In the article, "Introducing Veteran Critical Theory," Phillips and Lincoln wrote, "Research on student veterans is in an infant state." Embryonic, then, must be scholarship about other veteran populations in higher education. The relevant literature continues to focus broad stroke on student veterans rather than the many other military-affiliated subpopulations within higher education. Scores of subpopulations exist characterized by a long list of attributes, some in various combinations. Attributes include active duty tenure, rank held at retirement or separation, military career specialty, combat experience, deployment locations, disabilities, and/or veterans employed in higher education, to name a few. Another less-explored veteran group, student or otherwise, is rural veterans in the country's post-secondary space. How is this subset progressing in the larger sphere of research about military-affiliated higher education? That is a difficult question to answer due to many factors.

A review of the literature about higher education outside urban areas reveals no single established definition for rural institutions, presenting a challenge for scholarship. Moreover, within the existing research, other challenges persist. MDRC declared, "Rural higher education has historically been neglected by the research community. There has been little evidence produced to inform the field of 'what works' in rural colleges, what different sets of concerns rural students and their families face, or whether nationally recognized best practices are relevant for rural institutions...Here are the facts: rural higher education is perennially under-resourced and making do with less than institutions in other locations." Similar to the lack of attention rural academia has received, research about rural veterans in higher education is expectedly less common.

Approximately 20% of the U.S. population is categorized as rural according to the 2020 U.S. Census. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reports about 30% of all veterans live in rural areas. Additionally, in support of non-urban veterans, the VA operates an Office of Rural Health, signaling a critical focus exists for this population. These facts, however, do not absolve the need to learn more about these populations including those in post-secondary education. Veteran Critical Theory serves as one starting point to bolster research efforts. In the article, "Using Veteran Critical Theory to Understand the Experiences of Student Veterans: The Role of Buddies and Camaraderie Along the Road of Higher Education,"Kartchner and Searle explain the theory critiques higher education practices and scholarship "accomplished by turning a critical lens on the institutions of power rather than examining what is perceived as being wrong with individual student veterans." That critical lens in mind, what is known (or unknown) about military-connected members in rural higher education worthy of greater examination?

The relevant scholarship has made fashionable the practice of casting veterans as struggling misfits or victims often unable to effectively transition to civilian life. While rural veterans may implicitly be included, such scholarship ignores countless examples of past and present heroes who succeeded in various disciplines to include significant academic leadership roles. The adaptability and resilience veterans acquire during their time in the service could drive resentment among some veterans relative to popular victim casting. One tenet of Veteran Critical Theory listed by Phillips and Lincoln is "Veterans are victims of deficit thinking in higher education...In the case of student veterans, deficits or more often perceived deficits are blamed on the student veteran when they are more likely a fault of the civilian-oriented and civilian-privileging structures of higher education institutions." Acknowledging every demographic has exceptions, most veterans have been trained to overcome such obstacles. In the case of higher education, it is also incumbent on veterans to adapt, just as they did when learning military rules, regulations, and customs. It is a two-way street and this is a critical point sometimes missed in the literature, thus inviting further research.

Phillips and Lincoln indicate the theory enables future researchers to "winnow or bundle our research into the applicable work of tomorrow's student veterans." The rural veteran subpopulation is a societal category with wide-ranging potential for further academic investigation. According to the VA's Office of Research & Development, "Both Veterans and providers agreed that the most important barrier was the importance rural Veterans place on independence and self-reliance." While this is a healthcare-related example, consider the inherent research opportunities when this statement and other considerations are applied to higher education.

Again, the pantheon of scholarship about veterans and higher education largely centers on student veterans writ large, particularly enabling their societal reintegration. A shift is needed. The field is ripe for scholarship about other veteran populations in higher education. Phillips and Lincoln encourage such exploration, wisely calling for broader avenues of scholarship so "researchers and policymakers understand all veterans' experiences." The subset of military-affiliated members in rural academia is an example of a population in need of further understanding. Consider research merging rural veterans' concerns with the previous statements from the MDRC, the VA, or the nearly endless list of other veteran attributes referenced above. The nascent research opportunities become abundantly apparent.

Abraham Lincoln once posited, "I don't like that man. I must get to know him better." Higher education should embrace President Lincoln's wisdom by sifting the research flotsam and jetsam to cull and advance under-examined areas like rural veterans in higher education. Such an endeavor is not only an exciting opportunity, but it will prove invaluable to academia, veterans, and posterity.

Article Topics

Military Friendly Institutions Research on Student Veterans Serving Military in HigherEd Veterans Academic Success Working as a Veteran in HigherEd Workplace Inclusion

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