utilizing current literature to inform and elevate … · transition to he was- psychologically,...

Utilizing Current Literature to Inform and Elevate

Veteran Transition Practices

Rebecca Atkinson Clemson University

October 25, 2015

Agenda •  Part 1: Context of Student Veterans in HE •  Part 2: Interactive Review of literature •  Part 3: Discussion of best practice informed by

research •  Part 4: Discussion of limitations, theoretical

framework

2 2015 NODA Annual Conference

Veteran data •  Estimated 22M living veterans – Women 2M/9% –  45% of these are older than 65

•  Educational beneficiaries –  1.09M (FY14) –  Increasing because of policy changes to educational

benefits –  23 states account for 80% of the beneficiaries

workload: CA, TX, FL, VA, AZ, GA, IL, NC, NY, PA, CO, MO, MD, AL, OH, WA, IO, TN, MN, SC, WV, MI, IN

–  42% of beneficiary workload started in 2009-2010

2015 NODA Annual Conference 3

National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics (2014)

Crash Course in VA Benefits •  Chapter 33- Post 9/11 •  Chapter 30- Mont. GI Bill •  Chapter 31- Vocational Rehab •  Chapter 32- VEAP- Vietnam Era Educational

Assistance Program •  Chapter 35- Dependents Education Assistance •  Chapter 1606- Mong. GI BIll- Selected Reserve •  Chapter 1607- Reserve Educational Assistance Program

(REAP) •  HSPS- health services benefit- want them to come back

to service with this training


National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics (2014)

Chp 33: Post 9/11 Details

•  No ‘end’ date in legislation •  Active duty service •  Limitations: time, payable benefit •  Tuition, MHA, books/supplies stipend •  Transfer of benefit •  Not necessarily 100% coverage – Yellow Ribbon program


Student Veteran Demographics

•  Numbers – Less than 4% of all student populations (varies by

institution and location) – Growing!

•  Non-traditional – 60% student veterans are married, married with

children or are single parents – 60% are between the ages of 24-39


Student Veteran Demographics

•  Gender – 27% student veterans are women compared to

57% of all college students are women •  15% military service members are women; 7% of all

veterans are women •  27% of 4% (previous slide)- SMALL population of

women


Why the context of demographics? •  Increased number of student veterans in higher

education – 500K to 950K between 2005 and 2011 – 62% of 690 institutions had programs/services for

student veterans •  This research is demographic analysis •  What is the veteran experience? – Knowledge gap in literature- BUT let’s start

somewhere, then maybe get inspired?


McBain, Kim, Cook & Snead (2012)

8 Recent Studies

•  Join a group/ abstract and article provided •  Review/Discuss •  Anything stand out from the literature review? •  What were the findings? •  From the findings, what can be translated to an

institutional practice or policy?


DiRamio, Ackerman, & Mitchell (2008)

•  Schlossberg framework- Deployed/Enrolled •  First study that really launched current literature •  Findings suggested how really how difficult

transition to HE was- psychologically, cognitively and behaviorally

•  Schlossberg framework –  From this point, many studies utilized Schlossberg’s

transition theory •  First identified key campus collaborations


Livingston, Havice, Cawthon, & Fleming (2011)

•  Schlossberg framework- sequential focus •  Enrolled/deployed/reenrolled- transition was

anticipated, but still experienced challenges – Bureaucratic process and personal-social

adjustment

•  Established the Student Veteran Academic and Social Transition Model


Schiavone & Gentry (2014)

•  Schlossberg’s framework- Individual focus – Fit findings neatly into 4S’s: situation, self, support,

strategies

•  Literature review suggests Tinto’s work on vulnerability to attrition if only socialize with like-minded peers (e.g. other veterans) – Findings did not delve into this


Griffin & Gilbert (2015)

•  Transition theory- Institutional Focus •  Case study of institutional structures and

strategies •  Identified 3 major thematic areas: – personnel and services; –  Institutional structures; – Social and cultural support


Hammond (2015)

•  Identity development •  Built on research from Rumann & Hamrick

(2010); processing military experience while navigating identity in college

•  How student veterans see themselves is rooted in how they perceive others – other veterans, classmates, inferred perceptions

•  Established the Combat Veteran Conceptual Identity Model


Naphan & Elliot (2015)

•  Military experience translated college behaviors

•  Disengage from one role (military) and replace with a new (college student)

•  Some military cultural influences positively impacted their college student role; some challenged the college student role


DiRamio, Jarvis, Iverson, Seher, & Anderson (2015)

•  Help seeking behaviors/women veterans •  Two part-er study:

1.  Help-seeking behaviors of any student veterans 2.  What are experiences of women student

veterans? What impacts their help-seeking behaviors?

•  Women are a subset of a subset of subset- they need CLOSE attention


Osborne (2014)

•  Transitional experience translated to staff training

•  ‘Military-civilian gap’ •  Used research findings to directly incorporate

into training for faculty/staff


Review implications

•  Where your ideas consistent with the authors? •  Themes that overlap? •  Anecdotes of inconsistencies? Or see gaps for

further research?

•  Was this helpful exercise?


Commonalities of studies

•  Most utilize theoretical framework of Schlossberg’s transition theory

•  Most are small populations- NOT generalizable to all populations, but good insight – Majority were male participants – Majority were 4-year public institutions – Majority were white

•  Student veterans are subset of adult learners


Overall themes •  Military culture has great influence over role/identity,

which has impact on student identity –  Structure –  Teamwork

•  Military experience contributes to maturity, student veterans have trouble relating

•  Student veterans struggle to self-identify •  Colleges have structures in place that challenge the

transitional process –  Finances/benefit process –  Transfer credit –  Data tracking/management


Best Practices from Research •  Acknowledge there are different needs •  Training for faculty/staff/students to understand this

population •  Policies and procedures informed by challenges

population has experienced •  Social integration as well as academic support •  One-stop administrator cultivates the military culture

they are used to with navigating institutional structures •  Data tracking and management of student veterans


TAKE AWAY

•  Let the research inform your practice BUT Know your own population “There can be great diversity within the student veteran population, and other identities and responsibilities may be more salient than one’s military experience” (Gilbert & Griffin, 2015, p. 92)


Research Literature & Resources

•  Rumann & Hamrick (2010) •  New Directions- Ackerman & DiRamio (2009)

(Eds.) •  CAS Standards- Veteran Services •  Student Veteran Association of America- Million

Records Project •  NASPA Constituent Group – Symposium on Military-Connected Students


References DeRamio, D., Ackerman, R., Mitchell, R. L. (2008). From combat to campus: Voices of student-veterans. Journal of Student Affairs Research and

Practice, 45(1), 73-102. doi: 10.2202/1949-6605.1908 DiRamio, D., Jarvis, K., Iverson, S., Seher, C., & Anderson, R. (2015). Out from the shawdows: Female student veterans and help seeking. College

Student Journal, 49(1), 49-68. Griffin, K. A., & Gilbert, C. K. (2015). Better transitions for troops: An application of schlossberg’s transition framework to analyses of barriers

and institutional support structures for student veterans. The Journal of Higher Education, 86(1). 71-97. Hammond, S. P. (2005). Complex perceptions of identity: The experiences of student combat veterans in community college. Community College

Journal of Research and Practices. 1-17. doi: 10.108010668936.2015.1017891 Livingston, W. G., Havice, P. A., Cawthon, T. W., & Fleming, D. S. (2011). Coming home: Student veterans’ articulation of college re-enrollment.

Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 48(3), 315-331. doi: 10.2202/1949-6605.6292 McBain, L., Kim, Y. M., Cook, B.J., & Snead, K.M. (2012, July). From solider to student II: Assessing campus programs for veterans and service

members. Washington, DC: American Council on Education. Retrieved from http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/From-Solider-to-Student-II.aspx National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. (2014). Education program beneficiaries. Washington, DC: Department of Veterans Affairs.

Retrieved from: http://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/quickfacts/education_beneficiaries.pdf Naphan, D. & Elliot, M. (2015). Role exit from the military: Student veterans’ perceptions of transitioning from the U.S. military to higher

education. The Qualitative Report, 20(2). 36-48. Retrieved from: http://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol20/iss2/4/ Osborne, N. J. (2014) Veteran ally: Practical strategies for closing the military-civilian gap on campus. Innovative Higher Education, 39. 247-260.

Doi: 10.1007/s10755-013-9274-z Rumann, C. B., & Hamrick, F. A. (2010). Student veterans in transition: Re-enrolling after war zone deployments. The Journal of Higher Education, 81(4). 431-458. doi: 10.1353/jhe.0.0103 Schiavone, V., & Gentry, D. (2014). Veteran-students in transition at a midwestern university. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 62(1),

29-38. doi: 10.1080/07377363.2014.872007


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