Data-Driven Inquiry, Servicemembers' Perspectives, and Redefining Success

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Author(s): Zoli, C., Maury, R., & Fay, D. L.

Editor(s): DiRamio, D.

Citation: Zoli, C., Maury, R., & Fay, D. L. (2017). Data-Driven Inquiry, Servicemembers' Perspectives, and Redefining Success. In DiRamio, D., What's Next for Student Veterans? Moving From Transition to Academic Success (pp. 3-24). Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.

 

Abstract

This chapter discusses the importance of engaging with student veterans directly to understand their specific needs. Understanding the individual student becomes as important as understanding the whole institution’s population, since each experience adds a perspective that can be documented and collected. Furthermore, this chapter looks at connections between veterans’ career aspirations, educational experiences in the military (i.e., training) and in higher education, and their future plans. The authors discuss barriers to and challenges related to the transition to higher education from the military, yet they also argue that student veterans have many sources beyond the classroom and academic experiences on which they can draw. By viewing their prior learning experiences as valid, a broader understanding of academic success becomes apparent. In short, the data described here allow higher educators to develop an increased understanding of military service, characteristics of those who serve, and the changing military climate.

 

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