Australian universities and educational equity for student veterans

Australian universities and educational equity for student veterans

Ben Wadham, Melanie Takarangi, Andrew Harvey, Lisa Andrewartha, Brad West, Matthew Wyatt-Smith, Jodie Davis, Elaine Waddell & Ella Moeck

La Trobe University, University of South Australia, The University of Newcastle Australia

Transition from the military to the civilian word is a time of upheaval for veterans. Most do well, while some struggle with social isolation, loss of identity, and the challenge to find new purpose. One way to address these challenges is to support the inclusion and education of veterans at universities. Existing research on veterans at Australian universities has highlighted some of the difficulties facing student veterans' participation. There is no information about how Australian universities recognise, support and govern student veterans. This study investigated how Australian universities, and key government departments, addressed the educational equity needs of student veterans. It used interviews, focus groups and document analyses to provide evidence-based recommendations for future policy.

BACKGROUND

Every year, approximately 6,000 veterans discharge from the military and transition back to civilian life. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) reports that most of these discharges are voluntary, with the largest proportion of transitioning members having fewer than 12 years of service. Education participation is a significant point of transition, with Australian Defence Force (ADF) records showing that 11 per cent of veterans adopt tertiary education pathways within 12 months after separation. However, the Australian higher education system does not officially identify student veterans and there is a limited awareness of veterans' needs.

OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY

This study sought to answer a key research question: How do Australian universities recognise, service, and govern the educational equity needs of student veterans?

This project adopted a mixed methods approach and consisted of three key elements:

1. Desktop review of programs that aim to support veteran students nationally and internationally on university campuses. This review included the peer support work being undertaken by student veteran organisations such as the Australian Student Veterans Association (ASVA).

2. Focus groups with admission, transition, equity, or diversity unit staff in universities in South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales.

3. Examination of how government policy conceives of higher education as a transition pathway through brief review of policy documents and consultation with relevant departmental officers in DVA and ADF.

KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Key findings

A summary of key findings shows that:

• Australian student veterans were often acknowledged but not well understood by universities, and in varying ways and degrees.

• There was genuine goodwill and intent in the university sector, but military skills and experience were not adequately recognised or incorporated into university admission decisions.

• Tertiary admissions frameworks were variable and would benefit from a national coordinated approach, with only limited specific veteran entry programs in operation.

• Where universities did not have student veteran-specific programs and processes, they were using existing equity and transition process to support student veterans.

• Universities had support pathways such as "elite athlete programs" which can be emulated to identify, promote, and support the needs of veterans studying at university.

• There were few cases of veteran identifiers in university admissions. Universities did not collect demographic or academic data.

• There was no national framework for supporting veterans in higher education (e.g., a GI Bill) and financial support for student veterans was limited.

• Exposure and access to opportunity in higher education was unequal in the ADF across rank and corps, nor considered evenly across the ADF during the transition phase.

• There was no nationally consistent framework for mapping and applying credential for veterans seeking to engage in higher education, further limited by its conception as part of a rehabilitation framework.

• Articulation of policy across the ADF, DVA, and the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) was inconsistent or missing.

Summary of recommendations

A summary of key recommendations includes:

Government, ADF and DVA

• Establish a national policy for veteran access to higher education (e.g., a GI Bill).

• ADF to establish equal opportunity for members, for all ranks and corps, to include higher education as part of transition.

• Develop a national framework for credential mapping between the ADF and universities.

• The ADF, DVA, DESE and the higher education sector establish a national student veteran working group.

• DVA and the ADF to widen their support for higher education as a transition pathway.

• Engage DESE in the assessment and support of student veterans.

• Universities and tertiary admissions centres (TACs) to develop a national tertiary admissions framework for veteran admission.

Universities and the higher education sector

• Develop flexible timetabling and study plans for veterans to support university engagement, attendance, retention, and degree completion.

• Universities to establish veteran-specific entry programs.

• Develop a veteran identifier in university admissions processes.

• Provide student veteran access to transition skills and opportunities

• Record demographic and academic data on student veterans.

• Reorient universities toward student veterans’ needs, including study plan flexibility; staff education on student veterans; and veteran-sensitive university processes.

• Emulate university support pathways such as "elite athlete programs" to identify, promote, and support the needs of veterans studying at university.

• Universities to provide scholarships and financial support opportunities for student veterans.

• Support the presence of ASVA chapters on campus.

• Build university leadership support for supporting student veterans.

• Establish and support campus support, including veteran support officers.

• Universities to create designated spaces on campus for student veterans.

Dr Donna Bridges

Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Charles Sturt University

Dr Donna Bridges

This study documented and synthesised how student veterans are recognised, understood and supported across the Australian university sector. The subsequent report outlines best practice internationally and contrasts and compares best practice with the Australian context. It is focused on how the university sector seeks to attract student veterans, to record information about their university experience, and to support their equity needs. The report highlights the challenges many veterans face in the transition from military to civilian life and details the role that universities can play in alleviating the difficulties associated with this transition. Keeping in mind that university can be a difficult place for veterans to integrate, the authors interrogate the problem, focusing on access and equity in higher education and considering how access and equity can be increased via universities working with industry; that is, the ADF and associated partners such as the DVA. The report demonstrates that, whilst there are some Australian university-based programs designed to develop veteran friendly campuses and respond to student veterans as a non-traditional population group, a great deal more work is required if Australia is to meet international standards.

This valuable research makes extensive recommendations that are summarised here, which will support the university sector to appropriately recognise the unique and diverse needs of veteran students, acknowledge their prior learning and national service, and understand the potential benefits to other students of creating veteran friendly campuses.

ACCESS THE FINAL REPORT ONLINE

https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/australian-universities-student-veterans/