Metropolitan State University of Denver Veteran/Military Student Task Force Summaries, Report, and Recommendations December 2013

Transcription

1 Metropolitan State University of Denver Veteran/Military Student Task Force Summaries, Report, and Recommendations December 2013 Respectfully submitted by: Jose Aguayo, community representative Magdalena Aguayo, community representative Denny Boyd, Director of New Student Orientation Dr. Gail Bruce-Sanford, Director of the Counseling Center Leroy Chavez, Project Director, Federal TRIO Veterans Upward Bound Martha Eaton, Associate Director of the Health Center at Auraria Ted Jimenez, Associate Registrar/Veterans Education Benefits Alex Komodore, Associate Professor, Music Department Alysyn Middleton, Academic Advisor for the School of Business Braelin Pantel, Associate Dean, Student Engagement & Wellness Dr. Elizabeth Parmelee, Director of the Center for Individualized Learning April Peterson, Associate Director for Career Services Emilia Paul, Associate Vice President, Student Engagement & Wellness Matthew Roush, student representative Stefanie Sutrina, Assistant Director of Institutional Research LTC Christopher Thomas, Senior Associate Professor of Military Science

2 Table of Contents Summary Report Appendixes Appendix A: Charge to Task Force Members Appendix B: Summary of SWOT Analysis Appendix C: Summary of Task Force Site Visits Appendix D: List of Documents Reviewed by Task Force Appendix E: Summary of 2011 Needs Assessment Appendix F: Summary of Focus Group Findings Appendix G: Principles of Excellence Appendix H: 8 Keys to Success Appendix I: Budget Request Detail Appendix J: Peer Institution Snapshot Appendix K: Top 10 Military-friendly Institutions (Military Times) Snapshot Appendix L: Colorado Principles of Excellence Schools

3 Summary Report The MSU Denver Veterans/Military Task Force urges senior leadership to develop a Veteran/Military Student Support Program that includes appropriate personnel, space and funding for efforts designed to facilitate student success. Following is a summary of the facts surrounding the military/veteran population and of the findings that led to our key recommendations. MSU Denver s History of Veteran/Military Support Almost since its inception Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver), formerly known as Metropolitan State College of Denver, has demonstrated its commitment to supporting those in military service: In 1972, we applied and were awarded a TRIO Program grant to open our own Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) project. Today our project maintains a database of 3,643 archived participant files and 1,553 active files for a total of 5,196 veterans who have received VUB services at MSU Denver since the fall of Our first Army ROTC program was established in But with the national reduction of military that followed later in the 1980s, MSU Denver lost its funding and simultaneously disbanded the curriculum. In October 2010, MSU Denver and CU Boulder signed a memorandum of understanding that stated we would be host to the now-existing Army ROTC program on the Auraria Campus. In 2008 an ad hoc group began meeting to respond to the increased presence of veterans at MSU Denver. Representatives from Student Engagement and Wellness (previously known as Student Life), the Health Center at Auraria, the Counseling Center, VUB, Career Services, the Access Center, the Office of the Registrar and several others meet several times a year to plan and coordinate events and services for veterans. They are responsible for instituting MSU Denver s annual Veterans Day ceremony, planning the first veterans graduation ceremony and creating several other campus programs for veterans. It s also worth noting that many veterans attended MSU Denver and are now productive and active members of the community. Rich Marin, for example, is a teacher at Escuela Tlatelolco, and Joe Rice is a former Colorado state legislator. Whether receiving educational benefits from MSU Denver s VUB project or working toward an MSU Denver degree, veterans have long chosen our institution because they see us as a good fit when they take into account their life experiences and future goals. What the Numbers Tell Us To fulfill U.S. Department of Education reporting requirements for our VUB project, MSU Denver currently is tracking the academic progress of 815 veterans. Of those, 184 are known to have entered postsecondary education, and 32 have successfully completed a program of postsecondary education; 99 were accepted and/or enrolled at MSU Denver. Following the historic 9/11 attacks on the U.S., the National Call to Service Incentive program and the military buildup to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, there was an increase in the number of discharged veterans who were seeking higher education. Veteran/Military Student Task Force Recommendations Page 1 of 7

4 In August 2009 the Post-9/11 GI Bill was implemented for military men and women and their family members, providing increased education benefits. The Post-9/11 GI Bill rivals the benefits of the WW IIera GI Bill of Rights, which at the time added 450,000 engineers, 240,000 accountants, 238,000 teaches, 91,000 doctors and 22,000 dentists to the nation s workforce. The potential impact to our current workforce through the Post-9/11 GI Bill will also be historic. Based on the veteran population projection for Colorado, it is anticipated that between 2012 and 2017, Colorado could see 10,755 Gulf War II-era service personnel discharged. Much of this population is not presently living here but their home of record is in Colorado. It is anticipated that they will return to Colorado. The average number of certified military students (dependents, active, reserve and/or veteran) attending MSU Denver between fall 2001 and summer 2009 was 481. Since August 2009, when the Post-9/11 GI Bill went into effect, the number of certified students increased to 816, representing a 41 percent increase. This semester alone 855 military-connected students were certified to receive GI Bill benefits, representing a conservative estimate of $2,294,669 of tuition revenue just in the fall of Given that MSU Denver also enrolls military students who are not receiving any education benefits, it is estimated that we currently enroll just over 1,000 military students. As such, we are among the highest military enrolling institutions in the state of Colorado. Considering the increased military student enrolment, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs projections and the Post-9/11 GI Bill provisions for service members or their family members, program planning and the ability to meet veteran students needs must be considered. Where We Are Today Presently, there are no singly focused formalized or sustainable programs at MSU Denver to promote veteran/military student success beyond administering GI Bill educational benefits and the ROTC program. Support services and funding thus far have been attained through the assignment of additional job duties to an associate dean, a temporary staff member (funded by roll-forward funds that will deplete shortly), part-time veteran student staff and piecemeal funding from student affairs departments and community groups. Through this approach, a number of services and programs designed to support veteran/military students on their mission to graduation have indeed been offered. Such services and programs have included: Veterans Day ceremonies, pilot sessions of a veteran/military new student orientation, training for MSU Denver faculty and staff on pertinent issues impacting veteran/military students, specialized career workshops, the American Veterans Traveling Tribute exhibit and the veterans graduation ceremony. But because veteran/military support services are currently funded through student fee roll-forward, and not base funding, it has been impossible to implement initiatives without the security of knowing future funding. In other words, we do not want to set a major program into motion and promote it to our students only to be unable to continue its offerings due to funding constraints in the future. As such, without dedicated funding, many of our current programs will be unable to continue, resulting in a regression of services to our veteran/military students. To remedy this situation Dr. Vicki L. Golich, Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs charged a Task Force of MSU Denver staff, faculty and students in April 2013 to investigate the status of veteran student services and needs at MSU Denver and to make recommendations related to the retention and graduation of veteran and military students (see Appendix A). Between April and November 2013 the task force met seven times, conducted a SWOT analysis of the current programming (see Appendix B) and engaged in many discussions related to best practices for serving our students. Additionally, smaller subgroups met on several occasions, which included site visits Veteran/Military Student Task Force Recommendations Page 2 of 7

5 to existing veteran/military student service offices at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins and at the Community College of Aurora (see Appendix C). The task force studied numerous documents and reports related to effectively serving veteran/military students (see Appendix D), reviewed the results of a needs assessment that had previously been conducted with MSU Denver student veterans (see Appendix E) and conducted focus groups with currently enrolled veteran/military students to ensure their voices were represented in this report (see Appendix F). Of particular note are the Principles of Excellence, signed as an Executive Order by President Obama in April of The Principles articulate guidelines for institutions to serve veterans, service members and their families effectively. To date, MSU Denver has not formally adopted the Principles, and therefore we are not currently listed by the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Principles of Excellence school (Colorado Principles of Excellence schools are listed here and in Appendix K). Recommendations listed in this report are in line with the Principles and would help us attain this status. Veteran/Military Support and Strategic Themes Throughout our work we were mindful of MSU Denver s strategic plan and goal of preeminence, and we used several key elements of the strategic plan to guide our work and recommendations. Specific alignments of the task force recommendations to the strategic plan A Time of Transformation include Student and Academic Success o Goal A: MSU Denver facilitates and enhances student success through the implementation of research-based, best-practices degree completion strategies. o Goal B: MSU Denver students are prepared to meet business/employer/graduate school expectations. o Goal D: MSU Denver continues to seek and sustain innovative resources for student and academic success. Institutional Culture o Goal A: MSU Denver faculty, staff and students feel valued and engage in an environment of empowerment, trust and fairness. Summary of Key Recommendations As part of the institutional challenge to support the MSU Denver strategic plan, and to strengthen retention and promote graduation, the task force urges MSU Denver senior leadership to develop a Veteran/Military Student Support Program that includes appropriate personnel, space and funding for efforts designed to facilitate student success. The following key recommendations are offered. Short Term To ensure continuity of services, we strongly advise that the following recommendations be implemented by fiscal year 2015: 1. Provide base-fund dedicated staff (1.5 full-time employees) members to provide ongoing support and ensure continuity of current programs (i.e., transition assistance, campus and community referrals, coordination of programming to address unique career needs, faculty/staff training) and in-progress programs (i.e., integration of veteran/military students into existing early-alert program, transitioning veteran/military new student orientation program from a pilot to a permanent program). Estimated cost for FY 15: $67,000. Veteran/Military Student Task Force Recommendations Page 3 of 7

6 2. Facilitate referrals and tailored support, and in accordance with the Principles of Excellence and 8 Keys to Success (see Appendix G and Appendix H), establish dedicated points of contact to serve veteran/military students in several key functional areas including Academic Advising, Student Academic Success (tutoring), the Access Center, Financial Aid, Career Services, Counseling Center and the Health Center. Rather than relying on volunteers with an interest in serving veteran/military students, we recommend amending individual job descriptions to reflect focus on veteran/military student support in these key areas. Support and training for all dedicated points of contact should also be provided. 3. Guarantee operating funds to continue programming efforts geared at achievement of retention goals and the execution of several new initiatives currently being developed. Additionally, ensure that targeted communication strategies, such as a strong Web presence, are established and maintained. See Appendix I for the short term operating funds request. Estimated cost for FY 15: $31, In line with the Principles of Excellence and 8 Keys to Success, and on par with what our peers and fellow Veteran-Friend institutions are providing (see Appendix J and Appendix K), secure usable space to house veteran/military student support services and to provide a place for veteran/military students to receive services and connect with their peers. Currently Tivoli 243 is occupied by a MSU Denver Veteran LeaderCorps (AmeriCorps) volunteer and will serve as a satellite site for Veterans Upward Bound, starting in January, This space may be a viable option to house support services for MSU Denver veteran/military students, contingent upon approval through AHEC processes for Tivoli Student Union institutional leases. 5. Ensure that GI Bill recipients are able to fully maximize their benefits by offering priority registration so that they are able to register for courses that are required for their degree. (The Department of Veterans Affairs requires only courses applicable to degree plans to be benefit eligible.) 6. Support the initiatives currently being developed by the Prior Learning Assessment Task Force that was simultaneously addressing the issue of recognizing credit for learning gained through military training and experience. Similarly, support the work currently underway in Center for Individualized Learning to develop templates for degree programs through the Individualized Degree Program (IDP) that will offer military students an option for a major or minor that maximizes credits recognized for military training. Such developments could provide additional academic options for veteran/military students that may make more efficient use of their prior learning. We recommend that any such efforts, including a possible IDP concentration for military students, be fully considered by the University. 7. Establish an implementation team, drawing upon current members of the task force, to carry out the short-term recommendations that are endorsed by senior leadership. Long Term Goals 1. Make MSU Denver the best higher-education option for veterans and military students in Colorado as measured by a combination of measures, including increased rankings in key publications (e.g., Military Times Best for Vets College Ranking [ranked #50 in 2014], Military Times Best Business Schools for Vets [ranked #34 in 2013], Military Advanced Education Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities [seek continued listing only; no ranking], GI Jobs Military Friendly Schools [again, listing only; no rankings], and GI Jobs Guide Student Survey results). 2. Retain full-time veteran/military students at a rate of 80 percent, higher than the MSU Denver s overall benchmark of 75 percent for full-time students. Note: Over the last 3 years, our fall-to-fall of veteran/military student retention rate for full time students with no prior college experience has averaged 63.6% and the average fall-to-fall Veteran/Military Student Task Force Recommendations Page 4 of 7

7 retention rate for full time veteran/military transfer students over the same period has averaged 64.9%. Related to this, the six-year graduation rate for veteran/military students without prior college experience (Fall 2006 cohort) was only 8.3%, though the rate for the veteran/military transfer student cohort that same year was 42.9%. Note that the discrepancy could be related to the significant change to the GI Bill in 2009, from which many transfer students would have benefited. Strategies 1. Improve tracking of performance for veteran/military students in order to have a better understanding of persisting patterns. Obtain commitment from Institutional Research to prioritize veteran persistence data tracking and analysis. 2. Recruit, hire and retain qualified professional staff commensurate with program goals. 3. Secure dedicated and highly visible space that sends a strong message of support to our veteran/military students and to the community at large. Space should function as a one-stop center for veteran/military students. 4. Set up a development plan to establish a Veteran and Military Student Welfare Fund to assist veteran/military students who experience significant hardships that could hinder progress toward their degree (such as when educational benefits are unexpectedly delayed by the VA). 5. Explore specialized academic programs for veteran/military students, such as learning communities and a military science major. 6. Establish an advisory board to guide efforts toward effectively serving veteran/military students. This board could evolve, in part, from the implementation team. Conclusion In recent history MSU Denver has made tremendous strides to serve veteran/military students. We have been recognized locally and nationally for our work thus far. Our colleagues within the institution and locally in the military community have offered much praise and have expressed interest in further supporting veteran/military student success. We are fortunate that it is popular in this era to want to help veterans. As one of the largest veteran/military serving institutions in the state, we have the potential to make a tremendous impact in our local and national communities by educating and graduating more veterans who will enter the workforce prepared to succeed with an MSU Denver degree. With this positive momentum and climate of support, we are well positioned to work towards preeminence. That said, we cannot continue on this progressive trajectory without the appropriate personnel, space and funding for efforts designed to facilitate student success. We look forward to your endorsement of the recommendations listed above and to reporting back on the success of our efforts, and in turn, our veteran/military students. Veteran/Military Student Task Force Recommendations Page 5 of 7