{"id":38298,"date":"2019-11-29T00:08:37","date_gmt":"2019-11-29T00:08:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/11\/29\/naval-community-college-takes-shape-without-bricks-mortar-or-its-most-prominent-champion\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:28:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:28:08","slug":"naval-community-college-takes-shape-without-bricks-mortar-or-its-most-prominent-champion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/education-transition\/2019\/11\/29\/naval-community-college-takes-shape-without-bricks-mortar-or-its-most-prominent-champion\/","title":{"rendered":"Naval Community College takes shape without bricks, mortar or its most prominent champion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Strongly championed by ex-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.navy.mil\/navybio_ldr.asp?id=1001\" target=_blank>Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer<\/a>, the Naval Community College will survive his demise, officials said this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Depending on whether you believe his version of the story or not, Spencer either <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/11\/24\/spencer-out-as-secretary-of-the-navy-over-seal-trident-scandal\/\" target=_blank>resigned in protest<\/a> over President Donald J. Trump\u2019s intervention in a botched case against a SEAL or was forced to exit the Pentagon for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/11\/24\/spencer-out-as-secretary-of-the-navy-over-seal-trident-scandal\/\" target=_blank>hypocritical double-dealing on sham Naval Special Warfare proceedings<\/a> behind the back of his boss, Defense Secretary Mark Esper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the Navy\u2019s newest school house will survive the Spencer scandal \u2014 and it won\u2019t even be a school house at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navy spokesman Cmdr. Clay Doss told Navy Times by email that it appears \u201cwork continues as before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eight months ago, Spencer began establishing a full-accredited Naval Community College. It was a top priority under his larger plan to revamp how the service educates sailors and Marines throughout the ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps the first step in hiking efforts was Spencer\u2019s pick of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navy.mil\/submit\/display.asp?story_id=110830\" target=_blank>John Kroger<\/a> as the service\u2019s first chief learning officer. For now, he reports directly to Acting Navy Secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navy.mil\/navydata\/bios\/navybio.asp?bioID=1031\" target=_blank>Thomas Modly<\/a> and will work alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navy.mil\/navydata\/bios\/bio.asp?bioID=675\" target=_blank>Vice Adm. Stuart Munsch<\/a>, the Chief of Naval Operations\u2019 new Director of Warfighting Development, or \u201cN7,\u201d which was created to elevate and refocus education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team also includes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mccdc.marines.mil\/Leaders\/Leaders-View\/Article\/1872371\/lieutenant-general-eric-m-smith\/\" target=_blank>Lt. Gen. Eric Smith<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mccdc.marines.mil\/News\/MCCDC-News\/View\/Article\/1875204\/lt-gen-eric-smith-takes-command-of-combat-development-command\/\" target=_blank>Marine Corps\u2019 Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/02\/13\/why-secnav-is-launching-naval-university\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/NPS.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Why SECNAV is launching Naval University<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Pentagon hopes to combine the education efforts for both enlisted and officer personnel under a single Department of the Navy university that\u2019s accredited to grant diplomas, from associate degrees up to advanced post-graduate work.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kroger started in September. He\u2019s a former enlisted Marine, federal prosecutor and attorney general for his home state, Oregon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also served from 2012 through 2018 as president of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reed.edu\/\" target=_blank>Reed College<\/a>, a private liberal arts school perhaps most famously known as the institution from which Apple Chief Executive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reed.edu\/steve-jobs.html\" target=_blank>Steve Jobs<\/a> dropped out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spencer declared plans for the community college in February, at the same time he announced several directives under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navy.mil\/strategic\/E4SFinalReport.pdf\" target=_blank>Education for Seapower report<\/a>. The study, completed by a team formed by Modly, was the most comprehensive review of naval education in a century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI believe a critical warfighting capability for our national security is the intellectual development of our people,&#8221; Spencer said in a statement released to Navy Times before he departed the Pentagon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Cultivating a culture for continued learning and professional development sharpens the naval force\u2019s competitive advantage. The Department of the Navy must be a continual learning organization.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Acting Secretary Modly echoed those thoughts in an interview with Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think that the one thing that\u2019s predictable about the future is that it\u2019s going to be unpredictable,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat that suggests to me, from a couple dimensions is that we really need to drive the intellectual development of our military people so that they\u2019re able to deal with unpredictability. To me, that\u2019s about focusing on education, teaching them how to think, teaching them how to think critically.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/04\/24\/what-you-dont-know-about-the-navys-plans-for-a-community-college\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Burke_SASC.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">What you don\u2019t know about the Navy\u2019s plans for a community college<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">How you&#039;ll be able to get a degree on the Navy&#039;s dime.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kroger\u2019s marching orders include aligning the sea service\u2019s already established higher educational institutions \u2014 the U.S. Naval Academy, the Naval Post-Graduate School and the Navy and Marine War Colleges \u2014 under one Naval University System that will also include the community college. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He\u2019s also expected to identify higher education partners to review curriculum and share best practices while also bringing in civilian academic and private sector perspectives to naval education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kroger sees his new job as a way to repay what he called a \u201cpersonal debt.\u201d Although he said the Marine Corps tried to steer him toward the Naval Academy, Kroger landed at Yale University, where he earned his bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees. He received his law degree from Harvard University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen I was in the Marine Corps, the Marines were very supportive of my education,\u201d he said<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just a couple of weeks after stepping into his new role, Kroger\u2019s office at the Pentagon remained spartan. Nearly-empty bookshelves and a whiteboard covered with a to-do list \u2014 like, acquiring trash cans. The scene suggested he\u2019d been too busy learning and expanding his new role to worry about aesthetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By early November, Kroger had completed a listening tour at each of the four Navy and Marine Corps universities, where he sat in on classes and had the chance to speak with students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In coming weeks, he planned to stop by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrotc.navy.mil\/\" target=_blank>Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps<\/a> programs and arrange visits to major civilian online universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTalking with students after class, I would say, people really appreciate the opportunity to deepen their education,\u201d Kroger said of his campus visits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI would say that\u2019s pretty universal. People understand that, in a complex world \u2014 complex technologically, complex from a strategic point of view \u2014 education is critical to the success of the Navy and the Marine Corps and it\u2019s critical to their successes as officers or as enlisted personnel.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4349\" height=\"3106\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TA7.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TA7.jpg.jpg 4349w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TA7.jpg.jpg?resize=300,214 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TA7.jpg.jpg?resize=768,548 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TA7.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,731 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TA7.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1097 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TA7.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1463 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4349px) 100vw, 4349px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Operations Specialist 2nd Class Michelle Sanchez participates in an instructor-led Navy College Program for Afloat College Education class on board the dock landing ship Oak Hill last April.  (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jessica L. Dowell\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among Kroger\u2019s biggest priorities are completing a Naval Education Strategy, which is being completed in tandem with the N7 and DC-CDI and is due Dec. 31, as well as hiring a president for the community college. While he declined to elaborate in detail on the upcoming strategy, which he said is currently in draft form, the community college will be a \u201cmajor\u201d part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advertisements for the <a href=\"https:\/\/chroniclevitae.com\/jobs\/0000517301-01\" target=_blank>president\u2019s job<\/a>, as well as for a <a href=\"https:\/\/chroniclevitae.com\/jobs\/0000517306-01\" target=_blank>provost<\/a>, posted on Nov. 19 in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidehighered.com\/\" target=_blank>Inside Higher Ed<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chronicle.com\/\" target=_blank>Chronicle of Higher Education<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kroger said he is searching for a president with a background in delivering online education. Military experience, or understanding of the armed forces, wouldn\u2019t hurt, he said. Kroger said he expects the president\u2019s position to be filled by the spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cVery few people get the chance to start an institution from scratch,\u201d Kroger said. \u201cI think it\u2019s a tremendous opportunity and I\u2019m hoping we\u2019ll get a really good applicant pool.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The job listings make clear the scope of the community college: \u201ca predominantly online, distance education, fully-accredited learning experience for more than 500,000 enlisted personnel in the Navy and Marine Corps,&#8221; the ads read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Setting up an online system of learning makes sense for a fleet that\u2019s flung across the globe, many of whom will be junior sailors already accustomed to receiving content online, Kroger said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s been a real revolution in education over the last 10 or 25 years,\u201d Kroger said. \u201cTo be honest, I\u2019m excited that we\u2019re going this now as opposed to five or 10 years ago because educators have learned a lot. We\u2019ve learned a lot about what works well online and what doesn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe thing that\u2019s most impressive to me is we have a lot of data that shows if you\u2019re trying to build basic, intellectual capabilities, abilities in math, reading, oral communication, writing skills \u2014 that online education is as just as effective as classroom education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kroger told Navy Times that\u2019s &#8220;a remarkable outcome that we\u2019re getting the quality results and that makes me confident that we can offer an online degree and have it have a major impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"689\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TA-MAIN.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TA-MAIN.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TA-MAIN.jpg.jpg?resize=300,172 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TA-MAIN.jpg.jpg?resize=768,441 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TA-MAIN.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,588 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aviation Boatswain&#8217;s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Garth Bowman meets with a college representative during the 2018 Newport News College Fair on Dec. 6.  (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Ruiz\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kroger wants the future leader of the community college to have an active role designing it, including setting up a pilot program with the first wave of students. That\u2019s likely to launch in early 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/beta.sam.gov\/opp\/8e8c0dcc333bc8ca82a1a8d354da4970\/view?keywords=N4248520QUSNCC&#038;sort=-relevance&#038;index=&#038;is_active=true&#038;page=1\" target=_blank>request for information<\/a> to solicit early ideas was posted Oct. 31 and had generated a lot of interest, Kroger said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kroger plans to take a deeper look at models including community colleges in the California state system, as well as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airuniversity.af.edu\/Barnes\/CCAF\/\" target=_blank>Community College of the Air Force<\/a>, which was established in 1971. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deputy Chief Learning Officer Steven Deal said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.odu.edu\/news\/2019\/7\/naval_university_sys#.XdR5o1dKi70\" target=_blank>Old Dominion University<\/a> in Norfolk and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nu.edu\/locations\/sandiego\/\" target=_blank>National University<\/a> in San Diego have offered early assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Kroger cautioned that no program has an \u201cinside track.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s no university that we\u2019re working with that has been an architect of this,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We\u2019ve borrowed ideas and concepts from lots of existing institutions and then we\u2019re going to put out, sometime in the new year, an actual contracting proposal and hopefully select some partners for our first pilot project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The creation of the Navy\u2019s community college comes amid a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/06\/13\/now-that-all-ta-funds-are-gone-whats-next-for-navy-education\/\" target=_blank>tightening on restrictions on how sailors may use tuition assistance<\/a> to pay for their off-duty education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kroger stressed that the goal of the new institution is separate, with majors chosen because of a critical need for the future of the sea service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deal told Navy Times in an email that sailors and Marines won\u2019t be charged for degrees earned under the community college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The majors offered in the new system will be based on what the fleet determines it needs, Kroger said. Most majors are expected to veer toward technical subjects such as computer science, data analytics and artificial intelligence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Kroger also suggested a naval history degree could be offered to help build critical thinking and reading and writing skills, don\u2019t expect to see art history among the picks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond helping the Navy and Marines develop skills that will help the sea services, Kroger and Modly also told Navy Times they see the new community college as an important recruitment and retention tool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe goal of this is quite different, which is to pick intellectual and academic disciplines that we think are critical to the future of the Navy and the Marine Corps and that have a very, very focused effort on quality and completion so that we know people are getting an outstanding education,&#8221; Kroger said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere will be some majors and things that we don\u2019t offer through this program and if people want to use their educational assistance money to go pursue a degree that they think is important to them for their future after the Navy or Marines, that\u2019s great. We\u2019re very supportive of that, but this is a very different effort.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eight months ago, the ex-Navy Secretary began revamping how the service educates sailors and Marines throughout the ranks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":32637,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":9,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3482],"class_list":["post-38298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education-transition"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"BOFT4JTNAZGYPPA5DX7VPI5MAQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/education-transition\/2019\/11\/29\/naval-community-college-takes-shape-without-bricks-mortar-or-its-most-prominent-champion\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Naval Community College takes shape without bricks, mortar or its most prominent champion - Military Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Eight months ago, the ex-Navy Secretary began revamping how the service educates sailors and Marines throughout the ranks.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Naval Community College takes shape without bricks, mortar or its most prominent champion\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Eight months ago, the ex-Navy Secretary began revamping how the service educates sailors and Marines throughout the ranks.\" \/>\n<meta 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