Troy University News

June 2, 2004

Contact:
Tom Davis or Andy Ellis : (334) 670-3196; tomdavis@troy.edu

Office of University Relations
253 Adams Administration
Troy, AL 36082
(334) 670-3196
(334) 670-3274 (fax)

Troy University , U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs form education partnership

   When a division of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs decided it needed a bachelor's degree program to enable its employees to meet congressionally mandated education requirements, it turned to Troy University .
    On Wednesday, June 2 a major step was taken toward making that program a reality with the signing of an agreement between the University and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Acquisition and Material Management (OA&MM). The agreement establishes a pilot program that allows OA&MM employees to receive a bachelor's degree from Troy University via the internet.
    Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor, and William H. Campbell, Assistant Secretary for Management, Department of Veterans Affairs, signed the agreement Wednesday in a brief ceremony in Washington, D.C.
    The agreement establishes a program for 350 employees of OA&MM to earn their bachelor's degrees on-line through Troy University 's University College , which oversees all campuses and sites outside of Alabama and is also responsible for all distance-learning efforts of the University.
    “ Troy University enjoys a long history of service to members of our armed forces and federal employees, and we have employed distance learning techniques for more than 50 years,” Dr. Hawkins said. “This is another significant milestone for our University and further evidence that we are truly global in our scope and mission.”
    Don Coleman, Chief, Acquisition Training and Career Development Division, of the Department of Veterans Affairs, said the1996 Clinger-Cohen Act requires federal employees who work in acquisition to hold bachelor's degrees. Coleman, a Troy University alumnus, said the program, officially called the Acquisition College Degree Program, is a way to meet the dictates of this legislation. He added that the Homeland Security Act of 2002 allows employees to be reimbursed for tuition costs.
    Coleman said that while the initial agreement calls for a four-year pilot program, he believes it will evolve into a permanent program.
    Students will earn a bachelor's of science in resource management, a program Troy University has offered at military sites for several years. The program, scheduled to begin in August, will be administered by Troy University 's Atlantic Region Office, while the Southeast Region Office headquartered at Fort Benning , will deliver the courses.