Around 550 Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard service members began classes virtually this week as part of the United States Naval Community College (USNCC) pilot program.
The idea for the community college was first announced in 2019, after the “Education for Seapower” study recognized how education could improve “operational readiness” and “warfighting capability” among enlisted service members, according to Dr. Randi Cosentino, USNCC’s president.
“[The program can] really help individuals who are committed to lifelong learning,” she said. “Taking on their education both within their time in the service and beyond, while kind of keeping them in naval traditions and values, ethical decision-making ability, improved critical thinking, ensuring they have a deeper understanding of the environment in which they operate.”
The program’s main areas of study include naval ethics, the nuclear field, cyber security and data analytics.
Enrolled students also take general education courses offered at partnering schools: the University of Arizona, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), the Univ. of Maryland Global Campus, Alexandria Technical and Community College in Minnesota and the State University System of New York (SUNY Online).
“We are excited about this pilot and the opportunity it brings with it,” said Dr. Chad Knights, NOVA’s provost of information and engineering technologies. “This further establishes that NOVA, and the Virginia Community College System of which we are a part, are high-level education innovators and collaborators on a global scale. We look forward to the future partnerships with the USNCC.”
In general, USNCC aims to create pathways for military students to continue their education at a four-year institution, said college officials.
