Tailoring Higher Education Options for Smaller Institutions to Meet Veterans’ Needs: Enhancing Inclusion in Higher Education: Practical Solutions by Veterans for Veterans

Background and Need

As veterans leave the service, they are seeking higher education degrees in increasing numbers (Semer & Harmening, 2015). Thanks to the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Molina & Morse, 2017; Steele et al., 2010) and a fundamental shift in military culture towards an emphasis on “transition services” (Warrior Transition Command, 2014), more veterans are pursuing college degrees than ever before (Walton et al., 2016). Higher education institutions are adapting to the demand by creating centralized programs designed to meet the needs of student veterans. Programs such as “SERV” (Supporting Education for the Returning Veterans), established at Cleveland State University (Semer & Harmening, 2015), help students navigate administrative barriers and offer support services (Rumann & Hamrick, 2010). This type of programing may suit the needs of larger institutions with financial resources, who receive large numbers of veterans, but this model remains out of reach for smaller institutions who lack the space, funding, and personnel to manage such an endeavor. From a practical standpoint, most smaller institutions also lack the veteran volume to warrant such an undertaking. Smaller institutions have a duty to recognize and address the needs of veterans and provide affordable alternatives to for-profit institutions where veterans accrue disproportionate debt despite the educational benefits provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill (DiRamio, 2017).

Today’s veterans take advantage of opportunities to accrue college credits while on active duty. Many obtain an associate degree before they transfer into a brick-and-mortar college to continue their education towards a bachelor’s degree (Walton et al., 2016). As a result, veterans arrive on college campuses as transfer students. National trends reflect age gaps as well as social and cultural differences that set student veterans apart from their younger classmates (Cable et al., 2021; Rattray et al., 2019; Molina & Morse, 2017).

Many institutions address the benefits and financial issues tied to veterans’ issues but largely neglect the academic and social needs of veterans (Karp & Klempin, 2016). Research points to seven factors that influence postsecondary non-completion (Molina & Morse, 2017). These factors have contributed to the development of a measure by the National Center for Education Statistics (Radford et al., 2015) that examines the risk of non-completion among all individuals who enroll in postsecondary education across the United States (US). The factors include delayed college enrollment, no high school diploma, part-time college enrollment, financial independence, responsibility for dependents, single-parent status, and full-time work while in college. (Molina & Morse, 2017) Across the US 44% of student veterans report four or more risk factors associated with non-completion college rates (Ryan et al., 2011). Research reveals that student veterans tend to “come from historically underserved populations, including first-generation and nontraditional students, low-income students, and students of color” (National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, 2015).

These trends are reflected at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU; Cruz et al., 2017; Dixon et al., 2016). To address this lack of reintegration services, the authors began exploring possible solutions. The challenge was to develop a cost-effective solution to meet the needs of increasingly isolated student veterans, while laying the foundation for future growth of student veterans on their campus. The “solution” is the result of years of strategizing, negotiating, and compromising.

History of the Process

In 2016, the first author, a retired US Army Occupational Therapist, joined the FGCU Rehabilitation Sciences Department and established an ad hoc organization to advocate for veteran accessibility and services called the Veterans Support Committee (VSC). The VSC is comprised of faculty, staff, students, and community members dedicated to providing opportunities for student veterans at FGCU. A preliminary research project was created with the help of occupational therapy (OT) graduate students to identify and address the unmet needs of student veterans at FGCU. The initial 2016 mixed-methods study consisted of sending emails to student veterans to inquire about barriers to higher education at FGCU. Fifty FGCU student veterans completed the survey.

Correlations of responses were obtained using a Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient (PCC). The PCC measured the linear correlation between variables. The qualitative data was evaluated using open, thematic coding by the researchers. Open coding facilitated identification of concepts to determine the most important issues facing FGCU student veterans. Nominal data was utilized to establish an understanding of the veterans’ placement in society, school, and life. Ordinal measurements (using a 5-point Likert scale) were used to analyze opinion-based questions in order to present a more in-depth look at the population. Results of the FGCU survey revealed a student veteran demographic that reflected trends found at other US institutions: a mean age of 24, most were married with children. Many worked full and/or part-time and had significant financial obligations with a short timeline to complete coursework. Respondents indicated a desire to contribute and participate in university activities despite significant barriers such as financial obligations, family responsibilities, and predetermined timelines for completion of degrees imposed by limited GI Bill funds (Dixon et al., 2016).

A follow-up study was designed to explore the impact of a service-learning activity that would bring together student veterans and non-veterans in a community setting. The design of this study was intended to offer a more meaningful and relevant service-learning intervention, where veterans and non-veterans could foster a sense of collaboration and teamwork that replicates the sense of “unit” veterans are used to (Ahern et al., 2015). The study also aimed to expose student veterans to new experiences that could form the basis for new habits and routines which have been found to be beneficial in maintaining good mental health and psychosocial health in times of change AOTA, 2020). It was hoped that the introduction of new habits and routines would result in enhanced quality of life.

A non-randomized pre-test post-test design was used to assess quality of life measures of student veterans and non-veterans (Cruz et al., 2017). The OT service-learning intervention focused on the more challenging aspects of veteran reintegration, centered on the struggle to relate to classmates and faculty while developing a sense of belonging on campus (Rattray et al., 2019). A sense of isolation and disconnect among student veterans is a common theme that can occur due to work and life experiences, which can vary widely from their much younger peers. The absence of academic and social support and the faculty’s lack of awareness of military culture can often lead to misunderstandings and stigmatization of student veterans (Rattray et al., 2019). The OT researchers sought to provide experiences for veterans that would promote inclusion through peer bonding, networking, and empowerment. In an era of limited budgets and resources, the authors endeavored to present a convincing argument in support of veteran services for reintegration and a concrete plan for meeting the need.

The VSC implemented recommendations from the initial OT research project. Endeavors resulting from the studies are listed in Table 1.

Part of the FGCU mission includes a commitment toward social engagement with an emphasis on service learning and sustainability. Service learning is a key component to the FGCU undergraduate experience and a graduation requirement. All students are expected to complete 80 service-learning hours (40 hours for transfer students). To date, FGCU students have logged a million service-learning hours and have partnered with over 350 locations in the surrounding community (Florida Gulf Coast University, n.d.a.).

In addition to the service-learning hours, students are required to complete a compulsory course called University Colloquium. This course, comprising didactic and service-learning components, is intended to introduce students to the complexities of developing sustainable societal patterns. Civic service programs that engage veterans have demonstrated benefits for veterans in improved psychosocial outcomes and enhanced perception of social support (Lawrence et al., 2017). It is important that any service-learning component be relevant and meaningful for participants to ensure maximum participation.

The 2016 OT survey revealed several veterans felt the current service-learning component of the university colloquium course was neither useful nor relevant to them. One veteran’s response to the OT survey cited the following: “Putting me on a bus to go visit the Food Forest is not relevant or meaningful.” The results of this OT survey led the authors to consider how they could tailor a colloquium course better suited to this population to capitalize on veterans’ assets when considering veteran reintegration rather than focusing on deficits (Blaauw-Hara, 2016; Sullivan & Yoon, 2020). The ability to highlight veterans’ broad worldview, communication skills with diverse populations, and experiences with mentoring and work supervision are building blocks for a strength-based approach (Sullivan & Yoon, 2020).

Value of Occupational Therapy in the Veteran Reintegration Process

OT is an allied health profession that provides a range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic, and support services designed to allow individuals to participate fully in life. The American Occupational Therapy Association Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (AOTA, 2020) establishes nine domains of practice activities for daily living (ADLs): (a) instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), (b) health management, (c) rest/sleep, (d) education, (e) work, (f) play, (g) leisure, and (h) social participation. OTs help clients address occupational challenges within these nine domains by finding the right fit and providing the just-right challenge. The military lifestyle and its demands require an understanding of topics that include coping and adaptation to stress, ecological and systems theories, family roles and functioning, community capacity to support the population, and the effect of these elements across the lifespan—all of which are in the scope of practice of OT.

Endeavors in Table 1, were created and implemented through the lens of occupational therapy tenets. Each endeavor correlates to established domains of the OTPF-4 while recognizing military culture as an ecosystem that requires a unique approach to address reintegration in a systematic manner. This approach to the reintegration process centers on three major aspects—Awareness, Academic Achievement, and Advocacy. The authors call this the Triple-A Approach.

Triple-A Approach

The Triple-A Approach informs the framework of a veteran centric colloquium course (VCC) through three distinct pillars that shape the academic and service-learning components. The first pillar, Awareness, is addressed through topics centered on transitioning from one ecosystem to another and the ecological fit of the nontraditional student on college campuses. The second pillar, Academic Achievement, is addressed through lessons on thriving in the academic environment, writing across the curriculum, and mentoring for success. The third pillar, Advocacy, is implemented through topics on identifying, interpreting, and connecting the common ecosystems in our geographic area and the greater space, as well as cultural considerations of the military. Although these pillars form the specific foundations of these outlined topics, they are also weaved throughout the course as a whole, to best tailor the curriculum and in order to address veterans’ needs.

Veterans Centric Colloquium Course

The Veterans Centric Colloquium (VCC) was created for all student veterans and is intended to address their needs by offering opportunities to challenge and stimulate veterans to excel without additional cost to the university. The VCC uses the existing platform of the “university colloquium” (a required course at FGCU) to provide veterans with a safe environment in which to acclimate, while providing targeted resources to address and meet their specific needs, and introduce a modified colloquium syllabus based on the findings of evidence-based research on veterans’ reintegration best practices. As the course is already an existing university requirement there is no additional cost to the university or the student veteran. The benefit for veterans is the opportunity to meet and learn alongside like-minded individuals, offering a peer-connection (Jenner, 2019; Kirchner, 2015; Ackerman et al., 2009), while supported by trained faculty.

The VCC addresses “sustainability” from the lens of the military culture and veteran reintegration process (see Table 2). The curricular threads woven throughout the course consider issues that can threaten veterans’ academic success (Arminio et al., 2018; Goldberg et al., 2015; Titunik, 2008). Specific resources such as a dedicated veteran library orientation, peer mentoring, and access to community resources are included in this course (Titunik, 2008). All class discussions and assignments are intended to reflect the overarching university principle of sustainability and aim to identify, interpret, and connect the common ecosystems in the area and the greater space (Lawrence et al., 2017). The VCC offers an element of security to transitioning veterans by using familiar language.

For example, students are given “in-processing” checklists to better acquaint them to campus. Assignments are designed to encourage advocacy and foster better communication with faculty, staff, and peers. Various forms of expressive mediums are introduced to stimulate thought and reflection (poems, short stories, and journaling; Hart & Thompson, 2016). The course culminates with a service-learning project designed by student veterans which offers an opportunity to develop a project that is meaningful, that showcases their skills, and allows veterans to contribute to the community (Elliott et al., 2011; Godsay et al., 2009; Schiavone & Gentry, 2014; Yonkman & Bridgeland, 2009).

Lessons Learned and Implications for Future Practice

The program presented here was originally conceived as an elective course for Spring 2018 called “University Transition” SLS1101. We, the authors, were naïve and quite unlucky! We thought this course could offer a simple, cost-effective solution to help veterans, but hurricane Irma (2017) and an 8-million-dollar budget shortfall (Bland, 2017) resulted in the course being cancelled. In the aftermath we realized that offering a low-level elective might not have appealed to veterans and also could be cancelled at any time other budget constraints appeared. We came to realize, to be successful, we had to tap into the fabric of the institution by building a broad coalition of support through education and advocacy, of faculty, administration, and students. Events such as veterans’ specific orientations, 5k Veterans’ Run, Veterans’ Golf Event, Veterans Appreciation Luncheon, and presentations for diversity and inclusion helped grow our support base. Tying our course to existing university requirements by creating a veteran centric colloquium (VCC) made it more appealing for student veterans. Blending the existing colloquium framework to address best practices in veteran reintegration required intensive, detailed attention and helped us understand that this is not a course that can be taught by “anyone.” It requires a faculty member who has knowledge of the military, that is a given, but it also requires an appreciation for the spectrum of military experiences and their effects on academic performance. Faculty working with veterans must have a strong foundation in adult pedagogy that addresses the social, emotional, and cognitive challenges of adult learners. Faculty also have to convey a depth of compassion to connect with veterans. Quite simply, to truly connect, veterans have to trust you, and they have to feel “you have their six.”

We are hopeful that we will have a chance to implement our course in the near future, as we have reached a point where preparation and tenacity have met with opportunity. We have decided to publish our program proposal as we feel strongly that sharing our proposal may benefit veterans at other small institutions, especially when one considers 40% of colleges and universities offer programs and services for student veterans (McBain et al., 2012).

Providing a dedicated place and space for veterans to meet and discuss encourages veterans to bond, network, and collaborate. A veterans’ colloquium replicates the sense of “unit” veterans are accustomed to, is designed to empower veterans to explore their milieu, and look for opportunities to engage and share their own abilities. Fostering a sense of unity leads to a greater sense of belonging, both at the university and in the regional community at large.

Conclusion

Occupational therapists are trained to address the fit between the person and their environment and to recognize signs and symptoms of occupational imbalance (AOTA, 2020). This unique perspective makes occupational therapists ideally suited to address the needs of student veterans integrating into environments of higher education (Plack et al., 2013). Threading concepts from an occupational therapy practice framework (OTPF) throughout the veteran centric colloquium course can lead to better outcomes and wellbeing. This enables veterans to establish new habits and routines crucial for maintaining good mental and psychosocial health during times of transition (Cruz et al., 2017; AOTA, 2020). Substituting a mandatory colloquium course with a veteran centric colloquium (VCC) is a budget-friendly approach to ease veterans’ adjustment to classrooms. There is no additional cost to the student veteran or the university. The VCC is a sustainable option to address the needs of student veterans in smaller institutions. Such an endeavor provides student veterans with a safe place and space, setting the stage for successful higher education integration (Cruz et al., 2017; Dixon et al., 2016, Philhower & Steele, 2020). A university that creates opportunities such as a veteran centric colloquium shows a willingness to welcome diversity, foster inclusion, and embrace change.