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Military Times Edge Magazine Names American InterContinental University to its Inaugural Best for Ve

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Military Times Edge Magazine Names American InterContinental University to its Inaugural Best for Vets: Business Schools List

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– American InterContinental University (AIU), an established provider of both campus based and online business degrees, has been named to the first edition of the Best for Vets: Business Schools list in Military Times Edge Magazine‘s 2013 “Best for Vets” edition.

“AIU has long been dedicated to delivering a quality graduate business program that meets the needs of today’s veterans,” said Ivan Hernandez, manager of military relations at AIU. “We focus on offering tailored military student services along with a quality education that will help veterans succeed in their pursuit of a business degree and we are honored to have this dedication recognized by Military Times Edge Magazine.”

Military Times Edge magazine is an independent source of news and information for the military community. More than 100 graduate business programs which responded to the survey were evaluated on numerous criteria identified by the publication as factors which student veterans value most when selecting a business program, including:

  • Acceptance of American Council on Education (ACE) credit: AIU follows the ACE Guide to The Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services to evaluate military training and experience for academic credit. AIU is also a member of the Service members Opportunity College (SOC) Consortium. The university’s team of Prior Learning Assessment professionals evaluates college credit earned at other schools as well as from CLEP, DSST, Advanced Placement (AP) exams or specific training and MOS experience for possible transfer credit towards degree completion at AIU.
  • Accreditation: AIU business administration degrees are recognized by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). AIU is regionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS).
  • Yellow Ribbon Participation: Indicating whether a school is participating in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department’s Yellow Ribbon program during the 2012-13 school year. In this program, a school and the VA contribute equal amounts to make up the difference between a college’s tuition and the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s nationwide cap. AIU participates in Yellow Ribbon at both its ground campuses and online programs.

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    Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

Senate panel to vote Tuesday on Hagel nomination

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Senate Democrats are pushing ahead with a vote Tuesday on Chuck Hagel‘s nomination to be defense secretary, rejecting Republican demands for more financial information from Hagel in a politically charged fight over President Barack Obama‘s second-term national security team.

In a brief statement, Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said the panel would meet Tuesday afternoon with the “intention to vote on the nomination after the members have an opportunity for discussion.” Levin had hoped to hold a committee vote last Thursday, but postponed it amid complaints from Republicans that Hagel hadn’t sufficiently answered questions about his personal finances.

Not all Republicans shared that view, however.

“I have examined the information and responses to members’ questions that Senator Hagel has provided to the committee, and I believe that he has fulfilled the rigorous requirements that the committee demands of every presidential nominee to be secretary of defense,” Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said in a statement Monday backing Levin’s plans for a vote.

McCain’s expression of confidence in Hagel’s answers was a crucial counterpoint to GOP criticism of the nominee, who still faces Republican threats to block or delay his selection. McCain, the panel’s former top Republican, has said he’s leaning against supporting his former colleague and friend, but he made clear he would not participate in any walkout by committee Republicans over a Hagel vote.

Obama tapped Hagel, a former two-term Nebraska Republican senator and twice-wounded combat veteran in Vietnam, to succeed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who is stepping down after serving as CIA director and Pentagon chief in the president’s first term.

Hagel, 66, has faced strong opposition from Republicans over his past statements and votes on Israel, Iran, nuclear weapons and Iraq, in which he initially backed the war but later opposed it.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Monday that the full Senate could vote either Wednesday or Thursday on the nomination, dismissing talk of a filibuster of a Cabinet nominee as unprecedented.

“There’s never in the history of the country ever been a filibuster on a defense secretary, and I’m confident there won’t be on this one,” Reid said at the start of the Senate session.

Democrats hold a 14-12 edge on the Armed Services panel and it’s likely that Hagel will win approval on …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

Senate Dem: GOP request to Hagel extraordinary

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The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Friday he will press ahead with a vote on Chuck Hagel‘s nomination to be defense secretary, rejecting Republicans demands for more financial information from President Barack Obama‘s choice as setting an unprecedented standard.

In a letter, Sen. Carl Levin provided a point-by-point rebuttal to the GOP requests for data on Hagel’s paid speeches and foreign donors to private entities he’s been affiliated with, arguing that the requirements exceed the committee’s rules and what has been asked of previous defense secretaries, Republican and Democrat.

“The committee cannot have two different sets of financial disclosure standards for nominees, one for Sen. Hagel and one for other nominees,” the Michigan Democrat wrote.

His letter was in response to Wednesday letter from 26 Senate Republicans to Hagel insisting that they needed more information before they could vote on his nomination. Among those signing the GOP letter were Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the Armed Services panel.

Republicans have asked Hagel to disclose all compensation of more than $5,000 from the past five years — three years more than the law or committee rules require. Levin said the panel’s two-year requirement on disclosure is consistent with the Ethics in Government Act as well as past practices for all nominees for Senate-confirmed positions and candidates for federal office.

Levin said the committee’s disclosure requirements for nominees have remained the same for 26 years, including his 16 as chairman or ranking member. In that nearly three-decade span, the committee has confirmed defense secretaries and other senior civilian nominees at the Pentagon with far more lucrative and extensive financial holdings than Hagel, including Republicans Frank Carlucci and Dick Cheney.

Inhofe said Friday that some members of the committee “believe in order to properly consider this nomination that additional information is required. I am working to address these members’ concerns.”

Hagel, 66, a former two-term Republican senator and decorated combat veteran in the Vietnam War, has faced fierce GOP opposition, with more than dozen Republicans announcing they will vote against him and several others indicating they were likely to vote no. Hagel has faced a barrage of criticism from lawmakers and GOP-leaning outside groups who have complained that he is too tolerant of Iran, too critical of Israel and willing to slash the nation’s nuclear arsenal.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

Republican Hagel faces GOP critics at hearing

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Republican Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama‘s nominee for defense secretary, is facing GOP critics who have challenged his past comments on Israel, Iran and nuclear weapons.

The former two-term senator from Nebraska is the lone witness at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday that could be crucial in determining whether he will win Senate confirmation to succeed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in Obama‘s second-term national security team. Two former committee chairmen — Democrat Sam Nunn and Republican John Warner — will introduce the nominee.

If confirmed, Hagel, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, would be the first enlisted man and first Vietnam veteran to serve as defense secretary.

Hagel has the announced backing of about a dozen Democrats and the tacit support of dozens more who are unlikely to embarrass the president by defeating his Cabinet pick. One Republican — Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi — has said he will vote for his former colleague.

Six Republicans, including four members of the Armed Services panel, have said they will oppose Hagel’s nomination. Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, the top GOP lawmaker on the committee, has said he and Hagel are “too philosophically opposed” on issues such as defense spending, nuclear weapons and the Middle East.

Crucial for Hagel will be the questioning by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Hagel and McCain are fellow Vietnam veterans who once had a close relationship during their years in the Senate, but politics and Hagel’s opposition to increased troop numbers in Iraq divided the two men.

McCain has praised Hagel’s military service but said he had serious concerns about positions the nominee has taken on various issues. He said he is reserving judgment until after the hearing. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., earlier this month described Obama‘s selection as an “in-your-face” pick but was a bit less critical this week.

“Who are we getting — the guy today or the guy who said things before?” Graham said Tuesday after a 20-minute meeting with Hagel. Graham said he doesn’t doubt Hagel’s “personal integrity, but I do have real concerns about his policy positions.”

The hearing will be the first time Hagel publicly addresses the barrage of criticism that he is not sufficiently pro-Israel or tough enough on Iran. In the past, Hagel has questioned the efficacy of unilateral sanctions on Iran, arguing that penalties in conjunction with international partners made more sense. He has also been criticized for his comments about the influence of a “Jewish lobby” and his view of gay rights.

He addressed several of the issues in a 112-page questionnaire to the committee in which he said his wartime experience would shape his decisions about using military force.

“I understand what it is like to be a soldier in war,” wrote Hagel. “I also understand what happens when there is poor morale and discipline among the troops and a lack of clear objectives, intelligence and command and control from Washington. I believe that experience will help me as secretary of defense to ensure we maintain the best fighting force in the world, protect our men and women in uniform and ensure that we are cautious and certain when contemplating the use of force.”

In his responses, Hagel adopted a hard line on Iran and its possible pursuit of a nuclear weapon. He echoed Obama‘s view that all options are feasible to stop Tehran, praised the rounds of penalties and warned of “severe and growing consequences” if Iran balks at international demands.

Questioned about all options, Hagel said, “If confirmed, I will focus intently on ensuring that the U.S. military is in fact prepared for any contingency.”

He said that he would continue to put in place the “smart, unprecedented and effective sanctions against the Iranian regime” that Congress and the Obama administration have adopted in recent years.

The criticism of Hagel has surprised some of Hagel’s strongest backers.

“This idea that’s being propagated that he might be soft on adversaries. Chuck Hagel‘s not soft on anybody, particularly himself,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a member of the Armed Services Committee, in a conference call with Hagel allies. “He drives hard. He’s someone who searches for the right approach and the right policy.”

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News