Supporting Student Veterans

Who are military and Veteran students?

• Any student who is: • Actively serving in the military

• Reserve status

• Veteran status

• Dependent or spouse of a service member

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Student Veteran Population Attending OSU

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OSU

Population

Veteran

Population

% Total

Population

Fall 2014 ? 1030 ?

Fall 2013 27,925 1013 4.0

Fall 2012 27,278 846 3.1

Fall 2011 25,727 770 3.0

Fall 2010 24,109 719 3.0

Fall 2009 22,231 466 2.1

Fall 2008 20,328 390 1.9

NOTE: The above figures reflect the number of veteran

students using some type of military benefit.

From soldier to student

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Helping student veterans transition

by providing one or more well-

identified “go-to” persons on

campus who understand the military

experience, giving good information

in a directive fashion that feels

familiar and comfortable, and

following through with supportive

services on an as-needed basis are

all crucial to the academic success

of student veterans. (McReynolds,

J., 2014, p.2)

• Transition Theory

• Appreciative Advising

Schlossberg’s Transition Theory & Appreciative Advising

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Schlossberg’s Transition Theory

• Adult development theory

• Coping and adjusting to transitions

• Event and/or non-event

• Four “S” System • Situation

• Self

• Support

• Strategies

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Appreciative Advising

• Based on tenets of Appreciative Inquiry

• Positive approach

• Helps optimize educational opportunities

• Six “D” Phases • Disarm

• Discover

• Dream

• Design

• Deliver

• Don’t Settle

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Discover phase, the Situation, and Self Variables

Appreciative Advising Transition Theory

Discover:

• listening to their story

• uncovering strengths/passions

• positive open-ended questions

Situation – what does the transition

look like and how is it important to the

student?

Self – Student’s outlook on life in

general.

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• Helping students talk through their situations and reframe them as positive.

• Strength-based story reconstruction – acknowledging difficulties but

highlighting strengths the student has demonstrated in the telling of their

“story” and mapping those strengths to their current situation

Student scenario – Maria was excited to be promoted within the

national guard but was concerned about how she would now balance home life,

school, and her new responsibilities.

Dream Phase and the Self Variable

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Appreciative Advising Transition Theory

Dream – understanding/defining

hopes and dreams about the future

Self -Student’s outlook on life in

general

• Highlighting the future helps the student build a positive outlook

• Keeps the vision of the future in their mind, helping them through the

long haul

• Making dreams tangible by brainstorming possible examples

Student Scenario – John has been in school for three years and has one more

year left in his program. Lately his ideas around his future career have begun

to take shape but the upcoming transition out of school and back into the

workforce is making him nervous. He has also expressed that he is feeling

burnt out with school.

Design Phase and the Support Variable

Appreciative Advising Transition Theory

Design – co-creation of a step-by-step

plan to achieve goals

Support – Resources that are

available to the student

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• Development of Personal Presidential Cabinet– system of people both

inside and outside the institution to support the student during their plan.

• Social support=dealing with stress & roadblocks effectively

• Inclusion of the “Cabinet” as part of the design in crucial – don’t be afraid to

make referrals as part of the cabinet plan.

Student Scenario – Amelia is ready to lay out a long term plan to achieve her

educational goals. She is a single mother who is also working 20 hours per

week. Amelia admits that she doesn’t have strong coping skills.

The Deliver Phase and the Strategies Variable

Appreciative Advising Transition Theory

Deliver – Carrying out the plan that

was developed in the design stage

Strategies – Ways in which the

individual deals with the transition

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Student Scenario – Gus is about half way through his academic program. He

knows that he needs to get internship/field experience to be able to launch his

career after graduation but he feels so overwhelmed by searching for an

internship while going to school and working that he has stalled and feels like

abandoning his search.

• Using the strategies in their “toolbox” during the deliver phase

• Revisit the strategies laid out in the design stage but don’t be

afraid to suggest new strategies as the need arises.

• Normalize the use of more than one “strategy” in any given situation.

Don’t Settle Phase & the 4 S System

Situation

Support Strategies

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Don’t Settle

Veteran Specific Trauma Resources

• Awareness—combat, sexual trauma, natural disaster • School administration, academic performance, social relationships, &

disabilities (physical and/or emotional)

• PTSD, TBI

• Things to look for: • Re-experiencing events, avoidance/numbness, hyper-arousal, extreme emotional

changes

• Available resources: • VA Campus Toolkit

• http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/studentveteran/

• CAPS & Veterans

• http://oregonstate.edu/counsel/welcome-military-personnel-veterans

• Disability Access Services (DAS)

• Military vs. Civilian Perceptions (formerly Battlemind.org)

• https://www.rto.wrair.army.mil/

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Veterans Website

• www.oregonstate.edu/veterans/home/

• Tour of the Veterans website – direct to advisor resources page and FAQ.

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Questions?

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References: Bailey-Taylor, A. (2009). Advising Adult Students: Connecting Schlossberg’s Transition Theory to the Appreciative Advising Model. The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal. Retrieved from http://dus.psu.edu/mentor/old/articles/090708ab.htm Bloom, J.L., Hustson, B.L., & He, Y. (2008). The appreciative advising revolution. Champaign, IL: Stipes. Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Schlossberg’s Transition Theory. In Student Development in College: Theory, Research, and Practice (Second., pp. 212–226). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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References: Geisler Wheeler, J., Watson, T., Seaver, K., & Trevino, J. (2014, February 26). Soldiers to Students: Academic Advising for Returning Veterans. Advisor Connect, Penn State University. Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Portals/0/Webinars/documents/DW54%20Handout.pdf Hall, L. R. (2008). Appreciative Advising: How the Academic Centers for Excellence at the University of South Carolina are Using this Breakthrough Concept. The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal. Retrieved from http://www.dus.psu.edu/mentor/old/articles/080723lh.htm

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References: McReynolds, J. (2013, September 13). Military Life vs. Student Life: Advising Methods to Lessen the Culture Shock. PowerPoint presented at the University of Idaho Academic Advising Association Advising Symposium, University of Idaho. McReynolds, J. (2014). Lessening the culture shock: Military life vs. student life. Academic Advising Today, 37(1). Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Academic-Advising-Today/View-Articles/Lessening-the-Culture-Shock--Military-Life-vs-Student-Life.aspx

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