Running head: B
Running Head: SERVING THOSE WHO SERVED
Serving Those Who Served:
A study of how small rural colleges can better meet the needs of their student veterans.
Stephanie Karr
Mentor: Amy Tuthill
Director of Veteran and Transfer Services
18, April 2013
A proposal is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Entrepreneurial Studies at Paul Smith’s College. The proposed start date for this project is January 2013 the proposed completion date for this project is April 2013.
Abstract
Currently many veterans are returning from combat and are seeking to obtain a post-secondary education at a college or university through the use of their GI Bill. However, it is unknown whether or not these institutions properly meet the needs of student veterans. The purpose of this exploratory study is to determine how and to what extent small rural colleges can better meet the needs of student veterans when compared to larger institutions that have more resources. Data will be collected through the use of primary and secondary research. The responses collected will then be aggregately analyzed to determine how the student veterans at Paul Smith’s College’s needs are being met and what they would like to see the college do to improve or implement resources and programs to better meet their needs. Additionally, the research plans to query veteran students at two larger universities in an urban setting. The results of this study will help small rural colleges become more military friendly, which could potentially attract more veterans interested in attending the college, and assist them with the transition from the military lifestyle to college and civilian life.
Table of Contents
ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................. 2
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................ 4
RESEARCH PROBLEM............................................................................................................. 5
PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES................................................................................... 5
RESEARCH QUESTION............................................................................................................ 5
LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................................ 6
A UNIQUE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS......................................................................... 6
TRANSITION..................................................................................................................... 8
CAMPUS PROGRAMS................................................................................................... 10
THE APPLICATION PROCESS..................................................................................... 10
ORIENTATIONS AND REFRESHER COURSES......................................................... 11
COLLEGE LIFE............................................................................................................... 12
DIFFICULTIES IN THE CLASSROOM......................................................................... 12
DISABILITIES AND COUNSELING SERVICES......................................................... 14
ADVISORS AND MENTORS......................................................................................... 17
VETERANS OFFICE....................................................................................................... 18
VETERANS CLUB.......................................................................................................... 19
SMALL RURAL COLLEGES......................................................................................... 20
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................... 21
RESEARCH PLAN AND METHODOLOGY......................................................................... 22
DATA ANLAYSIS...................................................................................................................... 24
HUMAN PARTICIPANTS AND ETHICAL CONCERNS................................................... 25
ASSUMPTIONS, SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS.................................................................... 26
THE PROJECT PARTICIPANTS........................................................................................... 27
PROJECT BUDGET.................................................................................................................. 28
RESULTS.................................................................................................................................... 29
SECONDARY RESEARCH........................................................................................... 29
PRIMARY RESEARCH.................................................................................................. 35
DISCUSSION.............................................................................................................................. 46
TRAINING....................................................................................................................... 46
NONTRADITIONAL....................................................................................................... 47
HOUSING......................................................................................................................... 48
LOUNGE.......................................................................................................................... 49
VETERAN REPRESENTATIVE.................................................................................... 49
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................ 51
Appendices
Appendix A.......................................................Survey................................................................. 53
Appendix B.......................................Paul Smith’s College Results............................................. 55
Appendix C.....................................The College of St. Rose Results........................................... 61
Appendix D..................................Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Results................................. 65
Appendix E....................................................Word Maps............................................................ 70
Introduction
After the 9/11 terrorists attacks in 2001, the United States sent thousands of troops overseas into battle. After a decade of war, many have begun to return home. As a result, the number of troops in the Middle East is slowly dwindling (Naphan, 2011). With the myriad of service members returning to the United States, many have decided to return to school. However, these servicemen and women need to do much research regarding resources available for veterans at a particular institution. The majority of post-secondary schools in the United States do an inadequate job providing veterans with programs and guidance for their unique needs (Cunningham, 2012). Veterans deciding to become students have many unique and different needs than the traditional college student. Colleges do not always know how to meet the needs of their student veterans.
In 2008, the United States economy entered a recession, which directly influenced the job market. Therefore, many who graduated from high school decided to join the military because it provided them with a stable income and benefits (DiRamio, Ackerman, & Mitchell, 2008). Because of this trend four years ago, there is a surge of veterans looking to further their education with the use of their GI Bill (Mangan, 2009).
The transition back into the civilian life and into college life from the experiences of a war zone is difficult. The majority of veterans that are continuing on to post-secondary education are coming directly from combat (Ackerman, DiRamio, & Mitchell, 2009). Veterans return to the civilian life with many disabilities, physical and mental, as well as challenges associated with everyday tasks. The way veterans deal with issues in the armed forces is much different from how one should deal with the same issues as a civilian and as a college student. Therefore, colleges should be aware of the challenges veterans face and should be equipped with programs and resources to help veterans overcome these challenges.
Research Problem
It is unknown how and to what extent small rural colleges can meet the specific needs of student veterans. A small rural college is any campus in a rural setting with approximately 1,000 students or less. Both the primary and secondary research collected will determine what small rural colleges can do to better meet the needs of student veterans, and whether the small setting is more conducive to learning and the veterans’ needs versus a larger institution in a more urban setting.
Project Goals and Objectives
The purpose of this study is to determine how and to what extent small rural colleges can better meet the needs of student veterans. As the number of veterans entering into college increases, colleges need to determine how to better meet their needs. The goal of this study is to determine specifically what small rural colleges can do to assist veterans through this major transition and become successful college graduates.
Research Question
The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory study is to determine what small rural colleges can do to better meet the needs of veterans as they transition into college. By nature, a rural campus has a closer faculty to student ratio, and a closer “community” and network among students, faculty, and staff. The transition back into civilian and further into college life from the experiences of a war zone can be difficult. Therefore, how and to what extent can small rural colleges better meet the needs of student veterans?
Literature Review
Introduction
With the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, today’s veterans have a myriad of experiences from both combat and noncombat military-life situations. The events these servicemen and women have witnessed include horrific battle sights, and horrific living conditions, and the ultimate brotherhood connections within the services are life changing for these individuals (DiRamio et al., 2008). But what happens to these men and women once they begin to transition out of the armed forces? Once these veterans return to civilian life, many decide to take advantage of their G.I. Bill benefits and go on to further their education at a college or university (Ely, 2008). However, student-life and military-life differ greatly.
There is an enormous difference between the once disciplined and structured lifestyle of the military to a life of mainstream college. As a result, many veterans have a hard time adjusting (Zinger & Cohen, 2010). This transition, coupled with any mental or physical disabilities the veterans may suffer, can hinder their post-secondary education (Spires & DiRamio, 2009). Therefore, to make this transition successful, it is crucial to meet the needs student veterans have since not every veteran encounters the same obstacles when returning to civilian life.
A Unique Group of Individuals
The experience of war makes those who fight a unique group within the general population. The overall military experience makes a serviceman or servicewoman assume vast responsibilities, which often results in them learning a great deal about themselves (Ackerman et al., 2009). Those who have served overseas in Iraq and/or Afghanistan describe it as a unique experience, and surprisingly, not necessarily negative (DiRamio et al., 2008).
The events in the service can be life-changing and even personality altering. These experiences act as eye-openers to the majority of service members who now have a clearer perspective of what should matter. Numerous veterans have stated that once the life-altering experiences of war affect a person, it is impossible and hopeless to attempt “normalcy” again (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010). Overseas, servicemen and women are removed from accustomed life and enter a strict regime. When they go back to civilization, they view civilian life through different perspectives. This experience makes the servicemen and women see what really is important, often psychologically matures them, and makes them appreciate being a student (Zinger & Cohen, 2010). Once veterans return from the service and start their post-secondary education, their views are much different than of those entering college directly from high school. These veterans are more open to new material and actually want to learn (Zinger & Cohen 2010). Veterans choose to go to school, not because it is mandated, but rather, desired and valued.
People in the military are often responsible for performing tasks meticulously and by doing so, are well prepared for being a serious college student (Ackerman et al., 2009). Veterans currently only represent 3% of American undergraduate students. Of this, 52% are enrolled in associate degree or certificate programs while another 42% are in bachelor programs (Cunningham, 2012). Clearly, veterans are considered to be a small minority in the college setting. They are also considered nontraditional students with 84% of veterans above 23 years of age (Cunningham, 2012). Of the older veterans, 31% of these veterans fall into the age group of 24-29 and 28% fall into the age group of 30-39 (Cunningham, 2012). Furthermore, the majority of student veterans are married or have children, and 33% of all student veterans are married veterans (Cunningham, 2012).
Veterans who have experienced the combat situations of war are extremely mission-oriented and therefore serve as a potential asset to many college campuses (DiRamio et al., 2008). Student veterans possess leadership experience and understand how to handle extremely difficult challenges that the average college student often do not consider or face. (Ackerman et al., 2009). Student veterans are a positive resource on campus and in the classroom because they possess unique and challenging qualities when experiencing a smooth and successful transition into the new atmosphere.
Transition
A transition can be defined as any event or nonevent that results in changed relationships, routines or roles (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010). There are three types of transitions: anticipated, not anticipated, and nonevents (DiRamio et al., 2008). For example, an anticipated event could be the anticipated danger for serving in combat. Meanwhile, the not anticipated event would be how the individual will experience that danger. Nonevents classify as an anticipated event that does not occur (DiRamio et al., 2008). This could be a serviceperson anticipating going home in a few weeks but then that never happens.
Transitions can have both positive and negative effects on a person. The majority of people in transitions become preoccupied and often confused because they fail to take it one-step at a time. A transition happens gradually over time, slowly working through events, and progressively adjusting to numerous aspects of life (DiRamio et al., 2008). In order to move forward during a transition, one needs to release any former roles they may have had (DiRamio et al., 2008). By letting go of former roles, the individuals in transition can open up more to learn and grasp new roles.
When a serviceman or servicewoman transitions back into civilian life from a life of combat, they are often faced with two large problems. The first major problem is that many servicemen and women see the two worlds as completely different and have tremendous difficulty trying to relate the two together (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010). The second major problem is that the serviceperson will try to attack and conquer problems in the civilian world the same way as he/she would in the military world, which could result poorly since the military way is not always accepted in the civilian world (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010). In order to be successful in transitioning from military to civilian life, a serviceperson has to find a balance between these two worlds.
Numerous servicemen and women return to civilian life overwhelmed and wish to return to the war overseas because that is what they know best. The lack of structure with civilian life is challenging to soldiers to the point where it can be overwhelming (Zinger & Cohen, 2010). For the student veterans making this transition, many of them find themselves dropping classes because they cannot deal with the flooding of thoughts and emotions (Zinger & Cohen). Without the camaraderie known in the military, veterans can feel alone and unsure of themselves.
The military is supportive when a serviceman or woman is enlisted and tells them specifically what they will do and what is expected. One does not have much guidance as to what one will do and how to deal with transitioning to a completely new world (Cunningham, 2012). If the veterans are transitioning directly from the military onto a college campus, it can be even more difficult. In the military, there is an organized and uniform lifestyle compared to college where individuality is expected and unstructured time is plentiful (Cunningham, 2012).
Campus Programs
Unfortunately, not all campuses have effective programs to assist veterans in becoming student veterans. Veteran-friendly campuses are campuses where specific programs and people are in place to assist them with the transitions between college and the military (Ackerman et al., 2009). Colleges can easily apply more changes such as being more lenient on the application process, dedicating a space to provide student veterans with an independent gathering space, provide support systems to assist veterans with their transition into becoming students, and help integrating them into the college community (Smith-Osborne, 2012). Other programs colleges could include in their infrastructure are grace periods to allow the veterans to settle into college life, refresher courses, job placement services, and family housing assistance (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010).
The Application Process
Studies show veterans may have difficulties with the application and acceptance process of some colleges. Many colleges take into account that the prospective student applying is a veteran. However, very few weigh it into the acceptance criteria (Cunningham, 2012). The main criteria for acceptance are the students’ high school academic performance and their SAT or ACT scores (Cunningham, 2012). This can greatly disadvantage the veterans who may have done poorly in high school because they did not care to be there. Whereas now, veterans actually want to learn and will put the effort into their work.
Often times it is a result of a lack of support from college officials throughout this process (Zinger & Cohen, 2010). Schools should provide a checklist of requirements along with key deadlines for important papers to make the application process into college more orderly and organized for veterans to follow (Glasser et al., 2009). The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Pennsylvania offers accelerated admissions reviews, application fee waivers, top-priority registration, and deferred tuition payments for veterans to support the rigorous process of applying (Glasser et al,. 2009). Colleges’ leniency and understanding of the application process for veterans will make them feel more at ease with the whole process and show just how accommodating the specific college can be towards potential student veterans.
Orientations and Refresher Courses
For many student veterans it has been years since they have experienced a classroom setting. Therefore, they often forget methods and essential studying techniques. After being away from the classroom for an extended period, re-entry becomes difficult which is reflected in the student veterans GPAs (Ackerman et al., 2009). Campuses could provide orientation sessions for veterans by veterans (Ackerman et al., 2009). The activities during these orientations could include seminars on effective study skills along with learning how to manage ones time accordingly. Some campuses try to replicate the post-World War II campus environment by placing veterans in all-veteran classes (Cunningham, 2012). This can create a unit of mentality and a sense of cohesion and camaraderie among the veterans but, conversely, result in isolation from the rest of the college community.
At Montgomery College in Maryland, they have a program called Combat2Classes. This program implements all-veteran introductory classes, which teach the student veterans about effective study skills and how to stay focused in their entry-level classes (Smith-Osborne, 2012). These types of classes can be effective among student veterans because it is an introductory class before any college classes actually start which provides them with the information pertinent to becoming successful college graduates.
College Life
The majority of veterans also struggle with the transition from the structured military to the non-structured college life. In the military, soldiers know when to wake, when to train, when to conduct a mission and when to return. They wake each subsequent day to repeat it all over again (Mangan, 2009). Life becomes routine within the first few weeks of the military with people delineating exactly how to conduct tasks. College is not like this. There is a great deal of individual decision-making and few guidelines for daily task (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010).
Difficulties in the Classroom
Student veterans are faced with numerous struggles within the physical classrooms. Veterans who have served overseas have a hard time sitting for long periods of time and need to occasionally get up and walk around the classroom or sometimes even leave the room if they experience a flashback (Ackerman et al., 2009). Their attention span and patience can become short which professors cannot always understand (Ackerman et al., 2009). Student veterans may have difficulty confined to a classroom space, which is often small and crowded. Due to their experiences of war and being in very tense situations, veterans can be uncomfortable in large crowds and do not like people being too close or behind them (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010). Many still experience a feeling of someone sneaking up on them. One solution to this is having the student veterans sit with their backs against the wall (Mangan, 2009). However, when sitting with their backs to the wall, the student veterans often compromise their need to be near an exit (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010). In case something was to happen, veterans are always looking for cover and for a way out (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010). It can also be extremely difficult to focus when the traditional-aged students have conversations with their peers during a lecture or if they start texting friends under the table (Mangan, 2009). These traditional students often have a lack of attention, act out in class, and perhaps even complain; all of which can make a veteran irritated (Glasser, Powers & Zywiak, 2009). In the military, these acts are considered highly disrespectful and service members are reprimanded for it, which explains why they often get frustrated when they see others doing it.
Some other issues veterans might face in the classroom are the comments made by others and perhaps even the content that is being presented. There are numerous occasions where students and often time professors express their opinions on matters within the classroom. Professors sometimes refer to the American service member as a terrorist for the acts they commit while doing their job overseas (Ackerman et al., 2009). Professors will make thoughtless comments as to the type of students that are present in the classroom. These comments can dramatically offend veterans and ultimately provide them with a negative college experience. There are a few occasions where veterans will express their opposition for the war even though they served in it. These veterans can often times be called a traitor, which also negatively influences them and their future experiences at the college campus (Ackerman, DiRamio & Mitchell, 2009). Traditional students in the classroom can make comments regarding warfare and the military service without actually knowing anything about them (Cunningham, 2012). This coupled with the difficult questions veterans get asked, such as “did you kill anyone” or “did you see anybody get blown up” can have a negative impact on veterans and can make them quite upset (Ackerman et al., 2009). Veterans can also have a short temper when they return along with anger, rage, and hate issues. Therefore, these types of questions or comments can trigger a student veteran to snap (Zinger & Cohen, 2010).
People can have a lack of respect for what veterans have gone through and many give their opinions without having combat experience (Zinger & Cohen, 2011). These assumptions about the war can be a result of a lack of knowledge since the military and the public are separate entities. The disconnect has grown nationwide which causes students and other individuals to ask insensitive questions about the events overseas and professors lecturing and preaching their own personal opinions, however wrong they may be (Cunningham, 2012).
Veterans may also get irritated and annoyed when listening to the average college student’s displeasure over trivial matters (DiRamio et al., 2008). These complaints may seem trivial to veterans. Veterans may not equate what the challenges to actually life on par with what the students face. Americans are privileged compared to how veterans had to live and what they had to deal with while overseas. It makes matters worse when they complain about these situations to a veteran (DiRamio et al., 2008). There are such bigger issues going on in the world right now that veterans are more concerned with. Granted, not much can be done to stop this except to increase awareness of the issue in hopes of limiting the amount it occurs.
Disabilities and Counseling Services
One of the most important programs colleges need to implement is counseling services for student veterans. Currently, campus-counseling centers seem to be more directed towards the homesick 18 year olds rather than the complex emotions veterans experience (Mangan, 2009). This could require colleges to hire more counselors or to train existing counselors to address the combat-related concerns veterans face. Unfortunately, many colleges do not have a large enough veteran population to justify such a large program; however, many of these schools do not offer any type of adequate counseling for veterans (Cunningham, 2012). Although, even the basic counseling services provided by a college should have amateur knowledge regarding symptoms and treatment strategies for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), they should also have referral lists for college students (Zinger & Cohen, 2010).
Approximately one in every four or five veterans will return from war with a serious mental illness. The most common are Traumatic Brain Injury at 19%, depression at 14%, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at 14% (Kichner, Farmer, Shue, Blevins, & Sullivan, 2011).
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) affects individuals cognitively, physically, and/or behaviorally. TBI is becoming known as the signature injury of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (Spires & DiRamio, 2009).
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), also known as shell shock or combat fatigue, is considered an invisible injury and is a normal human reaction to a traumatic event (Spires & DiRamio, 2009). According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), more than 50,000 cases of PTSD have been diagnosed during Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom (Spires & DiRamio, 2009). PTSD can affect people in numerous different ways, which is why coping mechanisms and techniques should be established. This form of invisible disability can be the result of the majority of traumatic and combat-related situations servicemen and women experience. From the number of servicemen and women whom were attacked or ambushed, 92% now have PTSD. Of those whom look for evidence of missing colleagues, 94.5% now have PTSD. Finally, of those who knew someone who was seriously injured or killed, 86.5% now have PTSD (Zinger & Cohen, 2010). Veterans who experience PTSD often report not being able to sleep at night, being angrier and more stressed, constantly replaying the memories of war and being on constant alert (Ackerman et al., 2009). PTSD can be so severe that it can make a veteran feel as if his life has no meaning, no purpose, and no direction (Ely, 2008). This dramatic mixture of emotions can be extremely difficult for a veteran to transition back into civilian life.
Often times when veterans return back to their pre-military lives, loved ones become aware of changes within this individual because they are coping with PTSD symptoms, depression, physical injury, lack of structure in civilian life, or even difficulties with personal relationships and socializing (Zinger & Cohen, 2010). Coping with these symptoms alone can be quite difficult and extremely taxing on any veteran’s relationships.
Unfortunately, only 26% of the servicemen and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan recognize and admit to their psychological symptoms and actually receive mental health care (Zinger & Cohen, 201). Health counseling is extremely important when veterans start to transition from the military lifestyle back into civilian and the college lifestyle. Often times, the veterans who do not receive mental health counseling self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, which can result in relationship difficulties and job performance issues (Kichner et al., 2011). These individuals will experience the need to keep busy. If they do not stay busy than they could become depressed and irrational (Ackerman et al., 2009). If veterans do not seek help or have access to help, than the resulting outcome could be extremely negative on both the veteran and those that know the individual.
There are many resources available for these veterans, such as supported education psychiatric rehabilitation programs. The supported education psychiatric rehabilitation program is a form of psychosocial rehabilitation. The program is designed to assist individuals in pursuing postsecondary education (Smith-Osborne, 2012). The supported education program begins in self-contained classes and then slowly progresses to include other settings and locations. The supported education program also provides mobile advocacy and case management services on campus as a resource for any individual suffering from a mental illness (Smith-Osborne, 2012).
Advisors and Mentors
Many veterans have lingering psychological issues from their experiences in the armed forces, which can directly influence their success at college. A study by Indiana University’s National Survey of Student Engagement surveyed 11,000 veterans and found that first year student veterans compared to non-veterans are less engaged with faculty, in the classroom, and are understood less on campus (Cunningham, 2012). This could be a result of their psychological issues from overseas, other disabilities, and feeling isolated within the college community. The dropout rate for veterans is extremely high because of the unique position they have (Ely, 2008). Therefore, student veterans should establish close-knit relationships with at least one person from the colleges’ faculty and staff.
Along with making these connections, campus personnel should also understand the difficulties veterans face and how it can affect their learning and integration into the college community (Spires & DiRamio, 2009). Whoever on the campus personnel the student veterans feel most comfortable with to open up to should be available for the student veteran to contact. This person should be available to answer questions about academics as well as being a reliable mentor (Ely, 2008). The faculty and staff should be fully aware of who the veterans on campus are, especially if they have an advisee who is a student veteran.
Advisors should talk with their veteran advisees to see how they are adjusting to the new environment. Advisors should also help to connect student veterans with suitable groups on campus (Ely, 2008). Academic advisors should be aware of the specific strengths veterans bring to the college campus and help identify these strengths by pointing out the skills and abilities they learned while in the armed forces (Ely, 2008). However, advisors need to be understanding towards these veterans because they are nontraditional students and could be in college with possible psychological or physical challenges.
Another way to help veterans connect on campus would be to provide the first year veterans with an older student veteran who has been established on the campus and can help with the transition into college life (Glasser et al., 2009). Web seminars are a great way to educate the college personnel along with any mentor a student veteran might have. These seminars would go into detail about specific troubles a veteran could potentially face, describe how any disruptions can affect a veterans experience in the classroom, and offer tips on who to seek when veterans need specific help (Mangan, 2009).
Veteran’s Office
The transitions and difficulties student veterans face in the college setting are not fully comprehended by the faculty, staff, and administrators of the college (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010). Veterans need support from the college community in order to make the most of their college experience. A major support for veterans who have to deal with these obstacles is having a person that can offer academic advice and can provide support for the emotional elements of transitioning to civilian life (DiRamio et al., 2008). Veterans need a place where they can learn study skills, connect with peers, and take care of any financial concerns. Such a place would provide veterans with the independence they need along with the support system necessary (Ely, 2008).
Many veterans are unaware of the specific educational benefits they are entitled to, nor how to go to access these benefits. The VA is creating an environment that places more student veterans on college campuses but fail to provided colleges with the infrastructure they need to deal with them (Mangan, 2009). This can result in the veterans feeling isolated from the college community. Colleges can assist this by providing resources available to make this transition result in less isolated student veterans. Veterans particularly have a hard time when they come across obstacles for enrolling into classes, tracking benefits, delays in benefits from the VA, and not knowing exactly who to go to for each individual issue (Mangan, 2009). When delays occur and veterans do not get their benefits on time, this could result in the college not getting tuition payments or the students not receiving textbooks on time (Mangan, 2009). As a result, veterans then try to track down whom to talk to about these issues and see if any types of deferrals are available. Unfortunately, not all colleges understand this issue. Therefore, having a veteran’s office on campus staffed with personnel who are familiar with the extensive student veteran matters would be beneficial to any post-secondary institution (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010). This office would function as a storehouse for important information related to veterans (Zinger & Cohen, 2010). This information could include scholarship information, health benefits, military paperwork, medical forms, and so forth. The office also creates a place where veterans can socialize with each other and get the proper support they need.
Veteran’s Club
Student veterans need an opportunity on campus to develop camaraderie and create connections with each other. The creation of a veterans club that holds occasional meetings and events could help build this camaraderie; similar to what they experienced with the members of their units in Iraq and/or Afghanistan (Ely, 2008). A veterans club can be extremely helpful and can create a supportive atmosphere that some student veterans crave. It would also enable them to be in the company of other veterans where they feel comfortable sharing experiences because they know that others can relate (Zinger & Cohen, 2010).
A select few veterans do not want others to know they have served in the armed forces. Some veterans just want to blend in by being impartial and quiet in class (DiRamio et al., 2008). People do not always understand what servicemen and women have been through and do not know how to approach them. Therefore, veterans do not always feel comfortable expressing themselves to people they know cannot relate (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010). Consequently, many veterans find connections among other veterans because they can relate and truly enjoy each other’s company. Veterans are introduced to a different culture when they step on to a college campus. The transitions can be tough but, with the right support, veterans can have a smooth transition into this strange environment.
Small Rural Colleges
While rural America accounts for just 19% of the population, they represent 44% of those who enlist into the United States Military (Krier et al., 2011). A small rural college is one that is not in an urbanized area and has an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students or less. One third of the Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom veterans return to rural areas after their service (Kichner et al., 2011). Therefore, by returning to rural areas, those looking for a post-secondary education return to a small rural college. When they do return to rural areas these veterans continue to carry the values and traditions they learned during their military experiences, which then extends into the rural campus (Krier et al., 2011). The benefits the veterans receive from the Veterans Administration, such as cash payments, loans, medical care, and retire pensions all flow into the rural communities and become an economic support (Krier et al., 2011). Veterans help rural communities thrive by pouring their incomes into local businesses and services. Small rural campuses would be a good choice for veterans to attend because they are more relaxed and less stressful simply by the environment the campus is located in (Kichner et al., 2011).
Conclusion
Currently, there is a strong influx of veterans onto to college campuses. Most of the studies done are by large universities who can afford to spend money on elaborate programs to reach the needs of their student veterans. These characteristics will be compared with small college characteristics. Small rural colleges do not necessarily have the proper resources in place for veterans. Without proper programs and resources for student veterans, many of them will suffer in silence, which can negatively affect their ability to succeed in college (Zinger & Cohen, 2010). They can feel that asking for help is a sign of weakness, which can make the need for these programs often go unnoticed to college personnel. The goal of this study is to determine how and to what extent small rural colleges can better meet the needs of student veterans.
Research Plan and Methodology
The purpose of this study is to determine how and to what extent small rural colleges can better meet the needs of their student veterans. In order to obtain this information, a comparative case study using three different colleges in New York will be conducted. These three different colleges, Paul Smith’s College, The College of St. Rose, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, all represent institutions of different size, location, and demographic. However, there will be an emphasis on Paul Smith’s College because it is the only small rural college out of the three. A case study is a way to gain access to valuable information by observing and analyzing a specific group, location, or person (Creswell, 1998). The method used to collect data through this case study is by a combination of primary and secondary research. The primary research will consist of a short 13-question digital survey. The secondary research will be obtained by observations and online sources. Surveys are a great way to obtain many respondents at different locations in a short amount of time (Creswell, 1998). A comparative case study using primary and secondary research is the best choice of methodology because this study calls for a particular group, student veterans, to be analyzed and questioned on how their needs are being met and what they would like to see to better meet all of their needs.
As with any methodology, there are always strengths and weaknesses. One of the strengths of case studies is that the locations, Paul Smith’s College, The College of St. Rose, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, provide easy access to informants and information at low costs (Creswell, 1998). However, since Paul Smith’s College is a small rural college, working with people whom one is familiar with can be seen as a negative. The individuals may state what they feel the researcher wants to hear, and may not be willing to share information as openly as they would with a complete stranger (Creswell, 1998). However, this case is different. Since a survey will be conducted, the researcher will not have any formal contact with the student veterans and therefore, no one will know who responded to which questions and in what ways. In general, veterans do not feel comfortable opening up to complete strangers and would rather talk with someone who is empathetic and who they are somewhat familiar with (Mangan, 2009). The units of analysis for this study are student veterans, a small rural college, and two large urban universities. Student veterans are those individuals who served in any branch of the United States Military and are now students at a college or university. A small rural college can be defined as an institution that is not located in an urbanized area and has an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students or less. Likewise, a large urban university can be defined as an institution that is not located in a rural area and has an enrollment of over 4,000 students. Student veterans represent a unique group on any campus and all three colleges made the 2012 Military Friendly Schools list. Paul Smith’s College is considered a small rural campus located in the heart of the Adirondacks with approximately 955 students currently enrolled. Of these 955 students, there are approximately 31 student veterans attending, which make up about 3.25% of the student body (2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, 2012). The College of St. Rose is considered a large-sized urban college located in Albany, New York with 4,423 students currently enrolled. Of these 4,423 students, there are approximately 59 student veterans attending, which make up about 1.33 % of the student body (2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, 2012). Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is also considered a large-sized urban university located in Troy, New York with approximately 4,500 students currently enrolled. Of these 4,500 students, there are approximately 40 student veterans attending, which make up about 0.89% of the student body (2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, 2012). Because the group on these campuses as a whole may be considered small, surveys are the best methodology since all will be reached out to in some way and all will be able to voice their opinions and feelings.
In order to carry out this method, numerous tasks need to be accomplished beforehand. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) states that the student veterans cannot be directly accessed. Therefore, contact and cooperation needs to be obtained from the veteran representative at each of the three colleges. The student veterans at each of the three colleges will be ensured the following:
• Their right to voluntarily withdraw from the study at any time.
• The purpose of the student and the procedures used in the data collection.
• The confidentiality of the subjects.
• Expected benefits participants may gain.
This disclosure will help build rapport with the researcher (Creswell, 1998). Next, a survey using (Appendix A) will be distributed to all student veterans on all three campuses.
Data Analysis
This research will be conducted through comparative case studies so direct responses and observations from those currently struggling with the transition into college can be collected. There is no one better to obtain this information from than those who are directly impacted by the current college resources, or lack of resources and programs. By studying the student veterans currently on a small rural campus compared to those on a large urban campus, insight can be found as to what small rural campuses could do to better meet their needs. The responses collected from the surveys will be compiled into related groups and then further analyzed by reading and grouping responses to determine the overall group consensus on how Paul Smith’s College could better meet the needs of its student veterans. These findings will then be compared to the College of St. Rose and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute findings, which will be analyzed in the same manor.
The digital surveys include both structured and open-ended questions. The discussion questions allow the respondents to discuss their needs and why they chose to attend their particular college. will extract all the data from the surveys taken and put the numbers as well as percentages of who responded to what in a table. The data in the tables will then be translated into both pie charts and bar graphs. These graphs will enable the researcher to compare how each of the three colleges are performing and at what levels.
From the results of these case studies, small rural colleges will be able to obtain a clearer understanding of the programs and resources that should be available to meet the needs of its student veterans. The campus administration will then be able to alter any existing programs and resources, or create new ones. Consequently, this could potentially result in more veterans choosing to attend small rural colleges solely on the fact of the amount of resources in place.
Human Participants and Ethical Concerns
Human participants will be used through the survey distributed for this study. The student veterans are those who are currently a student veteran at Paul Smith’s College, the College of St. Rose, or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. An introductory paragraph at the beginning of the survey will be available to the student veterans before the survey questions. This paragraph informs the student veterans about the study that will be conducted and its procedure. The paragraph also states that participation in the study is completely voluntary and they can resign from taking the survey at any time. This study will not misuse any personal information gathered from the surveys. The responses received from the surveys will remain completely confidential throughout this study. The name of the student veterans will never be correlated with the responses given since the researcher will not know who answered what to each question. It is completely up to the survey takers if they wish to share personal experiences or not and will in no way be forced upon them. An ethical concern is also raised when addressing what to do with the information shared off the record. With this study, there will not be any major concerns brought to the attention of the researcher off the record. The information that is provided to the researcher then will not be used in the study unless given permission to do so by that particular student veteran.
Assumptions, Scope and Limitations
It is assumed that the student veterans of Paul Smith’s College, the College of St. Rose, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute taking the surveys have encountered struggles when transitioning into college. It is also assumed that the colleges already have some programs in place to help the student veterans but there could be more done to better meet their needs. It is also assumed that the student veterans who participate in the survey answer truthfully since this study could ultimately benefit them in the end.
A major limitation of this study is time. The surveying process requires a great amount of time as well as recording and analyzing all of the responses received. A distinctive restriction on this study is that the student veterans will not consent to participating, which will directly affect the number of responses received. There are already a limited number of student veterans on campuses therefore, participation is crucial. Another limitation is that the study relies on self-reported data. This type of method is subjected to selective memory. The participants may not remember everything in its entirety but will remember parts. However, this study does not require specific details and an overall generalization will suffice for some responses. In addition, some participants may have a tendency to over exaggerate. This study does not need to know just how badly student veterans need certain programs and resources; just that they need them. There will be language issues present with the military jargon used by many student veterans. This will be overcome with the help of Amy Tuthill, Director of Veteran and Transfer Services at Paul Smith’s College. She will help break any barriers and help analyze the data when the abilities of the researcher are insufficient.
The participants include the student veterans at a small rural college, Paul Smith’s College and at two large urban universities, the College of St. Rose and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The veterans at the colleges represent a wide range of age groups and branches. Some have transitioned into college shortly after their enlistment from the military while others have waited a few years before doing so. This study will be just talking to the student veterans to determine how a small rural college can better meet their needs compared to a large university. However, there are many faculty and staff on campus that could add another perspective on the issue if time allotted. In addition, this study will not address whether or not the small rural colleges have the resources to meet every need of the student veterans but rather, what they could do.
The Project Participants
The study’s researcher is a Business Management and Entrepreneurial Studies student at Paul Smith’s College working to compete her Bachelors of Science Degree. The researcher started her undergraduate degree at Paul Smith’s College in the fall of 2010. She currently works at the Joan Weill Adirondack Library and will have easy access to a variety of tools and devices potentially needed to collect and analyze responses received. After researching the needs and difficulties student veterans encounter, she has an extensive working knowledge of how to approach veterans and how to make them feel comfortable during the questioning of this study. However, because she is not a veteran herself, she may encounter difficulties when it comes to the military jargon and phrases that may be used by the participants
The mentor for this project will be Amy Tuthill, Director of Veteran and Transfer Services for Paul Smith’s College. She will help the researcher understand the meaning behind each seemingly foreign phrase. Amy Tuthill has had an immense amount of experience communicating with the student veterans on campus.
Project Budget
There are no anticipated costs for this study. All the materials needed are easily available through the use of the Joan Weill Library at Paul Smith’s College for students to sign-out at their convenience. However, if a trip to St. Rose or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is needed than compensation for gas money used during that trip will be needed.
Results
Secondary Research
All three of the colleges analyzed in this study offer a different variety of degrees. Table 1 below shows that Paul Smith’s College offers an Associate Degree program as well as a Bachelor’s Degree program. The College of St. Rose offers students a Bachelor’s Degree program as well as a Master’s Degree program. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers a variety of degrees, which include a Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, First Professional Degree, and a Doctor’s Degree program.
Table 1
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(2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, 2012)
Along with the degree programs, they also offer different certificate programs. Table 2 below shows that Paul Smith’s College does not offer any certificates. The College of St. Rose and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute both provide Post Baccalaureate, Master’s and First Professional certificates.
Table 2
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(2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, 2012)
The three colleges also differ when it comes to their accreditations. Table 3 below shows that Paul Smith’s College has both Regional and Programmatic Accreditation. The College of St. Rose has Regional, National, and Programmatic Accreditation. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has both Regional and National Accreditation.
Table 3
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(2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, 2012)
As shown in Table 4 below, all three of the colleges are approved by the Veterans Association (VA). Both Paul Smith’s College and the College of St. Rose accept College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and award credit for CLEP and/or DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST). CLEP and DSST are a group of standardized tests in different subjects, which allow one to earn college credit for information and knowledge they already possess (College Board, 2013). However, neither of the colleges are a part of the DANTES program. Both Paul Smith’s College and the College of St. Rose are a part of the SOC Degree Network System while the other college is not. Institutions that are a part of SOC Degree Network Systems are selected by the Military Services to provide specific degree programs to service members and their family members. SOC has Degree Network Systems for the Army (SOCAD), the Navy (SOCNAV), the Marine Corps (SOCMAR), and the Coast Guard (SOCCOAST) (Marconda, 2011).
Table 4
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(2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, 2012)
Table 5 below shows the many financial benefits the three colleges provide. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute does not offer as many financial benefits as the other two schools. However, they do participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which covers some extra tuition for service members in which their GI Bill does not cover. Paul Smith’s College and the College of St. Rose both offer scholarships for military students, allow military students called to active service to return without penalty, and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. In the event that a military member was called to active service in the middle of a semester, the two colleges provide different options. Either the service member would receive course grades for the current semester or incompletes if approved by the professor, receive administrative drops with a refund for some courses, or withdraw from all current semester courses with a full refund of tuition and fees. The College of St. Rose is the only college out of the three that offers military scholarships for dependents.
Table 5
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(2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, 2012)
As shown in Table 6 below, all three colleges provide different types of flexibility to student veterans. The College of St. Rose offers evening programs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers both evening and weekend programs. Paul Smith’s College has an on-campus living requirement for students during enrollment whereas, the others do not. However, this requirement is waived for veterans.
Table 6
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(2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, 2012)
Table 7 below illustrates some of the military support offered at each of the three colleges. Both Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the College of St. Rose have ROTC programs. The College of St. Rose and Paul Smith’s College are both a part of the SOC program, have advisors on staff that assist veterans with career placement, and identify military dependents on campus. In addition, Paul Smith’s College also has a full-time veteran counselor on staff as well as a connection with local Veteran Representatives to assist with career placement.
Table 7
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(2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, 2012)
Table 8 below illustrates a few of the social outlets at each of the three colleges. All three colleges have veteran specific pages on their websites. However, the College of St. Rose and Paul Smith’s College also have campus events planned specifically for veterans. Paul Smith’s College also has a veterans club. Both Paul Smith’s College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have a chapter of the Student Veterans of America (SVA) on campus.
Table 8
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(2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, 2012)
Primary Research
Digital surveys using were distributed to the student veterans at Paul Smith’s College, the College of St. Rose, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A total of 21 students from Paul Smith’s College, 12 students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and 6 students from The College of St. Rose participated in the digital surveys distributed. Therefore, there is a response rate of 67.74% for Paul Smith’s College, 21.43% for the College of St. Rose, and 18.46% for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The results of this survey show the needs of student veterans and how the colleges are currently performing to meet those needs. For a complete list of the results obtained from each of the three colleges, refer to Appendices B-D.
Question one of the digital survey asked respondents to specify which branch of service they served in or are currently serving. This question received 100% response rate from each of the three schools. Figure 1 below comparatively shows the percentages of each branch at each school. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is mainly comprised of Navy with 83.3%. The Marine Corp. has the majority at Paul Smith’s College with 52.4%. The College of St. Rose has an even mix of each of the five branches.
Figure 1
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Question two of the digital survey asked respondents what their current military status is. The purpose of this question was to determine if there were any currently serving veterans at the colleges. Figure 2 below shows the percentages at each college of those who are active duty, active reserves, or are no longer enlisted. Over 80% at each of the three colleges were no longer enlisted. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was the only college with active duty service members at 8.3%. The remaining percentages are from those currently active reserves, 19% for Paul Smith’s College, 16.7% for the College of St. Rose, and 8.3% for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Figure 2
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Question three of the digital survey asked why the student veterans chose to attend their college. Appendix E displays word maps compiled from key words from the responses of student veterans at each of the three colleges. The size of the words represent the frequency in which they were referred to by the student veterans. The responses from the student veterans at Paul Smith’s College were centered on the small college atmosphere, having the programs they wanted, being recommended by friends, and having a knowledgeable and reliable full-time veteran representative. The responses from the student veterans at the College of St. Rose were centered on the location being convenient and close to home for many as well as the programs offered and the college give military discounts on tuition. The responses from the student veterans at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute were centered on the engineering degrees and the amount of transfer credits the college would give to each veteran.
Question four of the digital survey asked the respondents in what ways was the college currently meeting their needs. Figure 3 below shows a high percentage at each of the three schools feel their needs are being met academically. Paul Smith’s College meets 75% of the veterans needs with support groups, 55% with extracurricular activities, and 40% with housing. The 5% under “Other” refers to the veterans needs being met with a full-time veteran representative. The College of St. Rose meets 33.3% of veterans needs with support groups, and 16.7% with extracurricular activities. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute meets 18.2% of veterans needs with housing, 54.5% with support groups, and 36.4% with extracurricular activities.
Figure 3
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Question five of the digital survey was a response question asking the student veterans why they did not check off certain categories in the previous question. The responses from each college had the same general theme. The GI bill provides student veterans with a living stipend, which many use to live off campus. Therefore, the college does not need to meet their needs in regards to housing. Many of the student veterans are nontraditional students since they are older and many have families of their own. Therefore, extracurricular activities are not appealing and many can find support within their own families and friends.
Question six of the digital survey asked respondents what their majors and minors of study were. The following three graphs in Figure 4 show the percentages of each major and minor at each of the three colleges for student veterans. Paul Smith’s College has a high percentage of student veterans majoring in Natural Resources Management and Policy with 30%. The College of St. Rose has a wide variety of majors among their student veterans with each veteran respondent majoring in a different subject. The student veterans at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are mostly engineering majors with 41.7% majoring in Nuclear Engineering.
Figure 4
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Question seven of the digital survey asked respondents how old they were. Figure 5 below shows the percentages of each age group at each college. Paul Smith’s College has a much younger demographic with 52.6% of student veterans between the ages of 20 and 25 as well as 31.6% of veterans between the ages of 26 and 30. The College of St. Rose has a slightly older demographic with 50% of their student veterans between the ages of 26 and 30 as well as 33.3% between the ages of 20 and 25. Out of the three colleges, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has the oldest demographic with 50% of their student veterans between the ages of 26 and 30 as well as 41.7% between the ages of 31 and 35.
Figure 5
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Question eight of the digital survey asked respondents whether they were male or female. Figure 6 below shows the percentages of males compared to females on each campus. Each of the three schools has a majority of male student veterans attending. However, the College of St. Rose and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have more females with 33.3% and 25% respectively compared to Paul Smith’s College at 5%.
Figure 6
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Question nine of the digital survey asked respondents whether they were married or single to see whether the student veterans had any dependents outside of college. Figure 7 below shows the percentages of student veterans whom are married and single at each of the three colleges. Paul Smith’s College has many more student veterans whom are attending that are single with 78.9% compared to the 33.3% at the other two colleges. Both the College of St. Rose and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have 66.7% of student veterans who are married compared to the 21.1% at Paul Smith’s College.
Figure 7
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Question ten of the digital survey asked respondents whether they had children or not. Figure 8 below shows the percentages of student veterans at each college who have children. The majority of student veterans at Paul Smith’s College do not have children with 89.5%. The majority of the College of St. Rose does not have children with 66.7%. The percentage of student veterans at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is split with 50% having children and 50% not having children.
Figure 8
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Question eleven and twelve of the digital survey is related. Question eleven asked the respondents if they required childcare for their children. Question twelve asked the same respondents whether their college provided daycare facilities for their children. Figure 9 below shows the percentages of student veterans at each school that require daycare. Since the majority of student veterans at the three schools do not have children, the majority do not require daycare. Therefore 5% of veterans at Paul Smith’s College, 16.7% at the College of St. Rose, and 33.3% of veterans at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute do require daycare for their children. However, none of the three schools has daycare facilities available for their student veterans.
Figure 9
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Question thirteen of the digital survey asked respondents if they had any other comments about their needs and the services provided to them by their college. There were a few responses provided by the veterans of Paul Smith’s College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The main concerns of the veterans that responded were respect within the school system and understanding from professors for what they have and are currently going through to transition back into the civilian lifestyle. Another concern that was expressed was that the veterans would like to see the colleges cater more towards the nontraditional students by providing night and weekend classes.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to determine how and to what extent small rural colleges could better meet the needs of their student veterans. Data was collected through the use of secondary research and primary research via a digital survey. The comparative results from this study offer significant insight into what small rural colleges, like Paul Smith’s College, could do to better meet the needs of student veterans.
Training
One of the major aspects colleges should look at is training. Many individuals expressed their concern for students and faculty not understanding who they are and where they come from being a student veteran. However, student veterans do not want any special treatment. They just want understanding from the college community and their peers. Some student veterans do not even want the public to know they are veterans and wish to blend in with the rest of the college population. Either way, teachers and students should be aware of the difficulties veterans face with the transition back into civilian life along and providing links to support groups when needed.
The training for faculty and staff could be done during in-service before any students arrive on campus. This training would make the faculty and staff aware of some of the hardships and physical struggles veterans face as they return to school from the military lifestyle. This training could also provide the faculty and staff with contact information about services the college provides as well as the community provides for any student veterans who may approach them with problems or concerns.
It would be little more difficult to have the traditional college students physically go to a seminar about student veterans. An information session during orientation each semester would be a way to get students aware about some of the issues student veterans face such as talking and texting in class, and being inconsiderate towards the experience veterans have had. Again, since student veterans should not be given special treatment, this may need to go along with the training for faculty and staff members on how to deal with these issues in the classroom.
Nontraditional
Veterans are considered nontraditional students, which can be difficult on a small campus where the majority of students are right out of high school. Extracurricular activities do not appeal to many since most involved are younger. However, the location has a great impact on the type of students who attend. Being a small rural college, there may not be much in the area as far as career potential for spouses, daycares and schools for children, etc. Urban communities are surrounded by daycares, employment opportunities, grocery stores, etc. One urban community could provide everything a student veteran with a family may need whereas, a rural community cannot.
A small rural college may try to account for this by offering an on-campus daycare. A daycare would not only bring more student veterans to a small rural campus, but also more nontraditional students. The daycare could bring the college revenues if it was also opened up to the community. Being a rural community, there are few daycares to begin with. However, there are many costs associated with creating a daycare and many licenses and regulations required. It may not be completely feasible for a small rural college to have an on-campus daycare facility, but it would bring more families and nontraditional students to the college, closing that gap between the traditional and nontraditional college students.
The degree programs offered may also have an effect on the amount of nontraditional students small rural colleges have. Paul Smith’s College offers Associates and Bachelor’s Degrees, which many right out of high school, are seeking. However, having Master’s and Doctoral Degree programs, these individuals have already spent the time obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree and may have even taken some time off in between degrees. Therefore, these individuals are much older and may attribute to why urban colleges and universities have students that are more nontraditional then a small rural college does.
Another way a small rural college could appeal to more student veterans and nontraditional students would be by offering night and weekend classes and programs. Many student veterans have families they need to support and cannot attend the classes held during the day due to their work schedules. Therefore, by offering more online classes, weekend classes, or even night classes, more student veterans would be apt to attend a small rural college compared to a large urban university.
Housing
The results from the study overwhelming showed that the majority of student veterans live off campus. Many live off campus because they do not want to live in a dorm with traditional college students, they have families, and the GI Bill gives them a housing stipend. However, with an option of having a veteran’s dorm, they may be more willing to live on campus. Having an on-campus veteran housing option may reduce some of the challenges veterans face by not having to worry about off-campus housing, ways to get to and from campus, or other stressors associated with living off-campus. The all-veterans housing could also be open to spouses as well. Therefore, those who are married and have families would be able to live there which, would cut down on the challenges they face even more. The veterans housing option would also help build camaraderie within the schools group of veterans.
Lounge
Having a lounge on campus would also be beneficial to the student veteran group. A lounge would provide student veterans with a positive environment needed when they are not in class. This lounge would also be a way to build camaraderie within the veteran community on any campus. Student veterans would be able to build more relationships with those they can relate with. The lounge would also give veterans a place to relax and to take a break from college work or any other challenges. A veteran lounge could resemble much like a commuter lounge does at many colleges and universities except for veterans instead of commuters. The lounge should have reliable access to any veteran representatives and any other programs on campus. However, small rural colleges may have trouble finding space for a veteran lounge. Space is always tight but the college community, as a whole would benefit more from student veterans having a place to unwind.
Veteran Representative
A full-time veteran representative will draw many student veterans to any campus. The small rural campus in this study had a full-time veteran representative on campus while the large urban campuses did not. This representative shows to be a valuable asset since many of the student veterans at that college may not have attended if it were not for their hard work and dedication explaining the different programs offered and getting the student veterans any additional programs or resources they need to be successful in their college career. The urban colleges that do not have a full-time veteran representative seem to be lacking in camaraderie or knowledge in the resources that could be available to them. The student veterans at a small rural campus are very knowledgeable and perhaps have more pride in their college because of all that was done for them to bring them into college and to ensure their success.
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Appendix A
Survey
For a senior project at my college, I am investigating veterans who have returned to college. The purpose is to determine how and to what extent colleges and universities can best meet the needs of their student veterans.
This study is investigating if the needs of veterans that go to a small college with limited resources are met as they are at larger institutions. This study is your opportunity to voice your opinions about the programs and resources (insert college name) currently provides for you.
Please know your participation in this survey is completely voluntary and confidential. You may skip questions at any time. The results of the study will be forwarded to your student veteran representative.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me, Stephanie Karr, at SKarr@s.paulsmiths.edu, or my advisor, Dr. Diane Litynski.
Thank you.
1. What branch of service are you?
a. Army
b. Navy
c. Marine Corp.
d. Air Force
e. National Guard
2. What is your current military status?
a. Active Duty
b. Active Reserves
c. No longer enlisted
3. Why did you choose to attend (insert college name)?
4. Please check off how (insert college name) meets your needs as a veteran (Check all that apply)
a. Academics
b. Housing
c. Support Groups
d. Extracurricular Activities
e. Other (please specify)
5. Of the ones not checked in the previous question, please explain why.
6. What is your major/minor of study?
7. What is your age group?
a. Under 20
b. 20-25
c. 26-30
d. 31-35
e. 36-40
f. 41-45
g. 46-50
h. 51-55
i. 56+
8. What is your gender?
a. Male
b. Female
9. What is your marital status?
a. Married
b. Single
10. Do you have children?
a. Yes
b. No
11. Do you require daycare?
a. Yes
b. No
12. Does (insert college name) provide daycare for your family?
a. Yes
b. No
13. Any additional thoughts and comments?
Appendix B
Paul Smith’s College Results
1. What branch of service are you?
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2. What is your current military status?
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3. Why did you choose to attend Paul Smith’s College?
• Had the program I wanted
• Extremely Vet friendly.
• I chose PSC for the surveying program and the fact that is a small school where you will actually get to know the teachers unlike a big university.
• To further education in the environmental studies
• Good student to teacher ratio, good reputation
• They reached out to me.
• Friends said it was great here
• Friends recommended
• Seemed to be a quiet place, and it seemed to be very military friendly school. Also the teacher/student ratio was appealing
• Amy Tuthill was the first veteran representative to know what the yellow ribbon GI bill was and how it worked
• Location. Program.
• I wanted to find a career in what I was interested in.
• Friends told me about this place that graduated from there.
• Small campus. Offered the program I was looking for
• Location. Hands on learning, and degree program that interested me.
• It was secluded from large populations and it had the desired major I wanted.
• Was told it was veteran friendly
• The small community and the environment this school was located in really apply to my personality.
• Small Classes. Location. Classes that are being offered. And have a great reputation.
• Amy really sold the school to me and was a big help when I was trying to get into school
4. Please check off how PSC meets your needs as a veteran (Check all that apply).
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5. Of the ones not checked in the previous question, please explain why.
• The extracurricular activities just don't appeal to me.
• The GI bill gives me housing
• I live off campus because I am married. I do not feel the need for support groups (if I feel I need support I contact members of my old unit). I work to supplement my living stipend and therefore have no time for extracurricular activities.
• Live in town. Don't like groups. Older. Nobody involved in extracurricular is my age
• I live off campus I do not use student housing
• I live off campus so I don't use housing offered here.
• Housing, I live in town.
6. What is your major/minor of study?
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7. What is your age group?
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8. What is your gender?
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9. What is your marital status?
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10. Do you have children?
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11. Do you require daycare?
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12. Does Paul Smith’s College provide daycare for your family?
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13. Any additional thoughts and comments?
• Wish this place was more non-traditional friendly, such as night and weekend classes. I was difficult juggling work and school. Besides that one thing I loved this place.
• One major thing I would like to see changed would be the professors knowing what it means to be a student veteran and our struggles with the transition and being able to relay that message to students who don't fully understand that loud or sudden noises can bother us etc.
• I think as small as this college is it really helps brings Veterans back to "civilian" Status.
Appendix C
The College of St. Rose Results
1. What branch of service are you?
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2. What is your current military status?
[pic] [pic]
3. Why did you choose to attend St. Rose?
• Good teaching program and the school offered to pay for any tuition that the GI bill did not cover.
• The program was the best one I found for my degree
• It’s close to home and they offer exceptional instructors in my field of study.
• I really liked the initial feeling I received from talking to the incoming advisers. Also I felt that since it has been 10 years since I had been in school that a small school would better suit me.
• Close to home
• I was a transfer student and a professor at another college recommended St. Rose.
4. Please check off how St. Rose meets your needs as a veteran (Check all that apply)
[pic] [pic]
5. Of the ones not checked in the previous question, please explain why.
• I don't need housing. I don't participate in extracurricular activities.
• I don't reside on campus and don't utilize the support groups.
6. What is your major/minor of study?
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7. What is your age group?
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8. What is your gender?
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9. What is your marital status?
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10. Do you have children?
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11. Do you require daycare?
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12. Does St. Rose provide daycare for your family?
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13. Any additional thoughts and comments?
N/A
Appendix D
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Results
1. What branch of service are you?
[pic] [pic]
2. What is your current military status?
[pic] [pic]
3. Why did you choose to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
• Yellow Ribbon Program. Awesome School. Near where I live.
• Best engineering school near Aaron's duty station
• My wife is from the Albany area
• They accepted military credits towards an engineering degree.
• Well known engineering school.
• It gave the most transfer credits.
• RPI provided the most credits toward a (any) degree. My husband was relocated to Ballston Spa NY so I enrolled in RPI
• Army selected for advanced civil schooling
• Total amount of transfer credits accepted
• They have the major I wanted (Nuclear Engineering). 2. They gave me 31 credits based on my Navy experience. 3. At the time the GI Bill would cover their entire tuition. (I am grandfathered in so this is still true for me, but not new students.) 4. It is relatively close to my parents’ house and my girlfriend's house.
• RPI's relationship with Navy nuclear power, resulting in additional credits toward undergraduate degree.
• Maximum credits transferred from my military career
4. Please check off how RPI meets your needs as a veteran (Check all that apply)
[pic] [pic]
5. Of the ones not checked in the previous question, please explain why.
• Own a home, only on campus for classes
• Provide own housing. Not much time for extracurricular just SVA Other-child care
• The Student Veterans of America is a great support group. I love the academics.
• I don't need them to meet my needs in these areas.
• I don't require any of the other areas
• I run in my circles and find support wherever I land
• I would prefer an on campus housing option for married students. Not the subcontracted arrangement with the city station.
• I live off campus I don't have time for other activities
6. What is your major/minor of study?
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7. What is your age group?
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8. What is your gender?
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9. What is your marital status?
[pic] [pic]
10. Do you have children?
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11. Do you require daycare?
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12. Does RPI provide daycare for your family?
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13. Any additional thoughts and comments?
• Mixed response from professors as they find out my profession and status as being active duty... not 100% supportive but not discriminatory either. For the most part a supportive student environment on campus BUT other local schools and thus out peer/age group is violently liberal and often rude and insulting to my profession. As well the state of New York is highly offensive to conservatives and since the majority of military members exercise the second amendment and the way NY walks all over it is very hard... we fight to defend it and they take it away and offer no exceptions.
• Upon enrollment should have an option to sign up for Student Veteran's Association (SVA)
Appendix E
Paul Smith’s College:
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The College of St. Rose:
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute:
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