MGIB - The Montgomery GI Bill - 30 NASPA - The National Association of Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education NCES - The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the U. S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) PL – Public Law PTSD – Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder REAP – Reserve Education Assistance Program SOC – Service-members Opportunities Colleges SRA – Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 Support Services – Activities sponsored by the institution that support student life and student success. SVA – Student Veterans of America TBI – Traumatic Brain Injury USDOE - U.S. Department of Education USDVA - U. S. Department Veterans’ Affairs ABSTRACT This quantitative study examines the relationship between United States military veteran outreach programs and the academic success of student veterans who participate in
“moving through” transitional stage with veterans identified as adult learners during their individual educational transition. The quantitative method was selected because the scientific investigation process allows the researcher to measure the degree between the variables using a statistical procedure. According to Creswell (2008, p. 60), correlational analysis illustrates the degree of association, expressed as a number, representing whether two variables are related, or whether one can predict the other. Creswell continued to explain that the correlational design requires that the researcher study a single group of individuals. In the quantitative method, the scientific investigation includes both experiments and other systematic methods that emphasize control and quantified measures of performance (Proctor & Capaldi, 2006). According to Hoy (2010), quantitative researchers are more focused on the development and testing of hypotheses rather than the generation of models and theories that explain behavior. Following Creswell’s (2008, p. 61) methods, this study seeks to describe trends in the student-veteran population that employ the use of veteran outreach services while enrolled in Metropolitan College System. A survey was administered to a population of 1,168 veterans to identify trends in attitudes, opinions, and characteristics of veterans enrolled on a full time and part time basis throughout the Metropolitan College System campuses during the 2013-2014 academic school year. Cohen and Manion (1994, p. 123), explained that correlational research is “relational” research because the basic objective is to explain the association between variables. This study used the explanatory design to demonstrate the association between student success and veteran participation in Metropolitan College System’s veteran
Table 8 Detailed Responses to Question on Success of Veteran Services (undecided/blank not included in the calculation) College Is the quality of the Veteran services useful? Count of Is the quality of the academic services useful? Success of services Count of Is the quality of the financial assistance services useful? Success of financial assistance services Count of Is the quality of the employment help services useful? Success of services Count of Is the quality of the housing assistance services useful? Success of housing assistance services Count of Is the quality of the social assistance services useful? Success of social assistance services Count of Is the quality of the medical assistance services useful? Success of medical assistance services Overall quality of Veteran Services Metropolitan Site A Agree - Strongly Agree 20 95% 19 95% 19 95% 18 95% 17 94% 17 94% Disagree - Strongly Disagree 1 1 1 1 1 1 Undecided – Blank 5 5 5 5 5 5 Metropolitan Site A Total 26 25 25 24 23 23 95% Metropolitan Site B Agree – Strongly Agree 20 100% 20 100% 19 100% 19 100% 19 100% 18 100% Disagree Disagree 0 0 0 0 0 0 Undecided - Blank 9 10 10 10 10 10 Metropolitan Site B Total 29 30 29 29 29 28 100% Metropolitan Site C Agree – Strongly Agree 21 88% 21 88% 21 88% 20 87% 20 87% 20 87% Disagree – Strongly Disagree 3 3 3 3 3 3 Undecided - Blank 6 6 6 6 6 6 Metropolitan Site C Total 30 30 30 29 29 29 87% Continued …
Summary of Findings The data were collected by utilizing an on-line survey through SurveyMonkey.com that was distributed to student veterans enrolled at the seven Metropolitan College System campuses. Hypothesis Student veterans who participate in veteran outreach activities at the seven campuses of Metropolitan College System will persist and achieve academic success. Research Questions Five research questions guided this study of issues important to student veterans as they return to begin or to complete their education goals following service in the U. S. military. Research Question One How many services are available for student veterans–including on-campus, institution- sponsored, and off-campus referral services? All seven Metropolitan College System campuses had six veteran services. Respondents from all Metropolitan College System campuses indicated that they participated in the veteran services offered at their campus. The survey did not include any questions that would provide the researcher any data indicating whether the Metropolitan College System sponsored off-campus referral services. Further research can be conducted to determine if any of the Metropolitan College System campuses sponsor off-campus outreach programs. Research Question Two How often do student veterans utilize the veterans’ services?
Research Question Two How often do student veterans utilize the veterans’ services? According to the results of the survey, 35% of the respondents utilized the academic services one to two times per semester, 61% of the respondents utilized financial assistance service one to two times per semester, 65% of the respondents sought employment assistance one to two times per semester, 50% of the respondents participated in housing services one to two times per semester, 41% of the respondents accessed social service assistance one to two times per semester, and 57% of the respondents needed medical assistance one to two times per semester. Tinto (1993, p.149) explained that institutional commitment is demonstrated by patterns of activities involving faculty and staff. In addition, Tinto wrote that successful institutions commit themselves to long-term investment of resources required to ensure that programs are able to grow and prosper. Moreover, Tinto added that successful programs take many years to reach fruition. These programs start small and gain momentum over time, and performance of programs improves through continuous assessment and Research Question Three Which veterans’ services provide positive feedback? All Metropolitan College System campuses had favorable feedback on all six of the veteran services offered by the colleges as mandated by State Senate Bill 1624. Overall, the combined score of 93% indicated positive feedback among all of the veteran services at all seven of the Metropolitan College System campuses. Hatry (2013) explained that in the United States, government program-evaluation efforts were initially
APPENDIX E: EXCEL PIVOT OF THE SUCCESS OF VETERAN SERVICES AT ALL METROPOLITAN COLLEGES College Is the quality of the Veteran services useful? Count of Is the quality of the academic services useful? Success of services Count of Is the quality of the financial assistance services useful? Success of financial assistance services Count of Is the quality of the employment help services useful? Success of services Count of Is the quality of the housing assistance services useful? Success of housing assistance services Count of Is the quality of the social assistance services useful? Success of social assistance services Count of Is the quality of the medical assistance services useful? Success of medical assistance services Overall quality of Veteran Services Metropolitan Site A Agree - Strongly Agree 20 95% 19 95% 19 95% 18 95% 17 94% 17 94% Disagree - Strongly Disagree 1 1 1 1 1 1 Undecided – Blank 5 5 5 5 5 5 Metropolitan Site A Total 26 25 25 24 23 23 95% Metropolitan Site B Agree – Strongly Agree 20 100% 20 100% 19 100% 19 100% 19 100% 18 100% Disagree Disagree 0 0 0 0 0 0 Undecided - Blank 9 10 10 10 10 10 Metropolitan Site B Total 29 30 29 29 29 28 100% Metropolitan Site C Agree – Strongly Agree 21 88% 21 88% 21 88% 20 87% 20 87% 20 87% Disagree – Strongly Disagree 3 3 3 3 3 3 Undecided - Blank 6 6 6 6 6 6 Metropolitan Site C Total 30 30 30 29 29 29 87% Continued …
APPENDIX E (Continued) College Is the quality of the Veteran services Count of Is the quality of the academic services useful? Success of academic services Count of Is the quality of the financial assistance services useful? Success of financial assistance services Count of Is the quality of the employment help services useful? Success of services Count of Is the quality of the housing assistance services useful? Success of housing assistance services Count of Is the quality of the social assistance services useful? Success of social assistance services Count of Is the quality of the medical assistance services useful? Success of medical assistance services Overall Quality of Veteran Services Metropolitan Site D Agree – Strongly agree 23 96% 23 96% 22 96% 21 95% 20 95% 21 95% Disagree – Strongly Disagree 1 1 1 1 1 1 Undecided - Blank 8 8 8 8 8 8 Metropolitan Site D Total 32 32 31 30 29 30 96% Metropolitan Site E Agree – Strongly Agree 10 100% 10 100% 10 100% 10 100% 10 100% 10 100% Disagree – Strongly Disagree 0 0 0 0 0 0 Undecided - Blank 3 3 2 2 2 2 Metropolitan Site E Total 13 13 12 12 12 12 100% Metropolitan Site F Agree – Strongly Agree 10 77% 10 83% 9 82% 9 82% 9 82% 9 82% Disagree – Strongly Disagree 3 2 2 2 2 2 Undecided - Blank 7 7 7 7 7 7 Metropolitan Site F Total 20 19 18 18 18 18 81%
Continued . . . APPENDIX E (Continued) College Is the quality of the Veteran services useful? Count of Is the quality of the academic services useful? Success of academic services Count of Is the quality of the financial assistance services useful? Success of financial assistance services Count of Is the quality of the employment help services useful? Success of services Count of Is the quality of the housing assistance services useful? Success of housing assistance services Count of Is the quality of the social assistance services useful? Success of social assistance services Count of Is the quality of the medical assistance services useful? Success of medical assistance services Overall Quality of Veteran Services Metropolitan Site G Agree – Strongly Agree 30 94% 29 94% 28 93% 28 93% 28 93% 28 93% Disagree – Strongly Disagree 2 2 2 2 2 2 Undecided Blank 9 8 9 9 9 9 Metropolitan Site G Total 41 39 39 39 39 39 93% Grand Total 191 93% 188 94% 184 93% 181 93% 179 93% 179 93%
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