Class Notes
APCO Participates in Veteran Career Training
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International participated in an orientation encouraging veterans to seek a career in public safety communications.
The orientation, held at Middlesex Community College, the largest community college in Massachusetts, was sponsored by the Office of U.S. Senator John Kerry (D–Mass.), and was in coordination with the State of Massachusetts Departments of Veterans Services and Workforce Development, the United States Department of Labor, and the 50-agency North East Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC). The event was part of a national initiative to recruit and place veterans as 9-1-1 call takers, dispatchers or other personnel providing communications support for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services (EMS). The program was developed for returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, and with an emphasis on those veterans living with disabilities.
“APCO is proud to be part of today’s veterans orientation in Lowell, Massachusetts, and we are committed to taking this concept forward toward a national program,” said APCO International first vice president William Carrow. “APCO deeply appreciates the passion and leadership that Senator Kerry, Massachusetts Veterans Services, the U.S. Department of Labor and our other partners at Middlesex Community College and NEMLEC have brought to this first of many orientations for our veterans,” said APCO International Executive Director George S. Rice Jr. “With this momentum, we believe we are well positioned to take this initiative to the next level for our returning and injured veterans and their families, our public safety community and our nation.”
Ashford University Helps Today’s Military Earn College Degrees
Ashford University has begun offering these dedicated men and women a helping hand in their pursuit of a college education. Army National Guard members can now earn the Ashford University degree of their choice through the university’s Military Relations program. Benefits include a waiver of fees, fixed per credit tuition rates and free textbooks.
“This program allows us to give back to the men and women who dutifully serve our country every day,” said KC Haight, Ashford University’s director of military relations and a former member of the armed forces. “It’s our way of showing our appreciation for their service.”
Ashford University is approved for the Military Tuition Assistance program and extends this tuition rate to all active duty military, National Guard members, reservists, military spouses, U.S. Department of Defense employees and veterans and retirees utilizing the Montgomery G.I. Bill.
In addition, more than $1,000 in technology and applications fees are waived through the program, and military leaves of absence are available.
As part of the military relations program, Ashford University also provides a specialized team of advisers who assist military personnel with enrollment, academic and financial needs. These military liaisons work closely with the National Guard’s Education Support Center in Little Rock, Ark., to ensure that each student’s needs are met and to maximize credits from AARTS, SMART, CCAF and USCG training.
APCO Participates in Veteran Career Training The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International participated in an orientation encouraging veterans to seek a career in public safety communications. The orientation, held at Middlesex Community College, the largest community college in Massachusetts, was sponsored by the Office of U.S. Senator John Kerry (D–Mass.), and was in coordination with the State of Massachusetts Departments of Veterans Services and Workforce Development, the United States Department of Labor, and the 50-agency North East Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC). The event was part of a national initiative to recruit and place veterans as 9-1-1 call takers, dispatchers or other personnel providing communications support for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services (EMS). The program was developed for returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, and with an emphasis on those veterans living with disabilities.
“APCO is proud to be part of today’s veterans orientation in Lowell, Massachusetts, and we are committed to taking this concept forward toward a national program,” said APCO International first vice president William Carrow. “APCO deeply appreciates the passion and leadership that Senator Kerry, Massachusetts Veterans Services, the U.S. Department of Labor and our other partners at Middlesex Community College and NEMLEC have brought to this first of many orientations for our veterans,” said APCO International Executive Director George S. Rice Jr. “With this momentum, we believe we are well positioned to take this initiative to the next level for our returning and injured veterans and their families, our public safety community and our nation.”
American Military University and Grantham University Admitted into NAIMES
American Military University (AMU) and Grantham University have been admitted into the National Association of Institutions for Military Education Services (NAIMES), an organization that advocates for the military student, partners with the military education community and promotes “best practices” for conducting military education programs. AMU is a member institution of American Public University System (APUS), an online university system that serves more than 30,000 adult learners in 50 states and more than 100 countries.
“Being admitted to NAIMES is an important honor for AMU,” said Jim Sweizer, vice president of military programs at AMU. “We want to make sure we give the military servicemember every opportunity to excel in their chosen field. We know that working with organizations such as NAIMES helps to enhance the student’s learning experience.”
Grantham University is honored to become the first nationally accredited distance learning institution to join NAIMES, said Dr. Greg Garcia, Ed.D., dean of military programs and outreach at Grantham University. For nearly 60 years, Grantham has served the educational needs of our nation’s military servicemembers, and is proud to become part of an organization that is an advocate for the military student and promotes best practices for conducting military education.
NAIMES is committed to promoting high quality, pedagogically sound educational opportunities for the military community. NAIMES endorses the ideals of voluntary education and in so doing represents a wide range of colleges and universities.
Membership in NAIMES is by invitation only. Institutions invited to join must be accredited, interested in education for military personnel at locations other than on their respective campuses, entered into Memoranda of Understanding or contracts with one or more military installations, and approved for membership by a majority vote of NAIMES member institutions.
Crown College Minnesota Adopts Angel LMS to Support Online Learning
Angel Learning, a leading provider of enterprise eLearning software and services, recently announced that Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minn., has adopted the Angel Learning Management Suite (LMS). The college will implement Angel to support its online learning program. With its Angel adoption, Crown is moving from the LMS it previously licensed to the Angel LMS.
“Cost was one of the driving factors in our decision to investigate LMS alternatives,” said Matt Newby, director of Distributive Learning at Crown College. “Our previous provider charged by the number of students in the class. As class enrollments grew, the cost to license the system increased. Rising costs made researching alternative systems the responsible option.”
Crown College personnel conducted in-depth research into LMS alternatives over an eight-month period. They reviewed seven vendors’ responses to their Request for Information and participated in vendor product demonstrations. According to Newby, “In the final evaluation, Angel was the best fit for us.”
Reasons Newby identifies for Crown College’s Angel selection include Angel’s comprehensive feature set and the flexibility of the Angel software and Angel Learning itself. “Angel has provided excellent implementation support and given us ongoing support options that work best for us,” said Newby. “We were also able to select a hosting option that fits our needs. Other advantages include an open software architecture that allows for more flexible troubleshooting, a copy of the software for creation of a test environment, and greater integration ability with our Student Information System. Each of these factors provides the college a better value.
* Compiled by KMI Media Group staff.