Through Army-Colored Glasses: A Layered Account of One Veteran’s Experiences in Higher Education

Abstract

There is a lack of research on military veterans in higher education that captures the issues from an insider’s perspective. To that end, I sought to reflect upon my own experiences with higher education as military veteran—from a budding recruit all the way through to now being an administrator and faculty member. I utilized a layered-account autoethnographic approach (Ronai, 1995) to interrogate my multiple perspectives that developed over time on veterans’ issues in higher education. I found that the GI Bill—the modern iteration of the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944—was a powerful motivator both in starting my military career and continuing my studies; my thinking on transfer credits from the Joint Service Transcript evolved from seeing them as an entitlement to lacking rigor. I felt out of place as I left the military and attended a traditional university campus, and then I sought out the faculty members who reminded me of the no-nonsense military from which I had departed. My experiences in the military continually guided my behavior as a student and that of other student veterans I observed, thus, I recommend that institutions glean lessons from these experiences to better serve the unique demographic presented by the growing population of student veterans.

Tailoring Higher Education Options for Smaller Institutions to Meet Veterans’ Needs: Enhancing Inclusion in Higher Education: Practical Solutions by Veterans for Veterans

“…Addressing awareness is intended to sensitize the veteran to how the influence of their military training and military culture in general has affected their view of the world (Olt, 2018). It is also intended to help the veteran develop a sense of "place and space" while constructing a newfound identity in civilian life.…”

Ethical Dilemmas, Rewards, and Lessons for the Future: Conducting Participatory Photographic Research With Asylum Seekers

“…This account is told from the author’s perspective, adopting a layered approach (Olt, 2018; Ronai, 1995) that utilises fieldnotes, participant quotes, and exhibition feedback to provide a rounded commentary of the project. A layered approach seeks to create detailed descriptions of the often privately experienced thoughts and feeling of the author, sharing emotions, reactions, beliefs and opinions through personal vignettes and critical reflection.…”