Promoting a Veteran‐Friendly Learning Environment

Abstract

The transitioning of veterans from the military world to “the civilian world” and by extension the civilian workforce is the “ultimate career transition.” However, to facilitate this challenge, most veterans often utilize higher education as a transitional tool to qualify themselves with credentials that are not only recognizable but valued by their potential civilian employer. Transitional challenges for the veteran student in higher education include a unified learning environment (veterans and civilians), a learning environment supported by unfamiliar learning theories, and differences in roles, for example instructor and student. Utilizing the transitional challenges veterans encounter while pursuing higher education as an underpinning, this chapter provides an overview of the veteran student, explores the transitional challenges veterans encounter while pursuing higher education and relevant support systems needed for success. Additionally, this chapter provides strategies that should be employed by adult educators in an effort to promote a veteran‐friendly learning environment.

Student Veteran Engineers and Academic Libraries: A Review of Recent Literature

“…The biggest difficulty veterans must overcome to be successful as students is the difference in culture between the military and higher education [7]. Even compared to American society in general, higher education has a unique culture that is diametrically different than that of the military [7][8][9][10][11]. Compared to the average college student, veterans are more confident in their abilities and will take the initiative to solve their problems and seek out help when necessary [7][8].…”

“…The primary reason veterans attend college is the same as the general population: to improve their lives and that of their families by earning the credentials needed to obtain a decent job upon graduation [7,[9][10]. The biggest obstacle they run into is the same one shared by their fellow students -cost -but the Post-9/11 G.I.…”

“…Veterans are considered "non-traditional" students since they usually have a gap of at least three years since leaving a formal educational environment [10]. Due to having to transition back to civilian life after several years in the military, student veterans can have problems that other students never have.…”

“…These can include navigating the VA bureaucracy, understanding and applying their benefits, addressing family issues, lack of patience with the younger students around them, problems with mental health and depression, and identity issues. These can be combined with the problems that most college students face, creating additional layers to an already high-stress experience [10][11]. Female veterans can run into additional issues as well that are unique to them [12].…”