New York State Senate Public Hearing Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs & Committee on Higher Education Examining the Programs and Potential for Job Retraining for Returning Veterans in Their Pursuit of Higher Education in the State of New York Testimony of: Ms. Betsy Penrose Vice President for Students Jefferson Community College May 17, 2010 Let me begin by reflecting on what Jefferson Community College has done in the last 18 months to provide an educational environment that is both welcoming and supportive to veteran students. In January 2009, we convened two veteran focus groups to gain a better understanding of the veteran perspective on the College�s pre-enrollment programs and services and the transitional first-year in college. Several themes emerged from these focus groups: 1. Veterans need a campus point of contact to help navigate the transition to college. This person is an important first connection to the college for incoming students. 2. Financial issues are a significant concern. Understanding veteran benefits and the application process, particularly the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, is difficult. The students need an informed resource on campus. 3. Off campus resources are necessary for a successful college experience. At a minimum, the students need to understand what is available in the community. Bringing those resources to campus occasionally is a tremendous help to the students. 4. Veteran students want an opportunity to network and interact with one another. It does not need to be a formal club; social and educational gatherings work well. 5. Veterans wanted a dedicated, physical space on campus. Ideally, the ombudsman would be located nearby. 6. College level credit for life skills and military experience is highly desirable. 7. Campus work opportunities are very helpful. Not just for financial reasons - jobs help the veteran to feel connected to the college community. On the flip side, having peer veteran students available in key support offices � advising, admissions, tutoring, financial aid � would help ease the transition for incoming veteran students. 8. Lastly, veterans may suffer from PTSD and some classes can be overwhelming at times. Faculty and staff sensitivity and training are necessary to help students cope with the adjustment from combat to the classroom. The following are specific actions taken by the College to respond to the needs expressed by our veteran students in the forums. In spring 2009, we participated in a webinar on how to create a veteran friendly campus. This conference broadened our understanding of veteran students and affirmed some of the themes from the veterans focus groups. In April 2009, staff members attended a two-day Veterans Roundtable conference on Fort Drum offered by the Institute for Professional Development in the Addictions and the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization. The purpose was to bring leaders from mental health, substance abuse and veterans communities together to provide information about the needs of returning veterans. Our proximity to Fort Drum and the availability of this and other training to Jefferson Community College staff is invaluable. In July 2009, we hosted Senator Aubertine�s informational session on �Veterans Transition Centers� to educate and support higher education administrators and students. This seminar was well attended with representatives from many Central and Northern New York colleges and universities as well as community agencies. In August 2009, we hosted an informational session for veterans on educational benefits including the Post 9/11 GI Bill. VA Educational Specialist Jerry Ferguson from Buffalo was the presenter. Our hope was to help students to become more informed on veterans benefits and choices. We also included a community panel to highlight available resources in our region. Panelists were from Fort Drum Veterans Services, Jefferson County Veterans Administration and the Watertown Vet Center. In fall 2009, the Watertown Vets Center brought their mobile center to campus to help veterans become aware of the services and programs offered by the Center, especially mental health and counseling programs. Over the past two years, the College has hosted speakers from the Fort Drum Behavioral Health offices at several training sessions for faculty and staff. In addition, the College accommodates and supports frequent visits by the Veteran's Administration Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in Syracuse to facilitate communication between individual students and Voc Rehab. In fall 2009, the College opened a modest service members lounge in the Student Center. It is used daily by a small group of veterans who have expressed appreciation for having a dedicated campus space. It is a place to gather, a home away from home. We have an assistant financial aid counselor to assist veterans in applying for their benefits and understanding other financial aid opportunities. The assistant counselor resides in the financial services office and has other duties as well so she cannot be entirely dedicated to our veteran population. College staff have been active with the New York Association of College & Military Educators (ACME). The purpose of ACME is to indentify issues affecting military and veterans students and to promote change at the institutional level and the state legislative level. Lastly, the partnership between the Jefferson Community College, Samaritan Medical Center, and Fort Drum brings new educational opportunities to our region and is unique within the state. This partnership has expanded educational health programs such as weekend and graduate nursing, allied health curricula, and social work. That summarizes the College�s efforts to date. Given our current staffing and financial constraints, what more can be done either at our institution or others across the state? We can work on the following. . Provide additional pre-enrollment services to veterans to assist them in understanding VA educational benefits and community resources. . Provide additional assistance to veterans during the critical first year transition to college. These students may have specialized needs and creative solutions may be necessary to address those needs. For example, Cleveland State University designed select freshman general education classes specifically for veteran students through the Supportive Education for the Returning Vet (SERV) program. . Engage faculty and staff in workshop and training opportunities to help them understand the needs of veterans. . Reach out to veterans on campus periodically to understand better their concerns and identify challenges they experienced with respect to the programs and services offered by the college. . Defer tuition, fees and book costs for entering veterans until VA funding is obtained. I believe SUNY schools defer tuition and fees at a minimum, but veterans sometimes experience financial hardship due to delays in educational funding approval. Indirect costs associated with attending college can be significant. . Track veterans to determine institutional effectiveness. At a minimum, record student satisfaction, course completion, retention and graduation rates. What can New York State do to help colleges improve services to veterans? Although it is a challenging and difficult fiscal environment within the state and the nation, funding is critical to improve services. . Provide funding to support a campus ombudsman for veterans, particularly to those colleges serving large numbers of veterans. The ombudsman will deepen the veteran�s connection to the institution and help navigate VA educational benefits, academic and student support services, and referral to community agencies and resources. . Provide funding to conduct outreach, market and publicize educational opportunities for veterans to encourage and educate those who are not utilizing their educational benefits. . Provide funding to support training for faculty and staff who work with veteran students. In conclusion, we are fortunate to have many community resources in Jefferson County to assist our growing population of veterans, thanks to the hard work of Fort Drum and community leaders. It is our privilege to assist the men and women who serve our country, particularly those at Fort Drum. These soldiers and their families are our neighbors, friends, and our community. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.