By Susan L. Follett
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (July 16, 2015) – For the Army Acquisition Workforce, education is a key component of career development and, ultimately, mission success for the warfighter. Armywide, thousands of Soldiers and civilians are involved in professional education programs, making the Army’s educational enterprise one of the largest academic systems in the United States. Last month, the Army announced The Army University—a multiyear plan to bolster its educational offerings by aligning most of its military education programs under a unified academic structure.
A February 2015 white paper from LTG Robert B. Brown, commanding general of the Combined Arms Center, spelled out the research behind the effort, which indicated that the Army’s current system—largely unchanged for two decades—is inadequate to address the complex challenges outlined in the Army Operating Concept, which calls for a flexible professional military education process that’s focused on educating leaders. The education effort within the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) today includes 70-plus schools and several independent research libraries. Bureaucratic stovepipes often restrict the sharing of best practices across the education enterprise. Additionally, degrees and credentials from Army academic institutions carry less weight and prestige in the broader academic community, in part as a result of misunderstanding of the accreditation process within the military and a view that Army education lacks the academic rigor found in civilian programs.
The new system will align the officer, warrant officer, non-commissioned officer and civilian education programs across TRADOC under a single academic structure with a consistent brand name. The alignment will streamline academic governance, reduce stovepipes, facilitate accreditation and increase avenues for quickly sharing best practices. In addition, the Army University will increase collaboration and the sharing of best practices. Once fully implemented, the Army University concept is expected to yield increased numbers of Army courses with nationally-recognized accreditation; increase the number of Army education experiences that result in college credits or trade certifications; raise instructor credentials; and normalize many core courses across educational opportunities.
The Army University will encompass all U.S. Army training and command schools, and address the educational needs of the Army while providing individual Soldiers and civilians the opportunity to accomplish their own respective academic goals. The Army War College will be an integral part of the Army University but will maintain separate accreditation and governance.
The Army’s goal with the reorganized university structure is to maximize educational opportunities for Soldiers by providing valid academic credit for the education and experience they receive while on active duty. The Army will benefit in the form of reduced tuition assistance expenses, and Soldiers will benefit from better capability to transition into quality employment opportunities once they leave active duty.
The Army University is scheduled to roll out in the third quarter of FY15, and is slated to reach initial operating capability by the first quarter of FY16. Over the next two years, the Army University will develop new processes to facilitate student and faculty collaboration and exchanges with civilian universities, establish universal transcripts, centralize and improve faculty development programs, and implement common core curriculum across the spectrum of Army education.
Read The Army University whitepaper or the featured edition of StandTo! for more details.
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