Leadership At A Community College

The concepts of leadership, “to assist people to become more competent, purposeful, and ethical,” (Mission and vision, n.d.), fit within the mission of Siena Heights University because the institution fosters the growth of leaders by incorporating skills outside of the classroom. Educators have long known that a significant portion of student learning in college occurs outside the classroom and that faculty-student interaction is an important part of the college experience. (Cox, B. E., & Orehovec, E., 2007, p. 357). Significant research has demonstrated the importance of interaction between faculty members and students, both in and outside of the classroom (Cox, B. E., & Orehovec, E., 2007, p. 343). Faculty members possess a great deal of knowledge that can be imparted to student. This knowledge could be educational, life skills, and personal experiences that allow the student a contextual view point.

When considering the education levels of veterans, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs reports that female veterans are more likely to have a college education than males. The study shows that around 43.3% of female veterans have had some college experience while only 36.5% male veterans have had been exposed to a college education. When compared, female veterans are also more likely to have a bachelor’s degree and an advanced degree than men veterans (bachelor’s: 20.8% female to 15.9% male; advanced degree: 13.8% female to 10.7% male).

Volunteers looking to become students and attend college for free may be interested in serving in the military for at least four to five years. The government covers the free education provided under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. In the article “Service Members in School: Military Veterans ' Experiences Using the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Pursuing Postsecondary Education” the author Jennifer L. Steele explains that the “Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act became enforced on August 1, 2009, allowing for better educational benefits for the veterans” (Steele 1). Having the opportunity to go to college is becoming a necessity to succeed in today 's society. In

In the assigned readings there three viewpoints about leadership are presented: transformational leadership; the warrior ethic; and a blending of transformational and warrior leadership. All three bring forth a number of differing opinions and perspectives on leadership and how it pertains to the CAF.

Reports of student’s attendance showed that over 1,400 Veterans and their dependents used military benefits in order to attend institutions owned by Corinthian College (Murphy, 2014).

Higher Education between 1945 and 1970 was known as the “Golden Age” and SPPV (1949) came right at the beginning of this era (Thelin & Gasman, 2011). In 1945 the federal government used the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (GI Bill), to offset the pressure of hundreds of thousands returning war veterans into a job market that was not able to handle them all (Thelin & Gasman, 2011). The GI Bill provided a policy for increasing the diversity of student at both colleges and universities (Thelin & Gasman, 2011). The influx of students stressed many campuses because they did not have enough faculty and staff to accommodate the students as well as the physical environment to house all the students (Thelin & Gassman, 2011). The stress involved with the increase of students even further shows the need for SPPV (1949) pushing the separation between student services staff and faculty, because faculty simply did not have the time to advise and work with every new student now enrolling in the higher education system. Parker (1978) shows that during the 1960’s most colleges and universities had whole divisions dedicated to student affairs professionals, which were not present in the past and directly reflective of SPPV (1949). SPPV (1949) laid out 17 services of a student personnel program that became divisions by the 1960’s (Parker, 1978).

Prior to our recent move to Oregon, I had become quite comfortable with life in Northern New York and had applied for Empire State College as an important part of my future education. When looking into colleges to continue my education, SUNY Empire State College seemed to shine brighter than the rest. I had initially come across the Military Times Magazine and noticed that SUNY Empire State College had been recognized as “Best for Vets” for the past five years. In speaking and hearing the positive experiences of Soldiers who are current students or alumni, my interest deepened. Ultimately, I enrolled and I hope to continue in advancing my career as a History teacher through studies at SUNY Empire State College.

On July 21, 2015, President Obama addressed the VFW National Convention on the 70th anniversary of end of WWII, and said: “I consider it my obligation to help make sure that, even though less than one percent of Americans wear the uniform, that 100 percent of Americans honor your sacrifices and your service” (The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 2015). In my own personal attempt to honor those who have served our country, I decided to learn more about the student veteran experience in the higher education environment. Not only am I researching student veterans because of the call from President Obama to honor their service, I’m interested in the topic from the taxpayer perspective. In November 2015, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reported that $12 billion was spent on education benefits for over one million military veterans in the fiscal year of 2014. However, graduation rates for student veterans still lag behind their civilian counterparts (McCaslin, 2013), though it’s important to note that accurate information is still hard to find due to inconsistent reporting (Cate, 2014).

In the article titled, "The Common Language of Leadership," by Corey Seelmiller and Thomas Murray, which can be found in the November 2013 edition of the Journal of Leadership Studies, the authors conducted qualitative research in an attempt to (a) define and understand the competencies needed by college students to engage in leadership in their respective career fields and (b) to use the research findings on leadership competencies in order to develop a program that will encompass all fields of academic disciplines. The authors of this article studied the comprehensive of learning outcomes of 475 academic programs within 72 academic accrediting organizations in regard to student leadership development. The assertions by Corey

As veterans began to take advantage of their educational benefits school attendance increased substantially contrary to initial assumptions. Institutions of higher learning made accommodations for veteran students by expanding campuses and modifying living quarters to meet the needs of students with family’s.

Making the transition from the disciplined routine of military life to the ambiguous routine of a college campus can be jarring for student veterans. These students face many challenges much different from those of a traditional college student. Many student veterans encounter emotional, mental, and physical repercussions from their service experience, which dramatically affect the manner in which they engage with other college peers, faculty, and staff. While physical injuries tend to be more pronounced; mental and emotional effects of military life will manifest through behavioral issues; such as fear of being in crowded hallways or needing a seat in the back of each classroom to feel more secure in their surroundings. The unseen vulnerabilities

As demographics of college and university students in the United States evolve, so too must the policies and procedures used to assist students in their pursuit of post-secondary education (Radford, 2009). By the passage of educational acts such as the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (Public Law 78-346), the 1985 Montgomery GI Bill (Public Law 110-252), and now the Post 9/11 GI Bill (Public Law 100-48), institutions of higher education have committed themselves not only to educate the recently discharged and deactivated, but to address a student population with unique needs. Student development practitioners must adapt strategies to assist the transition experience of their military students.

The intended purpose of this study was to describe and understand the identity development of student veterans as they transitioned from active duty service members to students at a higher educational institution. This study was “phenomenological” in nature and focused on seven individual, veteran, full time students completing their first undergraduate degree at CU Denver. Despite the increased number of student veterans on campus, there remains a continued lack of understanding regarding this section of the student population at colleges across the United States and as I learned, here at CU Denver as well. It is important that campus administrators have a solid understanding of student veterans’ needs and experiences in order to better assist them while they are here at CU Denver. In my study I concentrated on the actual experiences of seven student veterans attending college full time. This method was chosen because of its in-depth interview nature and the focus on participants’ lived experiences and worldviews. Veterans have detailed life experiences that are often not understood by non-veterans so in explaining some of my findings we civilians could have problems relating or understanding. Because of the time limitations involved in this project, interviewing a larger number of participants was not feasible, especially considering the attention to detail required for personal, one-on-one discussions. Furthermore, since the study focused on student veteran identity

The obstacles that student service members/veterans confront while attending a higher educational institution are important to understand. There have been a multitude of studies focused on this growing population of college students. Prior research has revealed overlapping findings about student service members/veterans and their experiences in transitioning from a military environment to a college environment.

One of the topics in organizational development today is leadership. Leadership is what individuals do to mobilize other people in organizations and communities. According to Kouzes & Posner, there are five practices and ten commitments of exemplary leadership. The five practices of exemplary leadership include: Model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. In the Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner found similar patterns and actions of leadership that created the essentials to achieve success. Utilizing the research conducted by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, I have created a leadership plan that would apply to the Admission Department at Texas Wesleyan University.