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Military Culture & Curriculum Planning Meeting November 8, 2010 Dr. Bruce Brunson Defining the Role of Faculty in Interacting with Military

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The transition into the military was not an overnight process. Colleges should not expect the transition from the military to the classroom to be any quicker.

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Who is in your classroom or online? Active Duty Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard National Guard Reserves from all services Spouses Dependents Veterans From All Services Spouses Dependents

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General Understanding of Military Students Military terms, acronyms, jargon Ranks Each students situation Reasons why they may require something extra time to complete an assignment, for example Shortage of time Need for flexibility

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Population Qualifying for Veteran Education Benefits 2,142,719 Deployed since 9/11 as of June 2010 1,532,980 Active Duty 609,739 Guard/Reserve 260,610 Currently Deployed CTS Deployment File June 10 -Provided by SERV.ORG- Greatest influx of combat veterans in last 40 years; will continue to increase in coming years.

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Military Demographics 6 Infantry/Seamanship Electronic Repair Commun./Intelligence Health Care Other Tech./Allied Func. Support/Admin Elec./Mech. Repair Craftsmen Svc and Supply Handlers General Off./Exec. Tactical Ops. Officer Intelligence Officer Eng./Main. Officer Scient./Professionals Health Care Officer Administrators Supply/Procurement Off. Primary Occupations Deployed MARITAL/GENDER % Single Male 42.7 Single Female 6.2 Married Male47.1 Married Female4.0 AGE Active Reserve 46.5% ---- 25 or Younger ---- 32.8% 19.7% ---- 26-30 Years Old ---- 14.3% 13.8% ---- 31-35 Years Old ---- 12.6% 11.3% ---- 36-40 Years Old ---- 15.0% 8.7% ---- 41 or Older ---- 25.3% AGE Active Reserve 46.5% ---- 25 or Younger ---- 32.8% 19.7% ---- 26-30 Years Old ---- 14.3% 13.8% ---- 31-35 Years Old ---- 12.6% 11.3% ---- 36-40 Years Old ---- 15.0% 8.7% ---- 41 or Older ---- 25.3% Carolyn L. Baker, Chief Continuing Education Programs, CCME 2010

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7 55% of the Force is married 40% of the children are under 5 32% 6-11 years old 25% 12-18 years oldFamilies Married Service Members Deployed Men 47% Females 4% Carolyn L. Baker, Chief Continuing Education Programs, CCME 2010

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8 PB2009 Voluntary Education Programs: $800M (Tuition Assistance and Operational Costs) Education Sites World Wide: 350 to include Iraq and Afghanistan In FY09 657,715 Individuals Participated in Vol Ed Programs 376,759 Troops Enrolled in Postsecondary Courses 44,160 Troops Degrees from College 2,017 Certification / Licensures Awarded Voluntary Education DoD Vision Life-Long Learning for the DoD Adult Family Members Carolyn L. Baker, Chief Continuing Education Programs, CCME 2010

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DELIVERY Source: FY2009 Voluntary Education Report Carolyn L. Baker, Chief Continuing Education Programs, CCME 2010 Traditional Classroom 29% Distance Learning 71% Distance Learning 71%

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46,186Degrees/Diplomas/Certificates Earned (FY 09) Active Duty Diplomas/Degrees/Certifications Awarded Source: FY2009 Voluntary Education Report Associate Degrees 29,276 Bachelors 12,352 Masters 3,485 HS/GED 9 Doctorates 20 Certificates/Licensures 2,017 Carolyn L. Baker, Chief Continuing Education Programs, CCME 2010

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Characteristics of Students Excellent candidates for college recruitment/retention Serious, motivated, goal-oriented Focused on career goalsand for many, earning a degree IS the pathway toward those goals Have money and educational benefits for college

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Characteristics of Students Adult Students Mature and motivated to complete goals may have different priorities than 18-20 year old peers Have been in disciplined job environment responsible individuals with proven work ethic Possess leadership skills

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What unique challenges must this group overcome? Heightened sensory awareness of sights, sounds & smells. Identification and closeness with their military unit Regimentation into highly structured and efficient routines. Reconnecting with friends more difficult than expected. Difficulties arise in trying to generate a new normal

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What unique challenges must this group overcome ? Life at home/work/school may not have the edge and adrenaline associated with wartime duty Higher substance abuse rates than general population Higher Divorce Rates than general population Significant rate of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Depression

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SERV Proprietary and Confidential Degree Obstacles - Military vs. Civilian Veteran Economic Tuition Covered by Tuition Assistance or GI Bill Transition Military to civilian War Zone to Campus Freshmen Age Difference 24yr old vet vs. 18yr old Career Goals Vets more Mature Less likely to change majors Civilian Economic Tuition Costs Part-time job Scholarships Student Loans Parents Transition High School to College Career Goals Change 18yr olds change majors Bernadette Gray-Little, Dean College of A & S, UNC, May 2006 http://www.unc.edu/depts/trustees/Time%20to%20Degree.pdf

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Transition to College Three Key Areas Freshmen Age Difference: 24 year-old or older active duty or veterans .vs. 18 year-old general student population Disciplined lifestyle .vs. socially acceptable standards among students War Zone to Campus

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First Day Class or Online First Days as new student: Dont know where to go for information, who to talk to Registration not as efficient or intuitive as what they are accustomed to in the military and no one is telling them what to do next Classes/Curriculum Reluctant to volunteer that they are a Veteran (not sure if instructor, advisor, or other students will react negatively) Reluctant to admit they lack confidence in the course or are struggling

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First Day Class or Online Re-Connecting with other veterans Civilians do not know what they have experienced Some miss the camaraderie Feel that only other veterans understand their situation or struggles Servicemembers are trained to complete missions and are not quitters. If they can make it through the challenges of the first semester, they succeed.

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Transition Success Military and Veteran Only Classes Comfortable learning environment Traditional classroom environment creates distractions Attention span is low and anxiety of an unfamiliar setting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) A classroom of peers that entails trust among men and women with shared experiences will create a comfortable learning environment.

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Transition Success Military and Veteran Only Classes First semester veteran only classes, Second semester half veteran, half mixed General education classes for all majors: English 1301, Math 1301, etc. Study hours/ group therapy sessions similar to athletes and fraternities

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Student Success Enter students info into a military database Need for stats for reporting To Push them support and changes in benefits Assign veteran mentor Military advisors Priority registration/ Tuition Assistance/ VA Benefits /Financial Aid Expedited application process/ flexible enrollment deadlines

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Military & Veterans Organization Form on Campus Form in Distance Learning Environment Support from: Advisor - Military Veteran or Spouse Faculty Mentors -Veteran or Spouse ROTC Student Mentors Active Duty going full time on campus

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Academic Support Are course mentors aware of which students in their class are military or veterans? Do course mentors receive any additional training regarding challenges and strategies for overcoming challenges? Do military and veteran have the ability to identify other students who are veterans in their class? Is there a mechanism for military and veterans to identify themselves to course mentors?

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SERV Proprietary and Confidential Number 1 Reason for Low Success Rate Inability to concentrate when taking exams Environment (classroom) distractions very high Concentration on questions very low Exam scores are low-Grades drop- Drops out To improve concentration on exams study shows: Minimize environmental distractions Remove civilians from the environment Guardian mode drops-Vets feel more comfortable Memory/recall improves-Scores/Confidence Improves 6 months of discussions with Vietnam-Persian Gulf veterans Jan-June 2007- Cleveland VA Stress Recovery Ctr, Ken Prabucki, Holly Hirsel, counselors/directors

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Military Friendly College or University? Yellow Ribbon Institution tuition rates Members of Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Army (SOCAD Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Navy (SOCNAV) Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Marines (SOCMAR) Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Coast Guard (SOCCOAST)

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Military Friendly College or University? Award American Council on Education credit for military specialties (MOS/Rating/AFS) education and training Accept standardized tests from: College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support DANTES ____ Standardized Tests College Board Advanced Placement Program Graduate Record Examinations Defense Language Aptitude Battery Defense Language Proficiency Tests

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Why More Spouses & Dependents? Transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits to Dependents GI Bill can transfer education entitlement to: Spouse. One or more of the children. Any combination of spouse and child May transfer up to the total months of unused Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, or the entire 36 months if the member

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Why More Spouses? Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) Limited to $4,000 maximum benefit with a $2,000 fiscal year cap Must finish their program of study within 3 years from the start date of the first course. Funding is limited to: Associates degrees, certifications and licensure programs.

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Why More Spouses? Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) Spouse of an: active duty Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine service member, or activated Reserve member pay grades enlisted - E1-E5; warrant officer -W1-W2, or officer - O1-O2. National Guard and/or Air Guard On federal Title 10 active duty orders Guard or Reserve in an Alert, Transition Assistance, or Post Deployment status are not eligible.

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VA Resources for Educators GI Bill Website: http://www.gibill.va.govhttp://www.gibill.va.gov/ Counseling Veteran Students: http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/College/ http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/College/ Behavioral Health Assistance: http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/index.asp http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/index.asp

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STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA http://www.studentveterans.org/about /

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Thank You Dr. Bruce Brunson bbrunson@vt.edu bhbrunson@gmail.com 904-509-4674