Teaching the Military Student

The academic buildings on our campus and internet connections around the world are filled with tens of thousands of student soldiers and veterans who choose Liberty University for higher education.  Liberty University is blessed to have an active military student body and ROTC program.  Liberty University Online’s (LUO) undergraduate and graduate programs boast student soldiers and veterans from all over the globe, allowing students the flexibility to study in different time zones, from different locations. 

Faculty members recognize our student soldiers and military veterans as capable students who sometimes have unique needs or unique circumstances.  This resource page was developed to help faculty better acquaint themselves with these challenges and prepare them to successfully guide these students.

Resources for Teaching Military Students

Faculty members are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these available resources aimed at helping better reach and teach our student soldiers and military veterans. 

Liberty University Center for Teaching Excellence Resources

• CTE FCC:  View an array of resources and recorded training sessions on the Center for Teaching Excellence Faculty Communication Center (CTE FCC).  The link to the CTE FCC can be found in the My Bb Courses box on your Blackboard Portal. Featured recorded training sessions include:
  • Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Robert F. Dees, Associate VP for Military Outreach, Working with the Military Student
  • Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dr. Bruce Bell, Associate Dean of CGS, Instructing the Online Military Student
  • Sgt. Dr. Will Honeycutt, Assistant Director of Christian/Community Service, Teaching Residential Military Students
  • Liberty University Military Student, Perspectives from a Military Student
• Professional Development:  For a list of upcoming professional development and training opportunities, visit the Pro Dev Portal or download the workshop calendar.
• CTE Library:  The CTE has a growing library of books available to borrow.

Military Emphasis Week:

• PTSD Seminar
• Military Panel
• Operation Educate the Educator

Liberty University Offices and Resources

• Student Care
• Student Conduct
• Army ROTC
• Air Force ROTC
• Office of Military Affairs
• Institute for Military Resilience
• Military Outreach
• ILRC Information Research
• Resource Guide:  Faculty can access the document in the CTE FCC.

 Books Available at the ILRC

• Ackerman, R., & DiRamio, D. (2009). Creating a veteran-friendly campus: Strategies for transition and success: New Directions for Student Services, No. 126. Jossey-Bass.
• Astor, R.A., Jacobson, L., & Benbenishty, R. (2012). The teacher’s guide for supporting students from military families. Teachers College Press.
• Cantrell, B., & Dean., C. (2007). Once a warrior: Wired for life. Hearts Toward Home International.
• DiRamio, D. (2011). Veterans in higher education: When Johnny and Jane come marching home: ASHE Higher Education Report. Jossey-Bass.
• Finley, E. (2011). Fields of combat: Understanding PTSD among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Cornell University Press.
• Friedman, M.J., & Sloan, L.E. (2008). After the war zone: A practical guide for returning troops and their families. Da Capo Press.
• Hamrick, F.A., & Rumann, C.B. (2012). Called to serve: A handbook on student veterans and higher education. Jossey-Bass.
• Herrmann, D. (2011). Progress in educating veterans in the 21^st century. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
• Herrmann, D., Allen, B., Wilson, R.B., & Hopkins, C. (2009). Educating veterans in the 21^st century. Booksurge Publishing.
• Hill, J., Lawhorne, C., & Philpott, D. (2011). Life after the military: A handbook for transitioning veterans.  Government Institutes.
• Hope, C.W. (2010). Once a warrior- Always a warrior: Navigating the transition from combat to home – Including combat stress, PTSD, and mTBI. GPP Life.
• McNair, P., & Stielow, F. (2012). Identity Series: Finding success as a returning veteran or military student. Addison Wesley.

Resources from Other Institutions and Organizations

• Family of Heroes offers free online resiliency training for military families.

• The Ohio State University's Center for the Advancement of Teaching publishes a list of links to seventeen articles, centered upon four main questions, entitled, "Teaching Today's Student Veterans".
  • Who are Today's Veterans?
  • What does the Growing Number of Veterans Mean to Higher Education?
  • What are Signature Issues for Veterans?
  • What can we do to Support Student-Veterans in Higher Education?
• Western Kentucky University's Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching has developed resources for faculty teaching military students and veterans.
  • Issues and Challenges
  • Strengths and Weaknesses
  • Faculty Support Ideas
  • Advice from Other Veteran Students
• The University of South Dakota and South Dakota Board of Regents developed materials for working with military students and veterans in conjunction with a U.S. Department of Education grant under the Student Veterans with Disabilities Quality Education Initiative.  Through special agreement, Liberty University faculty can find links to these videos and other materials on the CTE FCC (access through Blackboard), including:
  • 40 Percent
  • The Difficult Transition from Military to Civilian Life
  • Overview of National Statistics
• The Jed Foundation and the Bob Wooddruff Foundation have partnered to create a free training tool
  • Free Training Tool: Understanding and Supporting The Emotional Health of Student Veterans
• The Pat Tillman Veterans Center at Arizona State University provides a variety of resources for military students and veterans.
• American Council on Education publishes several military friendly guides, handbooks, and articles that align with Department of Defense and higher education goals of servicing military students and veterans.

Suggested Articles

• Ballkowski, K. (2009, April 30). Veterans seek support in transition to college life. Columbia Spectator, Brown College.
• Burnett, S.E., & Segoria, J. (2009). Collaboration for military transition students from combat to college: It takes a community. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 22(1), 53-58.
• Church, T.E. (2009). Returning veterans on campus with war related injuries. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 22(1), 43-52.
• DiRamio, D., Ackerman, R., & Mitchell, R.L. (2008). From combat to campus: Voices of student-veterans. NASPA Journal, 45(1), 73-94.
• Herrmann, D.J., Raybeck, D., & Wilson, R. (2008, November 21). College is for veterans too. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
• Madaus, J.W., Miller, W.K., & Vance, M.L. (2009). Veterans with disabilities in postsecondary education. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 22(1), 10-17.
• Manguno-Mire, G., Sautter, F., Lyons, J., Myers, L., Perry, D., Sherman, M., Glynn, S., & Sullivan, M. (2007). Psychological distress and burden among female partners of combat veterans with PTSD. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 195, 144-151.
• Sander, L. (2012). Colleges expand services for veterans, but lag in educating faculty on veterans’ needs. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
• Starr-Glass, D. (2011). Military learners: Experience in the design and management of online learning environments. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 7(1), 147-158. 
• Vance, M.L., & Miller, W.K. (2009). Serving wounded warriors: Current practices in postsecondary education. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 22(1), 18-35.

Guides, Newsletters, and Reports

• Bonk, C.J., & Wisher, R.A. (2000). Applying collaborative and e-learning tools to military distance learning: A research framework. (Technical Report #1107). Alexandria, VA: U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences.
• Cook, B.J., & Kim, Y. (2009). From soldier to student: Easing the transition of service members on campus. Washington DC: ACE.
• McBain, L., Kim, Y., Cook, B.J., & Snead, K. (2012). From soldier to student II: Assessing campus programs for veterans and service members. Washington, DC: ACE, AASCU, NASPA, NAVPA.
• Radford, A.W. (2009). Higher education: What the new GI Bill may mean for post-secondary institutions. Washington, DC: American Council on Education.
• Powers, J.T. (2008). Campus kit for colleges and universities. Student Veterans of America
• Stars and Stripes Newsletter
• Tanielian T., & Jaycox, L.H. (2008). (Eds.). Invisible wounds: Mental health and cognitive care needs of America’s returning veterans. RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research Corporation.
• United States Army (2006, February 1). Soldiers, civilians, and family members reintegration guide.

Other Suggested Books 

• Armstrong, K., Best, S., & Domenici, P. (2006). Courage under fire. Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press.
• Cantrell, B. & Dean, C. (2005). Down range to Iraq and back. Seattle, WA: Wordsmith Books.
• Hermann, D.J., Hopkins, C., Wilson, R.B., & Allen. B. (2010). Improving college education of veterans. North Charleston, SC:  Booksurge.
• Mettler, S. (2005). Soldiers to citizens: The GI Bill and the making of the greatest generation. Cambridge: Oxford University Press.
• Tick, Edward. (2005). War and the soul: Healing our nation’s veterans from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Wheaton, IL: Quest Books.