Coalition Academy Graduates Can Earn Credit Toward Advanced Degrees

CADCA and Nova Southeastern University’s Abraham S. Fischler School of Education (NSU/ FSE) are teaming up to provide advanced degree credits to coalition leaders around the United States.

Graduates of the CADCA National Coalition Institute’s National Coalition Academy (NCA)—the Institute’s premiere training program—have the opportunity to use their NCA experience to earn up to six credits toward NSU/FSE graduate and doctoral programs at the cost of $125 per credit. The NCA teaches coalitions the core competencies and essential processes necessary to establish or maintain a highly effective anti-drug coalition.

CADCA members are eligible to receive NSU credits upon completion of the National Coalition Academy’s Coalition Leadership Program (CLP) and additional assignments developed by NSU/ FSE, referred to as the “CLP Plus.” Graduates may transfer the CLP Plus as six graduate credits toward one of three programs:

• A non-degree Certificate of Leadership Program of 15 graduate credits
• A Master of Science in Leadership (M.S.L.) of 36 graduate credits or
• A Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) of 66 graduate credits

The partnership began to develop when Douglas Hughes, Executive Director of The Miami Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Community, first contacted CADCA in 2008. After working with NSU/FSE to develop educational opportunities for Florida coalitions, Hughes suggested the program could have a greater impact on the national level and connected CADCA with NSU/FSE Professor Elda Veloso, Ph.D.

“CADCA’s solid reputation with success at forming local coalitions and mentoring community leaders will work well with the NSU Fischler School’s programming, as the school will assist with content dissemination, modeling, leadership practice and theory via a well-tested delivery mechanism,” says Tara Saltzman, Ph,D., Associate Dean and Program Professor of Education. “With this collaboration, there is the added incentive of credit through a variety of means which will allow CADCA members the opportunity for furthering the graduate work to enhance professionalism and professional practice.”

Not only can eligible participants apply course credits to multiple programs, but they may also follow assignments and course work according to their particular schedules through self-paced online courses. NSU provides coursework to students through the Blackboard system and the Elluminate application, the same versatile and interactive online program used by the Institute to conduct training webinars. Students can access live and pre-recorded class sessions as well as interact through a number of applications, including chats, group discussion boards and multimedia tools.

“The partnership with NOVA Southeastern University offers a tremendous opportunity for professionalizing the field,” says Carlton Hall, Deputy Director for Training and Technical Assistance for the CADCA Institute. “The program aligns well with the Academy graduates’ coalition work, allowing for customization to take place and make work in the community directly relevant to advancing their educational goals.”

The NSU partnership marks CADCA’s second opportunity for higher education at the graduate level. CADCA also partners with the University of Oklahoma to allow CADCA members to transfer credits toward a graduate program in prevention science.

For more information on the CADCA/NSU partnership and further educational opportunities, email training@cadca.org, call 1-800-54-CADCA, Ext. 240 or visit www.FischlerSchool.nova.edu/CADCA.