Offering a First-year Composition Classroom for Veterans and Cadets: A Learning-Community Model Case Study

Abstract

Military-based, academic learning communities housed in first-year-composition courses represent a fairly unexplored curricular model. This article discusses one university's creation of first-yearcomposition courses designed with a learning community or cohort approach for student veterans, service-members, and cadets. At this locale, neither Composition I nor II provided a military population with a common student community, customized readings based on members' interests, flexible attendance policies, and seamless communication with university veteran services. Yet, such factors could facilitate the transition to college for some student veterans. This program piloted linked composition courses for a service-member, veteran, and ROTC learning community, with the latter course also enrolling a general nontraditional-student population. In a year-long study, I investigated the impact of enrolling military-affiliated students in linked courses within a traditional classroom to interact under a continuing instructor, engage with military-based readings, and opt to write about their military backgrounds. In presenting emerging patterns, I argue that these experimental learning-community courses, contingent upon some local factors, supported many military-affiliated students' engagement with first-year composition, as well as facilitated their transition to academia, through a loosely-structured, cohort model promoting aspects of students' common but broadlydefined identities.

A Study of Rural and Native-American Students’ Military Identities, Military Family History, and Reading and Writing Interests in a Military-friendly, Military-themed Composition Course

“…(2) openenrollment, military-themed courses; and (3) veteran cohorts placed in open classrooms to facilitate students' college transition and create an inclusive atmosphere in which the university itself becomes a space for discussing military-related topics (Hart & Thompson, 2013). As an example of the "military-only" model, Hembrough initiated a Composition I class for service-members, veterans, and cadets utilizing military-themed materials, a setting to which students responded positively, with the course matching their interests (Hembrough, 2017). For the "veteran-friendly" prototype, Keast taught a military-themed, FYC course drawing veterans, students with a military lineage, and those fascinated with war narratives.…”

“…As enrolling college students, many veterans undergo "individual changes" and face conflicting identities (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010, p. 434). Yet, when the teacher designs the FYC classroom as a cohort community or places students in semester-long peer groups to foster a convivial space, service-members/veterans may build complex and mentoring relationships; bolster their esteem; interact with a topic of interest; and develop their writing, critical thinking, and collaborative skills together (Blackwell-Starnes, 2018;Hembrough, 2017;Shivers-McNair, 2014).…”

“…In one Composition I study, students reported that having the chance to write about topics of importance to themselves played the biggest factor in their experiencing of successful class outcomes. Indeed, class themes can address social issues toward which students gravitate (Aitchison, 2015), as in the cases of the two aforementioned interest-based courses involving military subjects (Hembrough, 2017;Keast, 2011). In topical courses, students can participate in discussions, read texts, and/or research and write about a common area.…”

“…In topical courses, students can participate in discussions, read texts, and/or research and write about a common area. Hence, during a semester, teachers may present a single theme from multiple sides, address larger questions, and assign scaffolded writing projects (see Beaufort, 2012;Friedman, 2013;Hembrough, 2017).…”

“…Over the past decade, college writing teachers and writing program administrators have begun to discuss offering military-friendly classrooms and military-related reading and writing topics as a curricular design strategy connecting students who are military cadets, service-members, and veterans to the class material and improving their persistence factors and outcomes in undergraduate writing courses (for instance, see Conference on College Composition and Communication [CCCC], 2015;Grohowski, 2013;Hart & Thompson, 2016;Hembrough, 2017;Keast, 2011;Navarre Cleary & Wozniak, 2013;Shivers-McNair, 2014). Nonetheless, researchers have not addressed how implementing a military-friendly, first-year composition (FYC) class utilizing military-oriented readings and potential writing subjects affects diverse student demographics, encompassing not only service-members/ veterans but also military dependents and others with a self-emphasized, family military history, including rural 1 and Native American students.…”