What can community colleges do to improve retention rates, graduation rates, and gainful employment, for servicemembers, vets, families?

2021-02-18T09:47:57-05:00

I am working on a Best Practices for Colleges that Serve Veterans and would appreciate feedback from the Rally Point community. If you know of any specific examples of schools that are getting it right, please let me know.

Response by SFC Melvin Brandenburg made Feb 18 at 2021 10:05 AM

2021-02-18T10:05:53-05:00

A nightmare experience with a great college was they counted GI Bill as scholarship so it made me ineligible for loans I needed. It got straightened out but I had to get the university president involved and become a total ass.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Feb 18 at 2021 10:41 AM

2021-02-18T10:41:02-05:00

At the school I just graduated from, Austin Peay State University (APSU), which is not far from Fort Campbell (and they cater heavily to AD and Veterans), they did a few things very good, and a couple things OK.

GOOD:
1) They had a VERY thorough and user-friendly AARTS transcript review process. I started school there shortly after retirement, and I STARTED with 162 out of the necessary 120 credits for a Bachelor's degree. Now... they weren't all the RIGHT credits, so it still took me a few semesters to get that degree, but right out of the gate, it was evident that they valued my service and what I had learned through my career.
2) They have three different offices dedicated to helping veterans: They have a Vet Success office which links Vets up with resources, a VA Office for processing GI Bill/Voc Rehab paperwork, and a Military Student Center which had free resources (like used textbooks and computer lab) as well as a "hang-out" if folks wanted to take a breather from "civilians" and relax with folks who had similar experiences.
3) They have a military recognition ceremony for grads, which is open to the public (folks are encouraged to wear dress uniform), and provide military graduation regalia to wear with the cap and gown. It is a very small thing, but it makes it very public how proud the school is of their vets.
4) They have a full-time "military adviser in residence" position which looks at military outreach and community service - which is held by a retired Officer (currently retired BG).

The OK:
1) The advising is a bit lackluster. My Bachelor Degree was ALWAYS going to just be a stepping stone to a Master's. I ended up spending an extra semester due to not taking the right courses the first semester to get me out as quickly as possible. It was STILL only 3 semesters, because of the above mentioned AARTS evaluation, but proper advising upon enrollment would have helped.
2) Having three offices for vets is great - but it is also somewhat confusing. I did a lot of bouncing back and forth between offices when I was first enrolling, trying to get all of my paperwork sorted out. After the first semester, I pretty much understood the process, and it was a lot easier, but that first semester / enrollment was not fun. This could largely have been mitigated by either A) providing a step-by step checklist, including names and locations of offices, or B) staff in the three different offices having a clear understanding of who does what so that they can provide clear guidance instead of "try so and so, they might be able to help you." Don't get me wrong, with a little perseverance (which vets tend to have in spades) I was able to get it done. But it could have been simpler.
2a) As I was graduating, they were breaking ground on a new building specifically for military and veterans. The plan was to move all three offices as well as the military adviser in residence under one roof, which I believe largely mitigates the above problem.
3) The military student center is tucked away in a back corner in a basement. It is a good resource, but not one you can find unless you are actively looking for it. This will, again, be largely mitigated by 2a.

The bad:
1) None, really. There were issues with the school, as there are with any larger institution, however none were really military specific issues. The usual snarky students, hard professors (and lax ones), bureaucracy, etc.

The indifferent:
1) All of the professors *I* had (which, again.. 3 semesters, so not a HUGE sampling) were very open and receptive to student experience and student input (where appropriate). They valued when students had relevant stories or examples to share which could highlight the topics being discussed. This isn't specific to military - all students were encouraged, even the 18 year olds. But it may be helpful for many vets to be in an environment where their experiences are valued as useful learning tools.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 18 at 2021 11:03 AM

2021-02-18T11:03:46-05:00

Discourage meaningless degrees. Persuade students to pursue a discipline that actually leads to a career. Job placement should be the goal, and focus, not enrollment. Unless it leads to a productive career, it's just another student to boost enrollment data. Many would be better served through tech training and the trades, but colleges don't want to hear that. A skilled tech or craftsman can earn as much as one with a post-graduate degree in many cases. GI Bill or other VA benefits apply.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Feb 18 at 2021 11:29 PM

2021-02-18T23:29:14-05:00

Community Colleges are really there to produce more skilled members of the work force, especially in CTE programs. The best thing that could happen is to develop partnerships with gaining industry partners to ensure grads get solid and viable follow on employment with an eye to provide the right development, experiences, and opportunities for that grad to become that competent journeyman.

Industry partners need to be consistent in informing those CTE feeder programs what the industry is wanting (and it can't be a journeyman with 3-5 years of experience) through the Advisory Board functions required by most states. Seeing some trends that industry is looking for journeymen only because they do not want to "train" or their bench is too light to train and mentor apprentices. It sidelines recent grads into less than optimal positions with little growth. Really sets students to think "why bother?".

Response by SPC Mario Vazquez made Feb 19 at 2021 11:53 AM

2021-02-19T11:53:33-05:00

Hello Cpt. Shaulis, please check out the website below. Community support within the college is the best strategy to help veterans acclimate to school and be successful during and after their college years.
http://bcveterans.com/