The mobilization and return of undergraduate students serving in the National Guard and Reserves

Abstract

This chapter provides insight into the separation and return processes experienced when undergraduate National Guard and reserve personnel are mobilized for military duty. Suggestions for faculty and administrative staff on how to assist these individuals throughout this process are provided.

Military-Connected Student Academic Success at 4-Year Institutions: A Multi-Institution Study

“…Our findings, which differ from past studies (e.g., Bauman, 2009Bauman, , 2013DiRamio, et al, 2008;Livingston, et al 2011;Rumann & Hamrick, 2010;Schiavone & Gentry, 2014) reiterate the need to further investigate various definitions of and methodological approaches to academic success and factors that may be associated with this success. Existing studies on militaryconnected student transitions highlight the importance of relationships with fellow militaryconnected students (e.g., DiRamio & Jarvis, 2011;Rumann & Hamrick, 2010;Whiteman et al, 2013) so relationships were taken into consideration when exploring the academic success of this population; however, none of these factors added power to the regression model.…”

“…Multiple qualitative studies have examined the experiences of military-connected students (e.g., Bauman, 2009;DiRamio, Ackerman & Mitchell, 2008;Livingston et al, 2011;Rumann & Hamrick, 2010). With sample sizes ranging from 3 to 25 participants at one to three institutions, these studies have illuminated that military-connected students: (a) experience role incongruence between their military identity and the educational community (Bauman, 2009); (b) have both validating and invalidating experiences during college (Bauman, 2013;Rumann & Hamrick, 2010;Schiavone & Gentry, 2014); (c) struggle with insufficient or dated academic preparation (DiRamio et al, 2008); and (d) face adjustment challenges due to acculturation to discipline and respect for hierarchy (cornerstones of military socialization) that influence the use of campus resources (Livingston et al, 2011).…”

“…Bauman (2009Bauman ( , 2013) identified a role incongruence returning soldiers felt once re-immersed in a campus environment and how that experience negatively impacted some of their social and academic interactions. DiRamio et al (2008) revealed that military-connected students returning home from combat struggled with stressors related to changed personal and professional roles, lack of academic preparation, and sufficient financial resources to cover the costs of attending the institution.…”

“…Deployment experiences, or service spent in a combat zone, can impact a student's transition experience in a variety of ways. Bauman (2009) revealed that the "role incongruence" returning soldiers felt once re-immersed in a campus environment negatively impacted their social and academic interactions. The current generation of veterans has experienced a higher rate of disability and injury than past generations of soldiers returning from combat (Kraus & Rattray, 2013).…”

“…According to Pascarella and Terenzini, research has consistently MILITARY-CONNECTED STUDENT SUCCESS 9 revealed that contact with faculty members outside of the classroom promotes academic success and persistence. During their initial transition to college, military-connected students returning from combat may experience feelings of isolation, especially if adapting to civilian life at the same time (Bauman, 2009); this lack of connection on campus may negatively affect a student's transition and persistence (Whiteman et al, 2013). …”