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Serving as a VA Work-Study, President of the Student Veterans Organization, and a member of the Veterans Steering Committee at my college, I assist our brothers and sisters in arms with a wide variety of issues. The greatest common factor among them are professors who are not so "veteran friendly". To define "veteran friendly", it is a professor that makes accommodations not exceptions, when a student veteran is facing his or her unique transitional challenges. It is also a professor that is wise enough to avoid controversial topics, that may excite anger or other unwanted emotions in a prior service member.
What have been your experiences with college professors? On average, do you feel that they understand to some degree what veterans are facing while transitioning back to civilian life? Lastly, what are some things you would like college professors to know and/or be trained on, to better interact with student veterans?
What have been your experiences with college professors? On average, do you feel that they understand to some degree what veterans are facing while transitioning back to civilian life? Lastly, what are some things you would like college professors to know and/or be trained on, to better interact with student veterans?
Transition
College
Student Veterans of America (SVA)
Success
Edited >1 y ago
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 7
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Many college professors don't care one way or another about students in general. Only about a handful of mine were decent. Many professors are going to be provocative especially in social sciences and other liberal arts courses. I don't know if you can tame the beasts to be honest with you. Many professors are what they are. You might be able to get a awareness orientation to professors and make it mandatory for them if the school gets federal money. You may never know what might set someone off. I have friends brother who was a infantryman in gulf war I getting his PHD. He was teaching a class and got a un-desired response by a recent vet.
It probably needs to be two way street. And maybe the VA needs to identify vets that have stress issues from OCO and council them by giving them expectation management and counseling on how to deal with those encounters in a rational manner. Maybe identify professors to avoid who maybe more likely to cause issues. But at the end of the day the stress management is something they will have to figure out how to control. It's not just professors in some cases students maybe more extreme and provocative. Take some young stereotypical hippie the that blurts out "all military people are baby killers and savages, or the young conservative type that says "why do these needy vets need my tax money for a handout, they should fend for themselves" How is the said veteran going to react to those two statements? It's a cold cruel world out there. Many people who act like they care when they really don't.
It probably needs to be two way street. And maybe the VA needs to identify vets that have stress issues from OCO and council them by giving them expectation management and counseling on how to deal with those encounters in a rational manner. Maybe identify professors to avoid who maybe more likely to cause issues. But at the end of the day the stress management is something they will have to figure out how to control. It's not just professors in some cases students maybe more extreme and provocative. Take some young stereotypical hippie the that blurts out "all military people are baby killers and savages, or the young conservative type that says "why do these needy vets need my tax money for a handout, they should fend for themselves" How is the said veteran going to react to those two statements? It's a cold cruel world out there. Many people who act like they care when they really don't.
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SGT Matthew DePaul
To your point about the VA sir, identifying if you have issues should be on the student. Most colleges have a disability resource center that they can register with. As I stated in a previous comment, most of us are terrible when it comes to asking for help. Having a somewhat trained faculty would assist in closing the gap for student veterans who do not want to outright ask for help. This doesn't mean sudden accommodation when the student faults to their own conduct.
Identifying veteran friendly professors and those not is a common practice. However, this narrows options for student veterans. Also, if a professor is veteran friendly, it is likely they are an extraordinary instructor and would have their class filled up quickly by non-veteran students.
Yes, it is a cold and cruel world out there. Our men and women know that, which is all the more reason they should not have to consider mistreatment or unfair bias when entering back into the civilian world. Your input is well taken sir, and I appreciate it.
Identifying veteran friendly professors and those not is a common practice. However, this narrows options for student veterans. Also, if a professor is veteran friendly, it is likely they are an extraordinary instructor and would have their class filled up quickly by non-veteran students.
Yes, it is a cold and cruel world out there. Our men and women know that, which is all the more reason they should not have to consider mistreatment or unfair bias when entering back into the civilian world. Your input is well taken sir, and I appreciate it.
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As an infantry veteran who now teaches in a university liberal arts department, I can very clearly assert that I am not "veteran friendly" according to your criteria. I treat veterans the same way I treat every other student and I do not cater to the sensibilities of any of my students. I give one disclaimer at the beginning of every semester and at the top of every syllabus: this is an adult course in which we will cover adult topics and discuss such topics like adults. If you feel you cannot handle this course, I recommend you disenroll immediately.
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I graduated from Upper Iowa University as an adult student. I received my bachelors of science in Emergency and Disaster Management in 2010 at the age of 40. College itself was a struggle for me. As a veteran and a straight white conservative Christian male it seemed to me I was challenged to some point in almost every class about my views. Not just by my professors, but by other students and faculty... Fortunately because of my degree choice many of my professors for my degree specific classes were retired or active law enforcement members or firefighters. I'm not a quiet man about my personal views...never have been never will be...the best thing I did was to remain objective. To always give them respect and listen to their views...I only asked the same in return. I found that most people were actually very veteran friendly even when they did not agree with politics or current military actions. The "You can support the troops and still not support the war" mentality.
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