Programs Update

Southeastern Council on Military Education

SECOME

October 2015

Patrice N. HamiltonDegree Network System (DNS) Project Director (Army)

Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC)

SOC was established in 1972 to help meet the voluntary higher education needs of servicemembers. SOC is a Department of Defense (DoD) contractor supporting government-sponsored education programs funded through a DoD-managed contract with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).

SOC Mission

Serve as a vehicle to help coordinate post-secondary educational opportunities for servicemembers

Strengthen liaison and working relationships among military and higher education representatives

Advocate for flexibility needed to improve access to and availability of educational programs for servicemembers

FY 2015 SOC Changes

SOC Principles and Criteria and the Military Student Bill of Rights continue as integral components of the Services’ Voluntary Education programs

Only SOC Consortium dissolved on December 31, 2014

Provide additional program support for DoD and Military Services (regarding DoD MOU compliance and complaint resolution)

SOC, in coordination with OUSD, will solicit and research issues for white papers/studies from voluntary education stakeholders

Reshape and expand the SOC Degree Network System

Establish a Career and Technical Education Program

DoD Program Support

Student Advocate—Troubleshoot and Resolve Academic issues/grievances for servicemembers, family members

Voluntary Education Resource—guide varied group of stakeholders to appropriate resources

Advocacy for Standards of Good Practice

Assist with DoD MOU compliance and complaint resolution

Convene info exchange forum /research and develop white papers, as requested

What is the Degree Network System?

A participatory college course articulation system, started in 1979 and includes: Accredited institutions supporting servicemember degree completion

through guaranteed course articulations Structured Course Category Codes with course to course

articulations, in 472 Course Subjects— Two-way guaranteed course transferability among member schools where

Course Categories exist— Organized within Degree Networks (academic disciplines)

More than one million SOC DNS Student Agreements issued — Student Agreements are “contracts for degrees” — Issued to active-duty servicemembers and their families— Student Agreement remains in effect after servicemember leaves

military service

SOC DNS Changes

Consolidated SOC Degree Network System (DNS)

Increased degree options for servicemembers across participating Services—Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard

Focus on coordinating Degree Networks that have guaranteed course transferability among member schools. Affiliate member status being phased out.

Major review of degrees/majors that servicemembers are currently enrolled in and those with potential expansion and growth into emerging career fields.

Identify articulation agreements between SOC DNS-2 and DNS-4 institutions for greater transfer acceptance for two-year degrees into four-year programs.

All participants must be DoD MOU signatories.

DNS Status to Date

Revised Institutional-level Membership Criteria:– http://www.soc.aascu.org/socdns/DNSMember.html

Two-tiered assessment: – membership at the institutional level – academic fit of program offerings within the DNS;

existing and developing Guaranteed Transfer Networks

– System that reflects the needs of the Services

New Focus: Career and Technical Education program (CTE)

SOC will develop, vet, and maintain a resource list of career and technical education degrees (associate level) and certificates (college and non-college) programs

No more than 200 schools/institutions/entities initially, covering broad career and technical program areas

Career and Technical Education Program Criteria

Review of certificates pursued by Servicemembers (across all Services)

(NASDCTEc) Career clusters with positive job growth forecasts

Must be DoD MOU signatories

Programmatic accreditation, if applicable

Career and Technical Education Program (CTE)

The initial phase begins this fall in these areas:– Business Management & Administration– Health Sciences – Information Technology– Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security– Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics– Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Career and Technical Education Program (CTE)

Institutional requirements can be reviewed at

http://www.soc.aascu.org/soccte/CTEMember.html

Only credit-bearing certificate programs closely aligned with identified career fields will be considered at this time.

Where to Find Answers

Contact Us

Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges1307 New York Avenue, NW Fifth FloorWashington, DC 20005-4701

Phone: (800) 368-5622(202) 667-0079

Fax: (202) 667-0622E-mail: socmail@aascu.org

Web site: http://www.soc.aascu.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ServicemembersOpportunityColleges