THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 1, 1997 TAG: 9612310618
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 108 lines
By adding an emphasis in nuclear power to its already-existing programs in mechanical engineering technology, Old Dominion University could be opening its doors to 3,000 new students.
That many sailors stationed in Hampton Roads have completed the Navy's year-long Nuclear Power School in Orlando, Fla. Beginning in January, they can register for a 130-credit bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering technology - and enter the program with a guaranteed minimum of 42 college credits.
If sailors take advantage of courses offered at ODU while on active duty, ``when they leave the Navy they can have a bachelor's degree,'' said retired Navy Capt. Dick Whalen, Old Dominion's director of military activities.
``This is of maximum professional value when it's time to transition. And, if they decide to stay in the service, completing a degree is extremely important towards their advancement.''
Whalen helped bring the Navy and the university together in this new venture, but the program was developed by Alok Verma, the university's program director for mechanical engineering technology. This month Verma becomes associate dean for the College of Engineering and Technology.
``I could evaluate the engineering courses, but our department had to work with the physics, chemistry and math departments to evaluate the other courses,'' Verma said.
He, Whalen and Gary Crossman, an associate professor of engineering technology, have been visiting Norfolk-based aircraft carriers. On each, they've talked to as many as 100 Nuclear Power School graduates about the advantages of transforming their Navy schooling to a university degree.
They've seen more than 400 NPS grads, and gone back to have individual counseling sessions with 60 of those. About 20 have enrolled in the degree program so far.
In the past, Navy Nuclear Power School graduates could expect to receive only 10 or 12 credits for the year of courses they took in Orlando, Crossman said, explaining: ``When we tried to get more information so we could evaluate their credits, we were told it was classified.''
But now the Navy provides an unclassified syllabus, or contents of the course, for most subjects taught at the Nuclear Power School. This doesn't declassify the material that's taught, but does make evaluating the coursework easier, said Ed McKenney, director of the Navy's associate and bachelor degree programs.
While ODU isn't the first, or only, university to allow credits for work done at the Nuclear Power School, it guarantees the highest number of credits for the work, he said. ``And those are fully warranted. The Navy's (nuclear power) training is considered the world's best.
``This new program at ODU offers one of the best opportunities for a bachelor's degree in the nuclear engineering area for active-duty military. I applaud this prestigious, traditional institution for opening its doors to full-time, working Navy people.''
With the Navy's shipboard Program for Afloat College Education (PACE), sailors can work on a degree while land-based or deployed. Some nuclear power technology courses will be offered through ODU's flexible class programs, such as ``weekend college'' and condensed semesters.
For instance, when the new semester begins in January, NPS graduates transferring into the program can take nuclear systems 1, a senior level course, on Saturdays, or engineering graphics, a compressed course that can be completed in eight weeks instead of the standard 14.
While career opportunities in nuclear engineering technology are abundant and stable in the Navy, they're not all that promising in the civilian world, said professor Verma: Interest in nuclear power as an energy source has waned in the United States.
``But this degree is in mechanical engineering technology, with an emphasis in nuclear engineering technology,'' he said. ``We give them credit for their nuclear power background, and the degree gives them a broader perspective.
``They can select other technical electives and find other opportunities in say, manufacturing or design.''
The beauty of this program, Whalen said, ``is that the bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering technology has already been constructed, offered for years and years, and is working.
``We just added some course offerings to it create a new emphasis in nuclear power technology.''
The new course is not offered solely to graduates of the Navy's Nuclear Power School - anyone may take classes. But the degree will be most advantageous to military members and civilians who are associated with the nuclear power industry.
It's been 18 months since the Navy first asked the university about the possibility of developing a fully credited degree program that would allow a maximum of credits for NPS grads. Eighteen months have passed since Whalen and Verma first thought it would work.
Now, when they go aboard aircraft carriers to talk about the program, they encounter excitement and enthusiasm from young sailors.
``We just give them a road map of how to get started, and of the tracking system we use to keep a record of their courses,'' Whalen said.
And, Verma added, ``They can't believe they'll receive so many credits. They say, `This really puts me ahead on my degree.' '' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot
Gary R. Crossman, associate professor of mechanical engineering
technology, left: Alok K. Verma, program director, engineering
technology, center; and F. Richard Whalen, director of military
activities, are bringing the Navy and Old Dominion University
together to offer sailors an accelerated chance to earn a bachelor's
degree.
Graphic
THE DEGREE PROGRAM:
[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]