Education and Career Transition Guide for Servicemembers and Veterans
Special Section:
Counseling for Vets on Campus
Student Supporter Jared Lyon President & CEO Student Veterans of America
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April 2017
Volume 12, Issue 2
Transition Trends
Degrees and Careers in Nursing
Support Services on Campus O CCME Highlights Training Faculty in Military Student Concerns
SO O N G O M IN C
Education and Career Transition Guide for Servicemembers and Veterans May 2017 • Volume 12, Issue 3
Special Section: Supporting Military Spouses
The unsung heroes in the military are often military spouses. They provide support on the homefront, while putting their personal and career goals on hold for the sake of their spouse’s military service. How can we better support these hardworking and dedicated individuals?
Features
The Leadership Scholar Program
Cover and In-Depth Interview with
Hildegard Buan Chief Air Force Voluntary Education
An interview with Deborah Marconda, Program Manager of the Leadership Scholar Program (LSP) for the U.S. Marine Corps. LSP was formed to provide qualified Marine applicants with assistance in the university admission process. Through a partnership with four-year, not-for-profit colleges and universities across the nation, it provides Marines with the tools they need to attain their educational goals as they transition from Active Duty to the private sector.
Credit for Military Experience
Since 1945, the American Council on Education (ACE) has provided a collaborative link between the military and higher education. The ACE Military Evaluations program is funded through a contract from the Department of Defense (DoD). Through the review of military training (courses) and experiences (occupations), ACE evaluations result in college credit recommendations for members of the Armed Forces.
Degrees in Criminal Justice
When you hear “criminal justice,” your mind automatically thinks “police officer.” And while uniformed police are a large and crucial component of the criminal justice system, there are numerous other roles to play. Finding a place in the criminal justice system often appeals to prior military personnel because there can be a lot of carryover from one career to the next. Find out how schools are preparing military students for a career in criminal justice.
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MILITARY ADVANCED EDUCATION & Transition
Cover / Q&A
Features MAE&T Supplement
Transition Trends
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IBM to Hire 2,000 U.S. Veterans IBM has announced it will hire 2,000 U.S. veterans over the next four years. Additionally, the company has expanded its nationwide program to train U.S. vets in software that is widely used in the defense and law enforcement industries.
Degrees and Careers in Nursing The forecast for careers in nursing is perhaps one of the best in the workforce, with large growth, good salaries, and a stable outlook. That’s why many students are gravitating to degrees in the nursing field, making an investment in their careers. By Holly Christy
Corporate Connection
Camouflage to Scrubs
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Training faculty how to best serve their military students leads to improved outcomes. The good news is that a number of top schools and universities are embracing the need to work well with military students. By Brandon Swenson
The 2017 Council of College of Military Educators (CCME) symposium was an outstanding success! By any measure, the CCME symposiums continue to grow and serve as the annual conference to obtain the latest information on the world of military and veteran education. By Dr. Jeff Cropsey
Military-Centric Schools
Departments 2 Editor’s Perspective 3 Program Notes 12 Class Notes 26 CCME GRAPEVINE 27 RESOURCE CENTER
April 2017 Volume 12, Issue 2
Collaboration & Celebration
Special Section
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Building Synergy and Possibilities Supporting and counseling military students is imperative for many students to succeed in college. The uniqueness of military culture and a background of discipline, deployments, and accountability equip veterans with a life experience and maturity that can make it difficult for them to relate to their civilian peers or ask for help. By Dr. Nicholas J. Osborne, Dr. Catherine M. York, & Dr. Dustin D. Lange
14 Jared Lyon
President & CEO Student Veterans of America
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Campus Counselors As far as support services go for veterans on college campuses, it doesn’t get much more personal than VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC), run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. According to the VA, the program aims to help veterans, servicemembers and their qualified dependents succeed and thrive through a coordinated delivery of on-campus benefits assistance and counseling, leading to the completion of their education and preparing them to enter the labor market in viable careers.
University Corner
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Dr. Debbie Sikes, DNP, RN, CNE Veterans to BSN Director Texas Tech University
“I feel that I get to help do the most good, and that I’m just repaying a debt I’m pretty sure I will always owe, because SVA has given me way more than I’d ever be able to give back to it.”
-Jared Lyon The leading higher education resource for our nation’s servicemembers Targeted circulation reaches education services officers and content focuses on current trends in higher education and highlights pressing issues for military students.
Military Advanced Education & Transition Volume 12, Issue 2 • April 2017
Education and Career Transition Guide for Servicemembers and Veterans Editorial Editor-in-Chief Kelly G. Fodel kellyf@kmimediagroup.com Correspondents J.B. Bissell • Kasey Chisholm • Catherine Day Jaime Fettrow-Alderfer • Nora McGann Holly Christy
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EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE In March, Student Veterans of America (SVA) President and CEO Jared Lyon met with President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Dr. David Shulkin along with nine other veteran organizations to discuss policy priorities and ways to improve our nation’s service to the 1.1 million student veterans in higher education. “We’ve been looking forward to meeting with President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Secretary Shulkin, and it was a very productive conversation,” said Mr. Lyon. “The President expressed Kelly G. Fodel great interest in hearing about the success of our student veterans, Editor-in-chief which was especially critical given President Trump’s and Secretary Shulkin’s promise to improve VA.” Lyon continued, “I spoke to how our groundbreaking research proves student veterans are talent hiding in plain sight, that we are eager to work with Secretary Shulkin to improve the GI Bill so that it remains an unwavering commitment for future warriors. In fact, I plan to invite all three to speak at our National Conference in January which is the nation’s largest gathering of post-9/11 veterans. I took this moment to profile the needs and success of over one million veterans using the GI Bill, most of whom served after September 11, 2001, and promised to work together toward their continued success both with VA and in higher education.” Other organizations represented at the meeting included Got Your 6 (GY6), the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign of Wars (VFW), American Veterans (AMVETS), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), and Concerned Veterans for America (CVA). SVA is a grassroots, chapter-based organization in higher education with over 1,400 chapters across the nation representing the most diverse population of veterans. At the national level, SVA advocates on behalf of more than 1.1 million student veterans. When compared to their peers, student veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill represent the best source of potential and current high achieving students. Today’s student veterans are the rightful heirs to the millions who used the World War II-era GI Bill to create a vibrant economy for America. SVA secures their success through chapter support, research, advocacy, and connecting them to meaningful careers. MAE&T has always considered SVA a prime partner in the valuable work of supporting military students and student veterans. We are thrilled to feature an in-depth interview with Mr. Lyon in this issue of the magazine, and we thank them for their continued efforts as leaders in the veteran community.
Military Advanced Education & Transition ISSN 2380-8217 is published 8 times a year by KMI Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly forbidden. © Copyright 2017. Military Advanced Education & Transition is free to qualified members of the U.S. military, employees of the U.S. government and non-U.S. foreign service based in the U.S. All others: $75 per year. Foreign: $159 per year.
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Jared Lyon, seated to the right of Marc Lucas and Vice President Pence. Image credit: Twitter, Vice President Pence @VP.
PROGRAM NOTES
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Student Veterans of America Announces Results of the National Veteran Education Success Tracker Student Veterans of America (SVA) offers a vision of veterans based on groundbreaking research that shows student veterans are the rightful heirs to the millions who separated after World War II and created a vibrant economy for America. Compared to their peers, the millions of student veterans who have and are using the Post-9/11 GI Bill since 2009 are the unknown high achievers in higher education. They will become the next doctors, computer engineers, scientists, and business leaders our country needs. SVA’s research demonstrates that this largely untapped group of veterans has much to contribute to our nation’s success. In a research project called the National Veteran Education Success Tracker (NVEST), SVA identified the many ways student veterans are outperforming their peers based on success rates, degree-types, and graduation. NVEST is the only research study to review all records of Post-9/11 GI Bill students and quantify how that investment translates for America. NVEST is a partnership with the National Student Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse) and data shared from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In 2016, VA provided information from nearly one million veterans who used the Post-9/11 GI Bill between 2009 and 2015 to the Clearinghouse who
returned student-level postsecondary enrollment and degree histories for 96 percent of these Post-9/11 GI Bill students. Personal identifying information specific to institutions and individuals was removed before data were provided to SVA for analysis. This research presents the most comprehensive view of student veteran and GI Bill success to date. “One of the best ways to help student veterans succeed is to make sure that institutions and students have access to valid, timely outcomes data,” stated Dr. Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of Research at the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “This enables institutions to benchmark and improve their efforts, and empowers student veterans to plan realistically and wisely.” The results and methodology were peer reviewed by researchers from the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University and the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University. SVA’s research conclusively demonstrates that student veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill outperform their peers in higher education. They are more likely to graduate and to earn a degree in emerging fields such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
Since 2009, over 340,000 student veterans have earned over 450,000 post-secondary degrees or certificates using the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the vast majority, 90 percent, are current or prior enlisted service members. SVA projects the Post-9/11 GI Bill – at current funding levels – will generate at least 100,000 degrees every year. Furthermore, women veterans represent 23 percent of degree-seekers despite only comprising about 16 percent of the Armed Forces. “We congratulate SVA’s work on the NVEST report. The information from this important study highlights the fact that the GI Bill continues to be a life changing benefit for veterans as they transition into the workforce. It shows that veterans are not only capable, but that many of them truly excel in an academic environment,” said Mr. Curtis L. Coy, VA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity. More information about NVEST is available at nvest.studentveterans.org including the full report and factsheets. NVEST research was conducted by SVA with funding provided by Google, Lumina Foundation, and The Kresge Foundation.
Protecting Education Benefits U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) outlined bipartisan legislation to ensure that veterans, servicemembers, and surviving spouses and children of servicemembers who have died in the line of duty can take full advantage of their education benefits. Brown was joined on the call by Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel to discuss the importance of securing these benefits for veterans. “The GI bill’s education benefits are critical to our returning servicemembers, veterans, and their families,” said Brown. “It’s our duty to ensure that when the men and women who sacrifice for our nation return home, they and their families have the education and the training they’ve earned.” The Veterans Priority Enrollment Act of 2017, cosponsored by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), would extend priority enrollment for college courses to veterans, servicemembers, and eligible dependents who are utilizing GI education
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benefits. Expanding priority enrollment would allow servicemembers and veterans to plan their semesters so that they can finish their degrees before their benefits expire. All public higher institutions in Ohio, including YSU, currently extend priority registration to veterans when signing up for classes. Brown’s bill would expand this practice nationwide and would also include private schools with existing priority registration programs. The bill would not require colleges or universities to change their existing priority enrollment systems. “YSU values the service of our student veterans. We were a pioneer when offering student veteran services on campus in 2009 and continue to provide and upgrade our services to veterans in 2017. Priority registration is one of many benefits offered student veterans at YSU. The Office of Veterans Affairs at YSU strives to be a ‘one stop shop’ for all student veteran needs
and will continue to offer world class service to our student veterans for years to come,” said President Tressel. Brown also discussed the Yellow Ribbon Improvement Act of 2017, cosponsored by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Tillis, which would expand eligibility for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Yellow Ribbon Program to recipients of the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry scholarship. The Yellow Ribbon Program helps students avoid out-of-pocket tuition and fees for education programs that cost more than the allowance set by the post 9/11 GI Bill. Currently, spouses and children of servicemembers who died in combat may not participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, while veterans and the spouses and children of servicemembers who elected to transfer their benefits may do so. This forces some military families to pay out-of-pocket for their education.
MAE&T 12.2 | 3
PROGRAM NOTES
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
McCarthy Introduces Bill to Provide Free High-Tech Courses to Vets Congressman Kevin McCarthy introduced legislation promoting a program within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to cover costs for non-traditional technology education programs. H.R. 1989, The Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) Act, empowers America’s veterans to leverage new education models such as Massive Open Online Courses and coding boot camps to attain the technological skills needed in the 21st century workforce. McCarthy released the following statement on the introduction of the bill: “This legislation will prepare our veterans to thrive in a changing economy. America’s veterans are the best our country has to offer, and their service experience and work ethic are unparalleled. With these fundamental qualities, veterans can be our greatest asset in the modern economy if only we empower them to learn the skills of the 21st century workforce. While the post-9/11 GI Bill provides funding for veterans to pursue traditional education programs, rapid technological advancements have created jobs that our veterans interested in careers in the technology economy can and should fill. The benefits designed to help veterans transition to civilian life must be updated to expand educational opportunities and fit the changing times. Our veterans have the character and drive to do any job. We must support them to learn skills for the jobs of the future.”
The VET TEC Act would: • Authorize the VA to contract with technology education programs to provide non-traditional technology courses to veterans. The VA currently runs a similar in-house pilot program where it partners with technology education programs for coding/programming boot camps, information technology (IT) certification courses, and web services. This bill would establish and expand the VA pilot program. • Provide the VA the flexibility to use contracting as an alternative oversight mechanism. The bill includes language to ensure only reputable educational programs can participate in the program, gives preference to programs offering tuition reimbursement, and includes payment milestones to ensure accountability. This will allow the VA to expand its current contract model and give it the flexibility to terminate contracts with under-performing or fraudulent educational programs. • Provide veterans with a housing stipend. Similar to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, veterans participating in the pilot program will be able to receive a housing stipend to offset their living expenses.
Army Connects Transitioning Soldiers to Civilian Careers Each year, over 100,000 transitioning soldiers leave Army active duty service and look for opportunities in the civilian sector. In fiscal year 2016, Army transition participant surveys showed that 56 percent of transitioning soldiers planned to seek employment opportunities in the civilian sector. From March 28-30, 2017, the Army hosted a training symposium at The Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. The symposium trained Soldier for Life–Transition Assistance Program Center staff and stakeholders on various topics related to the program, focusing on the theme of “Transition to Connection.” The U.S. Army’s transition program supports soldiers and their family members through mandatory career training prior to leaving active duty. The program is taught at over 70 locations worldwide and supported by the Installation Management Command. “SFL-TAP and the Army believe in helping find our soldiers jobs. The SFL-TAP Transition Symposium was the first step in bringing stakeholders and SFL-TAP Center leaders together to learn how to better connect soldiers to civilian careers,” said retired Col. Walter Herd, Director of SFL-TAP. 4 | MAE&T 12.2
The symposium focused on best practices for connecting transitioning soldiers to jobs in the civilian sector, networking with veteran-friendly companies interested in hiring transitioning soldiers, and how to encourage transitioning soldiers to become experienced in civilian skills through Army programs and other resources. Guest speakers attended the symposium, including representatives from Amazon, LinkedIn, Monster.com/Military.com, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Border Patrol, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USAJOBS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, Department of Labor, Where Opportunity Knox, WDRB Louisville, Soldier for Life, Hiring Our Heroes, Small Business Administration, United Parcel Service, and others. On Wednesday morning, attendees listened to the Sgt. Maj. of the Army, Daniel A. Dailey, speak on transition, bettering the Army’s perception in society, and hiring transitioning soldiers. “I don’t want people hiring anybody because of goodwill,” said Dailey. “I want them hiring our soldiers because they’re truly qualified and have tremendous skill and capability. And they have these skills that, in some regards, you can’t achieve in the civilian sector.”
On Thursday, Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jenean Hampton spoke about her experience as a transitioning servicemember and how different the transition process is today. “There was no organization even close to this one [SFL-TAP]. They gave us what they thought was training and preparing us to leave, but it was kind of a hurried affair,” Hampton said. Hampton is a seven-year Air Force veteran, who served during Desert Storm. Hampton was a part of the Air Force during the drawdown after Desert Storm and was paid to leave military service. “Based on the experience that I had when I was exiting the military… the Army is way ahead of the curve,” she said. The symposium is a bi-annual event that fosters a platform for training, networking, and dialogue about Army transition and the future of the SFL-TAP initiative. The Army promotes the concept tagline “Once a Soldier. Always a Soldier. Soldier for Life.” For more information on SFL-TAP, visit www.sfl-tap.army.mil. Information courtesy of U.S. Army Human Resources Command/Jenny Hale. www.MAE-kmi.com
Transition Trends
America’s largest tech employer expands technology certification program for military veterans.
IBM, America’s largest technology employer, has announced it will hire 2,000 U.S. veterans over the next four years. These positions are part of the company’s broader pledge to hire 25,000 U.S. workers through 2020, and many are “new collar jobs” that do not always require a four-year college degree.
What exactly is a “new collar” job? “IBM is making the IT industry more inclusive. With our emphasis on new collar jobs, we are focused on hiring for capability, not just credentials,” stated Sam Ladah, Vice President for Talent at IBM. “In fact, over the past few years, 10 to 15 percent of our U.S. hires did not have a traditional 4 year degree. An even larger percentage of our U.S. job openings do not necessarily require a four-year degree.” He continued: “Through programs ranging from coding camps to community college courses and innovative vocational schools, our new collar colleagues have built marketable skills in fields from cybersecurity and cloud computing to digital design. Their experiences underscore that new collar jobs offer pathways to career success, and also the importance of expanding careerrelevant skills training programs to help more Americans fill the more than half-a-million technology jobs currently open in the United States.” 6 | MAE&T 12.2 | Transition Trends
America’s high-tech skills gap is a very real challenge. However, IBM is showing that it can be closed. Data shows that closing the skills gap could fill one million jobs by 2020, and the company is dedicated to making sure veterans are among those getting the jobs. “The men and women who have served in our country’s armed forces have unique talents and skill sets that make them a natural fit for some of the technology industry’s most exciting fields,” said Diane Gherson, IBM’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources. “Many of the positions IBM is eager to fill are new collar jobs. What’s most important in these roles is having the right mix of skills and experience that our clients need in fast-growing areas like cloud computing, cybersecurity, network management, and digital design. Veterans bring a disciplined work ethic as well as strong collaboration and communications skills acquired through their military service, all capabilities that IBM values highly.” Furthering its commitment to help veterans build new collar job skills, IBM also has expanded its nationwide program to train U.S. vets in software that is widely used in the defense and law enforcement industries. Since January 2016, IBM has been hosting one U.S. training session per month that certifies participating veterans in the use of i2 Analysts’ Notebook. Recent training sessions have taken place in Pittsburgh, Tampa, and Las www.MAE-kmi.com
Transition Trends
Vegas, with upcoming sessions in Philadelphia, Fort Drum, and Houston. More than 500 veterans have been trained to-date, and hundreds more will participate in the program this year. The free certification in IBM analytics solutions that will aid in cybersecurity and national security software skills is followedup with career placement services provided by Corporate America Supports You, a nationwide non-profit that provides employment assistance for current and former military personnel, together with IBM and other corporate partners. This veterans employment initiative is part of IBM’s philanthropic impact grants that arm non-profits, governments, and institutions with skills and expertise to better serve their communities.
New Partnerships Leaders from IBM, PNC Bank, Corporate America Supports You (CASY), a national non-profit that specializes in job placements for veterans, and the National Cyber-Forensics Training Alliance (NCFTA), a Pittsburgh-based non-profit that involves experts focused on identifying and mitigating cyber threats, joined forces to expand in Pittsburgh a free nationwide training initiative that will certify veterans in the use of IBM software widely used by law enforcement, cybersecurity, and national security agencies.
The Veteran Employment Accelerator program, spearheaded by IBM and CASY, provides returning service members with a free intensive week-long training, certification, as well as employment assistance. The program is designed to build indemand technology skills to prepare veterans for “new collar” careers in the US –skilled positions, such as data and cybersecurity analysts, that do not always require four-year college degrees. Together with PNC, IBM recently held its second training session in Pittsburgh, with an upcoming training session planned for mid-April in Philadelphia. Nationwide, hundreds of U.S. veterans are expected to participate in the program this year. The veterans employment initiative is part of IBM’s philanthropic Impact Grants that arm non-profits, government and education institutions with effective tools, skills, and expertise to strengthen their infrastructure, build leadership, and better serve their communities. Current or soon-to-be veterans can learn more about IBM employment opportunities at ibm-veterans.jobs. O
For more information, contact MAE&T Editor Kelly Fodel at kellyf@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.
Kristina Soballe Bachelor of Science in Nursing University of Nebraska Medical Center
Today is the day I create a breakthrough in my career. 4 campuses. 100+ online programs. online.nebraska.edu/bsn
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“My today started when I took my nursing education to the next level. To be the most help to the most people, and advance my career, I knew I needed to continue my education. The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s online RN to BSN program gave me a better understanding of the health care system and the central role nurses can play in improving health for our communities. Today, I’m ready to affect change in health care – and help more people.”
Transition Trends | MAE&T 12.2 | 7
Degrees and Careers in Nursing
Veterans in Nursing By Holly Christy
of nursing, from Registered Nurse to Home Care Nurse to There are careers whose popularity and demand rise and fall Nurse Practitioner. What follows are some featured schools and based on current events, political pressures, and technologitheir nursing options. cal advancements. And then there are those careers that have always been needed, and will continue to be in high-demand for the foreseeable future. Nursing is once such field. Nurses in American Sentinel University today’s market are finding good salaries, personal fulfillment, and room for advancement. In fact, “As an online university, American Sentinel four of the “100 Best Jobs of 2017” according to University is a good choice for military students as U.S. News are nursing jobs. Add to the equation they can study from any location around the world that the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates on flexible schedules,” says Elaine Foster, Dean faster than average growth in the market for of Nursing and Healthcare Programs at Amerinurses (between 16 and 31 percent), and training can Sentinel University. What’s more, American for a career in nursing seems like a great investSentinel has recently made healthcare-centered ment. programs their primary focus. With more than Whether you’re on active-duty, a veteran, or a 15 percent of its nursing program enrollments military dependent, if you’re interested in nurscomprised of military and dependent students, this ing you will find that there are plenty of degree field of study offers a great transition credential for Elaine Foster programs to train you for every imaginable field students departing the military. 8 | MAE&T 12.2 | Transition Trends
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Transition Trends
achieve their goals.” She goes on to say, “… service American Sentinel has post-licensure nursing members at some point will likely enter the civilprograms, including: RN to BSN, RN to BSN/MSN ian or government non-military healthcare arena and MSN with five specializations (Case Managemaking what they learn in our programs valued ment, Infection Prevention and Control, Nursing throughout their lifelong careers.” Education, Nursing Informatics, and ManageWith military scholarships, Tuition Assistance ment and Organizational Leadership) and a DNP and GI Bill funding benefits, and transfer credits program with three specializations (Educational for military experience, American Sentinel UniverLeadership, Executive Leadership and Informatics sity has been named a “Military Friendly School” Leadership). Healthcare management programs for the tenth consecutive year. This distinction include MBA-Healthcare, Master of Business Intelputs American Sentinel in the top twenty percent ligence and Analytics, and Master of Science Lesley Morgan of colleges, universities and trade schools nationInformation Systems Management. The nursing wide that do the most to embrace America’s military service and healthcare management programs are designed for nurses members and veterans as students and to dedicate resources to and healthcare administrators, managers, and IT personnel of all ensure their success both in the classroom and after graduation. types who work full-time and want to advance their education for promotion and job mobility purposes. Prospective students can expect coursework to include Baker College weekly discussions, assignments, projects and supplemental subject matter that assess competencies important to the current Lesley Morgan, Dean of the School of Nursing at Baker healthcare evolution in meeting new government regulations College, says “A rewarding aspect of a career in nursing is the and the increased competition in providing better patient care positive impact we have on patients and their families. It’s also at reduced cost. Foster adds, “Students have found that their an exciting career with opportunities to grow professionally as military background contributes to their success at the Univertechnology and medical knowledge advance. A nurse is a caresity. Military students are motivated, organized and work hard to giver and a problem-solver, someone who helps people in mind,
Strong Support for Your Nursing Career Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Defense
Make the transition from military health care to civilian nursing by earning your bachelor’s in nursing online. You’ll achieve your degree with support from our Center for Military and Veteran Education and: • A mentor who is a nurse — and a veteran • 30 credits for your active RN license • Personal guidance from military education experts • Maximum credit for your military training Explore your options at www.excelsior.edu/vbsn. The National League for Nursing (NLN) has designated the Excelsior College School of Nursing as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education, 2016−2021. This distinction is the fourth consecutive designation the School has received since the NLN began the program in 2005.
844-843-9299 EMAIL: veterans@excelsior.edu CALL:
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UF1HP26978 Mission Transition: Advancing Veterans Along a Career Path in Nursing for $1,019,181. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
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Transition Trends | MAE&T 12.2 | 9
Degrees and Careers in Nursing
an actual hospital setting to acclimate students to their future body and spirit. Compassion is critical, but students also need a working environment.” strong aptitude for science and critical thinking.” A sizable investment, Central Texas College spent more than There are many opportunities in the nursing profession for $1.3 million on technology, equipment and furniture to provide transitioning service members. According to Morgan, “A ‘perfect students the most realistic training possible. More than $500,000 storm’ of events is creating a critical need for skilled nurses was spent on patient simulators or mannequins capable of iminationwide. It’s the result of the large number of nurses who are tating real patient conditions and symptoms in an authentic hoshitting retirement age and hospitals preferring nurses who have pital environment. CTC also added an ambulance simulator for earned a BSN combined with increased need caused by an aging more than $25,000 which will offer nursing and EMT/paramedic population, the rising incidence of chronic disease, and more students “real-world” training inside an ambulance. In addition, people with access to health insurance.” She goes on to say that numerous hospital “smart beds,” hospital room equipment and the opportunities within the nursing field are varied and seemfurnishings were purchased at a cost of nearly $200,000. ingly endless. “Nursing is such a diverse field that one can find a CTC’s Department of Nursing and Allied Health offers a job in almost anything that interests them. Obviously hospitals one-year Vocational Nursing certificate, a three-semester LVNand long-term rehabilitation facilities hire RNs, but there are to-Associate Degree in Nursing degree, and a two-year Associate multiple other opportunities such as public health, schools, case nursing degree. Students looking for a Bachelor management, insurance companies, administracan take their credentials from CTC and apply tion, education, forensics and advanced practice.” them toward further education. Clark says, “We Baker College offers a pre-licensure BSN at have several upper-level university partners that seven of its Michigan campuses, and a postaccept our credits toward a Bachelor of Science licensure BSN and a Master of Science in nursing in Nursing (BSN).” She adds, “Our location also through its online campus. The MSN offers two offers us an opportunity to partner with many tracks: administrative and education. Theoretical area hospitals for clinical rotations, including knowledge and practical skills are emphasized, Darnall Army Medical Center on Fort Hood, three which ensures students’ ability to apply what local civilian hospitals and the Temple VA Medical they’ve learned in a classroom setting to realCenter.” world situations. Small class sizes and instructor accessibility are chief priorities. Morgan points out Priscilla Clark that, “One measure of the Baker College nursing Excelsior College program’s quality is the continued high pass rates – above the national average – of students on the Unlike traditional on-campus programs, Excelregistered nurse national licensure exam.” sior College offers all of its programs entirely Baker College online students can complete online in a number of formats, and they’re one hundred percent of the nursing programs designed for adult learners. The associate degree online without ever visiting a campus. Their cliniprogram offers three options to learning the nurscal experiences can be done at locations close to ing content: online courses, online conferences their home. The Online Learning Consortium followed by an examination, or credit-by-examinarecognized Baker College’s online courses with the tion (independent study). The RN-BS and MS proOLC Quality Scorecard Exemplary Endorsement grams have a more traditional curriculum, but are in 2016. It was the first year the OLC provided the all online, asynchronous 8- and 15-week courses. Patti Cannistraci Exemplary Endorsement, its highest ranking for Patricia Cannistraci, Assistant Dean of Nursonline higher education programs. ing at Excelsior College, says, “The aim of all of our nursing degrees is to broaden graduates’ horizons, enhance professionalism, and stimulate intellectual curiosity.” The assoCentral Texas College ciate degree in nursing program is specifically designed to serve individuals with significant experience in clinically-oriented Situated just outside of Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas is Cenhealth care disciplines. It is a pre-licensure competency-base tral Texas College and its impressive on-site medical training program, so graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam facility. Priscilla Clark, Chair of the Department of Nursing and to be granted a Registered Nurse license. Excelsior’s Bachelor of Allied Health at Central Texas College, says, “Our nursing and Science in Nursing program is designed for students who are allied health center is a two-story, 86,000-square-foot structure already RNs and focuses on producing graduates skilled in holisthat houses state-of-the-art equipment, classroom and lab space tic patient-centered care, professional values, evidence-based and a variety of simulated healthcare, emergency and hospital practice, critical thinking, and the ability to be an ethical leader. space settings to provide students a unique learning experience.” Students pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing from Excelsior Included in the facility is an ambulance bay, two six-bed medican choose from three concentrations: Nursing Leadership and cal/surgical wards, dual two-bed intensive care wards, a six-bed Administration of Health Care Systems, Nursing Education, and emergency room, a four-bed pediatric room, a two-bed Labor Nursing Informatics. Graduates are eligible to pursue leadership, and Delivery room with two warmers, an operating room, and a nurse educator, or informatics positions. home health room. Clark says, “Each room is set up to mimic 10 | MAE&T 12.2 | Transition Trends
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Transition Trends
Resources and Services Administration. We have two tracks. Cannistraci points out that the job security, good wages, One is a traditional 2 year program designed for veterans from and challenging atmosphere make nursing an attractive option non-medical occupational specialties. The other is very unique. for veterans. “Nursing is a fast paced environment, and for It is an accelerated option that allows veterans veterans who have already known team work, can who served as medics and corpsman to earn their multi-task, and manage priorities – it’s a career BSN degree in one year, beginning in January and they can excel at.” She adds, “Most importantly ending that December. This allows them to enter though is that in every role as a nurse you are the workforce and fully transition to civilian life seeing deeply, meaning looking beyond what is far more quickly.” the obvious in a situation. You are thinking critiNursing is a field that tends to draw veterans cally, meaning making sense out of a variety of because of their commitment to service. As Whyte data that are presenting. And you are the voice of explains, “Our veterans have a service orientation advocacy and caring. Not many jobs provide such and nursing is all about service to others. Many rich opportunities to yield such a huge reward.” of our veterans have excellent soft and technical Often what attracts people to the field is skills that don’t always transition to the civilian highly personal. Cannistraci says, “Every student James Whyte workforce. Our program allows them to leverage comes to nursing with their own unique story these skills to enter a field with one hundred percent employand journey. Some may have known they wanted to be a nurse ment. Through this program, patients are exposed to some of since they were a child, while others stumble upon nursing the best and brightest our nation has to offer.” O through experience with an ill relative. Regardless of how they have arrived, once you are a nurse, it is a gateway to hundreds of unique and varied opportunities. Nursing is probably the For more information, contact MAE&T Editor Kelly Fodel most diverse healthcare related field. Beyond the bedside nurse, at kellyf@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives nurses are literally everywhere. Nurses work in schools providfor related stories at www.mae-kmi.com. ing for the health care of students and faculty, occupational nurses work in businesses and corporations facilitating health in that challenging environment, psych-mental health nurses work in clinics, hospice nurses work with end of life care, nurse researchers work with research colleagues advancing the practice of nursing and healthcare, nurse informaticists analyze data to suggest methods for better patient outcome achievement, nurse educators teach newer nurses, nurses work for insurance companies, they serve roles as expert witness in court cases, some nurses travel to areas of the country that are in need, nurses work as flight nurses transporting the sickest of the sick to high level service facilities, the list is literally endless.”
Florida State University Students at Florida State University’s School of Nursing can earn a Bachelor of Science designed for practicing as a Registered Nurse. FSU also has a unique Veterans Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VBSN) program, which aims to equip service members with the skills and training necessary to begin a new career in nursing or transition from practicing military medicine to practicing in the civilian world. James Whyte, VBSN Program Director at FSU says, “Our students are prepared to enter practice in a variety of settings both in hospital and community based practice areas. Our graduates enter practice in literally every imaginable practice setting throughout the state and nationally.” Whyte says that, while the VBSN program is challenging, he finds that veterans are up to the task. “We find that the innate discipline and work ethic we see in our veterans places them in good standing.” He goes on to explain how any veteran can pursue a nursing degree through the VBSN program. “Our program was established through funding from the Health www.MAE-kmi.com
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Transition Trends | MAE&T 12.2 | 11
CLASS NOTES Ashford University Veteran Center and Debut of Hybrid MBA Program A ribbon cutting ceremony in March celebrated the newly expanded Ashford University Clinton Campus and Student Veteran Center, and the launch of the Hybrid Master of Business Administration (MBA) offered by the Forbes School of Business and Technology at Ashford University. Ashford University has a long history of serving students through its Clinton Campus location, and it is a committed member of the Clinton community. The newly expanded Ashford Clinton Campus location, where the Hybrid MBA in-person courses will be held, now includes a second building, intended to serve as the new Student Veteran Center, which was created to better serve service members and veteran students in the area. At the Clinton Campus, area students are welcome to schedule appointments or walk in to meet with university staff about admission, enrollment, transfer records and credits, military tuition assistance, veterans benefits,
University of Memphis Plans Veterans Center The University of Memphis is announcing plans for a new veterans’ care center on campus. In a news release, the university said the outpatient Veterans Care Center will address the mental health needs of veterans, regardless of era, gender, discharge status or service connection. The university says the facility will be located in the university’s Psychological Services Center. It will provide treatment for problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety disorders and substance misuse, stemming from the adjustment to post-deployment life. The university says veteran students could receive help developing study skills and learn about their cognitive strengths and weaknesses. The center is made possible through a gift targeting veterans in honor of university President M. David Rudd. No timetable for its opening has been released.
12 | MAE&T 12.2
financial aid, academic advising and other student services. Veteran and military students also have access to computers, printers, internet and various printed materials to include military publications and veterans’ services information. Online students who do not reside in the area will also have access to campus staff members and services through Ashford’s online military and veteran student center. In addition, the Forbes School of Business and Technology is launching the Hybrid MBA degree program at the Clinton Campus this spring. The Hybrid MBA blends in-person instruction with an online learning component for each core course in the program. “We are thrilled to be continuing our strong partnership with the Clinton community and surrounding areas. The strength of the Hybrid MBA format, which will be offered at our newly expanded Clinton Campus location, is that it allows students to
complete most of their coursework online without sacrificing the personal instruction and interaction of classes on campus,” said Dr. Craig Swenson, President of Ashford University. “The hybrid program is an ideal option for working adults and other busy students who want to move their education and careers forward.” The Hybrid MBA program, which offers 14 different specializations in specific business areas, focuses on interrelationships between the various functional business disciplines and development of a strong foundation in analytical management skills. The curriculum includes topics such as marketing, law, statistics, accounting, economics and operations. Students who are admitted and enrolled in the MBA hybrid format program offered at the Clinton Campus will receive a tuition grant that reduces tuition to $250 per credit for the life of their program.
UMUC to Offer No-Cost Online Coding Programs Access to innovative online program creates a pathway to successful software development careers for University of Maryland University College (UMUC), the largest public online university in the country, and Revature, a leading technology talent development company, today announced a partnership that will allow all UMUC students and graduates—regardless of major—to access Revature’s online coding program at no cost to the student. The company’s flagship product, RevaturePro, provides online instruction in enterprise software development languages, guided projects, assessments and mentoring. Consisting of courses in Java, Microsoft.NET and front-end web development and others, students progress through the program at their own pace and receive dedicated support from Revature’s industry mentors. “Through this partnership, students with non-technical academic backgrounds can expand their career options by mastering the latest software programs and computer platforms,” said Nikki Sandoval, Associate Vice President for Alumni and Career Services at UMUC. “The Revature program offers them an accessible approach to IT training that will complement any career path.” As the demand for computer software across multiple industries continues to grow, so too does the need for qualified software and application developers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of software developers has been projected to grow 17 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment
of applications developers is projected to grow 19 percent, and employment of systems developers is projected to grow 13 percent. IT training creates a rich and diverse talent pool of highly desirable technology professionals to support current and future workforce needs. “Coding skills are necessary to succeed in today’s marketplace across a range of industries, so we’ve designed a program that prepares students for a great career in software development,” said Joe Mitchell, Revature’s Executive Vice President of Academic Partnerships. “Our programs give students with any academic background the chance to learn cuttingedge technologies, train in Reston, VA after graduation, and secure a job at top U.S. companies. It’s a win-win solution for everyone.” Revature also offers an immersive coding program at its Reston, Virginia headquarters, an intensive, 12-week program that further prepares attendees for a career in software development. Open to university graduates, accepted applicants build on the RevaturePro learnings with deeper exposure to specific software languages, DevOps, soft skills and more. There is no cost to the attendees, and includes housing and a weekly living allowance. Those who successfully complete the boot camp then have the opportunity to work for Revature’s clients that include Fortune 500 companies, government partners and others. . RevaturePro is now available to UMUC students and graduates. More information is available at revature.com/umuc. www.MAE-kmi.com
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
New Programs at Blackburn College Blackburn College in Illinois has announced that new programs in Ag Business, Cyber Security, Game Design, Arts Administration, and the Performing Arts will be added to the college’s academic offerings starting Fall 2017. “Each of the new programs represents bold initiatives to offer careerfocused majors that enhance Blackburn’s already robust academic programs,” noted Dr. John McClusky, Blackburn College Provost. “These are changes that add to the strengths of the College and also respond to the interests of prospective students. Our admissions office continually receives inquiries for these programs and the necessary coursework aligns well with Blackburn’s current course offerings and faculty.” A new Bachelor of Arts in Agricultural Business will combine both agricultural science and business curriculum to prepare graduates for careers in agricultural industries. Combined with Blackburn’s strong liberal arts environment and presented as part of the Business Department, the new major will respond to needs expressed by prospective students throughout the Midwest who desire an ag business degree but are not interested in attending a large university. The college will also offer computer science degrees with new major concentrations in cyber security and game design. Students earning the Cyber Security major will learn about the development of network security systems and protocols that protect vital data in private corporations or government organizations. The major will provide coursework explaining concepts related to computer forensics, vulnerability assessment, security compliance, and software assurance. The Game Design major will provide a well-rounded base for students to pursue a career
MSU unveils the Oldham Family Veteran Student Center On the third floor of Carrington Hall, there was a little hole-in-the-wall lounge for student veterans. Now, the Office of Veteran Student Services has moved to Meyer Library and has been renamed the Oldham Family Veteran Student Center. The new location is a total of 2,500 square feet and contains four offices, a computer lab, a lounge, a reception area and a study room. The old location in Carrington Hall measured 13 feet by 17 feet and did not have any windows. In the front reception area, there is a flag display and ornament seals depicting the five service branches. The flags were donated by the Ozark Empire Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. The office moved over to the new location last December, and the Veteran Student Center opened at the beginning of the spring semester. Staff Sgt. Deidre Ashley, president of Missouri State’s Veteran Student Organization, said that getting a new veteran student lounge was exciting. “This means a lot,” Ashley, a senior criminology major, said. “As soon as I heard we were getting a new space, I was so excited.” www.MAE-kmi.com
creating games with commercial appeal or for use in educational and corporate settings. The Bachelor of Arts in Arts Administration is designed for students who are passionate about the arts and want to make art, music, or theatre a part of the community. Graduates will be prepared to be leaders in arts organizations, understanding the business end of organizations that make the creation of art possible or bring art to the public. The course of study focuses on topics important to the arts and the administration of arts organizations, drawing on existing coursework from many departments at the college, including Art, Business, English & Communications, and Music & Theatre. The Department of Music & Theatre will now offer four specific Bachelor of Arts degree majors: Music – Vocal Performance, Music – Piano Performance, Theatre, and Musical Theatre. The new focus areas will be enhanced by Blackburn’s state-of-the-art performance facilities, current faculty, and unique work program opportunities that provide an individualized educational environment not found in most schools. “We anticipate that we will have interest in all of these new areas from both current students and prospective students,” said Alisha Kapp, Director of Admissions. “The new offerings present great opportunities for students to align their degree pursuits more closely with their personal educational and career goals. Blackburn has a unique educational environment where we can offer challenging academic programs paired with the nationally known Blackburn College Work Program. This exceptional preparation is what helps our graduates attain a 99 percent placement rate in the work place or graduate programs.”
New Undergraduate Major and Minor Program Offered in Public Health Gallaudet University has approved a new undergraduate major and minor program in public health. The new program will accept its first students in the Fall of 2017. Public health is a science concerned with protecting and promoting health in individuals, families, communities and entire populations through such measures as disease prevention, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research on epidemics and infectious diseases. The major will prepare students to work in several health-related fields or enter graduate or professional school. The minor is designed to increase awareness and understanding of public health principles among students preparing for careers in other fields such as physical education and recreation, social work, business, medicine, or psychology. The program will be housed under the Department of Science, Technology & Mathematics (STM). “Our research showed that a BSPH degree and minor in public health would complement our existing programs, be of interest to
many of our prospective students, could result in graduates who have skills sought by many private and public employers, and would dovetail with the recently completed renovations of existing laboratory and classroom facilities in the STM department,” said STM Department Chair Dr. Kathleen Arnos. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the growth in the number of jobs in public health will increase 21 percent through 2022, faster than the average for all other professions. This provides an excellent opportunity to leverage the mission of Gallaudet University to provide diverse, well-prepared graduates with degrees in public health who will provide diverse perspectives in the workplace for in-demand careers,” said Dr. Genie Gertz, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Public health provides a clinical component which complements the professions that many of our students choose and it gives Gallaudet graduates an advantage in competing for anticipated job-growth in a variety of health fields.”
MAE&T 12.2 | 13
Student Supporter
Q& A
The newest leader of SVA makes his mark on the student-supportive organization.
Jared Lyon President & CEO Student Veterans of America
Jared Lyon was appointed President and CEO of Student Veterans of America (SVA) on January 4, 2016, overseeing all aspects of the organization. He initially joined the professional staff of SVA in 2014 as the chief development officer and executive vice president of operations. In this role Jared forged critical partnerships and secured record grant funding for SVA. Named National Student Veteran of the Year by SVA in 2011, Lyon has come full circle to lead the organization he credits with his educational success. Before joining SVA, Lyon was the national program manager at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University (SU) for the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) and EBV-Families (EBV-F), providing small business management and entrepreneurship instruction free of charge in workshops held at eight universities annually. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Lyon served as a submariner and diver, taking part in multiple deployments around the world in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Upon leaving the Navy with an honorable discharge, he worked for Northrop Grumman Corporation in Melbourne, Florida as an electronic systems administrator while completing his associate’s degree at Brevard Community College. He then managed Florida operations for the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball team for three seasons. Lyon returned to higher education, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University (FSU) in December 2011. As an undergraduate he served as president of both the school’s SVA chapter and Sigma Phi Epsilon National Fraternity chapter. He was a founder and co-chairman of the Student Veteran Film Festival, and served on the search committee to identify a Veterans Center Director for FSU. Lyon was surgeon of District 2 for the Florida Department of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and junior vice commander for VFW Post 3308 in Tallahassee, Florida. He was inducted in FSU’s first class of “Thirty Under 30” at its Young Alumni Awards Reception in 2012. Lyon holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, where he is an adjunct professor at the Whitman School of Management. He continues to serve as a board member of the Florida State University Student Veterans Film Festival and Veterans Center Advisory Board. 14 | MAE&T 12.2
Q: How and why did you become an advocate for student veterans as Student Veterans of America’s President and CEO? What experience(s) influenced you the most in deciding to serve student veterans? A: By the time I got to Florida State after separating from enlisted service, I was 28 years old. I had finished my associates degree, so I’m now a transferred junior. When I showed up on campus, the first two weeks I felt like a fish out of water. I was on a campus with some 40,000 undergraduates, mostly between the ages of 18 to 22, and I was just a little bit older, a different set of life experiences, and a college junior. Those first two weeks I didn’t really feel like I fit in or that I belonged. One day on campus I happened to walk by an advertisement for my SVA chapter at Florida State. Really, the rest is history for me. It was through my SVA chapter that I started to gain an understanding as to the needs of veterans in higher education, but also all the success that they were having. As a person, I’ve realized that I’m motivated by my ability to impact others for good. At the time I didn’t know what that meant, but through my first foray into advocacy work as a student veteran at Florida State, I realized that I could help student veterans and help other people, which gave me the idea as an undergraduate at Florida State that someday I would like to run www.MAE-kmi.com
a veteran-serving nonprofit. That inspired me to pursue my master’s in public administration with a focus in MGO management at Maxwell School at Syracuse University. My first experience working at a nonprofit was the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, and so I’ve been trying to prepare myself for this position since I was an undergraduate at Florida State in 2010. This is really kind of a dream come true for me! Q: How is SVA positioned in the veteran service community to affect change and to what extent does SVA want to influence the well-being of all veterans? A: When you look at what SVA is now, we really consider ourselves to be a higher education nonprofit whose focus is serving veterans in higher education, i.e. student veterans. Really, we are a student-centric chapter-based organization. Our passions are veterans and military-connected students. To that end, we are focused, as an organization, on what we like to refer to as “the life cycle of a student veteran.” And so SVA is here to support; helping veterans to, through, and beyond higher education. We do that through three simple, strategic focuses. The first is informed decision-making, the second is support through peer-based mentor groups, such as our chapters, and the third is the “so what” of finishing your degree, which is transition to career and beyond. We support all of that through research, which we believe is actionable research, through programs and services, and then through our advocacy efforts. We really are the voice of the student veteran here in Washington DC and across the nation. Nearly two-thirds of transitioning servicemembers are firstgeneration college students just like myself. To that end, we don’t necessarily have some of the same familiar affinity structures to make some important decisions. To the extent that SVA can be there for veterans on the front end when they’re making those choices (not necessarily telling them which school to go to, but making sure that they have the tools to make that decision for themselves and for their families) and then being supportive while they’re in school and then successfully transitioning to the next phase of their life, which is really career and beyond. That’s how we’re able to affect the overall wellbeing of this generation of veterans and all generations moving forward. Q: In February, SVA announced the results of their National Veteran Education Success Tracker measuring the academic outcomes of GI Bill students, what were some of the key findings from the research? A: We’re really proud of the National Veteran Education Success Tracker (NVEST). NVEST is a first of its kind public-private partnership to study the impact of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The results of this research are simply remarkable. We had this peer-reviewed by researchers at Syracuse University (IVMF) and Purdue University (Military Family Research Institute). I think there is this perception that veterans are not actually going to college as much on the GI Bill because with the Post-9/11 GI Bill you have the option for transferability. So most people think that maybe it’s more the dependents that are www.MAE-kmi.com
going. Well, our research shows there are 1.3 million veterans using the GI Bill for higher ed, and only about 170,000 of those are dependents. That means a little over 1.1 million are actually veterans themselves! The next assumption is that veterans, if they are in fact the ones using the benefits, might not be going for traditional post-secondary education and maybe seeking, perhaps a vocational or certificate training versus post-secondary education. Through NVEST we know that actually less than 5 percent of GI Bill recipients are seeking vocational or certificate training. We also know that the majority of veterans do choose not-forprofit public and private schools versus proprietary institutions for higher learning. The next assumption some people make is that military students are all sort of “underwater basket weaving” majors. That’s also not true. We know through NVEST that the top three majors for veterans in higher education right now are business, STEM, and health-related fields. Arguably, those are some of the most marketable degree fields in America, and NVEST shows us that the majority of students are pursuing either a bachelor’s or higher in their education. Separately, our annual census survey tells us that the national GPA in this country right now is a respectable 3.11, but for student veterans it’s a 3.35. So by the standard measure of academic performance, such as the GPA, we know that student veterans are out performing non-student veterans, basically. And graduation rates and success rates, which are derived from NVEST, are showing a population that is doing remarkably well. If you look at the overall success rates, for instance, it’s at 72 percent, which is higher than those that have never served in the military. I would never purport that veterans are not without their challenges in higher education, but no matter what challenge a veteran might encounter in higher education, we are often triumphant in the face of the those challenges. The headlines for veterans in higher education shouldn’t be depicting a “struggling, not graduating, lesser-than student.” In our opinion, the headline should be that student veterans are among the most successful students, they’re talent hiding in plain sight. Q: How has this research influenced the narrative around student veterans in higher education and what was most surprising for you to learn from the results? A: What I was surprised about before NVEST existed is that the research that I had been able to find on my own largely told a different story. It told the story of veterans that were struggling and not succeeding, and so NVEST is really a full look at the Post9/11 GI Bill, which no one’s been able to do up until this point. What you got from that was data that told of a story that I knew was true, but didn’t have the conclusive evidence for. But I’ll tell you, I traveled around the country last year visiting colleges and universities nationwide where we have SVA chapters and every time I talked to a student veteran they were fired up to tell me about the success that they’re having in higher education and all that they were accomplishing and proud of. They did not subscribe to that notion that veterans are somehow damaged or broken. You see them succeeding every day. What I said to them was, “Stand by. The research is coming, and we will have the evidence definitively when we conclude this.” I would back that up by the sort of groundswell that we’ve gotten MAE&T 12.2 | 15
from student veterans nationwide, the student veteran chapter leaders in our chapters all over the country, and how they’ve reached out to say, “Finally. What I’ve always felt in my gut was true. The NVEST evidence confirmed that feeling for me as a student veteran.” Q: What can leaders in the higher education community do differently starting today to better support student veterans? A: I think, broadly, my ask to higher education is, NVEST shows you how this population is doing, and the story at the top line level is that this is a very successful student cohort. Student veterans are students first who happen to have served in the military. So think of them as students first that happen to also be veterans. It’s a part of their overall makeup. We hope that NVEST helps higher education start from the right operating position. Start from the position that this is a cohort of students who are going to be successful with the resources and tools and networks that already exist in higher education. We don’t look at this population as separate but equal. We look at this population as part of our higher education community and the stars of that community. If we start from the right operating position knowing that student veterans are more likely to attend “good schools” than their civilian counterparts, that they’re going to be pursuing more academically rigorous degrees than their civilian counterparts, that they have performed better with GPA’s and graduation rates, then we should look to recruit them to higher education because of that. By the way, they also bring funding via the GI Bill to pay for that education. When you look across higher education there’s not a whole lot of students out there that pay sticker price. At some schools, let’s say a private institution that is higher cost in sticker price, even when you factor in the discount rate of higher education, the GI Bill combined with the Yellow Ribbon program still pays higher than the discount rate than any other student in higher education. So not only do they have the resources to pay for their education, they are going to be the rockstar students that higher ed is desperately seeking, pursuing some of the most academically rigorous degrees. So recruit them with an enthusiasm and excitement that you’d have for any of the top students that you would look for at your institution of higher learning. Q: You’ve stated that veterans are “talent hiding in plain sight,” what do you mean by this comment and how does it apply to leaders in the business and higher education communities? A: When you look at the population broadly, about 50 percent of veterans in higher education are married when they go back to school. Some 47 percent have children when they’re back in school, of which 14 percent are single parents. That leads to the average age of a student vet being around 28 years old. 50 percent are working full time; 25 percent working part time. These are grownups. These are truly non-traditional students. One quick note, 23 percent of graduating veterans in higher education are women veterans, which is pretty cool when you think about it because the active force duty is only between 16 to 18 percent women. 16 | MAE&T 12.2
When we say “talent hiding in plain sight,” this is a population that has served their country, transitioned to higher education, is more likely to pursue a STEM business or health-related degree, better GPA’s, and a higher success rate. They’re talent hiding in plain sight because there are 100,000 college graduates from the Post-9/11 GI Bill that are graduating each and every year. When industry looks to recruit the amazing talent that exists within the veteran community, what we want folks to understand is that there are 100,000 graduating with some of the top degrees the industry is so desperately trying to find. But perhaps they haven’t had the right understanding of this population to know that there are a whole bunch of MCO’s and petty officers that are graduating with those top degrees in hand the industry needs. By the way, they have all the amazing leadership characteristics brought with them by the military, and they’ve already sort of transitioned. They’re not one year out of transition. On average, they’re five to six years out of transition by the time they get hired. So, industry should work with their campus recruiting teams to recruit student veterans, based on the knowledge gained from NVEST that they could be finding this population who’s been, really, hiding on America’s college campuses nationwide. The diversity of thought and the “lived experience” that a veteran brings to the classroom, let alone the campus community, carries forward as a leader in industry and in their communities after graduation as well. We’re, as a veteran population, more civically engaged than our civilian counterparts. We are the leaders America so desperately needs, and when you combine the military service with what I refer to as the great equalizer—your college degree—there is limitless potential for this generation. Q: As the country moves further away from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, how important is it to SVA to ensure the Post-9/11 GI Bill remains a viable benefit for future servicemembers? A: The US Army Recruiting Command gets it, and they are having that conversation with high school students right now about the opportunity that military service is, and one of those opportunities is the chance for an education. At SVA we look at that as a benefit of service, if you will, and one of the concepts that we’re really working on with GI Bill is this idea of a “Forever GI Bill.” The GI Bill has been through six iterations since 1944. We hope to find folks that are fired up about the idea of a Forever GI Bill that, by the nature of your military service, offers the opportunity for education there in perpetuity. This is an all-volunteer force. It is a good recruitment tool, and we think something that’s actually vital to national security in this all volunteer force. It’s something that we continue to keep a steady drum beat about; the concept that your service is forever linked to the opportunity for an education. O
For more information, contact MAE&T Editor Kelly Fodel at kellyf@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.
www.MAE-kmi.com
Special Section
Supporting and Counseling Military Students
By Dr. Nicholas J. Osborne, Dr. Catherine M. York, & Dr. Dustin D. Lange Simply getting through the first year of college is a challenge for many students. For veterans, this challenge is even more pronounced. This is because these individuals are students who have experienced a break in their education, typically having joined the military after high school and are entering college in their early to mid-20s (or older). This gap results in the students needing to refresh their “rusty” skills, often times needing remedial education and relearning competencies that support their academic success (e.g., study skills, time management). Veterans and military-connected students are also likely to encounter barriers during their transition to higher education and frequently come to college with multi-layered issues that impact their retention and degree progress (e.g., unclear career goals, anxiety, juggling work-life commitments, academic deficiencies). Furthermore, the uniqueness of military culture and a background of discipline, deployments, and accountability equip veterans with a life experience and maturity that can make it difficult for them to relate to their civilian peers or ask for help. The common challenges experienced by this group of students are further exacerbated when the veteran also has a disability. The College of Applied Health Sciences (AHS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a storied history of serving students with disabilities. Ironically, this history began with transitioning World War II veterans and evolved into groundbreaking “firsts” that set a national standard for accessibility and disability support. Examples of innovations established at the University of Illinois include curb cuts, fixed-route buses with wheelchair lifts, college-level adapted sports and recreation programs, and the first residence hall for students with disabilities. Recognizing an influx of veteran enrollment across the country and a moderate prevalence of disabilities among many of them, AHS opened The Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education in August 2015. The approach to serving military-connected students at www.MAE-kmi.com
the Center is rooted in the belief that working with the whole person in a synergistic way will better address the multiplicity of needs of the student while capitalizing on his/her strengths. By moving from a trauma-centric model to a “possibilities” model, services are grounded in frequent and multilayered contacts and careful coordination of services and supports.
A Model for Academic & Transitional Success The Center’s model is adapted in part from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Health Administration’s Polytrauma System of Care, in which a number of specialized services are available with the goal of devising comprehensive and individualized plans, rather than assuming a “one-size-fits-all” model. Getting started, a needs-assessment survey was disseminated to all student veterans at our university to identify the types of services and resources that they found most helpful or that needed to be enhanced to be more effective. Additionally, semi-structured interviews and meetings with the campus’ Student Veterans Organization (SVO) provided enhanced insight into strategies for strengthening existing resources. For example, our career services developed and organized a yearlong professional mentoring program to assist veterans with career guidance and networking opportunities that will enhance their employment success upon graduation. Figure 1 illustrates the Center’s model and four core service areas that help student veterans with their transition from military to academic life: 1) Academic Services; 2) Health Services; 3) Career Services; and 4) Veteran and Family Services. Figure 2 provides a detailed list of items that fall under each core area. These lists are not exhaustive but provide understanding of the various services that student veterans may need and should be considered by professionals working with this unique population. MAE&T 12.2 | 17
Special Section
Transition As cited in many academic journals about veterans in higher education, the students at the Center confront several transitional issues, including the following: 1) unrealistic expectations about college and undergraduate peers (e.g., assuming that everyone follows stated rules and instructions like in the military); 2) lacking a sense of community that they had in the military; 3) an absence of hierarchy among civilians (i.e., not feeling respected by traditional college students who are much younger); and 4) limited professional and career guidance for finding a job after college. There are also key themes that often arise for veterans in relation to transitioning to a large, public university as a non-traditional student. These themes center around difficulties interacting with traditional undergraduate students who often have limited life experiences, pursuing dating and romantic relationships, having a narrow support system in the area, and solely focusing on taking courses related to their major rather than the diverse curricula they need to fulfill various general education requirements.
Academic Services
Health Services
Veteran & Family Services
Career Services
Figure 1
The Registration Process When registering with the Center to receive services, the student completes an application and an “orientation interview” with the clinical psychologist. The interview is designed to screen students for potential academic difficulties, impairment in social and occupational functioning, and physical and mental disorders/disabilities. The services offered to students within the Center, the campus, and the VA are then reviewed with the student, and an individualized, comprehensive plan of care is created. Each student is then provided with case management to ensure that referrals are scheduled and followed through. Core staff meet weekly to discuss the multi-layered barriers that impact each student’s academic and life progress. One goal of the weekly meeting is to identify problems early in the semester and to subsequently insulate students with assistive resources to offset and address those issues. For instance, a student may share in therapy
that he has been depressed since leaving the military and is further overwhelmed by his math classes, including difficulty concentrating on course material and budgeting his time. The clinical psychologist, in collaboration with the associate director, will refine the student’s “plan” to ensure that it encompasses weekly mental health therapy, academic coaching, tutorial support, and participation in a time management workshop.
Behavioral Health With regard to mental health services, the Center offers individual therapy for a variety of conditions. Most commonly, students are seen for adjustment disorders (in relation to their transition), depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Neuropsychological assessment is also provided to determine cognitive strengths and weakness and diagnose psychological disorders. Furthermore, academic accommodations are offered to students who have a diagnosed disability that is interfering with their academic functioning. Accommodations often include extra time on exams in a distraction-reduced environment, the use of a peer note-taker, excused absences from class due to an exacerbation of symptoms, and the use of assistive technology (e.g., screen readers or speech-to-text software). Health and wellness programs were created to aid with the transition from military to civilian life. For example, nutritional workshops are offered monthly in which students are taught how to cook nutritious, simple, and quick meals, as many of them joined the military after high school and transferred to the university with limited cooking skills. Trauma-sensitive yoga is offered twice a month to encourage physical fitness while helping students regulate their emotional and physical sensations in a safe environment. In addition, budgeting workshops were created to help students create realistic budgets, as many of them have much smaller incomes with more expenses than they had in the military. Finally, additional workshops are offered throughout the semester to help with stress management, test anxiety, and goal setting and time management.
Veterans Affairs Partnership One limitation of the Center is that it is located nearly one hour away from the closest VA clinic. Attending appointments at the VA requires a large time commitment that several students are unable
Model for Academic & Transitional Success of Student Veterans Academic Services
Health Services
Career Services
Veteran & Family Services
Veterans Orientation
Individual Transition Plan
Career Counseling
Veteran Service Organizations
Veterans Transition Course
Neuropsych Assessment
Resume Writing
VA Services
Academic Advising
Counseling
Translating Military Skills
Family Support Groups
Academic Coaching
Physical Therapy
Mock Interviews
Couples & Family Counseling
Tutoring & Writing Lab
Speech Pathology
Alumni Partners
Childcare Services
Financial Aid Counseling
Academic Accommodations
Networking
Campus Veterans Office
Priority Registration
Disability Management
Career Fairs
Student Veterans Org.
Scholarships
Wellness Workshops
Job Search Strategies
Campus Events & Activities
Figure 2 Model Components
18 | MAE&T 12.2
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Special Section to make, especially for ongoing services. Therefore, the Center and VA medical center created a partnership where the VA provides some specific services on site at the Center one day a week; including social work, mental health, speech pathology, and physical therapy.
Career and Employment For most departing servicemembers, finding a job is the greatest challenge in their transition and one of the main reasons they elect to attend college. Many students we work with need assistance exploring various careers and constructing an academic plan that will make them competitive applicants. In short, they need to recognize how their academic program is a bridge toward a fulfilling career. Furthermore, they need to unpack this vision early rather than wait until their senior year. Career discussions with students begin as soon as they arrive on campus. This entails creating a working resume that they will refine over the years, networking, participating in career fairs, and connecting students with professionals in the field, such as through our professional mentoring program, which pairs students to mid-level and senior career leaders from various industries and businesses. These strategies are further supplemented by career-focused workshops that teach students how to articulate their military backgrounds to a civilian employer, accentuate the many soft skills they’ve developed through their service, and prepare them for an interview.
Recommendations and Portability The Center is a $14M facility with a core staff of four full-time professionals and numerous student workers and interns. The third floor of the Center is also a residential wing that houses 14 individual suites and bathrooms. These rooms are available to student veterans who desire to live within a peer community and are equipped with various assistive technologies to accommodate students with severe complex disabilities. Since opening, over 100 student veterans have registered for services at the Center and the residential floor is at max capacity. A lead gift was provided by a generous alum to fund the building and ongoing fundraising is underway to ensure that all services can be offered to students free of charge in perpetuity. Although we’re very grateful for what we’re able to provide to our students, we recognize that most colleges and universities are without the luxury of a Center of this magnitude; however, there are a number of support services that universally benefit most student veterans regardless of their circumstances. The following section provides recommend practices that can be beneficial to all student veterans. The recommendations listed here provide guidance for initiating a course of action toward establishing or improving service provision to student veterans. The primary objective is to provide information that is both practical and useful for a wide variety of higher education institutions. The critical elements essential for creating positive impact include the establishment and sustainment of professional relationships with other campus units and the effective management and usage of resources. The following recommendations address student veterans’ needs at the individual and campus levels:
should illuminate students’ transitional experiences, perception of campus climate, and identified barriers. Including students by way of surveys and focus groups is also effective for giving them buy in with regard to their input being used to strengthen and shape programming. • Veterans are notorious for looking out for each other. Connecting new student veterans with currently enrolled student veterans is a helpful way to establish an immediate peer network. Many schools have a Student Veterans Organization (SVO) in place and chapters can be found through the Student Veterans of America (www. studentveterans.org). Additionally, community-based support can be found through several Veteran Service Organizations (e.g., American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign Wars). These groups offer effective resources for helping new veterans acclimate to the community and they are often engaged in various philanthropic work that benefit military populations. • Collaborate with other Registered Student Organizations. Student veterans should be encouraged to integrate into the larger campus and engage with diverse student populations. An excellent strategy for promoting integration is to empower the SVO to collaborate with other student groups.
Campus Level • Create a veterans services website and link other student services to it. The campus homepage should also consider having a link for veterans to enhance visibility. • Utilize social media to increase visibility of veterans’ presence on campus. • Educate faculty and staff about military culture; ways to effectively work with student veterans, and how to brand services toward military-connected students. For instance, residential services might consider including information that explains whether or not veterans are required to live on campus or of housing options for nontraditional students. • Collect data on veteran enrollment, retention, number of wounded veterans, and types of disabilities. • Reach out to different college units for collaborative projects. A Veterans Advisory Committee is a helpful way to bring multiple units together to strategize development and programming for veterans. • Consider how student veterans’ needs align to your campus’ strategic plan. O Dr. Nicholas J. Osborne is director of the Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Dustin D. Lange is associate director at the Center. Dr. Catherine M. York serves as a clinical psychologist.
Individual Level • Create web-based surveys and conduct focus groups to assist in determining needs for service provision. These practices www.MAE-kmi.com
For more information, contact MAE&T Editor Kelly Fodel at kellyf@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.
MAE&T 12.2 | 19
Training faculty how to best serve their military students leads to improved outcomes. By Brandon Swenson
As universities experienced in helping military learners have discovered, the unique attributes of servicemembers and veterans make them prime candidates for success in the classroom. Their hectic lifestyles often require quick shifts in priorities—demands that can prove challenging in sticking with a degree program. According to Dr. Cheryl Hayek, Grantham University’s interim president and chief academic officer, “Military students wear their medals— their badges of honor—and their stripes of responsibility. They took an oath to serve, honor and protect. In return, educators should view it an honor to wear our ‘badges of responsibility’ in making quality higher education as accessible and achievable as we can for them. ” The good news is that a number of top schools and universities are embracing the need to work well with military students. These militaryfocused schools have spent years, even decades, fine tuning their own processes, methods and support models that best cater to the military student. It’s these universities that military servicemembers and veterans are wise to seek out, when selecting their school of choice. “While military students make up less than five percent of the national student population,” said Hayek, “online accredited schools like Grantham University who have such flexible institutional policies for servicemembers have military populations near 50 percent. For these institutions, it’s not enough to be military-friendly; we have to be military-focused. Not just student-centric, but military-centric.” It can, however, be a daunting task to distinguish the universities who really get it, who understand what it takes to make education possible and 20 | MAE&T 12.2
do-able for military learners. Let’s take a look at what makes one more adept than another.
Faculty Training In line with Hayek’s military-centric emphasis, a growing number of universities have implemented faculty training programs that center on effectiveness in teaching the military student. At Grantham University, this training is not a new addition, but rather has been a critical requirement in faculty selection for over eight years. Since January 2009, faculty candidates go through a training course which includes “military culture 101.” The university does not allow faculty to begin teaching until they not only pass the training, but can also demonstrate their knowledge of both the military student and culture. “Teaching and training faculty to remind them of the military culture is vital, as it can be used appropriately in the classroom,” said Niccole Kopit, Grantham University associate provost. Implementing a structured learning environment that more closely mirrors their lifestyle helps military students flourish. Using a regular weekly cadence that lets students know exactly what to expect each week, and adhering to a strict 48-hour minimum turnaround time for grading and correspondence are two practices drawn from the military culture to keep students on track and moving forward in their coursework. Faculty (and other support staff) must also fully understand daily obstacles military students face while pursuing their education. Things www.MAE-kmi.com
like temporary duty (TDY), contract obligations, change of duty station consideration for shortening the length of time to degree completion. or assignment, and more must all be understood in order to provide the Other military-centric components are found in groups and networking best student support during these times. Policies must reflect that we opportunities like SVA chapters, online writing forums, events and understand and can accommodate those when they come in conflict with speaking engagements and mentoring, etc. coursework. Also important are low tuition rates and scholarship Faculty training also dives into capitalizing on the opportunities for when military education benefits are parallels between completing the mission and completing depleted. Grantham University, for instance, recently necessary coursework. According to Kopit, “Military introduced a new scholarship that bridges the gap students must be held accountable, just as they would between when tuition assistance (TA) is exhausted and be in their jobs, to their promise of taking coursework then replenished. seriously and successfully completing the class. This taps “It (the scholarship) is one way we’re helping miliinto the students’ engrained military nature to adhere to tary students persist with their education, without having the mission and their core values.” to sit out while waiting for military TA funds to be availDiscussions about critical thinking and ethical deciable again,” said Hayek. “It’s named after our Board of sion making, the student code of conduct, and even Governors member Commander Everett Alvarez, who as a the syllabus allow faculty an opportunity to address POW survivor, is the ultimate example of resiliency and Dr. Cheryl Hayek completing the mission or course, as well as lay out the determination.” plan to achieve success. Other ingredients that demonstrate military focus include: Shifting the paradigm • University policies that accommodate
deployment One aspect of the training is shifting the paradigm of • Limited or no restrictions on login times (for looking at the deficits of a certain population group, in online degree programs) this case military students, to an asset-focused approach. • Actual military outreach staff who take time The military student has a very demanding fullto visit face-to-face with students time job, especially those who are active duty. They have • And even a large percentage of university training and duty schedules that can be very erratic. They staff who are former military can be uprooted and expected to move or deploy with very Nicole Kopit little notice. When they get that call, all other priorities, including their families, are put on hold to fulfill their And the best of the best offer comprehensive career pledge to their country. services that focus on easing the military-to-civilian But they also have a wealth of real-world knowledge transition, combined with physical and virtual events and and experience they bring to the classroom, and have networking activities that bring corporate recruiters and learned the value of and appreciation for higher educamilitary learners together. tion learning. They don’t feel like they have to be there; “In our dedication to our military serviceMembers, they’re there because they want to be, for their careers, our Career Services coordinators are experts in militheir families and themselves. tary-to-civilian transition, and build upon the services Asset Thinking versus Deficit Thinking, one of the provided by military transition offices by tailoring services core principles of the Swaddled Support Services (SSS®) to the students’ specials goals, needs, and interests,” developed by Dr. Hayek and implemented at Grantham said Jeromey Bell, Grantham University Career Services Jeromey Bell University, changes the way the student feels upon manager. “They also help students assemble a career entering it. Innovation will abound when one looks at development toolkit which will not only help them secure the students’ strengths and builds accordingly for them and from them. their first position, but provide them with skills that will last a lifetime.” “We’ve seen great success when faculty recognize the significant All considered, military servicemembers and veterans today clearly strengths that the military student brings to the classroom, as well have credible options for earning their college degrees. It will be time as their differences in learning style,” Kopit said. “Honoring the gifts, well spent to carefully evaluate a university’s history in serving military vulnerabilities, and differences of the military is essential, both within learners, as well as its current practice in delivering the convenience and the academic world and in society at large.” support necessary for success. O For universities to be aware and skillful at meeting the military learner where they thrive not only aids in their learning, but also A former USMC Public Affairs Chief, Brandon Swenson strengthens the programs and the classes. continues to serve in his position with Grantham University, a
Beyond Training Along with faculty training, a select few universities are continuing to find new, inventive ways to make sure the military learner is fully supported from day one through graduation. Maximizing military training and experience for college credit should be part of the discussion, before enrollment is finalized—a key www.MAE-kmi.com
100 percent online university founded 66 years ago by a WWII veteran.
For more information, contact MAE&T Editor Kelly Fodel at kellyf@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.
MAE&T 12.2 | 21
Collaboration & Celebration
Highlights of the 2017 Council of College and Military Educators Symposium. By Dr. Jeff Cropsey
The 2017 Council of College of Military Educators (CCME) Symposium was an outstanding success. By any measure, the CCME symposiums continue to grow and serve as the annual conference to obtain the latest information on the world of military and veteran education. This year, more than 940 individuals registered for the conference, representing a growth of over 5 percent from last year. There were 526 attendees who identified as coming from an institution. 214 different institutions were in attendance, 22 | MAE&T 12.2
with 85 institutions indicating this was their first time attending. The trend seems to be increasing on institution participation. More schools, and even smaller schools that are not well known in military and veteran programs are attending each year. Attendance from the military sector is also increasing, with well over 300 military participants this year. The annual CCME symposium is now firmly established as THE conference to attend for military and veteran education programs! www.MAE-kmi.com
The theme of the 2017 symposium was “Collaboration: Strengthen Ourselves For Those We Serve.” Honoring this theme were five days of meetings, presentations, discussion groups and networking opportunities to give true meaning to the word “collaboration.” Several important general sessions discussed issues in military education with noted speakers from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. There were incredible motivational speakers that left everyone in attendance with a renewed spirit of service to our military and veteran students. Professional development was not forgotten, with more than 70 concurrent sessions providing insights and updates on a myriad of military and veteran education issues. Additionally, six major roundtable discussions were conducted, allowing the individual participants to directly voice their concerns on a variety of military and veteran education topics. If you are new to the world of military education and needing to learn the basics, or you are experienced and wanting to further hone your skills, the annual CCME symposium should be a must-attend on your training calendar. So what happened during those five days in Atlanta? The symposium began on Monday, March 6 with special meetings all day. Thirteen state Associations of College and Military Educators (ACMEs) met throughout the day to discuss state and regional issues affecting military and veteran education. If you are interested in joining an ACME in your state, go to the CCME website (ccmeonline.org) for more information. Besides the state ACMEs, several of the branches of the Armed Services conducted training sessions for their personnel. The Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) also conducted a
training session for the Degree Network System schools. The entire symposium came together that evening for the President’s Reception and the Grand Opening of the Exhibit Hall. More than 70 exhibitors supported the 2017 symposium and attendees showed great interest in what the exhibitors had to offer. On Tuesday March 7, the 2017 symposium opened with the Newcomer’s Breakfast. Each the CCME sponsors a breakfast for those attending for the first time. Besides good food and networking, CCME Board members sit with the first timers to explain what CCME is and the purpose of the symposium. This year approximately 250 individuals attended the Newcomer’s Breakfast, indicating the strong appeal CCME continues to have as it attracts new members. Following the breakfast the symposium formally opened with the presentation of the colors by the Atlanta Police Department Honor Guard, a truly spectacular and inspiring rendition of our National Anthem by Tiffany and Jessica Neal, and a warm welcoming address from Daniel Gordon, Chief Operating Officer of the Mayor for the City of Atlanta. Next came a series of inspiring keynote addresses. Jared Lyon, President and CEO of Student Veterans of America spoke on the importance of educational programs and support systems for our veteran students. Next came an inspiring moment for all in attendance thanks to Bryan Anderson, an Iraq war veteran, author, and national spokesman for Quantum Rehab. Anderson happens to be a triple amputee, and he gave an inspiring and sometimes humorous account of how he dealt with his challenges. By the end of his presentation, the audience was left with a healthy dose of perspective. Bryan Anderson
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MAE&T 12.2 | 23
reminded everyone that nearly any challenges we might have as individuals can be overcome in a positive way. After a break, the general sessions continued with Dawn Bilodeau, Chief, Voluntary Education Programs, Department of Defense. She provided an update on military programs and issues and Major General John Kem gave a briefing on the current status of the Army University program. After the morning general sessions concluded, the annual CCME Awards and Scholarship Luncheon and ACME update took place. A total of 20 scholarships were awarded this year to deserving military, veteran and dependent students. The following CCME Awards were given out: • CCME Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. John Ebersole, Excelsior College • CCME President’s Award: Dr. Kathryn Snead, Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges • Barry Cobb Government Organization Award: Eglin Air Force Base Education Center • CCME Corporate Award: Tutor.com • CCME Institution Award: Colorado Technical University • William E. Kennedy Award: Pamela Washington, Park University • John Brian Service and Leadership Award: Peter Harris & John Lejeune, Education Center, MCCS Lejeune-New River • CCME ACME Award: Virginia ACME The luncheon concluded with a state of the ACMES report by Michael Midura, CCME ACME Liaison. After lunch the general sessions continued. The afternoon began with the President’s Panel. This year Dr. Cheryl Hayek of Grantham University, Dr. George Pruitt from Thomas Edison State University, Mr. Javier Miyares of the University of Maryland University College, and Dr. Beth Stroble of Webster University represented the higher education community. They discussed numerous topics including what the new administration might mean for higher education. The Presidents Panel discussed the November 29, 2016 Senate Armed Services Committee meeting (https://www.armed-services. senate.gov/hearings/16-11-29-department-of-defense-actions-concerning-voluntary-education-programs). In that 2016 meeting, the Office of the Secretary of Defense was summoned to respond to criticisms that they had overstepped their authority in the management of the DoD MoU process and that, in the words of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, their attempts to evaluate the quality of education programs were not “in the wheelhouse of DoD.” The school presidents did not condemn DoD but expressed concerns that over-regulation may be occurring. Regarding base access issues for academic institutions, the presidents were generally in support of current DoD policies. Regarding on-campus VA students, they also expressed the hope that BHA rates would be the same for their resident and online students. After the President’s Panel the annual CCME business meeting was held, along with the election for vacant positions. The results were: • President-Elect: Janine Wert, University of Massachusetts-Lowell • Vice President-Elect: Janice Neal, Webster University • Secretary-Elect: Shad Satterwaite, University of Oklahoma The final general session of the day was an address by the Honorable Curtis Coy, Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity, 24 | MAE&T 12.2
Department of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Coy discussed the progress of the VA in helping vets obtain training and employment in their postservice lives. Wednesday, March 8 was both fun and instructive. The fun part was that in honor of Franc Lopez, this year’s CCME President and a native Hawaiian, many of the attendees dressed casually by wearing “Aloha” shirts. It was a great break from an Atlanta winter’s day. The instructive part was the possibility of attending more than 70 concurrent sessions on military and veteran education subjects. The highlight of the afternoon was the presentation by Dr. Jonathan Woods, DoD Voluntary Education Chief, regarding the new DoD Voluntary Education Institutional Compliance Program. There was maximum attendance and interest in this presentation and all that attended appreciated the detailed discussion of the new 3rd Party compliance program. The day concluded with a wonderful networking reception for all attendees. New friends were made and old aquaintnences renewed. A wonderful conclusion to a great day! Thursday March 9th was the last full day of the 2017 CCME symposium and what a day it was! The day began with the Senior Enlisted Panel representing those that we serve each day. The panel was very supportive of the efforts of the many schools in attendance and each panelist shared their personal education stories. It was great affirmation of all that we do each day to help servicemembers achieve their educational goals. Next came a selection from six major roundtable discussions, where the participants got to speak out on a variety of education issues. The afternoon continued with the Voluntary Education Service Chiefs Panel. Here the attendees heard recent developments in the Service’s voluntary education programs. The presentations ended with an inspirational address by Col. (ret) Greg Boyle who reminded us all of the importance of what we do and to always do our best. Throughout the symposium, thanks to Joycelyn Groot of Coastline Community College and her great team, we had our first CCME Step Forward Challenge. This challenge was for teams and individuals to have the most steps as measured by a Fit Bit, pedometer or phone app during the conference. Each participant contributed $20, which went to the CCME Scholarship Endowment Fund. There were 87 participants that “stepped” a total of 1,066.62 miles and raised $1325 for the fund! SUNY Empire State was the first place team winner and Miyako Schanley was the individual winner. A full list of the rest of the team and individual winners is listed on the CCME app and website. Congratulations to all! Our current President Franc Lopez and our incoming President Lane Huber spoke the last words for the 2017 CCME symposium. Franc thanked all for their support of CCME and participation in the 2017 symposium. Lane Huber thanked Franc for his leadership and challenged us all to do our best in supporting our military and veteran students. Finally, Lane invited us all to attend the 2018 CCME Symposium in San Diego, on March 26-29, 2018. Start planning now… don’t miss it! Dr. Jeff Cropsey is Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Government Relations at Grantham University, and Immediate Past President of CCME. O
For more information, contact MAE&T Editor Kelly Fodel at kellyf@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.
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Campus Counselors Supporting Veterans on College Campuses.
As far as support services go for veterans on college campuses, it doesn’t get much more personal than VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC), run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. According to the VA, the program aims to help veterans, servicemembers and their qualified dependents succeed and thrive through a coordinated delivery of on-campus benefits assistance and counseling, leading to the completion of their education and preparing them to enter the labor market in viable careers. In the six years since its inception, the VSOC program has grown impressively and helped veterans with the sometimes confusing and overwhelming task of figuring out their VA benefits. VetSuccess on Campus began as a pilot program in 2009 at the University of South Florida, and then expanded to 32 schools by the end of fiscal year 2012. In FY13, the VSOC program expanded again to an additional 62 campuses, bringing the total number of VSOC sites to 94. The program provides for a VA employee, specifically a vocational rehabilitation counselor (VRC), to occupy office space at each school. These VRCs are called VetSuccess on Campus counselors, and their role is to work face to face with veteran and qualified students—to help them as they make career transitions and to ensure that they are receiving the full VA benefit to which they are entitled. A VA vet center outreach coordinator is also provided, and co-located on many campuses, to provide peer-to-peer counseling and referral services. The Department of Veterans Affairs explained the work of VetSuccess on Campus in terms of partnerships with both the students and the universities. According to VA representatives, “Through the VSOC program, VA is strengthening partnerships with institutions of higher learning and creating opportunities to help veterans achieve success by providing outreach and transition services during their transition from military to college life. VSOC counselors ensure that veterans receive the support and assistance needed to pursue their educational and employment goals. Because VSOC counselors are easily accessible on campus, they help resolve any problems that could potentially interfere with a veterans educational program, including assisting with disability accommodations.” This accessibility of VetSuccess on Campus counselors, and their ability to connect with students in person to review their specific situations, is proving enormously helpful. Troy Rundle, VSOC counselor at Arizona State University, said, “Through the VSOC program, the counselors are able to offer the school and student veteran a stronger knowledge base for VA benefits. The counselor can support the veteran in understanding which of their available benefits is going to work best for them, and get them going in the right direction if they have not ever looked into what they have available.” Having access to the various VA databases is a tremendous resource. For a student who comes in not knowing what benwww.MAE-kmi.com
efits they may be eligible for, the counselor is able to look for that information. VSOC counselor Anna Sabina-Stratton at the University of Nebraska at Omaha added, “The [counselor] is able to lay out all of the components of each program and assist the veteran in making a benefit decision that best meets the requirements of his/her needs at any time. They can assist with community resource referrals and follow up personally to ensure that the assistance was appropriate.” Another way that VSOC is helping veteran and qualified students is through outreach events and workshops. According to Natacia Cordle, VSOC counselor at San Diego State University, “VSOC has conducted dozens of informational VA benefits workshops and outreach events for active duty servicemembers and students transferring in from community colleges. These workshops and outreach events have greatly reduced the gap of information that occurs when transitioning from one situation to another. This has been especially important for individuals transitioning from active duty who are often not fully aware of all eligible benefits and services, including free health care. This service has decreased the amount of potential missed benefits and opportunities for veterans.” The services available to eligible students through the VetSuccess on Campus program create an advantage for those students if they attend a participating school, explained Jack Kammerer, director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment division. “VSOC counselors are easily accessible on campus, which helps resolve problems as early as possible before potentially interfering with a veteran’s educational program,” Kammerer said. “This may also include assisting with disability accommodations on campus. Having VSOC counselors available directly on campus is more convenient for student veterans, especially those who do not live near other Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment offices. If needed, VSOC counselors can also provide referrals for health services through VA medical centers, community-based outpatient clinics or vet centers. This is a service that cannot be provided by school employees, which is a disadvantage of sites without a VA employee on campus. Kammerer explained that students who are eligible for counseling include “transitioning servicemembers who are within six months prior to discharge from active duty, veterans within one year after discharge from active duty and any student veterans or their qualified dependents who are eligible for and have entitlement to VA educational assistance under the Post-9/11, Montgomery or Selected Reserve GI Bills, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, Reserve Educational Assistance Program, or the Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program.” For a complete list of schools that participate in VetSuccess on Campus and offer VSOC counselors, visit www.benefits. va.gov/vocrehab/vsoc.asp. O MAE&T 12.2 | 25
CCME 2017 Summary By Franc Lopez
The 2017 CCME Professional Development Symposium was gaveled closed on March 9, 2017 in Atlanta GA. The theme, “Collaboration: Strengthen ourselves for those we serve” hit the mark, as throughout the week, it was very obvious the 941 attendees were embracing the focus of the Symposium and actively sought out every opportunity to network with each other. The hard work of the CCME Board bore its fruits of labor as the comments submitted were positive and also constructive in providing lessons learned and recommendations to make next year’s Symposium in San Diego CA, March 26-29, 2018, even better. A huge hit for this year again was the CCME App. The flexibility of using technology in managing the agenda, quickly updating the “program” information, connecting all attendees through one single portal, sending “flash” messages to all attendees quickly and seamlessly, allowing attendees to build their own schedule, and providing real time attendee rating of sessions they attended received numerous accolades. For 2018, the “CCME App” will be a mainstay. Giving strength to the future of CCME, are the “Newcomers” to the organization. Hosting a “Newcomers Breakfast” on day one, saw 247 new to the CCME Professional Development Symposium having a chance to go faceto-face with a CCME Board member or a long time CCME member at their tables, defining what CCME is all about and answering questions Newcomers to CCME may have. Keynote and general session speakers are critical to the message given to attendees at any CCME symposium. This year was no different. A welcome to Atlanta from the Mayor’s office, COO 26 | MAE&T 12.2
Daniel Gordon, followed the presentation of the Colors from the Atlanta Police Department and the singing of the national anthem from our very own CCME Secretary’s daughters, Tiffany and Jessica Neal. The Veteran Keynotes provided a glimpse of the direction CCME may be heading. Informative and motivational, a huge hit was Veteran Keynotes from Jared Lyon (SVA President), Bryan Anderson (Wounded Warrior), and COL(R) Greg Boyle (Semper FI Fund). In addition to the panel sessions from Institutional Presidents, Senior Enlisted members, and the DOD/DHS Education Service Chiefs, were presentations from the OSD, Army University, Deputy Under Secretary of the VA, the new Institutional Compliance Program, and all of the concurrent sessions and roundtable discussions filled the wants and needs of all symposium attendees. The full agenda could not have been a better action plan for all involved. Providing a “break” in the normal atmosphere to the symposium were unique events. The “Aloha Day” was a huge hit as attendees were “allowed” to go business casual with wearing their most favored Aloha attire. Also, the inaugural “Step Forward” challenge saw 87 attendees “walking” over 1,066 miles, raising over $1,300 for the CCME Scholarship Endowment fund. For 2018, CCME members will continue the “Step Forward” challenge. CCME awards and scholarships were presented, with the highlighted awards of the CCME Presidents Award given to Dr. Kathy Snead and the Lifetime Achievement Award going to Dr. John Ebersole, all welldeserved! The new CCME Board has been formed and already working on the 2018 CCME Professional Development Sym-
posium! CCME President Lane Huber will lead all of us to a much anticipated and successful evolution in San Diego CA. To help make the 2018 even better, VOLUNTEER! Get involved and help make your CCME the best it can be. Until then, be well, be safe, and be there in San Diego 2018! Aloha! O
Lane Huber
Note from Lane Huber, CCME President: CCME thanks Franc Lopez, Immediate Past President of CCME, for his brief synopsis of our recent Professional Development Symposium. For more information about our organization, please visit CCMEonline.org, and plan on joining us at our 2018 Professional Development Symposium in San Diego, CA, March 26-29, 2017.
For more information, contact MAE&T Editor Kelly Fodel at kellyf@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.
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MAE&T RESOURCE CENTER Advertisers Index ECPI UNIVERSITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 www.ecpi.edu/military EXCELSIOR COLLEGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.excelsior.edu/military THOMAS EDISON STATE UNIVERSITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 www.mvp.tesu.edu UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 www.umuc.edu/mae UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 www.online.nebraska.edu
Calendar April 28-29, 2017 2017 MBA Veterans Career Conference Philadelphia, Penn. http://mbaveterans.com
December 5-7, 2017 2017 National Veterans Small Business Engagement St. Louis, Missouri
March 26-29, 2018 2018 CCME Symposium San Diego, Calif.
In 2017, our “Transition Trends” section will highlight... • Degrees In Criminal Justice • Degrees In Engineering • Degrees In Health Care
• Degrees In Information Technology • Degrees In Homeland Security • Degrees In Aviation
Check the Editorial Calendar for the Specific issue www.MAE-kmi.com
MAE&T 12.2 | 27
UNIVERSITY CORNER
Military Advanced Education & Transition
Dr. Debbie Sikes, DNP, RN, CNE Veterans to BSN Director Texas Tech University through his educational training and personal experiences as a veteran. Our Veterans Benefits advisor is a veteran who strives to ensure that veterans receive all their military benefits in a timely manner. With the inception of the VBSN track in 2016, the SON established a Veterans Advisory Board for the purpose of gaining insights and support for all veteran students throughout TTUHSC. We developed an online, self-paced Green Zone Training to increase faculty and staff awareness and provide resources unique to our veteran students.
Q: Please provide a brief overview of your school’s history, mission and curriculum? A: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing (SON) enrolled the inaugural baccalaureate class in 1981. The SON has campuses in Lubbock, Abilene, and the Permian Basin, with educational sites in Amarillo, San Antonio, and Dallas. The SON provides baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs with numerous alternatives. The undergraduate program offers a variety of options including traditional, accelerated (Second Degree and Veteran to BSN) and RNBSN. The graduate academic programs include nine master’s degree options, nine post-master’s options, two postmaster’s certificates, and a doctorate of nursing practice program. The mission of TTUHSC SON is to educate students for practice in evolving healthcare systems and to advance knowledge and practice through research, service, and community engagement.
A: TTUHSC SON offers multiple online degrees and certificate programs that are an excellent fit for active duty and transitioning military personnel. The RN-BSN track is fully online to meet the needs of busy nurses who desire to further their education. The master’s and doctorate programs are offered online with preceptor-guided clinical learning experiences available in or near the student’s home community.
Q: What makes your school unique in the benefits and programs you offer to military servicemembers?
Q: Looking ahead, how will your school realize its core objectives and aspirations?
A: TTUHSC SON is unique in its offering of an Accelerated Veteran to BSN (VBSN) track for veterans with prior military medical training and experience. The VBSN track is open to veterans from all branches of the service. The VBSN track offers an option to demonstrate knowledge and skills to receive up to 14 hours of prior learning credit within the nursing curriculum. This accelerated 12-month BSN track has online classes with clinical instruction guided by clinical coaches and faculty.
A: At TTUHSC SON we are committed to providing educational experiences of the highest quality to produce nurses who excel in the health care setting. We strive to exceed national nursing standards and develop nurses with professional and service-oriented attitudes to meet the demands of the nursing profession. Our nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Texas Board of Nursing.
Q: What online degree and certificate programs do you offer and how do these distance learning programs fit in with the lives of active duty and transitioning military personnel? 28 | MAE&T 12.2
Q: How has your school positioned itself to serve military students? A: Our school has positioned itself to serve military students by hiring a School of Nursing Veterans Liaison who is uniquely qualified to serve veterans
Q: What is your school doing to keep up with growing technologies and opportunities related to distance learning? A: The SON is committed to using technology in health care to the fullest extent. Students are given multiple opportunities to practice and demonstrate skills in state of the art clinical facilities and in simulated learning environments. Students practice skills on high-fidelity mannikins, electronic medical records and even through a robot. Students and faculty use online communication technology for video-conferencing to provide multiple sites educational opportunities and decrease travel costs. Faculty are trained in simulation and best practices. Q: Do you have any closing thoughts? A: It is a real joy to see veterans with prior military medical training and experiences transition from their military health care roles to professional nurses. The VBSN track gives veterans an opportunity to take the skills and knowledge gained in the military and apply them in a profession. Our inaugural class of seven VBSN students graduated in December 2016 and all passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) on the first attempt. The Veteran to Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (VBSN) is a pathway to a promising future with unlimited possibilities! O www.MAE-kmi.com
Military Advanced Education & Transition 2017 Editorial Calendar Updated 02/17/16
issue
Cover Q&A
Special Section
Features
Transitions
Closing Date
2/7
CCME Trending Topics SVA National Conference
Careers/Degrees in Logistics Corporate Connection
April 2017 (12.2)
Jared Lyon President & CEO Student Veterans of America
Health Services/Counseling for Vets on Campus
CCME Highlights Roundtable: Training Faculty in Veteran Concerns
Degrees in Nursing Corporate Connection
he d
Student Scholarship Spotlights
Pu bl is
Franc Lopez CCME President
3/31
Pu bl is
February/ March 2017 (12.1)
he d
The CCME Issue
On Campus Support Issue May 2017 (12.3)
Hildegard Buan Chief Air Force Voluntary Education
June 2017 (12.4)
Supporting Military Spouses
Yellow Ribbon Spotlight Roundtable: ACMEs Credit for Military Experience
Degrees in Criminal Justice Corporate Connection
5/1
Carrie Wofford President Veterans Education Success
Certification Programs
Competency Based Degrees Roundtable: ESO Best Practices
Degrees in Aviation Corporate Connection
6/5
July/August 2016 (12.5)
NAIMES President
Roundtable: OnCampus Veteran Centers
Online MBA Traditional MBA Veterans Upward Bound
Degrees in Engineering Corporate Connection
6/28
September 12.6
Curtis Coy Deputy Under Secretary of Education Department of Veterans Affairs
Troops to Teachers
Joining Forces US Army Women’s Foundation
Degrees in Information Technology Corporate Connection
8/25
Oct/ November 12.7
Eric Eversole Director US Chamber of Commerce
IVMF
Veterans Upward Bound Distance Learning Corporate Roundtable
Degrees in Homeland Security Corporate Connection
9/25
December 12.8
American Council on Education
MAE&T’s 2018 Guide to Colleges and Universities
Soldier for Life
Degrees in Health Care Corporate Connection
12/2
This editorial calendar is a guide. Content is subject to change. Please verify advertising closing dates with your account executive.
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“For my transition from servicemember to business owner, it had to be UMUC.” KATHRYNN STODDARD Bachelor of Science, Management Studies Navy Veteran
Business and management programs that build on your experience. Whether you want to start your own business or advance in your field, University of Maryland University College (UMUC) is here to help you reach the next phase of your career. With award-winning business programs in areas such as accounting, finance and human resources, Named to the Military Advanced Education & Transition 2017 Guide to Top Colleges & Universities
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