Cracking the Code to Evaluate Military Courses and ......the regular transfer process 2. Complete...

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is an Equal Opportunity employer and educator.   

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

Cracking the Code to Evaluate Military Courses and Occupations

June 11, 2015

Veterans and Family MembersThank you for your Service to our Country

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Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

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Minnesota’s Experience: 

Veterans, Active Military and National GuardEnrollment in Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

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2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Change‘08‐’14

Colleges 4,637 5,634 7,139 7,811 7,680 8,214 7,961 67.7%

Universities 2,140 2,250 2,598 2,833 2,964 3,269 3,169 47.2%

System Totals 6,777 7,884 9,737 10,644 10,644 11,483 11,130 61.3%

Creating Infrastructure ‐ 2006

Veterans Friendly Policies Academic

Admissions

Credit Transfer

ACE Guidelines

Credit for Prior Learning Policy

Deployment Policy Campus Veterans Centers Finance Policies

Deferrals

Residency Tuition

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In the Beginning…2008

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In the Beginning…2008

Education on… State Statutes MnSCU Policy and Procedure Military Branches

Military Liaison Officer

ACE Evaluation

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State Statute and MnSCU Procedure

Recognize courses and award credit for military training based on ACE recommendations

2013 Legislative session: In recognizing courses and awarding educational credits, consideration must be given to academic skills developed in all aspects of the training or service course curriculum, and may not be limited solely to the physical fitness or activity components of the course.

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Military Basics

Army = Soldiers

Marine Corps = Marines

Navy = Sailors

Air Force  =  Airmen

Coast Guard =   Coast Guardsman

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Military Transcripts

Air Force – Community College of the Air Force

Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard – JST – Joint Services Transcript 

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Military Transcripts

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Remove duplicate credit – any same ACE recommendation, look for the highest recommendation

Do NOT add the credits together (3 + 3 + 3 = 9 credits upper division Human Resource Management)

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Military Transcripts

JST Activity

Review JST

Duplicate credit

Pros and Cons

What do you feel is missing from the JST?

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ACE Military Guide Online

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US Military

Army•Military Occupation Specialty (MOS)

Marine Corps•Occupational Field

Navy•Rating or Designator

Air Force•AFSC

Coast Guard•Group and 

Rating

Military Branches                            Curriculum1. Standardized 

occupation related training

2. Syllabus driven

3. Texts, manuals and references

4. Classroom + field experience

5. Outcome oriented instruction

6. Competency based  examination

7. Awarded Occupation

8. Earn levels and ranks through continuing education, experience and performance

ACE Military Guide Online

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ACE Military Guide Online

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ACE Military Guide Online

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ACE Military Guide Online

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ACE Military Guide Online

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ACE Military Guide Online

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ACE Military Guide Online

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ACE Military Guide Online

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JST Activity and Application to a Program

Administrative Assistant, A.A.S.

Business Administration – Human Resources Management, B.S.

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Benefits and Barriers

What are the BENEFITS to awarding credit?

What are the BARRIERS to awarding credit?

How do you address and approach both benefits and barriers?

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BALANCE

351

462

556

886951

1008

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Number of Articulated Military Occupations

How can we speed this up?

Teams of at least 3 subject matter specialists

Evaluation materials Course syllabus, training materials, tests, textbooks,

technical manuals, examinations

Tasks for evaluators1) Formulation of a credit recommendation2) Preparation of the course description

100% consensus

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ACE Course Evaluation Overview (1954)

Source: ACE

Identify skills, competencies, and knowledge Examine materials

Official occupation manual, technical manuals, field manuals

Interview Servicemembers Tasks for evaluators

Identify the learning represented in the occupation Prepare a description of duties, skills, competencies,

and knowledge Formulation of credit recommendation

100% consensus

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ACE Occupation Evaluation Overview (1974)

Source: ACE

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ACE Occupation Evaluation Overview

Source: ACE

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Per fac10 req = 2 wks

Per HE = 56 wks FT

7 hrs/req

16,000 rccms, 200 pp, 

2 min/p

241 request

s

¼ or 7,500 enter HE

30,000 MN

1/50thor 2%1.5 M22.7 M

ACE Occupation Evaluation Overview

USMC2510

US Navy HR NEC

US Army42A

SIMILAR MILITARY OCCUPATIONS

3 CreditsHuman Resource 

Management

WorksheetWorksheet Faculty ReviewFaculty Review Credit/No Credit Decision

Credit/No Credit Decision

Unduplicating Accelerating

Approximately 16,312 ACE credit recommendations

Why unduplicate academic credit recommendations?

An academic credit recommendation (e.g., 3 credits in introductory computers) will appear in numerous occupations, levels or ranks (e.g. 75 in this instance). 

93% reduction in redundant reviews; On average 1 decision 

addresses 14 repetitions

Unduplicated to about 1,110 unique recommendations 

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Credit DescriptionComputer Applications

Credit3

ACE IDMCE-0659-002

MIL OCCUP TITLEData Chief

Skill LevelSSGT

RankE6

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55 occupations above with the computer applications recommendation

407 occupations below with the computer applications recommendation

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1. Equivalent to a specific course? e.g., CPTR1104, 3 credits

2. Equivalent to a specific, department or general elective?e.g., TECHT*** for technical electivee.g., PHILT*** for a department electivee.g., ELECT*** more general elective

3. Equivalent to a Minnesota Transfer Goal Area?e.g., GOAL1 or SPCH AREA I

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Accelerated Decision Making

Twelve colleges – Alexandria TCC, Central Lakes College, Dakota County TC, Inver Hills CC, Lake Superior College, Minneapolis CTC, Normandale CC, Northland CTC, Northwest TC, Pine TCC, Riverland CC and St. Cloud TCC

Identified 321 academic courses

To 30,602 credit recommendations from ACE

Associated with 17,003 (2,575 unique) occupations from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard

Accelerated path to graduation for certificates, diplomas and degrees. 

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Accelerated Process Results

Veterans Education Transfer SystemNumber of Articulated Military Occupations – December 2014

351 462 556 886 951 1008 1236 1295

6079

7771

8965 9079

16046

18338

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

CAEL  Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success

PLA Students had better academic outcomes Graduation rates and persistence

Shortened time to earn a degree

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Discussion

How to engage faculty?

What works?

What doesn’t work?

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Pre‐admission transfer decisions

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Showing opportunities to Servicemembersthrough a widely accessible VETS database

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1. Display “one‐by‐one decisions” made in the regular transfer process

2. Complete “military occupation reviews” in partnership with the Minnesota National Guard and college faculty in related programs– 31B - Military Police– 42A - Human Resource

Specialist– 63B - Light Wheel Vehicle

Mechanic– 68W - Health Care Specialist

3. Trigger an “occupational evaluation request” based on inquiries from Servicemembers and Veterans

Veterans Education Transfer System (VETS)

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Veterans Education Transfer System (VETS)

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Veterans Education Transfer System (VETS)

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Veterans Education Transfer System (VETS)

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Veterans Education Transfer System (VETS)

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Veterans Education Transfer System (VETS)

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Veterans Education Transfer System (VETS)

eAdvising – Online Help

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Credit for Prior Learning

Deployments Junior Enlisted

Credit may be granted on the basis of an individualized assessment of the student

Minnesota Transfer Curriculum Goal 8: Global Perspective Goal 9: Ethical and Civic Responsibility

First Year Experience Credit for Prior Learning Policy

A fee shall not be charged for analysis and awarding of credit for training delivered by the United States military

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Apples to Broccoli or Chairs

Conversations with the Veteran/Servicemember

How to use skills sets

Build into college experience Student Senate Mentor for Other Students

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Waiver vs. Transfer

Is waiver equivalent to a course?

Do they have to take additional credits?

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Residency vs. Non‐Residency

Residency Requirement 25% of credits must be completed at institution

conferring the degree

Are military courses and occupations evaluated by faculty considered resident courses?

Or are they transfer credits?

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Partnerships

Department of Veterans Affairs

Workforce Development Agency

National Guard

Reserve Units

ACE

CAEL

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JST for Resume Building

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JST for Resume Building

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Use SMART Goals Specific Measureable Attainable Realistic Timely

Accomplishment StatementsAction WordsDetails (tasks and skills)

+ Outcome/resultsAccomplishment Statements

Tasks vs. Accomplishments

Task

Conduct Convoy Escort

Managed Inventory

Accomplishment

Completed over 300 hours of maintenance and training on personal equipment resulting in over 5,000 miles traveled with equipment failure or personnel injuries

Refined previous inventory process resulting in increased process efficiency and 100% accountability for over $500,000 in physical property

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Kuwait Trip – March 2012

500 of the 2,700 Soldiers would return from deployment and be unemployed

Employment Resource Team 3 Corporate Partners

Best Buy

US Bank

Target 3 Veterans Employment Representatives 1 Higher Education (ME) 1 Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs

(Education Benefits) 1 Minnesota Chamber of Commerce 1 embedded reporter

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Kuwait Trip – March 2012

61% of the 2,700 Soldiers indicated they would return or start college 70% of those decided chose MnSCU

MnSCU enrollments prior, during and after deployment 381 (Fall 2010) 47 (Fall 2011) 592 (Fall 2012)

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Kuwait Trip – March 2012

500 of the 2,700 Soldiers would return from deployment and be unemployed

January 2013 – ONLY 35 were still looking for work 

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Kuwait Trip – March 2012

Intensive and intentional training

Invaluable lessons learned from Corporate Partners

Trying to replicate for ALL Veterans and Servicemembers Patriots’ Network Minnesota

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Lessons Learned Since 2008

If I knew then what I know now…

Find Champions Become an ACE evaluator

It takes TIME

Military Evaluations 1st – then other areas of PLA

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Gina Sobania651.201.1654gina.sobania@so.mnscu.edu

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Contact Information

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is an Equal Opportunity employer and educator.

30 7th St. E., Suite 350, St. Paul, MN 55101-7804

(651) 201-1800 | (800) 456-8519 | +1 (651) 556-0596

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