Transcript Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC)

MILITARY SERVICE CREDIT
OVERVIEW
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Texas A&M as a Military Friendly Institution
State Law: College Credit for Military Service
Texas A&M Policy & Procedures for Awarding
Military Service Credit
Challenge: Application of Military Credits into
degree plans
Q&A / Discussion
WHY THE CURRENT INTEREST IN VETERANS?
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> 2,000,000 US troops deployed to Iraq /Afghanistan since 2001.
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They are eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill that removes financial barriers to
higher education
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They will transition to civilian life in the coming years
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They will enroll at universities in large numbers
Cook & Kim (2009). From Soldier to Student: Easing the Transition of Service Members on Campus.
Washington, DC: American Council on Education.
SERVICEMEMBERS OPPORTUNITY COLLEGES (SOC)
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Washington D.C. agency funded by Department of Defense (DoD)
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Consortium of Military-Friendly institutions with flexible policies
that allow mobile servicemembers to complete degrees rather
than just accumulate course credit
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Texas A&M is a designated SOC “Military-Friendly” institution
Committed to awarding credit for military educational experience
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Use ACE’s Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed
Services in evaluating & awarding academic credit
AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION (ACE)
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Established: 1918
1,800 accredited institutional members
Provides leadership & unified voice on higher education issues
Administers General Educational Development (GED) program
Reviews military educational experiences and makes
recommendations for the award of equivalent college credits to
members of the Armed Forces
GUIDING PHILOSOPHY OF THE
AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION:
“What an individual learns is more important than
when, where, and how the individual learned it.”
ACE CREDIT COURSE REVIEW
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A Content Review Committee examines military course
descriptions and determines appropriate content and
academic disciplines.
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A Review Team of faculty evaluators is selected from
relevant academic disciplines.
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The Team travels to training locations and evaluates course.
ACE CREDIT COURSE REVIEW
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Evaluative criteria includes:
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Course content
Learning outcomes
Depth and breadth of material
Level of difficulty
Applicability to postsecondary programs
Evaluative instruments
Outside assignments.
If appropriate, recommendations are made as to the
amount & level of college credit equivalency for possible
transfer into degree programs (at university discretion).
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Team consensus must be 100%
AWARD OF COURSE CREDIT FOR MILITARY SERVICE
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Texas H.B. No. 269, Ed. Code, Sec. 1, Subchap. F, Chap. 51, Sec. 51.3042
(b) An institution of higher education shall award to an undergraduate
student … course credit for all physical education courses required by the
institution … and for additional semester credit hours, not to exceed 12, that
may be applied to satisfy any elective course requirements for the student's
degree program for courses outside the student's major or minor…
(c) This section does not prohibit an institution of higher education from
awarding additional course credit for a student's military service as the
institution considers appropriate.
Signed into law 19 June 2009
Texas Legislature Online: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/billlookup/text.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB269
TEXAS A&M POLICY EFFECTIVE FALL 2011
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Student provides proof of eligibility to Admissions (DD214)
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Admissions determines eligibility, not advisor
Minimum one year active duty (365 days) and honorable discharge, or
 Less than one year active duty and medical discharge, or
 Current A&M students on active duty (commissioning programs)
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 KINE
198/199 and up to 12 general electives
 Advisor
determines need based on degree analysis
 Military Service Credit Request Form submitted
 Credits are irrevocable once awarded
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IMPORTANCE OF ACADEMIC ADVISING
“Academic advising is a critical piece of a holistic
approach for working with student-veterans.”
Di Ramio, Ackerman, & Mitchell (2008). From Combat to Campus: Voices of Student-Veterans. NASPA
Journal, Vol. 45, no.1, p. 94.
MILITARY SERVICE
CREDIT REQUEST FORM
• Accessible on Registrar
website
• Allows selective award of
credit for KINE 198/199 and
up to 12 hours of electives
• Signed by student and
departmental academic
advisor
• Approved by Admissions
MILITARY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
OLD POLICY:
NEW POLICY:
CHALLENGE: APPLICATION OF MILITARY CREDITS
INTO DEGREE PLANS
REMEMBER:
• Texas Law: “does not prohibit an institution of higher
education from awarding additional course credit for a
student's military service as the institution considers
appropriate.”
• American Council on Education: “What an individual learns
is more important than when, where, and how the individual
learned it.”
• Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges: Allow them to
complete degrees rather than just accumulate course credit.
WHERE ARE STUDENT VETERANS’ RECOMMENDED
CREDITS DOCUMENTED?
• Army: Army ACE Registry Transcript System (AARTS)
• summarizes recommended credits from military educational experiences
• Navy/Marine Corps: The Sailor / Marine ACE Registry Transcript (SMART)
• summarizes recommended credits from military educational experiences
• Air Force: The Community College of the Air Force (CCAF)
• Summarizes military educational experience and standardized test scores.
• Coast Guard: The Coast Guard Institute (CGI)
• requires each individual to submit documentation of all training, along with an
enrollment form, to receive a transcript.
• Veterans: If not eligible for AARTS, SMART, CCAF, or CGI systems, must use forms
DD-295 and DD-214 to have educational experiences evaluated.
SAILOR/MARINE ACE REGISTRY TRANSCRIPT (SMART)
http://militaryguides.acenet.edu/
MILITARY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Questions / Discussion