Advising, mentoring and support services are critical if veterans and active-duty military are to succeed in postsecondary education today, witnesses said at a congressional hearing held Wednesday on the 12th anniversary of the September 2011 terrorist attacks.
“As more troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan, postsecondary institutions now face the largest influx of student veterans on campus since World War II,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who chairs the House higher education subcommittee that held the hearing.
Innovations cited by experts included the University of North Carolina system’s UNC Serves, a special committee that focuses on issues facing active-duty military and veterans, said Kimrey Rhinehardt, vice president for federal relations at the North Carolina campus system. The system has a military student success policy that includes guidelines to help improve admission, data collection, campus support systems and transfer of student credit for veterans.
A veteran is “not the typical student,” said Rhinehardt, noting that they may need help to navigate complex GI Bill benefits as well as a decentralized campus with varied education programs and requirements. Rhinehardt said institutions can be most effective by offering “a one-stop-shop approach” with a central location for veterans to receive assistance.
Saint Leo University in Florida awarded 1,485 degrees to veterans last year, double the number from two years ago, said Arthur Kirk, university president. He credited the progress in part to a major increase in the number of veteran counselors at the university, which jumped from 20 to 52.
Many faculty and staff also receive training on veteran issues, including how to recognize post-traumatic stress disorder through training provided by the university’s office on veteran student services, explained Kirk. A retention alert system identifies students at risk of falling behind in their studies, while online course options help active-duty and veteran students continue their enrollment, he added.
