When most members of society visualize a military service member, they envision a tall, muscular Caucasian male with a crew cut in a highly pressed uniform wearing highly shined dress shoes. This stereotypical representation of military members had been commonplace for decades in television recruitment advertisements and other marketing paraphernalia, but the services have taken deliberate steps to highlight the diversity in the ranks. While it is true that most of the armed forces are composed of this demographic, the number of racial minorities and females serving has been consistently rising with expectations for continued growth. Now is the time for institutions to include ideas for recruiting the following veteran cohorts: females, racial minorities, and previous enlisted members. Here are three reasons why.

Reason Number One
Following the end of the draft in 1973, women represented a single-digit population within the military ranks. Presently, females comprise over 16 percent of the enlisted ranks and 19 percent of the commissioned officer corps. Most women select occupational specialties that require specific knowledge, skills, and abilities, such as financial management specialist, paralegal, or aviation operations specialist. Even those that accept the challenge of entering combat arms training programs face disproportionately higher attrition rates than their male colleagues, which results in their reclassification to either combat service or combat support positions. In these roles, they can gain proficiency in organizational management, process improvement and design, and project management. The abilities required to succeed in these subject areas can directly translate into success in the classroom; these capabilities, paired with formal military education courses, provide a framework for success in a full-time academic setting.

Research has shown that women attend and graduate from colleges and universities at higher rates than men. For those who do not graduate, their motivations for disenrollment were exceedingly disparate from their male counterparts. Kim Parker relays that women state the chief impediment to reaching their educational goals is affordability, whereas males more frequently cite a waning desire to complete the degree and the need to work as primary breadwinners for their families as obstacles in completing their programs. With access to GI Bill® benefits, female veterans are perfect candidates for college enrollment. The leading cause listed in obstructing their paths to academic fulfillment is negated through government assistance. This provides a convincing argument for why universities should seek to enroll more female veterans.

Reason Number Two
Next, there will be extreme changes in the racial composition of our country shortly. The US population as a whole is projected to become "minority white" by 2045 due to immigration and an increase in minority births in the younger population. This forecast will directly impact the composition of the armed forces and, subsequently, the veteran population that will pursue educational endeavors following their service obligations. As more significant numbers of racial minorities enter and separate from the military, this target population will be seeking academic and career opportunities following their service. There is a greater likelihood that females and racial minorities will seek to further their education following military service, with Hispanic male and female veterans being twice as likely as their nonveteran counterparts to obtain a college degree before reaching age 40. So, one would assume that when organizational leaders assess ideal candidates for marketing and advertising campaigns, veterans of minority descent would be placed in the upper echelons of consideration.

Reason Number Three
Lastly, each year thousands of newly minted high school graduates arrive at military entrance processing stations (MEPS) around the country to complete the administrative requirements of enlistment before shipping off to training. With enlisted personnel comprising over 80 percent of military manpower, more emphasis should be placed on recognizing their expertise and converting it into academic credits that will expedite the completion of a degree program. Furthermore, as of 2018, over 80 percent of the enlisted member cohort had a high school diploma, with an additional 10 percent completing an associate's degree. Compared to corresponding persons in the same age group, enlisted veterans consistently have more formal education.

As a female minority officer in the military who transitioned from enlisted to warrant officer, I feel aptly qualified to assess the tactics used in higher learning from all the perspectives mentioned above. As a junior noncommissioned officer, efforts to have a professional portfolio considered for credit were frequently denied without much explanation. After completing an undergraduate degree and a diligent search for an MBA program that matched my needs, I settled on an institution that employed a military liaison to assist with issues distinct to military members or veterans. Following the completion of my MBA, I enrolled in a DBA program. Upon acceptance, I was given constructive credit for the experience listed on my résumé and classes listed on previous transcripts. While acknowledging my knowledge base is much deeper than when I began my educational journey, some of the courses taken and skills proficiency were the same as when I initially presented the portfolio for evaluation. Enlisted member aptitude should not be discounted purely due to the last military rank held, as there are bright, intelligent individuals that serve the nation's interests.

Article Topics

Military Friendly Institutions Research on Student Veterans Serving Military in HigherEd Veterans Academic Success Women Veterans Workplace Inclusion

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