The First-Year Veterans experience is a 2-credit course offered in the first eight weeks of each semester. It is designed to support the transition of veterans and servicemembers from the military to higher education.
Course Structure:
This course is based around the idea of creating a documented transition plan for the student to use as future reference and modify as needed. The plan is a well thought out examination of how the student is going to transition to the higher education environment from the military. Each week we will do some activities and have some discussions that focus on a particular aspect of the transition plan, occasionally supplemented by lectures or presentations from a variety of sources including the students themselves.
This course is designed to be interactive and on most occasions will allow for customizing the content to fit the needs of the students as a whole and sometimes as individuals. This subject matter of this course is 30% the student, 30% the material presented, 30% the interactions between the student and the material, and 10% other.
Course Objectives:
- To create a personal plan for integration into the chosen higher education institution.
- To analyze academic, social, and financial options available as both a student and a veteran.
- To examine cultural and social influences upon both the student and the institution in regards to successful integration.
- To assess potential barriers to matriculation and advancement.
- To build/expand the student's support network including socially with other students in the course.
You can view the full syllabus here.
Here is what other veteran students are saying about this course:
"Taking the U206 class helped me learn about the vast amount of resources at Indiana University and in the Bloomington community at large. This made my transition from an active duty soldier in the United States Army to a student all the more simple."
"The U206 course was fantastic. I wish I could have take this course earlier in my IU career...veterans [assume this] is the same caliber of course they all received when separating from the military. It most certainly is not!"Enrollment in this course is by permission only, so contact Veterans Support Services or the instructor, John Summerlot, if you are interested.
