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Marietta College students interested in the Air Force or Space Force have a new opportunity available.
MC announced Wednesday it has entered into a "crosstown" agreement with the U.S. Air Force-Space Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AF/SFROTC) Detachment 650 at Ohio University, according to an MC media release.
MC incoming freshmen and rising sophomores can enroll in OU's AF/SFROTC detachment for the fall semester, the release said.
After being accepted to MC, interested students will apply directly to OU's AF/SFROTC program. Once they are accepted into the program the students will automatically be enrolled in the leadership studies minor at MC's McDonough Center for Leadership & Business.
The students will take undergraduate courses at MC and will complete the AF/SFROTC training and take military science courses at OU, according to the release.
Once students complete their sophomore year, AF/SFROTC cadets who are selected to advance as upperclassmen will be commissioned as active-duty second lieutenants in the Air Force or Space Force.
The AF/SFROTC program will be open to all MC students, including student-athletes, who meet the Air Force's established physical fitness and academic standards, according to MC's Office of Community Engagement Coordinator of Veterans and Air Force/Space Force ROTC Programs Jason Nulton.
The agreement between OU and MC is the only standing "crosstown" agreement that OU's ROTC has, according to the release.
The partnership between MC and OU is "the best of both worlds for our students, who will receive world-class liberal education at Marietta and simultaneously develop the skills necessary to become an officer in the Air Force or Space Force through OU's ROTC program", Nulton said in the release.
The commander of AF/SFROTC Detachment 650 Lt. Col. Josh Lev agreed with Nulton that the program will benefit students.
"Both Ohio University and Marietta College have led higher education in this region of the state since the early 1800s, so we are pleased to enter into this crosstown agreement with such (an) historic institution," Lev said in the release.
According to the release, students in the program will gain leadership skills and be supported in multiple ways.
"Marietta College has one of the most well-known undergraduate leadership programs in the country, and our new ROTC partnership with Ohio University is a natural evolution of our growing offerings in leadership," McDonough Center for Leadership & Business Dean Alexandra Perry said in the release.
"Students who enter ROTC at Marietta College will be McDonough Scholars and will gain leadership and followership skills in both programs. ROTC on our campus will be unique because of the fact that students will earn a leadership minor. We're so excited to welcome our first Cohort of ROTC students this Fall!"
MC is an Ohio Collegiate Purple Star Institution and as one, MC offers various support for veterans and military-affiliated students which includes a Veteran and Military Student Center, an active Student Veterans of America organization and other academic and career support systems, the release said.
According to the release, Nulton has reached out to the Washington County Veterans Commission to see what other support cadets can be offered.
"We want to help ensure Marietta College ROTC cadets have access to as much assistance as possible and our Veterans Commission is ready to assist with the coordination," Washington County Veterans Commision Executive Director Robert Fitzgerald said in the release. "We are thrilled with (Marietta's) new veterans initiatives."
AF/SFROTC cadets will also receive help with transportation issues in the form of special parking privileges, according to MC Police Chief Jim Weaver.
MC is also working to streamline the amount of time AF/SFROTC cadets will have to travel to OU's campus, Nulton said in the release.
"We will continue to work with OU to help our cadets be successful," Nulton said.
Students interested in the AF/SFROTC can email admit@marietta.edu or mcdonough@marietta.edu. To learn more about the AF/SFROTC agreement visit www.marietta.edu/ROTC.