Every year between mid-December and the New Year, people start making declarations of the actions they intend to take or change to better themselves during the upcoming year. There are varying schools of thought on the length of time it takes to form a new habit. Still, most scholars agree that several variables influence whether an individual successfully sustains the desired behavior. It is astonishingly easier for an individual to devote more time to leisure activities versus the dedication needed to train for a marathon. People effortlessly fall into undesirable routines, which also holds true for organizations. Therefore, it is imperative that individuals and organizational leaders act deliberately to improve themselves and the establishments in which they lead.

Assessing Military Experience and Courses for University Credit

One approach institutions of higher learning can take to improve their support for military-affiliated members is to dedicate the appropriate resources and time to thoroughly assess each individual's entire portfolio of military education and experience. All primary military education courses are designed to instruct attendees on specific technical skills and leadership attributes needed to excel at the next rank. In the Army, each functional school develops its curriculum within the parameters set forth, in most cases, by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). An exception to TRADOC's program of study oversight is The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School (TJAGLCS), which trains Army attorneys, legal administrators, and paralegals (this population adheres to TRADOC guidelines for noncommissioned officers). The curriculum at this Army institution is driven by the American Bar Association's (ABA) standards for degree-granting programs.

An example of a class taught at TJAGLCS that can potentially be assessed for university credit is the Judge Advocate Warrant Officer Advanced course. The course scope emphasizes that instruction is tied directly to the legal administrator military occupational specialty core competencies of knowledge management, resource management, force management, security management, legal personnel management, and legal systems integration and innovation. Those concepts apply to many college business courses, so it should be permissible for military members to demonstrate their technical proficiency in these areas and substantiate their training in the subjects by providing academic evaluation records. Additionally, leadership and professional writing, which includes a proposal paper, are other critical elements of the course.

An Example: The Experience Plus Program

Liberty University has a robust program in place titled Experience Plus, wherein students can apply to have their professional experience evaluated and applied as credits in several of the institution's programs. Students that have already been accepted in one of the university's degree programs can present various documents, such as diplomas, transcripts, job descriptions/evaluations, and work samples, to validate their expertise in the assessed subjects. The individual is tasked with identifying the course for assessment and, based on learning objectives, responding appropriately to questions as they pertain to the institution awarding credit. A subject matter expert is assigned to review the portfolio, and the examination is completed in approximately five business days. While this is not a program designed exclusively for military-affiliated individuals, offering an assessment of professional experience demonstrates that Liberty University values academic prowess and practical application expertise. This progressive approach in awarding credit, among many other positive attributes, makes Liberty University an almost runaway favorite among the military-affiliated population. The university's flexible program options, military discount, and the Experience Plus portfolio offering makes it an appealing option for industrious professionals looking to go further on their educational journeys.

Can More be Done to Assess Credit at Your Institution?

With a well-developed exemplar on full display at Liberty University, other institutions can do more than take note of how well this program has benefited not only military-affiliated individuals but also many others within the total student population. It would have been highly beneficial for me to have been awarded constructive credit earlier in my academic journey, as it would have decreased the amount of time necessary to complete each respective degree program. While it is considerably more difficult and time intensive to construct a portfolio for doctoral-level courses, the effort exerted to facilitate a portfolio review is well spent in pursuing one's terminal degree. In this new year, please re-evaluate whether more can be done at your institution to support your untraditional students. This initiative can undoubtedly be a positive step in that direction.

Article Topics

Military Educational Benefits Military Friendly Institutions Serving Military in HigherEd Veterans Academic Success Women Veterans Working as a Veteran in HigherEd Workplace Inclusion

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