1. USG: A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO SERVING MILITARY AND VETERANS David Snow, Ed.D USG Director of Military Affairs October 28, 2015

2. Overview USG Inside the numbers USG Initiatives Campus initiatives & Best Practices Questions 2 USG: SERVING OUR MILITARY, VETERANS, & THEIR FAMILIES

3. University System of Georgia For information on all USG institutions please visit: http://www.usg.edu/inst/

4. WHY the University System of Georgia? RECOGNIZABLE: USG institutions are well known in Georgia, the region, and nation. Many institutions have also earned global recognition and awards. Georgia only state with two of the USNews Top 20 publics. AFFORDABLE: Out-of-State Tuition is waived for active military, spouses, and children and also for those who separated within the last 36 months. Many fees waived for members of the armed forces utilizing service TA. The latter was put into action a year ago and helps to minimize out of pocket costs. QUALITY: Regional accreditation is higher education’s “gold standard“. The VA website refers visitors to the FTC pamphlet and this is one of the “eight questions to ask” according to FTC. USG institutions are all accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). * Transferability/grad school

5. Distance Education Options Georgia ONmyLINE provides access to a full array of online and distance education offerings. http://www.georgiaonmyline.org/ eCore (electronic core-curriculum) is a convenient and adaptable option for either getting started in college or resuming college after a break. The Core curriculum primarily consists of courses required during the first two years of college. Additional info available at: https://ecore.usg.edu/ GVTC (Georgia Virtual Technical Connection) has on-line courses for most programs within TCSG. Keep up with industry standards with IT certifications, or knock out basic courses available from a host of colleges. http://www.gvtc.org/ eMajor provides undergraduate, online degrees through traditional, public institutions in the University System of Georgia. This innovative approach allows students to earn credits for prior learning and reduce time to graduation. The program is ideal for traditional students who wish to take advantage of online course delivery and also for working professionals, military members, transfer students and others seeking alternative routes to degree completion. https://emajor.usg.edu/

6. Inside The Numbers 6 774,000 veterans Over 110K active duty, Guardsmen, and Reservists Large number of returning veterans

7. Inside The Numbers 7 Higher Education Continued strong enrollment USG and TCSG offer reputable, quality, and affordable education Effective strategies aid enrollment, retention, and graduation* Dave’s Theory: Veteran = Trifecta of Institutional Goals Students with a Global View and Perspective Students that persist and graduate Diverse student population Workforce Requirements Technical, law enforcement, first responders, and medical fields Troops to Truckers, Troops to Teachers, numerous trade skills Engineering (w/ Security Clearance)

8. Inside The Numbers –Spring 15 8 6,525Veteran students utilizing GI Bill benefits 1,478Eligible family members utilizing GI Bill benefits 1,256Members of the National Guard/Reserves utilizing VA educational benefits 800+Veteran student graduates for Spring 2015 26Campuses with a dedicated veteran/military student space (ie. resource center/outreach center/ lounge) 26 Campuses with a Student Veterans organization (almost all SVA affiliated) 24Veteran/military recognition at graduation (cord, stole, tassel, or uniform) 15Institutions named “military friendly” by GI JOBS magazine 13“Yellow Ribbon” participants with the Veterans Administration (VA) 9Campuses with priority registration for veterans utilizing GI Bill 5USG schools listed as “Best for Vets” by Military Times (only 140 schools nationwide selected) 3Sessions conducted in 2014 (Adult Learning Consortium) mapping military training to academic credits 2Tillman Scholars on USG campuses (Pat Tillman Foundation) 1Number of states certified as Choice Act of 2014 compliant before Georgia

9. Why Veterans? 9 USG focus is on RPG. Credential = value added Very small percentage are even eligible for military service (25%) Experience and perspective adds greatly to campus & community Global perspective Persistence and graduation Diversity ….military comes from all walks and less than 1% serve Civic minded and sense of purpose

10. Initiatives 10

11. USG & TCSG Initiatives 11 Access and Affordability Base engagement and education fairs RVTF Collaboration and promoting state funded institutions Affordability Public institutions Many fees waived for military (Tuition Assistance) Out-of State Waivers (36 months for vets & family) * Online offerings (schools, eCore, GVTC, etc) Academic Credit Collaboration among USG and TCSG institutions (ALC) Core articulation agreement between TCSG and USG Various other institution-to-institution articulations also in place Dependent upon course of study and Joint Services Transcript Prior Learning database projected Fall 2015 100% President’s Principles of Excellence for Veterans “Best for Vets 2015” 5/100 in USG, 3/25 in TCSG

12. USG AND TCSG MILITARY ACADEMIC TRAINING FACILITY WARNER ROBINS, GA

13. State-wide resource – centrally located State-wide resource – centrally located Joint University System and Technical College System Joint University System and Technical College System ECD Spring 16 ECD Spring 16 One-Stop Shop for military, veterans and dependents (VSO) One-Stop Shop for military, veterans and dependents (VSO) Financial Aid, VA certifying officials, Student Advisement, Counseling, Testing, etc. Financial Aid, VA certifying officials, Student Advisement, Counseling, Testing, etc. Recruiting/Job Fairs Recruiting/Job Fairs Military Academic Training Center

14. Campus Veteran Centers OVER 80% OF USG and ½ OF TCSG SCHOOLS HAVE A MILITARY/VETERANS CENTER !

15. CAMPUS INITIATIVES 15 Student Veteran Organization Survey (USG) found to be #1A As adult learners, can be challenging Priority Registration 9… and counting Veterans Resource/Outreach Center Need varies by institution Survey (USG) found it to be #1B 26 … and counting (27 next week)

16. Campus Initiatives 16 Orientation Adult Learner or Vet specific Slightly different focus Navigating higher ed … provide them tools! Peer Mentor Programs Student veteran/military centers Veterans Day observations Recognition at graduation Awareness Programs

17. Campus Veteran Centers OVER 80% OF USG and ½ OF TCSG SCHOOLS HAVE A MILITARY/VETERANS CENTER !

18. Graduation Recognition Over 800 GI Bill student veterans graduated Spring 2015 !

19. USG: QUALITY, RESPECTED, AND RECOGNIZED EDUCATION TO BRING YOU UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES! Serving Those Who Served Us

20. QUESTIONS? David R Snow david.snow@usg.edu 404-576-3439david.snow@usg.edu