Alumni Association
WIU-QC, Arsenal collaborate to provide educational opportunities for personnel
Educational opportunities are enhanced for Rock Island Arsenal employees and soldiers after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. Army Garrison-Rock Island Arsenal (USAG-RIA) and Western Illinois University in a ceremony held Jan. 9.
Arsenal employees and soldiers stationed at the Arsenal can pursue a degree, and in most cases receive college credit for, Army or federal employee training they have already received, according to Ann Showalter, education services officer and chief of Army education for Rock Island.
The scope of the agreement reads in part, “In accomplishing this, the University will seek, to the extent consistent, to provide these students with University credit for completed nontraditional courses. Eligible students include all active duty members and their spouses, reserve and guard members and their spouses and Department of Defense employees possessing a valid installation identification card.”
“Western Illinois University has committed to accepting up to 80 hours of transferred credit from a community college through its Board of Trustees Bachelor of Arts (BOT/BOA) degree,” Showalter said. “This program provides Arsenal employees and soldiers with the opportunity to receive academic credit for nontraditional courses. If you received training, the BOT degree program may be able to translate that training to college credits.”
Jeanne Clerc, associate provost for extended studies and distance learning at WIU, said the University's plan is to assist the nontraditional student.
“The BOT/BA follows the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium of colleges and universities' guidelines,” Clerc said. “It can be completed via distance learning so that the location of the student actually doesn't matter.”
Jacquelyn Holan ‘83 MA ‘85, an adviser for the BOT/BA program, said the program is designed to work with mobile soldiers and federal employees.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for military personnel and government employees,” she said. “Not only does the program have a liberal transfer policy for credits earned at other institutions, but also it accepts Army America Council on Education Registry Transcript System/Sergeant Major of the Army Recruiting Team, or AARTS/SMART, evaluated military coursework for academic credit,” Holan said. “Some governmental courses, such as those offered by Army Logistics Management Course or Defense Acquisition University, may be eligible for additional credits.”
She said the BOT/BA degree program offers soldiers the opportunity to earn their degree without any campus attendance; the entire degree can be earned at a distance, and the degree can move with the soldier. Every student in the BOT/BA degree program is assigned a professional academic adviser who can be reached by phone for e-mail. Students are not limited by a prescribed time limit to complete the degree, and up to 90 semester hours of the required 120 can be transferred from other accredited institutions.
For further information on: Board of Trustees Bachelor of Arts Program (BOT/BA): |
In addition to the BOT/BA program, WIU-Quad Cities offers undergraduate programs in accountancy, elementary education, information systems, law enforcement and justice administration, liberal arts and sciences, management, manufacturing engineering technology, marketing and recreation, parks and tourism administration. Nine post-baccalaureate certificate programs and 13 master's degree programs are available in a number of areas, including counseling, education, business administration and law enforcement and justice. An education specialist program and educational doctorate are offered in educational leadership. A complete description of program offerings is available at wiu.edu/qc/advising/qccatalog.php.
Clerc said discussions between USAG-RIA and WIU-QC began about three years ago.
“We started to talk about enhancing our partnership,” she said. “As we learned more about base realignment and closure, and about the incoming military, we thought it looked like a win-win situation where we could enter an agreement and let people know about the programs we have available.”
Photo caption: President Goldfarb, left, with Alan Wilson, Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) garrison manager (retired), and John Curry, right, interim manager, sign a new agreement that allows Arsenal employees and soldiers to receive college credit for training they have already received.
Alumni Association
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E-mail: a-association@wiu.edu
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