Advising Student Veterans: Theory and Practices

Advising Student Veterans:Theory and Practices2015 Virginia Community College Association Conference

OverviewWhy should I care?Whos our population?Military/Veteran Education Programs What is Academic Advising?Theories and Approaches of AdvisingModels for Advising Student VeteransImplications for Advising Practice

Why Should I Care?Number of student veterans using VA educational benefits has increased from approx. 400,000 to 945,052 (FY-2012)Veterans Administration (VA) is making a concerted effort to research and determine best practices for guiding student veterans from service through graduation62,991 students used some VA educational benefit at Virginia institutions in FY-14 with a total of $884,485,829 in payments issued10,842 students are using VA educational benefits in Virginias community colleges as of April 2015!

Whos Our Population?Service Member: an individual who is part of one of the five military branchesVeteran: an individual who has been discharged from the militaryRetiree: an individual who has retired (20+ years) or been retired (medical, etc.) from the militaryNot all veterans are retirees, but all retirees are veterans!Dependent: an immediate family member of a service member, veteran, or retireeDependent Spouse-husband or wifeDependent Child

Military Education ProgramsActive Duty BenefitsMilitary Tuition Assistance (TA)Spouse BenefitsMy Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) ScholarshipWorkforce developmentprogram that provides up to $4,000 of financial assistance to eligible military spouses who are pursuing a license, certification or Associates degree in a portable career field and occupation

Veterans Education ProgramsChapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill Provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. May transfer some or all of entitlement to dependents if sponsor is on active duty Chapter 30 Montgomery GI BillAvailable to active duty members who enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces, and paid $100 per month for 12 months. Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment For veterans with a disability rating greater than 20%Assists veterans with service-connected disabilities to prepare for, find, and keep suitable jobsProvides comprehensive rehabilitation evaluation to determine abilities, skills and interests Offers assistance with post-secondary training at a college, vocational, technical or business school

Veterans Education ProgramsChapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve Chapter 1607 - Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) Chapter 35 Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program You must be the son, daughter or spouse of: A veteran who died or is permanently and totally disabled as the result of a service connected disability. The disability must a rise out of active service in the Armed Forces A veteran who died from any cause while such permanent and total service-connected disability was in existenceA service member missing in action or captured in line of duty by a hostile force A service member forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power A service member who is hospitalized or receiving outpatient treatment for a service connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for that disability.

What is Academic Advising?Involves engaging students to think critically about their academic choices and make effective plans for their education (Schulenberg & Lindhorst, 2008)depends on valid explanations of complex student behaviors and institutional conditions to assist college students in making and executing educational and life plans. (Creamer, 2000)An interdisciplinary endeavor created from:Student development theoryCognitive development theoryPsychosocial theoryCareer development theoryDecision making theoriesAdult development theoryand many others

Psychosocial Theory and Academic Advising: Chickerings Seven VectorsArthur Chickering- Education and Identity (1972)described the use of psychosocial theories in education as a series of developmental tasks or stages that examine the human experience of education through the lenses of psychology and sociology

The Seven Vectors and Student VeteransVector #1: Developing CompetenceFocus on developing Intellectual competencePhysical competenceInterpersonal competenceStudent veterans generally must work to redevelop interpersonal competence as members of a new team

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The Seven Vectors and Student VeteransVector #2: Managing EmotionFocus on developingFlexible control and appropriate expressionIncreased awareness and acceptance of emotionsAbility to integrate feelings with responsible actionGoals for student veteransIncrease awareness of emotionsProvide opportunities to share their storiesAccept their emotions as normal reactions

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The Seven Vectors and Student VeteransVector #3: Moving through Autonomy toward InterdependenceFocus on developingFreedom from continual need for reassuranceInstrumental independenceRecognition/acceptance of importance of interdependenceGoals for student veterans:Help fill gaps in the student veterans sense of interdependence

The Seven Vectors and Student VeteransVector #4: Developing Mature Interpersonal RelationshipsFocus on developingTolerance and appreciation of differencesCapacity for intimacyGoals for student veterans:Help redefine their sphere of influence as larger than just those who they shared the uniform withHelp adapt to their new place among those who their service benefited despite the views that they hold of them or are held by them.

The Seven Vectors and Student VeteransVector #5: Establishing IdentityFocus on developingComfort with body and appearanceComfort with gender and sexual orientationComfort with self in a social, historical and cultural contextComfort with self in response to feedback from valued othersClarification of self-concept through roles and lifestylesSelf-acceptance and self-esteemClarification about who the individual is, as well as what is important to themGoals for student veterans:Give permission to develop individuality Recognize any unhealthy actions that could adversely affect their academic performanceHelp see and accept the validation from their professors and classmates as healthyChannel that validation into the development of their self-acceptance as civilians.

The Seven Vectors and Student VeteransVector #6: Developing PurposeFocus on developing:Ability to be intentional about direction of life and pursuitsAssessing/clarifying goalsMaking plansPersisting despite obstaclesGoals for student veterans:Properly understand and evaluate military experienceKeep focus on their long-term goals rather than the short-term inconveniences of the educational process

The Seven Vectors and Student VeteransVector #7: Developing IntegrityFocus on:Humanizing valuesPersonalizing valuesDeveloping congruenceGoals for student veteransTransitioning military values of integrity to academia

Career Development Theory and Academic Advising: Hollands TheoryCreated by sociologist John Holland in 1985Seeks to explain why individuals choose vocations, relating their profession to an expression of personality (Evans, 2003)Individuals who pursue specific careers have similar personalities, and respond to professional/personal situations similarlyAssumes that:Students self-select majors compatible with their personalitiesMajor choice reinforces/rewards students abilities and interestsStudents more likely to succeed in environments that match personality typesConsists of six personality types, which correspond with six working environmentsLinks the psychology of student personality to the sociology of chosen academic majors

RIASEC Personality Types and Model EnvironmentsRealistic: prefers hands-on, technical activities; dislike social activities and educational constraints (engineering, drafting/design)Investigative: prefers activities that involve exploration and prediction, dislike activities that involve persuasion and sales (natural/physical sciences, math, health sciences, some social sciences)Artistic: prefer activities centered around artistic, literary and musical endeavors; dislike constraints of rules and structure (fine/performing arts, languages and literature, architecture)Social: prefer helping and teaching tasks, dislike mechanical and technical work (history, political science, social work, psychology)Enterprising: prefer tasks that encourage persuasion and direction (journalism, business administration, marketing, management)Conventional: prefer creating/maintaining structured routines; dislike unstructured activities and innovation (accounting, paralegal studies)

Academic Advising Approaches

Advising Student Veterans: Theory and Practices

What Kind of Advisor Am I?

"I want to not only assist with personal, vocational, and academic decisions, but help my students grow and develop as individuals." "I want to tell my students what they should do, and expect them to follow my recommendations." "I want to help my students optimize their educational experiences and achieve their dreams, goals, and potential.

Appreciative Advising"I want to help my students optimize their educational experiences and achieve their dreams, goals, and potential.

Emerging philosophy that challenges advisors to:Use positive, active, and attentive listening and questioning strategies to build trust and rapport with students; Uncover students strengths and skills based on their past successes;Encourage and be inspired by student stories and dreams; Co-construct action plans with students to make their goals a reality; Support students as they carry out their plans; Challenge both themselves and their students to do and become even better (Bloom, 2008)Created through the integration of appreciative inquiry and academic advising by Jennifer Bloom (Univ. of South Carolina) and Nancy Martin

Six Phases of Appreciative AdvisingAppreciative Advising PhaseKey FeaturesDisarmWarm welcome; safe/comfortable environment; appropriate self-disclosure; appropriate nonverbal behaviorDiscoverEffective open-ended questioning; attending behavior and active listening; strength-based story reconstructionDreamCreating powerful images; prospective framework for dreaming; making purposeful connections between Dream/Discover phasesDesignTeach students how to make decisions; provide positive feedback; being aware of curse of knowledge; making effective referralsDeliverEnergizing students to be their best; academic hope; ending the conversation well; following upDont SettleChallenge and support; raising the bar; virtuous cycle

Adapted from The Appreciative Advising Revolution by J. Bloom.

Developmental and Prescriptive AdvisingDevelopmental Advising"I want to not only assist with personal, vocational, and academic decisions, but help my students grow and develop as individuals."

Concerns itself withAiding in vocational/educational decisionsFacilitating rational processes ofEnvironmental/interpersonal interactionsBehavioral awarenessProblem-solvingDecision makingEvaluation skillsPrescriptive Advising"I want to tell my students what they should do, and expect them to follow my recommendations."

Resembles in loco parentis relationshipAdvisor teaches; student learnsAdvisor can detach from blame is student does not follow recommendationsStudent can assign blame to advisor rather than accept responsibility

Dimensions of Developmental and Prescriptive AdvisingDimensionDevelopmentalPrescriptiveAbilityFocus on student potentialFocus on limitationsRewardsAchievement, mastery, acceptance, status, recognition, fulfillmentGrades, credit, incomeMaturityGrowing, maturing, responsible, capable of self-directionImmature, irresponsible, must be closely supervised and carefully checkedInitiativeTaken by both advisor and studentAdvisor takes initiative on fulfilling requirements; rest up to studentControlNegotiatedBy advisorResponsibilityNegotiatedAdvisor advises, student actsLearning outputSharedPrimarily in studentEvaluationCollaborativeBy advisor to studentRelationshipBased on nature of task/high trustBased on status and low trust

Adapted from A Developmental View of Academic Advising as Teaching, by Burns Crookston.

Practices for Advising VeteransAdvising Student Veterans: Theory and Practices

Advising for Educational SuccessPrepare in advance for placement testingPrepare for delays in education benefitsUse skills assessments and placement tests to help with degree selection Promote education Ladders

Promoting Educational LaddersCertificates:are the fastest growing form of postsecondary credentials in the U.S.;have become a stepping stone to college degrees;can outperform two- and four-year degrees;lead to earnings, on average, 20% more than workers with only high school diplomas;provide economic payoff for those with less educational preparation; and

For students with lower standardized test scores, certificates can provide similar wages as workers with some college experience.

Laddering from Certificate to DegreeStudents who earn a 2-year credential (degree/certificate) before transferring to a 4-year institution are more likely to complete the bachelors degree: 73.0% with credential ultimately complete the bachelors degree59.6% without credential ultimately complete the bachelors degree

TCC Workforce Solutions: Maritime Logistics Shipping 101 (CEU)TCC A.A.S Management-Maritime Logistics SpecializationUniv. of Maryland University College: BS in Maritime Logistics

Integrating Appreciative, Developmental and Prescriptive Advising for Student VeteransAdvising PhaseTasksOriginating Approach1. Initial contact Build rapport with student, review degree program choices, explain admissions criteriaAppreciative, prescriptive2. First semester advisingReview placement test scores and/or prior college courses, provide courses for first semesterPrescriptive, appreciative3. Mid semester reviewMeet with student for progress discussion (thoughts about current degree program and future classes), co-create academic planDevelopmental, appreciative4. End of semester review/Registration for following semesterReview previous semester grades, discuss future classes based around strengths from prior semesterDevelopmental, appreciative

Integrating Approaches for Student VeteransPhase I: Initial ContactFocus on developing student/advisor relationshipDiscussion of admissions and academic requirements, as well as degree choicesPhase II: First Semester AdvisingOnly prescriptive phase of the advisor/student relationshipAdvisor recommends courses based on previous college experiences, students goals, and pre-admissions testingAdvisor must explain why specific courses are being chosenStudent should be able to see how interests/strengths align with selected classes, and be able to attempt same alignment independently

Integrating Approaches for Student VeteransPhase III: Mid-Semester ReviewHow are we doing?Discuss performance in class and adjustment to campus communityFocus on mutual improvementAdvisor-becoming more confident and competentStudent veteran-beginning to take more responsibility for academic futurePrescriptive role of advisor begins to diminishPhase IV: End of Semester Review/RegistrationAdvisor/student veteran discuss academic performanceDetermine whether this approach is mutually beneficialCo-creation of academic plan for following semesterStudent veteran leverages advisors institutional knowledge with new skills

Implications for PracticeAdvisors shouldBe prepared to spend extensive time getting to know their student veteransBe able to recognize student veterans who struggle with autonomyhave high levels of autonomy

Reflections and ConclusionsAcademic advisors set the tone for a students educational experience. In the case of advisors who work primarily with student veterans, it is often our words, plans, and actions that have the greatest impact on whether our populations succeed academically and successfully transition from the military. By creating, testing, and continually improving systems that allow us to prepare our student veterans to navigate the world of academia as independent, autonomous learners, we continue to honor the service and sacrifice of our nations warriors.

Coby W. DillardAcademic Advisor for Military ProgramsCenter for Military and Veterans EducationTidewater Community College

cdillard@tcc.eduLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cwdillard