(a) The USD(P&R) will:
(1) Monitor implementation of and ensure compliance with this part and DoD Directive 1322.08E.
(2) Establish rates of TA and ensure uniformity across the Military Services as required by DoD Directive 1322.08E and this part. The uniform semester-hour (or equivalent) TA caps and annual TA ceilings will be reviewed annually and if changed, a memorandum from the USD(P&R) will be released following coordination with each of the Military Departments. Additionally, if the uniform TA rates are changed, a notice will be published in the Federal Register at approximately the start of the fiscal year.
(3) Establish, under the provisions of DoD Instruction 5105.18, “DoD Intergovernmental and Intragovernmental Committee Management Program” (available at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/510518p.pdf), the Interservice Voluntary Education Board, which will be composed of full-time or permanent part-time federal employees.
(4) Maintain a program to assess the effectiveness of the voluntary education programs.
(5) Issue written supplemental guidance annually for the funding and operation of the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) for those items not reflected in paragraph (f) of § 68.6.
(b) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness and Force Management (ASD(R&FM)), under the authority, direction, and control of the USD(P&R) will:
(1) Provide administrative assistance to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy (DASD(MCFP)), in support of the voluntary education programs.
(2) Respond to matters that are referred by the DASD(MCFP).
(c) The DASD(MCFP), under the authority, direction, and control of the ASD(R&FM), will:
(1) Monitor compliance with this part and DoD Directive 1322.08E and related issuances by personnel under his or her authority, direction, and control.
(2) Oversee the DoD Voluntary Education Program.
(3) Provide ongoing and routine clarifying guidance for the DoD Voluntary Education Program.
(4) Provide representatives to professional education and cross-agency panels addressing issues impacting the DoD Voluntary Education Program, its regulatory scope, clientele, and partners.
(5) Designate the Voluntary Education Chief within the Office of the DASD(MCFP) as the Chair of the Interservice Voluntary Education Board and oversee implementation of Board and DANTES procedures as detailed in § 68.6 of this part.
(6) Oversee the DoD Postsecondary Education Complaint System through which Service members, spouses, and adult family members receiving federal military and veterans educational benefits can register on-line complaints that will be tracked and responded to by DoD, VA, ED, CFPB, DOJ, FTC, and other relevant agencies. The DoD Postsecondary Education Complaint System is web-based and accessible on-line at https://afaems.langley.af.mil/pecs/DoDPECS. This complaint system contains the uniform procedures for the processing of the complaint intake (DD Form 2961, “DoD Postsecondary Education Complaint Intake”).
(7) Oversee the Third-Party Education Assessment, which is a third party review process to assess the quality, delivery, and coordination of the voluntary education programs provided to military personnel on the DoD installation, in the community, and via distance learning (DL). It assists in improving the quality of the delivery of these programs through recommendation to educational institutions, DoD installations, and the Military Services. DASD(MCFP) will monitor actions:
(i) By the Military Services to resolve recommendations for improvement identified on the respective Military Service's installation during the Third Party Education Assessment.
(ii) By the DoD Voluntary Education Chief to resolve recommendations for improvement concerning educational institutions operating off the DoD installation or via DL identified during Third Party Education Assessments. These educational institutions will provide corrective actions taken within 6 months of the assessment to the DoD Voluntary Education Chief. In instances when the issue cannot be resolved within the 6 month timeframe, the educational institution will submit a status report every 3 months to the DoD Voluntary Education Chief until the recommendation is resolved.
(8) Prepare written supplemental guidance annually for the USD(P&R) regarding the funding and operation of DANTES for those items not reflected in paragraph (f) of § 68.6.
(9) Oversee the policy of the JST.
(d) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (ASD(RA)), under the authority, direction, and control of the USD(P&R), will:
(1) Monitor compliance with this part and DoD Directive 1322.08E and related issuances by personnel under his or her authority, direction, and control.
(2) Appoint a representative to serve on the Interservice Voluntary Education Board.
(3) Arrange the assignment of, on a rotating basis, a field grade officer, to serve as the RC Advisor to the Voluntary Education Chief and a representative on the Interservice Voluntary Education Board.
(e) The Secretaries of the Military Departments will:
(1) Monitor compliance with this part and DoD Directive 1322.08E and related issuances by personnel under their respective authority, direction, and control.
(2) Establish, maintain, coordinate, and operate voluntary education programs that encompass a broad range of educational experiences including, but not limited to, academic skills development, high school completion programs, vocational programs, career and technical programs, and programs leading to the award of undergraduate and graduate degrees.
(3) Require that sufficient funding is available to provide Service members with TA support consistent with the requirements in § 68.6 and appendices A, B, C, D, and E to this part.
(4) Require that educational counseling is available to Service members so they will have sufficient information and guidance to plan an appropriate program of study. Educational counseling will be provided by qualified professional (Education Services Series 1740 or an individual with equivalent qualifications) individuals.
(5) Require that voluntary education programs participate in the DoD-established third-party review process titled the Third Party Education Assessment.
(i) Within 6 months of the Third Party Education Assessment on their installation, the responsible Military Service will resolve recommendations received as a result of the assessment and provide the resolutions to the DoD Voluntary Education Chief. In instances when the issue cannot be resolved within the 6 month timeframe, the Military Service will submit a status report every 3 months to the DoD Voluntary Education Chief until the recommendation is resolved.
(ii) If the recommendation(s) requires involvement of an educational institution operating on their respective installation, the Military Service will coordinate the submission of corrective actions taken by the educational institution(s) through the appropriate Education Advisor, and forward the submission through their respective Military Service leadership to the DoD Voluntary Education Chief.
(iii) Waivers to the Third Party Education Assessment must be submitted to and approved by the DoD Voluntary Education Chief.
(6) Provide one representative to serve on the Interservice Voluntary Education Board responsible for their Services' voluntary education policy from each of the following Military Services: Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Each Service representative's membership will be on a permanent basis and changed only when their voluntary education policy position is changed.
(7) Assign, on a rotating basis, a senior enlisted Service member in the military pay grade E-9 to serve as the DANTES enlisted advisor.
(8) Assign, on a rotating basis, a field-grade officer to serve as the DANTES RC advisor.
(9) Require that military test control officers and test centers comply with the guidance and procedures published in the DANTES Examination Program Handbook, available at http://www.dantes.doded.mil/Programs/Docs/DEPH_part1.pdf.
(10) Require that personnel who provide counseling, advice, and program management related to voluntary education programs have access to the DoD Voluntary Education homepage and other Web sites so they can provide current and accurate information to Service members.
(11) Provide opportunities for Service members to access the Internet, where available, to enroll in and complete postsecondary courses that are part of their evaluated educational plan leading to an educational goal.
(12) Submit requested quarterly and annual information for the Voluntary Education Management Information System (VEMIS) by the 20th day of the month after the end of each fiscal quarter for the quarterly reports and November 15th each year for the annual report. Reporting information includes, but is not limited to, voluntary education program data on enrollments, participation, and costs.
(13) Respond to and resolve Service-specific student complaints received and managed through the DoD Postsecondary Education Complaint System.
(14) Provide Service members with a JST. At a minimum, the JST will include documented military student data, courses, and military occupations evaluated by ACE, including descriptions, learning outcomes, and equivalent college credit recommendations, as well as national college-level exam results. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) will continue to use the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) to document its members' academic and military credit.
(f) Secretary of the Navy. The Secretary of the Navy, as the DoD Executive Agent (DoD EA) for DANTES pursuant to DoD Directive 1322.08E and DoD Directive 5101.1, “DoD Executive Agent” (available at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/510101p.pdf), and in addition to the responsibilities in this section, will:
(1) Transmit supplemental annual guidance issued by the USD(P&R) to DANTES for those items not reflected in paragraph (f) of § 68.6.
(2) Require that the Director, DANTES, provide updates on DANTES plans, operations, and activities to the USD(P&R).
(3) Through its civilian personnel system, advertise the position of Director, DANTES, when the position is vacated and appoint the Director, DANTES, in accordance with the procedures outlined in § 68.6.