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S upportive E ducation for the R eturning V eteran

S upportive E ducation for the R eturning V eteran Helping the Country’s Best, Brightest and Bravest get their degree By John Schupp SERV Director, Cleveland State University. What to expect this morning. What is In academic speak AND english language Why it works

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S upportive E ducation for the R eturning V eteran

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  1. Supportive Education for the Returning Veteran Helping the Country’s Best, Brightest and Bravest get their degree By John Schupp SERV Director, Cleveland State University SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  2. What to expect this morning • What is • In academic speak AND english language • Why it works • Data and testimonials • How it got started at CSU • Without help from the top • How to get it started at your campus • 3 things that YOU really need SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  3. The reality • 1,736,116 Deployed veterans since 9/11 • Less than 1% of the population have protected the other 99% • 288,952 veterans on America’s Campuses today • Not all are OEF/OIF • 16% of total available- Less than 1 in 5 attend college! SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  4. What is ? • A learning Community/Cohort for veterans • Encompasses every aspect of the learning community concept • First Day on Campus • There is no guidance counselor after the military • Registration • Admission requirements • Counseling • How ready they are to learn • Financial • Have Guaranteed federal money • Learning Community Camaraderie • They have it by the truck-load SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  5. Learning Community for veterans • Basic Needs for a Learning Community Success • From The Cohort/Group… • Share common origin- • All military based experiences • Share common goal- • All want to finish the education mission • Be an Under-served demographic • Must find reasons for this-Critical Step • Have the potential to build group camaraderie • The Military has created this Camaraderie for the learning comm. SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  6. Learning Community for veterans • Basic Needs for Learning Community Success • From the University • Have Departments to serve the need • Have at least a few dedicated employees at the campus • Have some kind of initial funding source • Be able to Recruit members to fill the group • From the Community…. • Have local military support groups • Have local Media support • Have local Political support SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  7. Under-Served Demographic SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  8. Under-Served Demographic • 1985-1994 GI Bill eligible Vets • 52,000 of 641,000 eligible veterans (8%) used all of GI Bill* • 2008 GI Bill data • Less than 6%** use it completely • Avg less than 17 months used of 36 months eligible • Department of Education, 1995-2001*** • 3% of freshmen veterans get 4-year college degree • 30% of all College Freshmen get 4-yr degree *http://chronicle.com ; Section: Students Volume 51, Issue 36, Page A31 **Keith Wilson, VA Education Secretary, ACE Summit Georgetown University Jun 6 2008 ***The Soldier and the Student By Aaron Glantz in ‘The Nation’ November 27, 2007 SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  9. History of Education and the US veteran The Demography of U.S. Veterans: Changing Military Staffing Policy, Risk of Service, and Human Capital for Black and White Men, 1950 – 2000 Amy Kate Bailey, Department of Sociology, University of Washington West Coast Poverty Center Dissertation Fellow SERV Propreitary and Confidential

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

  11. Post-Combat Readjustment What the Soldier Brings Home • Heightened sensory awareness of sights, sounds & smells. • Identification and closeness with their military unit • Regimentation into highly structured and efficient routines. • Action oriented ways of coping with new experiences. • Different views about their future life. • Memories of events that can be difficult to integrate. SERV Propreitary and Confidential Edgardo Padin-Rivera, Ph.D. Chair, PTSD Experts Workgroup Ohio VA Health Care NetworkChief, Psychology Service Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center

  12. Post-Combat Readjustment-Personal • Difficulties arise in trying to generate a “new normal” • Life at home/campus may not have the edge and adrenaline associated with wartime duty • Attempts to reestablish old ways of interacting, old roles fail. • Difficulties adjusting to work & community life arise. • Problems of internal chaos impinge on relations with others. SERV Propreitary and Confidential Edgardo Padin-Rivera, Ph.D. Chair, PTSD Experts Workgroup Ohio VA Health Care NetworkChief, Psychology Service Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center

  13. Post-Combat Readjustment-Friends and Community • Reconnecting with friends more difficult than expected. • Friends have changed during deployment and so has service member. • May find self unable to share experiences with non-combat friends • Relate to other students who have gone through it SERV Propreitary and Confidential Edgardo Padin-Rivera, Ph.D. Chair, PTSD Experts Workgroup Ohio VA Health Care NetworkChief, Psychology Service Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center

  14. Post-Combat Readjustment-Public Interactions • Widespread support of service members, • Public has mixed views of the war • We only saw what the media gave us, they saw everything • Other Students/Faculty may not know what to do/say. • Veteran to often becomes a community media event. • Veteran unsure who he/she can talk to. Questions Arise What will they want me to talk about? What can I talk about? How will they react to a story or event? SERV Propreitary and Confidential Edgardo Padin-Rivera, Ph.D. Chair, PTSD Experts Workgroup Ohio VA Health Care NetworkChief, Psychology Service Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center

  15. Military High level of order Commanding Officer (CO) has all the answers, Day is planned out by someone else Great Responsibilities Millions of dollars of equipment Lives dependent upon them Daily Critical Choices Life and death decisions-literally Civilian- Much less order in life/campus Have to plan out their own day Have to be their own ‘CO’ Less Responsibilities on campus English homework is not ‘life or death’ No Daily critical choices Do I go to class or not Who is impacted? Post-Combat Readjustment-Campus SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  16. University Transition Solutions • Answers from Vietnam to Persian Gulf 1 vets • First day on campus • Vets don’t know what building/office to go to first • Paperwork • Registrars, Admissions, Bursar, • If paperwork not filled out correctly- vet dis-enrolled • Financial • Tuition (all or part) paid up front • Payment plans optional, FASFA loans may be needed • First VA check arrives 3-5 weeks AFTER classes start • Classes-Transition to Civilian/Campus Life • Vets feel different in civilian life • Even more so surrounded by campus life SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  17. Veterans first semester on campus • Senses on high alert • Extended Distractions from the surrounding environment are not allowed • Guardian mode always ‘on’ to protect civilians • Fellow classmates (civilians) are the surrounding environment • Note taking, exams are distractions from it • Concentration on exam is a distraction • Lives are at stake-not the exam questions SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  18. #1 reason for Low Veteran Success • From Vietnam-Persian Gulf vets • Ability to concentrate when taking exams • Environment distractions very high • Concentration on questions very low • Exam scores are low-Grades drop-Vet drops out • How to improve concentration on exams • Minimize environmental distractions • Remove civilians from the environment • Guardian mode drops-Vets feel more comfortable • Memory/recall improves-Scores/Confidence Improves SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  19. the Experiment • Create Vets only ‘Gen Ed’ Sections as an option • English 101, Math 101, Science 101 • Support for vets, not isolation • 12 credit hrs (full time benefits) ‘vets only’ 1st semester • 9 credit hrs, ‘vets only’ classes 2nd semester • Forced to take 3 more credit hrs in civilian classes • Track progress of Vets in the classes • Can watch/teach them as a group- • Confidence improves-Transition to civilian life improves • Civilian transition occurs slowly • While they are taking college credit classes SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  20. Results of experiment • Three complete Semesters • Spring, Summer and Fall 2008 • 14 students in initial Semester, Spring 2008 • 18 total students during Summer 2008 • 25 total students for Fall 2008 • >40 signed up for Spring 2009 • Summer semester most difficult • Condensed classes-stress higher • Vets needed the income to get thru the summer • Only one female veteran, summer 2008 • Women veterans have a unique situation SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  21. -1st Semester, Spring 2008 • 4 classes- • History 201, Chemistry 101 , Biology 106, Math 087 • History topic had to be changed • Chemistry difficult without the math background • The Students • Chemistry-14 started out • 10 finished with C’s or better • 2 had medical withdraws • 1 had family withdraw • 1 joined a fraternity…… • Retention Rate • All ten went on to Summer 2008 • 71% freshmen retention rate-vs 72-77% avg for Ohio • No test anxiety reported on First exam in Chemistry SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  22. Summer Session 2008 • 2 Classes for each ‘mini semester’ (6 weeks) • Enough credit hrs to get full time benefits • Intro to Psychology (4 credit hrs) • Career Services (1 credit hr) • 18 students signed up • Only 6 students completed both courses • 12 did not finish-stress level too high • Won’t recommend summer sessions again to new vets SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  23. Fall Semester 2008 • Four Classes, started with 25 different students total- • Had 85% attendance rates • Intro to Biology (BIO 106) • English 085 (Remedial) • Math 087 (Remedial) • Intro to College Life (ASC 101) • Intro to Bio- • 16 students initially-1 dropped, 1 failed, 14 have ‘C’ or better- 87.5% • English 085 • 12 students intially-2 failed,10 have Satisfactory grade- 83.3% • Math 087 • 10 students initially-9 have satisfactory grade – 90.0% • Intro to College Life • 12 students initially- 11 have passed with ‘C’ or better- 91.7% • 23 different students going on to Spring Semester- 92.0% SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  24. Spring Semester 2009 • 23 from Fall ‘08 taking Spring classes • 18 new students for Spring 2009 • Four Classes 41 different students total- • English 101- • 15 students total, 8 new students • Intro to Psychology • 12 students, 4 new • Intro to Chemistry and the lab • All have completed the math 088 course or math placement • 26 students in both lab and lecture SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  25. vets enrolled in Classes *Projected, based on admitted SERV students as of Nov 20 2008 SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  26. Overall CSU vet population with * * Slight increase from Fall ‘07 to Spring ‘08, Significant increase Fall ‘08-Spring ‘09 (Most campuses see a civilian drop in these numbers from Fall to Spring) vet enrollment increase from Fall 2008 to Spring 2009 despite incentive to wait until Fall 2009 for new GI Bill SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  27. From the students themselves • To whom it may concern my name is Josh Milan and I am currently in the SERV program at CSU. I would like to take this time out to first acknowledge Dr. Schupp and Ms. Beth for the tremendous amount of time and genuine care they have showed me because I am completely certain that I would not be here at CSU today if it was not for this dynamic duo. Their efforts will not be forgotten. I came back to Cleveland with the intent to pursue a college education but to do this I needed some help with my transition I called CSU and they gave me the usual run around….. i was finally referred to Schupp and at that point it all changed. We arranged for a meeting down on campus and at first this made me nervous because I did not know if he would ask me a million questions about my time as a Marine. He did not and then I noticed we didn't talk about school or the Marine Corps for the first hour or so. This made me very comfortable... A three day process was completed in less than 30 minutes. I tell you this because it was all apart of the process of making me feel accepted and at ease. This was a good day for me. Some time passed and class would soon begin in the fall and because it was Vets only classes it was extremely helpful. I can not tell you how but us Vets operate differently especially Marine Corps Vets we have a different way of thinking…… SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  28. To whom it may concern, • The SERV program has been one of the most helpful academic success aids that I have encountered while studying at Cleveland State University.  I had not even heard of the program until I was referred to John Schupp during my first semester at the university by a fellow student.  The moment that I came in contact with John he took a genuine interest in my success as a student.  This interest was provided without even knowing that I was a veteran.  When that point was eventually brought up in conversation, John was excited to tell me all about a promising new project that he was working on.  This project was designed to create a stable environment to aid in the transition of military life to becoming a successful student.  Upon learning of my difficulty adjusting to the new university world, John was not hesitant even once to assist me in achieving my goals.  I am now a senior and within reach of graduating with a Bachelor Degree in Health Science.  The next step is to apply to the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program and continue to build my road of success.  Although I never did doubt my ability to eventually push and shove my way through school, the SERV program has proven to be a wonderful service that has helped to transform my obstacles into new opportunities.  These opportunities have been constructed through a network of students with similar past experiences, and a caring and flexible staff.  My hope is that this service will be available to the many veterans seeking self improvement in the years to come.    •  Sincerely,  Robert Stuhler SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  29. To whom it may concern:My name is Michael R. Stratton. I am an active member in the SERV program here at Cleveland State University. In regards to my feelings towards this program I would have to say that if it were not for Project SERV I would be completely lost. I am currently going to school full-time and I know that I would not have been as successful with school if I had not received any guidance. i have attempted school once before at Kent State University and I just couldn't properly assimilate. So will all of that I still cannot begin to express my gratitude and great respect that I have for Dr Schupp, Dr Kalafatis, and Beth Woyshville, as well as all other members in the SERV program. SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  30. Education observations with Classes • Unit mentality takes over • No ‘weak links’ allowed • Self-tutoring occurs automatically • Not found in most civilian classes • Syllabus is the mission • Exam Dates and assignments are evaluated • Schedule is followed closely for success • Confidence increases very quickly • Most don’t need 2 full semesters of classes • Test taking skills improve dramatically after 1st semester SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  31. Education observations with Classes • Impact of their military experience is exposed • High School may have been challenging for many • Lack of Attendance, interest, discipline • Anxiety is created from memory of High School • After first few weeks in , success is realized • Habits of High School no longer part of veterans routine • Military has improved their approach to challenges • Discipline, punctuality, goal setting • These new habits must be taken advantage of • Before old habits set in and school is a challenge again SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  32. Other Results with Classes • Mini VA counseling sessions • Vets arrive early to classes, always • Before class Starts, open discussions take place • Past military events, Future plans, Family Issues, • Then Class Starts • Classroom offers chance for mini counseling session • Easier to Discuss past when you immediately focus on future • Vets want to come to campus, they want to come to class • has disguised VA counseling sessions • English 101, Math 101, Science 101 SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  33. other Result’s cont’d • Today’s campus very multi-cultural • students are from region where the vet has served • Veteran comes into contact with many cultures • More so than any job could do • Veteran begins to adjust to the cultures • The different culture student is just a student, not a threat • Veteran gets used to this slowly over a period of months • May not adjust if their environment does not create this opportunity • This did not happen after previous wars! SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  34. Easy First Step to help with transition • Set aside space just for the returning veterans • Office • A place for them to gather • A place for them to call home • Inside the office they can still be military • Conversations of past experiences can take place • VA can reside one day/week • Vets can get info on their benefits between classes • Encourages going to school • This can be done quickly and easily SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  35. CSU’s other successes • State Of Ohio-2008 • 100,000 for SERV • ACE/ Wal-Mart Award- Nov 11 2008 • News & Announcements • CSU Receives $100,000 from Wal-Mart Foundation for its Veterans Education Assistance Program • On this Veterans Day 2008, CSU has special reason to celebrate as the recipient of a $100,000 gift from the Wal-Mart Foundation to support programs that provide educational assistance to veterans. SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  36. and CSU Support SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  37. and VA Support SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  38. SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  39. How to create a veteran program on your campus • Garner Support from people in 3 departments • Registrars • They need to admit them, and review their applications • Treasury • They need to know the economic impact • They will listen to you and think ‘it’s a good, warm fuzzy idea’ • They will act when you show them the financial impact • Faculty • Find those that have served and are GI Bill grads • They will teach for free in the early going SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  40. How to get Treasury to move • Vets have guaranteed tuition dollars • Not mom/dad money, • Student loan, pay back someday money • Present situation with financial institutions will change this availability • Private Universities can now compete • New GI Bill opens doors to more institutions • Community Colleges will be impacted • No longer the ‘monthly stipend for all expenditures’ • Direct Bill to campus changes need for up front payment • Find the number of vets in your region • Show the potential financial impact with % of vets attending SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  41. How to find the veterans in you Area? • How many are on campus already? • Is our state Vet friendly? • has extensive database • Number of veterans in ‘Top 500 Vet Friendly’ campuses • Number of veterans deployed by county • Deployed veterans most likely ones who need • has data for every county t/out country SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  42. How many are on campus already?Top Vet Friendly colleges in Kentucky SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  43. SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  44. Top Vet Friendly colleges in Indiana SERV Propreitary and Confidential Data from the IAVA ‘Top 500’ Spring 2008

  45. Top Vet Friendly colleges West Virginia Data from the IAVA ‘Top 500’ Spring 2008 SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  46. Some not-so Vet Friendly colleges Data from the IAVA ‘Top 500’ Spring 2008 SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  47. SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  48. Campus vets New Jersey, PA and NY • 162,384 Tri-State vets Deployed since 9/11 • 7,268 vets on NJ,NY and PA campuses • 4.47% of Tri-State Vets on Tri-State Campuses • Less than 1 in 20 tri-state vets attend college • Nationwide-1,736,111 vets deployed since 9/11 • 288,952 vets on US campuses- 16.6% • Less than 1 in 5 US veterans attend college • Tri-State campuses are 4x less than US average • Vet Friendly campuses can recruit from less ‘vet friendly’ states!! SERV Propreitary and Confidential IAVA top 500 Spring 2008

  49. 43 544 57 130 753 2,029 2,771 452 1,455 3,182 2,834 1,994 441 823 3,026 1,368 2,452 2,203 2,336 1,397 2,527 441 1,264 725 580 Database for deployed vets since 9/11 New Jersey’s Military Population • 35,043 Total deployed since 9/11 • Active Duty-27,337 • Guard/Reserve-7,706 • 2,800 members of the 50th Infantry Brigade set to deploy in Fall 2008 • Largest Guard deployment in History of NJ SERV Propreitary and Confidential

  50. 2,063 340 544 839 533 329 2,063 896 272 23 102 261 918 1,020 757 113 658 283 295 272 306 204 1,791 771 453 499 1,315 340 737 828 249 1,032 181 805 238 635 1,644 1,202 113 1,270 261 896 1,054 601 2,143 2,562 624 5,578 1,304 2,233 442 2,562 1,304 351 374 1,168 1,633 91 5,498 782 2,301 658 2,573 170 499 998 1,905 # of Deployed Vets by county in PA SERV Propreitary and Confidential

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