Developed to provide middle and high school students with collegiate experience through academic studies and residential life, pre-college programs are brief and rigorous sessions offered by over 80 colleges and universities throughout North America and Europe. These programs offer young students with opportunities to apply and attend courses of their scholarly interest, like: "Power and the Production of History" or "Health Psychology: Cognition, behavior, and emotions." All summer college programs offer in-person courses to empower students to live on campus-to acquire the ultimate collegiate experience. Additionally, some institutions offer courses virtually to accommodate diverse learning environments. Furthermore, pre-college programs courses allow "students wishing to explore college fit, academic majors, and/or careers before applying to college; and those who may be nervous about college and want to try it out in a supportive setting."

The most salient advantage for students is the opportunity to take courses with world-class faculty-with possibilities to network and build important connections. Every institution has full-time staff that operate their respective programs. Institutions also hire current college students and educational industry professionals to work in key functions of their programs, including: academic programs, housing operations, residential life, and student development and engagement. Irrespective of the positions, leadership at all levels are crucial to a pre-college program's success.

Missing Military-Affiliated Representation in Pre-College Programs

Given my own six years of working in several summer pre-college programs, I discovered that in every position, I was the only military-affiliated person working in that pre-college program. On the one hand, I felt seen and heard due to 20-plus years of leadership efficacy. On the other hand, I felt excluded and isolated by superiors and colleagues due to explicit and implicit biases about the military.

With this being said, I hope we can empower all pre-college programs to improve their hiring efforts to attract more military-affiliated students (undergraduate and graduate) and education industry professionals. There are many benefits to hiring military-affiliated personnel, so, let's explore some of the benefits and incentives:

Leadership Skills: Military-affiliated personnel experienced various leadership style from their superiors-while simultaneously performing leadership duties themselves. For this reason, military-affiliated personnel possess a leadership acumen to develop strategic initiatives and provide mentorship to their peers and subordinates.

Strong Work Ethic: Military-affiliated personnel had exposure with working in diverse environments that are confining and stressful at times. Irrespective of the circumstances, they were expected to perform their tasks efficiently and effectively. As a result, military-affiliated personnel are mission-focused-while collaborative with members of their team.

Accountability & Organizational Skills: Military-affiliated personnel possess a high degree of personal accountability and are results-driven. They take assigned tasks and responsibilities seriously; moreover, military-affiliated personnel are dedicated to organizational missions and values, while being committed to excellence. Due to the closely and strictly controlled nature of the military, military-affiliated personnel are equipped with prioritizing deadlines and completing tasks both specified and implied.

Actionable Steps for Pre-College Program Directors

How can university pre-college program directors improve inclusion of military-affiliated personnel in their hiring pools?

• Implement military-affiliated personnel-focused recruitment and retention programs.
• Reach out to your institution's military-affiliated student's office. Collaborate with them on strategies to recruit military-affiliated personnel.
• Establish relationships with veteran service organizations in your community.
• Mostly importantly, attend local job fairs that are veteran-focused.
• Conduct an overhaul on current internal hiring practices and streamline the process:
• Promote military-affiliated testimonial success stories during your programs' marketing campaigns.

If budget concerns are limiting your hiring capacity, consider these incentives for hiring military-affiliated professionals:

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) allows employers, like colleges and universities, to receive a tax credit for hiring targeted groups, like veterans. For instance, the more veterans employed can potentially provide more savings on an institution's taxes.

Special Employer Incentive (SEI) program: The SEI program is designed to provide training and employment experience to Veterans facing challenges finding jobs, helping them gain valuable skills and potentially leading to continued employment after the program.

Hiring military-affiliated personnel will allow pre-college programs to benefit from the leadership and skills this population brings to the table. Military-affiliated personnel will bring structure to positions and create standard operating procedures (SOPs) or enhance present ones. Additionally, there are tax implications to hiring veterans-that can benefit your organization amidst budget hardships. Fostering a sense of belonging for military-affiliated hires will exhibit inclusivity in your programs for prospective students and staff.

Article Topics

Job Search Advice Military Friendly Institutions Working as a Veteran in HigherEd Workplace Inclusion

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