Report of the RMC Board of Governors By the Withers' Study Group
Balanced Excellence Leading Canada's Armed Forces In The New Millenium
4500-240 (ADM (HR-Mil))
24 September 1998
The Delayed University Model, in fact, involves effectively two years before candidates could begin university due to timing/start date issues. Also, adopting the Delayed University Model will not ensure that first tier candidates would be attracted to RMC in adequate numbers. While some candidates might well be sufficiently motivated to undergo a lengthy period of military training before continuing their education, many will be deterred. The CF will not get candidates motivated to obtain a university education. In addition, this model presupposes that candidates will enter their service and MOC directly. They will therefore miss the early development of an integrated Canadian Forces military ethos. Many of the skills, interpersonal relationships and attitudes designed to sustain these officers throughout a career in non-MOC related appointments and joint operations, and employment will not be embedded from the outset. It is by no means certain that candidates recruited in this model will be capable of readily coping with the demands of a first class degree program once they reach RMC. Certainly, additional provisions would have to be made at RMC to provide an adequate "ramp-up" period. Thus, this model fails decisively to satisfy the top quality candidate principle and considerable uncertainty also exists as to whether the model will fully satisfy either of the quality degree or military ethos principles.
The Improved Status Quo Model was eliminated because although many of the current weaknesses could be addressed incrementally, the end product would not be able to respond to a fundamental incompatibility between RMC and the Forces at large. In today's system there is insufficient time for general MOC training in the short periods between academic years. In addition, Services and MOCs are convinced that they receive candidates too late to adequately indoctrinate them into their career paths. In many cases, meaningful MOC training cannot even begin until the cadet graduates and is available for lengthy uninterrupted training. This model places training demands largely in the summer when training resources are least available and thus there is an inherent upper boundary to what can be achieved in summer training. This model fails to satisfy the Military Ethos principle.
The University Degree First Model would fail a meaningful application of all three criteria. A so-called militarily relevant common degree (general degree) would not attract the best candidates in sufficient numbers. Given the likely demands for highly educated officers in the future, additional education would have to be added later, in any event. A key requirement of undergraduate education is that it readily permits post-graduate training in accordance with the requirements of the CF. Finally, such a model will not achieve integration of the four pillars.