Returning Student Veterans: A Faculty Fellows Research Question

1. Returning Student Veterans: A Faculty Fellows Research Question March 15, 2011, 1:45 p.m. Maribeth Ehasz, University of Central Florida Cathleen Morreale, University of Buffalo Corey Rumann, University of West Georgia Florence Hamrick, Rutgers University Mark Allen Poisel, Pace University Paul Viau, University of Central Florida

2. The Q-List: A Faculty Fellows Research Agenda for the Profession Returning Student Veterans Student mental health Evolving student populations Costs of higher education Community colleges Emerging technologies Institutional sustainability and viability Globalization and Internationalization Social Justice History

3. Presentation Goals and Outcomes • Increase understanding of history and policy related to student veteran enrollments • Become familiar with student veteran demographics, characteristics and transitions • Learn ways to obtain resources • Learn about strategies for providing one-stop services • Recognize need for assessment

4. "Now, After“ PTSD From A Soldier's POV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkWwZ9ZtPEI

5. Cathleen Morreale Coordinator for Public Services Internship and Experiential Learning Program, Ph.D. Candidate University of Buffalo

6. Background • G.I. Bill • History • Progression • Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 • Policy Implications • Context of OEF/OIF

7. Demographics and Characteristics • Institutions • 500 institutions served 84% of students receiving G.I. Bill benefits in the 2007 fiscal year • 38% (190) of these institutions were community colleges • 36% (180) were four-year public institutions • 19% (95) were for-profit • 7% (35) were either private or undetermined (Field, 2008) • Students • 1.6 million military veterans have served combat deployments since September 11, 2001 (ACE, 2008) • There were approximately 660,000 military veterans, and 215,000 military service members enrolled in undergraduate education during the 2007-2008 academic year (Radford & Wun, 2009) • Non-traditional characteristics

8. Demographics and Characteristics (Wilson, 2008)

9. Current Study • 176 undergraduate enlisted military veterans (85.2% 4-year/public) • Survey: fall 2010 • (PDF, Academic Motivation Scale, Academic Self-Concept Scale, Combat Exposure Scale)

10. Demographics

11. Demographics

12. Education

13. Military Experience

14. Military Experience

15. Academic Motivation and Self-Concept • Academic Motivation • Academic motivation is a domain of motivation that relates to educational factors, such as the decision to attend college, students’ reasons for persistence, and study skills • SDI Theory • Academic Self-Concept • Academic self-concept is a non-cognitive aspect of self that refers to a domain of general self-concept. • The attitudes, feelings, and perceptions individuals have toward their intellectual or academic skills(Lent, et al., 1997) • Students’ academic self-concept relates to negative and positive reinforcement of internal standards determined and measured by the student (Reynolds, et al., 1980)

16. Findings • Correlations and Predictors • Academic Self-Concept • Academic Motivation

17. Dr. Corey Rumann Assistant Professor and Director of the College Student Affairs Program University of West Georgia

18. The Transition Process Re-enrolling or enrolling in college is a process of moving in, moving out, and moving through(Gooman et al.,2006) Negotiating multiple transitions Different factors may ease or complicate the transition process Assets and liabilities

19. Situation Going from structured (i.e., military) to unstructured (i.e., college) environment May be asked inappropriate questions (e.g., Did you kill anyone over there?) “Minor” challenges and frustrations (e.g., loan repayment, insurance, curriculum issues, access to college facilities)

20. Support and Strategies Family members, military peers, and certifying officials tend to serve as primary sources of support Student veterans may actively seek out other veterans if opportunities to do so exist Try to stay busy and maintain a routine if possible May feel disconnected from civilian friends and non-military college student peers

21. Dr. Florence Hamrick Professor, Department of Education Psychology Graduate School of Education Director, College Student Affairs Program Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

22. Women Service Members • Combat exclusion policies exclude women from 15-20% of all military positions. • Women are excluded from 178 (5%) of enlisted occupational specialties and 17 (<1%) of all officer specialties. • Most exclusions are in infantry, gun crews, seamanship, electronic and equipment repairers. • Highest representations of women are in: • Functional Support and Administration • Health Care • Consistent with traditional gender role “strengths” in organization maintenance and caregiving.

23. Stereotypes and Experiences Tanya “[People] don’t necessarily think that since I am a female that I was doing anything of importance overseas. [They think] like, kitchen detail. And that’s obviously not the reality of it, but we’re still [thought of as] definitely sub par, put up against males. That’s when I definitely get pissed off – when people think that I wasn’t out doing stuff and helping.” Tanya “Even for me, when I hear ‘veteran’ I see the pictures of the men and everything in uniform.” Rumann & Hamrick, 2010; Rumann, 2010

24. Stereotypes and Experiences Rumann & Hamrick, 2010; Rumann, 2010 • Karen “[My commander] promised my mom that he’d get us home safe. Well, you can’t make that promise first of all, and second of all I’m a soldier, you know. Yeah, I’m a girl, but you know, I’m here with the rest of you guys for a frickin’ year, the least you could do is treat me like everybody else and let me go to Iraq on missions.” • Tanya “There are females in the turrets firing the weapons, female medics seeing the blood and guts. I mean, you might not be on the front lines per se, but we still see, you know, and we still do what the males do.”

25. Abes, Jones, & McEwen (2007)

26. Abes, Jones, & McEwen (2007) • Self Perceptions: multiple identity dimensions • gender, race/ethnicity, social class, age, veteran/service member • Contextual influences • peers, family, stereotypes • Meaning-making filter • complexities, self-authorship

27. Dr. Mark Allen Poisel Associate Provost for Student Success Pace University (previously Associate Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Services University of Central Florida)

28. Designing a Veteran’s Resource Center for Enhancing Veteran Student Success

29. Top 10 Things to Make Student Veterans a Priority Establish a veteran friendly environment Develop good policies and procedures Build strong relationships Create joint programs Prepare veterans for the student experience Involve faculty, staff, and students Require orientation and make it applicable Focus on student engagement Assess your culture and programs Exchange data and information

30. Vision for the Veterans’ Success Center Transition Where VSC fits in Preparation Progression • Help students before they arrive • Work with them during the transition and first semester • Help them graduate by providing a solid foundation

31. Six Critical Elements of Visioning a Veteran Student Center Dedicated leader and skillful team Institutional support Strong collaboration with internal and external partners On-going campus educational component Adequate funding Effective evaluation and assessment

32. Veterans’ Success Center(selected list of services) Counseling Academic Support Orientation Transition Assistance Student Disability Services Student Organizations • Admissions • Pre-Admission Advising • Financial Aid • Benefits Certification • Academic Advising • Transfer Evaluations • Career Advising

33. University of Central FloridaVeterans Academic Resource Center

34. Before

35. After

36. University of Central FloridaRole of Veterans Academic Resource Center Provides pre-admission academic advising Offers transition support services Facilitates a peer mentoring program Supports retention and graduation initiatives Promotes engagement in the campus community Advocates on behalf of student veterans Supports student organizations

37. University of Central FloridaStudent Services Benefit certifications Transition and entry assistance Student lounge, computer lab, and study rooms Career and academic advising Transfer advising Student disability assistance Personal and mental health counseling Student organizations Outreach and educational programming

38. Five Key Elements of a Veterans’ Center for Student Success Develop a vision and plan for a veteran center – design with the end in mind Hire and train a veteran friendly staff Remember that many will bring transfer credits to your institution Partner with faculty, staff, and veteran students to maintain institutional support Build a communication system that involves both internal and external partners

39. Thank you for your attendance Questions and Discussion