Planning for Veterans' Success! The Degree Map as an Advising Solution

Abstract

Due to the expected influx of veterans attending college, it is critical that higher education not only be cognizant of the projected growth but also take a proactive stand and properly plan for these students' success. Academic planning begins with advising professionals developing open communications and becoming equipped to guide veteran students through the matriculation process. Veteran students often have difficulty interpreting university scheduling and frequently have access to only a limited advising staff for course selection information, which may prompt some to not persist in an online degree program. This study's findings suggest the degree map is a powerful tool to help students through class selection and sequencing. The degree map data provides transparency that will contribute to institutional and governmental monitoring for ongoing outreach to student veterans.

Faculty Advising and Student Veterans: Adventures in Applying Research and Training

“…More specifically, research has found that particular competencies stand out as especially valuable for faculty advisors of student veterans, including the ability to read and understand military transcripts (Ryan et al, 2011), facility with the nuances of rules governing the use of military benefits to fund higher education (Ryan et al, 2011), and knowledge about how to apply credits earned in the military to university, divisional, or programmatic graduation requirements rather than simply as free electives (Persky & Oliver, 2010). Moreover, the best faculty advisors focus not just on how to get student veterans graduated, but listen closely to students' individual needs (Ryan et al, 2011;Sportsman & Thomas, 2015) and offer advice for more long-term career development (Richardson, Ruckert, & Marion, 2015;Wilson & Smith, 2012).…”

“…These cultural differences can mean, for some student veterans at least, difficulty relating to classmates who have comparatively limited life experience, more myopic priorities, and lower levels of maturity (Ryan et al, 2011;Sportsman & Thomas, 2015). Many student veterans also perceive university campuses and faculty in particular to exude an anti-military bias (Anderson & Goodman, 2014;Richardson et al, 2015;Rumann & Hamrick, 2009). To compound these challenges, student veterans returning from deployments may also experience isolation at home, as many returning Pg.…”

“…On this point, previous research, my training, and my experience converge, but the constraint of military education benefits introduces an external complication not adequately accounted for in research as of yet: students who use military education benefits may only take classes that meet requirements for their degrees; otherwise, an official who certifies student veterans' credits will reject a portion of their schedule, which can result in a reduction of the funds the student veterans receive. Where much research in student development and academic advising advocates for a longer view of students' lives than the micro-realities of scheduling for next semester (Richardson et al, 2015;Truschel, 2015;Wilson & Smith, 2012;Workman, 2015), the exigency the certifying official presents resonates in real, material ways for my students. Certainly when I advise undecided traditional students in their first year at the university, I offer prosaic but solid suggestions: take general education courses and see what you find interesting; that can help you decide on possible majors.…”