Assisting Student Veterans in Their Transition: Two Successful Programs

Shad Satterthwaite, University of Oklahoma

Assessment: What We Know

Since August 1, 2009:More than $40 billion spent on educational benefits by

the VA.Over one million veterans and their family members

have received VA educational benefits.Nearly 1,800 colleges and universities participate in the

Yellow Ribbon Program.Most states offer some type of educational benefit to

military members. What we don’t know.

Source: Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, “VA Celebrates 70 th Anniversary of the Original “GI Bill,’” June 23, 2014, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Student Veterans Association Data

According to a 2014 study, 48.3% of student veterans do not complete a postsecondary degree.

35.8% of student veterans who obtain an associate degree went on to earn a bachelor’s degree.

20.8% of student veterans who obtain a bachelor’s degree went on to earn a graduate degree.

Source: Student Veterans of America, “Million Records Project,” March 24, 2014.

The Need

Institutions of higher education that provide services geared toward student-veterans – 89%

Percent of institutions that assist students in their transition from military life to college before the Post-9/11 GI Bill – 22%

Percent of institutions that assist students in their transition from military life to college after the Post-9/11 GI Bill – 37%

Source: McBain, L., Kim, Y.M., Cook, B.J., & Snead, K.M. (2012), From Soldier to student II: Assessing campus programs for veterans and service members. Washington, DC: American Council on Education.

Green Zone

Green Zone

April 2012 – OU Veteran Support Alliance January 2013 – Over 100 faculty & staff

involved December 2013 – Live workshops (video

taped) August 2014 – 462 faculty & staff involved Spring 2015 – Second phase of training with

workshops & guest speakers

Top Ten Green Zone Tips

1. Realize veterans are nontraditional students, a special population of financially independent adults often juggling family, work, and studies. 

2. Be aware that not all the veterans in your classroom are male. More women are serving, and are almost as likely as their male counterparts to have experienced firsthand traumas of war. One in four veteran students are women. (Newbold & Balmer, 2012)

3. Veterans generally possess discipline, structure, and a strong work ethic. Remember that the military teaches team connection and completion skills. 

Top Ten Green Zone Tips

4. With some awareness and sensitivity on the instructor’s part, veteran life experiences become assets, adding to the diversity of perspectives represented in classrooms. These life experiences can help both veterans and nonveterans gain a broader, more nuanced perspective on the world or class subject. (Kreuter, 2012)

5. Be aware that not all the veterans in your classroom are male. More women are serving, and are almost as likely as their male counterparts to have experienced firsthand traumas of war. One in four veteran students are women. (Newbold & Balmer, 2012)

6. Veterans view the instructor as the leader of the classroom and typically respect decisiveness. Treat veterans as adults, as this is what they expect. Instructors should have effective classroom management policies in place. (Newbold & Balmer, 2012). 

Top Ten Green Zone Tips

7. Veterans may be reluctant to talk about their military experiences. Conversely, some may inadvertently dominate class discussions, in which cases boundaries for the nature and quantity of class participation need to be set, preferably in private, without calling the student out in front of the class.  Don’t try to relate to experiences that you don’t share – if you haven’t been in combat, don’t pretend that you understand what it or its aftermath is like. (Kreuter, 2012)

8. Keep the syllabus (mission) clear with specific tasks and dates.  Be available for assistance and added support or referral.  Veterans may not easily admit when they are struggling. (Grasgreen, 2013)

Top Ten Green Zone Tips

9. Understand that not everything in these Top Ten tips applies to every veteran.  They are all unique individuals with unique needs, and we do not want to engage in false assumptions about veterans.

10. One example of how you can help is to use the resources provided on this page to refer veteran student to services on campus.  It is helpful to confirm that you are referring correctly by making a phone call before sending the student to the referral source.

“The biggest challenge I’ve faced with regards to my PTSD here on campus is anxiety. Especially with regards to taking tests.

As a medic in the Army high pressure situations often had very real life and death outcomes. Sometimes, the pressure surrounding tests and finals week can become overwhelming and have caused me to under perform on some final exams.

It actually took me some time to figure out what was going on. One of the things that helped me get back on track was the Disability Resource Center. When I went to them they knew exactly what resources I would need to continue to be an effective student”

Kenneth Meador, OU Student and 2013 Truman Scholar

WSP 2015 Schedule

Vassar College (January 2015) Yale University (May--‐June 2015) Harvard University (June 2015) University of Michigan (June 2015) University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill (June 2015) Syracuse University(July 2015) Cornell University (July 2015) Georgetown University (July--‐August 2015) University of Oklahoma (August 2015) University of Chicago (August--‐September 2015) University of Southern California (August 2015)

Preliminary Data

100% of veterans who completed the Warrior-Scholar Project and started college have stayed in college.

88% of respondents indicated a higher level of confidence in the post-course survey than they did in their pre-course survey.

100% of respondents would "definitely recommend" the Warrior-Scholar Project to other veterans.