Army Educator Dr. Pamela Raymer - KMI Media Group

Journal of Higher Learning for Today’s Servicemember
Army
Educator
Dr. Pamela
Raymer
Director
Army Continuing
Education System
U.S. Army Human
Resources Command
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
LEBANON
JCT., KY
PERMIT # 805
www.MAE-kmi.com
May 2012
Volume 7, Issue 4
Online Honesty O Credit by Exam O Health Care Degrees
iCollege Commencement

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Military advanced education
Features
5
Army Women's FoundAtion
8
10
18
23
University Roundtable: Health Care Degrees
An ever-growing field, health care offers transitioning
servicemembers the opportunity to apply their years of medical
experience to a civilian career and to continue on a path of
service.
Honoring Army Women
On March 13, 2012, the Army Women’s Foundation hosted its
4th annual Army Women in Transition Symposium and Hall of
Fame luncheon to honor Army women who served in Vietnam.
The foundation also awarded seven Legacy Scholarships.
By Maura McCarthy
Virtual Integrity
There is no arguing the fact that maintaining academic
integrity in a virtual classroom environment can be a bit of a
concern. While critics often cite the ways one might cheat the
system as a reason for dismissing its relevance, professors and
administrators who work in the world of cyber schooling see
things quite differently.
By J.B. Bissell
Counting Credits
Earning credit by examination is a smart strategy for students
looking to capitalize on work and life experience, as well as prior
coursework. For veterans and military students, CLEP, DSST and
institution-specific exams provide the opportunity to save time
and money while working toward their diplomas.
By Kelly Fodel
Graduating Global Information Leaders
Military and civilian leaders view the National Defense
University’s iCollege as the premier institution for acquiring the
knowledge necessary to be successful in the information age. In
a ceremony on Friday, April 27, the college honored the newest
class of 200 graduates.
By Maura McCarthy
May 2012
voluMe 7 • issue 4
cover / Q&a
16
Dr. Pamela Raymer
Director
Army Continuing Education System
U.S. Army Human Resources Command
departMents
2
3
4
14
25
26
27
Editor’s Perspective
Program Notes
People
Class Notes
CCME Grapevine
Money Talks
Calendar, Directory
university corner
28
Dr. Andrea Allen
Interim Dean
School of Adult and Continuing Education
Barry University

Military advanced
education
voluMe 7, issue 4 May 2012
Journal of Higher Learning for Today’s
Servicemember
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EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
Although some in Congress had already introduced legislation to
address the educational challenges unique to veterans and servicemembers,
on April 27 President Obama took the lead on the issue and signed
an Executive Order aimed at protecting the nation’s servicemembers
from deceptive practices by some higher education institutions and to
help servicemembers make more informed financial decisions when
enrolling in school. The president noted that “even though the vast
majority of schools do the right thing, we need to guard against the
bad actors who don’t.” Regardless of what side of the aisle you sit on,
protecting servicemembers from predatory and deceptive targeting is the
right thing to do.
The Order directs the administration—specifically the Departments
Maura McCarthy
Editor
of Defense, Education and Veterans Affairs—to develop Principles of Excellence to strengthen oversight,
enforcement and accountability within federal military and veterans education benefits programs. Among
other goals, these Principles will increase oversight by requiring that students be provided with meaningful
information regarding the true cost of their degree through a Know Before You Owe form, which outlines
tuition and fees, availability of federal financial aid, estimated student loan debt and information on graduation
rates. Additionally, new rules will be established regulating the presence of recruiters on military installations,
and the VA will undertake efforts to register the term “GI Bill” to prevent its fraudulent use by some
online schools when marketing their websites. In order to help future students make informed educational
decisions, the VA, DoD and Department of Education will develop improved metrics for tracking student
outcomes, such as completion rates for veterans. Lastly, enforcement and accountability will be increased by
the establishment of a centralized complaint system for those receiving education benefits.
Last year, over half a million veterans and over 300,000 servicemembers pursued higher education
thanks to the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Tuition Assistance. However, in his weekend address where he discussed
the Order, the president emphasized that “it’s not enough to just help our veterans and servicemembers
afford school—we need to make sure they have all the tools they need to make an informed decision when it
comes to picking the right program.” Military Advanced Education strives to be a valuable tool for veterans
and servicemembers who are making important decisions
regarding their education and future.
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PROGRAM NOTES
Prior to President Obama's Executive
Order aimed at protecting veteran and military
students, Senator Patty Murray, chairman of
the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, joined
with Senators Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Mark
Begich (D-Ark.), and Iraq and Afghanistan
veterans from across the country to unveil the
GI Bill Consumer Awareness Act of 2012. The
bill, which was introduced in the Senate, will
give servicemembers and veterans using the
GI Bill and other VA education benefits access
to information that would help them make
informed decisions about the schools they
attend so they get the most out of the benefit.
This bill would also require that VA and
DoD develop a joint policy to curb aggressive
recruiting and misleading marketing aimed
at servicemembers and veterans using the
GI Bill.
“The Post-9/11 GI Bill has offered tremendous
opportunity to so many veterans since
it was passed in 2008,” said Senator Murray.
“But like any benefit, we need to constantly
monitor and improve on it to ensure that our
veterans are getting the treatment that they
deserve. This bill is designed to ensure that
The National Defense
University’s Information
Resources Management College
(NDU iCollege) received the prestigious
Elearning! 100 Award for
innovation at the Elearning! 100
Awards dinner, held on March 20,
2012, at the Hilton Alexandria Old
Town hotel, located in Alexandria,
Va. Dr. Paulette Robinson, assistant
dean of teaching, learning,
and technology for the NDU
iCollege accepted the award on
behalf of the college. Finalists
are evaluated against three
GI Bill Consumer Awareness Act of 2012
our veterans have the facts to make their own
decisions and to defend themselves from being
taken advantage of. We can’t allow them to
get anything less than the full potential of this
benefit—because so much is riding on it.”
The GI Bill Consumer Awareness Act of
2012 complements veterans’ educational
assistance programs by requiring VA to
provide beneficiaries with easy-to-understand
information about schools that are approved
for GI Bill use. The bill requires:
• Information Availability: Calls for
disclosure of, among other data, statistics
related to student loan debt, transferability of
credits earned, veteran enrollment, program
preparation for licensing and certification,
and job placement rates.
• Information Dissemination: Requires
VA to provide educational beneficiaries
with easy-to-understand information about
schools that are approved for GI Bill benefit
use.
• Staffing and Training: Requires
educational institutions to have at least
one employee who is knowledgeable about
NDU Earns Innovation Award
criteria: Aberdeen’s Best-in-Class
Learning and Development study,
Elearning! Media Group (EMG)
Learning Culture index, and
overall organizational performance.
The award submissions
were open to government, corporate
and nonprofit organizations.
This is the second year in
a row that the NDU iCollege has
received this coveted award. The
Elearning! 100 Award recognizes
100 (60 corporate and 40 public
sector organizations), for their
outstanding learning culture,
innovation, and collaborative
efforts that drive excellence and
performance.
The NDU iCollege is a
DoD educational institution.
Although a majority of the
students come from DoD (military
and civilian), the college
also accepts other federal, state
and local government students,
private sector students and
international military students.
Education is focused around
CIO, CFO, cyber security, cyber
leadership, enterprise architec-
Compiled by KMi Media Group staff
benefits available to servicemembers and
veterans. This legislation further requires
that academic advising, tutoring, career
and placement counseling services, and
referrals to Vet Centers are available and
that institutions offer training to faculty
members on matters that are relevant to
servicemembers and veterans.
• Curbing Misleading Marketing and
Aggressive Recruiting: Requires VA and
DoD to develop a joint policy on aggressive
recruiting and misleading marketing aimed
at servicemembers, veterans and other
beneficiaries.
• Educational Counseling: Makes
educational counseling available to more
beneficiaries.
In 2012, over 590,000 servicemembers,
veterans and other beneficiaries are expected
to enroll in educational institutions using the
Post-9/11 GI Bill. The VA is expected to spend
over $9 billion in 2012 on Post-9/11 GI Bill
payments and over $2 billion for the nearly
400,000 beneficiaries of VA’s other education
programs.
ture, IT project and program
management, and the government
information leadership
(GIL) Masters of Science
Degree program. The NDU is the
nation’s premier center for Joint
Professional Military Education.
It is an accredited graduatelevel
institution that provides
an educational and research
environment to prepare future
leaders of the armed forces
and civilian agencies for highlevel
policy, command and staff
responsibilities.
www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 7.4 | 3

PROGRAM NOTES
Colonel Dennis W.
Devery (Ret.), former
commander of New Jersey
National Guard, has been
named as acting vice
president for planning
and research at Thomas
Edison State College, in
New Jersey.
Frank Chong, deputy
assistant secretary for
community colleges at
the U.S. Department of
Education, has been named
president/superintendent of
Santa Rosa Junior College,
in California.
Andrea Backman,
director of new program
development and
academic approvals at the
University of Virginia's
School of Continuing
and Professional Studies,
has been chosen as
chief academic officer of
Rasmussen College, in
Minneapolis.
Michael A. Driscoll,
provost and executive vice
chancellor of the University
of Alaska Anchorage, has
been selected as president
of Indiana University of
Pennsylvania.
Bruce Jarrell, executive
vice dean at the University
of Maryland School of
Medicine, has been named
chief academic, research
officer and senior vice
president at the University
of Maryland in Baltimore.
Mark Volk, executive vice
president of Lackawanna
College, in Pennsylvania,
has been chosen as president
there.
James Limbaugh, vice
president for strategy, planning
and policy at Angelo
State University, in Texas,
has been appointed chancellor
of Montana State
University-Northern.
Joyce Ester, associate
vice president for student
services at Bakersfield
College, in California, has
been appointed as president
of Kennedy-King College,
one of the City Colleges of
Chicago.
Lyle D. Roelofs, provost
and dean of the faculty
and professor of physics at
Colgate University, in New
York, has been selected as
president of Berea College,
in Kentucky.
Kim Schatzel, dean of
the College of Business at
University of Michigan-
Dearborn, has been chosen
as provost and vice president
at Eastern Michigan
University.
Compiled by KMi Media Group staff
New Jersey Establishes Landmark Teaching Program for Veterans
Legislation establishing the nation’s first
condensed teaching certification program
designed specifically for a veteran cohort was
signed by New Jersey Acting Governor Kim
Guadagno. The program was initiated through
legislation sponsored by Senator James Whelan
(D-Atlantic) and Assemblywoman Mila Jasey
(D-Essex). The VETeach pilot will be housed at
the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and is
slated to launch in September 2012.
“Stockton College is proud to host the
inaugural VETeach class. The signing of this
law further demonstrates the commitment of
Governor Christie and Acting Governor Guadagno
and the Legislature in seeking innovative ways
to support the transition of our veterans,” said
Stockton President Herman J. Saatkamp. “As
a result of the passage of this legislation, with
strong bipartisan support, veterans in New Jersey
and across the United States will have access to
one of the most innovative programs available for
those seeking a teaching degree.”
4 | MAE 7.4
PEOPLE
VETeach is the first of a number of education-to-employment
initiatives being developed
by Operation College Promise (OCP) in collaboration
with partner colleges and universities.
OCP is researching condensed degree programs
that optimize the distinct skills honed in the
military in fields with potential for long-term
employment.
“OCP would like to extend our sincere
thanks to Senator Whelan and Assemblywoman
Jasey for sponsoring this initiative to accelerate
our mission of developing condensed degree
plans for student veterans,” said Wendy A. Lang,
director of OCP. “Today, with the signing of this
legislation by Acting Governor Guadagno, New
Jersey is sending a powerful message of mutual
commitment to the veteran community that
their service to our nation is acknowledged
with viable education and employment
options. The VETeach pilot program will do
just that.” The legislation, S-1026, creates a
36-month teacher preparation pilot program.
Veterans who successfully complete the
program will receive a bachelor’s degree and
satisfy the necessary requirements to apply
for a certificate to teach kindergarten through
grade 8. Stockton plans to prepare future
educators in the critical fields of science,
technology, engineering and math.
Veterans under the Post-9/11 GI Bill are
receiving the most generous package of benefits
since World War II; however, the time
constraints of the measure—36 months—
limit the ability of student veterans to pursue
professions—such as teaching—which have
requirements that exceed the traditional fouryear
degree plan.
“I could have benefitted from this
program; I would have been a better prepared
teacher. I hope many veterans take advantage
of this opportunity to better the students of New
Jersey,” noted Sergeant Matthew Generally, a
Stockton graduate and member of the New
Jersey Army National Guard.
Compiled by KMi Media Group staff
Liang Chee Wee, interim
president of Northeast
Iowa Community College,
has been named to the
position on a permanent
basis.
Shannon Beets, vice
president of institutional
effectiveness at Sierra
Nevada College, has been
promoted to executive
vice president and provost
there.
Richard Cox, chief
operating officer at Jones
International University,
in Colorado, has been
promoted to president
there.
www.MAE-kmi.com

University Roundtable:
Health Care Degrees
MAE posed the following question to Adelphi University, Northeastern College of Professional Studies and the University of Phoenix:
Armed with one of many available degrees in health care, a servicemember increases the ability to leverage his or her practical experience and transition
to a civilian career. What degrees do you offer and how do your programs prepare students for gainful employment in the health care industry?
Adelphi University offers a variety of programs that can assist transitioning
military personnel into health care careers. The university has
welcomed veterans to campus for decades. Adelphi was transformed
in the 1940s when the university welcomed WWII veterans to campus.
Today, the university president is a veteran and an advocate for the new
GI Bill and we have a strong alumni veterans network. Adelphi is committed
to offering academic and support programs, valuable resources
and transitional services designed to meet the unique needs of currently
enlisted military personnel and military veterans. Since 2010,
the university has been named a military-friendly school.
Adelphi welcomes the opportunity to assist all qualified active,
reserve and veteran members of the military in their academic plans
and preparation for the future and we offer a wide variety of policies,
procedures and services for veterans. These include a waiver of application
fees, specialized pre-enrollment advising for veterans, late admissions
and reduced penalties for early withdrawal. We have admissions
advisers who are very familiar with the Post-9/11 GI Bill and identifying
funding sources available for veteran college students. Adelphi is also
recognized as a proud participant of the Yellow Ribbon Program, which
is designed to assist veteran students with their college financing.
In the field of health care, our programs can connect a veteran’s
military training to a civilian career. To begin with, the Adelphi School
of Nursing offers baccalaureate and master degree programs in nursing,
Northeastern University College
of Professional Studies (CPS) is committed
to providing career-focused
undergraduate and graduate educational
programs that are designed to accommodate the complex
Dr. Patrick R. Coonan, Ed.D., R.N., NEA-BC, FACHE
Dean of the School of Nursing
Shawn O’Riley
Executive Director of University College
Adelphi University
Dr. Brian Murphy Clinton, Ed.D.
Executive Director, Enrollment Management
Northeastern University College of Professional Studies
nurse administration, education and nurse practitioner, as well as
a doctoral program in education or health systems. We also offer
degree in health care related fields like social work, psychology, health
education, health administration and public health.
Adelphi’s University College, the adult undergraduate degree
program for nontraditional students returning to college to complete
their degrees later in life, allows credit for life experience, including
basic and other military training programs. University College offers an
undergraduate degree in emergency services administration that can
be completed entirely online. In addition, the college offers graduate
and post-baccalaureate programs in emergency management, health
information technology and a post-baccalaureate pre-med program.
For most military personnel who are interested in obtaining degrees
that can lead to health careers, Adelphi recommends starting in an
undergraduate degree program in University College where they can
maximize their credit for military experience. Veterans can complete
an associate degree in University College and then seamlessly transfer
to several health care baccalaureate fields of study including nursing,
social work, psychology, emergency services administration, education
and business. For veterans with undergraduate degrees, Adelphi offers
a variety of master’s programs in many fields that can connect their
military experience with a graduate degree in a health care related field.
For example, military nurses with a baccalaureate degree could pursue
a master’s level program in nursing, public health, health information
technology and emergency management.
lives of returning students, working adults, military students
and veterans on a global scale. With a broad portfolio of program
offerings, the college focuses on providing an academic
experience that meets the evolving needs of students’ career
and personal goals.
www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 7.4 | 5

CPS grants veterans access to a range of degree programs that
correspond to the thriving health care industry. The degree programs
are taught by accomplished scholars and practitioners who prepare
students by integrating their valuable real-world experience into program
curriculum and everyday class learning, providing students with
a rich academic experience.
With an awareness of other life commitments, the college
allows students to complete their degrees at an accelerated pace
in programs such as the Fast-Track Bachelor of Science in finance
and accounting management, Fast-Track Bachelor of Science in
health management, Fast-Track Master of Science in leadership,
Fast-Track Master of Science in project management, or at the
their own pace through programs such as the Master of Science in
nonprofit management and Master of Science in regulatory affairs
for drugs, biologics and medical devices. Through these programs,
students are equipped with a world-class education that builds their
experience in leadership and management, and prepares them for
a variety of professions in the health care industry such as medical
and health services manager, insurance underwriter, social or
community service manager, health care administrator, regulatory
affairs specialist, associate scientist, biotechnician, change control
specialist, technical engineer, stability specialist, medical affairs
The health care industry encompasses
a broad range of professions,
from doctors and nurses to health care
administrators. In any area of health
care, as with most industries, advanced education can lead to
increased salary, enhanced career opportunities and greater job satisfaction.
Yet for nurses, in particular, the benefits of higher education
have never been more pronounced.
The Institute of Medicine’s report, “The Future of Nursing,”
outlines several recommendations for transforming the nursing profession.
Among them is an increased emphasis on higher education. The
report calls for 80 percent of the nation’s more than 3 million nurses
to hold baccalaureate degrees by 2020. Currently, 50 percent hold
such a degree. The report also recommends doubling the proportion of
nurses with doctoral degrees. Currently, less than 1 percent of nurses
hold doctorates, while 13 percent hold graduate degrees. Clearly,
there is a movement toward greater education for nurses. The key for
nurses, then, is choosing a program that provides them with the specific
education most needed to advance their skills and their careers.
For 27 years, University of Phoenix has been a leader and innovator
in post-licensure nursing education, graduating more post-licensure
professionals every year than any other program. Our more than
40,000 alumni work in just about every sector of health care—in hospitals,
regulatory environments and universities, as CEOs and CNOs,
legal nurses, instructors, unit directors, administrators and as clinical
practitioners. Why do so many esteemed nursing professionals choose
to school with University of Phoenix? The answer is simple: University
6 | MAE 7.4
Dr. Pam Fuller
Dean of the College of Nursing
University of Phoenix
associate, research associate, quality systems engineer and quality
assurance associate.
Within the classroom, students build their analytical, conceptual
and quantitative skills by working to problem-solve with classmates
that come from diverse backgrounds and hold different perspectives.
Through their classroom work, students are given the opportunity to
develop a valuable network of professional contacts.
As an optional component to several bachelor’s and master’s
degree programs, students can apply their classroom knowledge
and build real-world experience in the health care industry through
the college’s co-op and internship program. Students who choose to
complement their degree program with a co-op or internship are able
to explore career interests and network with potential employers.
As a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC)
and participant in the Yellow Ribbon program, the university is committed
to serving military students and veterans. Qualifying veterans
who enroll at the university will receive grant aid that covers most to all
of the university’s tuition and fee charges, depending on the selected
degree program. With no application fee, eight start terms, flexible
course formats, and campuses in Charlotte, N.C., and Boston, the
College of Professional Studies provides students with an education
that is uniquely aligned with their career goals.
of Phoenix College of Nursing provides high quality, practical education
in a format that meets the needs of today’s working nurses and
military servicemembers.
University of Phoenix College of Nursing offers two undergraduate
programs, both of which are designed to take practicing
nurses through their baccalaureate degree: Licensed Practical Nurse/
Licensed Vocational Nurse to Bachelor of Science in nursing and RN
to Bachelor of Science in nursing. At the graduate level, the university
offers Master of Science in nursing degrees with a host of concentrations
as well as doctoral degrees.
All of our programs provide leading evidence-based practice, innovative
curricula and a caring network of health care educators, student
support professionals and alumni. University of Phoenix’s 1,400
faculty are experienced licensed nurses and health care professionals
who bridge theory and practice with instruction focused on critical
thinking and leadership. Courses are taught online, at local campuses
or in immersive simulation labs.
At University of Phoenix College of Nursing, we say “a more
educated nurse is a safer nurse.” We believe that nurses should not
have to choose between employment and education. Our classes are
offered at convenient times or online so that nurses can enter the
classroom without putting their careers on hold.
As employer demand for advanced nursing education grows, it
will be those nurses who combine both experience and education who
have the best opportunities for career progression. At University of
Phoenix, we offer nurses the opportunity to pursue education without
compromising their career experience. O
www.MAE-kmi.com

Preparing you to SERVE and LEAD…
online or in class
A military-friendly institution with programs
designed to meet your needs as an adult learner •
Bachelor’s, master’s, and certification programs •
On-campus classes meet weeknights or Saturdays •
Earn up to 30 college credits from experiential learning,
licensures, certifications, or military service •
Certifying officials and advisors available statewide •
Online programs available
www.barry.edu/ACE
Classes offered throughout the state in: Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Collier,
Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lee, Leon, Marion,
Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, St. Lucie, and Volusia counties •
SOC member • Yellow Ribbon Program • Transfer credits, DD-214, DANTES, CLEP,
PONSI, military service schools, USAFI • Tuition reductions for bachelor’s and
master’s programs for active-duty military personnel (Barry policy – not
administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) • VA education
benefits, financial aid, and grants available to eligible students
AMERICA’S
BEST
COLLEGES
2011

Army Women's FoundAtion
8 | MAE 7.4
Honoring Army Women
The Army Women’s symposium exAmined The chAnging missions And roles of
Army Women TrAnsiTioning To civiliAn life.
By mAurA mccArThy, mAe ediTor
More than 200 attendees gathered on Capitol Hill on
March 7, 2012, to honor Army women at the U.S. Army
Women’s Symposium and Hall of Fame Luncheon. The
theme of this year’s symposium, “Changing Missions,
Changing Roles,” fostered dialogue among federal legislators,
government agencies, academia, business and
nonprofits and highlighted the successes as well as the
collaborations and partnerships needed to facilitate the
transition of Army women out of the military. As Major
General Janet Cobb, assistant deputy chief of staff, G-4
(Operations), noted in her keynote address, “All wars end.
During the last 10 years of persistent combat, women
have had their war come to an end. Women on active duty
rotate to new units—or they leave the military. National
Guard and Army Reserve women have their war come to
an end as well—their DD 214 says so. They quickly demobilize.
They all pack their duffle bags and black footlockers
and return—where? And to what circumstance of life?”
All women who served in Vietnam were inducted
into the Hall of Fame this year. Between 1959 and 1975
approximately 7,500 women served in Vietnam; 6,200
were nurses, all were volunteers. Reflecting on the role of
women in the Army, Major General Cobb said, “Women
in the Army or in the military is a subject we really don’t
talk about much, but it is evident. Retired general officers
and senior field grade officers sit among you here. I walk
the Pentagon halls—now a major general and former
specialist four—passing an African-American woman
wearing an Air Force flight suit, leather flight jacket and
senior pilot wings; a female Marine aviator and female
gunny; an Asian female Navy Lieutenant wearing gold
dolphins; female soldiers wearing jump wings, combat
action badges, air assault badges, pilot wings, purple
hearts, and on the sleeve of their Army service uniforms
a stack of overseas service bars.” Women who served
during World War II, Korea and Vietnam blazed the trail
that today’s servicewoman can follow, taking on roles
that many view as a normal part of their job but that
decades ago were unthinkable. Cobb noted that as of the
end of January 2012, the number of Army women who
had deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters—with
many women deploying multiple times and to both
theaters—totaled 138,703, including National Guard and
Reservists.
Following the Hall of Fame induction, the foundation
presented seven Legacy scholarships, which provide
financial support for the pursuit of an undergraduate
degree. The scholarships, awarded to Army women and
their dependents, are based on merit, academic potential
community service and need. This year’s scholarships
were awarded to Sabrina Higdon, Joy Cassagnol, Chief
Warrant Officer 3 (Ret.) Nancy Christiano, Specialist Maia
Dihan, Amber Gibson, Specialist (Ret.) Latoya Lucas and
Yamese Wyrick. O
www.MAE-kmi.com

1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
1. Maj. Gen. Janet Cobb
2. Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho, Surgeon General of the U.S. Army
3. WJLA's Leon Harris and Gen. Richard A. Cody, USA (Ret.), of L-3 Communications Holdings Inc.
4. Gen. Cody
5. Angela Messer, Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton
6. Brig. Gen. Dee McWilliams of the Army Women's Foundation and Gen. Cody present an award to
Mary Yoshioka.
P8. Local Women who served in Vietnam with West Pointers

Virtual Integrity
do online courses pose A greATer risk To AcAdemic honor codes?
By J.B. Bissell
mAe correspondenT
The opportunity to attend college classes online
“The same academic code and trust levels are
has made earning a degree possible for count-
in place for both the physical and online classless
dedicated students who otherwise may have
rooms,” said Hunt Lambert, associate provost,
struggled to fit the necessary courses into their
Colorado State University OnlinePlus. “Academic
hectic schedules. There’s no arguing that generally
integrity is important in every course, regardless
speaking, online learning is a positive step toward
of the delivery mode.” End of story, or at least it
a more educated workforce. With that said, there’s
should be. Unfortunately, for every group of com-
also no arguing the fact that maintaining academic
mitted-to-excellence learners who believe in and
integrity in a virtual classroom environment can be
understand the importance of honest schoolwork,
a bit of a concern. Critics of this particular mode
there are one or two people who want to skirt their
of delivery often cite all the ways one might cheat Hunt Lambert responsibilities, and online sessions—since they
the system as a reason for dismissing its relevance.
lack the physical presence of a teacher and are
Yet professors and administrators who work in the world of cyber built around assignments that are always completed at home—
schooling see things quite differently.
seem ripe for scholastic bamboozlement.
10 | MAE 7.4
www.MAE-kmi.com

Interestingly, when it comes to cheating, there doesn’t seem
to be much difference between brick-and-mortar seminars and
virtual ones. “With 40 years of distance delivery experience,”
Lambert continued, “we do not appear to have a more significant
problem than on campus in classrooms. Those who are determined
to cheat, cheat in both. Those who are honest are honest
in both.” Kristin Bittner, an instructional designer at the Penn
State World Campus, agreed. “Research on the topic has found
that academic dishonesty is the same in online and
traditional classrooms. I think the main difference
is perception. People assume that there is more
opportunity to cheat online than in the traditional
classroom environment.”
One of the assumptions people often make is
that there is no way to know for sure who is participating
in the virtual discussions, whether it’s really
the student who signed up for the class or somebody
else. “The only way to be certain in every case
is to watch every student take every possible action
in an online environment,” Lambert said. “Unless
you are always watching, there is never 100 percent
certainty that the person commenting in a discussion
board is actually the person who owns the
account under which the post is made.” Lambert,
though, isn’t so sure this is all that dissimilar from
what could happen in a traditional college setting.
“We do not believe that it is any different than a
classroom of 30 or more students where the faculty
member does not know the individuals,” he said.
That might sound strange at first, but picture
a stereotypical university lecture hall: The professor
paces back and forth, simultaneously talking
and scribbling important bits of information on
a whiteboard. The teaching assistant, sitting to the side, readies
the necessary material for the next part of the lesson. The
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Courses offered through the Division of Continuing Education
Kristin Bittner
Dr. Shannon Farris
students—there might be 30 of them, or 50, or maybe a few
hundred—all perched in their stadium-style seating, jot down
what they feel are the most significant remarks and observations
about that day’s session. It’s nearly as easy to disappear into that
shuffle as it is to remain anonymous online, and Lambert’s not
the only one who thinks so. “Just as in a traditional mass lecture
course, when taking attendance for class participation, typically
not all students have their IDs checked to ensure the person in
that seat is the person on the roster,” explained
Bittner. “For assignments such as online threaded
discussions, I’m not sure schools can ever be 100
percent certain that the student posting the work
is the one who enrolled in the course. The key is
emphasizing the value of integrity—to encourage
students to always do the right thing.”
leArning curve
In order to do the right thing, new learners
need to know exactly what that means, what
defines integrity in the world of academia, and it’s
up to instructors to teach them. “Managing academic
integrity is about awareness, ensuring that
students understand what kinds of behavior are
considered violations of academic integrity, and
educating them about plagiarism,” Bittner said.
“Explain citation rules and ‘fair use’ guidelines,
show examples of plagiarism, and emphasize that
proper research skills will be important in their
future careers. Some faculty even require students
to pass a plagiarism quiz before they are permitted
to submit any writing assignments.”
An initial quiz is a great way to get students
headed in the right direction. Then, once they’re on the correct
path, a few subtle—and some not-so-subtle—reminders can help
www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 7.4 | 11

guarantee that they stay there. “We have exact definitions of what
academic integrity is and what constitutes plagiarism in our
syllabi, but how do you ensure that students in an online class
read it?” said Dr. Shannon Farris, a psychology professor at Saint
Leo University. “You start with making an announcement saying
to ‘please read your syllabus and pay particular attention to the
academic policy that we have that will address what cheating is,
what plagiarism is, and if you’re found guilty of that, you’ll get
a zero, or it could mean expulsion.’ But what I find most helpful
for students is repeated exposure.”
By repeated exposure, Farris is not suggesting that students
are constantly reminded that they’ll fail the course or maybe get
kicked out of school if they get caught cheating. No, he’s talking
about taking a proactive role in their learning and working with
them so that integrity becomes second nature. “Bring it up in the
online discussions,” he said. “It takes a lot of meaningful contact
to help students understand what academic integrity is and what
it isn’t. Ask questions such as ‘Are you citing your material correctly?
Are you using the correct style?’ Let them know, ‘You
didn’t cite it correctly here; let’s review that.’ Reminding them
can help because they’re getting multiple practices. One thing
that I’ve found with plagiarism is that the majority of students
aren’t doing it intentionally,” Farris continued. “They just don’t
know enough about the writing style that they’re supposed to be
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12 | MAE 7.4
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using and they’re unintentionally plagiarizing. Some professors
will say, ‘go to the manual,’ but that’s not enough.”
scholAsTic securiTy
Unfortunately, some folks do cheat intentionally. Online administrators
understand this, and also realize that fair or not, they’re
under more scrutiny to control it
than more traditional programs.
“Because federal regulations address
online students directly there is
more pressure on online programs
and the faculty who teach online,”
said Dr. Deb Gearhart, director of
Troy University’s eTroy program.
Just as technology has advanced
so that students can study from a
distance, though, there have also
Dr. Deb Gearhart
been improvements to the security
of the overall delivery. “Although
an online environment doesn’t put
the student and faculty in physical
proximity to each other,” explained
Thomas Dalton, assistant vice president
of Enrollment Management at
Excelsior College, “the use of technology
and simply paying attention
on the part of faculty provide ways to
address this difference in locations.”
Similar to other institutions, Dalton
and his colleagues have established
Thomas Dalton
specific guidelines to address the
definition of integrity and explain what plagiarism is and make
clear the penalties for running afoul of the rules. “Policy wording
alone, however, doesn’t assure everyone will be honest in their
academic activities any more than it will assure that they will be
honest in other endeavors,” he said. “What we have done, and continue
to do, is remain vigilant for potential policy violations and to
exercise appropriate sanctions when breaches occur.”
How are these breaches detected? The answer sounds like
something out of a James Bond movie. “There have been a number
of technological advancements in recent years that can be used to
confirm a student’s identity,” Dalton explained. “From challenge
questions and video web-proctoring to advanced biometrics, such
as keystroke, voice and handwriting analysis. Using these techniques,
authentication can and does take place at different points
during an academic term.”
There are third-party operations that can help sniff out cheating,
too. Turnitin.com, for example, scans student papers for
potential plagiarism problems, and the “Penn State World Campus
partnered with Kryterion to provide online proctoring for highstakes
exams in select courses,” Bittner said. “It greatly simplifies
and increases the integrity of the process. Students purchase a
special camera and can schedule their exams online. They install
specific software, complete biometric authentication (photo ID and
keystroke analysis), and are monitored in real time by a certified
Kryterion online proctor.”
www.MAE-kmi.com

Still, as exciting as using biometrics to verify a test taker
sounds, sometimes, it just comes down to common sense.
“‘Old-fashioned’ attentiveness on the part of our faculty plays an
important role,” Dalton said. “Active instructor involvement and
engagement is essential.” This includes not relying
on the same projects year after year. “Faculty can
modify their assignments to make plagiarism more
difficult,” Bittner explained. “For example, provide
very specific topics for research assignments, and
require that students turn in an outline, then
an annotated bibliography with references from
within the past five years, and have students submit
drafts before the final paper. Professors could
require papers on very recent current events, or
require students to write from a specific point of
view.”
The more interaction a teacher has with a
particular student—whether it comes in the form of email communication,
an online threaded discussion or the rough draft
of a short, seemingly low-priority response paper—the easier it
is to notice when something seems off in a substantial writing
project or final exam. As Gearhart said, “Much of the management
is in the hands of the instructor who observes the student’s
work and behaviors, both in the traditional classroom and online
classroom, and the instructor can tell where there are academic
integrity concerns.”
cheATing The sysTem
Even with password-protected assignments and genuine professor
diligence, those concerns do still exist, primarily because
of people who set out with the sole purpose of cheating the
system. “They’re the greatest challenge,” acknowledged Dalton.
“The Department of Education [DOE] and its Office of Inspector
General [OIG] have identified fraud rings around the country
Dr. Rick Shearer
that have targeted distance learning institutions.” The main
target, of course, is money, in the form of a financial aid scam
in which someone receives monetary assistance and then “disappears.”
“We’ve taken a proactive approach and hosted a session
of The Presidents’ Forum,” said Dalton. “The DOE
and OIG participated, along with several distance
education institutions and fraud prevention software
vendors.”
Perhaps ironically, another one of the greatest
threats to online academic integrity comes in
the form of technology itself, the very thing that
makes it possible to learn remotely. “The larger
threat is the impact of the Internet and all the
sharing sites, not the delivery mode of the course,”
said Colorado State’s Lambert, and he’s not alone
in this opinion. Dr. Rick Shearer, the director of
Penn State World Campus Learning Design, said,
“The biggest challenge we face is keeping up with the vast array
of new technologies and how they may provide ways for students
to cheat that were not possible previously. We try to use technologies
in such a way to assure that students cannot easily cheat and
to assure academic integrity, but there is always something new.”
This brings us back to the fact that there really isn’t much difference
between onsite lessons and those conducted in cyberspace,
because as Bittner pointed out, “All students are online, whether
they are taking courses in traditional face-to-face classrooms
or via the Web,” and no matter where they find themselves, the
definition of academic integrity doesn’t change. O
For more information, contact MAE Editor Maura McCarthy
at mauram@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives
for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.
WE ARE MISSION READY
Readiness is critical to you. Select a university that is prepared to meet your needs. One with a rich
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with you around the world, and one that understands the needs of students who wear the uniform.
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www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 7.4 | 13

CLASS NOTES
Physician Assistant Program to
Serve Rising Demand
Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) is launching a Physician
Assistant (PA) program leading to a Master of Medical Science degree.
The 25-month program begins in January 2013 with a first class of
30 students, pending approval for provisional accreditation. The Tufts
program is the only PA program in Massachusetts offered by a medical
school and one of only three medical school-affiliated programs in New
England.
The PA program will help meet the growing demand for primary
care providers, triggered by efforts to contain health care costs and by the
continuing shortage of primary care providers. The U.S. Department of
Labor projects a 39 percent growth in PA jobs by 2018. The Massachusetts
Medical Society’s 2011 Physician Workforce Study reported severe physician
shortages in internal and family medicine, both primary care
specialties, for the sixth consecutive year.
Tufts University School of Medicine has the infrastructure and
resources to respond to this growing demand because it already trains
physicians in a first-rate learning environment, noted Aviva Must, Ph.D.,
dean of the Public Health and Professional Degree Programs, and chair
of the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at TUSM.
Tufts has developed the curriculum, selected faculty and signed agreements
with clinical affiliates throughout eastern Massachusetts.
During their first year, students will follow a 27-course curriculum
over three semesters, including training in anatomy, physical diagnosis,
internal medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics, women’s health, behavioral
medicine, surgery and rehabilitation medicine. In their second year,
students will rotate through a 48-week schedule at affiliated hospitals,
private practices and clinics. The clinical practice rotations include
emergency medicine, inpatient medicine, ambulatory medicine, behavioral
medicine, surgery, pediatrics, geriatrics and rehabilitation medicine,
as well as electives in fields of specific interest. PAs practice medicine
under the supervision of physicians and surgeons, often working as part
of a health care team taking medical histories, examining patients,
prescribing medications, interpreting lab tests and X-rays, and diagnosing
and treating patients with acute and chronic illnesses. PAs work
in a variety of medical settings including hospitals, health maintenance
organizations, community clinics, nursing homes, physician offices and
public health agencies.
14 | MAE 7.4
New Program Will Meet
Financial Industry’s Needs
in North Dakota
The South Dakota Board of Regents approved Northern State University to
offer a master’s degree in banking and financial services, building on its successful
undergraduate programs in that field. “This graduate-level degree expands
Northern’s curriculum to better meet the workforce needs of the banking and
financial services industry in South Dakota and the Midwest region,” said Regents
President Kathryn Johnson. A Master of Science degree will prepare students for a
competitive market upon graduation, she said, and also provides current professionals
in the field the skills needed to advance their careers.
NSU already offers bachelor and associate degrees, a minor, and certificates in
the banking and financial services program. This action also authorizes the new
graduate degree for distance delivery, allowing bankers from across the country
to earn this credential online. The board also approved online delivery for several
of its existing degrees, including master’s degrees in leadership and administration,
teaching and learning, instructional design in E-learning, and training and
development in E-learning. Officials said putting these degrees online expands
educational opportunity to more students who find themselves place bound due
to work or family considerations.
Academic Partnership to
Address Workforce Needs
University of Phoenix and Northern Virginia Community College
(NOVA) announced an innovative alliance that will provide new
educational opportunities in health care, information technology
and criminal justice. The alliance was formalized at a special signing
ceremony at NOVA’s Annandale Campus. Through the new agreement,
University of Phoenix and NOVA will work with area business,
academic and diversity leaders to identify workforce needs and develop
focused curriculum and specific career pathways to meet those area
workforce skills gaps. Students will have the opportunity to earn an
associate degree at NOVA and seamlessly transition to a bachelor’s
degree program at one of University of Phoenix’s seven D.C. Metro area
locations or online.
In addition to a tuition discount, NOVA students will have the
opportunity to potentially convert prior training and work experience
into college credit through Prior Learning Assessment at University of
Phoenix. Through a new University of Phoenix transfer policy, credits
earned through an associate of arts degree at NOVA will transfer to
University of Phoenix and satisfy general education course requirements
so students can immediately begin working toward a bachelor’s
degree in their field of study. University of Phoenix and NOVA will
also explore transfer trends to ensure the alliance is meeting local
employer demands.
Through its Community College Center of Excellence, University of
Phoenix works with community colleges to build educational partnerships
that bring in area business, academic and diversity leaders to
identify workforce needs.
www.MAE-kmi.com

First of Its Kind Civil Engineering Program
in Indiana
The Indiana Commission for Higher
Education approved the proposed Bachelor
of Science degree in civil engineering technology,
which the College of Technology
at ISU will begin offering this fall. Several
ISU officials say the program is the first
of its kind in Indiana. The new program
is different from civil engineering, which
deals with mostly theoretical concepts and
design, because people with degrees in civil
engineering technology work more in the
application area, said Robert English, associate
dean in the ISU College of Technology.
ISU faculty members analyzed different
industries and collaborated with several
organizations to determine anticipated
workforce needs over the coming decade,
and they determined that multiple industries
will have a growing need for people with a
background in civil engineering technology.
The new offering will utilize several
courses already offered in the construction
management and mechanical engineering
technology programs, with the rest of the
classes to be new courses specifically for the
program.
As part of the initiative, ISU also entered
into an agreement with Ivy Tech Community
College. Ivy Tech graduates who complete
their associate degree in design technology
will be able to finish the final two years
at ISU to receive the bachelor’s degree in
civil engineering technology. Indiana State
worked closely with the Indiana Department
of Transportation to develop the program.
The program will be accredited by the
Accreditation Board for Engineering and
Technology; Sims noted that, based on the
organization’s website, it will be the only
such four-year program in Indiana.
Students Teach Technology
to Senior Citizens
IDG’s Computerworld Honors Program
announced Pace University as a 2012
Laureate. The annual award program honors
visionary applications of information technology
promoting positive social, economic
and educational change. Five years ago, Pace
professor Dr. Jean F. Coppola developed the
university’s “Gerontechnology Program”
which instructs students how to teach senior
citizens basic computer skills including use of
email, Skype, Wii, Google search, and instant
messaging, among others. Partners on the
project, Drs. Sharon Stahl Wexler and Lin Drury
(Pace Nursing faculty) prepare the students
for instructing the seniors with “sensitivity
training” that includes simulation glasses
to replicate vision problems and popcorn in
students’ shoes to mimic mobility issues and
help them empathize with older people. With
baby boomers aging and a society increasingly
dependent on technology, Professor Coppola’s
program is filling a growing need.
The students teach at numerous
community organizations in Westchester
and New York City including United Hebrew
of New Rochelle, Henry Street Settlement,
and Hallmark of Battery Park City. Pace’s
Gerontechnology program is different from
others for several reasons: In addition to
the sensitivity training, an interdisciplinary
team works on this project including nurses
and tech gurus, social science educators and
statistical data experts. Pace also collaborates
closely with the Westchester Department of
Senior Programs and Services, Westchester
Community College (Prof. Barbara Thomas)
and Fordham University (Dr. Janna Heyman)
for expert data analysis and social work
research experience.
Moreover, this program has very strong
ties to a growing list of community partners
including The Wartburg, MAZII in Brooklyn,
and Cerebral Palsy of Westchester. This year,
Dr. Coppola and her colleagues, Pace professors
Mark Surabian and Dr. Sandra Flank,
received a Thinkfinity grant from the Verizon
Foundation for “Integrating the iPad into
the Educational Technology Curriculum
and Community: Facilitating Accessibility
Awareness and Experimental Learning.”
Compiled by KMi Media Group staff
New Computer
Science-Based
Cybersecurity
Program
George Washington University’s School
of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS)
has developed a new graduate degree
program in cybersecurity. The program will
launch in fall 2012, seeking to meet the
burgeoning global demand for experts able
to confront the growing threat of cyber
crime.
“Robust cybersecurity is a matter of
national and international importance,
because of the potential impact of security
breaches on national security and the
global economy,” said David Dolling, dean
of SEAS. “The SEAS understands the crucial
need to educate technical experts in cybersecurity,
and we’ve responded by creating
a unique graduate program that prepares
students to become future cybersecurity
leaders by giving them both the technical
skills to address core cybersecurity issues
and the ability to approach cybersecurity
with a systems management mindset.”
The program provides core knowledge
of cybersecurity and of computer science as
it relates to cybersecurity. In addition to the
required courses, including algorithms and
applied cryptography courses, the program
offers a lot of room for individual customization.
The university began accepting
applications for the program in March.
Students will be able to choose a path
of study that emphasizes more technical
CS aspects of security, such as network
security and E-commerce security, as well as
standard CS courses such as networks and
databases. Cybersecurity-related courses
will also be available and offered across
the university in areas including forensics,
law, policy and security systems management.
There also are thesis and non-thesis
options. All degree-related courses from the
Department of Computer Science will be
offered by night and many by day at GW’s
Foggy Bottom campus, making the program
accessible to part-time students. Students
also will be able to complete the degree
from GW’s Virginia Science and Technology
campus.
www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 7.4 | 15

Dr. Pamela Raymer
Director
Army Continuing Education System
U.S. Army Human
Resources Command
Dr. Pamela Raymer has over 29 years of federal government
service working in various supervisory positions in education and
training. As director of Army Continuing Education System (ACES)
since November 2011 at the Human Resource Command at Fort
Knox, Ky., she manages the voluntary education program along with
serving as the functional chief representative for education counselor
careerists. Some of her previous positions include chief, Education
Division, JROTC at Fort Knox, dean of academics at the Army Management
Staff College at Fort Belvoir, Va., and quality assurance
director at the Armor and the Fires Center at Fort Knox and Fort Sill
respectively. Her assignments also include serving as the education
director at USNAF Atsugi, Japan. She has over 23 years as a university
instructor in both resident and online programs. Her Ed.D. in
supervision with a subspecialty in training and development is from
the University of Louisville. Some of her professional affiliations
include Phi Kappa Phi, a national honors society, and the American
Association of University Women in McLean, Va.
Q: Could you provide an overview of Army Continuing Education—
for example, structure and size?
A: This program provides services to soldiers in Army Education programs
that include Tuition Assistance [TA], basic skills, educational
counseling, academic and Army Personnel testing, Army/American
Council on Education Registry Transcript System and Credentialing
Opportunities On-Line for enlisted and officer personnel of the active
and reserve components, staffing, and program management/administration/operations
for all programs and services at 70 active Army
education centers, 16 reserve education offices at regional readiness
commands and 54 National Guard state and area commands Armywide.
Our Education Incentives Branch ensures that all soldiers and
veterans receive their educational entitlements under the various GI
bills, transferability of education benefits, Army College Fund and
Department of Army Loan Repayment Programs for the reserves and
the active Army. We had 286,783 TA enrollees in fiscal year 2011 for
637,216 enrollments.
Q: What are your responsibilities as director?
A: I oversee the voluntary education program and support services for
the Army worldwide. The work of the education centers with direct
oversight of the counselors in the field falls under the Installation
Command headquartered at San Antonio, Texas. Franco Serafinelli is
the director of that program.
16 | MAE 7.4
Q&A
Supporting the Development of Soldier-Students
Army Educator Q&A
Q: How does your past experience as a college instructor shape your
decision-making as director of ACES?
A: With almost 25 years of college and university teaching experience,
I understand two sets of customers—the students and the educational
institutions. I know how students feel about starting an undergraduate
program. The undergrad students I taught were largely soldiers who
were making their first entry into the college world and needed lots of
support to believe they could be successful in a college program. They
were always disciplined and focused but had doubts initially about being
ready to take classes, so the Army and the schools needed to provide lots
of support in the beginning to help them overcome that hurdle. Education
counselors also need to help soldiers identify their readiness for
an academic program. Remedial programs may be necessary to ensure
success before soldiers begin an advanced education program. Then we
should provide tools for them to make good decisions independently as
they progress through their degrees. Preparing the soldier for re-entry
into the civilian world should always be a goal—whether it occurs after
first enlistment or retirement. From a faculty member’s perspective,
I also understand better the issues that educational institutions face.
Q: What military education initiatives do you find most promising?
A: While there will always be a need for counselors to provide face-toface
services, I’m excited at the possibilities that technology can offer.
www.MAE-kmi.com

Counselors are needed to promote educational programs and advise
the soldier on academic plans as well as to assist with the myriad of services,
programs and tools available. But as I indicated earlier, we should
promote the development of independent thinkers and problem-solvers
who can achieve their educational goals with limited support. That
should be a component of lifelong learning. Technology is available now
to accomplish much of what we want to do but in trying to maximize
use of available funds, we are taking a phased approach. Our first steps
are in converting many of our processes to digital apps and exploring
the benefits of social media such as Twitter. We also need to help others
feel ready and comfortable to embrace these technology initiatives.
Q: At CCME, you spoke about the need to focus on outcomes—not
input—when it comes to measuring quality in education. Could you
expand upon that?
A: Input measures are relatively easy to compute; how many visitors
did we have at the education center? Outputs can be relatively easy as
well: How many degrees were completed, how many tests were taken?
Outcomes, though, are the “so what?” What did we get out of the visits,
the degree completions and the tests? Did soldiers get promoted, did
they get a job, did they earn more money, were they better performers?
These measures are not easy to compute but we must continue to focus
on them as we make tough decisions on funding for specific programs.
Q: Could you discuss the transition from eArmyU to GoArmyEd and
its implications for soldiers’ education?
A: The transition from eArmyU to GoArmyEd will have no measureable
impact upon soldier education. When the decision to sunset
eArmyU was made in 2011, fewer than 1,400 soldiers had active
eArmyU enrollments. GoArmyEd, which is built upon the system
architecture developed for eArmyU, provides all soldiers, active component,
Army National Guard, and Army Reserves with the same 24/7
web-based services that existed with eArmyU. These include: online
course registrations, online course withdrawal, the ability to monitor
annual TA usage and their educational record, receive email alerts from
GoArmyEd, and seek assistance for an Army counselor or their school
using the Customer Relations Management [CRM] tool with our Letter
of Instruction [LOI] schools. Soldiers attending non-LOI schools have
the additional requirement to coordinate their class registration and
withdrawals with their home school and cannot escalate CRM cases to
them. All of our partner schools, both LOI and non-LOI, have the ability
to electronically invoice the Army for payment through GoArmyEd
and can post grades to the soldier’s record and create CRM cases to
resolve issues involving soldier educational activities. After 2003, all
soldiers, whether eArmyU participants or those using the Army’s
regular TA program were subject to the DoD annual tuition ceiling and
semester hour cap.
Q: How would you describe the Army’s game plan for the education
of its force? What are your goals for degree attainment?
A: No one should generalize too much, but one way to view degree
completion is to consider the differences between soldiers in civiliantype
Military Occupation Specialties [MOS] and those in combat arms
MOSs. Some soldiers by virtue of their MOSs and associated technical
training can leave the Army with a solid set of technical skills that
equips them to be more employable than others. These MOSs are in
such occupations as engineering, law enforcement and vehicle maintenance.
Other soldiers especially in the combat arms, do not have
those civilian type MOSs that equip them as well for a return to the
civilian workforce. These soldiers do have great leadership and management
skills, and as with all soldiers, are disciplined with a strong
set of work values. Even though truck drivers in the Army may not
want to be truck drivers when they get out of the Army, combat arms
soldiers are at greater disadvantage than soldiers in other occupations
that translate more easily to civilian jobs. To that end, a combat arms
soldier needs a degree program that is skill-based or very focused
to give them a strong set of employable skills, while other soldiers
may just need the diploma to help them get a job. This challenge
is one that education counselors and educational institutions must
recognize when assisting soldiers with selection of degree plans and
schools as well as identifying those credentialing or certificate programs
that can make the soldier more employable.
Q: How will the Army Learning Model 2015 shape Army Voluntary
Education in the coming years?
A: The Army Learning Model focuses on increasing the thinking
and problem-solving skills of soldiers to increase their adaptability
and flexibility. Voluntary education programs are very supportive
of development of these competencies, whether in a credentialing
or advanced education program. It is important that schools have
curricula that support these competencies. To that end, redesigning
courses to include independent and collaborative problem-solving
activities versus lectures is important.
Q: How is the Army working to improve transition support?
A: In the voluntary education arena, a two-day education course will
be available to assist transitioning soldiers. We also anticipate an
increased interest in education center counseling services as soldiers
make decisions before transitioning out of the Army.
Q: In your opinion, what are the most significant challenges facing
military education and how is the Army preparing to address them?
A: Availability of funds for TA and other services such as testing along
with an adequate number of field counselors is always an issue. The
transition will promote education, and as we promote programs,
we increase participation. While Army has supported off-duty educational
programs for the value it brings while soldiers serve and
when they exit the service, funding all programs will continue to
be a challenge. We must be very efficient while being effective with
the programs and services we do provide. Technology is one area we
hope to leverage.
Q: Since assuming your role in November, what is the most important
lesson you’ve learned?
A: The demand for actionable data is huge. As the Army makes decisions
about a number of programs, the need for data that helps us
assess what we’re getting for our dollars is very important. We have
lots of data but it isn’t always in the right sets. We are working on
ways to improve our decision-making ability with data collection and
data analysis to be better prepared to advise senior leadership when
making these critical decisions. O
www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 7.4 | 17

eArning crediT By exAminATion is A smArT sTrATegy for sTudenTs looking To
cApiTAlize on Work And life experience, As Well As prior courseWork.
By kelly fodel
mAe correspondenT
Tom Kidd has had a long and successful career in the military,
serving for 20 years in the Air Force and 14 years as a civilian.
Along the way, he took college classes here and there, but soon
realized he was accumulating a mishmash of credits and was not
on his way to earning a particular degree. “My schedule precluded
me from going to traditional school,” said Kidd. “I was deploying
places and moving around too much. So during that time I was
exploring other options and stumbled upon Excelsior College.
They were very interesting because there was an opportunity to
consolidate all my prior learning into a degree.”
That is exactly what Kidd did, earning 28 credits by examinations
using Excelsior College Examinations. The college also
accepted 52 exam credits Kidd had earned from DANTES and the
College Level Examination Program (CLEP), as well as credits
he earned in traditional school. Ultimately, he graduated from
Excelsior with a Bachelor of Science in liberal arts and now serves
as the director of Strategic Spectrum & Wireless Policy for the
Department of the Navy. “I basically tested out of my bachelor’s
degree,” Kidd said.
18 | MAE 7.4
Like Kidd, many other veterans and servicemembers find
value in CLEP, DSST and institution-specific exams, achieving
degrees and even saving time and
money while working toward their
diplomas. “Completing standardized
exams is a very popular way for
adult learners to earn credit,” said
Bob Frederick, military transfer
coordinator at Charter Oak State
College. “For some it is validating
knowledge already acquired
through experience and training
while others are well suited for this
Bob Frederick
style of independent learning. By
taking exams, students may earn
credits quickly and cost effectively that can be applied toward
completion of a college degree. This is particularly beneficial for
students with room in their degree plans for free electives and
desire to take advantage of prior learning.”
www.MAE-kmi.com

clep
“CLEP gives students the chance to receive college credit
for things they already know—things they learned through life
experiences, on-the-job training, internships, or even independent
or self study,” Dr. Constance Tsai,
director, CLEP Academic Initiatives
at the College Board, explained.
“Students of a wide range of ages
and backgrounds are able to demonstrate
their mastery of college-level
material by earning a qualifying
score on a CLEP test.”
Developed by the College Board,
CLEP is the most widely accepted
credit-by-examination program,
Dr. Constance Tsai
available at more than 2,900 colleges
and universities. About a third
of the tests administered each year are to the military. Military
servicemembers take CLEP exams for free; DANTES funds one
attempt for exam title. Students who take CLEP tests that meet
general education requirements (e.g., Analyzing and Interpreting
Literature, College Algebra, American Literature, College Composition
and History of the United States) are able to meet their
basic requirements earlier, and are thus able to move into courses
in their chosen majors faster. A satisfactory score on any of the 33
CLEP exams can earn students three to 12 college credits.
Tsai advised that test takers prepare for the exams by checking
out exam preparation resources on the CLEP website. One of the
greatest benefits of using the study guides on this site, which are
developed and published by the College Board, is that they allow
students to prepare for their exams on a flexible schedule. She also
recommends that students check with their college’s admissions
office to find out about credit transfer policies and timelines in
order to ensure CLEP exams are taken in a timely fashion, and that
test scores can be submitted and evaluated in time for enrollment.
dAnTes And dssT
DANTES sponsors a wide range of examination programs to
assist servicemembers in meeting their educational goals including
credit-by-exams like CLEP and DSST; entrance tests such as
ACT, GMAT, GRE, LSAT and SAT; and other exams like the GED
or Praxis.
Formerly known as the DANTES Standardized Subject Test,
the DSST program is an extensive series of 38 examinations in
college subject areas that are comparable to the final or end-ofcourse
examinations in undergraduate courses. The American
Council on Education (ACE) recommends three semester hours
of credit per test. DANTES funds paper-based DSST testing for
eligible servicemembers and civilian examinees at Base Education
Offices and at National Test Centers offering the internetbased
testing DSSTs. If the servicemember does not pass the
first (free) exam, they are responsible for the cost of retesting.
Therefore, being prepared the first time they take it is important
because they obtain three to 12 semester hours without going
into the classroom and without paying for a college course.
These examinations are administered on over 500 military
installations by the DANTES test control officer (TCO) at the base
education center or the base-sponsored National Test Centers.
Test takers can also check with the local college or university’s
testing office for availability. Taking advantage of the credit-byexam
program can help with expediting their degree completion.
TCOs can log into the DANTES TCO Portal and download study
guides and fact sheets for exams such as CLEP and DSST.
Demetra Malone, exams program manager at DANTES,
also recommends that students use the Online Academic Skills
Course, which allows free access to an online study course
designed to check skill level and provides study guides, printable
sample tests, resources, articles and related links for various
examinations. “Servicemembers must first visit with their education
counselor or academic adviser to identify examinations
that apply towards their degree plan of study,” Malone said. “The
counselor can assist them with strategies to reduce the amount
of college credits required to achieve an educational goal and
how to transfer college credits to their colleges and universities.”
AcAdemic Advising
Working with an academic adviser or counselor at your particular
school is imperative for a student seeking to earn creditby-exam.
Every school has different guidelines and restrictions, so
counseling will assist in making sure you are on the right path. At
Charter Oak State College, for example, “there is a six credit residency
requirement—the three credit Cornerstone Seminar and a
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www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 7.4 | 19

three credit Capstone course,” said Frederick. “Theoretically, all
remaining credits required for the degree could be earned from
exams. Practically speaking, students are limited by the breadth
of degree requirements or the number of exams available in their
chosen field of study to complete a concentration.”
Frederick said that those in the military who are just starting
their degree programs usually choose the five CLEP general
exams, as they will provide a solid starting point toward general
education requirements and carry the most credits per exam.
These general exams cover subject matters such
as college composition, math and history. Many
Charter Oak military students, particularly the
senior enlisted, seek available exams in the management
disciplines that are representative of
their backgrounds and career objectives.
Charter Oak State College accepts the majority
of recommendations made by ACE; for the
credits to be transferable, a student must earn
the minimum score recommended by ACE on an
insTiTuTionAl exAms
While earning credit-by-exam with tests like CLEP and DSST
is popular, they are not the only options for college students
seeking to earn credits. Many colleges and universities, such as
Thomas Edison State College (TESC), offer their own institutionspecific
exams. Some students who come to college already having
college-level learning, or with the ability and discipline to
prepare on their own, have used TECEP (Thomas Edison State
College Examination Program) and other forms
of prior learning assessment, like portfolio assessment,
to complete half or more of their degree
requirements.
“TESC does not limit the number of credits
earned by examinations but there are a few
important points to make regarding this topic,”
said Marc Singer, vice provost, Collegiate Credit
Assessment Center at TESC. “First, students can
transfer up to 90 credits that are earned through
exam. While the passing score is considered to be
a grade of ‘C’ or higher and can be used appropri-
Marc Singer
exams from a single ACE-reviewed source, such
as CLEP or DSST. Students who want to transfer
ately in any category of their degree plan, some
more than 90 credits through exam programs
exam scores have equivalent letter grades. In this case, the let- must take those exams through multiple exam providers. Also,
ter grade would appear on the student’s record and included in most degree programs at TESC have capstone requirements that
their GPA.
cannot be satisfied via a credit-by-exam. We recommend that
Frederick offered this advice to military students: “Don’t students check with an adviser to make sure that the exams they
underestimate the level of knowledge required to take an exam want to take will fit into their degree program.”
and be well prepared. Military servicemembers are provided Singer explained, “A team of mentors, who teach the equiva-
funding for many exams, but if a passing grade is not achieved, lent courses, develop and review each exam. For TECEP, we
a student must wait six months for a retake and may be required collect data on the exam questions and replace or update the
to pay the cost of the re-taken exam. Of course, don’t forget to questions that don’t perform well (if students all choose the same
contact your education services office to discuss exam registra- wrong answer, for instance, or if something becomes outdated)
tion and to utilize any exam resources available in the office. when it’s necessary. We always have multiple versions of each
Finally, identify the college you plan to attend at the point of exam for security reasons, and we overhaul the exams entirely
exam registration. This will guarantee that an official score pretty regularly.”
report will be sent to that college so you won’t need to request Test prep assistance for each TECEP exam is provided through
it later. This will save both time and money.”
a test description document that is several pages long. Test
From dEploYmEntS
to homEcomingS
An EducAtion thAt SErvES You
A public institution serving our
Armed Forces for 40 years.
• Top national ranking among military colleges
for undergraduate and graduate studies
• Flexible solutions designed for military personnel
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• Easy credit transfer; credits awarded for military training
To learn more visit
tesc.edu/militaryinfo
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militaryeducation@tesc.edu.
Accredited by the
Middle States Association
of Colleges and Schools
TESC3985-65_DeployToHome_MilAdvEd.indd 1 4/23/12 2:37 PM
20 | MAE 7.4
www.MAE-kmi.com

descriptions provide a list of topics covered on the test, the
approximate weighting of each topic on the exam, sample
questions, and suggestions for review and study materials. CLEP
and DSST provide similar materials on their websites. No faculty
or staff guidance is provided by credit-by-exam programs as these
require self-study. In fact, Singer said servicemembers should
be wary of companies that try to sell you a guaranteed test prep
program for any of these credit-by-exam programs. “There are
several shady organizations out there that have taken advantage
of members of the military, to the tune of thousands of dollars,”
he said. “If you’re not sure about a prep program, ask us or the
College Board or DSST.”
Excelsior College also offers its own institution-specific exams
in addition to accepting other credits via exams like DSST or
CLEP. “Excelsior College Examinations (ECEs) and UExcel exams
(collaboratively developed between Excelsior and PearsonVue) are
also widely available to anyone,” said Dr. Mika Hoffman, executive
director, Center for Educational Measurement at Excelsior College.
“Unlike CLEP and DSST, ECEs and UExcel exams are the only
ones developed by an accredited college for which a letter grade
is awarded and reported on a college transcript. Also, unlike the
other exams, ECEs are available for upper-level as well as lowerlevel
courses.”
Benefits from these exams aren’t limited to a student’s transcript;
a significant advantage is clear when looking at the costbenefit.
“Exams are generally less expensive than a typical college
MILITARY
IS OUR MIDDLE NAME.
course. An Excelsior College Examination or UExcel Exam worth
three credits can cost as little as $95 per exam (not per credit).
So if cost is a factor, exam-oriented students can substantially
lower the costs of earning a degree. Speaking of cost, Excelsior
recently introduced a new way for students to earn a bachelor’s
degree in liberal studies almost entirely by examination, and we
call this the $10K Degree. If someone with little or no college
credit on his/her record follows the path we guide them along,
the total cost will be no more than $10,000, guaranteed,” Hoffman
explained.
Excelsior College Examinations are developed according to
national standards to assure that the exams measure what they
are designed to measure and that the results are reliable. There
are four major stages in the development of each Excelsior College
Examination: developing a test plan; writing and editing
test questions; evaluating, pretesting and revising items; and
assembling test forms and conducting standard-setting. Faculty
and content experts are involved in these various stages and it
is only after having gone through this thorough and rigorous
process are the exams used by students to earn credit. Excelsior’s
examinations are reviewed by the American Council on Education’s
College Credit Recommendation Service, which provides
course equivalency information to facilitate college credit award
decisions. Content guides are available free of charge for all
of Excelsior’s exams. Hoffman said military students typically
pursue Excelsior’s bachelor’s degree in liberal studies, so their
Terrence Warner | TSgt, USAF (Ret.) | Graduate, School of Security & Global Studies
Our military roots run deep. From Dyess AFB to Afghanistan, AMU is dedicated
to educating those who serve. With access to quality courses, unrivaled support,
and a book grant for undergraduates, we stand behind our community— 65,000
military members strong.
Learn More at www.amuonline.com/MAE
Art & Humanities | Business | Education | Management | Public Service & Health | Science & Technology | Security & Global Studies
www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 7.4 | 21
Some photos courtesy of the DoD.

test choices tend to reflect interest in subjects such
as history, psychology, sociology, cultural issues
and other similar topics.
For Kidd, his choice to pursue his degree via
exam was a decision he is thankful to have made.
However, he warns people to not underestimate the
dedication required to study for exams. He said if
you cannot handle the stress of studying on your
own with the potential of failure, this may not be
the path for you. You need to know your personality
and have the self discipline required for this kind of
testing because you are going to put in nearly the
same hours as you would if you earned a degree
the traditional way. That said, Kidd summarized,
“It is a great way of getting the task accomplished
with minimal disruption to your life. It is a great
opportunity and I would encourage people to do it
and get some credits out of the way.” O
DISCIPLINE.
HONOR.
COURAGE.
The currency of your
college tuition.
Northeastern University is proud to honor
your service by participating in the Yellow
Ribbon program. Earn your degree at the
College of Professional Studies with minimal
out-of-pocket tuition expenses or fees.
• Doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate
degrees and certificates
• Fast-Track programs that lead to degree
completion in just 12 to 18 months
• On-campus and online classes designed for
flexibility and convenience
• For a complete list of DSST test titles available at
National Test Centers, visit www.getcollegecredit.com. For
descriptions of each DSST test, visit www.getcollegecredit.
com/resources.html#factsheets.
• Students may access DANTES Online Academic Skills
Course (OASC) from any computer through the DOD MWR
Library program at www.nelnetsolutions.com/dod .
• A free online tutor service is available for all military and
their family members who require tutoring in specific
subject areas at www.tutor.com/military. This program is
funded by the DoD MWR Library Program, Yellow Ribbon
Reintegration Program and Navy General Library Program.
• For a complete list of CLEP exams available, visit
http://clep.collegeboard.org/exam.
• For CLEP Study Guides and other resources, visit
http://clep.collegeboard.org/test-preparation.
For more information, contact MAE Editor Maura McCarthy
at mauram@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives
for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.
You can start an application any time.
Next classes begin July 2 nd and July 30 th .
Learn more by calling us at 1-800-686-1143 or visiting
us online at www.northeastern.edu/discovercps.
12-14205_NEU_Adv Military Edu Print Ad_v09_7.375x5.25.indd 1 4/17/12 11:34 AM
22 | MAE 7.4
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Graduating Global
Information Leaders
miliTAry And civiliAn leAders vieW The nATionAl defense
universiTy’s icollege As The premier insTiTuTion for Acquiring The
knoWledge necessAry To Be successful in The informATion Age.
By mAurA mccArThy, mAe ediTor
The National Defense University’s Information Resource Management
College (NDU’s iCollege) honored 200 graduates in a
ceremony on Friday, April 27. A hub for educating and connecting
global information leaders, the iCollege attracts students from the
Department of Defense, federal agencies, state and local government,
and the private sector, as well as from international defense
ministries. Offering 11 graduate certificate programs including
Cyber Security, Enterprise Architecture, Chief Information Officer,
an Advanced Management Program and a Master of Science in Government
Information Leadership, the iCollege prepares leaders to
direct the information component of national power by leveraging
information and technology.
Critical to the professional development and education of information
leaders is collaboration and partnerships, both of which the
iCollege successfully leverages. The college benefits greatly from
partnerships with government and industry; for example, Lockheed
Martin, KPMG, CF Day & Associates, DISA and the Department of
Energy provide faculty members to the institution at no cost to the
college. “An individual of that caliber is probably worth $200,000
or $250,000 a year and we can’t thank these organizations enough.
These people bring not [only] their expertise but their connections
and best practices, tying together the federal sector with the private
sector, which we are going to need more of moving forward,” noted
Dr. Robert Childs, chancellor of the iCollege.
The power and potential of an education lies not only in the
knowledge gained, but also in the relationships forged in pursuit
of this knowledge. As Dr.
Childs emphasized, “As
we withdraw our forces from
overseas, the relations we have
with other countries largely will be
conducted by personal relationships versus formal relationships;
this is going to be extremely critical moving forward. Coalition
warfare, partnerships and national security—the era coming now
has been unmatched in the past and we’re going to have to do
more.” Seeds of these relationships are often sowed through education,
and this year’s graduates included international students
from the Saudi Arabian National Guard, Armenian Army, Ministry
of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Canadian Department of
Defense, Republic of Korea, Bulgarian Army, Armenian Army and
the Taiwanese Army.
The rapid advancement of technology is redefining the
way the government does business, and the iCollege is leading
the way in merging technology and information for strategic
advancement. In his commencement address, Under Secretary
of Defense (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer Robert F.
Hale asserted the importance of IT professionals for the efficient
functioning of the DoD. “We couldn’t begin to accomplish our
many goals without IT support. The IT business environment is a
critical factor in helping us sustain a modern business operation.
The support of graduates like you is critical; we depend on IT to
keep track of our resources. Defense financing and accounting
www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 7.4 | 23

services reports to me; they do 170 million financial accounting
transactions a year and make millions of pay transactions.
We need IT to do it just as much as we need electricity. None of
our priorities could be realized without effective and secure IT
systems.”
Both Childs and Hale stressed that the graduates’ work was
far from over: The challenges of the classroom will be replaced
by the challenges of the workroom and students must apply the
lessons learned at NDU to their organization. “There are a lot of
storm clouds out there: DoD downsizing and budget constraints
for example. I’ve been in government service for over 40 years
and many people say that these things come and go. Well, this
problem isn’t going to come and go. Things are going to be drastically
different and we’re going to have to take a look at how we
reshape our organizations, how we realign our organizations and
our roles within these organizations. This is role you’re all going
to have to play when you go back to your organizations. How we
face the crisis says a lot about us and I think you’re all going to
have opportunities to act,” Childs reflected.
Domestic graduates hail from the Department of the Army,
Defense Information Systems Agency, Department of Homeland
Security, Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration,
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Department
of the Air Force, United States Navy, Army National Guard,
Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of State, National
Defense Radio Establishment, United States Marine Corps,
Complete your degree at home or abroad with Ashford University. Discover a supportive
learning community designed for you to go to school while you serve. At Ashford, no matter
your role or your career goals, you’ll build the skills that matter.
Even deployment doesn’t mean your education is over – you can continue while deployed or pick
up where you left off when you return. To learn about all your benefits, contact Ashford today.
Call 800.406.5385 or visit military.ashford.edu/mae today.
Department of Treasury, Federal Trade Commission, Department
of Veteran Affairs, United States Joint Forces Command,
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Bureau of Engraving
and Printing, United States Central Command, Defense Security
Service, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, United
States Coast Guard, United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, National
Defense Radio Establishment, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, National Security Agency, White House Communications
Agency, Food Safety Inspection Service, United States
Transportation Command, Defense Security Service, Department
of Energy, Navy Engineering Logistics Office, Department
of Defense, Department of the Interior, Department of Health
and Human Services, Defense Finance and Accounting Service,
Federal Bureau of Investigations, NASA Office of the Inspector
General, National Guard Bureau Joint Staff, National Security
Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, United States
House of Representatives, Department of Defense Washington
Headquarters Services, Delphi-ITM, Environmental Protection
Agency, Sandia National Laboratories, Lockheed Martin Corporation
and Booz Allen Hamilton Incorporated. O
For more information, contact MAE Editor Maura McCarthy
at mauram@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives
for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.
You make sacrifices for our nation. Fortunately, education
doesn’t have to be one of them.
Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association (ncahlc.org).
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24 | MAE 7.4
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CCME GRAPEVINE
The Six-Year Graduation Rate: One Size Does Not Fit All
By michAel heBerling
Part of the CCME mission is to serve as a
forum to discuss those legislative and regulatory
issues that impact voluntary military
education. One issue that clearly falls into
this category is the heightened emphasis
placed on graduation rates. In 1990, Congress
passed the Student Right-to-Know Act.
As a result, the Department of Education
(DOE) requires all institutions participating
in Federal Title IV programs to report the
graduation rate for their first-time, fulltime,
degree seeking students within six
years of starting. This is commonly referred
to as the “six-year graduation rate,” which
has unfortunately morphed into a “one-sizefits-all”
proxy to measure how good, or bad,
a school is academically. Politicians and the
media laud schools with high graduation
rates and pummel those with low graduation
rates.
Unfortunately, there are a number of
major flaws with this barometer of academic
excellence. First, transfer students are not
included in the calculation even though
nearly 60 percent of all college graduates
will attend two or more schools. Part-time
students, who make up 50 percent of the
student body, are not included either. Students
who drop out but later return are
excluded, as are students who enroll in
the spring or summer semesters. In other
words, schools that cater to nontraditional
students are at a distinct disadvantage with
the DOE’s measure of academic excellence.
Nationally, only 56 percent of all the
students at four-year colleges graduate
within six years. Breaking down the graduation
rates by the financial aid categories of
“dependent” and “independent” (which are
analogous to traditional and nontraditional)
students helps to illustrate the shortcomings
of the one-size-fits-all benchmark. Students
classified as “dependent” (where aid
eligibility is a function the parents’ financial
status) have an overall six-year graduation
rate of 63 percent. A typical “dependent”
student is the 18-year-old student who goes
directly to college from high school while
the “independent” student is over 24, married,
with dependents, on active duty, or a
veteran and has a six-year graduation rate of
only 22 percent. This is according to College
Board data for the 2003-09 timeframe.
Schools that actively seek out dependent/
traditional students will receive high marks
from the DOE. The following table shows
that some schools have been able to knock
their graduation rates “out of the park.” Also
shown is the freshman acceptance rate, which
is rarely reported with the six-year graduation
rate. The data indicates a strong correlation
between graduation rates and freshman
acceptance rates: Universities with low freshman
acceptance rates will have a very high
six-year graduation rate.
compAring grAduATion rATes WiTh
AccepTAnce rATes
School
Six Year
Graduation
Rate
Freshman
Acceptance
Rate
Harvard University 98% 7%
Yale University 98% 9%
Duke University 95% 19%
Northwestern
University
95% 26%
University of Virginia 93% 38%
UCLA 90% 27%
University of
California, Berkeley
University of
Michigan
University of
California, San Diego
University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill
88% 25%
88% 52%
84% 43%
83% 40%
Sadly, there are signs to indicate that the
six-year graduation rate policy is having some
unintended consequences. Consider the case
of Wayne State University. According to the
Detroit News, it is Michigan’s “only urban
university and it serves a unique constituency.
A large number of its students are commuters
who also work, many in full-time jobs. A
significant percentage is older than the typical
college student, having gone back to school
after starting a career or taking a more prolonged
approach to completing school.” With
the lowest graduation rate among Michigan’s
public universities, Wayne State University’s
incoming President Allan Gilmour said that
“a change in admissions can be expected.”
Schools like Wayne State University
that provide educational opportunities for
America’s nontraditional students should be
praised—not castigated. This holds true for
those schools that cater to the nontraditional
military students as well. The six-year graduation
rate policy is forcing many schools
to re-visit their diverse missions. Currently,
schools that place a premium on enrolling
only the most affluent and academically
promising students are rewarded. Such a
policy that serves to reduce access to postsecondary
education is clearly at odds with
our history of providing equal opportunity
and social mobility for our citizens.
In the Chronicle of Higher Education,
Paul Attewell and David Lavin wrote, “…
traditional students, whose needs and experiences
still drive public policy, make up
less than a quarter of today’s undergraduate
population. We need to focus on what higher
education is, not what it once was.” On April
11, the DOE announced that it will start to
incorporate part-time and transfer students
into the graduation rate calculations, yet
details were not provided and while this is a
good start, it does not go far enough. It is still
a one-size-fits-all metric. Open enrollment
schools that provide educational opportunities
to predominantly nontraditional students
will still be negatively compared with highly
selective schools by politicians and the news
media.
What is needed is a way to measure
schools with similar missions and similar
student demographics such as traditional/
nontraditional ratios and the percentage of
students needing developmental or remedial
education. A more fundamental question
needs to be asked: Why is the six-year graduation
rate the academic “gold standard” in
the first place? Other measures, such as job
placement, should at least be considered. Is
a previously unemployed community college
student who is able to secure a job after taking
only five courses a success or a failure?
From the community college’s perspective,
this is a failure—because the DOE classifies
it as a failure. From the student’s perspective,
however, obtaining a job is a tremendous success
story. O
Michael Heberling is the CCME vice
president.
www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 7.4 | 25

MONEY TALKS
$50,000 Awarded in CyberPatriot
Scholarships
The Northrop Grumman Foundation, sponsor
of the Air Force Association’s (AFA) CyberPatriot
program, presented more than $50,000 in scholarships
to students on the winning teams of
the CyberPatriot IV National Finals Competition,
helping the nation’s future cyber defenders further
their education. The CyberPatriot IV National
Finals Competition was held outside Washington,
D.C., on March 23. The AFA’s CyberPatriot program
is the largest high school cyber defense competition
and is designed to excite, educate and
motivate students toward careers in cybersecurity.
The final competition brought 24 teams
from around the country together to compete in
two different divisions. The All Service Division
included students from Junior Reserve Officer
Training Corps (JROTC) and Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
programs. The Open Division was made up of
public, private and home-schooled high school
teams. This year, the CyberPatriot competition
included two additional teams from the Manitoba
Province in Canada who competed parallel to the
American teams as the first international exhibition
teams.
The winners of the CyberPatriot IV National
Finals Competition from the All Service Division
were: first place, the Colorado Springs Cadet
Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, Colorado Springs, Colo.;
second place, John R. Rogers High School, Air
Force JROTC, Spokane, Wash.; and third place,
Clearfield High School, Air Force JROTC, Clearfield,
Utah. The Open Division winners were: first place,
Alamo Academies, San Antonio, Texas; second
place, Lewis and Clark High School, Spokane,
Wash.; and third place, Palos Verdes Peninsula
High School, Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.
Each student on the winning teams received
a portion of the total scholarship amount. First
place winners were each awarded $2,000; second
place winners each received $1,500; and third
place winners each got $1,000. In its second year
as the presenting sponsor, the Northrop Grumman
Foundation and Northrop Grumman Corporation
have not only made a generous financial donation,
but invested time, talent and resources to
assist in mentoring CyberPatriot students. This
is also the second year Northrop Grumman is
offering internship opportunities nationwide
for competitors. Last year, 11 CyberPatriots
worked side-by-side with cyber pros at Northrop
Grumman; this year the company is expanding to
nearly 30 opportunities.
This is the fourth year of AFA’s CyberPatriot
competition, which was held during the 2011-2012
school year and included more than 1,000 teams
representing all 50 states, and U.S Department of
Defense Dependent Schools in Europe and the
Pacific. This year’s competition represents a 53
percent increase in participation. The competition
began in October 2011 and included three virtual
competition rounds over four months to qualify
for the in-person final competition round.
Veterans Program Receives
$1.2 Million Donation
Outward Bound for Veterans, a nonprofit
program that aids returning servicemembers
and recent veterans through challenging
wilderness trips, received a significant boost
recently with a $1.2 million donation from
Holiday Retirement. The donation funds an
entire trip—including flights, food, lodging,
supplies and instructors—for 600 veterans
of Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Originally
developed for Vietnam War veterans, Outward
Bound trips encourage healing and rebuild
confidence for veterans struggling to readjust
to civilian life. Participants are given the
opportunity to escape daily routines and share
26 | MAE 7.4
unforgettable experiences with other veterans
in some of the country’s most stunning locations.
Home to approximately 12,000 veterans
and spouses, Holiday Retirement’s communities
collected donations during a three-month
fundraising effort. Holiday Retirement then
matched every dollar donated. “Veterans are
such a major part of our communities, and
this was an excellent opportunity for us to give
back to a newer generation of veterans in a very
meaningful way,” said Mark Prince, Holiday
Retirement’s executive sponsor of the Outward
Bound campaign.
Compiled by KMi Media Group staff
Hiring Our Heroes
Campaign Set to Expand
in 2012
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our
Heroes program and RecruitMilitary announced that
they will collaborate on 50 hiring fairs for veterans and
military spouses from April through December 2012.
RecruitMilitary partnered with Hiring Our Heroes on
19 events in the program’s first year. The increase in
2012 will allow Hiring Our Heroes to expand to host 400
events in its second year.
“RecruitMilitary has been a tremendous partner
since we launched Hiring Our Heroes a year ago,
and we’re thrilled to have this relationship grow even
stronger going forward,” said Lieutenant Colonel Kevin
Schmiegel (Ret.), founder and executive director of the
U.S. Chamber’s Hiring Our Heroes program. “To make
a difference in the staggering unemployment rates
facing the veterans community, we need organizations
like ours to work together. I have no doubt that Hiring
Our Heroes and RecruitMilitary can demonstrate to
employers that hiring a veteran isn’t just the right thing
to do, it’s the smart thing to do.”
To increase the number of exhibitors and maximize
career opportunities for the job seekers, RecruitMilitary
will continue to offer companies that are members of
the Chamber and local chambers a 10 percent discount
on the cost of their exhibition booths. Additionally,
RecruitMilitary will continue further price reductions
for small businesses (businesses that have less than 50
employees), and even lower rates for veteran-owned
small businesses.
In March 2011, the Chamber, in conjunction
with the National Chamber Foundation, launched its
Hiring Our Heroes program, a nationwide effort to
help veterans and military spouses find meaningful
employment. The Chamber started the program to
improve public-private sector coordination in local
communities, where veterans and their families are
returning every day. To date, Hiring Our Heroes has
hosted 138 hiring fairs in 45 states and the District
of Columbia, helping more than 9,000 veterans and
military spouses find employment. Working with its
federation of state and local chambers and public,
private and non-profit partners, the Chamber established
a network of committed employers, large and
small, that understand the value of hiring veterans and
military spouses. This includes the 27 companies that
comprise the Veterans Employment Advisory Council,
which represent 25 million jobs in America and have
access to vast networks of millions more small business
suppliers, clients and customers.
www.MAE-kmi.com

The advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers. KMI cannot be held responsible for discrepancies due to last-minute changes or alterations.
RESOURCE CENTER
advertisers index
American Military University .................................................................................................................... 21
www.amuonline.com/mae
Ashford University ....................................................................................................................................... 24
www.military.ashford.edu/mae
Barry University ..............................................................................................................................................7
www.barry.edu/ace
Central Michiagan University ................................................................................................................... 19
www.cmich.edu/military
Colorado State University Online Plus .................................................................................................... 11
www.csuonlineformilitary.com
Colorado Technical University .................................................................................................................. 12
www.coloradotech.edu/military
Northeastern University ............................................................................................................................. 22
www.northeastern.edu/discovercps
Thomas Edison State College ................................................................................................................... 20
http://tesc.edu/militaryinfo
Troy University.............................................................................................................................................. 13
www.troy.edu
University of Maryland University College .............................................................................................C2
http://military.umuc.edu/accomplish
University of Phoenix ..................................................................................................................................C4
www.phoenix.edu/mil
calendar
June 4-8, 2012
GEOINT Community Week
Washington, D.C.
www.usgif.org
June 27-29, 2012
Military Child Education Coalition 2012
Annual Conference
Grapevine, Texas
www.militarychild.org/annual-conference
July 23-27, 2012
DoD Worldwide Education Symposium 2012
Las Vegas, Nev.
www.ww2012.com/common/home.action
www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 7.4 | 27

Q: To begin with, could you please provide
a brief overview of your school’s history,
mission and curriculum?
A: Barry University is a private, Catholic
institution with a history of academic
excellence in the Dominican tradition.
In 1982, the Frank J. Rooney School of
Adult and Continuing Education [ACE] at
Barry University evolved from a consortium
between Barry University and Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University. Since then, ACE
has provided working adult students with
undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
In addition, ACE offers non-credit
and certificate programs which recognize
the educational and professional needs of
the adult learner. Our degree and certificate
programs are designed for students who,
because of family and work responsibilities,
seek a program with multiple delivery
options and a student population of fellow
professionals.
Q: What is your school’s background in
military education?
A: Compared to many other schools that
cater to the military, ACE is relatively
new to the game. However, our “military
friendly” activity includes: providing Public
Safety scholarships to active duty members;
accepting the American Council on
Education’s recommendations on military
training/schools; providing flexible transfer
policies to minimize the loss of prior
credit; and affording students the benefits
of a portfolio program that grants credit for
experiential learning. We are also a member
of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges
[SOC] Consortium.
Q: What makes your school unique in the
benefits and programs you offer to military
service members?
A: Adult learning is self-directed learning
using critical thinking skills, and application
of these skills to problem solving. As a
28 | MAE 7.4
UNIVERSITY CORNER Military Advanced Education
Dr. Andrea Allen
Interim Dean
School of Adult and Continuing Education
Barry University
learner accumulates experience, abilities to
critically analyze a situation and formulate
a solution become more refined. This accumulated
wealth of knowledge continues to
expand throughout all situations and is the
essence of the purpose of ACE.
ACE not only applies practitioner
approaches in the classroom, but also
acknowledges a learner’s accumulated
wealth of knowledge through our highly
respected Experiential Learning portfolio.
This process allows for a self-reflection of
accomplishments, and a tangible evaluation
and application of this learning towards
their ultimate goal of an advanced degree in
the form of academic credits. Military servicemembers
have extensive resources from
which to draw, including but not limited to
DANTES, DD 214, certifications, licenses,
all of which may be part of their military
careers, and can also serve an additional
purpose of accelerating the completion of
their academic career as well.
Q: What online degree and certificate programs
do you offer and how do these
distance learning programs fit in with the
lives of active duty and transitioning military
personnel?
A: ACE has chosen those degrees most
applicable to the needs of our adult learners.
Those that provide the greatest opportunity
for our military servicemembers to apply
their unique experiences to enhance their
academic experience with us include the
Master of Administration [MAA] and the
Master of Public Administration degrees,
which are both designed for fully online
delivery.
Q: What are some of your school’s main
goals in meeting the future challenges of
online education for the military?
A: Military servicemembers have unique
experiences from those of other adult learners,
and with those experiences come specific
needs regarding their transition back
into a more ‘civilian’ life after their deployment
has ended. Barry University would
like to encourage our servicemembers to
‘instruct’ us in what support services may
be needed, specific programs of study that
may be of greatest interest and anything
we as an educational partner need to do to
become their preferred school of choice.
Q: What do you think are the key issues
facing higher education today?
A: Due to the proliferation of both for-profit
and nonprofit schools, learners of any age
would find it difficult to differentiate the
offerings of these educational providers and
to identify which institution would best fit
their personal and professional objectives.
Although adult-serving institutions understand
that mature learners value flexibility
and accelerated time to completion, they
struggle to ensure that the foundations of a
well-rounded curriculum are not compromised
and diluted in the interest of time and
modes of delivery.
Q: What are some of your most popular
programs, and which ones are the most
appealing to military students?
A: Our most popular programs to military
and non-military alike are the bachelor’s in
administration, bachelor’s in public administration,
B.S. in information technology
and MAA. O
www.MAE-kmi.com

NEXTISSUE
Journal of Higher Learning for Today’s Servicemember
Cover and in-Depth Interview with:
Maj. Ron Lee
Chief
Education Branch
Army National Guard
Features:
Summer School
Forgoing the traditional summer break from classes can offer
students greater flexibility, help them to spend fewer years in
school, and may even save them money.
Designing Online Courses
Online courses have unique delivery requirements that by law
they must meet. MAE explores best practices in design and faculty
training in the online realm.
Information Systems & Technology
Many military members' positions rely on cutting-edge
technologies for their daily work. How can they find the right
program to take this experience to the next level with a degree?
Special Section
Community Colleges
June 2012
Vol. 7, Issue 5
With President Obama’s recent focus on the importance of
community colleges and promotion of the institutions’ partnerships
with industry, MAE emphasizes how the system is positioned to
serve military students.
Insertion Order Deadline: May 31, 2012 | Ad Materials Deadline: June 7, 2012