# Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success

# FY 2015 Project Abstracts

# Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success

# FY 2015 Project Abstracts

## P116G150009

## Grayson College

6101 Grayson Drive

Highway 691

Denison, TX 75020

Project Director:  Kathleen Conner, connork@grayson.edu, (903) 463-2606

Project Title:  Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success

Abstract:****Grayson College (GC) seeks to build upon the College’s commitment and capacity to provide and improve services for GC veteran students by: identifying systemic obstacles which may be easily corrected with updated policies and/or training; offering meaningful in-service training for faculty/staff to increase awareness of issues confronting veterans as they return to GC; implementing replicable solutions for at-risk veteran students by exploring multi-organizational collaboration, particularly in the delivery of mental health services and/or to enhance seamless referrals to homeless shelters, food pantries, and drug and alcohol counseling; initiating outreach and recruitment into the community to promote awareness of the GC veteran student programs; expanding specialized career planning, financial aid, and financial literacy counseling; implementing an effective data collection and analysis process to monitor veteran student success; establishing a vet to vet peer tutoring program; formalizing procedures for GC personnel comprising the VET Student Success Team; and generating donations to the *Boots to Books and Beyond Endowment*to address service needs of veteran students in a more holistic, comprehensive, and coordinated manner. The overarching program goal is to increase institutional capacity to provide veteran students with educational and support services to achieve their academic goals; retain veteran students at GC; expedite time to completion; increase success and completion rates, and increase veteran student engagement.

## P116G150010

## Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

400 College Street Road

Elizabethtown, KY 42701

Project Director:  Dale Buckles, dale.buckles@kctcs.edu, (270) 706-8431

Project Title:  Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success 

Abstract: ****Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC) has long provided initial support to help veteran student’s secure Veterans Administration (VA) educational benefits and accommodations for disabilities. However, limited resources have made it difficult to expand services to mirror best practices implemented at other institutions.  To fully meet the needs of veteran students, ECTC must expand its current “intake model” to include continuous social, academic and career planning supports and provide a single point of contact that links veteran students with campus and community resources.  ECTC proposes a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success to provide:  1) a single point of contact that coordinates services; 2) social support through veterans’ organization, a Veterans Center, peer mentors, and awareness programming; 3) academic support through intrusive advising and orientation pullout sessions for veteran students; 4) career services; and 5) coordinated referral program to link veteran students with resources in the community to help with housing, financial and mental health needs. Funding is requested to provide personnel to develop and implement these services, policies, procedures, and resources over three years, and create a sustainability plan to ensure the continuation of the project.  To improve veteran student success through expanded and coordinated support services to meet the academic, social, financial, and physical needs of veteran students; Objective 1:****Increase enrollment of veteran students by three percent from Year one baseline; Objective 2**:**Achieve a veteran student persistence rate of 56 percent by Year three (or three percent above baseline if different from 2014 data); Objective 3**:**Achieve a veteran student three-year completion rate of 34 percent by Year three (or three percent above baseline, if different from 2014 data); Objective 4:****Continuously improve ECTC experience for veteran students.

## P116G150014

## Columbia College

1001 Rogers Street

Columbia, MO 65216

Project Director:  Keith Glindemann, pmlederle1@ccis.edu, (573) 875-7916

Project Title:  Supporting All Veterans Education (SAVE)

Abstract:****The proposed Operation Supporting All Veterans’ Education (SAVE) will address and identify veteran student needs by implementing the following infrastructure enhancements: i) hiring a Military Transition Team (MTT) Manager to ensure veteran services are effectively delivered at all 37 Columbia College campuses; ii) improving the existing Ousley Family Veterans Service Center (OFVSC) to include direct services from all offices providing student support; iii) launching a Virtual Veterans Services Center (VVSC) that connects veteran students nationwide to the OFVSC and provides services proven to increase retention; and iv) implementing the Green Zone Program to train faculty and staff in veteran student issues and foster veteran-friendly campuses.  Operation SAVE will accomplish the follow five goals and corresponding objectives:  Goal 1: Improve the College’s capacity and infrastructure to effectively deliver and evaluate veteran student services.****Objective 1.1: Hire an MTT Manager; 1.2: Enhance the OFVSC to provide veteran students with direct services from all student support offices; 1.3: Implement a plan for intercampus MTT veteran service delivery, monitoring, data collection, and evaluation; 1.4: Launch the Virtual Veterans Services Center.  Goal 2: Improve faculty and staff awareness of veteran student issues and foster veteran- friendly campuses.****2.1:  Deliver Green Zone Program training to 50 percent of faculty and staff; 2.2: Increase faculty and staff capacity to serve veteran students; 2.3:  Ensure at least 80 percent of faculty and staff display support for veterans; 2.4: Increase veteran students’ NSSE Supportive Campus Environment benchmark score by three points each program year.  Goal 3: Increase veteran student enrollment, retention, and progression to graduation.  3.1: Increase veteran student enrollment by three percent each year; 3.2: Increase veteran student retention rates to 55 percent; 3.3:  Increase veteran student progression-to-graduation rates to 54 percent.****Goal 4:  Increase veteran student engagement and satisfaction with support services.****4.1:  Increase the percentage of veteran students receiving OFVSC support services by 15 percent each year; 4.2:  Increase the percentage of veteran students who report satisfaction with OFVSC services by five percent each year; 4.3: Increase the percentage of veteran students who report satisfaction with their experience at Columbia College to 88 percent.  Goal 5: Fully sustain Operation SAVE beyond the three-year federal funding period.  5.1: Secure commitments to fully sustain Operation SAVE; 5.2: Adopt a plan to institutionalize all successful Operation SAVE components.

## P116G150062

## Modesto Junior College

435 College Avenue

Modesto, CA 95350

Project Director:  Francisco Banuelos, banuelosf@mjc.edu, (209) 575-6045 

Project Title:  Center of Excellence for Veterans

Abstract:****The focus of the three-year project is to serve veteran students and build capacity for a sustainable Center that continues after grant funding ends. A comprehensive training program for college staff and faculty will be implemented to improve service related to veteran academic issues; a Veteran Student Success Team will be established on the two campuses of the college to increase coordinated service, “Green Zones” for veterans will be labeled and housed in faculty offices, community veteran  agencies will provide services on campus, enhanced assessment and academic planning support will be developed, and a new skills-based work study program for veteran students will be implemented. Three goals are developed to establish the Center of Excellence:  1) Increase campus capacity to assist veteran students through training and the establishment of an administrative and faculty network to serve veterans; 2) Develop an outreach program and partnership with community agencies to increase the number of veterans who pursue a college education; and 3) Expand capacity to provide rich individual assessment, planning tools and services for veteran students that help them enroll in, excel in and complete college programs.  Specific outcomes are designed to measure improvement in veteran student access and success:  65 percent of surveyed students demonstrate satisfaction with support services; five percent increase in retention rates per year; 20 percent increase in enrollment rates of veterans; seven percent increase in Hispanic veteran students; 50 percent earn a degree, certificate or transfer.  The comprehensive training and services proposed enable these outcomes. 

## P116G150072

## Southern Nazarene University

6729 N.W. 39th Expressway

Bethany, OK 73008

Project Director:  Melany Kyzer, mkyzer@snu.edu, (405) 491-6304 

Project Title:  Veteran’s Educational Transitions Success (VETS)

Abstract:  Southern Nazarene University (SNU) proposes to create a single point of contact Veterans Educational Transitions Success (VETS) Center to engage faculty, staff, and community to comprehensively address the needs of veteran students.  A new VETS Student Support Team from key campus offices will assist the VETS Center in reaching project goals, which include increasing enrollment, persistence, and completion rates of new veteran students; expanding and coordinating services for veterans; enhancing program quality; and improving campus climate.  Key strategies focus on veteran student outreach and recruitment; focused orientations and needs assessment for veteran students; campus, peer, and community support; and assessment and institutionalization plan to ensure program quality and continuity.  Specifically, the VETS Center will expand recruitment to new venues including social media, develop new orientation materials and host veteran-specific orientation events, provide intensive academic support for at-risk veteran students, educate veterans to campus resources for disability services and counseling, offer peer and alumni mentoring to assist transitions to the university and employment, provide training for faculty/staff on unique needs of veteran students, and host events to raise veterans’ profile on campus and connect them to community veterans resources.

## P116G150084

## Olympic College

1600 Chester Avenue, CSC 2

Bremerton, WA 98337 

Project Director:  Jerimiah Meyer, jmeyer@olympic.edu, (360) 394-2736

Project Title:  Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success

Abstract:  Olympic College (OC) propose to develop a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success and implement a model program to increase the enrollment, persistence and completion of veteran students.  Objectives:  (1) Broaden the knowledge of veteran issues/perspectives by providing front line staff and faculty with professional development regarding interaction with and support of veteran students.  (2) Increase veteran student enrollment by 20 percent.  (3) Increase veteran student fall to fall persistence rates from 29 percent to 58 percent.  (4) Increase veteran student program of study completion rates from 25 percent to 50 percent.  Activities/Outcomes:  OC will employ a full-time CEVSS/Transition Program Coordinator to develop, launch and coordinate a model program. With the support of veteran student and student services personnel and OC leadership, the Coordinator will address veteran student barriers to success by:  (a) closing a myriad of communication gaps through an extensive professional development program for all OC personnel; (b) providing veterans with one-stop services and ongoing guidance; (c) delivering a significantly enhanced veteran orientation program addressing multiple issues and introducing them to the campus and key support personnel; (d) consolidating offices and personnel to expedite services; (e) conducting vigorous outreach to veterans and veteran students to encourage and support enrollment, persistence and completion; and (f) developing tracking systems to monitor student success, ensure early alert and follow up actions; and better determine the effectiveness of new tools, processes and systems for long-term sustainability at the conclusion of federal funding.

## P116G150108

## Boise State University

1910 University Drive

Boise, ID 83725

Project Director:  Christian Wuthrich, chris.wuthrich@boisestate.edu, (208) 426-1484

Project Title:  Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success

Abstract**:**Boise State University recommends the development of two positions an Outreach Coordinator and an Academic and Career Advisor.  The Outreach Coordinator will reach to community groups and military institutions to inform individuals the benefits of higher education, Boise State, and assist with any questions or concerns they may have.  While the staff member will not pursue or focus on specific demographics, it will highlight the efforts the university has made to accommodate and encourage the participation of under-represented groups in higher education, showcasing resources available to these sectors of the population.  The Academic and Career Advisor will lead the Veteran Student Support Team, a cohort of campus representatives that will assist in communicating the challenges and the type of support student veterans need on the Boise State campus.  To complement its job duties, the Academic and Career Advisor will meet with students individually to assure the continued progress of their degree, offering career advice and guidance as students prepare to depart from college.  The two additional positions will use current resources available in the community, both on campus and in the region, fomenting new ties to expand labors to assist student veterans.  The combination of these efforts and new position will seek to improve several aspects of veteran education, including: 1) Increase veteran enrollment at Boise State; 2) Increase persistence and retention rates; 3) Decrease the time it takes student veterans to obtain their degree; and 4) Increase graduation rates among student veterans.  These benchmarks will be measured frequently to guarantee the performance of the proposal and adjust efforts as needed, obtaining accurate student enrollment, retention, and graduation rates of student veterans. 

## P116G150112

## Jacksonville State University

700 Pelham Road North

Jacksonville, AL 36265

Project Director:  Allison Newton, anewton@jsu.edu, (256) 782-5108

Project Title:  Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success

Abstract:****Jacksonville State University’s Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) Program will address the unique needs of the veteran student population.  Model programs will be established to promote success for veteran students on our campus.  Centralized academic, financial, physical and social services will be implemented that will increase enrollment, good academic standing, persistence, and graduation rates at our institution. Specifically, the program seeks to both create and replicate institutional conditions known to promote college student success for veteran students.  The CEVSS program will provide an organizational framework for communication and collaboration between the CEVSS program personnel, faculty, advisors, and the administrative and academic support staffs across campus. An early warning system will be utilized to assess students’ non-cognitive traits and behaviors and will guide CEVSS program personnel, faculty, and advisors to develop individualized intervention strategies for the veteran population.  A new CEVSS will be equipped with the technology and academic resources necessary to successfully implement services and programs to meet the unique needs at-risk veteran students.  *GradesFirst*and College Completion Risk Evaluation for Veterans (CCREV) are two proven student services data integration systems that will be used to enhance the veteran students’ success rate.  

## P116G150117

## Lake Washington Institute of Technology

11605 132nd Avenue, NE

Seattle, WA 98304

Project Director:  Ruby Hayden, ruby.hayden@lwtech.edu, (425) 739-8208

Project Title:  Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success

Abstract:****Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) seeks funding from the Department of Education to establish a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) on their main campus in Kirkland, Washington. Staffed by a CEVSS Coordinator, the Center will serve 650 individual students during the first three years of operation, expand capacity of current support services available to veteran students (financial aid, tuition waivers, partnership with mental health counselling services, military credentials evaluation), increase recruitment and outreach activities, and provide wrap-around support services to ensure veteran students receive the support they need to succeed academically.  LWTech will leverage its robust offerings in advancement manufacturing, partnerships with nearby employers located in Washington State’s high-tech corridor, and proximity to military bases (two within a 50-mile radius) to develop clear pathways for veterans transitioning from military service into the workforce.  LWTech will serve its growing population of veteran students by achieving four project goals: 1) Improve veteran access:  Increase new student enrollment by 50 percent; 2) Improve veteran persistence:  Increase fall-to-fall persistence rates to 75 percent of enrolled students; 3) Improve veteran completion rates**:**Increase rate of veterans attaining degrees and certifies from 58 percent to 75 percent; and 4) Sustainability and long-term institutionalization of  the CEVSS:  Provide ongoing activities to support student veterans in their personal, educational, and professional lives.

## P116G150121

## Eastfield College

3737 Motley Drive

Mesquite, TX 75150

Project Director:  Tricia Thomas-Anderson, triciathomas-anderson@dcccd.edu, (972) 860-7396

Project Title:  Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success

Abstract:****Eastfield College, the institution proposes to develop a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) as the single point of contact for veteran students and to enhance the institution’s capacity to address the challenges that limit veterans’ postsecondary success.  The rationale for the proposed project centers on the recommendations of veteran services representatives, postsecondary personnel, and veteran students.  The goals and outcomes of the project:  1) to increase the number of veterans who enroll in postsecondary education; 2) to increase retention, persistence, and completion rates of veteran students enrolled at the institution; 3) to reduce the number of veteran students enrolled at the institution who are at-risk of academic failure; and 4) to build the capacity and infrastructure of the institution that will ensure uninterrupted delivery of veteran support services beyond the grant period are clearly defined with performance indicators that are relative and ambitious.  However, these measures are attainable, given the extensive services, activities, and resources that will be offered by the institution and the proposed CEVSS project. The methods for evaluation of the proposed project will also align with performance indicators established by the Department of Education for Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success projects.   The institution proposes to support at least 400 veteran students****who will utilize innovative services coordinated by the proposed CEVSS.  As a result, the outcomes of the CEVSS project will significantly enhance the institution, building an infrastructure that demonstrates increased awareness and understanding of the military culture, encouraging a sense of belonging among veteran students, and ensuring commitment to their success in college. 

## P116G150181

## Albany State University

504 College Drive 

Albany, GA 31705

Project Director:  Danette Saylor, danette.saylor@asurams.edu, (229) 903-3608

Project Title:  Veterans Office for Institutional and Community Engagement (VOICE)

Abstract:  The proposed Veterans Office for Institutional and Community Engagement (VOICE) Project to be implemented by Albany State University in Albany, Georgia, will give military service men and women the opportunity for their voices to be heard, their needs to be met, and their potential to be realized.  The VOICE will be a comprehensive veteran support service center located on the campus of Albany State University. The project’s overall goal is to increase the number of traditionally underserved student veterans in higher education persist to graduation and become gainfully employed. This goal will be achieved by implementing four objectives:

1. Increase the number of ethnic minority, disabled, and/or female student veterans enrolled at Albany State University;

2. Provide a comprehensive transition program for veteran students, 

3. Enhance the academic, personal, social, and professional development of veteran students; and

4. Increase the successful retention, progression, and graduation of student veterans.

## P116G150182

## John F. Kennedy University

100 Ellinwood Way

Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Project Director:  Susan Davi, sdavi@jfku.edu, (925) 969-3314

Project Title:  Veterans Academic Ladder for Opportunity and Resiliency (VALOR)

Abstract:  John F. Kennedy University (JFKU) proposes to create a VALOR Center of Excellence for Veteran Success as a three-campus and regional hub, facilitated by a single Center Coordinator, staff, and Veteran Support Team committed to VALOR (Veterans Academic Ladder for Opportunity and Resiliency).  The five building blocks of the VALOR Center are:  i) Successful Transition to Academic Life; ii) Successful developmental support and interventions; iii) Successful academic performance; iv) Successful social and professional development opportunities; and v) Successful Sustainability.  The VALOR Project is based on a Veteran Student Integration Model anchored by two overarching objectives:  Academic Integration and Social Integration.  JFKU will deploy all its critical institutional resources and leverage community stakeholders to significantly improve academic performance, social integration, and mental health support by creating a robust and formidable infrastructure and capacity.

## P116G150184

## Appalachian State University

287 Rivers Street, Suite 382

Boone, NC 28608

Project Director:  Lynn Gregory, gregoryld@appstate.edu, (828) 262-2218

Project Title:****Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success

Abstract:  Appalachian State University seeks funding to create a Student Veteran Center for Excellence to ensure student veteran success.  The three‐year project will build on existing resources to create a Student Veteran Project Coordinator and support personnel, to develop a transfer articulation database, to provide programs and inform policies based on best practices in the field and the unique needs of student veterans on the Appalachian campus including expanding and targeting orientation, and the piloting of community building in outdoor recreation programs that meet the needs of student veterans with a range of abilities.  The project focuses on more accurate and consistent tracking of student veterans to ensure their best possible education outcomes.  This makes individual intervention and the identification of issues in practice or policy possible.  Sustainability of the grant project is based on:  1) It’s foundation in current programming and staff priorities; 2) Careful planning to maximize tangible impact; and****3) State priorities and legislation supporting student veterans.

10/22/2015

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