Distance Education Helps Prepare Troops for Middle East Deployments

 Thomas Edison State College is one of two institutions in New Jersey currently taking part in a pilot program at McGuire Air Force Base that provides military personnel with college courses focusing on the cultures, religions and languages of the places the United States military is currently deployed to in order to make active duty military personnel more culturally aware of the regions in which they are engaged.  Burlington County College is also providing courses to assist troops for overseas deployments.

 “We’re hoping to take away some of the prejudices that people may have about the religions and cultures our troops will be exposed to during their deployments,” said Linda Richardson, 305th Mission Support Squadron education and training flight chief at McGuire Air Force Base.  “Understanding the differences between our culture and the cultures of the Middle East and other locations where they are deployed will help military personnel better understand the people we are trying to help liberate and those we are fighting.”

Thomas Edison State College is currently offering eight courses to military personnel in a variety of distance learning formats as part of the program. Each three-credit course fits into the college’s Bachelor of Arts degree program in Liberal Studies.

The courses currently include:

• The Middle East (blended)
• Introduction to Islam (blended; online)
• Eastern Religions (blended; online; independent study)
• Chinese History & Culture (blended; independent study)
• African History & Culture (blended; online; independent study)
• Dealing with Diversity (blended; online; independent study)
• Elements of Intercultural Communication (blended; online; independent study)
• Introduction to World Religions (blended; online; independent study)

Blended courses are structured around an eight-week schedule and combine an online format with four classroom sessions where students can meet their instructor, known as a mentor. Classroom sessions for blended courses take place at McGuire Air Force Base. Online courses are structured around a 12-week schedule and may be completed anywhere a student has access to the Internet. Independent study courses, also known as guided study courses, are structured on a 16-week schedule and may be completed wherever a student is deployed.
 “We are honored to take part in this important program designed to better prepare our troops for deployments in the Middle East and other locations overseas,” said Dr. George A. Pruitt, president of Thomas Edison State College. “We have a long history of serving the educational needs of the United States military. By leveraging our unique format and our core competencies, we hope to support the brave men and women serving our country any way we can.”
Currently, nearly 6,000 active duty military personnel are enrolled at Thomas Edison State College, including approximately 3,000 who are presently deployed.

ABOUT THOMAS EDISON STATE COLLEGE
Thomas Edison State College provides flexible, high-quality, collegiate learning opportunities for self-directed adults. One of New Jersey’s 12 senior public institutions of higher education, the College offers 16 associate, baccalaureate and master’s degrees in more than 100 areas of study. Students earn degrees through a wide variety of rigorous and high-quality academic methods that can be customized to meet their individual needs. Identified by Forbes magazine as one of the top 20 colleges and universities in the nation in the use of technology to create learning opportunities for adults, Thomas Edison State College is a national leader in the assessment of adult learning and a pioneer in the use of educational technologies. The College is home to The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy. The New Jersey State Library is an affiliate of Thomas Edison State College. Further information about admission to the College may be obtained by calling (888) 442-8372, via e-mail at info@tesc.edu or by visiting the College Web site at www.tesc.edu.