DETC Fall Conference October 2012 Jeffrey P. Cropsey, Ed.D

1. Department of Defense Memorandum of Understanding 3rd Party Assessment Process The Grantham University Experience DETC Fall Conference October 2012 Jeffrey P. Cropsey, Ed.D Vice President for Strategic Initiatives

2. Why? • Since the early 1990’s DoD has had an assessment process for on-base only education programs. The program was known as the Military Installation Voluntary Education Review or MIVER. • Over time military enrollments in traditional on base classroom instruction have gone from over 90% of all TA $ to currently less than 30%. • Policy makers at the DoD and Service levels concluded that a process would have to be developed to gauge the quality of the on-line enrollments that now represent over 70% of all military post-secondary education enrollments.

3. DoD Third Party Assessment • DoD established the Memorandum of Understanding to be signed by all institutions wishing to participate in the DoD Tuition Assistance program. The MoU took effect 1 October 2012. • As a signatory to the DoD MoU you agree to have a Third Party Assessment of your institution at a time selected by DoD. • Two types of assessments. One is military base centric; for schools operating physically on military bases. The second is for on-line schools that have enrollments throughout the USA. • A base level program can have several assessments each year, dependent upon if their programs are on multiple bases. • An on-line only school will be subject to an assessment most likely every five years or so.

4. How Does It Work? • The assessment process is contracted to Management Training Consultants, Inc. (MTCI) • The Bases and Schools to be assessed each year are determined by DoD in consultation with the Services. • Generally a list of Bases and Schools to be assessed is developed prior to the Federal Fiscal Year (FY), begins 1 October. • Since the process was finally authorized in the Spring of 2012, Grantham University did not know very far in advance that we would be subject to an assessment. • Grantham University was assessed 4-6 June 2012 on site at our campus in Kansas City, Missouri.

5. The Purpose • Focus on ensuring that voluntary education opportunities offered to service members are of the same high quality as the opportunities offered to civilian adult learners • Efficient process to minimize burden on military installations and educational institutions • Standardized, yet flexible and dynamic process • Installation assessments focus on the relationships between installations and educational institutions that have presences on those installations • Distance learning and off-installation assessments focus on entire institutions and their quality educational offerings to service members

6. The Timeline • 90 days from the visit the institution is informed by letter from DoD of the planned assessment (usually to President of institution). • 85 days from visit MTCI Team begins to request information from institution. • 60 days out schedule meetings for site visits. • 45 days from visit information requested from institution is due to MTCI • 14 days out meetings at visit are confirmed

7. Grantham Experience4-6 June 2012 • MTCI Team makes own travel and hotel reservations. • Did not want any social activities. • Required a secure room for the team with internet connectivity. • GU did provide coffee, soft drinks, water, cookies in team room • Arrived on a Monday at noon, departed Thursday morning. 2 ½ days on site • Begin with preliminary briefing (no PP) by President of Grantham and MTCI Team Leader • Introduce senior staff, do a walk around of facility • Prior to visit you would have responded to 20 plus data points (see handout) • Meet with staff, faculty and students over remaining 2 days • No out brief • No opportunity to review report before it is sent to DoD

8. GU Bottom Line • Get early buy in from President/CEO and Senior Staff • Appoint one overall manager to get the process accomplished • Inform all employees of the nature and purpose of the visit • Clearly label any data you believe is proprietary • Expect to wait 90 days to get the report • You will get “Accolades” and “Suggestions” • Hopefully see your name at the bottom of the report saying, “Based on the assessment team's findings as outlined in this report, Grantham University is in full compliance with the DoD Voluntary Education Partnership MOU.”

9. Questions?? jcropsey@grantham.edu 850.380.6372