Clark State Community College has been approved by the Community College of the Air Force as a General Education Mobile (GEM) partner. Clark State is the first community college in Ohio to receive this approval.
GEM is a nationwide partnership between the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) and civilian academic institutions such as Clark State. CCAF offers an associate of applied science in five career areas: aircraft and missile maintenance, allied health, electronics and telecommunications, logistics and resources, public and support services. “The CCAF program allows service members to earn credits for their Air Force service and training,” said Toni Overholser, Clark State director of business and community development. “That leaves the service member with general education courses they must take in order to complete their degree at CCAF.” Students are now able to complete all their general education courses online through Clark State.
Overholser said while on active duty, it is not always convenient for a service person to attend classes at an on-campus location. “Military members are always on-the-ready to serve, and their schedules may change at a moment’s notice,” said Overholser. “Our approved online classes better enable service members to continue their studies during times of transition or deployment.”
CCAF students are able to search GEM school partners and register for classes online via the Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC) portal.
“What a wonderful service to provide our service members,” said William Nicholas, associate dean of campus relations for CCAF. “Having such an opportunity to complete the general education course helps tremendously.”
There are just over 65 GEM school partners nationwide. Each school has to meet specific criteria and offer the necessary courses in an online format in order to become a GEM partner. No matter their current location, service members will pay in-state tuition rates. “Service members all over the world can see we are a GEM school,” said Overholser. “They can register for classes and attend Clark State classes online.”
In addition to becoming a GEM school partner, Clark State furthers their commitment to active military and veteran students with the dedication of a student veterans lounge on September 9. The College was also designated as a Purple Heart Campus and offers veterans and active military priority registration for classes. “Clark State is proud to work with the Community College of the Air Force to offer online courses to our active duty military members,” said Theresa Felder, vice president student affairs and Greene Center operations. “It’s a great honor for Clark State to be a part of the GEM program.”