CCME Burning Issues Roundtable: Veteran Transitioning
Thursday, February 13
Presenters
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Mr. Kevin Smith, Logistics Management Specialist, USMC
Mr. Amy Moorash, Chief, Advising and Apprenticeship Program, ACES, JBLM Lewis, WA
Mr. Marc Churchwell, Director, Military and Veterans Resource Center, UWF
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Mr. Seth Kamen, SOC Assistant Director for the Degree Network System (recorder) - One
observation, if I may. While listening to a lot of the conversation, I was stuck by how apparent it
was that Institutions are compartmentalized when it comes to Military functions and regular
institutional functions. A lot of the items discussed were presented as if the policies or practices
only apply to the Servicemember, which is not the case. (One example that sticks out to me was
probational admission.) It was curious for me, as I come from a non-military institutional
background. I've been toying with the idea of a white paper or a future presentation on the
topic.
Introduction and Commentary from Presenters
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Abstract: Refer to slide.
o Strategies: Refer to slide.
o Best Practices in offering Education to Servicemembers
o Broad range of education training
o Future employment
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Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act
o Refer to slide.
o Authorizes DoD to do programs for Servicemembers before separation
o Expands education and training opportunities
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DODi 1322.29 - Job Training, Employment Skills Training, Apprenticeship and Internships
o Refer to slide.
Marc Churchwell:
 UWF Veterans Center is two years old, built because of need of students. Lesson
learned: Consult students before thinking you know what to build and what services
to offer.
 Ability to help Veteran Students to go back to school
 Advocacy for the Veteran student
 Center is where the rubber meets the road:
o Veterans are often benefits when it comes to how to use and get their
benefits – walk them through the steps, explain terminology, etc.
o Maximum Transfer Credit
o One Stop Shop: VA Certifier, VA student workers to engage students and get
them started, social worker, and student workers as transition counselors.
Kevin Smith:
 Purpose: To cover what the new servicemember would go through, from enlistment
to separation. Develop a strategy to evaluate goals, career goals, and educational
goals.
 What does it mean to pursue an education?
o When first checking in, meet with each servicemember about their
educational goals. What kind of degree do they want to pursue? What is the
MOS they are in, and also what field they want to go into? How can current
skills be translated into a work field?
o The new PTSD: “Prevent Transitioning Stress Disorder”
o What is a marketable degree, and how does military experience relate?
o Support of the Services
 How do they get the resources they need?
o Example: Forum for discussion (MC Camp Pendleton): Bring in stakeholders
and discuss what is missing, what is working, and what needs to be fixed.
 What they found was that Servicemembers needed things to be
defined: VA benefits, terms, etc.
 The conversation led to the adaption to meet more of the needs of the
servicemember
 Aligned curriculum of what servicemembers didn’t have and what they
needed
Amy Morrish:
 The Transition Council for the state of Washington attempts to reach out and train to
bridge the gap:
o Workforce employment offices
o Education partners
o Military personal
o Business partners
o Certification and Trade program representatives
o Veterans associations/groups
 More than 13K will transition out of military and make WA their home per year.
 Washington ranks amongst the highest on the amount of unemployment paid to VA
students per year
 Five Education Training programs at Joint Base Lewis McCord have become a model
for the entire Army:
o HVAC/Welding program with guarantee of job
o Painters and Allied Trades for industrial applications
o Construction Program and Truck Driving
o Inside Wireman Program within Electronic industrial applications
o Information technology training partnering with Microsoft
Discussion Questions
Question: What can you do to help the servicemember determine what is the best program for
them?
 Ask them if they like what they are doing, and if not, why are they pursuing it?
 Explore the transfer of skills including collateral and applicable skills.
 Use the skills they know to do new jobs (Snipers to game design, Medics to medical
hacker)
 What are the assessment tools to determine if a servicemember will be successful?
 Institutions aren’t prepared to work with each student individually. Advisors tell them to
do one thing, and a veteran dedicated staff member can help encourage or change the
direction for the positive.
Question: What are the obstacles institutions are facing with the increasing number of veterans
 University of Phoenix: How to get students into jobs that requires certification; using
MOS/Service school credit.
 Aviation Institute of Maintenance (VA): Virginia Values Vets (3V) examines how to get
employers to understand a military resume. Companies are pledging to hire a certain
number of vets per year.
 SVA / National Center: Link veterans in the field/industry to incoming students for advice
and conversation
Question: What can DoD or others do to make the transition more effective and relatable?
 Reorganization of the TAP program across the service
 How effective the program is depends on the person and their life issues
 For Army: Earlier start of the transition, beginning at 12 or 18 months, starts with
financial counseling
Question: Does anyone have any best practices? Bragging rights?
 Columbia Southern University – Can methods be identified that have good success rates
for early intervention?
o Transition Courses
o Dedicated person to monitor students – share resources, watch benefits, mentor,
etc.
o ACE Veteran Success Tool Kit.
o Specific Retention plan for Military Students
o Training faculty/staff members
 Physical Space on campus is vitally important to build the community and provide the
services needed
 Advisory Board
 Get support from the institution
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Use of career center/services to do skills and aptitude tests.
Flexibility for Veterans to get into school without looking at their HS grades. Let them
prove they are able to do it.
o National University – Veteran’s Center for Success
 Advisors are educated on the population
 Student advisors and mentors about National program specifically
 Has the option to admit on probation, but have expanded to now
identifying those about to go into probation issues
Question: What are the skills that the military are bringing to your campus that separates them
from other students?
 Northern Arizona: A lot of incoming Veterans are interested in some type of business
degree. Business core courses are transferring in from MOS/Service School credit. Would
like to see transition advisors to talk with students before they go through the process.
(KS: How do you eliminate the short falls. Personal challenge was finding the resources to
compensate. Was happy to find someone who could relate and understood the
difficulties.)
 Park University, Fort Bliss: Faculty and instructors understanding of the military culture is
vitally important. Schedule, mental and psychological issues, for example.
 Georgia Regents University - There was an assumption that VA students weren’t as good
as their traditional students. Data showed that this wasn’t the case. VA students were out
preforming the other populations.
 Stereotypes of the population need to be changed. From enlistment (you were a misfit,
etc.) to transition to Veteran (not prepared, violent, psychological issues, etc.) Does this
lead to VA students not identifying themselves? How does the institution describe you?
 Institutions are doing more outreach to VA students and to others to educate them
 Marine Corps Cherry Point: Rep is part of the transition program. Resume building, VA
benefits are required. Education track is a two-day voluntary track.
 University of Northern Colorado: What are the services doing now to help transition the
student?
o MC: Talk about cultural differences between Military and Academia.
o For all DoD: E-learning portal is under development to assist students after they
are separated so they can go back and refresh themselves on the topics.
o All services are trying to start the transition conversation earlier, such as 12 or 18
months in.
Question: What is it that the servicemember doesn’t know to ask, and what is it they don’t know
what they don’t already know. How to educate them?
o Students don’t want to ask for help, so we have to help them.
o Schools are offering a 1 credit transition course that teaches how to become a
student
o Northern Arizona University developed a three-credit hour liberal studies elective
(military and veteran culture) that is accepted by the entire university and
acceptable for transfer.
o Resource Tool: ACE Veteran Friendly Tool-Kit. Future webinar series on faculty
training. Partnered with XX to offer training.
o Resource Tool: Center for American Progress – Index for Veteran success
o MOOC’s are an opportunity to allow Veterans to make the transition
o “Reverse Boot Camp” – Acclimate to the Academic Environment
o Creditability of VA faculty and Staff to those who have a similar experience.
o Specific VA/Military counselor in enrollment management
Question: Oregon State struggles with online one-on-one touch points. How to do it?
 UWF: Skype and phone calls w/o time limits
 Online veterans center via LMS
Ongoing Issues
Don’t forget about spouses
 Spouse counseling
 Listen to their needs
 Spouses can influence the behaviors and change them
 Scholarships
Financial Issues for Veterans
 Do VA students need financial counseling? (YES)
 How to provide it:
o Community support and resources
o Housing Issues / Homelessness
o Those who rely solely on VA Benefits, which may be delayed
 Institutional loans to cover gap
 Veteran Resources Association of America: Help with financial advising
and loans
Command Support:
 Research VOW
 Change the culture at the leadership level
 Time Management
 MOU with the base. Which schools/functions have access, and which do not? How to find
the balance and how to monitor it?
 School resources aren’t solicited, but schools are willing to help.