American Council on Education –
http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Documents/Promising-Practices-in-Veterans-Education.pdf
Vocabulary
OEF/OIF/ONS/OND
GWOT-E
Oct
Individuals authorized for the award must have been deployed abroad for service in GWOT
operations on or after September 11, 2001, and to a future date TBD by the Secretary of
Defense.
GWOT-S: Global War on Terror Service Medal
Forces called up for airport security (9/11/2001- 03/2002) also eligible.
Public Perception of GWOT Veterans
Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. (2012). A new generation of leaders: A report on America’s perceptions of Iraq and
Afghanistan veterans. Washington, D.C.: Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Public Opinion Strategies. Retrieved
from http://missioncontinues.org/docs/default-document-library/a_new_generation_of_leaders.pdf?sfvrsn=0
Post Secondary Attendance, 2007-8
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education, Almanac of Higher Education, 2011
Type
Veteran, Active Duty Military, and Reserves
Male
73%
Female
27%
Public 2-year
43%
Public 4-year
21%
Private nonprofit
4-year
14%
Private for-profit
12%
Others, or attended
more than one
9%
FY 2011
• 600,000 veterans used Post9/11 and REAP educational
benefits.
• Almost 200,000 active duty
personnel used their
educational benefits.
• 46% used benefits for
undergrad
• 8% used benefits for graduate
degrees
• 60% - public colleges/training
• 26% - private colleges/training
• 14% - private nonprofit/training
GWOT Educational Benefits Recipients
Program 2007
2008
Active
343,751 354,284
Post 9/11
REAP
41,388 44,014
TOTALS
385,139 398,298
2009
2010
2011
341,969 247,105 185,220
34,400 365,600 555,000
42,881 30,269 27,302
419,250 642,974 767,522
2011 Participants in Vocational Rehabilitation for
Seriously Injured: 90,340 Gulf War Veterans
VA Annual Benefits Report, 2011
http://www.vba.va.gov/REPORTS/abr/2011_abr.pdf
Military veterans
make up 3% of
community college
enrollments
nationally.
GWOT veterans
comprise 6.25% of
NWACC’s student
population.
2012
Post-911: 11.7%
of all veterans
VA 2010
TYPICAL MAJORS
• Nursing
• Business
Administration
• Criminal Justice
• General Studies
• Psychology
GWOT education:
50.6% of female vets
37.2% of male vets
In 2009:
• 213,000 (13%) Active
Duty
• 190,000 (16%)
National Guard and
Reserves.
• 7000 Coast Guard
• +200,000 deployed to
Iraq, Afghanistan.
• 59% have children
under 18.
• 15% live in poverty.
VA 2011
FEMALE
VETERANS
19.4% of GWOT
(OEF/OIF/OND)
female Veterans
reported a history
of MST (Military
Sexual Trauma).
Pew Research Center (2011)
Morin, R., & Pew Researh Center. (2011). The Difficult
Transition from Military to Civilian Life. Washington,
D.C.: Pew Social & Demographic Trends
Rudd Student Veteran Report (2011)
Percent of Student Vets
National Survey, N=628
Symptoms
46%
46%
35%
24%
20%
10.4%
7.7%
3.8%
PTSD
Suicidal ideation
Severe anxiety
Severe depression
Have a plan for committing suicide
Consider suicide often
Have attempted suicide
Believe their suicide is “likely”
Rudd, M. D., Goulding, J., & Bryan, C. J. (2011). Student veterans: A national survey exploring
psychological symptoms and suicide risk. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42(5), 354–360.
doi:10.1037/a0025164
National Student Vet Retention
219,864 first-time fulltime freshmen at 297
bac. granting colleges
and universities.
Veterans
Non-veterans
Math
Remediation
35.8%
24.3%
More student
veterans need
remedial
tutoring than
non-veteran
students:
Writing
Remediation
20.7%
11.6%
Remedial Courses
2007-2008
Veteran
Status
Non Vet
Veteran
Any
Remedial
Course
One
Remedial
Course
20%
17%
9%
11%
Two or
More
Remedial
Courses
11%
6%
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education, Almanac of Higher Education, 2011
NSSE 2010
11,000 vets interviewed, 4680 combat vets
out of 362,000 students nationwide.
• Veterans preferred online classes
• More combat vets had at least one
disability than non-vets.
• Student veterans tend to attend public
non-specialized universities.
• Veterans more involved with working
and dependent care than non-vets.
• More veterans are first generation
college students.
• Veterans perceive less support from
their colleges.
• Veterans have fewer interactions with
professors than non-veterans.
• Veterans prefer to not reflect or take
part in integrative learning.
• Larger proportion of veterans are parttime students.
GWOT VETERAN AT NWACC
AY2010, AY2011
TYPES OF
CLASSES
On-Campus
Hybrid
Online
PERCENT FAILURE TO
PROGRESS: D’s and F’s
30%
30%
40%
NWACC Institutional Research, 2012
2012
1 million GWOT veterans have
service-connected disabilities
• 170,000 have 30%-50% disability
• 166,000 have 60%+ disability
• Overall unemployment rate: 12.1%
• Unemployment rate for young vets: 20%
GWOT veterans’ unemployment rates:
• High school graduate, no college (525,000): 12.5%
• Some college or associate degree (935,000): 11%
• Bachelor’s degree or higher (605,000): 6%
11.6% unemployment rate for GWOT vets who
served in Iraq/Afghanistan (900,000).
Invisible Wounds of War
• 14% Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
• 14% Major Depression
• 19% Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
2008
GWOT DISABILITY COMPENSATIONS, 2011
Frequency
1
2
3
4
5
Males
MusculoSkeletal
Skin
Hearing
Neurological
Mental Disorders
Females
MusculoSkeletal
Neurological
Mental Disorders
Respiratory
Hearing
VA Annual Benefits Report, 2011
Estimated 6% of troops suffer concussion and
mTBI from basic training
– current unpublished military study reported by National Public Radio,
2012/08/24
2012
Symptoms of TBI
Source: Military Health System, U. S. Department of Defense
PTSD Checklist – Civilian Version
Repeated disturbing thoughts,
dreams of past upsetting event.
Loss of interest in activities once
enjoyed.
Re-experiencing past stressful
event.
Extreme upset, physical symptoms when reminded of past
stressful event.
Avoid thinking, talking about, or
activities that bring past stressful
event to mind.
Trouble remembering important
parts of a stressful experience
from the past.
Feeling distant or cut off from
other people.
Feeling emotionally numb and
unable to experience loving
feelings for appropriate persons.
Sleep disturbance, irritability,
trouble sleeping.
Jumpy, hyper-alert, difficulty
concentrating.
What Vets Bring to the Classroom
• Professional mindset
– Ethics & a strong sense of discipline (order)
– Respect & reliability
– Task discipline & a clear mission focus
• Transferable skills
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Teamwork & collaboration
Cross-cultural experience
Project management
Skill in working under stress
Troubleshooting
Flexibility (improvise, adapt, overcome)
Sense of humor
What Profs Should Do
• Our take-aways
– Value their life experience
– Create opportunities for multiple learning paths
– Appreciate & accommodate
American Council on Education. (2011). Accommodating student veterans with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic
stress disorder: Tips for campus faculty and staff. Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education.
brademac@nwacc.edu
barbrad42@gmail.com
sholmes@nwacc.edu
susanholmes95@gmail.com
Please contact us with your
thoughts, suggestions, and
experiences.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN
OUR VETERAN STUDENTS.
References
Air Force Times Staff. (2009, January 6). Pentagon expands eligibility for GWOT medal. Air Force Times. Springfield, VA.
Retrieved from http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/01/airforce_gwot_medal_010609/
American Association of Community Colleges. (2012). Reclaiming the American dream: A report from the 21st- century
commission on the future of community colleges. Washington, D.C.: American Association of Community Colleges.
Retrieved from http://www.aacc.nche.edu/aboutcc/21stcenturyreport/21stCenturyReport.pdf
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012, March 20). Employment situation of veterans - 2011. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/vet_03202012.htm
Department of Defense worldwide traumatic brain injury numbers. (2011). Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center.
Government Website. Retrieved October 15, 2011, from http://www.dvbic.org/TBI-Numbers.aspx
Department of Defense worldwide traumatic brain injury numbers. (2011). Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center.
Government Website. Retrieved October 15, 2011, from http://www.dvbic.org/TBI-Numbers.aspx
Department of Veterans Affairs Women Veterans Task Force. (2012). 2012 Report: Strategies for serving our women
veterans draft for public comment (Government Report) (p. 27). Washington, D.C.: Department of Veterans Affairs.
Retrieved from http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/Draft_2012_Women-Veterans_StrategicPlan.pdf
Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. (2012). A new generation of leaders: A report on America’s perceptions of Iraq
and Afghanistan veterans. Washington, D.C.: Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Public Opinion Strategies.
Retrieved from
http://www.naspa.org/kc/veterans/Perceptions%20of%20Veterans%20A_New_Generation_of_Leaders%20%202012.
pdf
References
Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers (MIRECC). (2003). PTSD checklist - Civilian version (PCL-C).
Veterans Administration. Retrieved from http://www.mirecc.va.gov/docs/visn6/3_PTSD_CheckList_and_Scoring.pdf .
Morin, R., & Pew Researh Center. (2011). The Difficult Transition from Military to Civilian Life (pp. 1–8). Washington,
D.C.: Pew Social & Demographic Trends. Retrieved from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2011/12/08/the-difficulttransition-from-military-to-civilian-life/
National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. (2011). America’s women veterans: Military service history and VA
benefit utilization statistics (p. 63). Washington, D.C.: National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, Department
of Veterans Affairs.
National Survey of Student Engagement. (2010). Major differences: Examining student engagement by field of study annual results 2010 (Education Report) (pp. 1–52). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary
Research. Retrieved from http://nsse.iub.edu/html/annual_results.cfm
Pryor, J. H., Hurtado, S., DeAngelo, L., Palucki-Blake, J., & Tran, S. (2009). The American freshman: National norms for
Fall 2009 (Expanded., Vol. 2009). Los Angeles, CA: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA. Retrieved from
http://www.heri.ucla.edu/PDFs/pubs/TFS/Norms/Monographs/TheAmericanFreshman2009.pdf
Tanielian, T. L., & Jaycox, L. H. (Eds.). (2008). Invisible wounds of war: Psychological and cognitive injuries, their
consequences, and services to assist recovery. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp. Retrieved from
http://www.rand.org/multi/military/veterans.htm
References
U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2012). National center for veterans analysis and statistics. National Center for
Veterans Analysis and Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.va.gov/vetdata/Veteran_Population.asp
U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs, & Westat. (2011). National survey of veterans, active duty service members,
demobilized National Guard and reserve members, family members, and surviving spouses (2010) (Government
Report No. 27 (6th survey)) (pp. 1–320). Washington, D.C.: U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved from
http://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/SurveysAndStudies/NVSSurveyFinalWeightedReport.pdf
United States Department of Defense. (2012). U. S. Department of Defense [Website]. United States Department of
Defense. Retrieved March 12, 2013, from http://www.defense.gov/
Veterans Benefits Administration. (2011). Annual benefits report: FY 2011 (p. 163). Washington, D.C.: U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.vba.va.gov/REPORTS/abr/index.asp
Weber, D. J. (2012). AAA Academic Success and Well-Being Following OEF/OIF Deployment (Ph.D.). Arizona State
University, United States -- Arizona. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqdtft/docview/923053861/abstract/1396308B03A7C43FEFB/
2?accountid=14872
Zwerdling, D. (2012, August 24). Before reaching war zones, troops risk concussions. All Things Considered.
Washington, D.C.: National Public Radio. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2012/08/24/158873690/beforereaching-war-zones-troops-risk-concussions
We found the following websites particularly helpful for teaching profs.
HELPFUL WEBSITES
http://www.vetfriendlytoolkit.org/