From the Advisor's Desk / JAN 2005 “In the Spotlight” with the Director of the Marine Corps Lifelong Learning Program, Mr. Vernon H. Taylor

THE PASS & FUTURE OF DOD VOLUNTARY EDUCATION

FY 2005

Mr. Vernon Taylor has served as the Head of Marine Corps Lifelong Learning (LLL) since May of 1996. He is responsible for the policy, guidance, and funding of the worldwide academic program that provides Library and VolEd support services to over 174,000 Marines and their families. His vast professional career includes a myriad of leadership positions within DoD beginning with his active-service enlistment into the U. S. Army at age 18. He subsequently served as VA and TA European Advisor and University Field Representative for University of Maryland and Boston University; Guidance Counselor, U. S. Army; Learning Center

Director, U. S. Army; Chief, Education Services and Training, U. S. Air Force; and Education Services Officer, U. S. Air Force prior to his present position at Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. A native of Sandybottom Georgia, he believes the simple, basic ways of his formative years in the woods of Sandybottom established who he is today. For his full biography, please visit https://www.voled.doded.mil/voled_web/bios/BioTaylor.htmI. I recently met with Mr. Taylor for his impressions of DoD VolEd. Here are some excerpts from the interview.

?Q: "What do you see as key issues in DoD Voluntary Education and Higher Education?”

?A: “VolEd services to Marines throughout the world will ultimately be determined by quality. When comparing two nearly identical undergraduate courses offered at different institutions, any disparity of higher costs of one institution over the other should be distinguished by customer service and the quality of course delivery. We must be smart consumers and good stewards of TA dollars. Standardization of TA processing at Education Centers across DoD is also a matter of customer service to Service members. Whether the TA ‘pot of money’ belongs to the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, or Air Force is immaterial to the end-user who requires universal TA access. We can do better to ensure that Ed Center TA processing is seamless to the Service member. On the issue of transferability of credit with regard to Regional vs. National accreditation- leadership is needed. With Federal dollars going to both Regionally and Nationally accredited institutions, it is incumbent upon the accrediting bodies to reconcile this ‘either/or’ environment. Transferability of institutional credit should not pose an encumbrance to education opportunity. The Services have similarly approached Service-specific support programs with parochial initiatives such as SOCAD, SOCMAR, AARTS, and SMARTS- to a collective detriment. A more ‘purple’ cooperative amongst the Services is an imperative. The ‘big tent’ approach just makes sense as we draw from limited future DoD VolEd resources.”

Q: "What are the unique qualities of how Lifelong Learning helps bridge the gap between the pursuit of Higher Ed and the Military?”

?A: “Lifelong Learning is VolEd. And at the user level LLL includes the tie-in to training as Marines. The Air Force CCAF system of related degrees to every MOS is evidence that Lifelong Learning is a valuable option for Service members. Marine Corps LLL helps enable Marines to do their job. And ultimately that relates to the bottom line of making Marines and winning battles. Partnering with other Services and Institutions in the delivery of education services remains an important aspect of VolEd support. Another unique quality of Marine Corps LLL is that the majority of VolEd dollars go directly into the pockets of Marines due to minimum program overhead (personnel, infrastructure, etc.).”

?Q: "What are the successes within USMC LLL with which you are most pleased?”

?A: “For 2005, we have budgeted 2M for 40 additional Marine Corps LLL contract support personnel. This will make a difference by adding an increased capability to our Marine Corps VolEd support at the installation level. The Sailor Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART) presently available to Marines and Sailors is an important tool to document military education and experience. The SMART was jointly developed in partnership with the Naval Education and Training Professional Development and Technology Center (NETPDTC). The ongoing success of this system illustrates the benefit of consolidating resources with sister Services (in this case- Navy). Through a Memorandum of Understanding, we combined the Marine Corps and Navy Apprenticeship programs to form the United

Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP). USMAP automates the enrollment and tracking process and expands the available number of occupations under apprenticeship from 27 to 96. This is a win-win as Marines earn civilian recognition while performing their jobs. Partnerships will bring Marine Corps LLL to the next level. One of our key initiatives involves the creation of road maps that will guide the development of professional and military education for Marines. The road maps will encompass a Marine’s career from the onset of training through to retirement from service. This approach maximizes the opportunity for personal and professional development.”

?Q: "What are the roots of Lifelong Learning in the Marine Corps?”

?A: “The roots of lifelong Learning in the U. S. Marine Corps can be traced back to 1839 at Marine Barracks, Washington, DC when the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General John A. Lejeune, established a school for the general education of Band apprentices. One of its most famous students was John Philip Sousa, who gave great credit to this school for his academic and musical education. The philosophical underpinnings of Marine Corps ‘general education’ came from Josephus Daniels, the Secretary of the Navy during President Woodrow Wilson’s administration (1913-1921). It was secretary Daniels who observed that many Sailors and Marines were ‘lacking in elementary education’ and had spare time to remedy this deficiency. He was convinced that Sailors and Marines should not only have a chance to learn fundamental academic skills, but also the skills of a trade. Beginning in 1914, Secretary Daniels had young officers teaching reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, geography, and history to Sailors and Marines. Attendance for those who needed these subjects was compulsory. This effort became known as ‘Navy University Afloat.’ Daniels wrote, ‘my ambition is to make the Navy a great university with college extension, and primary extension onboard ship. Every ship should be a school and every officer a school master.’ General Lejeune, who observed this development, was heavily influenced by Secretary Daniels and was convinced that the best initiative to build and restore morale among the thousands of Marines returning from Europe was to institute an educational system that offered Marines a chance to go to school. Schooling in this system would be voluntary.

General Lejeune hoped that Marines would enlist and remain in the Marine Corps to better themselves, raise Marine Corps standards, and ultimately benefit the country. Thus General Lejeune is widely recognized as the most influential Marine leader in developing general education activities in the Marine Corps.”

?Q: "What would you say to that Marine who is apprehensive about starting college studies due to a lackluster academic performance in High School?”

?A: “I understand the apprehension. Previously attending an all-black school in Pearson, Georgia from 1959 to 1971, I never imagined that one day I would be the Director of a major institution’s learning program. After graduating from Atkinson County Training School in 1971, I immediately enlisted in the military. Like many young Service members, shortly after basic training I was first introduced to Lifelong Learning by enrolling into a basic skills course while stationed in Europe. I’m living proof that education can change a person’s life. Marine Corps LLL is a vital component to fostering the development of the ‘total Marine’ and responding to the demands of an ever-changing world. Tackling the logistical demands of attending school while on active duty is a tough job. In the Marine Corps, the delivery of VolEd programs projects the vision to overcome geographic barriers to reaching the classroom and works to harness the power of technology as we seek alternatives to the traditional classroom. The LLL Military Academic Skills Program (MASP) provides opportunity for Marines to develop the basic skills needed to be successful in pursuing higher education. Our Marines also need to receive recognition and credit for their military training and experience. Attending colleges and universities that recognize the value of military learning experience is a positive progression in the lifelong learning of Marines.” First time users of Tuition Assistance with a GT score of 99 or below are required to attend the Military Academic Skills Program. Statistical data reveals that the 99 and below GT population is prone to academic difficulties. Additionally, all first time users of Tuition Assistance are required to complete a college preparatory course (College 101), which can be taken online or at the LLL Center. Efforts are underway to have this course evaluated or offered by an academic institution for credit.”

?Q: "How is the Marine Corps environment changing?”

?A: “I believe it’s important to consider the unique demographics of the Marine Corps. There are approximately 175,000 active duty Marines and approximately 32,000 Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR) Marines. Forty-three (43) percent of our Marines hold the rank of Private (E-1), Private First Class (E-2), or Lance Corporal (E-3). Sixty-two (62) percent of all Marines are twenty-five (25) years of age or younger. Minority representation has increased in the past 10 years with Hispanic Marines at thirteen (13) percent, African American Marines at twelve (12) percent and American Indian, Alaskan native, Asian, Pacific Islander, Multi-racial and other Marines at nine (9) percent. Within our officer community, 1.9 percent have 2-year degrees, 72 percent have 4-year degrees and 16.2 percent have graduate degrees. Within our enlisted community, 2.4 percent have 2-year degrees, 1 percent have 4-year degrees and 15 percent have graduate degrees. Honor, courage, and commitment are words that link us to the Marine heroes of the past. Today’s heroes, however, must add ‘educated’ to describe who they are. More than ever, Marines need to be smarter and better educated

to improve their war fighting skills. Lifelong learning programs are vital core enablers that help our Marines meet the rigors of the ever-changing battlefield of this new millennium. The ongoing global war on terrorism is different than any war America has ever fought and the stakes are high. The Corps’ ability to be agile, flexible, and adaptable is critical to the thousands of Marines presently deployed worldwide. When I first became the Director of Marine Corps LLL, we had a budget of 9M dollars for a program consisting of TA, VA and DANTES testing. We had about 18,500 Marines participating and 46,000 VolEd courses taken. Much has changed. In FY04 we spent 37.6M on active duty TA support alone, with 23,823 Marines participating in 72,370 courses. Our present programs consist of the Marine Corps Satellite Education Network (MCSEN), Service members Opportunity Colleges Marine Corps (SOCMAR), Military Academic Skills Program (MASP), Sailor Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART), United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP), deployed education, 100 percent TA, VA, general libraries, integrated library support (ILS), Marine Corps College Program (MCCP), and increased staffing. With a combined budget of more than 60M dollars, much has changed for the better in the delivery of educational opportunities for our Marines.”

?Q: "What are some of the challenges facing the Marine Corps today?”

?A: “Today’s Marine Corps faces many challenges. These include the mission challenges of combat readiness, humanitarian operations, disaster relief and rescue operations. As the Marine Corps remains focused on protecting the security interests of the United States, its citizen and allies, we find ourselves in an age where the defense of liberty is increasingly more technically and intellectually sophisticated. Internally, we face the increasing challenge to recruit, develop, educate, and retain our most important asset- our people. We know that participation in TA doubles the probability of retaining Service members (DMDC 1997). And personnel who participate in TA-sponsored courses are more likely to be promoted. Voluntary Education Programs are an irrefutable part of improving quality of life for Marines. Our job is to ensure that learning opportunities, both academic and professional, are available and that established methodology can effectively measure task performance against what has been prescribed. Through partnerships with deployable Learning Resource Centers and academic institutions, programs are provided to deployed Marines. A key focus is to expand capabilities to allow Marines to enroll at their local Education Centers and continue their coursework while deployed. As technology advances and end strength declines, the expectation of quality remains. We must better equip our Marines to face these challenges by helping them develop their full potential and become ‘total Marines.’ This is how we contribute to the primary objective of Making Marines and winning battles.”?

Q: "How do you define the role of VolEd professionals today?”

?A: “We are here to make a difference in the lives of Service members. I see myself in them. My goal is to make sure that every Marine has the opportunity to enrich their lives by taking part in educating themselves. We must take the initiative to enhance opportunity and consolidate services that improve the lives of Service members.”

?(Credit to Desiree Butts & Belind Jones)