Mike Sowards

All this made the school an ideal selection for the Navy's distance-learning program, said Mike Sowards, a former Naval officer who now serves as project coordinator for FCCJ's Global Corporate College, the department that will oversee the Navy's distance-learning program."We feel like we're ahead of the game," Sowards said.
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Sowards, whose job it will be to market FCCJ's programs to sailors, thinks the school will enroll about 700 new students in the Navy's distance-learning program by spring semester, though he doubts it will stop there."This might start real slow and then we might wake up one day and have 5,000 people knocking down our door," Sowards said."We should probably be a little scared."In addition to associate's degrees in journalism and naval counseling, FCCJ also will offer a degree in computer science in coordination with Florida State University - an offering Sowards called "the biggest apple in the bunch" of programs awarded by the Navy.And the Navy's distance-learning program, Sowards added, is just one sign of things to come. Earlier this year, the Army announced its plans to offer distance-learning education to all interested soldiers.FCCJ also signed a contract recently to provide classes via correspondence, Internet and with onsite instructors to employees of the Internal Revenue Service who work all over the nation. So Sowards said, it wouldn't be surprising if other businesses or organizations followed suit. "It will be interesting to see how far this goes," he said.

Mr. Mike Sowands Director Military Education Institute Florida Community College at Jacksonville 601 W. State Street Jacksonville, FL 32202 Phone: 9046338406 Email: msowards@fccj.org

Mike SowardsInterim Program Manager, Military Education Institute (MEI) Military Experience: 14 years (U.S. Navy)

Mike retired from the U.S. Navy as a Chief Petty Officer.He earned a master's degree in Education and a bachelor's degree in History from the University of North Florida.He began work as an advisor for Florida Community College at Jacksonville at Naval Station Mayport.

Mike played a key role in Florida Community College's designation as a rating partner in the Navy College Distance Learning Partnership Program.He is also instrumental in all aspects of military education including Florida Community College's relationships with the National Guard, U.S. Army, Air Force and Coast Guard.He currently serves as the Interim Program Manager for MEI's Distance Learning program.

Mike SowardsInterim Program Manager, Military Education Institute (MEI) Military Experience: 14 years (U.S. Navy)

Mike retired from the U.S. Navy as a Chief Petty Officer.He earned a master's degree in Education and a bachelor's degree in History from the University of North Florida.He began work as an advisor for FCCJ at Naval Station Mayport.

Mike played a key role in FCCJ's designation as a rating partner in the Navy College Distance Learning Partnership Program.He is also instrumental in all aspects of military education including FCCJ's relationships with the National Guard, U.S. Army, Air Force and Coast Guard.He currently serves as the Interim Program Manager for MEI's Distance Learning program.