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Running Head: Veterans Programs at Citrus College

Veterans Programs at Citrus College

A study of the veterans programs in higher education

Azusa Pacific University

Sascha M Larrabee

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Annotated Bibliography

Ackerman, R., DiRamio, D., & Mitchell, R. (2009). Transitions: Combat Veterans as College Students.

New Directions For Student Services, (126), 5-14.

The article referenced a 2008 study on the transition of veterans from combat to college

campuses. Students were interviewed and the results were discussed. It was found that the Veterans

Administration can be very difficult to negotiate though and if a college did not have a Veterans Benefit

Coordinator then managing that can seem insurmountable. It appeared that if a university or college had

an establish veterans program then the veterans process though college could be much more smooth.

But with the additional difficulty of navigating though paper work then the entire experience may be

hampered. Most veterans as being highly important stressed the relationships of other veterans.

Connecting with other soldiers was an integral part of being deployed and some student veterans

expressed disappointment that this trend was not extended during civilian life. Therefore it is vitally

important that veterans feel a sense of community with other veterans in order to feel connected to each

other and the campus community as a whole.

Baechtold, M., & De Sawal, D. M. (2009). Meeting the Needs of Women Veterans. New Directions

For Student Services, (126), 35-43.

Veteran women have specific needs that must be met along with her male counter parts. When

the general public talks about veterans they usually envision men. Student affairs professionals should

remember that there will be returning women veterans as well. Females are less likely then men to find

same gender role models as men are. The gender roles of women may also suffer. 23 % of women in

the military have reported sexual assault in the military. It is assumed that that number is smaller then is

actually being reported. Student affairs professionals should be aware of woman’s ways of meaning

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making and should realize that this method is probably similar to ways that veteran women find

meaning.

Bauman, M. (2009). The Mobilization and Return of Undergraduate Students Serving in the National

Guard and Reserves. New Directions For Student Services, (126), 15-23.

This article focused on students who are “on call” with the National Guard or Reserves. When

they are called up to serve on active duty these students might miss 2 or more semesters of school. This

process can run smoothly or much more difficulty depending on the institutions availability of a

Veterans Center. Theses students are active participants in campus life and must now make the difficult

transition from student to soldier and in 2 years or less must make the transition back from soldier to

student again. While students are deployed they typically have little to no contact with the college at all.

This means that if there is a financial aid concern to be worked out that it must be done over the phone

or on the computer. Campuses who are not wiling to work with students who get deployed are most

likely not able to work with student who need support services in order to reenroll. Students who were

able to keep connected even slightly to their university institution found the transition back into college

life much less rocky. This communication could come from a student; faculty or staff who might reach

out to say hello or adding them receives the campus newsletter. This connection was extremely helpful

to reintegration.

Burnett, S. E., & Segoria, J. (2009). Collaboration for Military Transition Students from Combat to

College: It Takes a Community. Journal Of Postsecondary Education And Disability, 22(1), 53-

58.

The article exams some proactive ways that campus communities can make new student

veterans feel welcome on campus. The article stresses the importance of collaborations between

Veterans Student Officers and Disability student services. It is not appropriate to try to fit returning

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veterans into definitions designed for student who are not veterans, instead new definitions are needed

to fit student veterans and their situations. It takes more then just the college community to give student

veterans the support that they need. They will also require support on a state and federal level as well.

The state should set out a clear expectation that more veterans should take advantage of the GI Bill. On

the Federal level communication might be the most important to be sure that the student is not thrown

from office to office with differing regulations.

Byman, D. (2007). Veterans and Colleges Have a Lot to Offer Each Other. Chronicle Of Higher

Education, 54(16), B5.

This article focuses on the benefits that veteran students have on colleges and on how civilians

can also benefit from veterans students. As opposed to 5o years ago when most people, if not all

veterans them selves, had someone in there family who was a veteran, the general public has very little

if any connection with the military. We hear about it on the news but the average college student has

little contact with veterans. It can be the same way with veterans. They need to experience life with

civilians. Most military members work play and live with others in the military. It is important for

military members to remember civilian life. It is a benefit for all involved to make education anywhere

a possibility.

Carr, C. (2010). Soldiering on. Community College Journal, 81(1), 28-32. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/755480717?accountid=8459

This article is an overview of what several successful veterans programs look like. The schools

highlighted here are Harpers College in suburban Chicago, and Bucks Community College in Newton,

PA. It is important to realize that although circumstances are vitally different the goal of student

veterans is the same as any other student, to get a degree and improve life’s prospects. Some

community colleges are creating veterans only classes and some are having orientations geared directly

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to veteran students. Because there are time lines in which veterans must finish their degrees it is

important for student affairs professionals keep up with paper work. In that way all veterans can be

successful.

Council for Adult and Experiential, L. (2010). Duty, Honor, Country... & Credit: Serving the Education

and Learning Needs of Active Military and Veterans. CAEL Forum and News 2010. Council for

Adult and Experiential Learning.

This article articulates how one university has become more veteran friendly. Penn State University is

granting numerous scholarships to veterans. They also will grant college credit to veterans in

recognition of prior learning and life skills that they gained in the military training. There is tuition

assistance that veterans are eligible for. With all of the support available some students can go to a four-

year university for the price of a 2-year college and for others the cost may be only books. For all of

this support Penn state has been recognized with the 2009 Ray Ehrensberger Award for Institutional

Excellence in Military Education. G.I. Jobs Magazine has included the World Campus, Penn State in

its 2011 “Guide to Military Friendly Schools”. Penn State has shown us a model of the correct way that

universities can embrace this marginalized student group.

Elliott, M., Gonzalez, C., & Larsen, B. (2011).U.S. military veterans transition to college: Combat,

PTSD, and alienation on campus. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 48(3), 279–

296.

This statistical article discusses the veteran student and stress relators. The statistical analysis

shows that students who were involved in more combat exposure suffered from increased amount of

PTSD symptoms and also felt more alienated on campus. This alienation occurred with other students

as well as surprisingly, faculty. Some of the students in the study were very upset by the faculty

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speaking offensively in regards to the military. They took it as a personal attack. Other students were

struck by the insensitivity of professors. Another problems was veteran students not seeking needed

support for fear of being stigmatized as needing help and thus being weak. Faculty, students and staff

need to be aware and sensitive to the needs of the veteran student.

Fogg, P. (2007). A Dozen Teaching Tips for Diverse Classrooms. Chronicle Of Higher Education,

54(9), B12.

This article focuses on the diversity of community college classrooms. It recognizes that there

are many challenges to teaching a classroom full of young international students fresh from high school

at the same time as a single mother of two who works full time and an older non-traditional student

who has never been to college. There are several great tips for engaging students and making the

classroom comfortable and yourself accessible. A good piece of advice is to make sure that your

students understand why the work that they do is important and how this will affect real life. This will

work for all marginalized students as well as veterans.

Ford, D., Northrup, P., & Wiley, L. (2009). Connections, Partnerships, Opportunities, and Programs to

Enhance Success for Military Students. New Directions For Student Services, (126), 61-69.

This article discusses the success of military support at the University of Western Florida. The

college is close to Pensacola Air Base and Elgin Base amongst others. The college supported its

military students by making its on-line courses accessible to students when they are serving oversee.

They also have resources for students who are suffering with PTSD and TBI. There are some

suggestions for other organizations as they first develop veterans support services.

Gaines, F. P. (2004 & 1945). Opening the Doors of Opportunity: Liberal Education and the Veterans.

Liberal Education, 90(4), 32-35.

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This speech was given by Francis P. Gaines, the president of Washington and Lee University on

January 15th 1945 extolling the virtues of a liberal education for all veterans. The GI Bill had been in

affect for one year. It was given over the Columbia Broadcasting system. The speech discusses why it

is important that veterans attend college. Even though it is a bit dated it does give an opportunity to see

what was occurring directly after the GI bill was enacted. The speech discusses some of the issue that

veterans are facing even today.

Hassan, A. M., Jackson, R., Lindsay, D. R., McCabe, D. G., & Sanders, J. (2010). The Veteran Student

in 2010. About Campus, 15(2), 30-32.

This article discusses the way that veteran students are viewed on college campuses today or in

2010 as the case maybe. It was found that universities are scrambling to get counseling centers and

academic centers prepared for the increase of veteran’s students. They are also trying to get prepared

for veterans and all of the problems that come from veterans while dealing with PTSD and TBI. What

the universities manage to forget is that veteran students are actually more advanced in many

meaningful ways then traditional students. They have already learning about teamwork. They are

advanced in real life skills and most have been to other countries. We all know that diversity increases

learning skills for all students. Its time for all students to change the way that veterans are thought of.

Lokken, J. M., Pfeffer, D. S., McAuley, J., & Strong, C. (2009). A Statewide Approach to Creating

Veteran-Friendly Campuses. New Directions For Student Services, (126), 45-54.

This article highlights the positive way that one state, Minnesota dealt with the influx of student

veterans to make the campus more “veteran friendly.” The most successful interactions occurred when

the VA and student affairs professional managed integration to university life together. A Higher

Education Reintegration Training Team was formed to work together to make this process as smooth as

possible. The Minnesota state legislature enacted higher education initiatives that required all public

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universities to provide space for a veteran’s service office. It was a collaborative environment that

made these Minnesotans efforts so successful.

Rumann, C. B., & Hamrick, F. A. (2009). Supporting Student Veterans in Transition. New Directions


This article focuses on the historical significant relationships between the military and institutes

of higher education. When America transitioned from a conscripted military to an all-volunteer military

recruitment became an issue. One way to increase admission to the military was to increase the GI

benefits. This led to the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Just like directly following the Second World War there is

about to be a huge influx of returning veterans flooding out institutes of higher education. As student

affairs professional, we should be prepared. Currently there are no state or federal mandate on how to

treat veteran’s students upon their return. This depends on the individual institution. During the last

increase in veteran enrollment, many of the students’ professors would have been veterans themselves

or had a family member who was a veteran. That is no longer the case. It may be helpful for

universities to partner with Veterans association to gain a better understanding on how to help ease the

transition from soldier to student. Organizing a chance for veterans students to voice their opinions will

he helpful as well.

Rumann, C. B., Rivera, M., & Hernandez, I. (2011). Student veterans and community colleges. New

Directions For Community Colleges, (155), 51-58. doi:10.1002/cc.457

This article focuses on the student veteran’s experiences at a 2-year community college and

differentiates between a 4-year university experiences. Community colleges’ ability to address

marginalized student groups make them an ideal intuitions to address veteran’s needs. Citrus College

was mentioned as having an extremely good veterans program. It is of concern that many

universities do not have specific people in charge of helping veterans navigate the college campus or

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VA benefits. On some campuses the people in charge of making sure those veterans have the classes

that they need are the same people who work with typical students and so may not have the time and

passion to devote to veteran students. Student veterans may have difficulty at first transitioning from

the highly structured military to a much more relaxed university life style. Students at any university

but more often at community colleges may feel they are on the outskirts of campus life. Much effort

needs to make sure that this is combated at every step.

Rudd, M., Goulding, J., & Bryan, C. J. (2011). Student Veterans: A National Survey Exploring

Psychological Symptoms and Suicide Risk. Professional Psychology, Research & Practice,

42(5), 354-360. doi:10.1037/a0025164

This article assessed a survey about college students and veterans that was presented by the

Students Veterans Association. The study wanted to address several main issues. How are veterans

students mental health issues similar or different from average non- veteran college students and how

sever are these mental health problems. Are colleges counseling centers appropriately ready for the

influx of student veterans who will be flooding America’s universities. Not surprisingly the student

veterans is at a significantly higher risk then other college students for suicidality. The study also

discovered that no, sadly the counseling centers are not ready for student veterans and all the support

that they might need. The study did report ways that counseling centers can become ready for veterans

students.

Sargent, W. r. (2009). Helping Veterans Transition into Academic Life through the Creation of a

University Veteran Support Group: So We Can Better Serve Those Who Served Us. Online

Submission [serial online].

This non peer review paper discusses and answers the questions” are veterans interested in

support groups? What are the factors that prevent veterans from attending veterans’ support groups?

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What factors would increase veterans’ willingness to participate in a veterans’ support group?” The

answers o these questions are that Veterans are interested in support groups on campus. In fact it is

becoming apparent that this is a substantial need for veterans support services on college campuses.

Sadly, there is a stigma attached to seeking out counseling or extra help. There is information that

veterans support group can help veterans and their families deal with academic life, PTSD and other

stressors.

Smith- Osbourne, A. (2009). Does the GI Bill Support Educational Attainment for Veterans with

Disabilities? Implications for Current Veterans in Resuming Civilian Life. Journal Of Sociology

& Social Welfare, 36(4), 111-125.

This article attempted to answer the question are physically wounded warriors getting the same

services and help and non-wounded veterans in regards to enrollment on college campuses. The

conclusion was that although they do get the same benefit they are not being utilized in the same way.

Physically wounded warriors will need extra assistance to attend classes and be successful at a

university. A recent military scandal led to defining the difference between a Need vs. a Right as it

pertains to physically wounded warriors. Veterans may have a need for a personal assistant but they

may not have a right to that sort of assistance. The money from the GI bill was not enough for the

veterans to hire an assistant to help them get to the grocery store much less to a university class room.

Much more assistance is needed before there is no difference between non-wounded veterans and

physically wounded warriors.

Summerlot, J., Green, S., & Parker, D. (2009). Student Veterans Organizations. New Directions For

Student Services, (126), 71-79.

This article discusses the benefits of Student Veteran Organizations. They can be supportive of

students who need a safe place to go and be around students who are also veterans. They can be a place

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for resources and venting beyond the veterans service offices. Typically veterans students will start

their own student veteran organization. The club maybe just a social outlet or they may lobby on behalf

of other veterans. Student veteran organizations can be instrumental in guiding an institution on how

veterans need to be supported.

Wright, J. (2008). The New GI Bill: It's a Win-Win Proposition. Chronicle Of Higher Education,

54(36), A34.

This article discusses the opposition of the revised GI Bill. It finally passes in the years

following this article. People did not support this bill for three main reasons. 1. It is very expensive to

add another entitlement program. 2. Re-enlistment might be affected if military members go to college

instead of re-enlisting. 3. People don’t want to give money the wealthy institutions. Enlistment in the

military is down. It might be that a stronger GI Bill may prompt young people to join the military first

in order to have university paid for.

Literature Review

In the next few years the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be coming to a close. When that

happens the soldiers who are serving overseas now will be coming home. What will they be coming

home to? Unemployment is at a record high. The best thing may be for these soldiers to do is to go to

college. With the help of the Montgomery GI Bill this dream is attainable.

Wright (2008) found that one of the main reasons that young people sign up to be a soldier is to

acquire the GI Bill benefits. There are many other reasons to sign up, such as patriotism and monetary

reasons, but the reason that will be discussed in this paper will be the educational benefits awarded in

the revised post 9/11 GI Bill (Ackerman, DiRamio, & Mitchell, 2009).

Institutes of higher education should be getting ready for the influx of student veterans. This

paper will explore how one college has been successful at achieving this goal. It will also look at how

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community colleges are rising to the occasion, as well as other issues that may affect how the student

veteran will be successful at college.

Student success is a learning outcome for every institute of higher education. It is vital for

retaining students. If a student feels that she is involved on campus and has friends, then that student

has a better chance of staying at college until she graduates. If a student feels isolated on the campus

and feels that there is nothing for her on campus that she is interested in, then retention may not occur

(Astin, 1984). If many students are satisfied with the university, that will reflect the university in a

positive light. Student affairs professionals should be proactive about serving the needs of all students.

Directly after World War Two there was an influx of soldiers coming home and going to

college. Those soldiers were affected by some of the same issues that the veterans have today (Gaines,

1945). In the years following WWII, many of the veteran students had professors or staff members who

might have been soldiers (Rumann, & Hamrick, 2009). This is no longer the case. A veteran may have

no other veterans in his classroom and may not have any veterans as peers unless he seeks them out.

The average student may hear about the military on the news, but otherwise may be completely

ignorant on the process and what actually gets done in the military. It can be the same with veterans.

They may have little to no understanding of what it can be like to be a student. They need to experience

life as a civilian. It is to the betterment of all students that veterans and civilians learn together and

beside each other. (Byman, 2007)

Retaining students is high on the list of mission for most colleges. It is especially important to

make student veterans feel welcome on campus. This can lead to higher retention of veterans. It could

also be seen as the patriotic duty for all Americans to thank the veterans that have worked for our

country. Supporting veteran students is a necessary duty for all higher education institutions.

Student learning outcomes for veterans programs should be almost the same as for all students.

Among them should be to increase academic success, retain veteran students and make all students feel

welcomed and supported (Astin, 1984). Although veteran students are hugely different from other

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students, it is important to realize that they are at college for the same reason as any other student. They

hope to improve their life’s prospects. (Carr, 2010).

Rudd, Goulding, & Bryan, (2011) have found that the veterans student may have different sorts

of challenges then the civilian student. A veteran student may suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury or

TBI. Symptoms can be headaches, short attention span, difficulty in decision-making and forgetfulness.

More commonly veteran students may show symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.

This is as condition that can rate from mild to severe. The symptoms of PTSD can include suddenly

becoming irritable or angry, having a hard time concentrating or difficulty with impulse control. All of

these symptoms can make being in school very difficult (Church, 2009). Rudd et al., (2011) has also

found that veteran students are at an increased risk for suicidality then civilian students. Elliott,

Gonzalez, & Larsen, (2011) have found that soldiers who have experienced an increase amount of

combat has a higher chance of suffering from PTSD and will have a higher probability of feeling

alienated and not supported on campus. Community colleges and universities will have to make an

effort to reach out to student veteran who show these symptoms.

A “veteran friendly” campus is one where a veteran will be welcome and supported. To be

labeled a veteran friendly campus, a college must be graded on certain criteria. These criteria might

include financial aid programs available for service members, the percentage of overall student

recruitment budget allocated toward military outreach, and availability of military specific scholarships

and tuition assistance programs (such as grants for military students) (Lokken, Pfeffer, McAuley &

Strong, 2009).

There are many steps to helping a veteran feel welcome on a campus community. Several

researchers, (Lokken, et all, 2009; Rumann, Rivera, & Hernandez, 2011) have discovered one main

way to achieve successful veterans support is to collaborate with the local Veterans Association (Ford,

Northrup, & Wiley, 2009). Research based practice has shown that it will take the college community

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as well as the local Veterans Association and the GI Bill to make veterans successful at college

(Burnett, & Segoria, 2009; Carr, 2010).

If a university does not have a veterans benefit coordinator then navigating through the paper

work of the GI Bill can feel insurmountable (Ackerman, et all., 2009). It is important for students to be

able to trust and rely on the veterans benefits coordinator as well as their academic advisor. The GI Bill

has time limits in which students must be finished with their degree, so it is vitally important for the

veterans benefit coordinator to be knowledgeable of paperwork timelines. (Carr, 2010)

Sargent (2009) has found that having a veterans support group is very important to veterans.

They may use it as a way to socialize with other veterans or they may use it as a resource to gain new

information (Summerlot, Green, & Parker, 2009). It can be a place were veterans can feel free to

express themselves safely in the company of other veterans (Carr, 2010), or they may be in charge of a

certain event such as a Veterans Day memorial service. Most veterans groups are student led with a

faculty advisor in the background.

Some colleges lead workshops for faculty and staff on how to be sensitive to the needs of

veteran students. Veteran students have reported feeling alienated by professors who don’t agree with

the politics of the War on Terror. These students have been asked inappropriate questions, perhaps not

understanding how hurtful the comments can be. Giving workshops for professors and staff is a way to

lessen that difficulty and awkwardness (Chang, 2011; Hassan, Jackson, Lindsay, McCabe, & Sanders,

2010).

The system of a community college is uniquely set up to accommodate the needs of the student

veteran because of the online classes that may be available as well as the campus community already

being accustomed to campus diversity (Rumann, et al., 2011); Fogg, 2007). Many community colleges

are determined and deliberate in recruiting veterans. They recruit students by having veterans only

orientations or even veterans only classes, specifically tailored to veterans. Some colleges have veteran

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centers where veteran students can receive tutoring, attend workshops and just hang out. This sort of

space can be crucial in creating a veteran friendly community college. (Rumann, et al., 2011)

There are many studies currently being done that illustrate the needs and challenges of the

veteran student. It is important to recognize all of the positive aspects of having veteran students on

campus. (Hassan, et all., 2010; Ford, et all., 2009). Diversity leads to a better education for everyone.

Veteran students can be an asset to any college campus. Veterans are already well versed in leadership

skills, teamwork and acceptance of racial differences (Chang, 2011). Any college or university should

be proud to have such students on campus.

It is important for colleges and universities to be sure they are meeting all of the needs of

veteran students to the best of their ability. It is easy to get an idea in our heads about what we think a

veteran will look like. Student affairs professionals should not forget that this will include women

veterans (Baechtold, & De Sawal, 2009). Just as it may be difficult for men to find other veterans to

talk to, (Byman, 2007) it can be even more difficult for a woman to find the support that she needs.

(Chang, 2007) Some colleges have found it useful to organize a veteran women’s only discussion time

in an effort to reach out to this branch of veteran.

When referring to physically wounded veterans it is polite as well as politically correct to refer

to them as Wounded Warriors instead of disabled veterans (Chang, 2011). This term illustrates the

dignity these soldiers deserve after serving our country. A study was done to determine if our wounded

warriors were taking advantage of the educational benefits the GI bill afforded them. (Smith-Osbourne,

2009) It was found that the Post 9/11 GI bill was not enough money for veterans to attend college or

university. These veterans need support with basic things such as a sanitary living conditions and

assistance going to the grocery store. Most physically wounded warriors have a long time to go before

attending an institute of higher learning. (Smith-Osbourne, 2009)

In conclusion, supporting student veterans can seem like a daunting task, but it is one that can

be and must be achieved. Many colleges and universities have started successful programs that can

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make the veteran feel welcome at college (Council for Adult and Experiential, 2010). The main and

first tasks to creating a veteran friendly environment might be to acquire a detail orientated veterans

benefit coordinator. Another task may be to instigate a veteran support group. A patriotic sense of

moral obligation to veterans may be what drives student affairs professionals to support the student or it

may be the desire to support holistically, the entire student.

Method

As the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are coming home from fighting oversees, colleges and

universities are getting ready for the influx of veterans as college students. This study will evaluate the

current veterans students program at Citrus College to see if they are achieving their stated learning

outcomes.

Sample/Participants

The samples of this study were 46 veterans students who responded to the written survey. They

were veterans students from Citrus College, a local community college in Southern California. They

were given the survey by hand when they entered the veterans center. A survey reminder was emailed

to them but the survey was not given on-line.

A convenience sampling was taken of student veterans who walked through the veterans center

during a two-week period. This nonprobability sampling technique was used in an effort to increase

response rates by making the survey available to all students who used the veterans’ center. (Schuh,

2008 pg. 85) Nonprobability sampling was used to collect a sample of veterans. It was not necessary to

survey the entire veterans population and so a sample of veterans was used to represent the population.

A convenience sample was given because of the availability of veterans students that were concentrated

in the center. The aim was to measure the helpfulness of the center. (Lunsford, & Lunsford, 1995)

Interest for this study was exclusively veterans students and how much they knew about and used the

veterans center on their campus. The study was given to approximately 230 veteran students. Of this

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number 46 people returned completed surveys. The survey was given in October of 2011 and February

of 2012 in the same school year.

The limitations of this study were the availability to only do this survey in a paper version.

There was no web-based survey at the time of this study. If the survey was given on-line as well as on

paper then perhaps more student would have taken the time to complete the survey. In the future this

survey will be given both on paper and online. The strengths of this study are that only veteran students

where asked to fill out the survey thus eliminating surveys that are irrelevant.

Verbal reminders where an effective way to persuade students to complete the survey. Re-

handing out the survey was also effective. For instance if a student was too busy to fill out the survey at

one time then perhaps the next time he received it he might have had time fill it out.

Variable/Materials

A paper survey was handed out to discover the value to the students of a veterans program at a

southern California community college. It was collected by hand and was tabulated by this researcher.

A Likert scale was used for the first eleven questions. The range was from “very helpful” to

“not helpful.” The final two choices were “unaware of service” and “aware, but not used.” The next set

of questions were in a more traditional Likert scale, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly

disagree.” For these two sets of questions the mean was found and studied.

For the first 11 questions the option “Aware, but not used and Unaware of service” were taken

out for the first few calculations in order to find the mean of the other three options without the bias of

a person who didn’t use or know about the service.

Questions 12-17 rated how people agree with the following statement. These questions were the

normal Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree and strongly agree. The

questions were about the people at the center specifically the staff and the academic advisor. For these

questions, a count was taken to determine which services students were most and least satisfied with.

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Questions 20 through 21 related to how the students found out about the center and what the

students do at the veterans center. A count was found to see how the majority of the students found the

center and what the most popular things to do there might be.

The next four questions numbers 22- 26 related to demographics. This is to discover age,

gender, relationship status and number of offspring of the students. For these questions a count was

taken to discover what the average veteran student “looks like.” For the question about age the range

was found to discover the youngest age as well as the oldest age of the students. For the question about

marriage a count was done to determine how many students were married. The race and ethnicity were

counted as well.

The difference in helpfulness and satisfaction as regards to gender was counted as well. The

differences in gender were difficult to tell because only seven women completed the survey.

The final four questions are open-ended questions that required a write-in answer. For these

questions common themes were found and summarized.

Procedure

This study was locally developed in order to measure the uses and values of a community

college veterans center as it relates to the satisfaction of veteran students. Participants were asked to fill

in a simple double-sided survey with the citrus college logo at the top.

A researcher who was not a member of the Veterans center, faculty or staff analyzed results.

Themes were identified that could be sorted into common groups. Conclusions were draw about the

final four open-ended questions.

Data analysis

The means were calculated to find the average student answer of question one through 17.

Questions five through eight required a count and descriptive statistics. Statistics was used to find the

average use of the veterans center. It was discovered which of the seven main services of the veterans

center was most popular.

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Results

The results that were found didn’t vary as greatly as they might. Overall the center got mostly

fives and fours in the Likert scale. That shows that generally people found the services to be helpful and

very helpful which is exactly what was hoped for.

The service that got the lowest score on helpfulness was the academic advising service. The

survey asked students to rate the helpfulness of different departments. The statements were “meeting

with an academic advisor” which got a 4.66 and “on going advising help” which got a 4.7.

The service that scored the highest on helpfulness was the benefits department. They are the

people that stay on top of what needs to been done to receive veterans GI benefits. “Certification of

benefits” scored 4.86 out of 5.00. “Information of benefits” scored 4.82. The service may have scores

so high because historically a veterans center was the place to go for help with veterans benefits. Many

people sigh up for the military in order to get the GI benefits, which are awarded at the end of service.

(Wright, 2008)

Chart 1 shows how students rated the helpfulness of the center in questions 1-11.

19


1. Meeting with Financial aid Represen-

tative

2. Meeting with academic

advisor

3. Meeting with mental

health counselor

4.Information on GI Benefits

5. Certifica-tion of bene-

fits

6. Tutoring services

7. Meeting with mentor

8. Information of services of-

fered

9. On-going academic advising

11. Talking with someone

about my problems

4.55

4.6

4.65

4.7

4.75

4.8

4.85

4.9

4.71

4.66

4.834.82

4.86

4.78

4.83

4.74

4.74.69

How the students rated thehelpfulness of the center

Chart 1

The service that rated the lowest in satisfaction was the advising department. Both “the

academic advisor was informative about the requirements to transfer to a four year college” and “the

academic advisor in the veterans center helped me with developing clearer or educational goals”

received a 4.69 out of five.

The service that scored the highest in satisfaction is “There is at least one employee at the

veterans center who I know well enough to talk to if I was having difficulty.” The score of 4.8 speaks

to the friendliness and approachability of the staff.

20


The veterans center should be very pleased with scores that it received. Most of the scores from

the first 17 questions, which rated the helpfulness and satisfaction of the program, scored between a

4.47 and a 4.86 with the lowest score being 1 and the highest score of 5.

Chart 2 shows how students rate their satisfaction with the center.

4.624.644.664.68

4.74.724.744.764.78

4.84.82

4.78

4.69

4.77 4.784.8

4.69

How the students rate their satisfaction with the center

Chart 2

This next set of data, question 20, asks about of the student learned about the services of the

veterans center. The data suggests that most students either hear about the center from the college

website or drop in on their own. The college website is quite extensive and has all sorts of information

that could be useful to in coming veterans. It explains the procedure to receive priority registration,

where and how to go to the veterans orientation, and how to receive benefits.

21


It is important to use word of mouth as a way to spread the word about the veterans center.

Many students have heard about the center from their friends or other veterans and that is excellent. Not

many students were directed to the veterans center by instrucres unless they decided to self identify.

Of the students who dropped by on their own they are to be commended. It might be that they

saw the sign outside the center and decided to stop by. They also might have seen a notification in

passing or overheard a conversation that highlighted the center.

Chart 3 shows how veterans heard about the veterans center.

College Website

Intent form Veterans website

Staff call Instructor Friend Dropped in other0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

1817

11 11

7

1

1314

0

How veterans learned out about the center

Table 3

Question 21 discusses the reasons for visiting the veterans center. The majority of veterans who

use the center do so in order to socialize with friends or to use the computer. This tells us that the

students may use the center as a good place to study and regroup with friends. It may also tell us that

some students do not have laptops in which to do their homework. When going to the library it can be

22


difficult to find a computer to work on. Or perhaps some students feel better going to study amongst

close acquaintances.

82.6% of veterans checked the box next to socialize. 67.39% of the students who go to the

center do so in order to relax with other veterans. This is something that should be noted. Although

college is an academic institution the value of social connection should not be down played. It has been

shown that student and especially veterans value immensely the connections that are made. Students

who have a place to feel connected and relax will feel more comfortable and that will lead to an

increase in student satisfaction. These connections are essential in retaining students. (Astin, 1984)

Of the students who completed the survey only 21.73% use the center as a way to talk to

someone/stress related issues.

Chart 4 shows how the students use the center.

Socia

lizin

g

Tutoring h

elp

Info on GI b

enefi

ts

Advising a

ppointm

ent

Talk ab

out stre

ss-re

lated

issu

es

Re/Cer

tifica

tion

Break

/rela

x

Use co

mputer

/hom

ework

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40 38

26 2623

10

17

3133

How the students use the centerTable 4

The least used service at the veterans center is the counselors as a way to “discuss stress related

issues.” Near the end of the survey there was room for suggestions. Three people mentioned that the

23


counselors should to be available on more days or more often. This suggests that students think that

this service could be expanded and made more available. This may be why this service is under

utilized.

Ways to increase usage of the counselor might be to look at ways that that service is advertised.

It might be possible to also look at scheduling issues with veterans classes or if confidentially is

guaranteed. It may also be that veterans aren’t utilizing this service because of some individualized

idea that they can “do it all on their own.”

Students who marked female on their survey ranked two services substantially lower then

males. Those two services were “meeting with a counselor” and “Talking with some one about my

problems”. This might tell us the female veterans may be having some of the same issues that their

male counterparts are dealing with.

24


1. Meet w

ith Financial aid Rep.2. M

eet with academ

ic advisor3. M

eet with counselor

4.Info on GI Benefits

5. Cert of benefits

6. Tutoring services

7. Meet w

ith mentor

8. Info of services offered9. O

n-going academic advising

11. Talking with som

eone about pr...12. Info about cert and benefits13. Advisor requirem

ents for transfer14. Staff helpful at the center15. Staff helpful on the phone16. There is som

eone at the center I ...17. Advisor has helped educational ...

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

4.76 4.744.63

4.86 4.914.73 4.74 4.79 4.74 4.73 4.8 4.77 4.86 4.86 4.86 4.8

4.574.43

4

4.71 4.714.67

4.33 4.57

4.57

3.6

4.71

4.43

4.674.57 4.57

4.43

Men and women rated their satisfaction with the center Men Women

25


Questions 22-26 related to demographics of the students. The students were counted and the

average student was an unmarried male white student who was 27 years old and has no children. The

youngest student was 21 and the oldest was 44.

Charts 5-8 show demographics of the veteran student populations.

Hispan

icW

hiteAsia

nOth

er

Declin

ed to

answ

er02468

101214161820

1719

13

5

Racial divisionTable

Table 5

Single

Marrie

d

Divorc

ed /S

epar

ated

Declin

ed to

answ

er

0

5

10

15

20

2521

17

52

Relationship statusTable 6

Zer

o child

en

One child

Two child

ren

Three c

hildre

n

Four child

ren

0

5

10

15

20

25 22

97

31

ChildrenTable 7

Men Women Decline to

answer

0

10

20

30

40 35

73

Gender differences Table 8

For last four open- ended questions the common themes that were found to have compliments

about were the staff, more room needed, the counselors, and others. The questions were “What is the

26


thing that you are most satisfied with” “ In your opinion, what is the one service or aspect of the

programs that is in need of improvement?” “Are there any services not currently offered that you would

like to see offered in the future?” and “Do you have any other comments or suggestions?”

Many of the comment were made about how there should be more counselors available on more

days. There were three comment made to that effect. There were also five comments made requesting

more room.

There were a few comments made which might be helpful to adopt. One veteran requested

looking into support for homeless veterans. Another requested putting up veterans friendly job

postings.

The majority of the comments that were made were made about Saul and Teresa and the staff. A

few high lights were “Teresa's help is great, without her I wouldn't know what to do” And “Teresa is

the coolest woman ever”. Saul had some great mentions as well. Such as “That Saul guy is freakin’

amazing” and “Saul and Teresa are extremely helpful.”

Please see Appendix 1 for a complete list of comments made.

Appendix 1:

Program that could be approved on Most satisfied with

Services not offered that you would like to see

Comments or suggestions

I can't think of a way other then give more resources to the vet center so that it can grow since more vets are enrolling.

Teresa's help, without her I wouldn't know what to do. More PC's/ more space x

Need more counselors The people who work here x X

Need more counselors Mentor assistanceHomelessness Programs /Scholarships x

PRIORITY REGISTRATION

IT IS A GREAT PLACE FOR VETERANS TO GATHER FOR GOALS AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING VETERANS PARKING x

More room Help when needed x x

Counselor available on more days The help that I can get Biology tutoring xConnection of all the computers to Internet and printer. 2nd printer.

Location, How many veterans use the center. x x

Financial services Everything Better financial services x

27


x The help that I can get x x

More room Always able to find help xMore recognition to inform students of what is available

xThe knowledgeable and helpful staff. x x

Everything is great here Staff and tutoring is very helpful xGreat place to get help and study time in

More room The wonderful staff Better parking spot for work Better parking spot for work

x x x Taco Guy

x Everything! x

Stop letting in civilians in here. I'm tired of hearing 18 yold talk about their level of immaturity.

x The stress free environment x x

x Great to have it all here, Thanks! x x

x GI information x xHelp with transition to civilian life Teresa x x

x That Saul Guy is Freakin' amazing x x

x Accesible x xMore room, more furniture more staff Availability of services x x

Separate study roomsEverything but separate study rooms x x

x All x x

x layout of the center x x

x A place to socialize with my own x x

x Saul Ugarte x xThe program is great. No improvement needed. The friendly atmosphere x x

xClose to my cosmetology department. x x

More room Teresa xTeresa is the coolest woman ever.

x The help x x

xSaul and Teresa are extremely helpful x x

Job openings A place to socialize with my own Job posting and alcohol Job postings

References

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