Norfolk State University Interim President Melvin T. Stith, Sr., Ph.D., and Vice Admiral Scott Buschman, Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area, signed a formal memorandum of agreement Friday, March 22, that continues the partnership between the two entities. The agreement is part of the Coast Guard’s College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI) program.
“This partnership is so very important to Norfolk State,” said Stith. “It’s a great day for Norfolk State – to have this kind of document and this kind of partnership.”
CSPI is a Coast Guard scholarship program established in 1989 to improve the diversity of its officer corps. The initial partnership between Norfolk State and the Coast Guard was rejuvenated in 2017. The program provides opportunities to receive a funded education with a salary and a rewarding career. Recent program updates allow Vice Admiral Buschman, as the Executive Champion, to select a qualified student from NSU for the CSPI scholarship. “This joint initiative with NSU will serve as a key component in building and supporting a diverse, mission-ready Coast Guard workforce,” said Buschman.
NSU will promote the Coast Guard and share the opportunities that it offers to students. Wayne Ivey, NSU’s director of military services and veterans affairs, said like NSU’s Army and Navy ROTC branches, the Coast Guard offers student scholarships, training and other related benefits to prospective applicants and that the University has alumni who have completed the program.