mae 7-9 (nov. 2012)

November 2012 Volume 7, Issue 9

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Academic Support for Military Spouses O Language Immersion Yellow Ribbon Law Programs O Best Practices in Academic Advising

Battlefield Educator

Catherine Lovelady

Army Continuing Education System Country SupervisorU.S. Forces, Afghanistan

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Military advanced education noveMber 2012 voluMe 7 • issue 9

Features

Editor’s Perspective

Program Notes

People

Class Notes

CCME Grapevine

Money Talks

Resource Center

Scott D. PalumboLieutenant Commander

U.S. Navy ReserveNational Director of Military Affairs

DeVry University

28

Catherine LoveladyArmy Continuing Education System

Country SupervisorU.S. Forces, Afghanistan

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departMents

university corner

cover / Q&a

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Breaking Down Language BarriersU.S. businesses and government agencies rely on the foreign language skills of their employees. MAE explores language immersion programs for servicemembers whose experiences in foreign countries make careers in global affairs a natural choice.By Kelly Fodel

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Serving the Hero Behind the HeroThe spouses of servicemembers face many challenges, but initiatives recently undertaken by the government encourage their career success—and many universities have established policies to help these resilient individuals achieve their education goals.By Laural Hobbes

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Best Practices in AdvisingAs guidance counselors, ESOs and ESSs give invaluable advice to servicemembers who intend to further their educations. MAE asks these academic advisers about the best recommendations they’ve ever given students.

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Legally SpeakingMany active duty servicemembers and veterans planning their post-military careers have explored the option of law school. Their insight regarding the legal systems of other nations can be invaluable when analyzing the language of laws and their actual effects on U.S. citizens.By J.B. Bissell

On October 10, I had the pleasure of attending the annual Women in Defense (WID) conference in Pentagon City, Va. It was an excellent educational and networking opportunity for women in defense-related fields, featuring riveting presenters—military and civilian alike—who spoke about the unique challenges of being a woman in an executive leadership position; the budget cuts threatening the defense industry; the urgent necessity of defending cyberspace; and the strategic outcome in Afghanistan. To servicemembers and veterans of the female persuasion considering a career in the defense industry, I highly encourage you to explore WID’s website at www.wid.ndia.org—you may find that you qualify for Horizons, a WID-funded scholarship that provides financial assistance to students pursuing careers in defense or national secu-rity. More details appear on page 26.

By the time this issue of Military Advanced Education hits the street—assuming that the chad didn’t become a nationally trending topic again—we’ll most likely know which candidate won the election. Although one wouldn’t guess from October’s presidential debates, which failed to substantially address issues related to the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, veterans’ education initiatives will still be at the forefront of national consciousness. While the upcoming four years will present new challenges to the administration in power, lowering the veteran unemployment rate and defending the Post-9/11 GI Bill will continue to be of concern. Meanwhile, the discussion of how to ensure that the universities educating veteran populations provide their students with degrees of value, and that these students graduate without significant student loan debt, are other ongoing priorities.

Senator Harkin’s (D.-Iowa) bill, the eloquently-stated Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act, addresses one of these problems. Proposed in August, if passed, this bill would prevent financial aid—including veterans benefits—from going to programs that lack the accreditation needed for students to take licensing exams for jobs in their fields of study. Meanwhile, a proposed bill called S. 2179, the Military and Veterans Educational Reform Act of 2012, would give the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense enhanced oversight of educational assistance programs. S. 2179 currently has 16 co-sponsors. Only time will tell if these bills will indeed solidify into laws.


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Military advanced education

Volume 7, Issue 9 November 2012

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE

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PROGRAM NOTES Compiled by KMi Media Group staff

VA Fills First Phase of Veterans Retraining Program to Enhance Job Skills

As of late September, the Department of Veterans Affairs has approved applications for all 45,000 slots available in fiscal year 2012 under the successful Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) and is in the process of approving applications for a total of 54,000 slots available in FY13.

“At VA, we know first-hand that veterans make exceptional employees, which is why this administration has deployed a full-court press to connect veterans with good jobs,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The surge of veterans applying for VRAP demonstrates this program’s importance to provide unemployed veterans the opportunity to find employment in high demand fields.”

VRAP is a new training and education program for unemployed veterans who want to upgrade their skills for high-demand jobs. The goal of VRAP is to train a total of 99,000 veterans over the next two years in more than 200 job skills that the Department of Labor (DOL) has determined are the most sought-after by employers.

The joint VA/DOL program is a provision of the Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, which Congress passed and President Obama signed into law in November 2011. The program allows qualifying veterans to receive up to 12 months of education

assistance equal to the current full-time Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty rate of $1,473 per month. Starting October 1, 2012, the rate will increase to $1,546 per month.

To be eligible for VRAP, a veteran must:

• Be 35-60 years old, unemployed on the day of application, and not dishonorably discharged;

• Not be eligible for any other VA education benefit program such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment;

• Not be enrolled in a federal or state job-training program within the last 180 days; and

• Not receive VA compensation at the 100 percent rate due to individual unemployability.

“We’re gratified that 45,000 unemployed veterans can begin the retraining they need to compete for in-demand jobs,” said VA Undersecretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey. “We’re going to maintain the momentum of our outreach to make sure we get the maximum of 54,000 veterans retrained in FY13.”

Tuskegee University Welcomes Airmen Home, Commits to New Aviation Generation

After more than 60 years, part of Tuskegee’s aviation legacy returned to historic Moton Field in mid-September. Four original Tuskegee airmen were welcomed back to the historic training site in Tuskegee, Ala., by the National Park Service and Tuskegee University President, Gilbert L. Rochon.

“The Tuskegee airmen are an intrinsic part of the history of Tuskegee University,” Rochon said. “Their courage and determination in the face of threats from abroad and discrimination at home serve as an inspiration to our contem-porary students and serve as an impetus for the university to establish the requisite infrastruc-ture to support the next generation of Tuskegee airmen.”

The airmen—Homer Hogues, Robert T. McDaniel, Claude R. Platte and Calvin Spann—were part of a special trip sponsored by a non-profit organization. The men and their families were granted a private tour of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and were among the first to get a look at Hangar 2, a new addition to the museum that will be revealed next year.

To mark the visit, Rochon presented each airman with a presidential commemorative coin. During his remarks about the institu-tion’s global and historical influences, he told the audience about his commitment to renew Tuskegee’s connection to aviation studies.

He said the institution is the only histori-cally black university with an accredited aero-space engineering program. In the future, students will have the opportunity to train as pilots, aircraft mechanics, air traffic controllers, aerospace engineers and geoscientists.

www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 7.9 | 3

PROGRAM NOTES Compiled by KMi Media Group staff

Christy Jackson, the former assistant director of university relations at Radford University, has accepted a position as the director of media, marketing and commu-nications at Sweet Briar College, in Virginia.

Jose L. Galvan, dean of the College of Extended Studies and International Programs and professor of applied linguistics at California State University, Los Angeles,

will now be the asso-ciate vice president and dean of the College of Extended Learning and International Affairs at San Francisco State University.

Alison Smith Mangiero, a predoctoral fellow at Christopher Newport University in Virginia, has accepted a position as an instructor of political science at College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, Mass.

Timothy J.L. Chandler, the senior associate provost at Kent State University in Ohio, will now be provost at Towson University in Maryland.

Kimberly D. Adams, a corporation and foundation officer at Angelo State University (ASU), in San Angelo, Texas, has been promoted to director of the ASU alumni association.

Capitol College welcomed its newest vice president for advancement, Dr. Donna Thomas, on October 1. Thomas most recently held the title of director of development at the China Institute.

Bharat Balasubramanian, Ph.D., long-time auto-motive technology researcher and develop-ment engineer at Daimler AG, joined the University of Alabama as a professor

with an appointment in both the mechanical engineering and elec-trical and computer engi-neering departments.

Christopher J. Cyphers, formerly the president of the New York School of Interior Design, has accepted a position as executive vice president at LIM College, which offers degrees in fashion education in Manhattan, N.Y.

PEOPLE Compiled by KMi Media Group staff

Private Colleges Increased Enrollment in 2011, Bucking National Trend

Enrollment at private nonprofit colleges and universities grew 1.9 percent last year (from 3.88 million in 2010 to 3.95 million in 2011), while total postsecondary enrollment in the United States declined slightly for the first time in 15 years, by 0.2 percent (from 21.59 million to 21.54 million), according to new preliminary data released by the U.S. Department of Education in mid-October. The number of students attending public institutions dipped 0.3 percent, while enrollment at for-profit colleges dropped 2.9 percent.

At four-year private nonprofit colleges and universities, enrollment grew 1.7 percent in 2011. At the same time, four-year enrollment grew 1.5 percent at public universities, while dropping 1.9 percent at for-profit institutions.

“During the worst of the recession, no one would have predicted that within a few years, enrollment at private colleges would not only be increasing, but growing at the fastest rate of any sector,” said David Warren, president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

“The data speak volumes about the resiliency of private colleges, and their deep commitment to providing access and affordability,” Warren said. “Efforts by private colleges to slow tuition increases,

boost student aid, and lower students’ actual out-of-pocket costs are helping to make a difference.”

Adjusted for inflation, net tuition (published tuition minus grant aid from all sources and federal higher education tax benefits) at private nonprofit colleges actually dropped by 4.1 percent from 2006-07 to 2011-12, according to the College Board.

Since the economic downturn, private nonprofit colleges have undertaken cost cutting measures and slowed tuition increases, while still increasing student aid and protecting academic quality. Earlier this month, NAICU reported that published tuition and fees at private nonprofit colleges and universities increased 3.9 percent in 2012-13—the smallest rate in at least 40 years.

“There is no question that these continue to be challenging times for not only students and families, but institutions of higher educa-tion,” said Warren. “The nation’s economic ‘new normal’ means that all colleges and universities will continue to do more with less, as budgets remain tight.”

“Despite these challenges, private colleges will continue to work hard to provide a world-class education at the lowest possible out-of-pocket cost to students and parents,” Warren said.

Owens Alumni Association Golf

Outing Raises Over $27,700 in Support

of Scholarships

One hundred sixteen area residents enjoyed a day of golf and entertainment in late September in support of alumni scholar-ship programs as Owens Community College’s Alumni Association held its tenth annual Golf Classic. The 29-team event netted over $27,700 to benefit scholarship endeavors at Owens Community College, in Ohio.

Since its inception, the Owens event has netted over $288,800 to support Owens students pursuing a college education and their career aspirations.

“Owens Community College’s Alumni Association is proud to once again host a community-wide event in which the proceeds benefit students pursuing a college education,” said Laura Moore, Owens Alumni Association executive director. “The Golf Classic was a huge success and would not have been possible without the overwhelming support of Northwest Ohio’s business and industry, as well as Owens alumni. Their generous contributions will go along way in ensuring our students with oppor-tunities for lifelong learning.”

www.MAE-kmi.com4 | MAE 7.9

As an education services officer, our first impression to the servicemember toward education opportunities is paramount. Taking the time to counsel and advise members as individu-als who have dynamic lives is critical to steering the member towards a suitable education program. The education oppor-tunities for online, classroom, hybrid, underway and deployed programs are endless, and can seem impossible to decipher while balancing a family and a demanding military career. As a counselor, understanding the dynamics servicemembers navigate and recognizing their individuality is a key component to effectively counseling servicemembers of all ranks and specialties.

As a Coast Guard ESO, taking pride in implementing a com-prehensive education counseling program is vital, but having the services available may not be enough to ensure the servicemem-ber gets started off on the right foot toward degree completion. It is integral as counselors to know our servicemembers’ chal-lenges and create an effective and broad continuum of programs to meet the servicemembers’ career and educational goals. The most successful education outcomes can be accomplished through a student-centered approach focusing on support and availability of diverse services.

When counseling our servicemembers, my belief is the best advice is often not spoken but exemplified; this is particularly true in education, as it is a journey of lifelong learning, not a race to finish the degree in the shortest or fastest time possible. As advocates for education, we have the front-line opportunity and responsibility to professionally guide our members through this journey while instilling a passion for lifelong learning.

Debra Annam, M.Ed.Education Services OfficerUSCG Sector Jacksonville

As guidance counselors, education services officers and education services specialists give invaluable advice to servicemembers who intend to further their educations. This month, Military Advanced Education asked a group of guidance counselors, “How can ESOs and ESSs more effectively counsel servicemembers in their academic pursuits? What is the best advice you have given to a student?”


I have had the opportunity to be associated with counsel-ing servicemembers for almost 40 years. The time is mostly with the Army as soldiers have pursued their education. I have always stated and supported that the most critical person in the Army Continuing Education System is the guidance counselor, as they lead soldiers and family members toward academic degree completion.

As a counselor/mentor, I strive to work with soldiers to be responsible students as they pursue their career path. The responsible student should:

• Schedule appointments with the counselor before the registration period and arrive on time.

• Discuss long-range goals, including educational goals and career aspirations.

• Own and be familiar with the school catalog and bulletin.

• Be prepared for the counseling sessions by identifying questions or concerns such as, “How do I select a major? What courses do I take first? What schools are in this area?”

• Know academic requirements for enrollment and graduation.

• Know and meet course prerequisites and select specific course selections with the counselor’s aid.

• Discover what kind and number of courses and credits are needed for degree completion.

• Ask questions about policies, procedures or requirements that are not understood.

• Keep a plan of study for his/her major and review it with the counselor on a regular basis.

• Obtain, complete and process all necessary forms and signatures required for registration, course changes or related affairs within specific deadlines.

• Discuss with the counselor the number of courses that can or should be taken per term.

• Keep copies of all academic and monetary records. • Consult with the counselor about concerns related to

academic progress, a change in program, courses to be taken at another institution, or withdrawal.

• Handle academic matters him/herself rather than asking others to do it.

• Make final decisions and be actively responsible for his/her academic career.

One of the greatest pleasures is attending graduation ceremo-nies of soldiers receiving their degrees. In many cases, [they achieve this] after being away from school for many years. The opportunity to meet with a counselor and work the road map to completion is outstanding. The pride they experience possibly as the first in a fam-ily to graduate is awesome. Education changes lives.

Education service specialists in the recruiting command are charged with the effective counseling of servicemembers in their academic pursuits. The most crucial time for counsel-ing is during their in-processing to the unit. During this time, servicemembers are given the phone numbers and email addresses of their supporting ESOs and education centers (if available). Servicemembers are also given an orientation of colleges and universities in the area where they are going to live.

ESSs are also responsible for conducting training with the servicemembers throughout the year on the benefits of a postsecondary education. Furthermore, ESSs keep their servicemembers apprised of any educational fairs in their

respective areas and promote such fairs throughout the command. As an adviser to the commander on educational issues, the ESS promotes education and encourages com-mand emphasis for servicemembers who are not attending a college or university.

Servicemembers should use their ESSs as they would an ESO. An ESS is very familiar with the territory and points of contacts of many postsecondary institutions. The ESS can counsel the servicemember on the type of university that is best suited for his/her educational pursuits. Servicemembers should also have a copy of their transcripts readily available. An education center is not always available to the service-member since many serve in a geographically dispersed area; therefore, the ESS is able to assist servicemembers in their academic pursuits. Additionally, some colleges and universi-ties have a signed agreement with the command that allows the servicemember to not pay some fees associated with attending their institution. The servicemember should check with their ESSs for a list of participating institutions.

Nelson Castillo, M.Ed.Education Services SpecialistTampa Recruiting Battalion

Grey H. Edwards Jr, Ed.D.Hub ChiefArmy Continuing Education SystemU.S. Army Garrison


For more information, contact MAE Editor Laural Hobbes at [email protected] or search our online archives for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.

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Listen, listen, listen, and ask open ended questions. It is so easy to fall into the trap of “knowing” what soldiers should do rather then providing counsel so they make knowledgeable decisions. My first goal is to find out what their long-term and short-term goals are and make sure the goals are realistic. It is then my mission to help them reach these goals by assisting them in developing a practical academic plan that is built for success.

After their goals have been established, there are key ques-tions that should to be asked and answered. These questions help to develop the academic plan. The questions should identify if clients are aware of their strengths and weaknesses—and do they understand the behaviors that can contribute to their educational success? Are they academically prepared for post-secondary edu-cation, have they taken advantage of a basic skills education pro-gram; have they evaluated all their academic institutional options; are they leaning toward online or traditional learning? Do they have

a lifestyle that is conducive to online learning? Are they in a position to be full-time students? Are they aware of the cost/benefit ratio of their institutional choice? Have they taken advantage of every-thing available to them: college entrance exams, AARTS transcript, other ACE evaluated credits, college level testing, existing college credits, as well as funding options? My ultimate goal is to make sure my clientele are aware of all the programs and services that are available to them so they can reach their academic goals in the most efficient and effective manner while minimizing the debt to the student.

The best advice I have given a student is to seriously consider attending a community college. Statistics show that the tuition and fees of state community colleges average considerably less than half of that of state four-year institutions and about one-tenth of those at private four-year colleges. Some advantages of attending a community college rather than a university include saving money on tuition, completing basic education requirements that are transfer-able, developing academic skills, having the ability to boost grade point average, convenience, having time to decide on a major, small class sizes, attending an institution that focuses on teaching, and outstanding student support services. O

Jeffrey HaycraftEducation Services SpecialistGoArmyEdNevada Army National GuardJoint Force Headquarters


By the very nature of their jobs as servicemembers, veterans have a unique worldview that allows them to consider the demands and intricacies of the global marketplace. Serving around the world, com-pleting tours of duty, and thinking about the impact of the American military on world affairs often leads servicemembers to careers that emphasize on the world as a whole, and the ways in which countries interact and impact each other. In the 21st-century workplace, rel-evant foreign language skills have become increasingly critical, as U.S. businesses, hospitals and government agencies realize that to succeed in day-to-day business, having a workforce skilled in multiple languages is a necessity.

The Language FLagship program

Recognizing this, in 2000, the DoD’s National Security Educa-tion Program (NSEP) launched the Language Flagship Program, which encourages higher education institutions to create advanced language programs. The Language Flagship is a partnership between the federal government and the education community, with the goal of building language programs that produce professionally proficient language speakers in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi Urdu, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili and Turkish. To date, the highest enrollments tend to be in Chinese and Arabic.

The Flagship Program is comprised of undergraduate students currently enrolled at 26 programs at 22 universities. The goal of The

Language Flagship is to graduate students from a variety of majors with an Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Level 3 proficiency in one of The Language Flagship’s target languages. As a result, The Language Flagship creates a pool of qualified individuals in a variety of professions who are linguistically and culturally competent in a language and area of the world critical to U.S. global competitiveness and national security. Flagship students are recruited from a wide variety of fields, from international studies to mathematics to biol-ogy. Thus, the Flagship Program provides opportunities for students from a variety of disciplines to become professionally proficient in one of Flagship’s target languages.

“The Flagship Program is demonstrating that U.S. students can reach professional-level language proficiency through a systematic approach that combines intensive domestic foreign language study with an overseas study abroad experience that integrates language training with content learning and professional experience,” said Samuel Eisen, Ph.D., director of The Language Flagship and direc-tor of programs at the NSEP. “Flagship programs’ curricula, both domestically and overseas, focus on proficiency-based advancement in all four modalities of language learning: reading, writing, listening and speaking.”

Flagship programs build on what the students have learned in the classroom, set goals for their individual progress, and provide ongoing assessments to ensure that students are developing their linguistic skills and meeting the standards of the Flagship program.

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In addition, all Language Flagship students are required to complete an academic year overseas at an overseas Flagship Center program. Students must qualify for the overseas study program with advanced (ILR Level 2) language proficiency, with the goal of reaching ILR Level 3 proficiency by the end of the overseas program. While over-seas, Flagship students engage in intensive language study, direct enrollment in courses in their area of interest at a local partner university, and an internship that utilizes their language and culture expertise.

“We’re working with the higher education community to provide pathways to professional-level language proficiency in 10 languages critical to U.S. global competitiveness and national security to an increasing pool of U.S. undergraduate students with a wide array of technical expertise—economics, public policy, STEM fields and many more,” said Eisen. “The aim is to address the shortage of citizens skilled in foreign languages in the American workforce that we are facing today.”

The Language Flagship faculty is a talented mix of native and non-native speakers developing innovative and intensive curricula. At advanced levels, Flagship programs offer content courses in the target language in a variety of fields to prepare students for the challenges of directly enrolling in courses offered at an overseas university.

The majority of Flagship students are civilians, but recent invest-ments into Pilot Flagship/ROTC programs are creating opportunities for ROTC students to participate in a Flagship program in conjunc-tion with their ROTC program requirements. There are currently three Flagship/ROTC programs, offered at Arizona State University, Georgia Technical Institute of Technology and North Georgia State College and University. Currently, all Flagship/ROTC Programs are offered in Chinese, but the Language Flagship is working with the ROTC to provide scholarships for ROTC students to attend any Flag-ship program in any of the 10 languages.

The Language Flagship operates 10 Overseas Flagship Centers internationally. These centers provide opportunities that allow Flag-ship students to hone their language skills with native speakers and put their lessons into context as they experience life abroad through internships and direct enrollment at an overseas institution.

The Language Flagship Students participate in the overseas program once they have reached an ILR Level 2 with the goal of achieving an ILR Level 3 (professional proficiency) by the time they complete this capstone year. While overseas, students are required to take language classes, directly enroll in classes in their major at a university in the country where they are studying, and participate in a professional internship. Both the direct enrollment classes and the internship are conducted in their target language and give the stu-dents an opportunity to understand and participate in both academic and professional environments. The majority of students also live in a “home-stay” while abroad, which provides them with an opportu-nity to operate in their target language for the majority of their day and gain a deeper understanding of the culture in which their target language is spoken. Flagship students are able to use high-level language proficiency and professional skills in overseas internship placements that require knowledge of the culture and region.

The Language Flagship is a four-to-five-year commitment. Throughout this instruction, there are many interventions, individu-alized tutoring, group exercises, and a one-year period of overseas immersion. The program integrates interventions and assessments that exceed the rigor and results of the typical language curriculum.

Flagship project directors strive to maximize the number of contact hours students devote to language learning in order to meet the ambitious proficiency targets.

Flagship graduates leverage their superior language and cul-tural skills in various careers, offering an intercultural perspective to employers in federal and state governments, global businesses and nongovernmental organizations. Some organizations that have hired Flagship graduates include the Department of Defense, the State Department, DHS, USAID, University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Commerce, Securities and Exchange Commission, AECOM and NASA.

Language Training cenTers

Another Defense Language and National Security Education Office investment is the language training centers (LTCs), a DoD-funded initiative established in September 2011 to increase DoD’s training capacity in critical and strategic languages and regional area studies for DoD personnel. Five LTCs were awarded a grant during the 2011-2012 academic year and include California State University – Long Beach, North Carolina State University, North Georgia College and State University, San Diego State University and the University of Montana. When a new open competition was announced this summer, the existing LTCs reapplied and were selected for the upcoming academic year. Indiana University,

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Norwich University and Coastal Carolina Community College were awarded a grant under the program as well.

DoD has identified a critical need to have more personnel speak and understand critical languages, and the training they receive through this program will develop a critical skill set that will support national security objectives. Each center has an institutional capacity to provide customized training to meet the specific needs of various DoD entities. Training is delivered primarily through non-traditional delivery methods such as intensive immersion instruction and online modules. The University of Montana and North Carolina State University provide an isolated-immersion exercise as a capstone to their language training. Languages currently offered by the centers include Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Pashto, Persian (Dari and Farsi) and Russian.

The deFense Language insTiTuTe Foreign Language cenTer (dLiFLc)

During a visit to DLIFLC in August 2011, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said, “We live in a global world. We have to understand that world if we … are going to be able to not only defend this country, but to extend our relationships to others so that we can work together to defend the world that we live in.”

DLIFLC programs are important to the nation’s national security. Students who graduate from DLI-FLC end up working in military intelligence positions at home and abroad. Commandant Colonel Danial D. Pick said, “We have come a long way through his-tory. DLIFLC has changed its name five times since its inception in 1941 when the secret Army language school was opened just weeks before Pearl Harbor. Today, DLIFLC instructs 3,500 students at any given time and supports another 35,000 through various programs.”

Seventy-one years after its inception in 1941 as the Army Language School at the Presidio of San Francisco, where only Japanese was taught, today, DLIFLC teaches 23 languages: Spanish, French, Ital-ian, Portuguese, German, Indonesian, Dari, Persian Farsi, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Hebrew, Thai, Serbian/Croatian, Tagalog, Turkish, variations of Arabic, Chi-nese Mandarin, Korean, Japanese and Pashto. Courses last from 26 to 64 weeks, depending on the difficulty of the language. Currently, the highest enrollment is in Arabic (various dialects), Pashto (Afghanistan), Chinese and Korean.

There is no difference in how a language is taught according to density. Spanish, for example, is only a 26-week long course, lasting six months. However, the results expected of the students are the same, proficiency-wise, as from a 64-week Arabic course. Both students would take an equally difficult written exam and undergo a grueling oral exam. Their proficiency is expected to be the same, as their jobs are equally important.

Aside from speaking the target language in the classroom six to seven hours a day, five days a week, students also participate in offsite immersions for two to three days at a time, isolated from the rest of the English-speaking world. DLIFLC’s field training exercises,

carried out at a special facility located at Ord Military Community, in Seaside, Calif., have been an economical and efficient way of engaging a large number of students in “learning by doing.” Students are put in an environment where they are forced to communicate in order to resolve issues in simulated “real life” situations. The emphasis of the training is on communication and problem solving while exclusively using the target language in a culturally enhanced environment. Since the inception of the program in 2007, more than 22,000 students have gone through this program

Realizing that the best way of learning a foreign language is being completely immersed in the language and culture of a given country, DLIFLC began sending students abroad in 2005 to spend four weeks living and studying abroad. Because of the high cost of immersion trips, DLIFLC cannot send all of its students abroad for an immer-sion experience. The best students of the class, at the recommenda-tions of their instructors and military units, typically travel abroad.

This program also serves as incentive for students to study their target language and culture. Thus far, 184 OCONUS programs have been carried out with 1,595 participants, with 70 percent of this number providing immersion experience in hard languages to learn by native English speakers: Arabic, Chinese and Korean.

Students are on a year-round schedule. Courses last between 26 and 64 weeks. They only get breaks on the holidays, with two weeks for Christmas and then a one-week break during the class. Provost Donald Fischer, Ph.D., explained, “A person who studies at DLI puts the equivalent of 10.5 college semesters in during a 15-month period. Students spend 2,240 hours of time studying a foreign language at DLI. … If divided, this gives you 192 hours per semester, and divided into 2,240 hours, this is about 10.6 semesters.”

“Mastery of a foreign language always enhances an individual’s ability to further their career,” said Natela A. Cutter, strategic communication chief for DLI-FLC. “Understanding and speaking a foreign language means that one also understands that foreign culture, its traditions and customs. This is very important in every aspect of work, whether in the military or civilian world. Military personnel benefit from this knowledge when they are deployed and have to work side-by-side with their counterparts. At the officer level, when one is in a foreign area office and ends up working as a military attaché in a U.S. embassy, it makes all the dif-ference in the world to be able to speak the language of the host nation, talk about various topics, from art and culture to politics, and establish and solidify vital relationships. This is essential to diplomacy.

“On the civilian side,” Cutter continued, “DLIFLC graduates tend to do well in industry, working for foreign companies, or owning their own companies that trade with other nations. All of this contributes to the enhanced image of Americans abroad. The more

cross-cultural Americans become, the better image we will project as a nation. All together, this is precisely in [our] national interest.” O

For more information, contact MAE Editor Laural Hobbes at [email protected] or search our online archives

for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.

Col. Danial D. Pick

Natela A. Cutter

[email protected]

Donald Fischer


Erin Brockovich, JAG, The Practice … Hollywood loves legal thrill-ers, and productions like these are almost certainly responsible for at least sparking an interest in law for more than a handful of students. “For many, the only experience they have with the law is what they see on TV,” said Carol Cochran, the assistant dean in the office of admission at the Seattle University School of Law. “But law school is not all moot court and trial techniques.”

Law school is of great interest to a good number of servicemem-bers and veterans who are planning their post-military careers. “The U.S. Constitution, in a sense, is based around the notion of liberty,” explained Justin Levine, a third-year student at the University of Miami School of Law and the editor-in-chief of the institution’s National Security & Armed Conflict Law Review. “Combat veterans have had the experience of seeing liberty—or the lack thereof—in action when deployed to a combat zone. This insight can be invaluable when juxta-posing the language of the law and its actual practical effects on [U.S.] citizens.”

year one

Of course, there’s a huge chasm between watching A Few Good Men and interpreting the language of the law. It all begins on the first day of classes during “1L,” the first year of law school, which, according to Whiting Leary, the senior assistant dean for students at the Univer-sity of Colorado Law School, “is relatively standardized regardless of the school attended.”

It also might feel more like basic training than higher learning. “The first year of law school study is very structured and the foundation of your entire program,” explained Cochran. At the Seattle University School of Law, “the first year students are placed into cohorts for learn-ing. They are told who their professors will be, what classes they will take, and when they will be attending classes.”

Those predetermined courses consist of what are generally con-sidered to be the building blocks of legal education: civil procedure, torts, criminal law, contracts, constitutional law and legal writing. This allows students to complete the prerequisites for their legal studies.

For students who may have earned their undergraduate degree online or attended a large university where they could choose a cur-riculum from a wide array of course options and then fade into the crowd, this inflexible structure can be a bit of a shock—as can how academically intensive the first year really is.

“Students read judicial opinions from past cases, and professors lecture via the Socratic Method,” said Leary. “Colorado Law’s cur-riculum includes a couple of novel offerings, including Legislation and Regulation, which prepares students for administrative law, and optional 1L courses that expose students to different topics…But hard work and some long days are a reality.”

It bears repeating that even students who are anticipating an academic challenge will be tested. “I was expecting to simply work hard, put in the effort, and emerge at the end as a successful law student,” admitted Levine. “That was a drastic underestimation. Law school never stops. In the past, I’ve always relied on my strong work

ethic for success. In law school, having an ironclad work ethic and motivation only puts you on par with everybody else.”

supporT sysTem(s)

Just because everybody is fighting for success, however, does not mean they are necessarily fighting against you. “I came fully expect-ing a heavy and difficult workload,” said Alexander J. Roth, a former corporal in the Marine Corps who is now a third-year student at the University of Miami School of Law and the president of Miami’s Mili-tary Law Society. “What did surprise me, though, was the communal interrelationship. I was expecting a more competitive environment with backstabbing in an attempt to gain class position. In reality, the other students I worked with all helped each other out.”

That advice can range from academic assistance to educational path counseling to help with paperwork and financial aid. The latter can be tremendously helpful, because not only do Yellow Ribbon benefits vary from school to school, but certain institutions also

offer military-specific scholarships. Seattle University, for example, has a community service stipend of $3,000 for entering students that are veter-ans and active duty military. While paying for law school can undeniably be a bit of a convoluted puzzle, there are people who can help piece it all together.

Levine said it best: “I would advise veterans to become familiar with the educational benefits available to them before starting law school.”

Once school has started, many on-campus veterans groups provide opportunities for outgoing learners to gain experience beyond the class-room and network within the local law community.

The University of Colorado’s stu-dent-led Military Law Society is very active on and off campus. In addition to being an informational resource for the student body and helping soon-to-be-graduates secure mentors and jobs, the organization offers free legal assistance to veterans. Leary

added, “[In October], the MLS provided volunteers to the Colorado Bar Association’s Legal Assistance Program, hosted a judge advocate panel at the law school with representatives from every service, and put on a “Boots to Suits” event in Denver that featured a panel dis-cussion with a veteran state senator, federal judge, senior partner, associate and general counsel, and concluded with a networking reception attended by [local] veteran attorneys.”

many veTerans have enroLLed in Law schooL. shouLd you Be one oF Them?By J.B. BisseLL

mae correspondenT

Whiting Leary

[email protected]

Carol Cochran

[email protected]


2L, 3L

If 1L is the law school equivalent of basic training, then 2L and 3L are when the field exercises get started and former soldiers truly begin their transition from boots to suits. “The second and third years vary depending on the interests of the students,” said Leary. “Some sign up for courses in specialized areas of the law, such as environmental, intellectual property, labor and employment, tax, corporations, [etc.]. Advanced courses also are available in the core areas. … Students interested in the criminal justice system may take classes on criminal procedure, the theory of punishment, and others.”

Crucial hands-on learning also takes place during this time period. Students have the chance to develop some of their “lawyer-ing skills” by taking on an internship or externship, or, perhaps even more beneficial, being selected for clinical opportunities.

“A clinic … is something through which a student, under the close supervision of a practicing attorney in the area, is able to repre-sent a client him or herself,” explained Professor Michael P. Allen from the Stetson University College of Law. “This gives students the ability to develop real-world skills they’ll need after graduation.”

As it turns out, Stetson is quite involved in the real world as it relates to former members of the military. “At our College of Law, and the university more generally, we try really hard to make ourselves an embodiment, if you will, of President Lincoln’s second inaugural address—‘to care for him who shall have borne the battle.’ In a physi-cal location and a metaphorical sense, we do that with our Veterans

Law Institute,” said Allen, who is also the director of the Veterans Law Institute and associate dean for faculty development and strategic initiatives.

There are a number of components to the institute, including providing certain pro bono services to active duty troops and their families and acting as a one-stop shop where student veterans can get assistance with admission and integrating into the College of Law.

The flagship of the program, however, is the Veterans Advocacy Clinic, which provides immeasurable value to both students and former servicemembers in the community.

“Since it’s a clinic, when a vet-eran has a problem, the initial cli-ent interview is with a student who is supervised by an actual lawyer,” explained Allen. “When papers need to be drafted, it’s the student who does them supervised by the lawyer. If there’s going to be an argument

before some type of agency or court, the court will allow the student to essentially argue as a lawyer because he or she is being supervised by the lawyer. So it’s a highly regulated way for our students to gain essential skills.”

It’s also the perfect way for Stetson Law to live up to Abraham Lincoln’s quote. “The Veterans Advocacy Clinic allows us to help a

Michael Allen

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specific target population, which, for us, is veterans who are seeking benefits or who have been denied benefits by the Department of Vet-erans Affairs,” added Allen. “So our students can end up representing veterans before the department and in federal court.”

JoB search

Veterans helping veterans is a common law school outcome. “We had a student who just graduated this past May, passed the Florida Bar and is going to be a law clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in Washington D.C.,” recalled Allen. He was enlisted and decorated in Iraq, and went to law school because he wanted to serve veterans. “There are [also] plenty of veterans who decide to come to law school for the same reasons anybody else might,” Allen said.

Roth added that he’s “trying to use law school to place [himself] into a position where [he] may work in international humanitarian law.”

Kevin Brown, a former helicopter pilot in the Marines and a third-year student at the University of Colorado, observed that “some veterans gravitate toward national security policy work, though I think this depends in large part upon their undergraduate experiences and their type of work in the military. Also, I think a higher percentage is interested in prosecutorial work, whether for a district attorney, an attorney general, or a U.S. attorney’s office. … I suspect the reason might be that those organizations attract lawyers who are called to public service. There may also be an accountability component, in that veterans have spent time in an organization that holds its members accountable for their actions. That being said, the veteran law students at Colorado are a diverse group with broad interests.”

In the end, this sense of diversity might be the greatest appeal of earning a juris doctor degree at the end of 3L, because no matter how many times you watch The Firm or how much procrastinating you justify by studying another episode of Law & Order, your experi-

ence with law will be unique. “A lot of people come in thinking

they want to do one thing and leave realizing they want to do something else entirely,” said Clifford S. Zim-merman, who serves as the associate dean and dean of students as well as a clinical associate professor of law at Northwestern University School of Law.

“If they want to continue their military experience, there are a lot of things they can do, whether it’s JAG

or prosecution or even criminal defense, but if they come here and say ‘you know what, I want to actually get paid well,’ they can do that, too. There’s also foreign service and government service, and anything like that is a nice way to turn the page and get to the next chapter in life, without necessarily ignoring the chapter that just finished.” O

In New York State, DeVry University and its Keller Graduate Schoolof Management operate as DeVry College of New York.

DeVry University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, www.ncahlc.org. Keller Graduate School of Management is included in this accreditation. DeVry University

operates as DeVry Institute of Technology in Calgary, Alberta. DeVry is certifi ed to operate by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. DeVry University is authorized for operation by the THEC. www.state.tn.us/thec.

Nashville Campus – 3343 Perimeter Hill Dr., Nashville, TN 37211. Licensed by the Mississippi Commission on Proprietary School and College Registration, Certifi cation No. C-498. AC0060. Program availability varies by location.

©2012 DeVry Educational Development Corp. All rights reserved.

DeVry University thanks you for your service. We are dedicated to encouraging, mentoring and championing our veteran and military students from enrollment through graduation and beyond.

• YEAR-ROUND CLASSES WHEN AND WHERE YOU WANT IT Earn an associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree, or complete

a graduate certifi cate—online, on campus, at one of our 95+ locations—days, evenings and weekends.

• SPECIAL MILITARY PRICING Special savings on tuition for U.S. military personnel

serving in any of the fi ve branches of the U.S. Armed Forces (including National Guard and Reserves) and their spouses. Grants are available for veterans.

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a team of career experts, online tools, career planning, job interviewing and resume preparation.

lp.keller.devry.edu/mae1b | 877.894.6388

WITH YOUevery step of the way

Photo courtesy of U.S. Army. www.army.mil. 5/12



Clifford Zimmerman


CLASS NOTES

Stepping Up To Support Military Families

In early October, Dr. Jill Biden and Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno, along with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), celebrated a milestone achievement for Joining Forces’ “Operation Educate the Educators.”

More than 100 colleges and universities have signed on to the Joining Forces commitment that will help prepare educators to lead class-rooms and develop school cultures that are more responsive to the social, emotional and academic needs of children in military families. Joining Forces is the national initiative started by First Lady Michelle Obama and Biden which aims to educate, challenge and spark action from all sectors of society to ensure veterans and military families have the recognition and support they have earned.

“As a military mom and as second lady, I have heard over and over from military fami-lies just how important it is that school be a supportive environment for children. Military children on average attend six to nine different school systems. Through each transition, they are faced with leaving their friends, and adjusting to

new schools and new surroundings, all of which can affect a student’s opportunity to achieve academic success,” said Biden. “As a teacher, this issue is particularly close to my heart. Through Operation Educate the Educators, I know future educators across the country will be better prepared to make a difference in the life of a military child.”

The milestone was announced at George Mason University, one of the participating insti-tutions. By committing, each signatory agreed to implement the guiding principles in their preparation programs and partner with pre-K-12 schools to ensure future educators have the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the needs of military-connected children.

For example, at Saint Leo University, the School of Education and Social Service has created a multidisciplinary committee that is developing workshops to train current and future teachers, as well as conduct outreach to school district personnel, to meet the needs of military-connected students and families. Kansas State University’s College of Education has hired a full-time instructor to work with the chair of Curriculum and Instruction to outline priorities

that ensure the guiding principles are inte-grated into coursework, and to establish relevant resources for faculty and students.

“Operation Educate the Educators addresses an important, and sometimes overlooked, need for educator preparation programs to make certain their graduates can successfully navigate the unique learning obstacles that many military connected students face,” said AACTE President and CEO Sharon Robinson, Ed.D. “Dr. Biden has shown outstanding leadership in her support of this program. AACTE is proud to join forces with Dr. Biden, the White House and MCEC to continue expanding this valuable partnership.”

“The Military Child Education Coalition is thrilled by this progress, which is a direct result of our partnership with AACTE,” said MCEC President Mary Keller, Ed.D. “Military children are already benefitting from Dr. Biden’s vision for this initiative. We are grateful to those insti-tutions that have made a serious commitment to prepare educators to serve military children. Supportive educators who are aware of the specific challenges faced by military children will make a significant difference in the lives of our nation’s military families.”

University of Maryland University College Celebrates New Location

The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony in late September to celebrate its new location, UMUC at Quantico. The 7,830 square-foot space in a new three-story building, located just outside the south gate of Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, will provide instruction based on the area’s workforce development needs, including undergraduate degree programs in cybersecurity and criminal justice, and graduate degrees in business administration, management and IT. It will also feature a full student service center offering academic and financial advising, degree mapping, veteran’s benefits guidance, transfer credit infor-mation, computer classrooms and space for special events. Scholarships are available to qualifying servicemembers and community college transfer students.

UMUC at Quantico will also allow students from Germanna and Northern Virginia Community College, institutions that have signed articulation agreements with UMUC, to take advantage of on-site courses. Local partnerships, including an alliance with the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, will offer some members a discount on UMUC coursework. Javier Miyares, the president of UMUC, cut the ribbon. Also in

attendance were Jim Selbe, senior vice president of UMUC; Paul Milde III, of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors; Tim Baroody, director of economic development and legislative affairs in Stafford County; and Marie Cini, the acting provost.


SNHU Launches Online Degrees in Nursing With an aging population and heightened attention being given to critical health care

issues, the demand for well-trained nurses has never been greater. In addition, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has called for 80 percent of all nurses to possess a four-year degree by the year 2020. Southern New Hampshire University has answered that call with the launch of its online nursing program, which not only meets the need for baccalaureate-prepared nurses but also offers opportunities to advance to a master’s degree in specialty areas seen as a bridge to helping to meet IOM’s recommendations for improvements in the national health care arena. SNHU’s online nursing programs provide the time and flexibility to better accommodate working nurses.

“Our new RN to BSN and MSN programs address a critical shortage and serve current RNs for whom conventional campus-based programs just don’t work very well,” said Dr. Paul LeBlanc, president of SNHU. “The area in which we have come to excel is in creating very high-quality, affordable degree programs that work for adults juggling very busy lives of family, work and myriad other responsibilities.”

SNHU’s online nursing programs include: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), with a clinical nurse leader concentration or patient quality and safety concentration.

SNHU’s online nursing programs address the need for prepared nurses in such areas as education, administration, quality improvement, research, patient care, clinical leader-ship and more, and have been developed by doctoral-prepared nursing faculty with vast experience and expertise in the nursing field. The educational framework of the RN to BSN program allows nurses to progress from awareness to knowledge through proficiency in 11 American Association of Colleges of Nursing competencies for baccalaureate-level nursing. Nurses completing the graduate program will acquire the key competencies necessary for continuous improvement of the quality and safety of health care systems, patient-centered care, collaboration, evidence-based practice and management.

Compiled by KMi Media Group staff

NSF Awards $11.9 Million for

Sustainable Climate Risk Management

An interdisciplinary team of scholars received an $11.9 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in early October to support the establishment of a multi-institution research network on sustainable climate risk manage-ment strategies. As part of NSF’s Sustainability Research Networks initiative, this network is centered at Penn State University, in University Park, Pa., and spans nine additional U.S. univer-sities and research institutes.

“Our vision is to produce fundamentally improved analysis frameworks, to develop and mentor the next generation of diverse researchers, and to inform decisions for managing climate-related risks in the Anthropocene,” said Klaus Keller, principal investigator, SRN director and associate professor of geosciences at Penn State.

Scientists and policymakers alike have identi-fied the potential for climate-threshold responses to anthropogenic climate forcings. Examples of such potential responses include a disintegration of the West Antarctic or Greenland ice sheets, persistent changes in the North Atlantic ther-mohaline circulation, release of carbon stored in permafrost and a dieback of the Amazon rainforest.

The Sustainability Research Networks will generate knowledge and tools to help address the challenges of formulating sustainable climate risk management strategies.

“Our goal is to advance the foundations of sustainability research through an integrated and quantitative approach that links the social, economic and environmental components of climate risk management,” Keller said.

The Sustainability Research Networks will provide dedicated cyber-infrastructure for collab-orative modeling, data sharing and synthesis across projects, and will be tightly integrated with a network of collaborators in the U.S. and beyond to gather the experts required to address these broad challenges. The networks will engage and reach out to students and teachers by sharing research results and insights through supported climate- and energy-focused profes-sional development workshops and online educa-tional resources.

More details are available at www.scrimhub.org.

University of Southern California Launches Master of Business for

Veterans Degree USC’s Master of Business for Veterans

(MBV) degree was created specifically for military veterans, active military and active duty military who wish to gain formal business knowledge and develop critical thinking skills to manage or grow a busi-ness and discover the transferability of military experience and skill sets.

The program is two semesters in length, and provides understanding of busi-ness including accounting and financial management, marketing and operations knowledge, effective strategies for growing and sustaining organizations, and the development of leadership and manage-ment approaches to effective organizations. The 16 full-day classroom sessions each semester involve students in an interac-tive learning environment with a rela-tively small cohort of participants within

USC’s Marshall School of Business facili-ties and support activities. Class sessions meet Fridays and Saturdays over the two semesters with minimal interruption to the careers of working professionals.

The MBV degree program is developed specifically for military veterans, active military and active duty military who have a less formal business background than typical MBA applicants/students. With veterans’ careers and schedule in mind, the program has minimal interference with its students’ careers, so the program is deliv-ered in half the time of a MBA program, and at half the price. The course is struc-tured into “themes” instead of individual courses, which allows for the students to get to know and work together as a cohort. Classes are small, composed of only 20-40 military students.


Catherine Lovelady was born at Misawa Air Base, Japan. As an Air Force dependent, she has lived in many different locations, including Japan, Germany, Crete, Texas and Maryland.

Upon graduation from college, Lovelady taught science and sev-eral other subjects to students in grades 6 through 8 at Saint Ann’s Catholic School in San Antonio. In 1984, she was commissioned in the Air Force and started her military career as an Education and Training Officer, where she was assigned to Headquarters, Air Train-ing Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. She later became a personnel officer. Her 20-year career in the Air Force included assign-ments at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., and Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. During her career, she was named as an 8th Air Force Junior Person-nel Manager of the Year, the 812th Wing Company Grade Officer of the Year, and the Joint Command Senior Personnel Manager of the Year. As the commander of the 21st Mission Support Squadron, her squadron was named the Best Large Mission Support Squadron in the Air Force. She retired from the Air Force in 2004.

In June 2006, she entered civil service as a civilian personnel spe-cialist at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., where she provided training on the National Security Personnel System for the base population. In 2007, she became an education services specialist at the Peterson Education Center. There she served as the Air Force point of contact in Colorado Springs for the pilot MyCAA program, providing educa-tion funds for military spouses. Upon completion of her counseling practicum, Lovelady became a guidance counselor. She was named the Air Force Space Command Civilian Specialist of the Year for 2011.

Lovelady is currently deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from Peterson Air Force Base through the Civilian Expe-ditionary Workforce program. She originally deployed in June 2011 as the education services officer at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, where she opened their first education center in a series of tents, establishing DANTES and Army Personnel Testing sites. In January 2012, she moved to her current position as the Army Continuing Education System country supervisor. In this position, she is respon-sible for the oversight of the nine education centers and four satellite centers in Afghanistan.

Lovelady holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Incarnate Word College, a master’s degree from Webster University in human resources development, and a certificate in college counseling from the University of California Los Angeles Extension. She is also an in-resident graduate of Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College and Armed Forces Staff College.

Q: Could you outline your responsibilities as an ESO and as the Army Continuing Education System [ACES] country supervisor?

A: As an ESO, you’re responsible for the day-to-day operations of your education center just like when you’re at home station. In the deployed environment, it’s even more so, because you’re generally the only government employee there. The rest of the employees are contractors who don’t work directly for you. This means your responsibility goes beyond that of just a normal education center, where you take care of day-to-day business and make sure the types of services being provided to your clients are appropriate, to also the aspect of working through the contractor piece and doing oversight of your contracted employees. It’s kind of a dual-hatted job in that sense. When you’re in the States or another site, a lot of times your employees are also government employees. Here, you’re also a working ESO, you’ll have a counselor aid, but you do counseling, too. So you have more contact with the servicemembers than you normally would have in a typical education center. On the other hand, you also don’t have all of the administrative responsibilities of a home station education center. You normally aren’t working with a budget, for example.

In contrast, in the country supervisor position, you now are looking at the oversight of nine education centers and four satellite centers. I am the interface between the contracting officer, representative and my ESOs. I make the hiring decisions, do the annual budget for the country, and the initial training for the ESOs coming in; I have

Catherine LoveladyArmy Continuing Education System

Country SupervisorU.S. Forces, Afghanistan


Battlefield Educator Q&AStanding Up Classrooms for Deployed Students on Military Bases

Q&A

different reports to complete. When any issues come up, especially issues with countrywide impacts, I get involved. If there’s anything that goes wrong, I’m normally involved with those issues too. Fortunately, we have many great people out there so we generally don’t have that trouble.

Q: How did your experiences as a member of the Air Force and as an Air Force guidance counselor encourage you to volunteer to work in a deployed environment?

A: As a military member, I enjoyed being in a deployed environment. What I found, generally speaking, is you have more responsibility and latitude in trying to get things done, and you have different challenges. I enjoy the challenges of a deployed environment. The other half of it is I would get calls from people from my base, and they would say, ‘Can you help me do this, because there’s nobody over here to help me with this.’ I felt a responsibility to go do this. When I saw the criteria come through with the call to volunteer, I thought, ‘Why not? This is my chance to go over and to help folks who are over there doing a really hard job.’

Q: When many people think about education opportunities while deployed, distance learning—online education—is the first option that comes to mind. What should people know about the education resources available in Afghanistan and at remote FOBs?

A: I think people would be really surprised to know how much is avail-able here in Afghanistan. When folks deploy, the first thing they think is, “I have to do my classes online, or I’m not going to be able to do classes at all.” And then when they come over here—especially at our larger sites, where we have what I’d call full-up education centers, they find we have on-site classes. Here at Bagram [Airfield], we basically have two full-time professors—so we have a great selection of classes every semester. This semester, we have a total of 19 classes. So you can come over here and you can actually have a class face-to-face with a full-time professor. We also have adjunct professors from the popula-tion, so there is quite a bit available. In addition to that, we have testing services, so if somebody wants to take a test, we can typically give it. We can’t do all the tests; we do have some limitations because of our Inter-net connection. But we can do a lot of the testing—we’ve administered

literally thousands of exams this year alone. We also do military-specific testing. If someone comes in and says, ‘Hey, I have to take the ASVAB,’ we can administer the proper exam, regardless of their service.

We just recently stood up the first DLAB and DLPT testing in the country. While we can only do those exams in one location right now, it is an option for people and now they don’t have to go out of country anymore to take the exam. We have counseling services. If someone is having issues with his GoArmy Ed account, we have folks here who can help with the process. We can also help members who aren’t in the Army. We also have learning centers, with commercial Internet avail-able. So, if people are working online classes or need to do research and need to be able to access a computer, we have that available for them.

There are actually quite a bit of resources available where we have our full-up education centers. Now, we obviously can’t be everywhere in the country. There are lots of forward operating bases [FOBs] all over the place, but we can work with them if they have somebody qualified out on the FOB to run classes. As far as testing, our test control offi-cers—who are also the ESOs—will actually take the exam out to a FOB to test people. Obviously it’s hard to do for just one person, but we can get groups ready to test together, and we actually carry these tests out to the FOB, hop on a helo—or fixed wing depending on what’s available out there—land, do those tests and bring them back.

In addition, we also have some free classes we can do, such as Leadership Skills Enhancement Instruction. Those courses are about 20 hours long, and Central Texas College awards one semester hour of credit in management upon successful completion of those courses. In addition, we also have FAST classes, which are Functional Academic Skills Training classes, which provide basic English and math skills that are going to better the servicemember. And hopefully when they want to take something like the Air Force Classification Test again, this class may help them improve their scores on the exam.

Q: Do servicemembers need to be signed up with the schools that the professors are affiliated with, or can they sign up on a whim while deployed? How does that work?

Above: Lovelady poses with two local Afghan children, graduates from an English language program. [Photo courtesy of Catherine Lovelady]Right: The Bagram Education staff [Photo courtesy of Catherine Lovelady]


A: The three schools we have out here are University of Maryland University College [UMUC], Central Texas College and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. With UMUC, they enroll as a non-degree-seeking student, so they can take courses from them separately as an independent course without having to be a degree-seeking student with them. The same applies to the other colleges. All they have to do is make sure the course they are taking will transfer to the university they are attending. Of course, we’ll also help students enroll with any university eligible for TA.

Q: You are located at the Bagram Education Center in Afghanistan. What are the challenges of providing education opportunities in a warzone? Are there any similarities to providing support while stateside?

A: I think probably one of the bigger challenges is you can’t have everything everywhere. We must evaluate where we can get the most impact with the limited resources we have. We have several full-up ed centers—and in some areas we have satellite centers, which are staffed with only a counselor aide—so there are many more limitations on what can be done there. The employees at the satellite centers help

facilitate stand-ing up courses and provide some basic counseling services. It’s not like most bases, where there is normally an education center. Of course, in the military, the mission always impacts what you can and cannot do, and we probably have more impact with the mission [in a deployed environment]. There are times people aren’t going to be in class, because the mission dictates they’re going to have to go outside the wire. Our professors know this, and they work with the students as much as they can.

We also have issues with changing security conditions. There are times when we can’t have class for whatever reason because of those changes, although it’s fairly rare. Employee turnover [is another variable] because our offices are staffed mostly with contractors who come down on six-month contracts. Some of them will only stay six months; some will stay a year; some will stay longer. But there’s prob-ably more employee turnover in our offices than you would have at a home station education center. Of course, that always impacts train-ing. Whenever you get new employees, it takes them a certain amount

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Above: Students take notes during a class session in a tent at Camp Leatherneck—a little more rustic than a typical classroom. [Photo courtesy of Catherine Lovelady]Right: Marines came in from the field to take this exam at an FOB in Helmand Province. [Photo courtesy of Catherine Lovelady]


of time to get acclimated and adjusted to their new work areas and responsibilities. It’s a challenge we face on a continuous basis.

As far as the similarities, we’re all trying to do the same thing. We’re trying to provide opportunities for our servicemembers to continue their education. We still have the same challenges being in charge as an ESO would have at home station, although sometimes it’s intensified by having more employee turnover and the security condi-tions we have to work under. But all in all, it’s probably more alike than it is different.

Q: How does one volunteer to become an ESO in a deployed envi-ronment like Afghanistan? What are you looking for when hiring an ESO?

A: We’re all hired through a process that goes through the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce. The process starts at the website [www.cpms.osd.mil/expeditionary]. It will vary a bit from service to service, but basically that’s how you volunteer; it’s the vehicle to get you over here.

Probably the [most important quality] I’m looking for is someone who has experience in a military education center. You don’t have to be an ESO previously in order to get over here—obviously it helps and is a plus when we’re trying to bring somebody in, but we’re willing to take people who want the experience, because most of them do a great job. We check with their bosses, and get a pretty good read on [prospective ESOs] before they come over here. What we found is, as long as they know some of the basics, they can learn the rest. Just because someone isn’t an ESO already doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try and volunteer for something like this. But the big thing is, they really had to have worked in a military education center, because in the end they’re going to be the one responsible for the program at their deployed site. They have to know the rules, where to find the guidance, and how to be able to reach out and find the information they need.

Q: What advice would you give to a new ESO starting out in Afghani-stan?

A: Probably the best advice is that he or she needs to be a problem solver. There are going to be plenty of problems that come up here—as they do in home station—and the old military adage, “adapt and over-come” is very important. It’s a little bit different here than in a normal home station. I once heard being the ESO described as the loneliest job in the education center because it’s not like home station where you have a whole chain of command at the same location. There is a chain of command here, but it’s a different type of animal. You have to learn to work autonomously and to solve problems as you get them. Likewise, you have to learn to network. One of the challenges here is you don’t have a budget for everyday items such as paper and pencils, whereas at home station you would. All of our logistical support here comes from the unit supporting us. Well, as units change over, all of a sudden they’re like, “Well, who are you, and why am I having to give you your toner cartridge?” You have to learn how to network to make things work—to be valuable to the command—so you can get those supplies. You have to be able to team build. Again, with the contractor workforce oftentimes changing over, you really need those skills to bring people together and make an effective team. It requires you to be very proactive.

And then on the physical side of it, you want to be physically ready for coming over here. It’s not so much you have to get up every morning and do a 5K with the military or anything like that, but you

will be coming over and lugging a lot of gear and walking around in your protective gear. Going out [to remote FOBs] to test, you’re wearing 30 pounds of gear and carrying another 30 pounds of tests in your bag—that’s 60 pounds you’re lugging around. The Air Force [puts their ESOs through] the same Combat Airmen Skills Training they put all of their airmen through to come over here. So we went out and learned how to do chart a heading, read a compass, etc. It’s not just your normal job where you sign in and find out about the employee benefits.

Q: Before you became the ACES country supervisor, you were the first ESO at Camp Leatherneck. What was that like? Do you have any advice for deployed ESOs looking to expand their education facilities and resources?

A: It was great fun going to Leatherneck. When I arrived, we basi-cally had a tent as an office, and we had another tent for a classroom. Our office had a two-person desk, with a couple of laptops and a couple of metal folding chairs. In the classroom, we managed to get a whiteboard, we borrowed an overhead [projector]. Our screen was a sheet we managed to find. For some reason, all of the sheets in the exchange were all green and blue, so we had to find a white sheet and that became our screen. We started from there and just kept going. There were two of us there initially, and then the rest of the contractor staff came in. Every month or so, we brought online a new program and just continued to build. In about four months, we’d gone from

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that same desk and a couple of tents to five tents. We had a group offer to build desks for our classroom; we managed to make those classrooms a little bit better, and we had classes going and programs running. After I left, the person who came after me kept going on, and now less than a year later, there’s actually an ed center building, a regular building with three classrooms and a huge learning center and offices for the staff, so it was a great thing to be a part of and watch grow.

As far as anybody expanding their services goes, it’s the same thing: You’ve got to come, let people know what services you have to offer, analyze what is needed at your site, and become a valuable part of the team. If people realize what you’re bringing to the fight, they’re going to help you get those things up and running. Because education became important and something people wanted to do, we were able to get the ed center building going at Leatherneck. Even when they were starting to look at projects they needed to cut, in the end, the ed center building was still on the books. A few months after I left it was a reality.

Q: What is the most significant lesson you’ve learned during your time in Afghanistan?

A: I think the old Air Force saying, ‘Flexibility is key to air power’ applies to what I’ve learned here. Flexibility is very important. You can’t come in and believe everything’s going to go perfectly by the book. You can’t expect everything to flow just the way it would at home station. There are going to be curveballs thrown at you, and you have to figure out what to do with them and how to make things work. Processes will be different from home station, and sometimes even a different process from year-to-year here, since you have dif-ferent commands coming in and going out all the time. When you have a new command come in, you may have to do your paperwork differently. While you may see something similar at home station, you don’t see it as often as you would in a deployed environment. You just have to be able to say, ‘It’s okay, let me see how I can handle this today.’

The other thing is, unlike when you’re at home station, when you go home at the end of the day you return to your family, here you work pretty much 11 hours a day. We work 142 hours in a pay period. Then you go home, and you normally end up living with the same people you’ve been working with all day long. So you have to learn to be able to turn that button off and find your own time somewhere in your own space. Most of us live in some sort of a containerized scenario or a tent, and that presents its own challenges.

Q: How can servicemembers be assertive advocates in their educa-tion while deployed? What should servicemembers be aware of in order to get the best guidance possible?

A: I think the best thing they should know is to be prepared before they leave. We have many different services here, and the services all have different systems and sometimes we don’t have the ability to get into the systems; we’re primarily Army-based over here. So we have GoArmyEd, etc. You can be in the Air Force or Marines or Navy and use our services, but sometimes it means you need to ensure your records are updated and everything is taken care of as far as the pre-work before you get here. It will make things go much smoother. You can also probably figure out what’s available here before you even leave your home station. And if you know what’s available, it makes it

a little bit easier to get things going once you get here. There’s prob-ably someone in the unit you’re replacing who can tell you if there’s an education center at the location, and if so, do they have a phone number or email address for someone there so you can find out what’s available, what courses may be offered. Then you can do work ahead of time to see if your school would accept those courses, for example. A lot of it is being proactive.

As far as getting the best advice, the best guidance, is the same as every place you go. Consumers—and really, students are consum-ers to some extent—need to do their homework to make sure what they’re doing is correct. They can go to any school they want to, but it’s their responsibility to make sure the school is right for them. Guidance counselors can help them in that direction, but in the end, it’s the servicemember’s decision about what school he/she wants to go to. The more knowledge you have, the better decision you’re going to make in the end.

Q: What additional resources do you suggest servicemembers look into to maximize their TA benefits? What scholarship programs do you wish more servicemembers knew about?

A: Servicemembers are so fortunate they get such a great benefit by having tuition assistance. A lot of folks stop right there—but there are opportunities beyond tuition assistance. For example, they can still apply for FAFSA, and maybe get grants to help pay for the books. It can help pay for classes if they use all the tuition assistance money they get each year. A lot of them don’t look to see if the school itself has special programs or grants designed for military members. Some of the schools have special book grant for military members, or discounts for their books. So I think it’s important for all students, whether they are coming over here or not, to know there’s more out there besides their actual TA benefits, and it’s worth taking the time to investigate and apply.

Q: Do you have any closing thoughts you’d like to share?

A: It’s a tremendous opportunity for someone to come over here and experience being an ESO in this environment. I can guarantee it’ll be one of their favorite challenges, when everything is said and done, and probably the highlight of their career. Most people leave here really having enjoyed the experience. You will encounter challenges along the way, and it’s a growth opportunity. Some people come over here not having been an ESO before, and they grow into these jobs. I know a lot about Air Force programs, but I never knew about Army pro-grams. When I was at Leatherneck—that’s a Marine base—I learned about Marine Corps TA. In the end, I’m a better employee for having done this, and I believe it will lead to more opportunities or options in the future. For the people willing to send their folks over here, I can guarantee they’ll get back a better employee, someone who’s had more experience, who’s had the opportunity to rise to the challenge.

You probably won’t have a job where you’re this autonomous in the education system. Because you’re out there by yourself, even though we have people here and behind us to help, you’re really there on the ground doing day-to-day tasks on your own. You’re going to get a chance to be a boss and run the program, and have something that’s your baby, that you can make a better place than it was when you got there. I wouldn’t change the time I’ve had—I’ve been here 17 months now—and it’s been a great opportunity for me and an experi-ence I’ll always remember fondly. O


When people think about the sacrifices made daily by Ameri-can servicemembers, they consider time spent in warzones and the challenges of maintaining strong familial bonds from afar. However, other individuals are also worthy of accolades for their perseverance and patience, and these hardworking folks may not necessarily be identifiable by uniforms. The spouses of service-members face many challenges, whether their partner is deployed or stateside. Initiatives recently undertaken by the government encourage the career success of servicemember spouses—and many universities have established policies to assist these indi-viduals achieve their education goals.

“Spouses [often] carry the lion’s share of responsibilities at home. If a car or appliance breaks down, they have to handle that because oftentimes the servicemember is out in the field or over-seas. So they have a lot of responsibilities,” said Karl Hoffman, the director of military outreach at Columbia Southern University. Other challenges faced by military spouses include parenting, work responsibilities, commuting time and finding affordable childcare. If they’re in school, the uncertainty of how long they will be somewhere can make committing to a full degree program difficult, as can accreditation nuances if they’ve switched schools during their education.

A report published by the Departments of Defense and Treasury found that military families were 10 times more likely to have moved across state lines in the last year compared to civilian families—and with a new location comes the chal-lenge of hunting for a new job. “Research has found

that the military spouse lifestyle may negatively impact employ-ment opportunities—specifically those frequent moves, deploy-ments and long hours that keep servicemembers from assisting with parenting, and living in areas with poor local labor market conditions,” said Jaime Winne Alvarez, the director of media rela-tions and communications at Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

According to a study from the Departments of Defense and Treasury, nearly 35 percent of military spouses in the labor force require licenses or certification for their professions. These licenses and certifications may not transfer across state lines. “It can take one to three months—or more—to obtain a new state credential after a military move,” Alvarez said. To combat this, the federal government has encouraged states to enact more lenient license portability laws. “As of June 2012, there are currently 23 states that have adopted pro-military spouse license portabil-

ity measures,” she said. “This allows military spouses moving to different states to quickly and efficiently join the workforce. Bills such as those supported by [Michelle Obama] and Dr. Jill Biden have facilitated transferring licenses and certifications more easily and have helped mili-tary spouses to obtain—and maintain—their employment.”

The differing licensure requirements from state to state may prevent these resilient indi-viduals from seamlessly transferring credits from schools or obtaining new licenses for professions whose license specifications vary

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from state to state. “I had to get my licensure from Massachusetts, then get more training in Alaska, and then here in New York in my original career,” said Cynthia Kao-Johnson, a military spouse and M.S. candidate at Syracuse University who previously worked as a trauma and addictions counselor. “Even if I’m licensed with a professional association, there are exams to retake. Then, [there’s] paying state fees each time you move. Although there’s always work available [in counseling], it’s hard as a military spouse to keep up with the changing state laws each time we PCS [make a permanent change of station],” she said.

The recognition of the employment difficulties of military spouses spurred the development of MyCAA, or the Military Spouse Career Advance-ment Accounts program. By accessing a portal online at https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa, spouses of active duty servicemembers and activated Guard and Reserve members in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2 and O1-O2 can receive up to $4,000 of financial assistance to alleviate the cost of employment preparation programs. The money, which has an annual fiscal year cap of $2,000, can be used towards associate degrees, licenses, certificates or certi-fications related to portable career fields. Money awarded from MyCAA can cover an array of edu-cation resources, such as state certifications for teachers and prep courses, and counselors affiliated with MyCAA can provide their expertise in resume-writing, interview techniques, job searching sugges-tions and relocation planning.

Military spouses may also apply the remain-ing funding from their partner’s Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to education programs. Schools that par-ticipate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which pays up to a matched portion of the GI Bill that goes over the yearly limit on tuition and student fees, can also alleviate the financial burden. For the most part, military spouses at Syracuse University, in Syracuse, N.Y., use education benefits available to them under the GI Bill. “Syracuse offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees part-time, which tends to appeal to military spouses because of the flexibility inher-ent through these types of programs,” said Alvarez. “Depending on the program, courses are available to military spouses on-campus during days or evenings or through a variety of flexible course formats, including online, weekend and condensed.”

The portability of Syracuse’s multimedia, photography and design program appealed to Kao-Johnson. “I made the decision to switch over to [this program] in order to create a better ability to effect positive change in others and to have more control over my employment, while also assisting my husband. In 2009, he was wounded in combat in Iraq, and he’s still undergoing reconstruc-tive surgery to his knee damage from an IED blast,” she said.

Syracuse also offers multiple entrepreneurship training pro-grams, which teach the fundamentals and tools of business ownership. One program, the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans’ Families (EBV-F), is “designed to leverage the flexibility inherent in small business ownership to provide a vocational

and economic path forward for military family members-turned caregivers to a wounded warrior, and/or for surviving spouses of a

military member who gave his or her life in service to our country,” Alvarez said. “The EBV-F inte-grates training in small business management with caregiver and family issues, positioning the family member to launch and grow a small business in a way that is complementary or enhancing to their other family responsibilities.”

Syracuse’s other military-family oriented pro-grams include Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) and Operation Endure & Grow, which also provide tools and business fundamentals to female family members/spouses of servicemembers and veterans. V-WISE is open to active duty military spouses and spouses/partners of veteran business owners, while Opera-tion Endure & Grow is open to first-degree family members of those serving or those who have served in the National Guard and Reserves. V-WISE, a training program in entrepreneurship and small business management, focuses on helping women learn the business-savvy skills necessary to turn an idea or start-up into a growing venture. “V-WISE supports our military spouses in their choice of entrepreneurship as a career path that lends to relocation and the development of an extensive professional network,” Alvarez said.

Meanwhile, Operation Endure & Grow consists of online training for military family members of National Guard and Reservists, focused on the fundamentals of launching or growing a small business. “The program’s flexible structure sup-ports the lifestyle of a military spouse with the understanding that he/she may have taken over a business in the midst of deployment or has chosen entrepreneurship as a career path that can relo-cate,” Alvarez said.

Fisher College, a school with online compo-nents as well as brick-and-mortar locations in Bos-ton, embraces a flexible attitude when it comes to supporting the academic needs of military spouses.

“We accept credits [from] any accredited university—nationally accredited and regionally [accredited schools],” said Tom McGov-ern, Ph.D., the president of Fisher College. The school accepts up to 30 credits from previously attended schools for associate programs and up to 90 credits for a bachelor’s degree.

“The bouncing around can be so disruptive to finding a job and getting a degree, so we do everything we can do to accommo-date [military spouses],” he said. “We offer highly flexible degree programs in the areas of leadership and public administration, and they’re priced to meet the cost for credit offered by the tuition assistance component of the Post-9/11 GI Bill.”

Many students at Fisher College choose to study management, business administration, marketing and psychology. “There’s currently a 12.1 percent jobless rate among veterans. Many are married and have dependents in addition to spouses, so we want to offer [military families] practical degrees and assist them in career placement,” McGovern said.

Cynthia Kao-Johnson

Jaime Winne Alvarez

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Tom McGovern

[email protected]


Accounting major Connie Costa’s husband encouraged her to take advantage of his GI Bill benefits when she needed to find employment. Costa knew she wanted to earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting from an accredited school that offered evening classes and online classes. “Fisher College was my best choice … [and] has been very helpful in addressing and processing all VA paper work and questions.

“I’m currently enrolled in an online financial accounting course, [which] has helped me understand many accounting transactions,” Costa said. The course has already improved her understanding of Quick Books, the software she uses in her new position as an office manager. “Accounting is something that every business needs. Although I haven’t graduated yet, I’m certain once I get my degree finding a job in my field will be much easier.”

Columbia Southern University, an online institution with administrative offices in Orange Beach, Ala., also considers itself to be military-spouse-friendly, and aware of the needs of this population. “We make spouses’ education as accessible as pos-sible. We have a per course model that is designed with enough flexibility [to give] a spouse who is busy with kids and a job the ability to achieve their academic goals,” said Hoffman. “Students don’t have to be online at a specific time, there’s no group work, and textbooks are sent directly to their homes.”

Columbia Southern University, despite operating online, uses its support staff to help students—even from a distance. A vir-tual student services center and a “success center” that provides tutoring also assist students. “The tutoring opportunities are one on one—generally on the phone or over the Internet,” Hoffman said. Career services staff may be employed to help students learn more about credentialing from state to state. “If a student knows they’re moving to another city, career services can help them with interview techniques, resumes, any remediation. They can discuss what current trends are and what the industry is looking for right now.”

The majority of students at Columbia Southern University enroll in business administration programs, associate of arts in general education, and associates of applied science degrees in business. “We are currently seeing a huge shift toward business and human resources,” Hoffman remarked. “Business is probably one of the most portable career fields.”

All of the programs provide a solid education foundation in business or general studies. These programs are diverse and prepare military spouses for multiple career opportunities, which can be beneficial if they must move to a new location.

Bellevue University offers online degrees and classroom edu-cation in multiple locations in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. “[Online degrees] provide a transportable program,” said Willie Woolford, the assistant director of military programs. At Bellevue, the most popular degree programs include health care, business administration and management of human resources. “These skill sets are needed at most any military location and in the civil-ian communities. Many of our programs assist students to achieve credentialing, such as project management, clinical counseling and healthcare administration.”

At Bellevue, scholarships may be used in conjunction with Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. Scholarships are applied first, then the GI Bill benefits. However, because Bellevue University does not offer associate degree programs or certificates, it no longer quali-fies for the MyCAA program, which changed its requirements.

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Bellevue’s military outreach efforts include sending regional man-agers to visit local military installa-tions to assist servicemembers and their families with education assis-tance, and providing military spouses with scholarship opportunities at the nearby Offutt AFB. “As the largest provider of education to Offutt AFB, we want to support our local spouses in their effort to work on their educa-tion. Spouses receive the same level of support as the military member,” Woolford said.

Many scholarship opportunities exist for military spouses—it’s just a matter of knowing how they will interact with either GI Bill benefits or Yellow Ribbon funding, since Yellow Ribbon and GI Bill money won’t be accessible should additional scholarships be used. The Joanne Holbook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship, named after the wife of the late Major General George Patton, awards scholarships of up to $1,000 to spouses of active duty, National Guard and Reserve, retired or deceased servicemembers. The scholarships may go towards professional certification, post-secondary degrees or graduate schools. Applications open on December 1, 2012, and may be accessed at www.militaryfamily.org/our-programs/military-spouse-scholarships.

Columbia Southern University offers a scholarship to military spouses called The Hero Behind the Hero scholarship, which covers two years of tuition for a degree program. “The only thing it doesn’t cover is books, so the student will have a full ride for two years to earn a complete associate degree or work towards a bachelor’s or masters program,” Hoffman said.

When considering schools, prospective students must do their research. “I would look at reviews such as the Princeton Review or other magazines that rate schools, including the graduation and retention rate,” advised Syracuse University’s Kao-Johnson. “I’d also plan ahead financially if the school you want to attend does not have a Yellow Ribbon Program in order to decrease reliance on student loans so [you] can graduate without a lot of debt. Lastly, if student loans need to be used, look for the best loan interest rate and find out if there are grants, bursaries, or loan forgiveness programs for that student in their field.

“With the economy changing, organizations are less likely to hire military spouses since they know you will be temporarily stationed there,” she continued. “So your resume can look choppy. My [sugges-tion] for keeping it up to date is to volunteer when you can’t find paid work, or constantly update your education. If [you] choose to stay home when the children are young, having a volunteer position or working part-time helps keep your skills current.

“Lastly, the most important piece of advice I have is to get con-nected! Getting to know someone that already works in [your ideal field] is important for getting a realistic view of whether you are best suited for that position. They can also give you tips on how to succeed. Get assessed by a career counselor or someone who can help you work on your strengths and weaknesses,” Kao-Johnson concluded. O



For Exhibits and Sponsorships:410-997-0763

[email protected]

For Registration:www.ccmeonline.org

Informative Sessions • Social EventsExpansive Trade Show • Networking

FEBRUARY 25-28, 2013HILTON SAN DIEGO BAYFRONT

CCME is an active proponent for the professional development of those serving in the military education community by providing a forum for the exchange of information on educational programs, strategies and innovation among its members and associated partners.

40TH ANNUALSYMPOSIUM AND EXHIBITION

for theMilitary Community

Building Bridgesto Success

through Education

Willie Woolford

[email protected]


CCME GRAPEVINE

As part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, Congress changed the cohort default rate (CDR) reporting period from two years to three. This September, the Department of Education published the first official Three-Year Cohort Default Rate for fiscal year 2009. (There will be a transition period without sanctions through 2014.) If a school has a 30 percent or greater CDR for three consecutive years, it could lose its eligibility to participate in the Federal Direct Loan and Pell Grant programs. Other sanctions come into play if the default rate exceeds 40 percent in a single year.

Here is how the new Three-Year Cohort Default Rate for FY09 is calculated:

*A borrower is considered in default after missing payments for 270 consecutive days.

The table that follows compares the two-year and three-year default rates for public, private (non-profit) and for-profit schools.

Cohort Default RateTwo-Year (FY10) Three-Year (FY09)

Public 8.3% 11%Private 5.2% 7.5%For-Profit 12.9% 22.7% TOTAL 9.1% 13.4%

As you can see, when you increase the criteria window by a year, the default rates increase for all schools. And second, the rates sig-nificantly go up for the for-profit schools. Based on this summary of default rates, it would be very easy to simply conclude that this is just another ongoing for-profit problem and move on.

However, this problem has been building for decades. In the mid-70s, the federal government started to shift its emphasis away from grants to loans. Back then, student debt was not significant. But as the inflation rate for college tuition and fees has far out-stripped the Consumer Price Index (and even health care) for over 40 years, higher education has become extremely expensive. As a result, defaulting on student loans is now a very serious problem. A four-year downturn in the economy has only exacerbated the situ-ation. Today, student debt exceeds $1 trillion—greater than credit card debt.

so who deFauLTs?

In 2009, Jacob Gross, Osman Cekic, Don Hossler and Nick Hillman summarized 41 different student loan default studies in

the Journal of Student Financial Aid. Here are some of the major findings from their article, “What Matters in Student Loan Default.”

• As age increases, so does the likelihood of loan default. • The more dependents in a family, the greater the likelihood of

default. • Students whose parents had higher levels of formal education

were less likely to default than first-generation college students.• The higher the family income, the lower the likelihood of default.• Students who dropped out or earned a GED were more likely to

default than students who had earned a regular diploma. • As class rank, standardized test scores, and GPA increase, the

likelihood of default decreases. • The more a student borrows, the greater the chance of default. • The longer it takes a student to complete their education, the

greater the odds of defaulting.• Completion is the strongest single predictor of not defaulting.

When viewed collectively, these findings present a very clear picture of who is most likely to default on their student loans: the nontraditional student. In other words, the more nontraditional the student base, the more likely there will be a high CDR. While the overall public school CDR is 11 percent, the community college CDR is close to 18 percent. The same high default rates are to be found in other schools with large nontraditional student bodies. These include urban schools, private non-profit career colleges and historically black colleges and universities.

The upshot of the all this is not a pretty picture. As we fully transi-tion from the two-year to the three-year time frame in 2014, expect to see a significant increase in CDRs for all schools that have a large nontraditional student base, especially if the economy does not turn around. This will result in ever-increasing calls for these schools to “clean up their act.” While better financial aid counseling will help, many schools will feel intense pressure to change their admissions standards away from nontraditional students. By reducing access, the potential student pool will be smaller, forcing these schools to cut back or to close marginal sites.

Cutting off the lower steps of the education opportunity ladder for nontraditional students is very troubling to me personally. My father, a high school drop-out, was able to go to college after World War II using the GI Bill. Clearly a high-risk, nontraditional student, he was provided with the opportunity—not a guarantee—to pursue a college education. Not only did this education (a B.A. and M.A.) benefit my father, who retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force, it carried over to his children as well; his three sons have master’s degrees. O

Note from Joycelyn Groot, president of CCME: “This month, we are pleased to have an article by Dr. Mike Heberling of Baker Univer-sity. Enjoy Mike’s article, and remember to attend our 2013 CCME Symposium at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel. See you there!”

By michaeL heBerLing

ccme vice presidenT

Dissecting Cohort Default Rates

13.4% =

~ 489,000 Borrowers Defaulted* Between October 1, 2008 &

September 30, 2011 (3 Years)

~ 3.6 Million Borrowers Entered Repayment Between October 1, 2008 &

September 30, 2009

x 100


Compiled by KMi Media Group staffMONEY TALKS

Alabama State University Awarded More Than $300,000 NSF Grant

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is awarding Alabama State University a grant for $366,648 over the next four years to offer scholarships to qualified students who are interested in earning a degree in science, technology, engi-neering and math (STEM) disciplines.

The project, titled “Scholarships to Promote Retention and Graduation Rates in STEM Disciplines,” will begin awarding scholarships each year under the direction of Manoj K. Mishra, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology; Rick Drake, assistant provost and vice president of Student Affairs; and Elijah Nyairo, instructor of chemistry.

The grant will provide scholarships to 10 students per semester during the four-year period.

“This grant will also focus on integrating education and research activities in the emerging areas of biology, chemistry, mathematics and computer science; and enhance STEM major preparation and provide advising to increase the number of low-income groups into the STEM fields,” said Mishra.

Applicants will be required to complete an application package that will include grade verification, research interest and career goals.

A student’s eligibility for financial scholarship also will be based on individual student needs and family contributions as determined by the financial aid administrator at ASU.

“The grant proposes to hire student-peer tutors who have demonstrated improved knowledge and understanding of STEM coursework to provide and assist in tutorials,” Mishra said.

Scarlett Family Foundation Offers Scholarships to Students in Tennessee Pursuing Business Degrees

The Scarlett Family Foundation is accepting applications from September 15 to December 15, 2012, for financial aid to students from 39 Middle Tennessee counties. The scholarships are open to high school seniors planning to study business and current college freshmen, sophomores and juniors already pursuing a business degree at any not-for-profit four-year college or university in the United States.

Scholarship amounts range from $2,500-$15,000 a year, based on need, and are renewable awards for up to four years or until the recipient completes their undergraduate degree, whichever comes first.

Scholarships are open to high school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores

and juniors who will graduate or have graduated from high schools in 39 Middle Tennessee counties. The counties are: Bedford, Cannon, Cheatham, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, DeKalb, Dickson, Fentress, Franklin, Giles, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Moore, Perry, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, White, Williamson and Wilson.

“Our goal is to help students study busi-ness, earn their degrees and become future business leaders,” said Tom Parrish, executive director of the Scarlett Family Foundation. “We want to encourage people to apply if they plan

to study business, are studying business already, or have demonstrated entrepreneurial interest or leadership.

“Tuition costs continue to rise and we are delighted that we can help deserving students finish their business degrees.”

The foundation scholarship was estab-lished in 2006. To date, the foundation has awarded more than $2,000,000 in scholarships. Scholarship winners are studying business at 46 universities in 15 states and the District of Columbia. The Scarlett Family Foundation is a member of the Southeastern Council of Foundations.

Scholarship information and applications are available at www.scarlettfoundation.org.

WID’s Horizons Scholarship Accepting Applications

Through the Horizons Scholarship, estab-lished in 1988, Women In Defense (WID), a national security organization, encour-ages women to pursue careers related to the national security and defense interests of the United States and to provide develop-ment opportunities to women already working in national security and defense fields. The scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to further educational objectives of women who are U.S. citizens either employed or planning careers in defense or national security areas. (This is not law enforcement or criminal justice.) The amount of the awards varies each year.

A panel of judges, composed of WID members, considers applications and makes awards once each year. WID leaders and members encourage the study of professions related to science, technology, education, and math that support national security profes-sionals.

Applicants must:

• Be currently enrolled at an accredited university or college, either full-time or part- time.

• Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible; undergraduates must have

attained at least junior level status (60 credits).

• Demonstrate interest in pursuing a career related to national security or defense.

• Demonstrate financial need. • Have a minimum grade point average

of 3.25. • Be a female citizen of the United States.

Focus of the scholarship is on the following preferred fields of study: security studies, military history, government relations, engineering, computer science, physics, math-ematics, business (as it relates to national secu-rity or defense), law (as it relates to national security or defense), international relations, political science, and economics.

Awards will be based on academic achieve-ment, participation in defense and national security activities, field of study, work experi-ence, statements of objectives, recommenda-tions, and financial need.

Completed applications, essays, recom-mendations and transcripts must be received no later than July 1, 2013.

The application may be printed from: http://wid.ndia.org/horizon/documents/scholarshipapp.pdf


calendarJanuary 23-26, 2013Association of American Colleges and UniversitiesAtlanta, Ga.www.aacu.org

February 24-26, 2013Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the U.S. Alexandria, Va.www.amcsus.org

advertisers indexThe Art Institutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 www.veterans.artinstitutes.eduAshford University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 www.military.ashford.edu/cbrneBerkeley College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 www.berkeleycollege.edu/militaryCCME .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 www.ccmeonline.orgColorado Technical University.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.coloradotech.edu/militaryDeVry University, Graduate School of Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 http://lp.keller.devry.edu/mae1bExcelsior College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 http://success.excelsior.edu/degreesformilitaryPark University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 www.park.edu/mae Thomas Edison State College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 www.tesc.edu/militaryinfoUniversity of Maryland University College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2 http://military.umuc.edu/degreefitsUniversity of Phoenix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 www.phoenix.edu/mil

MAE RESOURCE CENTERTh

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Berkeley College proudly supports the GI Bill and participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Servicemember grants may cover up to 100% of tuition and fees remaining after federal and state grants are applied. In addition:

• A fully staffed of� ce supports all military and veterans programs, including DOD Military Tuition Assistance programs

• CVET program for eligible combat veterans (cvet.com)

• Three Veterans Resource Centers

• Two active chapters of the Student Veterans Association of America

Find out more. Call 800-446-5400, ext. MC9 or email [email protected]

You helped protect our freedom.We’ll help you prepare for your future.

BerkeleyCollege.edu/Military • Locations in New York, New Jersey, and Online

Berkeley College reserves the right to add, discontinue, or modify its programs and policies at any time. Modi� cations subsequent to the original publication of this document may not be re� ected here.

For the most up-to-date information, please visit BerkeleyCollege.edu.

Berkeley College has been recognized by GI Jobs and Military Advanced Education Magazine as a Military Friendly School.


UNIVERSITY CORNER Military Advanced Education

Scott D. PalumboLieutenant Commander

United States Navy ReserveNational Director of Military Affairs

DeVry University

Q: Please provide a brief overview of your school’s history, mission and curriculum.

A: Founded by Dr. Herman DeVry in 1931 to prepare students for technical work in elec-tronics, motion pictures and radio, DeVry University was originally known as DeForest Training School. [Now], we are proud to be one of the largest private, degree-granting, regionally accredited higher education sys-tems in North America. Through our five colleges of study, we offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs at more than 95 locations in the U.S. and Canada, as well as online.

Our mission is to foster student learning through high-quality, career-oriented edu-cation integrating technology, science, busi-ness and the arts. We continuously update course offerings within our current degree programs and add new degree programs based on industry shifts and emerging tech-nologies. We introduced 10 new degree offerings this year, including three new bachelor’s degrees, six new program concen-trations and one new graduate certificate.

Each of [our] five colleges actively researches and develops ideas for new courses and programs that will target high-demand growth areas and increase students’ appeal to potential employers. We are also working to develop more degree comple-tion programs for transfer students and to continually measure our current offerings against employers’ hiring criteria.

Q: What is DeVry University’s background in military education?

A: [We were] one of the first schools approved to accept the original GI Bill after WWII. Today, we are the nation’s second-largest provider of education to students under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Approximately 13 percent of degree-seeking students [here] are active-duty military members or veter-ans. We offer special tuition rates for active-duty military personnel and their spouses, opportunities to transfer eligible military

coursework toward our degree programs, and grants for veterans. Many of our loca-tions are participants in the Yellow Ribbon program. As a member of the SOC consor-tium, we provide flexible policies to allow servicemembers and their families to com-plete degrees. Under our agreement with the Fallen Heroes Survivors Foundation Inc., we will provide special tuition rates for the spouses and children of deceased veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A memo-randum of understanding signed with DoD will enable us to accept TA.

Q: What makes your school unique in the benefits and programs you offer to service-members?

A: We [combine] a focus on career educa-tion with regionally and programmatically-accredited degree programs and the ability to combine onsite and online coursework.

Our military affairs team is skilled both in helping our students advance their mili-tary careers or transition out of the military into civilian careers. [We] offer regionally-accredited programs, several of which have earned programmatic accreditation from organizations that are readily recognized by civilian employers.

The key to accommodating busy military and veteran lifestyles is flexibility, and we offer students the ability to seamlessly com-bine onsite classes at any of our locations nationwide with online education.

Q: What are some of your most popular programs, and which ones are the most appealing to military students?

A: Our top four degree programs for ser-vicemembers are technical management, business administration, computer infor-mation systems, and network and com-munications management. Our most appealing degree programs are first tech-nical management, as it allows the service-member to complete their program in less time with qualifying prior college credits; and second, our technology-focused degree programs [computer engineering technol-ogy, electronics engineering technology, and network and communications man-agement], which help our students gain the additional skillsets that will serve them well in their occupations in the military and allow them to prepare themselves for a civilian career whenever that may be.

Q: What have been some of the biggest lessons you have learned since assuming your current position?

A: Hitherto assuming my current role, I was working primarily with smaller groups of highly-educated junior officers transi-tioning from military service into civilian management positions. This unique group was highly sought after and gave me a mistaken sense of security regarding the ease with which veterans could expect to find employment commensurate with their skills and experience. It was not until I transitioned back into higher education and began working with the entire vet-eran population that I realized how much higher veteran unemployment is than the national average and how difficult it can be for veterans to demonstrate the value of their skills and experience to civilian employers.

[My current] role allows me to serve the men and women with whom I served during four combat tours around the globe. I could not be more proud of [our] military affairs team and their commit-ment to helping our military and veteran students achieve their educational and career goals. O


Insertion Order Deadline: November 22, 2012 • Ad Materials Deadline: November 29, 2012


December 2012Volume 7, Issue 10

FeaturesServicemember RoundtableStudents tell MAE about the techniques that helped them earn degrees while deployed.

Student-Faculty CollaborationsBy working intensely together, students and professors can create inventive projects—whether it’s a capstone class or designing a new course. We look at universities and academies that take a unique approach to academic collaboration.

NursingMore and more veterans have found that earning degrees and certificates in the nursing field can lead to exciting and fulfilling careers.

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy

Charles E. MilamCover and In-Depth Interview with:

Special Section Top Military-Friendly Colleges & UniversitiesFactoring in areas of particular interest to servicemembers such as flexibility, academic support, financial assistance and understanding of military culture, MAE evaluates the schools featured in this year’s Guide to top Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities.

Online Academic Supporttoday’s education market is saturated with online universities and courses, the flexible hours of which can suit the schedules of many servicemembers. MAE takes a look at how professors of online courses go the extra mile to ensure that their students receive the guidance intrinsic to academic success.

Bonus DistributionCCME

mae 7-9 (nov. 2012)

Documents

umuc military

language immersion programs

language barriersu

language of laws

defense industry

foreign language skills

education goals

postmilitary careers