Sloan-C Webinar Series 2014: Increasing Online Student Success & Retention for Veterans, Servicemembers & Military Family Members

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Sloan-C Webinar Series 2014:
Increasing Online Student Success & Retention for
Veterans, Servicemembers & Military Family Members
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4. Sloan-C Webinar Series 2014:
Increasing Online Student Success & Retention for
Veterans, Servicemembers & Military Family Members
Campus Administrative Panel:
Meeting the Diverse Needs of Servicemembers, Veterans &
Military Family Members Enrolled in Online Education
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 12:00 - 1:30 pm ET
Panelists:
Kathy Snead, Don Stumpf,
Kelly Wilmeth & Jorge Trevino
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5. Moderators
• Kathleen S. Ives, D.M.
Acting Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director
The Sloan Consortium
• Sandra Coswatte
Director, Sloan-C Institute
The Sloan Consortium
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6. Panelists
• Kathy Snead
Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC)
• Don Stumpf
Columbia College of Missouri – Ft. Stewart
• Kelly Wilmeth, MA
University of Maryland University College
• Jorge Trevino
Pennsylvania State University
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7. Agenda
• Campus Administrative Panel Introduction
• Meeting the Diverse Needs of Servicemembers, Veterans
& Military Family Members Enrolled in Online Education
• Resources
• Q & A
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8. Kathy McMurtry Snead, Ed.D.
Director, Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC)
Vice-President for Military and Veterans Partnerships, American
Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)
The SOC Consortium is a diverse group of 1850+ institutional members
who pledge to support military students and veteran educational endeavors
at the postsecondary level. Funded through a Department of Defense
contract through AASCU.
Serve as vehicle to help coordinate postsecondary educational
opportunities for servicemembers
Strengthen liaison and working relationships among military and higher
education representatives
Advocate for flexibility needed to improve access to and availability of
educational programs for servicemembers
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9. Kathy McMurtry Snead, EdD
Highlights:
•Engaged in higher education administration for 30+
years, primarily coordinating student services and academic
advising for institutions of higher learning
•SOC Director since 2005; SOC staffer since 1995
•Appointed to Secretary of Veterans Affair's Advisory
Committee on Education (2007-2014); Chair for 2013-14
•Served on American Council on Education’s Commission on
Lifelong Learning (now Attainment and Innovation), 2012-14
•Spouse of Army careerist, relocating frequently...wherever the
Army sent us!
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10. Don Stumpf, EdD
Director
• Columbia College - Fort Stewart (FSGA)
• Served in the Georgia Air National Guard
Columbia College:
•Private, non-profit, coeducational liberal arts and sciences college
founded in 1851
•Our top military education and adult continuing education opportunities
are available at 35 campuses nationwide.
•We serve nearly 25,000 college students each year in 13 states, with 18
campuses being conveniently located on military bases.
•In 1973, at the request of the military, the college began educating
military personnel, making it one of the first colleges in the country with
extended campuses on military bases. This was the start of what is now
the Division of Adult Higher Education.
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11. Don Stumpf, EdD
Highlights:
•Transitioned from aviation to education in 1998
•Worked with the U.S. Army for more than 20 years in various
capacities from helicopter mechanic to campus director
•Positions in higher education include Administrative Assistant,
Academic Advisor, Assistant Director, Assistant Professor,
Graduate Coordinator, Director of Teacher Education
Programs, and also worked with the Georgia Board of Regents
Military Affairs Committee.
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12. Kelly Wilmeth, MA
• Associate Vice President
Stateside Military Support-Department of Military Partnerships
University of Maryland University College. Responsible for oversight
of UMUC operations on military installations across the U.S.
• UMUC
A member of the University System of Maryland, UMUC is regionally
accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education,
providing credibility and recognition in the job market. And for more
than 65 years, UMUC has provided educational opportunities to
students around the world, earning the university a global reputation
for excellence.
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13. Kelly Wilmeth, MA
Highlights:
•Master of Arts in Secondary Education
•Former public school teacher
•Military spouse married to an Active-Duty Army Officer
•Moved into higher education administration in 1996 under the DoD
Voluntary Education Program
•Director of Student Services/Registrar – City Colleges of Chicago –
Programs for the Military Europe
•Director of Operations – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University -
Hawaii
•Site Director – University of Oklahoma in Korea
•Regional Manager – UMUC Korea
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14. Jorge Trevino, DBA
Lecturer & Academic Adviser
Pennsylvania State University World Campus
•SHC (SW), US Navy Ret.
Penn State:
•Penn State is a major, public, research-I university serving Pennsylvania
and the global community. Penn State University is comprised of twenty-
four campuses; 17,000 faculty and staff; 100,000 students; a teaching
hospital that provides care to more than a million patients a year; over
one-half million active alumni; an online World Campus that empowers
anyone to pursue an education—anytime, anywhere; and the largest
student-run philanthropic organization on the planet.
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15. Jorge Trevino, DBA, SHC (SW), USN, Ret
Professional Highlights:
•Ship Serviceman Chief Petty Officer, Surface Warfare Specialist, US
Navy, Retired with 24 years of service
•BA in History & Political Studies, Chaminade University of Honolulu,
HI
•MS & Doctor of Business Administration from National Graduate
School & University, Falmouth, Massachusetts
•Lecturer & Academic Adviser for Military programs at Penn State
Would Campus On-Line
•Principle Investigator for Veteran on-line Students with Disabilities
(VOSDs) at World Campus
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16. Dr. Kathy M. Snead
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17. Serving Military Student Populations
However educational programs are being delivered for military
student populations, it is important to build in all items on the Student
Veterans Wish List* into that strategic plan:
•Develop a Veterans Support Committee to improve institutional
climate for veterans through feedback loop
• Develop Student Military/Veterans Meeting Space (Blog, Virtual
Student Veterans Chapter, Chat Room, Facebook)
• Publicize campus information on Military-Friendly Web site as a
one-stop resource guide
• Educate faculty, staff, administrators, and other students about
student-veteran needs and concerns
*Campus Kit for Colleges and Universities, Student Veterans of America
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18. Know your Military Student Audience
• Understand the general demographics of the military student
population, but also your specialized population— are they active-
duty, guard/reservist, veteran, spouse and/or dependents (e.g.,
extended weekend programs may not work well for National
Guard)
• Large proportion of military students are first generation college
students. Many do not “know how to enroll” or what the key
deadlines are for acceptance/registration/enrollment. Create a
“new student” checklist and timeline so they can anticipate and
plan for the process; when to submit VA benefit eligibility and
certification paperwork
• Computer literacy and online course protocols, what are the
institutional expectations? Trial assignments, orientation to online
learning. Are there IT compatibility or access issues?
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19. Access to Support Services
All online students need access to academic and student support
services; military students may need additional supports:
•Tutorial and/or remedial assistance
•Injury and/or Trauma-Related Supports — providing services and
support for the needs of veterans with disabilities; mental health issues
affect enrollment and student success
• Accommodate absences due to military service requirements,
establish a withdrawal policy due to mobilizations/deployments. Also
establish and publicize a readmission policy that does not
disadvantage the servicemember.
•Designate a centralized point of contact to provide academic and
financial advice; adjudicate grievances or concerns.
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20. Professional Development for Faculty
• Understanding the Military Student Population
• Campus and Community Resources to support
servicemembers/veterans—how to access, when to refer
• Issue Identification when teaching online (absences, missing
assignments, potential signs of Post-traumatic Stress or other
stressors)
• Optimizing the learning experience through multiple delivery
methods, alternative media, clearly defined assignments in
advance of deadlines
• Understanding the Mental Health Needs of Student Veterans
• Faculty support and consultations—help desk and instructional
support team for exceptional situations/accommodations
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21. Don Stumpf, EdD
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22. Deployment and Training Cycle Awareness:
Services, Support, and Considerations
• Deployment Cycle - Pre-Deployment and Deployment
• Training Cycle – Post-Deployment (Stand Down and
Ramp Up)
• Hours of Operation – Staggered for Access & Influenced by
Operational Tempo
• Leverage Different Academic/Administrative Support
Modalities
• Family Members are Part of the Deployment and Training
Cycles
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23. Considerations for Timely Acquisition of
Course Materials during Deployment
• Provide Early Access to Required Course Materials
Information (i.e., calculators, book ISBN #, software, course
companion site information, etc.)
• Establish Partnerships with Textbook Vendor
• Leverage eResources
• Faculty Require Understanding of Challenges
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24. Academic Advising and the Deployment Cycle
• Pre-Deployment Discourage Registrations ‘In-Transit’
• Encourage Options during Initial Deployment Period (i.e.,
testing, acquiring course materials, pre-reading, etc.)
• Provide Detailed Explanation of Degree Requirements
• Provide Detailed Explanation of Course Syllabus
• Provide Clear Explanations of Challenges
• Develop Communication Plan
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25. Recommendations to Instructors for
Developing Assignment Policies
• Leverage Technology
• Establish Well Defined Policies for Approving Proctors
• Utilize Rubrics for All Assignments
• Provide Thorough Explanations of Grading Polices
• Establish Plain Language Guidelines for Assignment
Submissions
• Cleary Define Expectations for Performance
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26. Models and Strategies For Campuses That Do
Not Have an Office of Veterans Affairs
• Leverage Home Campus VA Resources
• Primary Certifying Official
• Develop Administrative and Advising Team (where possible)
for Designated Support of VA Students
• Leverage VA Resources (i.e., Training, Conferences, and
Work-Study)
• Promote Veteran Scholarships
• Provide Advance Access to Upcoming Course Schedules
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27. Recommendations and Considerations for Online
Advising, Counseling, Libraries, Technology Support,
Financial Aid, and Other Campus Resources
• Communication - Pre-Deployment and Follow on Contacts
• Rapport Building
• Academic/Administrative Support Modalities
• Social Media
• Staffing
• Real Time Access to Real People
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28. Kelly Wilmeth
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29. Dedicated advising teams designed to meet the unique needs of
military and veteran students and military spouses
• Advisors serve as Subject Matter Experts
• If possible, a team of Advisors should be available 24/7 for
deployed students
• Registration/Textbooks/Readmissions/Technology Assistance
• Integrated career and academic advising
• Degree mapping

Choosing a major

Course planning
• Evaluating transfer credit from military experience
• Assistance with transition from active-duty to veteran status
• Serve as liaisons with online and onsite instructors
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Meeting the Needs of Military Students
Stationed Worldwide/Deployed

30. Front-line staff on military installations who understand the unique
challenges military students face and who provide a full suite of
student services to include:
• Application and registration services
• Academic advising
• Assistance with TA, GI Bill benefits, and Financial Aid
• Evaluations of military experience and other sources of
transfer credit
• Administration of placement exams
• Managing articulation agreements with other educational
institutions
• MYCAA Funding/Scholarship opportunities for spouses
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Meeting the Needs of Military Students
Stationed Worldwide/Deployed

31. Mandatory training for staff and faculty including general
orientation training and more specific training depending on
specific roles:
• Military culture and sensitivity
• Education benefits and funding
• Federal legislative oversight (8 Keys to Success; Executive
Order # 13607
• Basic structure of the military
• Military lifestyle
• Transition
• Military and veteran student profiles
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Staff and Faculty Training on Military/Veteran
Student Issues

32. • Provide access to a rich collection of research materials on a
variety of topics (e.g., business, social sciences, sciences, arts
and humanities, and computer and information systems)
• Students should be able to access an extensive array of
subscription research databases containing tens of thousands of
full-text articles, as well as thousands of electronic books, no
matter where in the world they are located
• OneSearch allows users to search for scholarly articles, books,
and/or other research resources via a single search engine in
most of the databases to which the Library subscribes,
either directly or as additional resources
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Library Resources

33. • Using free (often open-source) textbooks and/or replacing the
traditional textbook in every course with a set of quality, electronic
resources that support learning.
• A number of free or close to free textbooks are being developed
(e.g., http://www.collegeopentextbooks.org/) by faculty for wide
use.
• These resources are shared freely with colleagues via
repositories such as MERLOT (http://www.merlot.org/) or the
Open Courseware Consortium (http://www.ocwconsortium.org/).
• The solution is not to just send students to the Internet to find
resources, but rather movetoward a set of carefully curated digital
materials for each course.
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Open Educational Resources

34. • Veterans Resource Centers
• Student Veterans of America
• Veterans Certification Office
• On-site & On-line Mentoring Programs
• Veteran & Military Student Orientations
• Vet Success on Campus Program
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Recommended Resources to Optimize
Veteran & Military Student Success

35. Jorge Trevino
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36. Overview of Services Offered
• On-line student Advisors divided into teams for degree
concentrations
• Exclusive Military Adviser Team for Veterans, Military and
Family members
• Priority Registration for Veterans
• Discounted rate for Active duty Military and Spouses
• Identifying Veteran On-line Students with Disabilities
(VOSDs) is a study that we have conducted and I will focus
on how DMAIC was used in assisting Veterans and Military
that may need Disability Services
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37. Action Research Study & DMAIC
• Six Sigma tools & methodology used as road map for the
research & study
• Mixed method (Qualitative and Quantitative) using an
Action Research design
• Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved research

38. DMAIC Roadmap (Six Sigma)
 Define project boundaries
 Measure processes and benchmark
 Analyze data
 Improve on current processes
 Control with Standard Operating
Procedures
80%
10%
5%
2%
3%
Milestones ~Duration

39. • Veterans are returning home from conflicts overseas and are
enrolling in higher education
• Some of these students are Disabled Veterans that have
chosen an on-line format to meet their needs.
• The culture of this population group is different from that of
the normal students with disabilities and the challenges they
face are compounded by the unfamiliarity of the on-line
education delivery format.
Veteran on-line Students with Disabilities (VOSDs)

40. Problem Statement
• Veteran on-line students with disabilities(VOSD) were
not utilizing the in-place student services that provide
equal access to education attributing to an increase of at
risk student population.

41. Veteran Culture of Non-disclosure
• All Veterans & Military member do not
start their military career as a disabled
person. It is acquired during service and
is classified differently
• Many do not acknowledge they have a
disability “Black Knight Syndrome”
• Many do not know that there are services
available “Misconceptions – “…it is not
for me”
• Trained to only disclosure on a “Need to
know” bases.
• Veteran on-line Student with Disability
(VOSD)
• Institutional Awareness: (Triggers /
Indicators) is key factor to direct VOSDs
to resources.

42. Model for Enhancing Processes
VOSD
Discloses
Disability
Referred
VOSD to
DCL
Process
Ends
VOSD provided
with contact
information for
DCL
Four Phases
•Disclosure Phase
•Coaching Phase
•DCL Contact Phase
•Follow-up
Eight Step Process
•VOSD disclosure
•Adviser provides information
•Adviser refers to DCL
•Adviser informs VOSD
•Adviser refers to DCL
•DCL contacts VOSD
•Adviser follows up with DCL / VOSD
•VOSD process complete
Old Process
New Model/Process

43. VOSD On-line Culture Findings
• Veterans feel that on-line is more accessible and
accommodating when it is not and can be more challenging
• VOSDs will withdraw or drop out before seeking help when
it has reached the point of no return.
• Disclosure and Couching is key factor to preventing VOSD
at Risk students
• Feel that they can handle or fix issues – “Black Knight
Syndrome”
• Performance Measures (Trend Analysis)

44. VOSD Trend Analysis
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Incluclusive Reactive Semi
Proactive
Proactive
VOSD Before
VOSD After
VOSD
Inclusive: VOSD called, but did not self-disclosed
Reactive: VOSD called for services when at risk
Semi-Proactive: VOSD does not think he needs services
Proactive: Self Discloses and requests accommodations
Performance Measures
Results: 0 to 68 VOSD with
Accommodations in 12 months.
Approximately: 3,300% increase
Results: 0 to 68 VOSD with
Accommodations in 12 months.
Approximately: 3,300% increase

45. Resources
• SOC http://www.soc.aascu.org/
•SOC Publications and Resources (such as Pocket Guide to College Outreach to
Military Students, Spreadsheet of Programs and Services for Servicemembers,
Veterans, and Family Members)http://www.soc.aascu.org/socconsortium/
PublicationsSOC.html
• From Soldier to Student II: Assessing Campus Programs for Veterans and
Servicemembers
http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/From-SoldiertoStudentII.aspx
• ACE Toolkit for Veteran Friendly Institutionshttps
://vetfriendlytoolkit.acenet.edu/Pages/default.aspx
• Teaching America’s Best: Preparing Your Classrooms to Welcome Returning
Veterans and Service Members
http://www.nod.org/assets/downloads/AmericasBestTeaching.pdf
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46. Resources
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• Columbia College of Missouri
– http://www.ccis.edu/
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Education and Training
– http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/
• Post-9/11 GI Bill, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Facebook
– https://www.facebook.com/gibillEducation
• Executive Order – Principles of Excellence
– http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/27/executive-order-establishing-princi
– http://www.dantes.doded.mil/Homepage/Docs/news/HN_PrinOfExc.pdf
– http://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/attachments/GEN1210PEO13607.pdf
• Columbia College – Fort Stewart on Facebook
– https://www.facebook.com/CCFortStewart
• A Review of Veteran’s Achievement in Higher Education
– http://www.studentveterans.org/images/Reingold_Materials/mrp/download-
materials/SVA_MillionRecordsProject_FullReport.pdf

47. •You may also be interested in these Sloan-C workshops:
•Supporting Military Students
•Using Social Media in a Crisis Situation
•Easy Course Enhancements to Improve Access
•Retention Challenges and Solutions
Join us for Upcoming Sloan-C
Events
For All Upcoming Workshops
http://sloanconsortium.org/workshops/upcoming
Upcoming Webinars
http://sloanconsortium.org/webinar_listing
For All Upcoming Workshops
http://sloanconsortium.org/workshops/upcoming
Upcoming Webinars
http://sloanconsortium.org/webinar_listing
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48. Conferences & Call for Papers
• Special Issue of JALN: Online Student Success & Retention for Veterans,
Servicemembers & Military Family Members
• JALN Call for Papers & Reviewers: Submissions Due Date - To Be Announced
http://jaln.sloanconsortium.org./index.php (select Register)
• Contact: publisher@sloanconsortium.org for more information
Conferences:
•11th Annual Sloan Consortium Blended Learning Conference & Workshop
July 8-9, 2014 - Denver, CO
•20th Annual Sloan Consortium International Conference on Online Learning – 20TH
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!
October 29-31, 2014 - Orlando, FL
Journal for Asynchronous Learning Networks
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49. Q & A
Thank you!
Join us:
Twitter #SloanC
#Military
Final webinar:
•Tuesday, June 4, 12-1:30 pm ET
Final webinar:
•Tuesday, June 4, 12-1:30 pm ET
Sloan-C Webinar Series Information: http://sloanconsortium.org/institute/webinars/increasing-
online-student-success-for-veterans
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