Hi All,
Since Stockton College recently was awarded membership in SOC, I imagine there's some curiosity as to what EXACTLY that means. It comes as no surprise that higher education, being somewhat of an abuser of acronyms, actually has two SOC issues currently. The first has to do with accounting principles developed under the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation and is far more convoluted than the one we'll be discussing today so save yourself and forget I mentioned it.
Now for SOC - Servicemembers Opportunity College Consortium....
Founded in 1972 with support from the Association of State Colleges and Universities and American Association of Community Colleges, the program seeks to assist servicemembers in their pursuit of a degree in higher education. It is a partnership with some 13 higher education organizations, the Department of Defense, and both the Active and Reserve components of the military. About 1800 institutions are members.
Why it necessary?
Well, soldiers move around a lot and in the 1970's, distance-learning or "online" courses didn't exist. That meant every move (or deployment) necessitated a new application, enrollment, and the dreaded attempts to transfer previously-earned credit. Obviously, all of these actions were cumbersome, frustrating and derogatory to the principle that the sacrifice of our military should be rewarded with the opportunity to earn a degree, not just credits.
Today, a plethora of options exist for our servicemembers that do simplify the process (distance-learning, on-base education centers, etc.), yet the mobility issue remains a substantial challenge for some potential students and a deterrence for others.
So how does the SOC consortium help?
To become a SOC member, institutions must adhere to a set of four criteria which reflect an understanding that servicemember students face some distinct obstacles due the nature of their military commitments. When a school applies to SOC, they agree to simplify processes for: transfer of credit, meeting the residency requirement, accepting military credit, experience and placement tests. In short, it reduces red tape and uses nationally accepted principles that evaluate and accept previous experience and credit as appropriate to the institution but are also flexible and equitable. Generally accepted transfer of credit guidelines have been established by the Joint Statement on the Transfer and Award of Credit, with similar framework for evaluating military experience is based on the ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Education Experience in the Armed Forces. More specific information on SOC guidelines, criteria and membership can be found at: http://www.soc.aascu.org/.
So there you have it....SOC in a nutshell.
With the influx of veterans on a mission to utilize their Post 9-11 GI Bill benefits, more and more institutions will likely seek membership in the SOC consortium which is a great thing for our veterans. To date, four of the nine NJASCU institutions are members, including Kean University, Ramapo College, Thomas Edison State College and Richard Stockton State College.
If your an educator, or a veteran for that matter, the SOC staff regularly hold workshops free-of-charge to create awareness of the Consortium. Check the Operation College Promise website, http://www.operationcollegepromise.com/ website for local offerings.
