Cherry Point inks MOU, expands educational offerings

MCAS Cherry Point, NC --

Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and East Carolina University joined forces to sign a memorandum of understanding, establishing a partnership with MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, Nov. 5, 2021. The MOU provides access and establishes guidelines and procedures for the delivery of high quality, state of the art postsecondary educational programs to the Cherry Point community.

"I'm glad we have the chance to put this in writing, and let our community know of the emerging educational opportunities that are available here," said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Mikel Huber, commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.

Huber drew parallels between the signing with MOU with ECU and the ongoing "fifth generation" transformation of the air station.

"Partnerships with accredited educational institutions creates strategic investments in developing our service members, both personally and professionally, while enhancing our workforce." Teresa Allen, MCAS Cherry Point education services officer.

"Cherry Point is 80 years old this year and we're in a period of transformation to field the Joint Strike Fighter," Huber said. "That entails a ton of infrastructure upgrades that are lifting the installation up. I feel like the timing is good to bring these programs here and offer tremendous educational opportunities to our personnel and families."

ECU will offer Bachelor of Science degrees in both industrial distribution and logistics, and industrial technology. The school will hold in-person classes at the Jerry Marvel Training and Education Building on the installation. The university will join schools such as Craven Community College, Park University, Southern Illinois University, and Syracuse University in offering face-to-face degree programs for active duty personnel, reservists, eligible retired military personnel, and Department of Defense employees.

"Partnerships with accredited educational institutions creates strategic investments in developing our service members, both personally and professionally, while enhancing our workforce," said Teresa Allen, MCAS Cherry Point education services officer.

The degree programs are designed to accommodate working professionals and the military. They do this by offering maximum flexibility for the enrolled students, allowing them to maintain both their personal and professional obligations.

"In partnership with the Cherry Point staff and military commands, we want to help coach these students on a pathway toward more advanced credentials that will help them be successful." said Dr. Harry Ploehn, the dean of the College of Engineering at ECU.

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