers; therefore, we opened a veterans resource center reasonable flexibility and awareness of issues that may affect timely sub[VRC] on the first floor of our main campus in 2012 and will be opening missions. The instructor is also provided direct contact information to a second VRC at our new Newport Beach location this year,” said Ma. instructional services staff, who can assist with any procedural questions As prospective students consider their post-military career path, and guidance. Twice a year, faculty members attend an instructional they should be sure to consider the community college. Clearly, many meeting where updates about the military and veteran community are community colleges have the academic programs, resources, and staff presented, best practices are addressed, and questions are answered. that can rival those of larger universities. In fact, these smaller schools These efforts continue to grow in importance as more and more may be the perfect fit for students seeking flexibility, affordability and military members decide to join the college ranks, thanks largely in part veteran services to support them in their quest for higher education. O to the GI Bill. “Since the activation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, we have seen a 150 percent increase in veterans taking classes using this benefit,” said Philip For more information, contact MAE Editor Laural Hobbes at lauralh@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives H. Kimmel, director Western Region at State Fair Community College for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com. (SFCC). 22 | MAE 8.5
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IT Training
for a Transitioning Force
Companies have dedicated resources to train servicemembers within six months of separating in IT specialties. By Laural Hobbes, MAE Editor
Partnership aims to redress this problem On April 29, First Lady Michelle Obama by providing up to 161,000 servicememannounced the launch of the IT Training and bers with portable IT skills that can be Certification Partnership at the White House used outside of the military. The followForum on Military Credentialing and Licensing companies have offered their services ing in Washington, D.C. This new program, training opportunities through the Partenabled by a public-private partnership, nership: Cisco Systems, Microsoft Corporaallows servicemembers within six months of tion, Oracle, CompTIA, NetApp, HP, Futures transitioning out of the military to gain certiInc., Global Knowledge, GogoTraining, and fications necessary for IT professions such as SANS Institute and Global Information computer programming, quality assurance Assurance Certification. and IT security analysis. “[Our veterans] do everything,” said Obama in remarks to the group. “They are GogoTraining medics and engineers, they’re drivers, welders ... And they are eminently qualified to GogoTraining is an IT training company do the very jobs that employers across this that partners with top instructors in the tech country are desperate to fill. field to create dynamic, interactive, self-paced “But too often, because courses; students have access of red tape, or outdated rules, to the instructor, course mateor simple lack of coordinarial, exercise guides and lab tion, our men and women guides for a full year after regin uniform come home only istering. For the pilot program to find that the training and of the IT Training and Certificaexperience they’ve gotten tion Partnership, Gogo Trainduring their time in uniform ing and Global Knowledge, a simply doesn’t count. Or global training organization they discover that the credits that provides classroom trainthat they’ve earned in miliing and live online training, Marianne Cherney tary courses don’t actually have each donated 500 courses. creator@gogotraining.com transfer when they enroll in “This program is intended college, so they’re turned away from jobs for active duty military within six months of that they’re more than qualified to do. Or exit, who have been referred by their tranthey wind up paying to do the same coursesitioning service manager,” said Marianne work over again, and all that training, all Cherney, the creator of GogoTraining. Serthat education, all that expertise that they vicemembers come into the pipeline through have devoted their lives to attain, it all goes Global Knowledge, whose staff help students to waste.” determine which courses are required and Typically, servicemembers who work in which training method is best for them. IT roles in the military, despite having knowlThen, students are referred to GogoTraining. edge and experience, lack the certifications The typical training course available necessary to be considered for similar civilthrough GogoTraining is the equivalent to ian jobs. The IT Training and Certification about three days in the classroom. “When you www.MAE-kmi.com
are preparing for certification, the number of courses you are required to take varies based on your background; the amount of courses you’ll need to take will vary according to how much IT knowledge you already have,” said Cherney. “We have a very big program on programming that we’re doing for transitioning servicemembers,” she continued. “People can come in from the beginning—having no skill sets at all—and go all the way to becoming mobile application developers for platforms such as the Android or the iPhone. We have courses that start with the fundamentals of programming that then map you all the way through.” Through courses offered by GogoTraining, students can become proficient in Python, Pearl, Android, iPhone and Java. “We also have courses in Oracle to help people become Oracle database administrator certified associates. They can come on in, take those courses and then get certified,” said Cherney. “We also are providing Storage+. It’s by CompTIA Storage+, sponsored by SNIA [Storage Networking Industry Association], which is a brand-new certification that CompTIA released around six months ago. There’s so much data in the world today, and companies and organizations must figure out [how to store it, how it will be managed, and how to ensure it’s secure]. It’s a huge market. CompTIA just released the certification, and we are currently the only online self-paced training provider in the world that is certified to present that material,” Cherney said.
CompTIA CompTIA, a not-for-profit trade association for IT industry, has a current membership of about 2,200 companies and partners MAE 8.5 | 23
Others may need a few weeks with educational institutions, or months, depending on the commercial training providtype of training they choose,” ers and other organizations said Thibodeaux. for training on certifications. “Our members include manufacturers of hardware Futures Inc. and software products as well as technology distributors, “It’s kind of tragic that resellers, value-added resellat a time where we’ve got ers, system integrators and 3.8 million job openings in service and solution providthe workforce and we’re on Todd Thibodeaux ers,” said Todd Thibodeaux, the front end of the greatest president and chief executive officer of talent shortage in history, with 10,000 baby CompTIA. boomers a day aging out of the workforce, To date, CompTIA has awarded over 1.7 our vets don’t have jobs,” said Geoff Cramillion IT skills certifications, making it the mer, chief executive officer of Futures Inc. world’s largest provider of vendor-neutral Cramer’s company, which harnesses cloudcertifications for IT professionals. “CompTIA based talent exchange technology, aims to certifications are the recognized industry change this. standards for a broad range of technology In partnership with Cisco, Futures Inc. skills, including IT fundamentals, repair created the U.S. IT Pipeline, a website that and technical support, networking, security, connects the supply of potential employees server, storage, Linux, project management, to employers and available jobs. The website, printing and document imaging, converwww.usitpipeline.com, is tailored to allow all gence technologies, health IT, green IT, and servicemembers to explore civilian IT careers. cloud computing,” said Thibodeaux. Futures Inc. also powers the U.S. Military In August 2011, CompTIA launched its Pipeline, which “ties in every career path Troops to Tech Careers program, an initiative in the U.S. to every education and training aimed at easing the transition of veterans program and the steps [job seekers] need from military to civilian life by providing a to take to get from Point A to Point B,” said pathway to successful careers in IT through CEO Geoff Cramer. “Now, transitioning sereducation, credentialing and employment. vicemembers can, at the click of the button, “Our participation in the White House’s IT see what certifications they need and where Training and Certification Program expands they can get them. Our job is to identify the our involvement with military veterans,” resources, whether it’s a training partner, a Thibodeaux said. “In the case of our Troops scholarship, or an employer who has a job to Tech Careers program, for example, more available, and plug them in so they’re all conthan 12,000 veterans have earned more nected to create a one-stop for over 20,000 15,500 CompTIA certifications since the proIT employers.” gram was introduced.” As the IT Training and Certification PartCompTIA is donating vouchers for certinership recognizes, one of the big issues fication exams for the IT Training and Certifacing veterans today is that they lack the fication Program, such as CompTIA A+ and certifications necessary to easily get civilian CompTIA Security+, to program participants. jobs. “They’ve got the skills, but they don’t It has donated 350 exam vouchers for the have the certification. But if you can mainpilot program. “This continues CompTIA’s tain an M1 tank, you probably have what it longstanding commitment to the Departtakes to work for Caterpillar, for example,” ment of Defense and the armed forces,” said said Cramer. “The White House asked us if we Thibodeaux. “CompTIA [also] participates in could provide the analysis for [transitioning the DoD Information Assurance Program servicemembers] with the core skills to help and contributes to the Wounded Warriors them with the gap analysis, and then conProject through its foundation, Creating nect them with whatever industry credentials IT Futures.” they needed.” The length of time to prepare for a So, Futures Inc. mapped the top 12 CompTIA certification exam varies by indihigh-demand IT career paths, which will vidual. “Some military personnel with experihave approximately 1.8 million jobs availence with computers and technology will be able in the next six years. Then they identiable to take and pass the exam with some fied every entry and intermediate credential self-study, either online or with a textbook. required for those positions, and secured 24 | MAE 8.5
training partners. “IT companies were at the White House saying, ‘We have thousands and thousands of [available] jobs, but we need [candidates who have the] certifications.’ So we’re kind of the Keebler Elves. We provide the skills translation and the crosswalks, and we connect the dots so individuals can get their certifications. We don’t stop there: We connect servicemembers all the way through to the employers who are currently looking for someone who has that certification,” Cramer said. Futures Inc.’s technology also allows them to dynamically rank and stack the best matching candidates for an employer. “So instead of 1,000 resumes, we can say, here are your top 20 candidates.” Futures Inc. has supported the military for eight years, long before supporting transition and veteran employment came to the forefront of national consciousness. Futures Inc. is also the technology platform behind Hero 2 Hired (www.h2h.jobs), which provides similar services to Reserve Component servicemembers. “There are about 3.8 million jobs out there today that we’ve broken down into the core industry groups—IT, health care, manufacturing, etc. We break down all those jobs by industry, career path, and geographic region every 24 hours. Then we connect these for all military personnel so they can crosswalk their military skills, training, leadership experience, credentials, and where they want to live to find the best opportunities,” said Cramer. The U.S. IT Pipeline uses a targeted list of over 300 military occupation codes across all services. “They’re reaching out to those individuals who have the core skills and abilities to succeed in IT career paths and at the click of the button, they can be assigned a virtual training coach with a lot of our partners. We set up whatever path they want to do virtually or at a community college. In as little as two weeks, they can get their IT certifications.” Hopefully the generosity of these companies will quickly empower veterans to be candidates for the 1.8 million job opportunities that are predicted to be available in IT fields by 2020, and seamlessly transition to the civilian workforce. O
For more information, contact MAE Editor Laural Hobbes at lauralh@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.
www.MAE-kmi.com
Continuing to Build Bridges Through Education By Joycelyn Groot
While CCME was holding its annual conference in San Diego, the White House released a report entitled “The Fast Track to Civilian Employment: Streamlining Credentialing and Licensing for Service Members, Veterans and their Spouses.” Prepared with input from many federal agencies and the Office of the First Lady, the Executive Summary identified unique challenges that servicemembers, military families and veterans face in the labor market. Cited are frequent moves combined with different requirements for occupational licenses across state lines, and the difficulty servicemembers and veterans face in obtaining formal private sector recognition of their military training and experience. According to the report, as of January 2013, approximately 844,000 veterans are unemployed and looking for work, including 252,000 Post-9/11 veterans. Currently there are more than 860,000 military spouses, with an unemployment rate of 9.7 percent. Not only does this situation seriously affect the financial situation of active military and veterans as well as their families, it is one of the driving factors resulting in increased homeless rates. The report recognizes that there are many skills taught while in the service and that these can be utilized once there is a transition to civilian life. However, military education, training and experience are not always recognized by higher education institutions, state licensing agencies or by the organizations that administer the related certifications or exams, thereby making it difficult for active military and veterans to qualify for the certifications they need for civilian professional positions. Certifications and licenses provide proof of the mastery of the skill set as well as the transferability to civilian employment. Five high-demand skill occupations that are associated with certifications and/ or licenses have been identified as the focus for these efforts: manufacturing, information technology, transportation and logistics, health care, and emergency medical services. www.MAE-kmi.com
According to an earlier report released May 31, 2012, by the Office of the President entitled “Military Skills for America’s Future: Leveraging Military Service and Experience to Put Veterans and Military Spouses Back to Work,” a DoD Credentialing and Licensing Task Force was created to undertake a systematic effort to identify opportunities for service members to earn civilian-equivalent occupation credentials and licenses. The task force will define a list of military occupational codes that best transfer to highdemand civilian occupations and work with civilian credentialing and licensing associations to address gaps between military training programs and credentialing and licensing requirements; make credentialing and licensing options and information available to servicemembers; and facilitate the administration of credentialing and licensing exams. According to the report, the initial task force efforts will focus on developing pathways to credentialing and licensing for servicemembers in those industries listed earlier that leverage military training and have a need for more skilled workers. On April 29, 2013, the White House convened a Forum on Military Credentialing and Licensing for the purpose of engaging stakeholders from industry, higher education and federal agencies. There were several breakout sessions, and CCME and NAIMES representatives attended industry-specific roundtables. I participated in the roundtable that addressed advanced medical occupations for the purpose of engaging in the development of a comprehensive public-private partnership in this area within the next few months. CCME was founded because we too recognized the value of military service. We are well positioned to help with the goals of this initiative. However, there remains a significant gap between military training and the perception of how that translates to civilian workforce requirements. This gap closes when active military and veterans obtain certifications and licenses. In order to help with this endeavor, CCME board members have been unofficially
tapped to be on the standing committee related to best practices in assessing and recognizing credit from military training and experience toward degrees, certificates and licenses. This topic will be a professional development focus at the next CCME Symposium in February 2014 in Savannah, Ga., and we will also invite the leaders involved in this initiative to speak to CCME attendees. As 2014 will be the 70th anniversary of the passing of the GI Bill legislation, we will be having a 1940s WWII theme at the symposium. We are planning a conference that continues to build on past knowledge and current needs, to bridge gaps among military, higher education and industry. Thanks in advanced for your membership and partnership. Together, we will make it significantly easier for servicemembers and veterans to have their military skills recognized by the civilian sector, and significantly reduce the time it takes highlyskilled veterans to get hired in high-demand jobs. We, in higher education, are the bridge. Industry depends on our education and training. Servicemembers, veterans and their spouses deserve our attention! O
Michael Heberling, Ph.D.
Note from Mike Heberling, CCME president: This month, former CCME President Joycelyn Groot wrote an insightful article on streamlining military credentialing. Make sure you plan on attending the CCME Symposium in Savannah, Ga., February 10-13, 2014. MAE 8.5 | 25
The advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers. KMI cannot be held responsible for discrepancies due to last-minute changes or alterations.
MAE RESOURCE CENTER Advertisers Index Ashford University...................................................................8 www.military.ashford.edu/mae Barry University.....................................................................C2 www.barry.edu/mae Berkeley College.....................................................................27 www.berkeleycollege.edu/military Broward College.......................................................................5 www.broward.edu Columbia College...................................................................18 www.goforgreater.org CompTIA.................................................................................27 www.comptiastore.com/casp/mae Empire State College..............................................................11 www.esc.edu/military Excelsior College......................................................................6 http://success.excelsior.edu/degreesformilitary North Carolina State University Jenkins MBA Program..........4 www.mba.ncsu.edu Northern Virginia Community College....................................7 www.nvcc.edu Oregon Institute of Technology.............................................27 www.oit.edu/mae Park University......................................................................17 www.park.edu/mae Thomas Edison State College.................................................13 http://military.tesc.edu University of Colorado Boulder.............................................12 www.engineeringmanagement.com University of Maryland University College............................C3 http://military.umuc.edu/cyberdefense University of Phoenix.............................................................C4 www.phoenix.edu/mil University of the Incarnate Word..........................................20 www.military.uiw.edu The University of Texas at Dallas Nareen Jindal School of Management...................................27 http://glemba.utdallas.edu
Calendar July 17, 2013 Educating Your Future: Active-Duty and Veteran Education Symposium Fairfield, Calif. http://nsccedsymp-esli.eventbrite.com July 31-August 3, 2013 2013 SVA Leadership Institute Indianapolis, Ind. http://www.studentveterans.org/index.php/component/content/ article/2-uncategorised/102-2013-leadership-institute-application.html October 17-18, 2013 2013 MBA Veterans Career Conference Chicago, Ill. http://mbaveterans.com/2013-conference
26 | MAE 8.5
NEXT ISSUE
July/August 2013 Vol. 8, Issue 6
Cover and In-Depth Interview with:
Daryl R. Patrick
Education Program Manager Education & Career Resources U.S. Marine Corps
Features Career Fairs MAE reviews several prominent career fairs developed for connecting veterans with prospective employers.
Getting Familiar with the New Joint Services Transcript In late March, the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support announced the merger of multiple military academic transcripts into a single standard transcript: the joint services transcript.
VA Certifying Official Roundtable Certifying officials (COs) at universities are responsible for reporting student enrollment information to ensure that the VA will distribute benefits to veteran students. MAE speaks with several COs about the services they are equipped to provide.
From the Theater of War to ‌ the Theatre? Many veterans have used their Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits towards degrees in filmmaking. We look at the most popular degree programs.
Financial Services Insurance companies are looking to hire new talent who can help them reach the 58 million American households who are underinsured. It just so happens that veterans possess a variety of personal attributes that make them attractive candidates for positions at financial services organizations.
Insertion Order Deadline: July 3, 2013 Ad Materials Deadline: July 10, 2013 www.MAE-kmi.com
You helped protect our freedom. We’ll help you prepare for your future. Lauded as a military-friendly college by top publications, Berkeley College proudly supports the GI Bill and participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Servicemembers may be eligible for Berkeley grants covering up to 100% of undergraduate tuition and fees remaining after federal and state grants are applied.
There’s a new cert in town. The Technical Alternative in Cybersecurity Certification
These are just some of the benefits Berkeley offers to veterans and military students:
Take your career and organization to the next level of security expertise when you get CASP certified. Unlike the competition, CASP tests critical thinking and judgment across a broad spectrum of disciplines.
• Fully staffed Office of Military and Veterans Affairs supports all military and veterans programs • CVET program for eligible combat veterans (cvet.com) • Veterans Resource Centers at three locations • Two active chapters of the Student Veterans of America • Participation in all DOD Military Tuition Assistance programs
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• Military Friendly Schools List honored Oregon Tech among the top 15 percent of colleges, universities, and trade schools. • Military Times' Best for Vets: Colleges ranked Oregon Tech in the top ten percent of 650 schools. Check online for our list of programs and majors, including 4 technology-focused Bachelor Degrees in Management.
de@oit.edu 1.866.497.0008
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an equal-opportunity institution.
Berkeley College reserves the right to add, discontinue, or modify its programs and policies at any time. Modifications subsequent to the original publication of this document may not be reflected here. For the most up-to-date information, please visit BerkeleyCollege.edu. P2742
www.oit.edu/MAE Hands-on education for real-world achievement.
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MAE 8.5 | 27
UNIVERSITY CORNER
Military Advanced Education
Scott A. Kilgore Senior Vice President of Military Affairs Kaplan University Since joining Kaplan University in November of 2004, Scott A. Kilgore has worked with the department of admissions, academic advising, business intelligence, the Office of Student Management and numerous smaller departments tasked with supporting those larger operations. Kilgore was instrumental in establishing a dedicated military student support center and the Military Affairs Senior Leadership team. Kilgore received his commission via ROTC as a U.S. Army officer and served in a number of command and staff positions in the cavalry and infantry branches. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska, Omaha and his MBA from the University of Iowa. Kilgore is married with three children. Q: To begin with, could you please provide a brief overview of your school? A: The phrase “the college experience” is often used to encompass moving out of the house for the first time, new social experiences and a newfound independence. Somewhere within the traditional college experience is of course the desire to get a quality education for a successful career. This is the element that dominates Kaplan University’s focus. Our mission centers around providing outcomesbased education that enables students to launch, enhance or change careers. We don’t have fraternities, dormitories or football games—which is not to say we don’t offer student groups and associations, but our focus is on the academic rigor and mastery of skills. Q: What is your school’s background in military education? A: Military students have been very early adopters of online education, so we have had a growing population of military students since launching our online courses. We recognize that properly supporting our military students is crucial to their 28 | MAE 8.5
success. We have worked hard to continuously improve military support. This has resulted in a military population that now makes up over 20 percent of our student body. Q: What are some of your school’s main goals in meeting the future challenges of online education for the military? A: We take the view that military students come to us with valuable skills that we, in many cases, do not need to replicate. Our job is to augment the skills they have, minimize redundant study, and provide them with the learning outcomes needed for their chosen fields. We must also provide the flexibility that allows them to balance education with their duty, career and family. Q: Looking ahead, how will your school realize its core objectives and aspirations? A: Constant assessments of our teaching at increasingly more granular levels will guide our way. As a university committed to student success, our heritage is one of innovation and data-driven results and we will stay true to that formula. Q: What do you think are the key issues facing higher education today? A: Our educational system is under tremendous pressure as budgets shrink at public schools and global competition
expands the need for highly skilled, jobready graduates at a pace which currently cannot be met. A much broader perspective must be taken as we think about education, one that goes deeper into our population than the traditional 18-yearold college-bound student. We need to nurture the talent from across the population at any age, anytime, anywhere. Our servicemembers and veterans are incredible resources sorely needed in the civilian world. Higher education must seek to build upon these skills—not replace them—and help these individuals take on the leadership roles within society that they are uniquely qualified to fill. Q: What are some of your most popular programs, and which ones are the most appealing to military students? A: We have military students spread widely across our 180 degree and certificate programs. One school I would like to call out is our School of Health Science. We have programs created to match military occupational skills and thus allow a significant portion of the degree to be completed through service. For this reason, it’s a very popular program for medical personnel. Too often you hear about members of the military taking courses they likely could have taught. We work hard to avoid that. Q: What have been some of the biggest lessons you have learned since assuming your current position? A: It takes constant focus on the part of an institution to earn the right to educate military students. It’s important to remember that while it can be difficult due to differing policies, programs and regulations, military students deserve to be insulated from administrative distractions and allowed to use the precious time they have to be used to advance their studies. And when the inevitable changes of course occur, we must be ready to accommodate those as well. O www.MAE-kmi.com
ARM YOURSELF FOR OPPORTUNITY WITH A CYBERSECURITY DEGREE.
To win the battle in cyberspace, we need more cyber warriors. University of Maryland University College (UMUC) has answered the call, educating the next generation of cyber security specialists in the public and private sectors. Our accessible online degree programs have been recognized for excellence by NSA and DHS. And many of UMUC’s courses address industry-standard certifications, including many on the DoD 8570 list. UMUC is affordable, too, with scholarships for those who qualify, interest-free monthly payment plans and participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Because the nation’s battle for cyber security can’t afford to be without you.
© 2013 University of Maryland University College
AT YOUR SERVICE SINCE 1947
University of Maryland University College is the nation’s largest public university.
Learn more • 877-275-UMUC • military.umuc.edu/cyberdefense