TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM COURSE REPORT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 22, 2012
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: September 11, 1987
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4
CONF IDFNT IA L
11 SEP 1987
OTE 87-7672
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Personnel
25X1 FROM:
ncv4
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Director of Training and Education
SUBJECT: Tuition Assistance Program Course Report
The first running of the Tuition Assistance Program
was held from 7 June through 31 July 1987. Twenty-two
students, thirteen men and nine women, were selected for the
course. Nineteen were in between their junior and senior year of
undergraduate work. Three students had one year to go in their
graduate studies.
2. The purpose of the eight-week program was to provide an
overview of the Agency and the intelligence process with the intent
of interesting the students in a career with the CIA. In addition,
the program provided the Agency with an opportunity to evaluate the
students as potential employees. The program's more specific goal
was to find candidates for the Career Trainee Program who would an
4. The training took place in three locations Thr pp and
half weeks were spent at
Virginia, two and a half weeks were and two weeks at
While in Arlington, the students were
Staff members and annuitants assigned to
at a local motel.
Career Training
the
housed
the
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4
CONFIDENTIAL
Subject: Tuition Assistance Program Course Report
Division alternated staying with the students while in
Arlington. Therefore, students had access to OTE people 24 hours a
day everyday of the program in case of emergencies and to answer
questions. As it turned out, we did in fact have two medical cases
that required trips to Leesburg Hospital.
Training
The training segments were presented as follows:
Orientation
Overview of the Agency
Marxism/Leninism
Priority Issues
Intelligence Community
Interpersonal Communications Skills
Overview of the DO
Operations Familiarization
Agency Culture and Course Wrap-Up
Travel and Administration Times
3 days
7 days
5 days
2 days
2 days
1 day
3 days
12 days
2 days
3 days
5. Overall, the training throughout the eight weeks, with the
exception of Marxism/Leninism, received very high grades from the
students.
6. The students had tours of five facilities incindinu thp
25X1 Head uarters Building, Bolling Air Force Base
25X1 the Pentagon and the FBI. Exercises
exercise
organizat
national
the Washington, D.C. area. Seminars were conducted to ascertain the
students perceptions of the CIA early in the program and again near
the end of the program to determine if the perceptions changed as a
result of the course.
25X1 7. The students especially enjoyed their stay The
segment received high marks for the "hands-on" training, the
ractical and lively demonstrations, and support from the OTD staff.
25X1
8. Five time periods were reserved for meetings with
OP-assigned student counselors. During these sessions, each
counselor met with his/her counselees to discuss problems,
perceptions, career decisions, etc. Many counselors also set up
additional meeting times, usually for lunch or dinner.
CONF IDENT IAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4
CONE IDENT I AL
Subject: Tuition Assistance Program Course Report
9. The only low point in the training was the segment on
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10. Mention should be made of the tremendous support received
from instructors in OTE and speakers throughout the Agency in
contributing to the success of the program. Considering this was
the first running of the program, along with skepticism many people
felt about it, this support was a positive reflection of the "can
do" attitude. In addition, cooperation between OTE and the staff at
Career Trainee Division, Office of Personnel was remarkable. The
people in Personnel are to be commended for selecting such fine
candidates and handling the massive administrative details required
to make this program work.
Recommendations
Training:
1. Eight weeks is to long. Six or, at the most, seven
weeks would be more appropriate. I suggest two weeks of
Agency orientation in the D.C. area, two weeks of
25X1 operations familiarization and two to four weeks
working on the job similar to summer interns. This
schedule would provide a more solid course content up
front, give students more "real world" Agency experience,
to some extent allow us to evaluate them "on the job"
25X1 reduce duplication with the CTDC (see item #2 below).
2. Duplication of content in the program with that of the
CTDC was a concern of both the CT staff and the students.
25X1 While the two and a half weeks provided the students
with a taste
25X1
the 25X1
remaining tive and a halt weeks ot the program at times
CONF IDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4
CONF IDENTI AL
Subject: Tuition Assistance Program Course Report
duplicated the content of the soon-to-be-six-week Career
Trainee Development Course. We strongly believe, however,
that returning students should take the CTDC because there
is a greater amount of material presented in the CTDC,
including all the exercises, which were not covered in the
summer program. Where there is duplication of subject
matter, it is presented in greater depth in the CTDC. In
addition, much of the information presented Tii?the summer
program will be forgotten over the year. Finally, we want
these students to participate in the CTDC to bond them with
the rest of the CT class. Therefore, while efforts will be
made to make the summer program unique, not al
25X1 duplication can be eliminated nor should it be.
3. The students suggested more small group sessions and
exercises and fewer stand-up briefings. This is a
perennial problem which we now have a year to work on
before the next running. Alternative means of instruction
and self-study methods will be considered.
4. The Marxism/Leninism segment must be revised. The
subject matter must be made more relevant to the work of
intelligence and the nature of the Marxist threat
clarified. The segment requires two or three days at the
most. Also, if a significant amount of unclassified
reading is required, the material should be provided to the
students before the program begins.
5. The personal security segment, which was unexpectedly
dropped from the summer program, should be included, with
modifications, in the next program.
6. Recommendations concerning the operations
familiarization segment are attached (provided by OTD/OTE).
Personnel/Administration
1. We recommend that the training in the Washington area
be conducted exclusively
This facility is first class tor instruction, the housing
arrangements are fine, the recreational facilities are top
notch and the staff cooperative. We foresee difficulties,
-- and a less effective program -- if, as suggested, the
CONF IDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4
CONF ID ENT IA L
Subject: Tuition Assistance Program Course Report
25X1 course venue is shifted It would be
25X1 difficult to get speakers for a single presentation
and I fear the students would go stir crazy there without
recreational outlets. Similarly, while a motel in the
Arlington area is convernientto DC, it presents more of a
25X1 cover/security problem.
2. The students recommend that we begin the program later
in the summer, perhaps mid-late July. This would allow
them to find a job for a couple of months in the summer
before the program begins and will avoid the interruption
of the July 4th holiday.
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3. Assessment and evaluation interviews should be done
before the students arrive or at least a preliminary AU
conducted beforehand in order to identify people with
potential problems early on.
4. The students need to have a better understanding of the
need for spending money. An estimated amount of money
needed by each student to cover the first four weeks of the
program should be presented in the acceptance letter. An
alternative worth considering would be a cash salary
advance to all trainees.
Conclusion
Despite some administrative rough edges, the first running of
the Tuition Assistance Program was a resounding success. Prior to
the program, there was apprehension in the Agency concerning the age
of the students and whether they were mature enough to handle the
classified information they would be exposed to. Once underway,
CONF IDENT IAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4
25X1
CONI- NT IAL
Subject: Tuition Assistance Program Course Report
personnel officers, instructors and speakers were impressed with the
students' ability, their enthusiasm, their willingness to take
responsibility, and their positive attitude toward the Agency.
Distribution:
Orig: - Addressee
1 - D/OTE
1 - D/OP
1 - OTE Regis.
1 - CTD
CONF IDENT IAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP89-00955R000200300027-4