The Southern University Navy ROTC has made efforts to increase their presence in the recruitment of quality scholarship applicants at Southern University.
After a successful visit by Admiral Ann Rondeau, commander of the Naval Service Training Command last semester, the U.S. Navy has looked to Southern to be the flagship for diversity outreach.
The Navy, in conjunction with the Office of Media Relations has put out a public service commercial and increased their presence in the media.
Navy ROTC commanding officer Captain Jeffery Sapp and his staff have made several steps to increase their relationship with both faculty and students.
“We have now increased our visibility by working with the alumni association and the Office of Admissions and Recruitment,” Sapp said.
The benefits of more exposure are already being seen. This year alone the number of seniors who are projected to graduate and then receive their commission is up five times where it was in the 2002-2003 school year.
The number of scholarship recipients is also up to seven, four of which were sophomores that were granted the scholarships this summer.
They have also had success in recruiting in areas where they had little success before, nursing majors in the program have grown by 300 percent in the last two and half years.
Lieutenant T.J. Wiley, freshmen/sophomore officer instructor has also seen that students that are in the program are better prepared for the demand of the program.
“We are seeing incoming freshmen that adhere to our standards and are better prepared to be a successful cadet,” he said.
The Navy is also interested in expanding the relationship with professors and brings grant money to Southern. ” We have sent several of the faculty to different locations including the Navy Nuclear Power Training Command” Sapp said, ” we want them to know the opportunity that we can give their students.”
Students joining the Navy ROTC have high hopes for their future in the program.
“I hope that joining Navy ROTC will give me a running start on my career after I graduate,” said Brent Herndon III, a freshmen from San Bernardino, California.
For more information on the scholarship criteria you can contact Navy ROTC at 771-4370.
