Veterans in the Classroom

Overview

The Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence invited the Roger Perkins, director of the University of Utah Veterans Support Center Links to an external site. to facilitate a workshop entitled Veterans in the Classroom. Below, you can view the entire workshop. The first video is the presentation by Roger Perkins and the second video presents the panel discussion with student veterans. Here is the description of that workshop:

Roger is retired Army with over twenty years of active duty service. He provided a general educational session on Veterans' culture, addressing how and why that culture varies from that of the general population. He discussed some unique Veteran personality traits and how these factors impact our student Veterans as well as how faculty/staff interact with them. In this session, he fostered a better understanding of what our student Veteran population looks like demographically and how that compares with the general population. In addition, we investigated some stereotypes that Veterans and faculty/staff hold and how to address them. Four student Veterans provided a fruitful panel discussion about their experiences at the U and how their status as veterans impacts their lives as students.

Highlights from Presentation by Roger Perkins

Roger presented many fascinating facts and a wealth of information that will be useful for all faculty, staff and instructors to know. Please view the video below for the full presentation. Here are some highlights:

Veterans are members of particular cultural group, not unlike any other cultural group that is defined by shared values, beliefs, assumptions, attitudes and behaviors.
Veterans come in all ages, but many of them will be in their early twenties. Unlike other incoming freshman that instructors and students will encounter in the classroom, these young men and women have been charged with tremendous responsibility in their military assignments. Some of them have been out of high school for only a few years, yet they may be supervising a squad of up to 12 individuals. They may also be responsible for equipment that can cost up to $6 million dollars! So, when they arrive at the U, they appreciate being treated as individuals with vast experience, responsibility, self-direction and world knowledge.
The University of Utah has the largest student veteran population Links to an external site. in the state of Utah. Also, among the PAC 12 schools, the University of Utah has the second most veteran students, just behind Arizona. The number of student veterans at the U is about 900.

Highlights from Student Veteran Panel

The students on the panel comprised 1 Marine, 2 Army and 1 Air Force. There were two young men and two young women. They were passionate and bright and shared so much valuable information with the participants of our session. In many ways, the information they shared reinforced what we at CTLE know to be good teaching - inclusive teaching that engages all learners. Here are some of their suggestions for the faculty and instructors in the room and how those suggestions map to 'good teaching' for all.

They are used to clearly set expectations. They like to know what they are expected to do and how they can best meet those expectations. They discussed how in the military, there is no ambiguity about expectations, duties, and responsibilities. This maps to two key areas of good teaching practice:

Learning Objectives - let students know what you want them to be able to do and know by the end of your course and more specifically, by the end of each lesson, lab, session. Listing 5-8 course objectives on a syllabus and never revisiting those throughout the semester will not be enough direction for any student. Reinforce why you are doing what you do on a daily basis; and
Rubrics - design and implement rubrics with clearly outlined criteria for all assignments to let students know what is A work, B work, C work. What exactly do they have to do to satisfy the expectations for a given assessment or assignment? Ultimately, it requires careful, thoughtful, intentional Course Design.

They do not readily form relationships and trust others in class. Veterans can connect almost immediately with one another because they share a common culture, a common set of values and experiences, and a common language. They are not as quick to trust students in their classroom with personal or discipline-specific information. This impacts their ability to open up in class discussions, engage with peers in group work and seek support from peers on out-of-class assignments or exam preparation. This maps to at least one key area of good teaching practice:

Build Learning Communities: It is important for all learners (e.g., domestic students, international students, veteran students, non-traditional learners, etc.) that the classroom environment be safe, respectful, inclusive and engaging. Take that extra time on Day One to do some Icebreakers, to get to know your students, and to let them get to know one another. Create opportunities in your course for democratic, student-centered decision making about course policies. Promote collaborative and active learning in the class so that your students can know one another and view each other as resources.

They will take on all responsibility in group work. The panelists shared a common sentiment that working in groups can be disadvantageous to them. The reason being, not that they don't want to collaborate because the military is all about collaboration, but because sometimes, the others students don't possess the same drive and work ethic to stick to deadlines, provide quality work, and equitably share the workload. The result is that these students, wanting to succeed and meet expectations, will take on the responsibility and do all the work, or otherwise become frustrated. This maps to two areas of good teaching practice:

Integrate Group Work Effectively - Using group work cannot be done without care. You have to think about why you are implementing group work and then you have to be careful about how you design the assignments. Explain to the groups that they will likely go through the usual stages of forming, storming, norming and performing Links to an external site.. Expectations must be clear for all involved and there must be something put into place for the second area;
Accountability - When students work in groups, they must know that there is both group accountability and individual accountability. You can assess the latter with peer assessments and by checking in with your groups throughout the length of the group project. Make sure all members are contributing fairly and equally. Find out how they are navigating the stages of group development and provide them with communication tools to work together and make sure everyone is contributing.

There were several other great points that came up in this discussion with the Student Veteran Panel. Please take some time to view that video link below. Here is a short list of additional points that came up:

Some have impairments that might not be obvious (e.g., hearing loss). Speak clearly, repeat and rephrase important information, use visuals, be available for questions to clarify points after class, provide lecture notes/outlines/slides prior to class. *Again, these will promote inclusive learning for all - not just for the Veterans.
Veterans do not like to have anyone behind them as it increases any anxiety they might be experiencing. You might have students who always sit with their back against a wall. Be mindful that when you ask them to move forward, you could be putting them in an uncomfortable situation. Always have good reason for your requests in class.
Veterans will not likely come forward as having depression because in the military, depression is enough grounds for dismissal. If you notice dramatic changes in behavior, such as increased or decreased energy, sudden drop in grades or attendance or other noteworthy changes throughout a semester, seek help with or for the student. You might approach the student or you can go to the Dean of Student Affairs to report a concern. If you are unsure if a student is a veteran, you can always contact the Veterans Support Center and they will be able to confirm if a student is a veteran or not.
Veterans get each other. The student veterans shared that they would rather be approached by another veteran than an instructor or administrator. The two women on the panel were meeting another woman veteran as per the request of the Center director, Roger Perkins. They noted that being contacted by a fellow veteran can make the difference between making and breaking.

Networking and Supporting Veterans

One simple solution that was posed during the workshop as a way of creating a path to support students in your classroom is to list on your syllabus the contact information for centers and resources on campus that serve student populations who may not be easily identifiable (e.g., Veterans, LGBT Community Members, mentally ill). All syllabi are required to have the Americans with Disabilities Act statement. At the University of Utah, we additionally recommend listing the Center for Student Wellness Links to an external site. and/or Counseling Services Links to an external site.. After this workshop, we feel that it can only potentially help students to list other useful resources on campus, including: Veterans Support Center Links to an external site., LGBT Resource Center Links to an external site., & the Women's Resource Center. Links to an external site.

Veterans in the Classroom