Sacramento City College
Strategic Planning System
Title:
Veteran’s Resource Center
November 14, 2014
Plan Type:
Program Plan
OPR:
Counseling and Admissions and Records Departments
Collaborative
Group(s):
Counseling, Admissions & Records, DSPS
Reference documents: Prior VRC Plans
Planning year:
2015
SECTION I: Overview & Strategic Information
A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION & PURPOSE
Purpose:
Sacramento City College continues to experience increasing enrollment among its Veteran students. The
Veteran’s population of SCC students increased by 38% over the six-year period covering fall 20082013; representing 570 and 770 students, respectively. The college should expect to see an increase in
the number of student Veterans as troops return home from Iraq and Afghanistan over the next few
years.
Sacramento City College is committed to ensuring smooth transitions and positive outcomes for veteran
students. Veteran students always receive priority registration, and a number of strategies are in place to
aid veteran students in their transition. The strategies at SCC include the following:
 A Veterans Resource Center (VRC)
SCC Veteran’s Enrollment
 Designated Academic Counselor (two days per week at the VRC)
Academic Year 2008-2013
 Disabled Student Program Services (two hours per week at the
2008-09
570
2009-10
708
VRC)
2010-11
759
 A designated Veterans Affairs Office housed in Admissions and
2011-12
760
Records;
2012-13
770
2013-14
7701
 A certifying official who is able to process documents for veteran
students and request federal benefits on their behalf;
 Regular outreach efforts in collaboration with the State Veterans Affairs Office; and
 A basic web page (http://www.scc.losrios.edu/veterans/) within the college web site with
administrative contact information and links to veteran resources.
Sacramento City College Veterans Resource Center
Sacramento City College currently operates a Veterans Resource Center (VRC) which is coordinated
with and supplements the functions of a Veterans Affairs Office (located in the Office of Admissions
and Records). While the Veterans Affairs Office primarily provides assistance with Veterans
1
This figure underrepresents the actual number of Veterans on campus: 852 students identify as Veterans and take advantage
of priority registration but only 770 utilize benefits. The 770 figure includes dependents.
1
Administration processes and certifications, the VRC provides support services that are designed to meet
the specific and unique needs of veteran students. Services include academic, crisis and career
counseling, referrals to available social services or community resources, and tutoring. The VRC also
serves as a dedicated space to facilitate student engagement, a factor well documented in the research
that increases student success; veteran students meet, study, socialize, and engage in individual
interactions with college staff at the VRC.
The VRC, with the exception of the computer station, is unfunded and currently staffed by existing
college faculty and staff through the redistribution of their work schedules and time. One counselor
divides her time between serving the students of the VRC and the general student body, and one clerk
from Admissions and Records serves as an aide and liaison between the VRC and the Veterans Affairs
Office. In addition, one DSPS counselor is housed at the VRC for two hours per week (it has been
reported by DSPs that this counselor will no longer come to the VRC starting spring 2015), to build
rapport with students so that they are comfortable when they got o the DSPS Office for counseling
services. VRC student help is funded by the Veterans Administration Work Study. The VRC is currently
located in the Student Center building.
B. ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN
The major factors that affect the work on behalf of our Veteran students include, but are not limited to:
 Steady increase in the number of veteran students as troops return home from Iraq and
Afghanistan over the next few years
 Current physical space is too small to accommodate a growing student population; new Student
Services Building may create opportunity for relocation and more space
 Lack of permanent staff, such as a SSSP Specialist or SPA, to oversee the daily operations of the
VRC
C. MULTI-YEAR DIRECTIONS OR STRATEGIES
Ideally, we’d like to have a VRC that is large enough to combine all Veterans Services. This would
include a counselor, certifying official, work-study students, tutors, permanent staff to oversee daily
operations of the center, and a DSPS (part-time) counselor. While a good idea, this model poses many
challenges so for now, we will continue to explore how to align the two biggest vet resources
(counseling and a certifying official) with a permanent staff to oversee the daily operations.
We would like to expand the physical space of the VRC to accommodate more students. The space that
has been identified for the VRC is either PAC 1 or 2 once the new Student Services Building is
complete. In the last fiscal year, two computers were added, one for employee use and one for students.
Students indicate that there are often long lines to use the two existing computers and have expressed
their desire, and sometimes need to continue to work in and environment that is familiar to them. The
need for consistency is a great concern for our Veteran students.
To better serve our Veteran students, there is a need to create a campus-specific resource packet,
including a new brochure on Veteran’s Services available on campus. This information will be provided
to students upon their first contact with the college and will be used to recruit students. In addition, the
relationship with the California Department of Veteran’s Affairs will be strengthened to recruit Veterans
and to help them successfully transition to SCC.
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The heart of the VRC is the student engagement and camaraderie that the Center provides. Veterans
returning home after being in combat often have trouble adjusting to the normal day-to-day activities of
life. It is easy for those who have never served in war to just view this as another pre-college experience.
It is much more than that. Having a place where Veterans can connect with others who have shared a
similar experience is essential to their adjustment. To that end, we would like to create a peer tutoring
program in coordination with the Learning Resource Center, to target Veterans. Peer-to-peer support is a
critical success factor for many of our Veteran students and currently many students already provide
tutoring informally to one another.
Veterans Services on campus will continue to assist with matriculation into the college by assisting
with the application process, academic assessment, enrollment procedures, and processing of Veterans
documents; provide assistance in the completion of the Veteran Educational Planner by assuring all
appropriate General Education and Major course work is included before submittal to Veterans
Administration. Counselors will continue working with Veterans to review and clarify career
opportunities via the SCC Career Center, Human Career Development 330-Life and Career Planning,
campus tours, and individual counseling sessions. Support for a Veterans Club and other on campus
activities will continue to develop.
SCC Veteran’s Services support College Goals A,B, and C.
SCC Goal A: Deliver student-centered programs and services that demonstrate a commitment to
teaching and learning effectiveness and support student success in the achievement of basic skills,
certificates, degrees, transfer, jobs and other student educational goals.
SCC Goal B: Align enrollment management processes to assist all students in moving through
programs from first enrollment to completion of educational goals.
SCC Goal C: Improve organizational effectiveness through increased employee engagement with the
college community and continuous process improvement.
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SECTION II: Operational Review and Plan
A: REVIEW OF ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR’S WORK
Objective
Expand physical space
for the VRC to either
PAC 1 or 2
Create a campus-specific
resource packet,
including a new brochure
on Veteran’s Services
available on campus
Strengthen relationships
with the Department of
Veteran’s Affairs to
recruit Veterans and to
help them successfully
transition to SCC
Create a peer mentor
program to target firsttime Veteran Students,
similar to the campuswide Ambassador
program, to target
incoming Veterans
Install two additional
computers in the VRC
Allocated a permanent
campus-based budget to
the VRC
Expected
Outcome
Meetings with
AVPSS and VPSS
Agreement on PAC 1
or 2 as the new VRC
location
Creation of Veteran
Resource packet
Increased interaction
and training with the
Department of
Veteran’s Affairs
Results/Progress
Space has been allocated in the PAC. Exact
layout and square footage is currently being
negotiated. This should be resolved prior to the
end of the spring 2015 semester.
Staff and students have collected many items,
resource lists, and ideas. We will compile these
during the spring 2015 semester to create a
cohesive and comprehensive document online
and in hard copy.
SCC staff attended two trainings in the previous
year and are scheduled to attend two more for the
2014-15 year. We will continue to seek out and
attend training opportunities for staff who work
with veterans.
Veteran Ambassador
Plan developed and
implemented
This has not been completed and is still in the
planning phase.
Computers installed
Complete.
Identify permanent
funding source above
the line
In the past, the VPA allocated general fund
money to the VRC ($5000). This money has not
been moved to an OCB as of this date. We will
work with the new VPA to allocate these funds
to a permanent VRC OCB.
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B. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES/ MEASURES OF MERIT FOR THE
PLANNING YEAR
Objective A: Hire a full-time classified person such as an SPA or SSSP Specialist to oversee the daily
operations of the VRC (this position could possibly be split between General Counseling and the VRC).
 Hiring requested to VPA
 Permission to hire granted
Objective B: Expand physical space for the VRC to either PAC 1 and/or 2 or other feasible location
 Agreement on new VRC location
 Target move-in date established
Objective C: Create a campus-specific resource packet on Veteran’s Services available on campus.
 Creation of Veteran Resource packet.
Objective D: Strengthen relationships with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to recruit Veterans and
to help them successfully transition to SCC
 Increased interaction and training with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs
Objective E: Develop and implement a peer tutoring program for Veterans in collaboration with the
Learning Resource Center. Peer-to-peer support is a critical factor for many successful Veteran
students.
 Veteran Peer tutor Plan developed and implemented.
Objective F: Develop Veteran Advisory panel to facilitate resource development and utilization
analysis
 Advisory Panel formation
Objective G: Develop/facilitate focus groups for Veteran students to help them share barriers to
successful transition from military to civilian and college life.
 Focus groups conducted. Data which can be used to improve outreach, service provision, course
development
C. PROCEDURES AND RESOURCE REQUIRMENTS FOR THE PLANNING YEAR:
Objective: Hire a full-time classified person such as an SPA or SSSP Specialist
to oversee the daily operations of the VRC (this position could possibly be split
between General Counseling and the VRC).
Procedures: Submit hiring requested to VPA
Resource Requirements: appropriate office space and equipment
Funding sources: TBD
Objective: Expand the physical space of the VRC to accommodate more
students
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Procedures: Counseling Dean will negotiate with the AVPSS and the VPSS as
the new Student Service Building is erected for PAC 1 or 2 or other appropriate
space to become the new VRC.
Resource Requirements: Will require larger facility and IT to support the
technology needs of the new VRC.
Funding sources: TBD
Objective: Create a campus-specific resource packet, including a new brochure
on Veteran’s Services available on campus
Procedures: Work with students, faculty and staff to create materials.
Resource Requirements: students and staff to create materials
Funding sources: General fund $5,000 VRC allocation
Objective: Strengthen relationships with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to
recruit Veterans and to help them successfully transition to SCC
Procedures: Conduct outreach to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and
attend their workshops, trainings, and seminars. Create opportunity for VA to
come on campus and provide resources
Resource requirements: Will require funds to travel, participate in
workshops, trainings, and seminar as well as to conduct these activities on
campus
Funding sources: General fund $5,000 VRC allocation
Objectives: Develop and implement a peer tutoring program for Veterans
Procedures: Collaborate with tutoring
Resource requirements: identify and hire tutors
Funding sources: The tutoring in the Veterans Center is funded by Tutoring
Program Plan Funds. The Veterans Resource Center has requested $4,560 to
cover 15 tutoring hours per week.
Objectives: Develop Veteran Advisory panel to facilitate resource development
and utilization analysis
Procedures: identify advisory panel membership to include students; conduct
meeting
Resource requirements: panel members, meeting space
Funding sources: Special Activities funds to provide refreshments during the
meeting
Objective: Develop/facilitate focus groups for Veteran students to help them
share barriers to successful transition from military to civilian and college life.
Procedures: PRIE to identify focus group protocol conduct focus groups; and
analyze data
Resource requirements: PRIE staff support and focus group participants
Funding sources: None.
DATE: November 14, 2014
REVIEW CYCLE: Annual
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