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FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//MCCDC//
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UNCLAS //N01500//
MARADMIN 006/00
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG MCCDC QUANTICO VA/MCU//
SUBJ/MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY (MCU) ACCREDITATION//
POC/R.H. SMITH/MAJ/C40OPS/-/TEL:DSN 278-6847/TEL:COML (703)
784-6847//
RMKS/1. ON 7 DECEMBER 1999, MCU WAS GRANTED INITIAL ACCREDITATION BY
THE SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS (SACS). SACS'
DECISION TO GRANT ACCREDITATION TO MCU AND THE COMMAND AND STAFF
COLLEGE'S (CSC) MASTER OF MILITARY STUDIES (MMS) DEGREE PROGRAM
SIGNIFIES THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF A JOURNEY THAT BEGAN TEN YEARS AGO
DURING THE TENURE OF THE 29TH COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS, GENERAL
A.M. GRAY.
2. IN AUGUST 1989, GENERAL GRAY ESTABLISHED MCU AS THE MARINE CORPS
LEAD AGENT FOR EDUCATING MARINES AND THOSE MEMBERS OF OUR SISTER
SERVICES ATTENDING MARINE CORPS SCHOOLS. SINCE THAT TIME, MCU
HAS WORKED TO ENSURE ITS CURRICULUM FOCUSES ON THE LEADERSHIP,
WARFIGHTING, AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT SKILLS REQUIRED TO ENSURE MARINE
LEADERS ARE SUCCESSFUL ON THE BATTLEFIELDS OF THE 21ST CENTURY. TO RECOGNIZE THE QUALITY OF ITS CURRICULUM AND TO GIVE PROPER CREDIT TO
THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY GRADUATES OF THE CSC, MCU INSTITUTED THE MMS
DEGREE PROGRAM IN 1994. ACCREDITATION OF THE MMS DEGREE PROGRAM
INCLUDES ACCREDITATION OF EVERY MASTERS DEGREE GRANTED BY CSC SINCE
THE FIRST ONE AWARDED TO MAJOR STEPHEN E. BROWN IN JUNE 1995.
3. MCU'S ACCREDITATION IS THE FIRST TIME A PROFESSIONAL MILITARY
EDUCATION INSTITUTION OFFERING GRADUATE DEGREES HAS BEEN
ACCREDITED BY SACS. WITH ACCREDITATION, MCU IS GRANTED FULL
MEMBERSHIP IN SACS, AND CAN PARTICIPATE WITH OTHER MEMBER
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES IN ALL SACS' PROGRAMS, INCLUDING PEER
REVIEW OF OTHER SCHOOLS WITHIN THE ASSOCIATION. THIS ACCREDITATION
WILL NOT DETRACT FROM THE WARFIGHTING ETHOS THAT IS CENTRAL TO
INSTRUCTION AT MCU. THE MMS DEGREE PROGRAM IS ELECTIVE TO THOSE
OFFICERS WHO SEEK AN ADVANCED DEGREE AND SERVES TO COMPLEMENT, NOT
REPLACE, HOURS SPENT LEARNING TO FIGHT OUR NATION'S WARS.
4. MCU ACCREDITATION IS A PUBLIC SIGNAL THAT OUR UNIVERSITY HAS
MATURED AS AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS
ENABLED THE UNIVERSITY TO LOOK INWARD AT ITSELF FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.
AS A RESULT, MANY POSITIVE CHANGES HAVE BEEN INSTITUTED OR ARE
ONGOING TO ENSURE TRAINING AND EDUCATION AT MCU'S COLLEGES AND
SCHOOLS REMAIN FOCUSED ON MAKING MARINE LEADERS AND WINNING OUR
NATION'S BATTLES. ACCREDITATION HAS VALIDATED THE QUALITY OF MCU
AS AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION AND WILL ENABLE IT TO PARTICIPATE MORE
FULLY AS A PARTNER IN THE WORLD OF HIGHER EDUCATION.//
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