Virtual Counseling Tool Will Help Sailors Use SMART

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Release Date: 6/3/2005 6:30:00 AM

By Jon Gagne, Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- The Navy College Program (NCP) added a new tool to their Web site in June that is designed to guide Sailors and Marines in their quest for college credit for military experience.

The Sailor/Marine Online Academic Advisor (SMOLAA) is a virtual counseling tool that eases online navigation and helps compile college credit for Navy courses and experience for the Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART).

“SMOLAA actually speeds up the SMART process,” said Dr. Jeffrey Cropsey, voluntary education director for the Naval Education and Training Command. “This new virtual tool will allow Sailors and Marines to literally see how their credit for experience and training is applied to certain degree programs with the Navy’s partner schools. In just a matter of seconds, a complete academic evaluation for the school of choice will appear on screen with their credits applied."

This new concept promises to expedite the process of receiving college credits with 18 accredited colleges that have partnered with the Navy through distance learning. Sailors and Marines can use the tool to develop their own degree program with the school of their choice.

Since SMART was introduced in 1999, more than 3 million transcripts have been downloaded.

"SMOLAA really takes SMART to the next level," Cropsey added. "And Sailors will be able to do this from their work station, their home, aboard ship, or any other location that has Internet access.”

Cropsey feels SMOLAA is coming online just at the right time for Sailors.

“The Professional Military Education Program Continuum is going to continue to require Sailors to take a serious approach to off-duty education,” Cropsey said. “The Navy College Program is trying to stay one step ahead of the curve through our partnerships with college and universities for rating-related degrees and advanced education.”

Senior Chief Culinary Specialist (SW) Jose Ramirez, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) command managed equal opportunity officer, is nearing completion of his degree program for a Liberal Arts degree. Ramirez is a big supporter of SMART.

“The SMART transcripts provided a clear and thorough acknowledgment of my Navy training to the college in which I am enrolled,” Ramirez said. “It presented me and the college the necessary information needed to make an informed decision as to what course of study I should follow based on the number of credits recommended by SMART.”

Ramirez was surprised how many credits he had actually earned through his Navy experience and training.

“SMART is easy to use and makes clear what degree you should follow, with the assistance of the college advisor,” Ramirez said. “If it wasn’t for SMART, I would have thought that I had a long way to go in completing my degree. The way SMART keeps track of your training has made it almost impossible not to get your education certified by any college.”

Junior personnel are also making the connection for secondary education. Quartermaster 2nd Class Angela Golden, of Reagan’s navigation department, has used SMART to formulate her degree plans. She is presently enrolled in an associate's degree program in education, with an ultimate plan of earning a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology.

“Before I was introduced to SMART, I was worried about how many classes I would need to take in college,” Golden said. “My division officer informed me about many different programs the Navy offers for college-bound sailors, SMART being one of them. When I walked in to the Navy College Office for the first time and downloaded my SMART transcripts, I was very excited when I saw what I was awarded for non-traditional training hours; it also made things a lot clearer to me. It told me exactly how many credits I have earned while on active duty and what area the credits would fall under. Once applied to a degree path, the SMART transcript basically fills in the blanks for you.”

As more and more Sailors turn to the Navy College Center Web site to select their colleges and formulate their degree plans, SMOLAA will become the tool that guides them through the process.

“SMOLAA is another good perk for Sailors,” Cropsey said. “Sailors will find that it is an easy-to-use tool to help them get the most from their Navy training and experience, and eventually reach their goal of obtaining a degree.”

For more information on SMART and SMOLAA, visit the Navy Knowledge Online (NKO) Web site at www.nko.navy.mil or the Navy College Program Web site at https://www.navycollege.navy.mil.

For more information on the Naval Education and Training Command, visit https://www.netc.navy.mil.

For related news, visit the Naval Education and Training Command Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cnet/.