EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- As Team Eglin personnel stay home due to COVID-19, some use their time in isolation constructively to focus on goals such as furthering their education.
Lisa Splinter, education services officer, said she’s seen an increase in personnel utilizing Eglin’s Education Center. She added that any time is a good time to pursue education, if the time is right for them.
“Each person needs to evaluate their own circumstances to ensure they are ready for the rigors of pursuing a college education,” she said.
COVID-19 and social distancing changed the way the center operates, Splinter said. The center and its participating colleges: Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Institute of Technology and the University of Maryland Global Campus, now provide virtual assistance.
Communication between the center and eligible patrons on topics such as individual education counseling, military tuition assistance and SkillBridge briefings are conducted through Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
The platforms increase the center’s customer service support capabilities in both individual and group settings, Splinter said.
One of the center’s tasks not conducted virtually is testing. Eligible patrons can test at one of the three applicable test facilities, which includes military testing (Building 210), voluntary education testing and National Test Center within the Education Center (Building 251).
The testing facilities support keeping required mandatory credentials current, according to Paula Andrus, one of the center’s test control officers.
Seating availability for these tests have been cut in half in some cases due to social distances requirements. Credentialing testing is scheduled on a priority basis depending on an individual’s requirement.
Splinter encourages eligible personnel interested in pursuing further education to contact the Education Services Center through their workflow box.