This document discusses improving the military to civilian transition process for veterans pursuing higher education. It proposes matching military occupations to academic degrees to help veterans select majors. It also recommends examining courses to make them more relevant for non-traditional students with work experience. The document advocates consulting military and academic experts to develop resources mapping occupations to degrees. It notes constraints of VA benefits on degree changes and durations of benefits. Finally, it discusses implications of degree requirements from an enlisted service member's perspective.

1. Military – to – Civilian Pipeline
(Mapping the Academic Roadmap)
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o Most/some enlisted occupations can/should carry a degree match based upon technical
merit.
o Traditional post-graduation placement relies upon the chosen degree.
o Military mindset of “mission-first” is not conducive to college transition.
o Language barriers/differences.
o It is the responsibility of each individual higher educational institution to do more for the
individual veteran than simply process educational benefit paperwork.
o Recognize that the veteran, as a non-traditional student, is in the process of transitioning
from a military lifestyle to a civilian lifestyle.
Andragogy Theory
o Teaching strategies designed to enhance the learning experience of adults. Consists of six
principles.
o Need to Know – Adults need to know why they should learn something. They
want to know the reason they need to learn something or how it will benefit them.
o Self Concept - Adults need to be responsible for their decisions on education.
They need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of what it is they are to
learn.
o Experience – Adults have a lifetime of experiences. Adults want to use what they
know and want to be acknowledged for having that knowledge.
o Readiness to Learn – Adults become ready to learn when they experience a need
to learn in order to better cope with real-life tasks or problems. Adults prefer
lessons that are concrete and relate to their needs and future goals.
o Orientation to Learning – Adults are task or problem-centered in their orientation
to learning. They want to see how lessons will apply to their life, how a task is
performed, or the solutions to problems.
o Motivation – Internal priorities are more important than external motivators.

2. Military – to – Civilian Pipeline
(Mapping the Academic Roadmap)
2
Reversing ROTC
o A complete examination of all enlisted occupations is ideal, if impractical.
o Where to start:
o Identify the relationship between enlisted personnel and military officers.
 Identify and isolate the specific differences between enlisted personnel
and military officers.
o Examine the officers and the enlisted they lead through a “perfect world” lens.
 Ex. A supply officer should only ever lead the supply-types, not infantry
or other technical personnel such as information technology, mechanics,
or artists.
o Identify the degree requirements of the officer and compare to institution
offerings.
 In cases where a degree requirement might not exist, then examine how
the services utilize various degrees.
 Some assumptions will be made nor there be a “fit” for all.
o Make the leap.
o Pair the officer requirements/equivalents with the “perfect world” types they
should lead and be in the most proximity with.
 Result should be rough-draft resource document that matches occupations
to degrees.
o Counsel and mentor.
 Not intended to establish college credit.
 Could serve to provide aid, in conjunction with existing sources, to
further that discussion.
o Weed-out-courses.
 Re-examine/re-purpose them for the non-traditional
student. A situation where a student has the
experience for a given field, but not the academic
coursework is a situation requiring addressing.
o Survey courses.
 Selection of a degree should be enough; after all it
is the degree that is desired by industry. Courses
that exist to provide exposure to an industry
(outside one chosen) should not be required.

3. Military – to – Civilian Pipeline
(Mapping the Academic Roadmap)
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o Self-Development/Cultural Appreciation courses.
 Perhaps the most difficult to evaluate. Required
attendance carries an implication that certain social
skills might be lacking. This implication is not
conducive to the learning environment.
Consultation Entities (Task Force Composition)
o Service components
o Manpower
o Recruiters
o Academic professionals
o Administrators
o Educators
o Industry experts
VA Benefit Constraints
o Degree is selected up-front.
o Method works for taking basic courses, but is less effective for higher level
coursework selection.
o Limited durations.
o Financial constraints, paid only while in attendance. Turns into debt upon (2)
failures of the same course.
o (36) Months is best maximized at a rate of (8) 15-credit hour (98-day) semesters.
 36 months = 1095 days.
 8 semesters @ 15 credit hours = 120 total credit hours. This totals 784
days.
 This calculation assumes a Fall and Spring semester with no
summer or winter/mini-mester. This calculation ‘makes’ college a
4-year evolution.
o Degree variations (change in majors, additional degrees) support (3) additional
“x”-credit hour (98-day) semesters.
 (311) benefit days remaining before education becomes an out-of-pocket
expense.

4. Military – to – Civilian Pipeline
(Mapping the Academic Roadmap)
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Degree Implications from an Enlisted Perspective
o Degree is recommended for advancement/promotion.
o A college degree or simply having college hours has been factored into the
enlisted promotion systems. This means that all other factors being equal, the
person with the degree/hours is likely to be considered for advancement. Because
of the weight given to degrees/hours, this non-mission achievement can weigh
more than an achievement that has a more specific impact on the mission.
o Degree is a factor in determining leadership positions.
o With very few, and specific exceptions, the leader is a commissioned officer, a
person that possess a college degree.
o Degree of leader is not always specific to the field.
o Although the leader has received specific training that pertains to their assigned
duties, that training might stand apart from the degree they attained before
entering into service. This creates a condition where mission success is greatly
dependent upon the training and discipline of both the leader and subordinate as
they adhere to their respective roles.
Miscellaneous Notes
o Not like everyone else.
o Not a valid excuse, crutch, or mode of operation until the majority of the student
population has also served honorably.
o Necessity versus Preferences
o Large percentage of current population works in fields that do not pertain to the
degree they attained.
o Honor the opportunity cost that veteran’s endure.
o VA benefits imply honorable discharge.
 Implies deliberate, decision to attend college.
 Implies college over something else.
o Prior leadership experiences
o Selection of a degree on the basis that a ‘good’ leader studied X at university Y is
a haphazard event without informed guidance from the specific educational
institution.
o What it means/why we’re here
o College should be about learning something new or expanding upon a pre-
existing knowledge base.