The Department of Defense (DoD) has funded the first-year development activities necessary to create a two-year Community College Associate of Arts Degree in Environmental Technology. Kansas State University (KSU), as one of the recipients of the funding, has assembled faculty teams to write the curriculum and a media production team to produce and disseminate it. Although it was the original intent of the DoD, it is now apparent subsequent-year funding will not be forthcoming. Consequently, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has a rare opportunity to fund a program in which $840,000 of infrastructure is already in place. For example, there are 20-plus committed community colleges prepared to implement the curriculum and develop second-year courses. A national consortium of industry supporters, such as AFL/CIO, Boeing, and Allied Signal Aerospace, Inc., are on-board to advise on program development. State-of-the-art technologies, such as satellite instructional delivery access, CD-ROM development equipment, and media production equipment, have been purchased and totally committed to this program. Current funding from the DoD is being used to develop curriculum materials, but second, third, and fourth-year funding is absolutely necessary to implement the curriculum. Full development and implementation of the complete two-year environmental technology program will not occur without NSF support. The proposal explicitly demonstrates the infrastructures already created by DoD's first-year funding, and clearly emphasizes activities necessary for program completion by subsequent-year funding from the NSF.
