Notes From The Edge - Military Times Edge

Talk about a great idea whose time has come.

The nation’s first transitional housing and rehabilitation center for wounded combat veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is scheduled to open its doors in January. Located on the campus of Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, Mass., the Northeast Veteran Training and Rehabilitation Center will provide combat-wounded veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and other injuries and their families with access to housing, campus services and academic programs – all free of charge – while the veteran participates in therapy, rehabilitation and community reintegration programs.

The $8 million center is being constructed by the Massachusetts-based nonprofit Veteran Homestead and will consist of a rehabilitation complex and a condominium community of 10 two-bedroom apartments. Ten additional housing units are expected to be built in 2010.

The program is open to Iraq or Afghanistan veterans from any state or territory. For more information, contact program director Michelle Wilmott at (978) 353-0234, or visit www.mwcc.edu/info/newsarchive/news102009.html, www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=136995204207, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTvF5-XXwBA or www.veteranhomestead.org/facilities/nvtrc.html.

The phrase “military friendly” is one that gets thrown about a lot in higher education circles. Many schools identified as military friendly are legitimately so, with a deep respect for and commitment to the unique educational needs of service members and veterans.

The trouble is, any school — or diploma mill — can call itself military friendly, even if there is no substance to back up the claim. A recent survey by the education and student resource Web sites GI Bill Hub and Military MBA suggests that overuse of the phrase “military friendly” has led to its devaluation in the eyes of veterans.

Among the survey’s results:

* When asked if the term “military friendly” provided a meaningful indicator that could be used to make a good decision about a school, the majority of respondents (52.2 percent) said it provided no meaningful value. The remaining 48 percent could not agree on what it actually meant to be “military friendly.”

* Most respondents (69.5 percent) felt “military friendly” schools and lists were overused.

* 85 percent said they would not enroll in a university that advertised its “military friendly” status.

As one survey respondent put it, “I see too many institutions preying on service members and veterans and claiming to be military friendly just because they can accept GI Bill money.”

It should be noted that the survey had a response rate of only 4.13 percent of 1,114 military personnel across all service branches. That said, the findings of the survey and sentiments expressed by respondents reflect very valid points.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill has made being “military friendly” a potential gold mine for colleges and universities. Before deciding on a school, military students need to ensure that the institution is backing up its “military friendly” claims with hard evidence.

Some reliable indicators:

* Is the school a member of Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges?

* Does the school participate in Veterans Affairs’ Yellow Ribbon Program?

* Are veterans’ groups such as Student Veterans of America welcome on campus?

* Are there special admissions counselors or offices dedicated solely to supporting the needs of service members and veterans? This goes beyond school employees serving merely as VA certifying officials.

* Does the school accept credit for military experience? Does it recognize CLEP/DSST examinations?

* Does the school have a veteran-specific page on its Web site?

As final exam season approaches, many college students are battling dueling urges to procrastinate and panic. More so than their so-called traditional student counterparts, military students perhaps might have even more reason to dread exam season than their traditional student counterparts. Competing priorities of work and, often, family leave precious little time to hit the books.

Fortunately, with a little forethought and planning, studying for final exams need not dominate your life for the foreseeable future. Back in July, I wrote a story about starting off your new semester on the right foot by studying smart. Much of the advice in the article holds true for final exam week, as well.

In the article, I quoted perhaps my favorite study expert, Cal Newport, an MIT postdoc and author of the books “How to Become a Straight-A Student” and “How to Win at College.” Newport is also the man behind the popular Study Hacks blog. While he blogs about every aspect of college life, his philosophy for studying — in a nutshell, study smarter, not harder or longer — should ease minds troubled by the impending “doom” of multiple final exams. Also helpful are Newport’s entries on test-taking and time management.

Some other final exam study (and survival) sites worth mentioning:

* MIT

* University of Pennsylvania

* University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

* Lock Haven University

Community college long has been a popular education choice for service members. In fact, a recent American Council on Education report found that 43 percent of military undergraduates in 2007-2008 attended public two-year institutions.

Affordability, transferability of credits and open admissions policies that generally require only a high school or graduate-equivalency diploma in order to attend are hallmarks of community colleges — and they hold broad appeal not just for many military learners, but for students in the general population as well.

Popularity, though, has its price. Recent reports indicate that community colleges across the country are struggling with surging enrollment numbers fueled, in large part, by individuals returning to school as a result of the foundering economy.

These higher numbers are forcing many community colleges to close admissions sooner and turn away some students. According to a Nov. 11 New York Times story, five of New York City’s six community colleges were forced to cut off applications for the fall semester much sooner than in the past. And according to a story in Newsday, Miami-Dade Community College in Florida expected to turn away as many as 5,000 this fall.

Students who make it in under new enrollment deadlines will notice changes at many schools, including larger class sizes, more class sections and unconventional scheduling — classes are being held earlier and later each day to accommodate the growth. Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts is offering classes from 11:45 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. to accommodate shift workers seeking retraining, Newsday reports. And classes at New York City’s LaGuardia Community College start as early as 6:45 a.m., according to the Times.

Community colleges are working to meet these challenges within the constraints of their budgets. But resolution will not come overnight.

An education option once taken for granted is no longer such a sure thing. Pay close attention to any new deadlines or restrictions on enrollment at your school so you don’t have to put your plans for a college degree on hold.

This week, the American Council on Education launched www.TodaysGIBill.org, which it bills as “a comprehensive college guidance Web site to provide information and inspire veterans to enroll and succeed in higher education.”

Another in a long line of Web sites designed to promote veterans’ education and foster better understanding of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the new ACE site offers up the typical array of facts, charts and options service members have come to expect from GI Bill informational sites.

But TodaysGIBill.org goes several steps further. A section titled “Why Higher Education,” for example, details the myriad reasons why a college education is a benefit in today’s world — not only to that student, but also to the student’s family and society at large. “Getting Started” is an online guidance counselor of sorts, giving tips on everything from how to ease into being a college student to lessening any potential burdens on the student-veteran’s family. “Success Stories” is a Q&A section by veterans who are in school now. It is chock full of education advice in the students’ own words.

ACE hopes that TodaysGIBill.org will be a one-stop shop for veterans looking for information about their GI Bill benefits, as well as veteran-specific advice about college options and choices. It’s off to a good start on this goal.

With its convenience and portability, online learning always has been a popular education option for the military population. Popularity aside, this form of learning also has always struggled from a societal stigma that it somehow isn’t as good or legitimate as more traditional forms of schooling. That seems to be changing.

A recent Education Department report found that online classes are at least as effective — if not more so — than traditional classroom instruction. Findings of the report further showed that some form of blended learning — a mix of traditional and online instruction — is the most effective form of student learning.

And a July poll by the Society for Human Resource Management found that acceptance of online learning in the work place is growing, too. According to SHRM, online degrees in general are viewed more favorably by 76 percent of the human resources professionals participating in the poll than they were five years ago.

Of course, unaccredited schools and so-called diploma mills also continue to thrive, making choosing the right school all the more important in this type of learning environment. Enter GetEducated.com, a consumer watchdog and advocacy group that rates, ranks, and verifies the quality and credibility of online schools. GetEducated.com is a trusted and invaluable site for exploring your online learning options.

And, as always, before you decide on a school, don’t take anyone else’s word for it on the question of accreditation. Check it out for yourself. Only the Education Department and the private Council for Higher Education recognize accrediting organizations. Make sure your school is accredited by an organization recognized by one of them. CHEA maintains databases of both recognized accrediting organizations and institutions/programs accredited by recognized U.S. accrediting organizations.

For the October issue of EDGE, I profiled unique degree programs from colleges and universities around the nation that likely hold special appeal for military students. Left off that list because of a delay in the launch date of the program is a bachelor’s degree in biomedical informatics at Arizona State University.

Originally scheduled to launch for the current fall 2009 semester, start of the program has been delayed until fall 2010. It will be one of the first such comprehensive undergraduate programs of its kind in the nation, said Dr. Robert Greenes, chair of ASU’s Department of Biomedical Informatics.

Biomedical informatics, or BMI, involves the integration of computer and information sciences with basic biological and medical research, clinical practice, medical imaging and public health disciplines. Jobs in the field are available in academia; with pharmaceutical, research or technology companies; and in various sectors of government, Greenes said, with career opportunities expected to grow substantially, thanks to recent health-care reform efforts and the need for use of BMI to improve the nation’s health care system. Indeed, the American Medical Informatics Association anticipates 10,000 new jobs being created in the field by next year.

Greenes said the field of biomedical informatics is custom made for someone exiting the military who possesses both technical and health-care skills. He estimates the first class to enter the program will have between 25-50 students. The first two years of the program will focus on introductions to the four aforementioned areas of BMI, with the last two years of study concentrating on methodology courses, in particular in an area of particular interest to each individual student.

“We want to them to be conversant in all four areas when they graduate,” Greenes said. “They will have a broad knowledge in the field when they come out of it, with some selective knowledge in one area.”

Having trouble deciding what you want to be when you grow up? You’re not alone. Most college students will change majors at least once in the course of their academic careers. Change majors too often, though, and you risk delaying graduation — and adding to the cost of your education. Change your mind in a post-graduate field, where the costs of education increase markedly over undergraduate expenses, and the financial weight could turn staggering.

Enter the Intellectual Entrepreneurship Pre-Graduate School Internship program at the University of Texas at Austin. The for-credit program allows undergraduates at the school to work closely with faculty and graduate students to explore different academic opportunities — and the various careers associated with them — before investing time or money in entering an actual post-graduate program. In the words of one participant, the program “opened doors for me academically that I previously never knew existed.

While a recent Inside Higher Ed article has drawn wider attention to the pre-graduate school internship, few other such types of programs exist at colleges and universities. According to the UT program’s director, about half of all its participants are underrepresented minorities or first-generation college students — both groups which typically also define a large number of military students in higher education.

It would be great if more schools would take a cue from the UT-Austin program and begin offering pre-graduate school internships that allowed students to “sample the goods,” if you will, before committing to a post-graduate field of study. Unfortunately, in these tough economic times, extra funding for such programs is unlikely, which means you might have to get creative.

A year or two into an undergraduate program of study, you’ve likely developed at least a few close relationships with faculty or staff members. If you’ve been contemplating grad school but are uncertain that you want to commit the time or resources it takes to go that extra step, talk to a trusted adviser. See if there is some way you can shadow a faculty member or student pursuing the path you are considering.

Sitting down and talking to someone about his or her experiences for even an hour could be all it takes to help sway your own decision. And that’s a lot less commitment than the investment of time it takes to earn a post-graduate degree.

Last week, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki announced $3,000 advance payments available starting Oct. 2 to students who have applied for GI Bill benefits but have not received them.

Many groups, including the influential Student Veterans of America, have praised the action. And while the unprecedented move is an impressive attempt to alleviate the financial hardships placed on student veterans who have yet to receive payments under the new GI Bill, others have met the announcement with skepticism. The veteran-run Army of Dude blog, for example, recounts some legitimate concerns with the plans for disbursement of the emergency funds. Among those concerns:

1. Students must take a photo ID and a course schedule to one of VA’s 57 regional benefit offices in order to request the emergency advance payment of their education benefits. However, many students live hundreds of miles from the nearest such center and thus would have to incur travel expenses and possibly have to miss valuable class or work time in order to make the trip.

2. Recognizing that not all regional benefit offices are located near students, VA said it expects to send representatives to schools with large student veteran populations and to work with veteran service organizations to help students with transportation needs. The problem with the first part of this plan?

3. There are students who qualify for the emergency payment who neither live near a regional office nor attend a school with a large student veteran population. What are they to do? As for the second part of the plan, another blogger quoted on Army of Dude laments, “The same VA who couldn’t get your benefit to you on time will send representatives to your school to arrange transportation to the regional office. How dependable will that be?”

If there is perhaps something to be learned from the long delays in payments for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, it is that delays or difficulties of some sort likely can be expected. While some student veterans already have been forced to drop out of school because of financial hardship, this unfortunate action always should be an absolute last resort. As I urged in an earlier blog entry, if you are experiencing financial hardship, talk to someone at your school. Many institutions are willing to, and have, risen to the occasion with emergency funding options of their own to help students weather the payment-delay storm.

One aforementioned article offered similar advice:

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Derek Blumke, executive director of Student Veterans of America, and Patrick Campbell, chief legislative counsel of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, have practical advice for students who are short of money while waiting on their GI Bill living stipends:

1. Many colleges and universities offer interest-free loans to needy students or have created special loans or grants for veterans, Blumke said. If an institution doesn’t have a loan program for veterans, it might be willing to create one, he added.

2. Veterans often are eligible for other financial aid programs, such as Pell Grants. “In my experience, you can get money within about two weeks,” Campbell said. An online application form is at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The financial aid offices at most schools also can help with a Pell Grant application.

Ever have a college course where you just didn’t get it? If the grades coming back from your coursework are not the grades you’d hoped to see, take action now to prevent your stumbles from turning into full-fledged failure.

In the September issue of EDGE, I wrote a story about surviving college pitfalls. Part of that story detailed how to turn around a failing grade. Some of the advice I learned from military education experts:

1. Talk to your instructor, and do it NOW. By admitting early on that there is a problem, you increase your options for dealing with it, said Bruce Solheim, volunteer veterans coordinator at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif.

2. Get a tutor. Former Navy Corpsman Christy Jacks was struggling with calculus at her school, Colorado State University, until she got help from a tutor at the school. She ended up with a B in the class.

3. Consider the source of your problems. Maybe it’s as simple as needing to devote more time to studying. But it could be something bigger as well. An undiagnosed learning disability or a wartime injury such as traumatic brain injury could be the stumbling block to your academic success. Talk to your professor, academic adviser or “if your school has one ” veteran services office about testing for a disability, said Ann Ingala, military veteran coordinator at Colorado State University.

4. Withdraw. If you are far enough along in the semester that all hope is gone, withdrawing from a class is most times a better option than getting a failing grade, Ingala said. Then, consider taking the class at your local community college. If you do have to retake it at your school, get help from a tutor from the start.

5. If you do fail the class, and failure does happen, do damage control, Ingala said. Ask about options such as retesting.