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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Source: Cheryl Polson, 785-532-5772, cpolson@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Jessica Grant, 785-532-6415, jgrant@k-state.edu

Thursday, May 8, 2008

K-STATE GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT FORT LEAVENWORTH HELPING OFFICERS WITH EDUCATIONAL GOALS

MANHATTAN -- U.S. Army Major Josh Higgins wanted to pursue a master's degree while attending the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.

He has found the master's program in adult education offered at the fort through K-State to be an excellent fit.

"This program draws on what I do in the Army and will help me significantly with what I'll do when I finish the Command and General Staff College program," said Higgins, who will soon be an executive officer to an Army battalion. "When you really boil it down, training is education and I've come to the realization that every soldier and officer is an adult learner. This will really help my in what I do for the Army. This match of education and practical information really drew me to the program."

Higgins is one of 45 Fort Leavenworth students -- 30 majoring in adult education, 10 in security studies and five in operations research -- who will receive their master's degrees from K-State in May.

K-State has been offering courses at Fort Leavenworth since the 1970s, but the complexion of the degree offerings and formats have changed over the years, said Cheryl Polson, director of K-State-Fort Leavenworth, associate dean of the Graduate School and professor of educational leadership.

K-State serves the Fort Leavenworth area with courses and degree programs including master's degrees in adult education, security studies and operations research, and doctorates in adult education, military history and security studies.

The majority of the classes are offered on post and are delivered in a variety of methods including face-to-face, video teleconferencing and Web-based, Polson said.

The master's degree program in adult education is the largest at Fort Leavenworth with about 45 to 50 graduates each year. It offers two cohort programs, with one beginning in August and the second in February.

"This degree has a direct application to the work that military professionals do on a daily basis, be that in the course of conducting training, presenting briefings and developing leaders," Polson said.

"While at Fort Leavenworth, students at the United States Command and General Staff College are instructed in the tactical and operational art and the adult education program assists them in understanding how to effectively impart that knowledge. We challenge our learners' assumptions and encourage them to think beyond their personal experiences," she said.

Will Bowman, a major in the Army and graduate student in adult education, said he wanted to get a master's degree from a school that was accredited and had a long history of being well respected.

"K-State has a great reputation and this degree essentially reinforces what I do in the military," Bowman said. "I'm learning about putting together programs for adult students, and in the Army there is a lot of training and education of soldiers."

Bowman and Higgins agree that the interaction between the faculty and students has been one of the most rewarding experiences they've had with the program.

"All of the instructors are incredible," Bowman said. "They come from all walks of life and they bring unique perspectives. Some have military backgrounds and some don't, but all have been wonderful. I feel like they were very understanding and willing to work with our schedules, and it's been great to have evening classes as an option."

"The instructors really opened my eyes to seeing the bigger picture," Higgins said. "They challenged students to think outside the normal paradigm. I never found the information we covered to be repetitive and it really complemented what we were learning at the Command and General Staff College. Now I have a strong educational foundation for my future and for what I'll do after my military career."

The interdisciplinary security studies program prepares students for careers in research, teaching, and security and international affairs through a broad exploration of social science and historical methodologies as well as topics relating to security issues. The program is taught through K-State's Institute for Military History and 20th Century Studies and the departments of history and political science.

The security studies program is unlike any other academic program offered in the country, according to Polson. It was developed by faculty at K-State in close consultation with faculty at the Fort Leavenworth's Command and General Staff College. The master's program in security studies began in the fall 2006 semester and the doctorate program began in fall 2007.

Pete Russo, a major in Army, is enrolled in the security studies master's program at K-State-Fort Leavenworth.

"Mental agility is a critical part of the problem-solving process," Russo said. "As a U.S. Army special forces officer, I routinely deal with problems and issues which span the full spectrum of operations: tactical, operational and strategic. Tactical decision-making is often experience based, and decision making at the operational and strategic levels has a much greater basis in education. The curriculum of the security studies program forced me out of my comfort zone and provided my with the tools to assist me in analyzing issues at the strategic level."

The most rewarding part of the program was having the opportunity to engage in discourse with civilian students because it provided insight into how those outside the military see the world, Russo said.

"A central goal of all graduate education is enhancing a learner's ability to think critically, which is also essential to being an effective military leader, Polson said. "There are no uniform solutions to the complex military conflicts our graduates will be confronting; however, I am confident their K-State degrees better equip them to meet these challenges."