Mae 8 5 final

June 2013 Volume 8, Issue 5

www.MAE-kmi.com

Online MBA Programs O MBA Programs for VeteransMBA Veterans Network O IT Training

Airman Educator

Kimberly A. Yates

ChiefVoluntary EducationAir Force

Journal of Higher Learning for Today’s Servicemember

Special Section:

community collegeS

The MBA ISSUe

Cover / Q&AFeatures

Kimberly A. yAtesChief

Voluntary EducationAir Force

16

Departments University Corner2 editor’s PersPective14 clAss Notes25 ccme GrAPviNe26 resoUrce ceNter

scott A. KilGoreSenior Vice President of Military AffairsKaplan University

June 2013Volume 8, Issue 5MILITARY ADVANCED EDUCATION

28

sPeciAl sectioN: commUNity colleGes

3cAreers & trANsitioNs: mbA ProGrAms for veterANsA 2011 analysis by the National Student Clearinghouse found that business administration was one of the top five most popular courses of study for veterans.By Ramsey sulayman

9the mbA veterANs NetworKA background of the MBA Veterans Network, a professional networking organization for military veteran students and alumni of the top-40 ranked U.S. and top-20 ranked non-U.S. MBA programs.By Dave Chonowski anD ChRis PeteRsen

10exPloriNG oNliNe mbA ProGrAmsMany business schools are now offering online degree programs. MAE examines several online or hybrid MBA programs, and investigates why this may be an attractive program option for veterans.By lauRal hoBBes

23it trAiNiNG for A trANsitioNiNG forceThe IT Training and Certification Partnership is a program launched in April that allows transitioning servicemembers to gain certifications necessary for IT professions. GogoTraining, CompTIA and Futures Inc. are among the participating companies.By lauRal hoBBes

19why choose A commUNity colleGe?Community colleges deliver quality higher education and training that allow military-related students to access the jobs and opportunities that will lead to a better life.By saRah aktePy, Batanya GiPson anD Calvin R. sCheiDt JR., Ph.D.

21beNefits of A commUNity colleGe exPerieNceCommunity colleges are an attractive education option for military-affiliated students because of their affordability, the variety of program choices, and the convenience and flexibility of class offerings—including evenings, weekends and off-campus locations.By kelly FoDel

“When airmen come back

years later and show you their master’s degrees

or invite you to their

commissioning ceremonies, that’s what makes what

we do so rewarding.”

-Kimberly A. Yates

As the war in Afghanistan winds down and servicemembers transition out of the military, many business schools have reported larger populations of veterans among their students. According to MilitaryMBA.net’s 2013 MBA Enrollment Survey, veterans in MBA programs accounted for 8.1 percent of all enrollments from 2012-13. In 2010, the reported amount of veterans enrolled in MBA programs was 4.41 percent, which rose to 5.7 percent in 2011.

Entrepreneurship is another popular option for veterans. According to the website for Boots to Business, a program offered by Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, although veterans represent approximately 6 percent of the U.S. population, they account for almost 15 percent of all busi-ness owners. Approximately 50 percent of WWII veterans owned or led a business after leaving the military, as did 40 percent of Korean War veterans. The U.S. Small Business Administration currently estimates that 20 percent of veterans are entrepreneurs.

Being a successful entrepreneur does not necessarily require an MBA—especially in the fast-paced world of startups, in which work experience and software development know-how are highly valued. “We are moving at an ever-accelerating pace to a time in which entrepreneurship will be the cornerstone of the business world, large companies will continue to shrink, agile methodologies will replace traditional top-down management, and ‘career management’ will be a personal rather than institutional responsibility,” wrote David S. Rose in an article entitled “MBA Programs Have Adapted to the Startup Model” on The Wall Street Journal’s blog, The Accelerators. However, he asserts that the traditional MBA is still valuable for entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, Maynard Webb, founder of the Webb Investment Network, wrote an article for The Accelerators that detailed possible shortcomings that job candidates with MBAs could bring to start-ups. Interestingly, many of the negative attributes he listed would not apply to the veterans with MBAs, such as: “tends to think that because of school they are good leaders or managers, but they still might not have ever actually managed people”; “may think more highly of themselves than they should as they have the educa-tion, but may not have practical experience”; “can possess a sense of entitlement that may rub very expe-rienced and more operationally capable peers without advanced degrees the wrong way.” Experience gained from military service would render all of those criticisms null, suggesting that veterans with MBAs already have an edge.

Journal of Higher Learning for Today’s Servicemember

Editorial

EditorLaural Hobbes [email protected] EditorHarrison Donnelly [email protected] Editorial ManagerLaura Davis [email protected] EditorSean Carmichael [email protected]. Bissell • Kelly Fodel • Michael FrigandMaura McCarthy • Ramsey Sulayman

art & dEsign

Art DirectorJennifer Owers [email protected] Graphic DesignerJittima Saiwongnuan [email protected] Designers Scott Morris [email protected] Papineau [email protected] Paquette [email protected] Waring [email protected]

advErtising

Associate PublisherGwen Silverstein [email protected] ExecutiveDustin Roath [email protected]

KMi MEdia groupPublisherKirk Brown [email protected] Executive OfficerJack Kerrigan [email protected] Financial OfficerConstance Kerrigan [email protected] Vice PresidentDavid Leaf [email protected] McKaughan [email protected] Castro [email protected] & Communications ManagerHolly Winzer [email protected] Show CoordinatorHolly Foster [email protected]

opErations, CirCulation & produCtion

Operations AdministratorBob Lesser [email protected] & Marketing AdministratorDuane Ebanks [email protected] Gill [email protected] SpecialistsRaymer Villanueva [email protected] Walker [email protected]

a proud MEMbEr of

subsCription inforMation

Military Advanced EducationISSN 1938-4165

is published 10 times a year by KMI Media Group.All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without

permission is strictly forbidden. © Copyright 2013.

Military Advanced Education is free to qualified members of the U.S. military, employees

of the U.S. government, and non-U.S. foreign service based in the United States.

All others: $65 per year. Foreign: $149 per year.

CorporatE offiCEs

KMI Media Group15800 Crabbs Branch Way, Suite 300

Rockville, MD 20855-2604 USATelephone: (301) 670-5700

Fax: (301) 670-5701Web: MAE-kmi.com

Military advanCEd EduCation

Volume 8, Issue 5 June 2013

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE

Laural C. HobbeseDitoR

www.GIF-kmi.com

Geospatial Intelligence

Forum

www.BCD-kmi.com

June 2012Volume 1, Issue 1

www.BCD-kmi.com

Border Threat Prevention and CBRNE Response

Border Protector

Michael J. Fisher

ChiefU.S. Border PatrolU.S. Customs and Border Protection

Wide Area Aerial Surveillance O Hazmat Disaster ResponseTactical Communications O P-3 Program

Integrated Fixed Towers

Leadership Insight:Robert S. BrayAssistant Administrator for Law EnforcementDirector of the Federal Air Marshal Service Transportation Security Administration

SPECIAL SECTION:

Border & CBRNE Defense

www.MAE-kmi.com

Military AdvancedEducation

www.MIT-kmi.com

Military Information Technology

www.GCT-kmi.com

Ground Combat

Technology

www.MLF-kmi.com

Military Logistics Forum

www.M2VA-kmi.com

Military Medical & Veterans

Affairs Forum

www.MT2-kmi.com www.NPEO-kmi.com

Carrier Craftsman

Rear Adm. Thomas J. Moore

U.S. Navy Program Executive OfficerAircraft Carriers

Presidential Helicopter O Shipboard Self-Defense O Riverine Patrol CraftPrecision Guided Munitions O Educational Development Partnership

www.npeo-kmi.com

The Communication Medium for Navy PEOs

SPECIAL SECTION:CARRIER ONBOARD DELIVERY OPTIONS

Military Training Technology

Navy Air/Sea PEO Forum

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

Special Operations Technology

www.TISR-kmi.com

Tactical ISR Technology

www.CGF-kmi.com

U.S. Coast Guard Forum

KMI MedIa Group LeadershIp MaGazInes and WebsItes

CAREERS & TRANSITIONS: MbA PROgRAMS

MBA Programs for VeteransIt’s been six long years. Three deployments, two significant others,

one broken engagement, a few good friends lost. Through it all you’ve kept your sights set and stayed focused. You’ve worked hard and been promoted, receiving awards in recognition of your leadership. The skinny kid who got on a bus to the unknown has matured into a mili-tary professional: physically and morally strong, confident and decisive.

Now it’s time to move on to the next chapter: an MBA program. The paperwork has been filed, there were no hiccups, and the VA has come through: eligible for 100 percent of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The countdown has begun. Thirty-one days and a wake up, 30 days and a wake up, 29 days and a wake up … Are veterans ready for B-schools? And are B-schools ready for veterans?

Affording An MBA ProgrAM

The first question most veterans ask when considering an MBA is, “Can I afford it?” With the cost of tuition at top-tier schools in the neighborhood of $200,000, if it’s not the first question it quickly becomes the second. Fortunately, veterans and servicemembers have a wealth of benefits that can help significantly defray the cost of an MBA from even the most expensive school.

Veterans have unprecedented access to educational opportuni-ties through educational benefits administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The premier ben-efit is Chapter 33, more commonly known as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and is available to any veteran who served on active duty after September 11, 2001. The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a generous program that pays tuition and housing costs for veterans who pursue higher educa-tion, trade certification, or professional and graduate degrees. The benefit pays the full amount of in-state tuition at any public university in the nation where the veteran is a state resident. For example, a veteran or servicemember who is a resident of Minnesota would receive full tuition to the Carlson School of Manage-ment at the University of Minnesota and a housing allowance as well.

Veterans attending as out-of-state students and private schools receive less. If a veteran or servicemember attends as an out-of-state

student, then the housing allowance is paid in full but the student only receives $18,077.50 per year for tuition. The $18,077.50 rate also applies if the choice is a private school, such as the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.

However, other programs and benefits are available to help offset the difference. The Yellow Ribbon Program, for example, will make up all or a portion of the difference between a school’s tuition and a stu-dent’s educational benefits, but only if the school participates in the Yel-low Ribbon Program. Still, this can be significant and is where research pays off. Knowing what benefits one qualifies for and how those benefits work is the key to making a good business decision and leaving an MBA program with the least amount of debt possible.

According to Military MBA (www.militarymba.net), a veteran or military member could attend a private institution like the Tepper School of Business and have all tuition covered versus attending some state schools as an out-of-state student and carrying debt.

Of course, there are always other avenues as well, including federal financial aid and private loans. Many states and schools have stepped up and provide scholarships and financial aid specifically for veterans. Texas, for instance, has the Hazlewood Act, which grants free tuition to veterans and their dependents at Texas public uni-versities. Programs like the Hazlewood Act and scholarships have

been slower to arrive for professional programs or graduate schools.

The Carlson School of Management at the Univer-sity of Minnesota is leading the way in changing that. Carlson has embarked on a $10 million campaign to fund scholarships specifically for well-qualified veterans and has received a $7 million gift from two alumni who are Vietnam veterans.

According to Phil Miller, assistant dean at the Carlson School and former professional director of the consulting enterprise program, those veterans returned from service in Vietnam and had a transformative expe-rience. “They have gone on to tremendous success, so

this is giving back and trying to help others,” said Miller. The target goal is to provide financial assistance to between 10 and 15 veterans per class. Miller emphasized that the Carlson School is committed to

Are veterAns reAdy for Business schools? By rAMsey sulAyMAn, MAe corresPondent

Phil Miller

[email protected]

www.MAE-kmi.com MAE 8.5 | 3

helping veterans in a comprehensive way by offering pre-school intern-ships, mentorships, and a strong and active military/veterans organiza-tion in the business school.

PrePAring for B-school

Veterans certainly believe that they are ready to pursue higher education. According to Navy Times, more than 646,000 people used the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2012 and 77 percent of those were veterans or servicemembers; the other 23 percent were eligible dependents. While the VA doesn’t have figures for the number of veterans enrolled in MBA programs, a 2011 analysis by the National Student Clearinghouse

found that business administration was one of the top five most popular courses of study for veterans.

National news outlets such as Forbes, CNN, The Wall Street Jour-nal, Business Week, and US News and World Report have run stories about MBA programs recruiting veterans, focusing on the leadership and teamwork skills of veterans. Websites that deal only with veterans and MBA programs have sprung up and are easy to find. So, even if they can afford it, are veterans really a good fit for B-school?

MBA school faculty and the Graduate Management admissions Council (GMAC) seem to think so. Many faculty note that it’s not a hollow belief for veterans to consider themselves well suited to pursu-ing an MBA and that the skills that the military instills as a matter of

Student Spotlight: Teresa RolfeMy journey with St. Ambrose University

began the fall semester of 2012 when I entered the MBA program only weeks from my return off a one-year deployment in Afghanistan work-ing as a combat logistics advisor for the Afghan National Civil Order Police. The unbelievable encouragement and support of my amazing wife convinced me to jump in with both feet and get my MBA from Saint Ambrose in one year.

When I started classes in August 2012, I quickly saw that the program was in a different learning environment [from what I was used to]. The real challenge was that I had no back-ground or previous undergraduate classes in the field of business; my bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University is in music education, so at first I was not sure I would be able to do the advanced level of the core business classes. I was “a duck out of water.”

However, my 14 years of military training and experience from the United States Navy continued to give me the drive to push through

obstacles and challenges. The level of work for the MBA program was intense, but my determination, the work ethic I gained from the military, and the support of my family made it possible for me to complete my MBA in two semesters.

The MBA faculty was always willing to give me their time to make sure I understood the concepts they were teaching. The MBA program provided me with an amazing understanding of the busi-ness world. At the same time, my experience in the military allowed me to give back to the university. Being in uniform has given me the opportunity to see most of the world, and exposed me to many differ-ent cultures and customs. Having these experiences permitted me to contribute different views that most students had not had the chance to experience.

I knew I would graduate no matter what; I would not walk away even though the classes put me in unfamiliar territory. Saint Ambrose opened their doors to me and I was able to make my own path, always mindful of the Navy’s core values … Honor, Courage and Commitment.

THE WORLD ISCHANGING EVERY DAYAND SO ARE WE

Accelerated: 21 monthsFlexible: 2 years or morePriced for today’s economyMain Campus, RTP and Online

New Professional MBA ProgramNC STATE MBA

VISIT US ONLINE AT

MBA.NCSU.EDUFULL TIME, ACCELERATED & FLEXIBLE PROFESSIONAL, ONLINE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

2013-05-31 NCSUMBA 7.375x3.375 Military Mag Ad.pdf 1 5/31/13 11:53 AM

CAREERS & TRANSITIONS: MbA PROgRAMS

www.MAE-kmi.com4 | MAE 8.5

course are skills that MBA programs try to instill in their students.

Michael Dakduk, president of Student Veterans of America (SVA), said that veterans are particularly suited for MBA programs because of their military experience. “It’s a natural fit for military veterans to go into business or MBA programs. It builds on their previous experi-ence dealing with strategy, operations, and tactics in the military regardless of whether they were a sergeant or a general.”

SVA in partnership with GMAC, the entity that is responsible for administering the Graduate Manage-ment Admissions Test (GMAT) required for entry into most MBA programs, is also putting the spotlight on veterans. Through the partnership, SVA and GMAC are not only helping military members learn about MBA programs, their requirements and how to gain admit-tance, but are helping MBA programs tap into the pool of veterans who want to pursue graduate education and learn about what they can offer as well.

According to Ann Marie Julian, associate director at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business, diver-sity is important when building a class, and military

members bring different perspectives than students from traditional backgrounds. Student veterans “tend to bring some levity to the classroom when some of their peers” feel that circumstances might be over-whelming, she said.

Miller told a similar story recalling his concern for a student, a former Navy SEAL, working on a stressful project. When Miller asked how he was doing, the student replied, “I’m not cold. I’m not wet. I’m not bleeding and I’m going to be sleeping in my bed tonight. So I’m good.”

Dakduk said that officers attending MBA programs is not a new phenomenon but a new group, former enlisted, are increasingly looking to enter graduate programs. “This has been going on for a long time with military officers continuing their education with an MBA program as they’re rising in the ranks or getting out. With the Post-9/11 GI Bill, many of the enlisted folks are getting out and many save their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for grad school,” said Dakduk.

Charles Altman, a retired Navy commander and former associate dean of the Marine Corps War College, recruits former military for the Carlson School. He said, “There just is not an open arms welcoming committee

Ann Marie Julian

[email protected]

Michael Dakduk


that is taking 10-year vets that have been flying E2s into an [employment] program that’s commensurate with what they’ve been making as a senior lieutenant in the Navy. To go back to making $50,000 a year stocking shelves as a manager is not palatable.”

Miller put it another way: “In some ways, that’s almost an invisible problem, because those folks get employed—they’re just underemployed. We’re not changing unemployment numbers. What we’re chang-ing is wasting human capital. Taking someone from a significant position and putting them in something that’s not commensurate with their skills is a waste. It’s dispirit-ing for that person and it’s a waste in the economy.”

Alan Belasen, Ph.D., chair of the MBA program at the State University of New York (SUNY) Empire State College, said, “Civilian employers don’t recognize the value of military training. They don’t offer jobs to vet-erans who may be very well-qualified for the jobs. This may add more to their anxiety when they leave military life and try to transition to civilian life. In many ways the MBA pathway serves a very important mission.”

trAnslAting MilitAry skills

One of the challenges veterans face when applying to schools is the same one faced when applying for

post-military employment: translation. Military skills and experiences rarely match up directly with civilian skills and experience, so whether looking for employ-ment or educational opportunities, veterans have to think about how they present themselves. “[Professors] say the military candidates are standouts. They sit in the front of the class, they raise their hands, they ask ques-tions, they volunteer, they’re there every time for every class,” said Altman.

However, “the one thing that military candidates are the weakest on is understanding what they can do with that background they have in leadership and that experience taking people into stressful situations and articulating that into something they would like to do in the future, even if isn’t what they wind up doing in B-school,” Altman said.

Meanwhile, Julian emphasized the importance of sharing stories in the essays that are part of the applica-tion process and in interviews. That part of the appli-cation process is often more important for veterans. “Some vets write very impactful essays and maybe their application wasn’t quite as competitive with the pool but the stories that they told …[were] enough to get them that interview, [which] helped get them in,” he said. “Not being afraid to really share those stories in the essays … might be what gets them to the next step in the process.”

Alan Belasen

[email protected]

*Excelsior College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Email: [email protected]: facebook.com/ECMilitary

More than 50,000 servicemembers have graduated from Excelsior College* over the past forty years.

Now it’s your turn to join the ranks.

Consistently Ranked Top Military-Friendly College G.I. Jobs Magazine and Military Advanced Education

COLLEGE OF CHOICE FOR THE MILITARY

— Military, veteran, and military spouse discounts— Flexible, 8-week, online courses— Center for Military Education support services

— Success Strategies for Military and Veterans course— Credit for military and language training— Nonprofit, accredited institution

Your military training + college credit = a degreeYour military training + college credit = a degree

Call: 888-647-2388, ext. 1352Visit: success.excelsior.edu/degreesformilitary

Charles Altman

[email protected]


Because there is often a wide gap between civilian and military vocabulary, she suggested that veterans “have someone who isn’t in the military read it over to make sure it’s understandable but still express[es] that story.”

GMAC is also addressing the divide between military and civilian work experiences through a grant to three universities that will give educational credit for work experience garnered in the military. This idea was proposed by M. Kendall Fitch through the GMAC Management Education for Tomorrow Fund Ideas to Innovation Challenge. She proposed that an MBA course called “Leading in a Civilian Context” could help veterans transfer the leadership skills they gained in the military to the civilian workforce.

SUNY-Empire State College, along with Syr-acuse and the University of South Florida, is one of the grant recipients. SUNY-Empire State College created a framework to grant credit for learning gained through the military using American Council of Education standards.

Tai Arnold, Ph.D., acting dean of the SUNY Empire State College School for Graduate Studies said, “We believe that stu-dents shouldn’t have to repeat what they already know. We should be awarding credit and moving people forward from where they are rather than holding on to this ivory tower notion that we’re the only experts.”

This approach has both time- and cost-saving benefits for veterans. According to Arnold and Belasen, students in the program can receive

up to 24 credits for the experience they have accumulated in the mili-tary. Since the program requires 48 credits, students could conceivably cut their program time in half—resulting in a significant savings in time and money. Because the content is delivered online, and the pro-gram requires attendance at two to three day-long seminars, and has no GMAT requirement, it is more akin to executive MBA programs offered by other schools.

Belasen noted that the program is not for those who seek a quick pathway to an MBA. The Empire State MBA program is accredited and assessments for credit are rigorous and individualized, so students will have to demonstrate mastery of concepts for which they are granted credit. The MBA can also be tailored through five certificate programs in specialties like health care management and global brand marketing.

MBA Boot cAMP

In addition to traditional MBA programs, many veterans are being exposed to business education

through “MBA boot camps.” The Entrepreneurship Boot camp for Veterans (EBV) is a program that is open to disabled veterans who have an interested in starting their own business. The goal of the program is to teach veterans to think in business terms and have an awareness of important concepts that will affect the success of their ventures.

Tai Arnold

[email protected]

www.nvcc.edu 703–323–3000

Northern Virginia Community College is committed to meeting your needs.We offer:Affordability NOVA’s tuition is significantly less than most public colleges and universities. Active duty service members can maximize their tuition assistance and family members can use MyCAA to help cover costs.

Guaranteed Admission Agreements Come to NOVA first. Finish at the university of your choice. Learn more at www.nvcc.edu/gaa.

Office of Military Services This dedicated office helps all members of the military community—active duty, veterans, and family members—achieve their educational and career goals.


The Transition Assistance Program (TAP), a mandatory suite of classes designed to help separating servicemembers transition back to civilian life, now includes an entrepreneurship track with a curriculum designed by the Small Business Administration with assistance from Syracuse Uni-versity’s Institute for Veterans and Military Fami-lies and Mike Haynie, the pioneer of the EBV. Transitioning servicemembers can take a two-day seminar and have the option for a more in-depth eight-week online course.

Once students have their Master-of-the-Universe ticket in hand, they can pursue traditional routes to employment. However, if they have the entre-preneurial bug, the Veterans’ Pathway to Business Success program can help put them on the road to business ownership. Much like the Carlson School’s scholarship endowment, this program also began with a veteran of a prior conflict looking to give back to those who served in today’s conflicts.

Charlotte Laurent-Ottomane, executive director of Veterans’ Path-way to Business Success and herself an MBA graduate, said that the organization began with the a gift from Jerry Kramer, a Korean War veteran and Bronze Star recipient who went on to a successful busi-ness career. The program gives grants to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans “not to help pay for school costs, but to help them start or grow their business,” she said.

Grants are used to “provide the impetus for growth immediately, rather than trying to put together the capital for expansion,” because veteran entrepreneurs are often hampered by a lack of capital. Even

though formal business education isn’t necessary to apply for or receive a grant, Laurent-Ottomane said that having an education or MBA can help veterans move their plans forward. Veterans’ Pathway to Busi-ness Success is “not necessarily looking for that invest-ment banker type or an MBA,” but “we can’t just throw $30,000 to the wind,” she said.

“To start or run your own business you’ve got to have a certain skill set,” she said. “You’ve got to have that broad knowledge base in addition to your vision. You need the ability to put that dream into practice, and that’s what an MBA gives you.”

More and more veterans are recognizing the value of formal education and advanced degrees. Thanks to

educational benefits earned through service, more and more veterans can now afford them. Now, businesses and schools are increasingly recognizing the value of military training and service and implement-ing programs to formally recognize that value. O

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

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

Charlotte Laurent-Ottomane

[email protected]

13AUAM0246 • AC-0255400 NORTH BLUFF BLVD. CLINTON, IA 52732

DISTANCE IS NO LONGER A BARRIER. COURSES CAN START ON YOUR SCHEDULE. THE MILITARY CAN TAKE YOU AROUND THE

GLOBE; ASHFORD UNIVERSITY CAN BRING YOUR EDUCATION ALONG WITH UNIQUE BENEFITS. THE ASHFORD MILITARY GRANT COVERS

TUITION OVER $250 PER CREDIT AND ALL REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS FOR ELIGIBLE MEMBERS. THE WORLD IS YOUR CAMPUS.

I WAS IN THE BACKOF A C-130 WORKINGON PAPERS.

“

”

MILITARY.ASHFORD.EDU/MAE

AU 1918

- Deric Walker, Ashford graduate

CALL US AT 800.406.5385


During the fall of 2008, MBA programs across the nation experi-enced a significant decline in on-campus recruiting as corporations responded to widespread economic uncertainty. While many students viewed the new realities of the job market as a serious setback to their career searches, Chris Petersen and Dave Chonowski, two former U.S. Army officers and second-year MBA students at the University of Illi-nois, viewed it as an opportunity.

Recognizing an absence of military veteran advocacy within the broader MBA diversity community, they created the MBA Veterans Network, a professional networking orga-nization for military veteran students and alumni of the top-40 ranked U.S. and top-20 ranked non-U.S. MBA programs. The objectives of this initiative were simple but bold: to connect military veteran students who exclusively represented the most respected MBA programs with pre-mier employers and each other.

In only five years, the organization’s services have evolved from a simple hir-ing conference connecting 60 veterans and eight companies to a global network whose annual event attracts over 300 veterans and over 35 blue chip employers including Google, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs and General Electric. In addition, the MBA Veterans Network has also launched an academic partner program to help top-ranked B-schools like Boston College and Notre Dame attract more veteran applicants, and it hosts MBA Veterans Connect, a proprietary networking platform that connects the entire community online.

This October, the organization will be hosting the 6th Annual MBA Veterans Career Conference. The beauty of the event is that it enables companies with extremely competitive hiring requirements to connect with a segment within the military veteran community that has both the professional skills and academic credentials required for employment. Although maximizing job placement is a priority, the conference also makes great strides to educate veterans on new

career paths such as marketing, investment banking, consulting and many other fields not traditionally associated with a military job applicant. The educational component is accomplished through a series of career panelists comprised of military veterans, as well as presentations by high-level executives such as Don Knauss, a former U.S. Marine Corps officer and the chief executive officer of The Clorox Company, who will address the audience at the 2013 conference.

As evidenced by the exceptional reputations of the firms sponsor-ing the MBA Veterans Conference, employers find the unique com-

bination of leadership abilities obtained by years of military service, coupled with the elite academic qualifications of a top-ranked MBA, to be an unparalleled source of future talent. As such, many leading MBA programs are finding great suc-cess with the ease of placement of their military students who also tend to com-mand higher post-MBA salaries than their non-military peers.

When asked what advice he would give to veterans or military members thinking about a career change, Chonowski said, “As a veteran, employers absolutely value your service and leadership abilities, but that

doesn’t mean that they understand how your skills and accomplish-ments will create value for their company. In my experience, the single best way to find the post-military career that meets your professional interests is to pursue a top-ranked MBA. You’ll get much better access to a variety of employers and your chances of earning a six-figure sal-ary are significantly higher than just ‘getting a job.’” O

Dave Chonowski and Chris Petersen founded the MBA Veterans Network.

By dAve chonowski And chris Petersen



The MBA Veterans NetworkcreAting oPPortunities to connect eMPloyers And veterAns.

Dave Chonowski (L) and Chris Petersen (R) pose at the MBA Veterans Career Conference, which will take place again this year at the Holiday Inn Mary Plaza in downtown Chicago. [Photo courtesy of Dave Chonowski]


Online Master of Business Administra-tion programs offer their students the con-venience of being able to take classes any time, anywhere—an attractive option for the working adult with additional responsibili-ties. “Whether taken online or in the classroom, the MBA is a recognizable degree that does not need to be explained to potential employers,” said James M. Dorris, Ph.D., pro-fessor and dean of the School of Management in the Regis University College for Profes-sional Studies. Online MBA programs are convenient, can present students with global networking opportunities, and encourage students to work effectively with colleagues at a distance. Additionally, pur-suing an MBA program can allow a veteran to fine-tune the leadership, discipline and operations skills he or she developed in the military.

indiAnA university’s kelley school of

Business

“[Working toward an] MBA degree will further develop those skills while also providing the specific func-tional and analytical skills needed to lead a business,” said Darren Klein, director of marketing for Kelley Direct, the Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business’ online program.

Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business offers three general management MBA programs, which include the tradi-

tional full-time MBA program in Bloomington, the evening MBA in Indianapolis, and the Kelley Direct online MBA pro-gram. Through Kelley Direct, students can earn an MBA and an MS degree in finance, global supply chain manage-ment, strategic management or marketing (with four additional classes).

“In all of our academic programs, we stress real-world learning opportunities, team-work, and integrated learn-ing,” said Klein. “In Kelley Direct, our students have the additional benefit of being able to hone their virtual team skills, which is becom-ing increasingly more impor-tant in today’s global business environment.”

The faculty that teach in Kelley Direct are the same faculty that teach in the Kel-ley School of Business’ other MBA programs. Bloomberg Businessweek recently ranked Kelley faculty as number one for teaching quality in their full-time MBA program.

Klein emphasized the accessibility and flexibil-ity of taking online courses. “Regardless of where you are located, as long as you have an Internet connection, you can

work on your MBA. We’ve had students in the

program while based in Afghanistan, Iraq—and even a submarine! The other nice thing about our program is that you have up to five years to complete the degree, so you can take time off from your studies if necessary.”

the iu-unc logMBA ProgrAM

Indiana University’s (IU’s) Kelley School of Business and the University of North Caro-lina (UNC) at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School partnered with the Institute for Defense and Business to deliver a two-year logistics MBA (LogMBA) program that can be satisfied through a mix of online and classroom instruction. The IU-UNC LogMBA was designed for active duty servicemem-bers, veterans, and private sector defense industry students.

Each group of students begins with a residency in Chapel Hill and work together as they compete with other teams of Kelly Direct students. “Upon first meeting in Chapel Hill, the students are strangers, but depart well underway on their education journey and, more importantly, with a team of classmates ready to take on the challenges of this rigor-ous program,” said Van Noah, the program director for the IU-UNC LogMBA program. Students complete two online courses each quarter. “Each residency complements the core MBA and logistics- or strategy-focused courses with experience and instruction designed to maximize the value of the face-to-face instructional time.”

Because the LogMBA is a hybrid dis-tance program, the professors can continue the classroom discussion in innovative ways. Professors record the live sessions for students to review and respond to questions on open forums.

By lAurAl hoBBes, MAe editor

Darren Klein

Van Noah

[email protected]

MAny resPected Business schools offer online MBA ProgrAMs.

Exploring Online MBA Programs

James M. Dorris

[email protected]


Students work with their leadership, customers and faculty advisor to select a real-world problem to study and solve in an applied project on their organization. Dur-ing their capstone course at the end of the MBA program, students work in teams to assist an industry, depot or arsenal with their real-world challenges. They also complete tra-ditional individual assignments, quizzes and exams in most classes.

“There are many business principles that drive successful organizations inside and out-side the military,” said Noah. “We create entrepreneurs who can operate in the military to innovate, look at issues with a different lens, and lead and make critical decisions in new ways. Those entrepreneurial skills are universally powerful in the private sector, but we have students and graduates who effectively translate the profit and bottom line-focused business tools into greater effec-tiveness and more value for military appli-cation and investment. We are honored to be teaching the military who are already some of the strongest leaders in our nation. It is rewarding when we take such strong

foundational leadership mate-rial and help them reach new levels through our course-work, residencies and mentor-ship over the two years.”

He continued, “Many of our graduates are still on active duty using what they learned in the IU-UNC LogMBA to continue achiev-ing great things for their ser-vice. Many have transitioned as well. The MBA is univer-sally applicable in the private sector in both non-profit and for profit businesses.” Gradu-ates of the LogMBA program have gone into green energy, technology industries, educa-tion, second government careers and many varying types of organizations supporting or contracting with the military.

QuinniPiAc university’s school of Business

Quinnipiac University’s School of Busi-ness also offers an online MBA program.

“An online MBA allows stu-dents significant flexibility to complete a degree that is viewed as the ‘gold standard’ for successful careers in busi-ness and management,” said Susan McTiernan, Ph.D., the associate dean for gradu-ate programs and associate professor of management at Quinnipiac University’s

School of Business. “Veter-ans and those who currently

serve are able to complete the MBA at their own pace and from wherever they are in the world.”

All of the MBA programs at Quinnipiac University hold the accreditation of AACSB International, an elite accrediting organiza-tion for business schools that less than 5 percent of institutions around the world have earned. The online MBA curriculum consists of 46 credits. “There is a strong 34-credit core of general business classes that includes accounting, information systems, finance, economics, management, marketing, analysis,

Learn more:

Call 888-372-3523 or Visit www.esc.edu/military

My Degree. My Future. My Choice.

As experts in military education, our specialists are there to guide you, while your faculty mentor works with you to develop an individualized degree plan that can lead to the career you’ve always wanted.

•Credit for military training and experience•Pre-enrollment advising•Online worldwide and at more than 35

New York state locations•Affordable tuition

SUNY Empire State College values my military experience and provides the support I need while completing my degree.

Susan McTiernan

[email protected]


ethics, communications and international business,” said McTiernan. “Students may take elective courses in finance, marketing, management, supply chain management and/or computer information systems.”

The online MBA is delivered through a learning management system that fea-tures discussion boards, video and podcasts, voiceover PowerPoint presentations, tutorials in various subject areas and other technology features that support effective teaching and learning. Regular Quinnipiac faculty teach the courses and can meet with students through virtual office hours and meetings, Skype and phone contact.

As part of their workload, students com-plete a mixture of individual and group assign-ments on cases, papers, presentations and analyses. “These range from sorting out the intricacies of finance and investment strate-gies to understanding practices with respect to business management and leadership in our own and different cultures,” McTiernan explained. Students typically submit their assignments and receive their grades online.

regis university

Regis University has offered an online MBA since the late 1990s, which comprises 36 credit hours of advanced analysis and evalu-ation of the functional areas of business—accounting, finance, operations, marketing, management and strategy—plus an in-depth study of specialization areas in health care, marketing, business strategy, organizational performance management, management,

operations management and emerging markets. “Because Regis University’s MBA is grounded in the Jesuit tra-dition, its curriculum has threads of corporate social responsibility, entrepreneur-ship, social innovation, shared values and ethics that run through its curriculum,” said Dorris.

Throughout their edu-cation, students write white papers, prepare PowerPoint presentations, and engage in debates, problem-solving exer-cises (in teams and individu-ally), brainstorming activities, and structured discussions. All discussions focus on evaluat-ing theories and putting theo-ries into practice.

To begin the MBA pro-gram, all students take a “cor-nerstone” course, MBAX600, which gives them the opportunity to explore the theoretical foundations of business admin-istration. The final course is a “capstone” course that allows students to reinforce the knowledge and skills they learned.

coluMBiA college

In addition to taking a Columbia College MBA degree online, servicemembers also have the option to take classes at Redstone Arse-nal, Hancock Field and Fort Worth military

bases. “The online MBA pro-gram offers students a blend of business theory and practice,” said Steve Wiegenstein, Ph.D., the dean of Columbia College’s Graduate Studies. “The mis-sion of the MBA program is to provide students with the necessary knowledge, skills and personal characteristics to enhance performance in their present occupation, as well as advancement to upper-level management.”

Students who want to pur-sue a degree in accounting or take the CPA exam can take the accounting track, while students looking to pursue a career in human resource management have the option of taking the human resources track. Regardless of the track, all students will participate in group projects and presenta-

tions, article reviews and case projects, online discussions, and quizzes and exams.

university of neBrAskA-lincoln’s college of Business AdMinistrAtion

The online MBA program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is very flexible. “Students have the opportunity of taking two classes per term. If their work schedule doesn’t per-mit it, they can sit out a term,” said Donde Plowman, Ph.D., the James Jr. and Susan

Steve Wiegenstein

Donde Plowman

[email protected]

Master the skills of engineering management without breaking a sweat. Our Engineering Management Program gives you unparalleled, real-time distance learning in areas such as Project Management, Consulting, Leadership, Six Sigma and Quality Systems. Register today and start bringing everything together. EngineeringManagement.com [email protected]

There’s an easier way To manage.


Stuart Endowed Dean of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business Admin-istration. This MBA program includes mate-rial in marketing, accounting, economics, finance, supply chain, strategy and organizational behavior.

“Our instructors are also very flexible,” the team of respondents continued. “They work with students who get deployed in the middle of a term to allow students to fin-ish up coursework.” Students register for classes 30 days before a term starts, which allows them to determine if they will be deployed or have conflicting work schedules.

BrAndMAn university’s school of Business And ProfessionAl studies

Brandman University’s online MBA degree prepares its graduates for management and leadership positions in fields like financial management, entrepreneurship, health administration, e-business, accounting, busi-ness operations, human resources or mar-keting. Students can also choose to focus e-business strategic management, interna-tional business marketing or organizational leadership. This program educates students in how to analyze business functions and pro-cesses, formulate effective business strategies, and identify characteristics and implications of effective leadership and policy practices in a global and diverse business environment.

U.S. News and World Report ranked Brandman’s online graduate business pro-grams in the top 30th percentile of the 2013 online graduate business programs. “A Brandman MBA prepares you to man-age and lead enterprises that create value for stakeholders in a dynamic, global busi-ness environment,” said Glenn Worthington, Ph.D., Colonel (Ret.), U.S. Army, and dean, Brandman University School of Business and Professional Studies. “With a unique focus on sustainability and innovation, Brand-man University faculty draw on real-world industry experience and the latest academic research to help you integrate ethics, corpo-rate social responsibility and sustainability into decision-making, and apply the innova-tion process from creativity to solution design and implementation.”

The Brandman University MBA was designed to meet the demands of both stu-dents and employers, so students are taught

by faculty with strong academic credentials and real-world industry experience. “Under-standing the challenges working and military students face, our faculty help students build

leadership and communica-tion skills needed to thrive in today’s competitive business environment,” said Worthing-ton.

Brandman University also awards servicemembers credit for military education. “Whether you are on active duty, active reserve, retired or previously served in the United States military, commissioned officers, senior non-commis-

sioned officers [E7 or above] and chief war-rant officers [level two or above] are eligible to receive up to 15 credits from your previous military education toward a master’s degree in organizational leadership. Designed as a paral-lel pathway with the MBA, this relevant gradu-ate degree program is tailor-made for military personnel who look to further develop their leadership skills to advance through the ranks or transfer into the corporate/civilian sector,” Worthington said.

A coMPetitive edge

“Servicemembers and veterans gain lead-ership experience early in their career and have more opportunities to test and develop their professional skills than any of their civil-ian world peers,” said the IU-UNC LogMBA program’s Noah. “That skill and knowledge is useful in all walks of life, but is even more powerful when enhanced by understanding the business side of what drives success.”

The Department of Labor’s reports appear to support this: The DoL reported lower unemployment rates and higher weekly incomes for those who’ve earned a graduate degree in 2012. “Certainly in today’s competi-tive job market, candidates who have earned an MBA have an advantage over peers that do not; in some cases it is a must-have,” said Worthington.

Earning an MBA, combined with previous military experience, vastly enhances a vet-eran’s marketability. “The useful experience veterans develop during the military, com-bined with the education they receive in an

Glenn Worthington

SERVE YOUR COUNTRY

COMMAND YOUR EDUCATION

THOMAS EDISON STATE COLLEGE

Thomas Edison State College is one of the 12 senior public colleges and universities in New Jersey, and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000).

EXCLUSIVELY FOR ADULTS

Complete your military service and your degree. Anytime. Anywhere.Ready to achieve your educational goals? Enroll in a military degree program developed speci� cally for service members. Complete your degree, prepare for a civilian career, or advance your rank while serving your country. You’ll receive maximum credit for your military training and college-level knowledge. Our personalized degree programs have been developed to � t with your schedule, wherever your service takes you.

ENROLL NOW! Learn how at military.tesc.edu, or call 866.446.1804.

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

at www.mae-kmi.com.


CLASS NOTES

Students, teachers and parents of the Defense Department’s schools can be confident that despite the department’s upcoming civilian furloughs, the school year will start on time, the Department of Defense Education Activity’s (DoDEA’s) director said in May.

DoDEA operates schools overseas and at some U.S. locations for the children of military families.

In an interview at the school system’s head-quarters at the Mark Center in Alexandria, Va., Marilee Fitzgerald told the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service that while her work-force will be affected by the coming furloughs, leaders are working together to ensure the least possible impact on students.

“We’ll take a five-day instructional loss,” Fitzgerald explained. “Fortunately, this is occurring in the DoD schools, where there is probably no group of teachers who are better prepared for this kind of challenge.”

Fitzgerald explained that like other DoD employees, 12-month DoDEA employees—including headquarters workers, principals and others—will be scheduled for up to 11 furlough days to begin no earlier than July 8. Nine-month DoDEA employees, including teachers and some staff members, will be scheduled for up to five furlough days beginning in September, she added.

“The goal of all of our teachers—and everyone, really, in DoDEA—is to try to ensure that there is the least disruption possible to the educa-tional life and experience of our children,” she said.

DoDEA schools will be open, but will not conduct regular classes on furlough days, she said. Fitzgerald explained that many school employees, including host-nation employees in overseas schools, are exempt from furlough.

The teachers will focus on making the best possible use of the classroom time they do have, and will give students extra reading assignments and homework to help them make up the loss of classroom time, she added.

Fitzgerald said the question of maintaining school accreditation—which the current plan will maintain—was important when the issue of furloughs arose. She said she had been troubled a few months ago, when early discussions spoke of possible 22-day furloughs.

“This was a great concern to the department,” she said. “There are threshold requirements in our accreditation standards, and we felt that if we went below 175 days of classroom instruction, we were really threatening our accreditation process. Fortunately, the department was able, even in this very severe budget crisis, to ensure that we took a fewer number of days so that we wouldn’t in any way compromise our accreditation.”

Furloughing school employees demonstrates the depth of crisis facing DoD, Fitzgerald said. “I don’t think the department would make this deci-sion if it weren’t for this financial crisis,” she added.

“I would tell you that the prevailing feeling is, while there is great disappointment and concern ... during this whole process, the one thing I think you’ll find in DoDEA is that they will rally, and they will look back on this—and they want everyone to do so—with the sense that, ‘Yes, those were tough times, and we performed magnificently,’” she added.

Principals are now working to schedule the precise furlough schedules their schools will observe, Fitzgerald said.

Adapted from article by Karen Parrish, American Forces Press Service

GE, in collaboration with the Manufacturing Institute and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), announced in May that 190 new manu-facturers have joined the Get Skills to Work (GSTW) coalition. The increase of employers participating in the initiative will further expand career opportunities for U.S. veterans in advanced manufacturing.

Many of the new coalition members are small- to mid-sized manufacturers, which often face a shortage of skilled workers. More than 82 percent of manufac-turers report they cannot find people to fill their skilled production jobs.

The companies will receive access to online resources to help connect them with veterans who possess skills important to manufacturers. These tools include LinkedIn and the U.S. Manufacturing Pipeline, which showcases digital “military manufacturing badges” for veterans with experience in welding, machining, logistics and other key high-demand occupations. Companies participating in

the coalition will have their jobs appear on the Fast Track program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Founded last year, the GSTW coalition helps veterans and employers translate military skills to in-demand advanced manufacturing positions, accelerate skills training for U.S. veterans, and empower employers with tools to recruit, onboard, and mentor veterans. The addition of 190 new manufacturers represents a significant expansion of the coalition whose original members include GE, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Alcoa and the Manufacturing Institute.

The GSTW coalition also announced an additional 1,000 training slots for veterans at TechShop, a membership-based do-it-yourself workshop and proto-typing studio that supports both advanced manufacturing skills and entrepreneu-rism. The Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Innovation has also linked its partnership with TechShop by joining the GSTW coalition.

Get Skills to Work Program Expanded

Director Details Furlough Plans for DoD Schools

Our Community Salutes of San Antonio, a branch of the national non-profit organi-zation that honors graduating high school students who plan to enlist in the armed services after graduation, hosted the second annual San Antonio dinner on May 23 at the University of the Incarnate Word.

Guests included Lieutenant General “Ret” Ricardo Sanchez, CEO of Operational Technologies and former commander of coalition ground forces for the U.S. in Iraq June 2003–July 2004 (pictured above); Major General Adolph McQueen, deputy commander Army North; Air Force Colonel Kent Dalton, commander of the 369th Recruiting Group; Navy Admiral William Roberts, commandant, Medical Education and Training Campus, San Antonio; Lieutenant Colonel Richard Riley, commanding officer for the Wounded Warrior Detachment; and Major General Joyce Stevens, assistant adjutant general of the Army, Texas National Guard, and commander, Texas Army National Guard.

High School Students Honored


Michael Heberling, Ph.D., president of Baker College Center for Graduate Studies and president of the Council of College and Military Educators (CCME), was recently invited to Washington, D.C., to take part in a White House forum in late April on issues surrounding military credentialing and college credit.

The forum was held to obtain information and ideas on ways to allow veterans to use their military training in career areas toward college credit or professional licenses.

“Despite having valuable military experience, veterans frequently find it difficult to obtain formal private sector recognition of their military training and experiences,” said Heberling. “I am pleased the White House administra-tion has recognized this important issue and is working toward a solution.”

First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building South Court Auditorium to welcome the forum participants on April 29, 2013.

In her remarks, Obama stated, “In the coming years, more than 1 million service-members will be hanging up their uniforms and transitioning to civilian life … It is unfair to this country, because when we don’t take advantage of the skills and talents of our veterans and military spouses, jobs go unfilled and, far worse, human potential

goes untapped. And that’s bad for our economy, as we all know.”

Representatives from various organizations across the country, including academic institutions and the depart-ments of Veterans Affairs, Defense and Education, took part in the roundtable discussion.

Compiled by kmi media Group staff

Troy University has become the first univer-sity in America to be designated a “Purple Heart University.”

The move comes in an effort to honor veterans who have been given the award that was created by George Washington. The Military Order of the Purple Heart is granted to those servicemembers who have been killed or wounded in battle.

“Our status as the first Purple Heart University in America is a natural extension of Troy’s long history of service to the men and women in uniform,” said Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. “We are proud of the thousands of our students and graduates who are serving in harm’s way and it’s with pride that we serve them and support them.”

One of the newest support efforts the university has undertaken is the creation of the Troy for Troops Center, a one-stop center for military students to access university services and problem resolution. In addition to the Troy for Troops Scholarship, given to dependents of Troy alumni killed in action, the university has established the Troy for Troops Military Tuition Discount Scholarship for each branch that will discount all tuition above that which is allowable by tuition assistance.

Currently, the university enrolls about 7,000 active-duty military personnel, National Guard members, reservists or veterans, and 62 Troy alumni

serve as general or flag-rank officers or as members of the Senior Executive Service of all four branches of the

U.S. military. Over the past 30 years, 123 Troy alumni have retired as general or flag-rank officers from all branches.

The university’s tradition of military service has its roots in 1950, when it began offering extension courses at Fort Rucker.

Later, these operations were expanded to Maxwell Air Force Base and these centers became the forerunner to what

is known today as Global Campus, the division of the university that operates teaching sites outside the state of Alabama and internationally.

Headquartered in Troy, Ala., the university oper-ates campuses in Montgomery, Dothan and Phenix City

in Alabama, and sites in seven states and six nations.Several members of the university’s senior leader-

ship team are themselves veterans, including Hawkins, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam. He has also

served as chair of the Board of Visitors for Air University, housed at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery.

University officials formally signed a resolution designating the university in March.

CCME President Takes Part in White House Forum

Troy Becomes First “Purple Heart” University


Kimberly A. (Kim) Yates assumed the duties of chief, Air Force voluntary education in February 2013. This position is the subject matter expert to senior Air Force leaders on the Voluntary Education program and provides policy and guidance to Air Force Major Com-mands and base education centers. This position works closely with OUSD (P&R), DANTES, and academic institutions to provide quality post-secondary programs such as academic degrees, testing, creden-tialing, counseling and funding.

Yates holds a master’s degree in education psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a bachelor’s degree in history from Trinity University in San Antonio. She is pursuing an Ed.D. in educational leadership. She has attended the University of Tennessee and the Eastern and Western Development Centers for leadership development.

Yates has held several positions at the Air Force Personnel Center, major commands and base level and now at Air Staff. Her assignments include Soesterberg AB, The Netherlands; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; Rhein-Main AB, Germany; and Colorado Springs, Colo.

Yates has received the Civilian Exemplary Service Award, the Edwin C. Peterson Award (MAJCOM) and the Horace Wade Innova-tion Award (MAJCOM).

Q: How has your background helped to prepare you for the role as the chief of Voluntary Education for the Air Force? What led you to this career choice?

A: The Air Force has a program called Palace Acquire [PAQ] that hires recent college graduates into internship programs in a variety of career fields. I had just graduated from college [Trinity University in San Antonio] and was teaching high school. I had enjoyed working in education and was looking for a unique opportunity. I stumbled across the PAQ program and applied. The PAQ program exposes par-ticipants to many different opportunities within their chosen career— education services for me. Career-broadening positions also provided a chance to do new things in different career fields. Completing professional military education such as Air Command and Staff Col-lege and Air War College also helped develop a different perspective on Air Force [AF] issues. But, really, it is because I had—and still have—mentors who provided sound guidance and advice on career choices and options. They encouraged everyone who worked for them to seek out opportunities to do new things and branch out into other areas.

Q: What does your position entail, and what are your priorities this year?

A: This position is the subject matter expert for Air Force Volun-tary Education. Our office provides advice to senior leaders on the voluntary education programs as well as provides policy and guidance to MAJCOMs and education centers. There are so many important things happening in voluntary education that it is hard to pick just one or two. Obviously, the first is meeting the fiscal challenges all of us are experiencing. We want to continue to emphasize the importance of education—and voluntary education in particular—in meeting current and future Air Force and airmen’s needs. We are building a strategic plan that, among many things, outlines training needs and requirements for our voluntary education members so they can continue to do the great job they are doing now. And, lastly, we want to continue to improve our communication channels with airmen at all levels.

Q: What have the highlights been of your career? What are you the most proud of accomplishing?

A: I remember a time when I was a counselor stationed in Europe. I was conducting an audit of airmen education records to see how close they were to finishing their Community College of the Air Force

Kimberly A. YatesChief

Voluntary EducationAir Force


Airman Educator Q&AStriking the Right Balance Between Education Programs and Airmen’s Needs

Q&A

[CCAF] degree. One student only needed a speech class to complete but had put off finishing it for years. I took the tuition assistance form down to his workplace on the flight line and talked/pestered him into taking the class. He successfully finished the course and the next semester he started his bachelor’s degree and brought—i.e., strong-armed—a friend to the education center to start school. After that, we saw a marked increase in the number of flightline airmen working towards their college degrees. The last I heard of this airman he was working on his master’s degree. Fortunately, there have been other incidents like this, but it is moments like this that validate what we do. It’s fundamental to our work and to what we provide to the Air Force and to airmen.

Another incident occurred early in my career. We had just com-pleted our semi-annual CCAF graduation. One of our students, a chief master sergeant, couldn’t make the ceremony so he stopped by the office to pick up his diploma. Now, let me describe this gentleman. He was well over 6 feet tall, broad shoulders—a really big man. As we were talking about his accomplishment he started to tear up. It was a little unnerving to see this big, strong, confident chief show such emotion. Turns out his CCAF degree wasn’t just a degree. He was the first in his family to finish college and he had promised his mother, who had passed away, that he would get his degree. That associate degree was so much more for him—it was a promise made and a promise kept. As a young counselor, that was such a seminal moment—what we do can affect people at an elemental level.

Q: The tuition assistance program was suspended briefly in late March. Do you think more airmen decided to take advantage of TA benefits after they were reinstated?

A: There are going to be airmen who are concerned about the future and want to take advantage of MilTA sooner rather than later. The greater concern is for airmen who want to take three or four courses at one time while still working full time and caring for their families. More often than not, they cannot complete the courses and end up having to reimburse the tuition. The impor-tant thing, and here is where you can help, is to assure airmen that the Air Force is committed to education and that there will continue to be a MilTA program. Education Center professionals are there to assist airmen in making sound decisions about their educational future.

Q: Education is among the top reasons servicemembers have joined the Air Force and is cited as the top benefit that influences airmen to re-enlist. How important is pursuing higher education for advance-ment within the Air Force?

A: The Air Force has introduced higher education in many of its programs. Having an associate degree is a factor in promotion to senior noncommissioned officer and master’s degrees make a differ-ence in officers’ promotions. Air University is regionally accredited and has created a master’s degree out of the Air Command and Staff College program. The Community College of the Air Force is the only regionally accredited two-year college supported by a military service that provides associate’s degrees in enlisted airmen’s jobs. These are just a few of the ways the AF integrates higher education into the professional lives of airmen. The AF takes higher education seriously both for the professional development of airmen as well as for their own personal goals.

Q: In your opinion, what are the most significant challenges facing military education today?

A: There are a few challenges that quickly spring to mind. First is fund-ing. We are all experiencing the pain of sequestration and budget con-straints. We must provide for a sound program that has a solid financial foundation. Next is finding the right balance between educational programs and Air Force and airmen’s needs. In other words, leveraging educational programs/opportunities to maximize the AF’s and the air-men’s return on investment. And, lastly, continuing to work with our academic partners to ensure airmen are pursuing quality programs.

Q: According to a presentation at CCME this year, the Air Force voluntary education community is concerned about the rising cost of tuition, sustainability and the pressure to reduce defense spending. What sorts of solutions have you and your team proposed in order to keep education a viable benefit for airmen?

A: Senior leaders are looking at a variety of ways to find this balance. As you can imagine, the challenge is to find the right mix of solutions that will provide for the financial health of voluntary education and still provide programs that meet airmen’s needs. We don’t have a final decision yet.

Q: What do you think has been the most important recent development in voluntary education?

Park University’s degree programs are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

PARK’S PROMISE:Serving ThoSe Who Serve Their CommuniTy and CounTry WiTh PerSonalized, globally-relevanT eduCaTion for life.

Call us today at (800) 755-7275. Or visit us online at www.park.edu/mae

Excellence in Education Since 1875.

DEGREE PROGRAMS ON BASE AND ONLINE40 LOCATIONS NATIONWIDE

Working with the U.S. Military for over four decades.


A: First, it is the centralization of the MilTA program. Recent manpower reductions required us to rethink how we did business. The Air Force had considered centralizing MilTA for quite a while, and the reductions spurred a call to action. We were able to reduce the burden of transactional work off the shoulders of already over-taxed education centers. This allowed education center staffs greater opportunity to do their primary mission, which is to work directly with airmen to help them develop their academic plans and goals. We are coming up on our one-year anniversary and the phenomenal team at the central office has done some exciting things to make centralization work.

Second, it is the newly developed role the education centers have in the Transition-Goals Plan Success [T-GPS] program. This program-in law-requires the services to help their members prepare for life after the military. The education centers play an integral part in preparing air-men who want to go to college full time to navigate the world of higher education. Among many things, professional education counselors and specialists help airmen choose the right college, understand the many funding options and prepare an admissions package—anything a student needs to know to attend an institution of higher learning. We are newly engaged in this, but the feedback we have received so far is that airmen didn’t realize all that was involved in preparing for life in academia. It is important they realize how important it is to prepare early for their transition.

Q: What education programs or policies inspire you the most?

A: Really, it’s the counseling and advising that goes on every day at the base education centers. There is something fundamentally satisfying when one can turn a reluctant airman into a lifelong student. When airmen come back years later and show you their master’s degrees or invite you to their commissioning ceremonies, that’s what makes what we do so rewarding. There is not a person in the education centers—from education technicians to education and training sec-tion chiefs—who does not play a vital role in working personally with airmen.

Q: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned as the chief of voluntary education for the Air Force?

A: Flexibility and developing partnerships. Just in my first two months, things have changed so quickly; it is important to be able to turn on a dime just as fast. It’s also important to develop partnerships across many functional areas.

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

A: I remain in awe of our airmen and their fellow servicemembers. Despite 10 years of war and the specter of ongoing conflicts, they make a conscious decision to join the military. While their reasons may be for better educational opportunities or economic stability, they know that they can be put in harm’s way and pay the ultimate sacrifice. With peo-ple like this, is there any doubt that our country’s future is secure? O

Getting a degree puts you on a path for a great career, but an MBA may be what truly sets you apart from the competition. Go for greater.

Offering Associate, Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees.

Online. On campus. Or both.(877) 999-9876 • GoForGreater.org

®

Columbia College, a regionally accredited nonprofit institution founded in 1851, is a charter member of the

Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium and a member of the SOC Degree Network.


Community colleges deliver quality higher education and training that allow military-related students to access the jobs and opportuni-ties that will lead to a better life, and strengthen the economy of their communities by providing a skilled and knowledgeable workforce through educational excellence and innovation. They offer educational programs ranging from associate degrees and certificates to continu-ing education units, apprenticeships and licensures.

There are many known benefits to attending a local community college:

Affordability: According to The College Board, community college “costs are much lower than those at four-year colleges; on average tuition and fees at two-year colleges are less than $3,150 a year.”

Open access: Potential students that have the ability to succeed in college sometimes lack the high school GPA for selection into a four-year program. Community colleges allow students to enroll regardless of past academic performance, while ensuring success with compre-hensive student support services such as tutoring, study skills work-shops, academic advising, counseling and career planning; many with programs designed specifically for military students and their families.

Small class size: The transition to academic life is eased by class sizes that are smaller than those at many four-year institu-tions. According to the American Association of Community Col-leges, this provides students with opportunities to easily converse with instructors and classmates, helping them grasp concepts as well as building relationships, which is particularly helpful for military-related students.

Transfer opportunities: Most community colleges have transfer agreements with four-year institutions that allow students to transfer their credits directly into a bachelor’s degree program, significantly lowering the total cost of the degree and eliminating time wasted in completion of degree requirements.

current And relevAnt

While these benefits are more than enough to attract students, other benefits may be less obvious. For instance, students seeking career and technical skills find programs at community colleges to be more current and relevant than similar programs at four-year institutions. Community colleges are designed to quickly respond to the dynamic needs of the workforce and, as a result, to the changes in industry, information and technology. Business and industry depend on community colleges to educate and train workers on the continually

changing equipment, technology and processes that are essential for new and sustained growth.

Students who plan to continue to live and work in a specific area can be confident that their local community college has both credit and continuing education programs that are relevant to the current and prospective needs of the community. Students graduating from these academic and workforce development programs find themselves highly sought-after in their competitive local employment market.

lAdder to high-deMAnd eMPloyMent

Community college students have the ability to segment degree completion into small, quickly attainable parts, or “ladder” their education. For example, students can begin their education and/or training by working toward a certificate in a host of different fields and areas of study. These certificates can normally be completed within a year. Some certificates are designed to transfer directly into an associ-ate level program, which then ladders directly into a bachelor-level program or licensure.

In addition, it has been widely reported that a certificate or asso-ciate degree can have financial advantages over a four-year degree. EducationNews.org reports “community college graduates enter the workforce two years earlier than their peers who choose to enroll in a four-year school, padding their overall earning advantage.” A study by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce claims that nearly 30 percent of Americans with associate degrees now make more than those with bachelor’s degrees. In short, students seeking education from their local community college can expect to first graduate from community college programs with current, cutting-edge skills that are in high demand. Secondly, they have access to academic education and training programs that are relevant to local workforce needs, which significantly boost their earning poten-tial. Finally, they can quickly earn a credential to become gainfully employed while continuing to work toward a degree for future employ-ment in a sustainable high-demand, high-wage career field.

A primary example is the area of logistics.

AssociAte in APPlied science MAnAgeMent-MAritiMe logistics

In today’s global business environment, businesses must have relevant and wdynamic logistics organizations to meet their customer needs, wants and requirements. Programs such as the Associate of

By sArAh AktePy, BAtAnyA giPson And cAlvin r. scheidt Jr., Ph.d.Pursuing A relevAnt, cutting-edge educAtion.

COMMUNITY COLLEgES


Applied Science (AAS) degree in management, with a specialization in maritime logistics, were developed by Tidewater Community College (TCC) to meet the commercial workforce needs of the port region of Hampton Roads, Va., and the education needs of local military logisticians.

Available to all TCC students interested in logistics, the AAS Management: Maritime Logistics prepares students for success in the supply chain process—a process that plans, implements and controls the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services and related information to the point of consumption, meeting customers’ requirements in the maritime and business environments.

Supply chain management has evolved from a clerical function requiring limited education to dynamic strategic supply manage-ment. Strategic supply management demands a professional staff educated and trained to make logistics decisions on the fly using limited resources efficiently and effectively with a global view of inter-national logistics availability and requirements. Using cooperative education and small classes, students gain knowledge and practical experience in the field while learning the risks of logistics decisions on the bottom line.

Military-related students participating in the AAS Management: Maritime Logistics program have access to the TCC Center for Military and Veterans Education (CMVE) for student support services and can complete the program completely online through the Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership. Students already in

the logistics field can improve their net worth and employability by adding additional certificates in high-demand areas such as network and cyber security, acquisition and procurement, computer-aided drafting, modeling and simulation, food service management, and/or industrial technology. These certificates are then used to enhance promotion potential, to provide for a change in career fields, and/or to be stackable to meet the ever-changing logistics and business environments.

suPPorting MilitAry-relAted students

Military-related students deserve not only our respect, but also our support as they utilize the educational benefits they have earned while defending the United States. Community colleges provide military-related students the opportunity to quickly attain the knowl-edge and skills for employment, economic security, and long-term personal and professional development needed to excel in today’s dynamic global business environment. O

Tidewater Community College Center for Military and Veterans Education (TCC CMVE) staff:

Sarah Aktepy, a U.S. Navy veteran, develops and facilitates professional development training for faculty/staff to promote military student suc-cess. She is responsible for community outreach to establish partnerships with military-related organizations.

Batanya Gipson, a military spouse, is the TCC CMVE academic program manager specializing in military expe-riential learning. She manages the TCC Navy College Program Distance Learn-ing Partnership and Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges programs.

Calvin R. Scheidt Jr., Ph.D., Lt. Cdr. U.S. Navy (Ret.), is the TCC CMVE director of military contract programs. Scheidt is responsible for providing innovative education and training pro-grams for military related agencies throughout the TCC service area. He is also an instructor for TCC, The Naval War College and other local academic institutions.

COMMUNITY COLLEgES

Sarah Aktepy

Batanya Gipson

Calvin R. Scheidt Jr.




Community colleges are an attractive education option for military-affiliated students because of their affordability, the variety of program choices (certificate, career-entry diploma, vocational and academic transfer programs), and the convenience and flexibility of class offer-ings—including evenings, weekends and off-campus locations. For adult learners who have no experience in a postsecondary educational setting or have been out of school for several years, community col-leges also provide a variety of support services, refresher courses and readiness programs to prepare them for the academic rigors of college-level education.

“There are many advantages a community college education offers servicemembers and veterans who have recently returned to civilian life,” said Olayta L. Rigsby, assistant registrar of veterans affairs and scheduling at Howard Community College. “Military personnel and veterans are nontraditional students; they are not com-ing directly from high school. Active servicemembers’ careers are their priority, and veterans often have jobs and families to support. Since their inception, com-munity colleges have catered to nontraditional students, providing them multiple pathways to achieve a college education. Community colleges offer courses through a variety of formats—in-person, online and hybrid for-mats—at a variety of times and lengths that can accom-modate the work and home lives of non-traditional students. Class sizes tend to be small at community colleges. This gives the servicemembers and veterans the opportunity to personally interact with instructors, to form relationships with them.”

Earning a degree can be challenging for any student in a college setting. For military students, the challenges are even greater. They are either juggling school with their active duty work or trying to make a transition as a veteran.

“Veterans leaving active duty are presented with new opportunities and new challenges,” said Michelle Ma, director of marketing and public relations at Coastline Community College. “Many veterans feel uncom-fortable with the lack of structure and direction they face outside of the military. Veterans may feel isolated and believe others are unable to relate or understand them or their experiences. Although a vast array of resources are available, many veterans do not know exactly where to go for information about their benefits. Many start with local VA offices, but do not receive the prompt and personal attention they need. Veterans often feel frustrated over delays, understaffing and red tape. This causes some veterans to give up on pursuing their educational goals.”

That is why many community colleges offer special services to assist their military students. “The challenges that military affiliated students

encounter can be as unique as the student themselves,” said Michael Johnson, director of military services at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). “These challenges can range from having difficulty with the Department of Veterans Affairs on educational benefits to combat stress related issues. As the military-affiliated student population contin-ues to grow, NOVA understands that this diverse group of students has specialized needs, and the Office of Military Services strives to connect

and support them as they pursue their studies at NOVA.”At Erie Community College (ECC), staff has found

that selecting a degree path, adjusting to the flexibility of college and the approach of other students, and read-justing to their new normal are some of the main issues military students face, outside of issues with the GI Bill. “To help, we have every incoming student veteran who is not locked onto a major use our Focus 2 vocational assessment and meet with a career advisor prior to meet-ing with an academic advisor to make the best selection of courses and career path,” said Dan Frontera, assistant coordinator for veterans services at ECC. “We offer veteran-specific orientations, access centers for study-ing, vet center counseling, access to adaptive learning aids, and tutors who understand how a military member learns. To help in the adjustment to their new normal, we provide on-site outreach and counseling by the VA-Vet Center, VA-Women’s Program, and community success multipliers and mentors who have successfully been through the readjustment process.”

For many veterans specifically, it has been quite some time since they have been in a traditional academic environment and it often takes a semester or even a full academic year to re-acclimate. They may need to take developmental or “refresher” courses prior to registering for college-level courses. Some veterans become very

aware that they are older than most or many of their classmates. Still other veterans might be dealing with the adverse effects of their military service, such as injuries or PTSD.

Rigsby said that is why Howard Community College provides a wide range of academic support services that are included in the students’ tuition: tutoring; academic, personal and career counseling; classroom and testing accommodations; and two full-time VA certifying officials in the Office of Records, Registration and Veterans’ Affairs. “We also have a student veterans organization designed to promote camaraderie among this cohort constituency, serve as a peer support network, and promote understanding about veterans and military student issues in our campus community,” Rigsby added.

According to Ma at Coastline, “Veterans often take courses that are not required for them to efficiently complete degrees or to meet

By kelly fodel, MAe corresPondent

Benefits of a Community College ExperienceMAny MilitAry-AffiliAted students hAve found coMMunity college ProgrAMs to Be A good fit for their AcAdeMic goAls.

Michelle Ma

[email protected]

Olayta L. Rigsby

[email protected]


COMMUNITY COLLEgEStransfer requirements. This unnecessary burden occurs because many educational institutions are not awarding full credit for military training and experience. Coastline evaluates prior military training and educa-tional experiences to grant up to 44 semester hours towards the veteran student’s major requirements, general education requirements and/or elective requirements.

“Also, veteran benefit and payment delays cause some veterans to pay out of pocket for courses,” Ma continued. “Some VA programs [e.g. VRAP] release funds well after the semester starts. Veterans are sometimes dropped from courses by the educational institution for non-payment because of delays in receiving VA educational benefits. Also, veterans are not receiving financial benefits for textbook purchases in a timely manner. This affects their ability to actively participate and be successful in college courses. Coastline maintains a library of commonly used textbooks that veterans are able to ‘borrow’ until they receive their benefits. Coastline is also developing a short-term, no-interest micro-grant/scholarship program, funded by private contributions, to help our veterans bridge the funding gap they experience between school com-mencement and receipt of benefits.”

At Copiah-Lincoln Community College, staff have found a primary challenge for veteran students is not having a full grasp of benefits and entitlements allotted to them. Said Tim C. Lea, Ph.D., director of Veteran Services, “I attribute this to the ‘en masse’ method the military and/or veteran services areas brief and/or distribute information. The veteran encoun-ters briefings along with 200 others, then may be herded through some line in an expeditious manner. I am not saying this is overwhelmingly good or bad, it is just the way it is. Yet this can set the stage for the veteran to not be aware of all the requirements or best options. It also can condition the veteran to not always be forthcoming on seeking out information or clarification. Here at our college, the Veteran Services office practices ‘one-stop shopping’ and has learned to sit with the veteran in a personalized Q&A manner to ensure they know as much as possible on all nuances with their educational pursuits.”

Schools are also going the extra mile to educate faculty and staff so that these employees can better assist the military student. For example, nearly all of the faculty who teach for Coastline Community College’s military programs have prior experience teaching online. Upon accepting a teaching assignment with Coastline Military Programs, the instructor is given a one-on-one orientation which provides information about the background and lifestyles of the military and veteran students, and the unique needs of this student population. Emphasis is placed on reasonable flexibility and awareness of issues that may affect timely sub-missions. The instructor is also provided direct contact information to instructional services staff, who can assist with any procedural questions and guidance. Twice a year, faculty members attend an instructional meeting where updates about the military and veteran community are presented, best practices are addressed, and questions are answered.

These efforts continue to grow in importance as more and more military members decide to join the college ranks, thanks largely in part to the GI Bill.

“Since the activation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, we have seen a 150 percent increase in veterans taking classes using this benefit,” said Philip H. Kimmel, director Western Region at State Fair Community College (SFCC).

Said Howard Community College’s Rigsby, “The enrollment of military-affiliated students at Howard Community College has tripled since the implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The estimated size of the our military-affiliated student population is 400; 342 using VA benefits, while the rest are using some form of tuition assistance or are members of the National Guard.”

Erie Community College experienced an approximately 61 percent enrollment increase, “which has added to the size, diversity and sup-port system of our already established student veteran community,” said Frontera.

Looking to the future, most schools have additional initiatives in the works to improve their offerings to the veteran community. Said NOVA’s Johnson, “NOVA’s graduation rate specifically for veterans is 18 percent, in comparison to a national average of 3 percent. In an effort to increase retention and graduation rates, NOVA has developed and will implement new strategies focused on pre-enrollment advising for active duty servicemembers prior to their retirement or separation. NOVA is currently devising information sessions, open to all veterans and active duty servicemembers, to inform them about resources that will aid in a successful transition to college. Furthermore, NOVA has career planning and job placement assistance to offer students throughout

their academic career, supported by government-funded grants aimed at specifically aiding veterans. NOVA will continue its outreach to local veteran organizations in order to develop and maintain strong working relation-ships and take advantage of any resources that they have to offer to its students. It is NOVA’s objective to ensure that veterans are made aware of all of these opportunities prior to beginning their career here.”

Two areas where Erie Community College will be furthering its efforts in the coming year are the Veterans Leadership Council and the Western New York (WNY) Veterans One-Stop Center. The Leadership Council pro-vides an opportunity for the student veterans to connect

with mentors in the community to further advance their readjustment, while also helping to shape the initiatives of the future for other veter-ans both on and off campus. This model incorporates mentoring and relationship models similar to the enlisted/junior non-commissioned officer/senior non-commissioned officer model of the military.

“The WNY Veterans One-Stop allows the college to support the needs of veterans in the community in a stronger partnership with the other colleges in the WNY Consortium of Higher Education,” said Frontera.

“Coastline understands that veterans need a central location where they can get answers; therefore, we opened a veterans resource center [VRC] on the first floor of our main campus in 2012 and will be opening a second VRC at our new Newport Beach location this year,” said Ma.

As prospective students consider their post-military career path, they should be sure to consider the community college. Clearly, many community colleges have the academic programs, resources, and staff that can rival those of larger universities. In fact, these smaller schools may be the perfect fit for students seeking flexibility, affordability and veteran services to support them in their quest for higher education. O

Tim Lea

[email protected]




On April 29, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the launch of the IT Training and Certification Partnership at the White House Forum on Military Credentialing and Licens-ing in Washington, D.C. This new program, enabled by a public-private partnership, allows servicemembers within six months of transitioning out of the military to gain certi-fications necessary for IT professions such as computer programming, quality assurance and IT security analysis.

“[Our veterans] do everything,” said Obama in remarks to the group. “They are medics and engineers, they’re drivers, weld-ers ... And they are eminently qualified to do the very jobs that employers across this country are desperate to fill.

“But too often, because of red tape, or outdated rules, or simple lack of coordina-tion, our men and women in uniform come home only to find that the training and experience they’ve gotten during their time in uniform simply doesn’t count. Or they discover that the credits that they’ve earned in mili-tary courses don’t actually transfer when they enroll in college, so they’re turned away from jobs that they’re more than qualified to do. Or they wind up paying to do the same course-work over again, and all that training, all that education, all that expertise that they have devoted their lives to attain, it all goes to waste.”

Typically, servicemembers who work in IT roles in the military, despite having knowl-edge and experience, lack the certifications necessary to be considered for similar civil-ian jobs. The IT Training and Certification

Partnership aims to redress this problem by providing up to 161,000 servicemem-bers with portable IT skills that can be used outside of the military. The follow-ing companies have offered their services training opportunities through the Part-nership: Cisco Systems, Microsoft Corpora-tion, Oracle, CompTIA, NetApp, HP, Futures Inc., Global Knowledge, GogoTraining, and SANS Institute and Global Information Assurance Certification.

gogotrAining

GogoTraining is an IT training company that partners with top instructors in the tech field to create dynamic, interactive, self-paced

courses; students have access to the instructor, course mate-rial, exercise guides and lab guides for a full year after reg-istering. For the pilot program of the IT Training and Certifica-tion Partnership, Gogo Train-ing and Global Knowledge, a global training organization that provides classroom train-ing and live online training, have each donated 500 courses.

“This program is intended for active duty military within six months of exit, who have been referred by their tran-sitioning service manager,” said Marianne Cherney, the creator of GogoTraining. Ser-vicemembers come into the pipeline through Global Knowledge, whose staff help students determine which courses are required and which training method is best for them. Then, students are referred to GogoTraining.

The typical training course available through GogoTraining is the equivalent to about three days in the classroom. “When you

are preparing for certification, the number of courses you are required to take varies based on your background; the amount of courses you’ll need to take will vary according to how much IT knowledge you already have,” said Cherney.

“We have a very big program on pro-gramming that we’re doing for transitioning servicemembers,” she continued. “People can come in from the beginning—having no skill sets at all—and go all the way to becoming mobile application developers for platforms such as the Android or the iPhone. We have courses that start with the fundamentals of programming that then map you all the way through.”

Through courses offered by GogoTraining, students can become proficient in Python, Pearl, Android, iPhone and Java. “We also have courses in Oracle to help people become Oracle database administrator certified associ-ates. They can come on in, take those courses and then get certified,” said Cherney.

“We also are providing Storage+. It’s by CompTIA Storage+, sponsored by SNIA [Storage Networking Industry Association], which is a brand-new certification that CompTIA released around six months ago. There’s so much data in the world today, and companies and organizations must figure out [how to store it, how it will be managed, and how to ensure it’s secure]. It’s a huge market. CompTIA just released the certification, and we are currently the only online self-paced training provider in the world that is certified to present that material,” Cherney said.

coMPtiA

CompTIA, a not-for-profit trade associa-tion for IT industry, has a current member-ship of about 2,200 companies and partners

By lAurAl hoBBes, MAe editor

IT TrainingcoMPAnies hAve dedicAted resources to trAin serviceMeMBers within six Months of sePArAting in it sPeciAlties.

Marianne Cherney

[email protected]

for a Transitioning Force


with educational institutions, commercial training provid-ers and other organizations for training on certifica-tions. “Our members include manufacturers of hardware and software products as well as technology distributors, resellers, value-added resell-ers, system integrators and service and solution provid-ers,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer of CompTIA.

To date, CompTIA has awarded over 1.7 million IT skills certifications, making it the world’s largest provider of vendor-neutral certifications for IT professionals. “CompTIA certifications are the recognized industry standards for a broad range of technology skills, including IT fundamentals, repair and technical support, networking, security, server, storage, Linux, project management, printing and document imaging, conver-gence technologies, health IT, green IT, and cloud computing,” said Thibodeaux.

In August 2011, CompTIA launched its Troops to Tech Careers program, an initiative aimed at easing the transition of veterans from military to civilian life by providing a pathway to successful careers in IT through education, credentialing and employment. “Our participation in the White House’s IT Training and Certification Program expands our involvement with military veterans,” Thibodeaux said. “In the case of our Troops to Tech Careers program, for example, more than 12,000 veterans have earned more 15,500 CompTIA certifications since the pro-gram was introduced.”

CompTIA is donating vouchers for certi-fication exams for the IT Training and Certi-fication Program, such as CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Security+, to program participants. It has donated 350 exam vouchers for the pilot program. “This continues CompTIA’s longstanding commitment to the Depart-ment of Defense and the armed forces,” said Thibodeaux. “CompTIA [also] participates in the DoD Information Assurance Program and contributes to the Wounded Warriors Project through its foundation, Creating IT Futures.”

The length of time to prepare for a CompTIA certification exam varies by indi-vidual. “Some military personnel with experi-ence with computers and technology will be able to take and pass the exam with some self-study, either online or with a textbook.

Others may need a few weeks or months, depending on the type of training they choose,” said Thibodeaux.

futures inc.

“It’s kind of tragic that at a time where we’ve got 3.8 million job openings in the workforce and we’re on the front end of the greatest

talent shortage in history, with 10,000 baby boomers a day aging out of the workforce, our vets don’t have jobs,” said Geoff Cra-mer, chief executive officer of Futures Inc. Cramer’s company, which harnesses cloud-based talent exchange technology, aims to change this.

In partnership with Cisco, Futures Inc. created the U.S. IT Pipeline, a website that connects the supply of potential employees to employers and available jobs. The website, www.usitpipeline.com, is tailored to allow all servicemembers to explore civilian IT careers. Futures Inc. also powers the U.S. Military Pipeline, which “ties in every career path in the U.S. to every education and training program and the steps [job seekers] need to take to get from Point A to Point B,” said CEO Geoff Cramer. “Now, transitioning ser-vicemembers can, at the click of the button, see what certifications they need and where they can get them. Our job is to identify the resources, whether it’s a training partner, a scholarship, or an employer who has a job available, and plug them in so they’re all con-nected to create a one-stop for over 20,000 IT employers.”

As the IT Training and Certification Part-nership recognizes, one of the big issues facing veterans today is that they lack the certifications necessary to easily get civilian jobs. “They’ve got the skills, but they don’t have the certification. But if you can main-tain an M1 tank, you probably have what it takes to work for Caterpillar, for example,” said Cramer. “The White House asked us if we could provide the analysis for [transitioning servicemembers] with the core skills to help them with the gap analysis, and then con-nect them with whatever industry credentials they needed.”

So, Futures Inc. mapped the top 12 high-demand IT career paths, which will have approximately 1.8 million jobs avail-able in the next six years. Then they identi-fied every entry and intermediate credential required for those positions, and secured

training partners. “IT companies were at the White House saying, ‘We have thousands and thousands of [available] jobs, but we need [candidates who have the] certifications.’ So we’re kind of the Keebler Elves. We provide the skills translation and the crosswalks, and we connect the dots so individuals can get their certifications. We don’t stop there: We connect servicemembers all the way through to the employers who are currently looking for someone who has that certification,” Cramer said.

Futures Inc.’s technology also allows them to dynamically rank and stack the best matching candidates for an employer. “So instead of 1,000 resumes, we can say, here are your top 20 candidates.”

Futures Inc. has supported the military for eight years, long before supporting transi-tion and veteran employment came to the forefront of national consciousness. Futures Inc. is also the technology platform behind Hero 2 Hired (www.h2h.jobs), which provides similar services to Reserve Component ser-vicemembers. “There are about 3.8 million jobs out there today that we’ve broken down into the core industry groups—IT, health care, manufacturing, etc. We break down all those jobs by industry, career path, and geo-graphic region every 24 hours. Then we con-nect these for all military personnel so they can crosswalk their military skills, training, leadership experience, credentials, and where they want to live to find the best opportuni-ties,” said Cramer.

The U.S. IT Pipeline uses a targeted list of over 300 military occupation codes across all services. “They’re reaching out to those individuals who have the core skills and abilities to succeed in IT career paths and at the click of the button, they can be assigned a virtual training coach with a lot of our partners. We set up whatever path they want to do virtually or at a community college. In as little as two weeks, they can get their IT certifications.”

Hopefully the generosity of these com-panies will quickly empower veterans to be candidates for the 1.8 million job opportuni-ties that are predicted to be available in IT fields by 2020, and seamlessly transition to the civilian workforce. O

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

at www.mae-kmi.com.

Todd Thibodeaux


Continuing to Build Bridges Through Education

While CCME was holding its annual conference in San Diego, the White House released a report entitled “The Fast Track to Civilian Employment: Streamlining Creden-tialing and Licensing for Service Members, Veterans and their Spouses.” Prepared with input from many federal agencies and the Office of the First Lady, the Executive Sum-mary identified unique challenges that ser-vicemembers, military families and veterans face in the labor market. Cited are frequent moves combined with different require-ments for occupational licenses across state lines, and the difficulty servicemembers and veterans face in obtaining formal private sector recognition of their military training and experience.

According to the report, as of January 2013, approximately 844,000 veterans are unemployed and looking for work, including 252,000 Post-9/11 veterans. Currently there are more than 860,000 military spouses, with an unemployment rate of 9.7 percent. Not only does this situation seriously affect the financial situation of active military and veterans as well as their families, it is one of the driving factors resulting in increased homeless rates.

The report recognizes that there are many skills taught while in the service and that these can be utilized once there is a transition to civilian life. However, military education, training and experience are not always recognized by higher education insti-tutions, state licensing agencies or by the organizations that administer the related certifications or exams, thereby making it difficult for active military and veterans to qualify for the certifications they need for civilian professional positions. Certifications and licenses provide proof of the mastery of the skill set as well as the transferability to civilian employment.

Five high-demand skill occupations that are associated with certifications and/or licenses have been identified as the focus for these efforts: manufacturing, informa-tion technology, transportation and logistics, health care, and emergency medical services.

According to an earlier report released May 31, 2012, by the Office of the President entitled “Military Skills for America’s Future: Leveraging Military Service and Experience to Put Veterans and Military Spouses Back to Work,” a DoD Credentialing and Licens-ing Task Force was created to undertake a systematic effort to identify opportunities for service members to earn civilian-equivalent occupation credentials and licenses.

The task force will define a list of military occupational codes that best transfer to high-demand civilian occupations and work with civilian credentialing and licensing asso-ciations to address gaps between military training programs and credentialing and licensing requirements; make credentialing and licensing options and information avail-able to servicemembers; and facilitate the administration of credentialing and licensing exams. According to the report, the initial task force efforts will focus on developing pathways to credentialing and licensing for servicemembers in those industries listed earlier that leverage military training and have a need for more skilled workers.

On April 29, 2013, the White House con-vened a Forum on Military Credentialing and Licensing for the purpose of engaging stake-holders from industry, higher education and federal agencies. There were several breakout sessions, and CCME and NAIMES repre-sentatives attended industry-specific round-tables. I participated in the roundtable that addressed advanced medical occupations for the purpose of engaging in the development of a comprehensive public-private partner-ship in this area within the next few months.

CCME was founded because we too rec-ognized the value of military service. We are well positioned to help with the goals of this initiative. However, there remains a significant gap between military training and the perception of how that translates to civil-ian workforce requirements. This gap closes when active military and veterans obtain certifications and licenses.

In order to help with this endeavor, CCME board members have been unofficially

tapped to be on the standing committee related to best practices in assessing and recognizing credit from military training and experience toward degrees, certificates and licenses. This topic will be a pro-fessional development focus at the next CCME Symposium in February 2014 in Savannah, Ga., and we will also invite the leaders involved in this initiative to speak to CCME attendees.

As 2014 will be the 70th anniversary of the passing of the GI Bill legislation, we will be having a 1940s WWII theme at the symposium. We are planning a conference that continues to build on past knowledge and current needs, to bridge gaps among military, higher education and industry.

Thanks in advanced for your member-ship and partnership. Together, we will make it significantly easier for servicemem-bers and veterans to have their military skills recognized by the civilian sector, and significantly reduce the time it takes highly-skilled veterans to get hired in high-demand jobs. We, in higher education, are the bridge. Industry depends on our education and training. Servicemembers, veterans and their spouses deserve our attention! O

Michael Heberling, Ph.D.

Note from Mike Heberling, CCME pres-ident: This month, former CCME President Joycelyn Groot wrote an insightful article on streamlining military credentialing. Make sure you plan on attending the CCME Symposium in Savannah, Ga., February 10-13, 2014.

By Joycelyn groot


advErtisErs indExAshford University...................................................................8 www.military.ashford.edu/maeBarry University ....................................................................C2 www.barry.edu/maeBerkeley College ....................................................................27 www.berkeleycollege.edu/militaryBroward College ......................................................................5 www.broward.eduColumbia College ..................................................................18 www.goforgreater.orgCompTIA ................................................................................27 www.comptiastore.com/casp/maeEmpire State College .............................................................11 www.esc.edu/militaryExcelsior College .....................................................................6 http://success.excelsior.edu/degreesformilitaryNorth Carolina State University Jenkins MBA Program .........4 www.mba.ncsu.eduNorthern Virginia Community College ...................................7 www.nvcc.eduOregon Institute of Technology ............................................27 www.oit.edu/mae Park University .....................................................................17 www.park.edu/maeThomas Edison State College ................................................13 http://military.tesc.eduUniversity of Colorado Boulder ............................................12 www.engineeringmanagement.comUniversity of Maryland University College ...........................C3 http://military.umuc.edu/cyberdefenseUniversity of Phoenix ............................................................C4 www.phoenix.edu/milUniversity of the Incarnate Word .........................................20 www.military.uiw.eduThe University of Texas at Dallas Nareen Jindal School of Management ..................................27 http://glemba.utdallas.edu

The

adve

rtis

ers

inde

x is

pro

vide

d as

a s

ervi

ce to

our

read

ers.

KM

I can

not b

e he

ld re

spon

sibl

e fo

r dis

crep

anci

es d

ue to

last

-min

ute

chan

ges

or a

ltera

tions

.

MAE RESOURCE CENTER

CalEndarJuly 17, 2013Educating Your Future: Active-Duty and Veteran Education SymposiumFairfield, Calif.http://nsccedsymp-esli.eventbrite.com

July 31-August 3, 20132013 SVA Leadership InstituteIndianapolis, Ind.http://www.studentveterans.org/index.php/component/content/article/2-uncategorised/102-2013-leadership-institute-application.html

October 17-18, 20132013 MBA Veterans Career ConferenceChicago, Ill.http://mbaveterans.com/2013-conference

NEXT ISSUE

Cover and In-Depth Interview with:

Education Program ManagerEducation & Career ResourcesU.S. Marine Corps

Insertion Order Deadline: July 3, 2013Ad Materials Deadline: July 10, 2013

July/August 2013Vol. 8, Issue 6

FEAtURESCareer Fairs MAE reviews several prominent career fairs developed for connecting veterans with prospective employers.

Getting Familiar with the New Joint Services transcript In late March, the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support announced the merger of multiple military academic transcripts into a single standard transcript: the joint services transcript.

VA Certifying Official Roundtable Certifying officials (COs) at universities are responsible for reporting student enrollment information to ensure that the VA will distribute benefits to veteran students. MAE speaks with several COs about the services they are equipped to provide.

From the theater of War to … the theatre? Many veterans have used their Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits towards degrees in filmmaking. We look at the most popular degree programs.

Financial Services Insurance companies are looking to hire new talent who can help them reach the 58 million American households who are underinsured. It just so happens that veterans possess a variety of personal attributes that make them attractive candidates for positions at financial services organizations.

Daryl R. Patrick


Lauded as a military-friendly college by top publications, Berkeley College proudly supports the GI Bill and participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Servicemembers may be eligible for Berkeley grants covering up to 100% of undergraduate tuition and fees remaining after federal and state grants are applied.

These are just some of the benefits Berkeley offers to veterans and military students:

• Fully staffed Office of Military and Veterans Affairs supports all military and veterans programs • CVET program for eligible combat veterans (cvet.com)• Veterans Resource Centers at three locations• Two active chapters of the Student Veterans of America• Participation in all DOD Military Tuition Assistance programs

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

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

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

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

For the most up-to-date information, please visit BerkeleyCollege.edu. P2742

There’s anew certin town.

Take your career and organization to the next level of security expertise when you get CASP certified. Unlike the competition, CASP tests critical thinking and judgment across a broad spectrum of disciplines.

The Technical Alternative inCybersecurity Certification

enterprise security I research and analysis

risk management I DoD 8570 approved

Get 10% Off CASPExam and Learning Solutions.

www.comptiastore.com/CASP/MAE

• Military Friendly Schools List honored Oregon Tech among the top 15 percent of colleges, universities, and trade schools.

• Military Times' Best for Vets: Colleges ranked Oregon Tech in the top ten percent of 650 schools.

www.oit.edu/MAEHands-on education for real-world achievement.

Check online for our list of programs and majors, including 4 technology-focused Bachelor Degrees in Management.

[email protected] an

equa

l-opp

ortu

nity

insti

tutio

n.


UNIVERSITY CORNER Military Advanced Education

Scott A. KilgoreSenior Vice President of Military Affairs

Kaplan University

Since joining Kaplan University in November of 2004, Scott A. Kilgore has worked with the department of admis-sions, academic advising, business intelli-gence, the Office of Student Management and numerous smaller departments tasked with supporting those larger operations. Kilgore was instrumental in establishing a dedicated military student support center and the Military Affairs Senior Leadership team.

Kilgore received his commission via ROTC as a U.S. Army officer and served in a number of command and staff positions in the cavalry and infan-try branches. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska, Omaha and his MBA from the University of Iowa. Kilgore is married with three children.

Q: To begin with, could you please provide a brief overview of your school?

A: The phrase “the college experience” is often used to encompass moving out of the house for the first time, new social experiences and a newfound indepen-dence. Somewhere within the traditional college experience is of course the desire to get a quality education for a successful career. This is the element that dominates Kaplan University’s focus. Our mission centers around providing outcomes-based education that enables students to launch, enhance or change careers. We don’t have fraternities, dormitories or football games—which is not to say we don’t offer student groups and associa-tions, but our focus is on the academic rigor and mastery of skills.

Q: What is your school’s background in military education?

A: Military students have been very early adopters of online education, so we have had a growing population of military stu-dents since launching our online courses. We recognize that properly supporting our military students is crucial to their

success. We have worked hard to con-tinuously improve military support. This has resulted in a military population that now makes up over 20 percent of our student body.

Q: What are some of your school’s main goals in meeting the future challenges of online education for the military?

A: We take the view that military students come to us with valuable skills that we, in many cases, do not need to replicate. Our job is to augment the skills they have, minimize redundant study, and provide them with the learning outcomes needed for their chosen fields. We must also provide the flexibility that allows them to balance education with their duty, career and family.

Q: Looking ahead, how will your school realize its core objectives and aspirations?

A: Constant assessments of our teaching at increasingly more granular levels will guide our way. As a university committed to student success, our heritage is one of innovation and data-driven results and we will stay true to that formula.

Q: What do you think are the key issues facing higher education today?

A: Our educational system is under tre-mendous pressure as budgets shrink at public schools and global competition

expands the need for highly skilled, job-ready graduates at a pace which currently cannot be met. A much broader perspec-tive must be taken as we think about education, one that goes deeper into our population than the traditional 18-year-old college-bound student. We need to nurture the talent from across the popu-lation at any age, anytime, anywhere. Our servicemembers and veterans are incred-ible resources sorely needed in the civil-ian world. Higher education must seek to build upon these skills—not replace them—and help these individuals take on the leadership roles within society that they are uniquely qualified to fill.

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

A: We have military students spread widely across our 180 degree and certifi-cate programs. One school I would like to call out is our School of Health Science. We have programs created to match mili-tary occupational skills and thus allow a significant portion of the degree to be completed through service. For this rea-son, it’s a very popular program for medi-cal personnel. Too often you hear about members of the military taking courses they likely could have taught. We work hard to avoid that.

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

A: It takes constant focus on the part of an institution to earn the right to edu-cate military students. It’s important to remember that while it can be difficult due to differing policies, programs and regulations, military students deserve to be insulated from administrative distrac-tions and allowed to use the precious time they have to be used to advance their studies. And when the inevitable changes of course occur, we must be ready to accommodate those as well. O


Learn more • 877-275-UMUC • military.umuc.edu/cyberdefense

ARM YOURSELF FOR OPPORTUNITYWITH A CYBERSECURITY DEGREE.

© 2

013

Uni

vers

ity

of M

aryl

and

Uni

vers

ity

Col

lege

University of Maryland University College is the nation’s largest public university.

To win the battle in cyberspace, we need more cyber warriors. University

of Maryland University College (UMUC) has answered the call, educating

the next generation of cyber security specialists in the public and private

sectors. Our accessible online degree programs have been recognized

for excellence by NSA and DHS. And many of UMUC’s courses address

industry-standard certifications, including many on the DoD 8570

list. UMUC is affordable, too, with scholarships for those who qualify, interest-free monthly payment plans and

participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Because the nation’s battle for cyber security can’t afford to be without you.

AT YOUR SERVICE SINCE 1947

130435_UMUC_8.375x10.875_MAE.indd 1 4/24/13 3:42 PM

Mae 8 5 final

Documents

hybrid mba programs

percent of wwii veterans

mba enrollment survey

larger populations of

veteransmba veterans

online degree programs

military veteran students

militaryaffiliated students