Da-Chief
05-18-2007, 13:16
Campa moves to pull plug on college degree requirements
http://www.navytimes.com/xml/news/2007/05/navy_degreerequirement_chiefs_070517w/nt_campa_800_070516_287.jpg
From NavyTimes.com
By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Friday May 18, 2007 8:39:36 EDT
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SW/FMF) Joe Campa has recommended that the mandatory college degree requirement for enlisted sailors be rescinded.
Sources familiar with the issue confirm that Campa has recommended to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen that the controversial policy be scrapped.
Mullen is expected to act on the recommendation soon. Campa and Mullen both declined comment on the ongoing matter.
Under the current requirement, chief petty officers looking for senior chiefs’ stars from the April 2010 selection board — scheduled to meet in July of 2009 — must have completed their associate degrees by Oct. 1, 2009. The policy affects thousands of chiefs.
The approaching deadline, now just two years away, has spurred a jump in chiefs taking college courses. But last fall, Campa said he was reviewing the policy requirement, given the war-time realities of today’s Navy. Surge fleet deployments and individual augmentee duty in war zones, he said, were not inconsequential demands that have been placed on sailors. Many sailors complained that the degree requirement and deadline was unnecessary and unrealistic.
Campa, it appears, has formally agreed.
“There are some challenges out there, especially for those at sea,” Campa told Navy Times in October when he began his initial review. “I don’t want to see anyone denied the opportunity to compete for advancement because of a requirement they may not have had the ability to complete — our sailors are being asked to do a lot these days. They are busy, and we do not want to disadvantage anyone in this process.”
Campa has made it clear that he’s not anti-education. He routinely encourages sailors to take advantage of off-duty education to better themselves and the Navy and has practiced what he preaches.
Campa holds a bachelor’s degree and was one of the first enlisted sailors to attend the Navy War College in Newport, R.I., receiving a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies.
Regardless, Campa told Navy Times in October that he wants to ensure other sailors don’t simply get college degrees because it’s an administrative requirement — a ticket punch for advancement.
“It’s a huge concern out there on the deck plates,” Campa said of the approaching deadline.
At the time, Campa said sailors also expressed concerns about meeting the new requirements due to limited access to computers and lack of bandwidth while deployed at sea.
What do you think? Post below..
Chief
http://www.navytimes.com/xml/news/2007/05/navy_degreerequirement_chiefs_070517w/nt_campa_800_070516_287.jpg
From NavyTimes.com
By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Friday May 18, 2007 8:39:36 EDT
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SW/FMF) Joe Campa has recommended that the mandatory college degree requirement for enlisted sailors be rescinded.
Sources familiar with the issue confirm that Campa has recommended to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen that the controversial policy be scrapped.
Mullen is expected to act on the recommendation soon. Campa and Mullen both declined comment on the ongoing matter.
Under the current requirement, chief petty officers looking for senior chiefs’ stars from the April 2010 selection board — scheduled to meet in July of 2009 — must have completed their associate degrees by Oct. 1, 2009. The policy affects thousands of chiefs.
The approaching deadline, now just two years away, has spurred a jump in chiefs taking college courses. But last fall, Campa said he was reviewing the policy requirement, given the war-time realities of today’s Navy. Surge fleet deployments and individual augmentee duty in war zones, he said, were not inconsequential demands that have been placed on sailors. Many sailors complained that the degree requirement and deadline was unnecessary and unrealistic.
Campa, it appears, has formally agreed.
“There are some challenges out there, especially for those at sea,” Campa told Navy Times in October when he began his initial review. “I don’t want to see anyone denied the opportunity to compete for advancement because of a requirement they may not have had the ability to complete — our sailors are being asked to do a lot these days. They are busy, and we do not want to disadvantage anyone in this process.”
Campa has made it clear that he’s not anti-education. He routinely encourages sailors to take advantage of off-duty education to better themselves and the Navy and has practiced what he preaches.
Campa holds a bachelor’s degree and was one of the first enlisted sailors to attend the Navy War College in Newport, R.I., receiving a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies.
Regardless, Campa told Navy Times in October that he wants to ensure other sailors don’t simply get college degrees because it’s an administrative requirement — a ticket punch for advancement.
“It’s a huge concern out there on the deck plates,” Campa said of the approaching deadline.
At the time, Campa said sailors also expressed concerns about meeting the new requirements due to limited access to computers and lack of bandwidth while deployed at sea.
What do you think? Post below..
Chief