THE MILITARY AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
North Georgia College & State University is both an academic and a leadership institution. As the premiere leadership training institution in the state of Georgia, NGCSU recognizes leadership as a key point in its Core Values, affirming its commitment "to maintaining and developing its strong leadership traditions." Leadership has long been an integral part of both the curriculum and co-curricular activities at NGCSU, and plans are currently underway to develop and formalize further leadership opportunities for NGCSU students.
All NGCSU students can take advantage of any of the many opportunities available to enhance their leadership abilities, such as receiving formal leadership training, actively participating in campuswide groups and organizations in which leadership is emphasized, and pursuing an academic minor in leadership. The Interdisciplinary Minor in Leadership has two tracks: military and service learning. For more information on the Interdisciplinary Minor in Leadership, see page 91.
The military track provides co-curricular and curricular leadership opportunities for students in the NGCSU Corps of Cadets. While completing their academic programs, these students are enriched by an intensive leadership environment that teaches them to apply their knowledge responsibly in interpersonal relations and in influencing collective activity.
History
From its founding, North Georgia College & State University has been a leadership institution dedicated to these propositions:
a. The American way of life depends on the leadership of superior citizens who maintain the ideals of freedom through hard work and eternal vigilance.
b. With the rights and privileges of citizenship, quality men and women must assume responsibility for the leadership of those around them. A part of this obligation is to be prepared to serve in the defense of the United States if needed.
c. The freedom of this nation rests upon a viable economy and strong defense, which in turn require a continuing source of leaders with the intellectual, moral, and physical attributes to perform effectively in a wide variety of leadership, management, and administrative positions.
d. Leadership instruction and training, through emphasis on cooperation, responsiveness, loyalty, appearance, self-confidence, and personal responsibilities, provide invaluable preparation for the successful pursuit of careers spanning a broad range of civic endeavors.
NGCSU has a long and distinguished tradition as a leadership institution. Students have been attracted by the camaraderie, individual attention, self-discipline, and the leadership opportunities the military program offers.
The Leadership Model
The leadership model at North Georgia University & State University uses a military form to develop leadership qualities in participating students. The model is implemented through the organization and function of the Corps of Cadets. The program is four years in duration and takes a cadet through annual phases of increasing responsibility, which progress from recruit/private to squad leader to senior NCO and officer. These steps correspond to responsibilities associated in the civilian sector with workers, first-line supervisors, and middle- and upper-level managers.
Leadership development starts the freshman year. The emphasis at first is on followership and peer leadership. Sophomores attend a workshop called the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy (NCOA). Successful completion of the NCOA is a demonstration of a cadet's potential for leadership positions and her/his desire to succeed in the Corps of Cadets. Following completion of the academy, cadets are selected for entry-level supervisory positions, known in the military vernacular as section or squad leaders. These leaders are responsible for the discipline, morale, training, and welfare of four to nine cadets, while integrating the activities of the section and squad into the higher-level organizational structure of the platoon. The theory learned in NCOA is continually reinforced in the practical experience of daily leadership and laboratories comprising inspections, drill, and ceremonies.
During the junior year, successful entry-level supervisors are picked for platoon, company, and staff assignments at the middle and upper management levels. Cadet leaders in these assignments are responsible for the planning, execution, and control of activities involving up to 75 cadets and nine entry level managers. It is during the junior year that intensive leadership workshops are held one afternoon per week and several weekends per semester. The purpose of these workshops is to develop physical fitness, improve problem-solving skills, and refine leadership development through a variety of role-playing situations.
In the senior year, cadets move into positions in which they are trained in upper-level management. These are officer positions, which include command of a company (50-70 cadets), a battalion (150-250 cadets), and a brigade (450-600 cadets), as well as other key training and command positions. Classroom instruction offers a chance to explore theories of leadership, while daily life in the Corps of Cadets provides ample opportunities to put theoretical understanding into practice.
Current Status
North Georgia College & State University is one of only six senior universities in the United States classified as a senior military college by the United States Department of the Army. In accordance with the criteria for military colleges NGCSU requires that
a. all resident male students become members of the Corps of Cadets, a military type organization with a proud history;
b. all members of the Corps wear the distinctive Army uniform and participate in the military program at the university;
c. members of the Corps abide by regulations similar to those maintained by the service academies. These regulations establish high standards for personal conduct and appearance, protect the rights of each cadet and engender a strong sense of personal responsibility and self-discipline.
The Corps of Cadets
Each student who desires to become a member of the Corps of Cadets must successfully complete New Cadet Orientation, also known as "Frog Week," at the beginning of her/his first semester of participation. This orientation teaches the new cadet the rules, regulations, and standards of the Corps of Cadets, as well as how to adapt to life as a cadet and to execute basic drill movements. A student will not be allowed to enter the Corps of Cadets without completing this essential training.
To facilitate administration and training, the Corps is organized into a brigade of two battalions, each consisting of two or more companies. Also included is Headquarters and Headquarters Company, the largest cadet company. Immediately upon reporting to the university, a new cadet is assigned to a company. This unit quickly becomes the focal point for a new cadet's life on campus. It becomes a "home away from home" and provides immediate social stability in a new environment. It also provides an opportunity for academic coaching through upperclassmen. Additionally, the company provides the structure around which a spirited intramural sports program is developed and implemented. The competition between companies in the Corps ends with the designation of Honor Company at the end of each academic semester. Honor Company is awarded to the unit receiving the highest combined score in academics, athletics, military training, and unit administration.
The "cadet system" of control prevailing within the Corps is a specialized system of student government in which there is extensive, direct, and continual involvement of the cadets in the management of their own affairs. The conduct of cadets and most of the activities of organizations within the Corps are the responsibility of the cadet officers and non-commissioned officers. Thus, for all students seeking responsibilities and involvement, NGCSU offers outstanding opportunities.
All cadets may and are encouraged to compete for leadership positions. The first step in this process is to attend the NCOA after the freshman year. Successful completion of the NCOA is a prerequisite for selection to any rank above cadet corporal. Consideration is given to demonstrated interest, motivation, military knowledge, academic standing (minimum requirement is an overall C average), leadership potential, and individual conduct records when selecting individuals for positions of responsibility. Eligibility for advancement in rank parallels advancement in academic class standings. For example, non-commissioned officers are selected from the sophomore and junior classes, while officers are selected from the senior class.
Cadet officers and non-commissioned officers are expected to set an example in appearance, conduct, and compliance with university-approved Corps regulations, and they are expected to enforce these regulations in a fair and impartial manner so as to promote respect, morale, and sound discipline. A copy of Corps regulations, known as the Blue Book, is issued to every cadet.
Membership in the Corps of Cadets is open to all students who are admitted to the university, except certain students whose physical condition, as judged by the university physician and the commandant acting jointly, is determined to be inconsistent with requirements for normal participation in marching in formation and living in cadet residence halls without special assistance, equipment, or diet.
Cadets may earn the privilege of wearing appropriate civilian clothing after 5:00 PM.
Military Instruction
Detailed information on military science courses is provided in the section devoted to course offerings by academic departments. Graduation requirements for students in the Corps of Cadets include the successful completion of up to 12 semester hours of military science instruction unless exemption is granted by the vice president for academic affairs upon the recommendation of the professor of military science. For the fulfillment of this requirement, all cadets, including those transferring from other institutions, are required to successfully complete the appropriate military science class each semester. Some military activities are scheduled for weekends and occur several weekends a semester throughout the year. These activities are required for all personnel in the ROTC program.
Opportunity for an Army Officer's Commission
Every qualified student has the opportunity to compete for a commission as an officer in either the active Army or the U.S. Army Reserve through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. Although all resident male students must participate in the military program, including classroom courses in military science for academic credit, earning a commission is both voluntary on the part of the individual and selective by the Department of the Army.
Students who desire to earn a commission and who are accepted in the ROTC program are placed on contract with the Army, normally at the beginning of the junior year. In return for agreeing to serve as an officer, the student on contract receives a non-taxable allowance of $350 per month as a junior and $400 a month as a senior for up to 20 months while in college. Contract students attend a four-week ROTC summer camp between the junior and senior years of college. The student is reimbursed for travel expenses to and from the camp and is paid during the camp period at one-half the current rate of second lieutenants in the Army.
ROTC contract students may apply to be commissioned in the active Army or Reserve components. The Department of the Army annually authorizes the selection of a number of outstanding seniors to be designated Distinguished Military Students (DMS). Students so chosen must be in the upper half of their class academically, must be in the upper third in military science studies and the upper third of their class Order of Merit List (OML), and must demonstrate outstanding potential for service as officers.
Army ROTC Scholarship
Army ROTC Scholarships are available on a competitive basis to students for four-, three-, and two-year periods. These scholarships provide all tuition and fees, as well as a stipend for textbooks and supplies. Scholarship winners are on contract to earn a commission. A monthly subsistence allowance starts at $300 for a 4-year scholarship recipient and increases for each academic year. Three-and two-year scholarship nominees are selected from among applicants enrolled. Four-year scholarships are competitive, and applications must be submitted by interested individuals early in the senior year of high school. Those interested in a four-year ROTC Scholarship should contact their high school counselor for information on application procedures, or contact the university Admissions Office at 1-800-498-9581.
The Georgia Military Scholarship
North Georgia College & State University/Georgia Army National Guard Military Scholarships are competitively available to Georgia high school seniors with a minimum SAT score of 1010 and a 3.0 high school grade point average. These scholarships cover all costs for room, board, tuition, books, and uniforms. Scholarship winners serve in a pay status in the Georgia Army National Guard while at NGCSU and upon graduation accept a commission and serve not less than four additional years in the Georgia Army Guard or the active Army with concurrence of the state adjutant general.
Students should contact a local member of the Georgia General Assembly early in the high school senior year for an application and nomination. Completed applications will be received by the Georgia Student Finance Commission for submission to the Scholarship Selection Committee, which will select three qualified scholarship winners and first and second alternates from each of Georgia's 11 congressional districts. Notification of winners will be made March 1. If a qualified applicant is not nominated from a district, a nominee may be selected from another district. Vacated scholarships will be filled for a remaining one, two, or three years. Students who desire to earn a vacated scholarship should contact the Cadet Recruitment Center at NGCSU, (706) 867-2803.
NGCSU National Guard and Army Reserve Detachments
North Georgia has the distinction of being the only institution of higher education to have both an Army National Guard unit and Army Reserve Detachment on campus. Conducting military training on campus allows the student-soldiers to become familiar with other job specialties through interaction with their peers and become more proficient in their basic soldiering skills. Many of these soldiers plan to commission as officers in the military after graduation. These detachments allow for the soldiers to become more proficient leaders, developing the best future officers for the Army and its reserve components. For more information on these programs, please visit the Corps of Cadets page that can be found through the NGCSU website.
North Georgia College & State University State of Georgia ROTC Grant
All Georgia residents enrolled for a full academic course load who maintain a 2.0 GPA and fully participate in the North Georgia College & State University Corps of Cadets are eligible for a Georgia ROTC grant. Cadets also must be "in good standing" to be eligible. This award is funded by the state of Georgia through the Georgia Student Finance Commission. The award pays a maximum of $750 per semester to eligible cadets.
Non Resident Fee Waiver
NGCSU waives out-of-state tuition charges for members of the Corps of Cadets. Cadets "in good standing" normally do not pay out-of-state tuition as long as they maintain a 2.0 GPA while carrying a full time academic load.
