College survey unveils shortcomings
The Post-9/11 GI Bill took effect Aug. 1, and in preparation for the long-awaited start date, many colleges and universities have been pursuing ways to make their campuses more military-friendly.
Now, a new report by the American Council on Education, in collaboration with the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges and two other education associations, takes a look at the accomplishments and shortcomings of 723 higher education institutions. The report, “From Soldier to Student: Easing the Transition of Service Members on Campus,” is an interesting read on what schools are doing right in the way of providing services and assistance to veterans. But it is perhaps more useful to service members and veterans for the details it provides on what schools are doing wrong.
While institutions are not identified by name, the targeted areas of shortcomings most often identified in the report offer up a good checklist by which would-be students can gauge for themselves an individual school’s level of military friendliness.
Some highlights:
Public four-year (74 percent) and public two-year (66 percent) institutions are more likely to have programs specifically designed for military veterans than private not-for-profit colleges and universities (36 percent).
Only 23 percent of colleges and universities that serve military students and veterans have staff who are trained to assist veterans with brain injuries, and 33 percent have staff trained to assist veterans with other physical disabilities.
Only 22 percent of institutions with programs and services for military personnel have developed an expedited re-enrollment process to help students restart their academic efforts.
Just two out of five schools that serve military students and veterans provide training opportunities for faculty and staff to be better able to assist military students and veterans with easing the transition from military to college.
