U-AWARD OF ASSOCIATE'S AND BACHELOR'S DEGREES; EDUCATIONAL CREDIT FOR TRAINING EXPERIENCE -- SOURCES SOUGHT U-Educational and Training Services. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. THERE IS NOT A SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. POC: Doug Ernest, Contracting Officer, e-mail: Douglas_R_Ernest @nor.fisc.navy.mil, or Linda Gallaher, Customer Liaison Representative, e-mail: Linda_Gallaher@nor.fisc.navy.mil. The FISC, Norfolk Acquisition Group, HRD, is conducting market research to seek accredited educational universities and colleges capable of providing active duty Navy personnel, as well as potential recruits, educational credit for training and experience; information and counseling services; a method of "tracking" progress towards the attainment of a degree, and "mapping out" a curriculum for prospective and current students pursuing a degree. All sources capable of providing these services are being sought to enable the government to determine market capabilities. Interested sources should provide information addressed below entitled "Statement of Capabilities" and any other information deemed relevant. This requirement will cover a wide range of functions required to fully support active duty Navy personnel in all career fields, including Associate's and related Bachelor's Degree Programs; on-line information and counseling services (inclusive of interactive software programs); distance learning courses (not limited to teleconference and internet-based courses); transcripts for completed courses; up-to-date information regarding individual student's status relating to degree completion (both Associate's and Bachelor's); acceptance of college credits previously obtained from other accredited sources (including the American Council on Education recommended passing scores on Defense Activities for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), CLEP, Regents and ACT/PEP exams); propose methodology to establish procedures to evaluate military experience and training/grant college credit for experience (based upon pre-established guidelines) and record credit on student transcript(s). This program is being conducted for the Navy, concentrating on the overall educational process for obtaining both Associate's and Bachelor's degrees, while focusing on quality practices available in the current educational system. THIS SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION GATHERING PURPOSES ONLY. Any information submitted is voluntary. The Government will not pay for any information submitted in response to this Sources Sought request. Interested universities and colleges are required to submit a Statement of Capabilities (SOC) demonstrating the following 23 Items: TYPES OF DEGREES AWARDED: 1) Identify your current accreditation status. Include professional accreditations/associations (i.e., NAIT,AASCB). 2) Explain your ability to develop/provide several Associate's and Baccalaureate programs that would build upon Navy occupational fields (see notional list of Navy occupational fields, possible degrees and information on Navy enlisted ratings at the FISC website: www.nor.fisc.navy.mil, select "Contracting"; select Announcements"; file name: "Notional Degrees". 3) List the designated degrees relevant to Navy occupations you could provide and the semester credit hour requirements for both Associate's and Bachelor's degrees. 4) Identify whether your institution awards Associate's degrees, Bachelor's degrees, or both. If awarding Associate's degrees only, list existing articulation agreements with 4-year universities. RESIDENCY/CREDIT REQUIREMENTS: 5) Explain your enrollment criteria (i.e., under what conditions are you willing to forgo standardized tests?). 6) Describe your current residency requirements. 7) Explain your ability to limit residency requirements for Navy personnel including how residency requirements might be met through distance learning. 8) List your final semester requirements. 9) Provide your current cost per credit hour. 10) Provide a list of enrollment fees.11) Explain whether you accept full credit for American Council on Education recommendations. 12) Explain your policy for accepting DD 295's. 13) Outline the degree which you currently accept credit from other academic institutions, and under what circumstances you accept credits from academic institutions that currently grant academic credit to Navy personnel. 14) Explain the procedures your educational facility uses to recognize non-traditional credit(s). 15) Describe your experience with adult learners and non-traditional education (i.e., specific programs in place, success rates, longitudinal studies, and external review processes). COUNSELING SERVICES: 16) Explain the counseling services you currently provide for your distance learning students. 17) Describe existing developmental testing capabilities, remediation programs, and whether the remediation program is available via distance learning. Information Technology including Distance Learning: 18) Explain your ability to manage a large educational IT system capable of supporting a potential of 100,000 students on a steady state basis, to include on-line descriptions of available degree programs/Internet web site for accessibility, the ability to review transcripts, register students, and provide on-line counseling and library access. 19) Explain your ability to coordinate distance learning options or list agreements with other educational institutions to provide required courses. 20) Provide a description of your distance learning enrollment criteria. 21) Outline your distance learning (DL) capabilities, how long they have been in place, and measures of effectiveness. 22) Provide a list of your degrees awarded through distance learning. and 23) Outline your SPEEDE/EXPRESS capabilities. This Sources Sought Notice does not constitute a solicitation and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. Educational Facilities who wish to be included on the Reference List shall provide to the FISC POC's answers to the required "Statement of Capabilities." The educational institution shall provide the full Educational Facility name, current address, telephone and facsimile numbers (with area code), a direct point of contact at the facility for clarification/interfacing purposes, e-mail address and educational website address (if applicable). Address your responses to FISC Norfolk Acquisition Group, HRD, Attn: Linda Gallaher, Code 02HPA, 1968 Gilbert Street, Suite 600, Norfolk, VA 23511-3392. RESPONSES ARE DUE NLT 30 APR 1999. Electronic responses are preferred. Direct questions to the attention of Mr. Doug Ernest, Contracting Officer, facsimile (757)443-1424, e-mail Douglas_R_Ernest@nor.fisc.navy.mil; or Linda Gallaher, Customer Liaison Representative, facsimile (757)443-1407, e-mail Linda_Gallaher@nor.fisc.navy.mil. Posted 04/06/99 (W-SN316920).

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