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National Guard Patriot Academy Partners with Liberty University
I live in Arkansas, and there is an Air Force base near Little Rock, with a strong National Guard presence. I was snacking at the food court in McCain Mall near the base, and heard an interesting conversation in the booth behind me. An NCO from the Guard was talking about the "Patriot Academy", a new initiative the Guard has for helping motivated high school dropouts get their diplomas and join the Guard. "Nice recruiting tactic," I thought, being a former Army recruiter, myself. The NCO went on about this place being sort of a "military academy" with military training as well as academic training leading to a high school diploma - not "just" a GED. He really got my attention when he mentioned that the diploma came from Liberty University! So I came home and did a little research. |
"The National Guard Patriot Academy is a pilot program of the National Guard Bureau that gives qualified high school dropouts the opportunity to join the National Guard, earn their high school diploma, and give back to the community."
There is nothing on their website that links them to Liberty University. The only hint of religion comes from a blip about the students shouting "God bless the Guard", and a photo of a total immersion baptism (in uniform) in the photo gallery. A little more digging turned up this statement in a military PAO release: "While at the academy, the student-Soldiers receive a nationally-accredited diploma through online courses offered through Liberty University."
From a local paper, The Batesville (IN) Herald-Tribune: The pupils “work through Liberty University in a Web-based environment to build a personal academic plan and complete courses in English, social studies, math and science requirements. Soldiers/students utilize the Federal Tuition Assistance Program for enrollment into the degree program.” ...[Patriot Academy deputy commandant Maj. Charles] Nesloney reveals some of the advantages of the program: “Class schedules are tailored for each student, allowing them to complete required classes they need to graduate based on what they need to complete at the time they dropped out of school. “High school senior level courses will also be accepted as college credit, allowing ... graduates to get a head start on college .... students who complete their high school diploma requirements are encouraged to enroll in online college courses to begin their bachelor degree program.” [This double credit feature is evidently a hallmark of Liberty's online academy.]
Says the AUSA: Five other buildings on the site house the Patriot Academy where 48 students are working on their high school diplomas through Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. "It’s AIT" for them, Staggs said. "We expect 250 in the next cycle." Staggs said that other states are watching how the program in Indiana develops.
Liberty University is keeping a low profile about the connection, evidently, but did receive an award for their collaboration at their annual military week, according to their website. Of course, they are making money, as the students are paying for the tuition with taxpayers' money through the Tuition Assistance program. (Liberty's going rate is $495 per credit) As to the education they are receiving, Liberty University states that its online high school curriculum ...offers a wide range of high school courses in a variety of formats, designed to help your student achieve academic success and prepare them for higher education. Students study core subjects, including language arts, mathematics, history, and science, and choose from an ever-growing variety of electives* including Bible and Spanish. Program benefits include:
- Customized learning plans to meet your student's educational needs.
- Structured yet flexible program.
- Flexible enrollment allows students to enroll any time throughout the year.
- Around-the-clock access to curriculum and grades.
- Academic, administrative and technical support.
- Certified teachers and responsive staff.
- Proven curriculum taught from a biblical perspective. [italics mine]
And The curriculum and course materials provided by LUOA are intended to support instruction that affirms Christian truth; the belief that we live in a created universe where all truth emanates from God as a guide for life (Nehemiah 9:6). Knowledge is presented as being both discovered and revealed, and the Bible is presented as the inspired, inerrant word of God and the sole Authority for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16).
Course materials teach that mankind is specially created in God’s image and that man’s sub-creative imagination and powers are inherent from that creation. The reality of evil and the fallen or sinful nature of man are presented in concordance with the belief that one can only receive personal salvation through belief in Christ, and Him alone.
Although the Patriot Academy website talks about the military training, they do not discuss the academic training other than to state that it is tailored to the needs of each student. I would love to see exactly what the coursework looks like, but I seriously doubt that it is free of the religious aspects stated above. There are many accredited online high schools granting a recognized high school diploma at similar - or even lesser - cost, and without any religious trappings at all. That the National Guard has chosen to use Liberty only indicates to me the depth of the collusion between the military establishment and the Dominionist right wing of Christianity. Scary. |
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