Future Soldier/Sailor Program: A hometown college taking care of the hometown recruit!

1. Future Soldier/Sailor Program:A hometown college taking care of the hometown recruit! Steven L. Brown Cory Payne

2. Program • Meet with enlistees prior to shipment to either basic or boot camps. • Enlistees are offered the opportunity to register for a free 3 college credit hour military science course. • Fee waived registrations. • Low cost student recruitment of students who will be able to afford college either in service or after discharge.

3. Changes to enlistment process • Enlistees no longer ship to training early. They wait 3 to 6 months to ship to their initial Basic/Boot training that graduates them to seamlessly transition into their advanced course. • Recruiters meet weekly during this time to maintain contact with enlistees in the form of regularly scheduled training conducted at the local recruiting stations.

4. Pre-enlistment Curriculum • Standardized curriculum developed for all enlistees • Lessons plans have been developed by curriculum and instruction experts to ensure that all instruction meets baseline standards • Subject matter experts are the primary instructors at each station (noncommissioned officers: sergeants and petty officers)

5. Reason’s for Recruiter contact To ensure that enlistees • stay out of trouble, • away from drugs, or • change their minds, • Are prepare for basic/boot so that they will more easily acclimate in the first few weeks of service.

6. Breakdown of instruction • 60% taught by recruiters • 40% taught by college staff • Recruiters are unpaid adjuncts teaching under the supervision of college staff

7. Topics taught by recruiters Equal Opportunity First Aid General Orders Risk Management Land Navigation Sexual Assault Voice Communication Army/Navy Values Suicide Prevention Military Time Drill & Ceremony • Military courtesy • Military Customs • Military History & US Army/Navy Mission • Some fitness (critical because of physical condition of our youth) • Personal Finance/responsibilities • Time management • Stress Management • Military organization • Military rules/regulations

8. Mountwest CTC teaches • Personal Finance/Financial Readiness • Use of education benefits while on active duty: Federal Tuition Assistance • Post-active duty educational benefits (GI Bill benefits)- Prefer to consider as an earned scholarship • National Guard and Reserve Forces educational benefits • Conversion of Military Training to College Credit using ACE

9. College ROTC& prior service military • All service members completing basic training receive credit for the freshman and sophomore years of ROTC towards commissioning. • The topics that ACE recommend that service members receive includes marksmanship and other topics not always taught in year one of ROTC. • Typically the first college ROTC course teaches the same material taught by recruiters to enlistees

10. Benefit to the enlistee • The enlistee will receive all necessary information needed to continue his/her college education while on active duty which will prepare them for employment sooner upon exit from the military. • Have the tools to maximize their educational benefits. • Will be ahead of their peers in promotion contention while in the military, especially for sergeant/petty officer and above. • Will benefit monetarily from faster promotions due to immediate college credit with increased promotion potential. Note: credits must be on a college transcript to count towards promotion points.

11. Military Science 101 (for US Army) • Typical course description: Introduction to challenges and competences critical for effective leadership. Examines how critical thinking, goal setting, time management, and stress relate to leadership. Develops knowledge and comprehension of leadership dimensions. Lessons include history and mission of the Army and leadership, personal development, values and ethics, and tactics and techniques discussions.

12. Reason’s to partner with Recruiters to offer Introduction to Military Science • Most enlistees state they are enlisting into the military to earn educational benefits (at least that is what they tell their parents) • Their college enrollment at time of enlistment starts service member thinking about completing their post-secondary education. • Informs service members of their military credits from training and experience. Better prepares them to discuss options with other institutions of higher education. • Educates service members on how to maximize their educational opportunities both during active duty and upon discharge.

13. After Successful completion of US Army Basic Training • Credits Awarded for MILS 110: 3 Credit Hours • Credit earned from Basic training (per ACE): - PE 101 – Personal Fitness Training – 1 CRH - MILS 133 – Marksmanship – 1 CRH - EME 105 – First on Scene – 2 CRH - MILS 280 – Land Navigation – 2 CRH - PE 280 – Self Defense – 1 CRH • Credit Awarded for Advanced Individual Training (AIT) based on an individual evaluation of the Military Occupational Specialty and in accordance with the American Council on Education MOS guidelines.

14. Ancillary Benefits of partnering with Recruiters • Recruiters have started pursuing their post-secondary education. Currently 100% graduation rate of Army & Navy Recruiters in our service area. • 97% graduation rate of all active duty members. • College has an active duty service member/student in Korea taking on-line classes. • Recruiters transfer and upon arrival at other areas encourage other recruiters/service members to call our school.

15. Expected benefits • In three to four years returning service members return to college. Hopefully having maximized use of CLEP/DANTES, Federal Tuition Assistance, and military credits. • Eventually increase in enrollment with minimal recruitment cost to institution. • Start service members thinking earlier about completing college. Start from day one of active duty versus after return home from service.

16. To-date Results • Of the 40 initial students 12 (30%) have continued with Mountwest. These 12 students are on-line students including one in Korea and are working on an AAS. • 21% of the class has returned as half-time students while on Active Duty. • In less than 2 years increased number of military/veteran benefit using students from 80 to over 400. Earlier enrollment from the first cohort than originally anticipated. • All Recruiters at the local station has earned an AAS degree. The recent station commander earned his degree was promoted and transferred to Mississippi after promotion. • Recently the program was adopted by the University of Montana/Helena to reach out to their state’s enlistees.

17. Results continued • The students are informing their counterparts about our school and additional students are being enrolled from “word-of-mouth” recruitment. We have had referrals from other bases: Jacksonville NAS, FL, Ft. Hood,TX, Naval Recruiting Stations in Louisville, KY and Roanoke, VA, Army Recruiting Stations in Alabama, Mississippi, Ft. Knox, KY, and Huston, TX. We also have students afloat with the US Navy and on deployment to Afghanistan. • Those entering the reserves are coming back to their “Home Town” school to continue as a full-time student. • Mountwest went from an annual revenue from use of the GI Bill & Tuition Assistance of $126,000 in the 2009/2010 school year to in excess of $425,000 for the 2012 fall term alone. • Started the program with the Army which led to the creation of the same program with the Navy that was implemented this past summer. • Creating an 1 credit hour course for the USMC.

18. Reasons for the program • The institution receives immediate enrollment of a new student count towards headcount. • At best the institution will receive request for registration to take on-line courses from the student after completion of their training as a distance learner. • As the student’s “Home Town” institution, once the student has left the service, chances are that the student will return to their “Home Town” Institution to complete their degree.

19. Comparison Spring 2010-Fall 2012 Spring 2010 Fall 2012 153 GI Bill Education Benefits drawing students (+ 175%) 15 Federal Tuition Assistance students (12 from first cohort of FSP) 14 VRAP (3 more in the spring) 320 3rd Party Waivers Military Programs is 20.3% of Fall term enrollment • 87 GI Bill Education Benefits drawing students • 2 Federal Tuition Assistance students • N/A –VRAP • N/A 3rd Party Waivers

20. Why do we do this? • The sooner our service members start earning their degrees the bigger the return for our society. • Most importantly--To help Steve Brown retire!

21. Additional Programs MCTC has Within the Office of Military Programs • Veteran’s Home Continuing Education Program • Unit Recruitment & Education Program for the Guard and Reserves • Seamless Transition Education Benefits Counseling • Educational Covenant with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, National Guard, and Service Organizations • Future Soldier/Sailor Program • Veterans Job Fair • Veterans Drug Court Partnership Feel free to contact us for assistance with the set-up of Military Friendly Cost Effective Programs for your school Dr. Brown – brown175@mctc.edu Cory Payne – payne78@mctc.edu

22. Questions? • What are your questions?