Welcome Home: A First-Year Experience Program For Our Veterans

1. Welcome Home:A First-Year Experience ProgramFor Our Veterans Dr. EdesaScarborough, Director, First Year Experience Program Dr. Chris Gurrie, Chair, First Year Experience CommitteeLt Col (R) Robert Bruns, Faculty

2. Findings from 2009 CIRP Survey on Veteran Status *297 schools surveyed, 202 had at least one entering first-year student veteran

3. Unique Academic Needs • May encounter difficulty navigating educational bureaucracy and financial aid as it relates to VA benefits. • May attempt too many credits to make up for lost time and/or take advantage of the limited time on GI Bill benefits(36 months maximum). • Often reluctant to ask for help and/or unfamiliar with the types of services they may qualify for on campus. • At times they feel they cannot relate to their peers in the classroom(i.e. age differences, different life experience, etc.)

4. Unique Academic Needs • Some feel frustration or anger at professors and students who have different world views. • Some common faculty misconceptions are: not all veterans have been in combat; not all have served in Iraq/ Afghanistan; not all have PTSD. • They don’twant to be treated “differently”, however they do seek to meet, learn, and socialize with other Vets on campus.

5. FYE Veteran Section Goal • Required enrollment preferred and recommended by both the Student Veteran Organization (SVO) and the UT’s Veteran Task Force- Fourteen Week Session • Establish cooperation/collaboration among Veterans and Veterans Services representative on campus, staff, and faculty.

6. FYE Veteran Section Goal • Taught by a faculty member with an established military background that can understand their needs but also be able to offer administrative/academic support. • Curriculum “tailored” to veterans, encourages greater class participation, sharing of ideas and candid communication among peers. • Student mentor with military background that has knowledge of the campus community and has been successful in navigating the academic bureaucracy.

7. Potential Veteran Behavior Transitioning to Campus Combat Veteran Reactions • Insomnia • Difficulty Concentrating • Recurring thoughts and memories of experiences • Hyper-alertness • Guilt • Impatience and low tolerance • Difficulty trusting others • Keeping emotions and problems sealed

8. Lessons Learned in Gateways 104Course Delivery Lessons • Instructor needs to be authoritative yet understanding • Conduct Degree Audits early • Review Student Record early, including financial aid info • Orient students to the Veteran Campus Benefits coordinator during the 1st week of class • Recognize disability adjustments that may be required

9. Lessons Learned in Gateways 104Campus Connection Lessons • “Encourage/Mandate” campus orientation/involvement • Teach and discuss how students develop their “student” identity vs. displaying “soldier” identity • Discuss common issues of “relating” to traditional college students • Vets absorb knowledge: Make them experts on campus policies, rules, procedures, using the university catalog

10. Lessons Learned in Gateways 104Personal Issue Lessons • Explore the importance of finding “satisfaction” in student life after military experiences • Perceive academic endeavors to be easy or simplistic only to find they are “rusty” at studying, note taking, etc. • “Home” or “Family” issues surface mid-semester

11. What Did We Learn? • What the research suggests • What the institution implemented • What the faculty member found Let’s discuss!

12. Thank you!Additional Information: Dr. Edesa Scarborough escarborough@ut.edu Dr. Chris Gurrie cgurrie@ut.edu Lt Col (R) Robert Bruns rbruns@ut.edu