February 15, 2000

Bowling Green, Ky. -- For active duty soldiers or Army reservists, completing a college degree can be an obstacle course. But a new program at Western Kentucky University's Fort Knox center is removing the educational barriers and walls.

Western has joined more than 1,200 institutions participating in the Servicemembers Opportunity College, a national program designed to help servicemen and their families obtain a college degree.

"It's off to a good start," said Dr. Ron Stephens, director of the Fort Knox/Elizabethtown extended campus center.

Since the fall of 1999, WKU has enrolled 56 students in the SOC bachelor of general studies degree program, according to Gail Ledford, office coordinator at Fort Knox.

With about five inquiries a week about the program, Dr. Stephens anticipates having 100 or more students enrolled by next year. The SOC program is open to active duty soldiers, reservists and their families.

"It's not new to the military," just new to Western, Ledford said.

SOC was created in 1972 to provide educational opportunities to servicemembers, who had trouble completing college degrees because they frequently moved. Member institutions accept credits from the other schools and award credit for some military training.

The bachelor's in general studies requires 128 credit hours. Students who enter the program must meet certain University requirements, including a 2.0 grade-point average, and must receive 32 credit hours from WKU. Correspondence and distance learning courses are part of the program.

A requirement that students attend Western for their senior year has been waived for the SOC program, Ledford said. That allows students to finish their degree elsewhere if they get transferred. This semester, for example, students are completing their degrees in Twenty-nine Palms, Calif.; Hephzibah, Ga., and Fort Gordon, Ga.

Military personnel at Fort Knox have been pleased with the program, Dr. Stephens said. Students in the SOC program can take all their courses in Hardin County, which is another benefit, he said.

When students enter the SOC program, their academic and military training records are evaluated according to guidelines established by the American Council on Education. Equivalent credit hours are applied to the degree program, usually as electives.

This semester, students are enrolled at Fort Knox/Elizabethtown, Owensboro and Bowling Green. Students are at various stages of their coursework with 10 official degree programs approved and 11 others awaiting approval.

The success of the SOC bachelor's in general studies program "may open the door for other degree programs to be part of the program," Ledford said.

The SOC agreement is just another way that Western is reaching out to serve more students in this region, she said.

This spring, the Fort Knox center plans to spread the word about the SOC program to reserve units in a 29-county area. That will open the doors to even more servicemembers, Dr. Stephens said.

The SOC program is one of 16 undergraduate and graduate programs, including a bachelor of nursing and master of business administration, offered at Elizabethtown/Fort Knox.

For information, contact the extended campus locations at (270) 351-1192 or (270) 942-8381.