7 Thinking Bigger and Beyond a Course Creation
- 1. Thinking Bigger and Beyond a Course Creation 1 Shortly upon receipt of my directed studies coursework packet, I sent an e-mail to retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General Weber. I sought his input regarding the value and purpose behind higher education and posed the following question: What special considerations or changes has the university undergone to better serve or assist military veterans (especially those with combat awards like a CAR or CAB) as they transition into civilian life and is there any real responsibility or obligation of the university to do so? The response I received from him, and numerous others, I found to be inspirational; although of a different sort than I originally sought out. As I looked upon the packet assignment my attention was continually drawn towards the following statements: Think about what topics are important for leadership majors to understand, tips for surviving college/Texas A&M, and what you know now that you wish you had known as a Veteran and/or Active Military student. - AND - “reflection has been named as one of the key competencies needed for effective leaders particularly as the workplace grows more complex and multicultural” This in turn had me thinking on how and why I ended up becoming a leadership major to begin with; the details of which I’ve only shared with a few people but must do so now. My story begins when I was still an active duty Marine in 2002. The various factors that influenced my decision were put into place before my birth in 1979.
- 2. Thinking Bigger and Beyond a Course Creation 2 I was born to a teenaged mother; she gave birth to me when she was only sixteen years old. I would eventually come to be raised as a stepson to three siblings that eventually reduces into two (death via car accident). I like to think that I grew up in sort of broken home; my understanding of family then was that it was a group of individuals that shared a roof and little else in common. Of course I take little pleasure from that viewpoint; it is simply a useful perspective to maintain as it seems to satisfy the reasons to most of my childhood memories. My friends at the time compared me to Cinderella, as my pre-military life bore many similarities to that tale. I had neither the money for college nor the desire to stay home after high school graduation. The military seemed to be the perfect place for a misfit to go as they tried to figure out what they were going to do in life. I was originally going to join the Army, but interference from my stepdad had me speaking to a naval recruiter. The result of this was that I settled upon the Marines. I had never been away from home before. My arrival to my first duty station in Yuma, Arizona was quite a shock. I eventually settled in and even now can recall some of the comments I received from those Marines. The Marine Corps is brotherhood and although I had heard this term used in basic training and saw its fledgling applications there too; I was now fully immersed within the culture. I found it odd that I was mistaken for a college graduate, because I had a peculiar manner of seeing and doing things. Before I completed my enlisted contract, three years later, I found myself at a crossroads. I was considering whether or not to re-enlist or get out so that I could attend college. The year was now 2002. I just missed being a part of the initial invasion into Iraq by a matter of weeks
- 3. Thinking Bigger and Beyond a Course Creation 3 because I was advised to accept my Permanent Change in Station (PCS) orders to Okinawa, Japan. My time in the Marine Corps exposed me to the following thoughts or observations: 1. The military uses educational programs (G.I. Bill) for the purpose of eliciting American youths into service. 2. The military encourages members to have a degree or at least some number of college hours. This is reflected by how the various enlisted promotion systems incorporate college courses into advancement. Those with hours are rewarded and considered “more eligible” for promotion. 3. The military largely rewards those that already posses a degree by placing them in positions of higher authority and status; they are the commissioned officers. In October of 2002 I was given the opportunity to attend my advanced MOS course. I took leave in conjunction with those orders and came to College Station to visit my grandparents and to look into starting at TAMU shortly after my separation that would be in July 2003. The internet was not as strong as it is today and since I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan at the time; visiting the campus seemed an appropriate measure. I took my SAT while on leave and didn’t learn until it was too late for me to re-enlist that I had missed the cutoff requirements by 60 points. As I look back, choosing a major seems to be the area that if I had a time-machine, I would most likely go back and redo. I entered college with some familiarity of the reality that a portion of the American population is in possession of at least one degree that has no bearing on what they actually do day-to-day. That was also an observation I made while in uniform.
- 4. Thinking Bigger and Beyond a Course Creation 4 Additionally, attempting to describe what I did in uniform was such a haphazard event. I struggled to find the appropriate verbiage; attempting to convey exactly what I did to people that in all likelihood had never served. All the while, I was keenly aware that the particulars of my day-to-day functions were specific to the military, in addition to being of a classified nature. So, I threw the proverbial dart at the board and missed. No advisor I spoke to was able to refer to an internal resource and reference my military job title and cross-reference it with degrees being offered at the University. That someone would be able to do so was an assumption I made while still on active-duty while in Japan. I have long since learned that this is not the case. Inquiries into what degree to pursue yielded only that General Studies was not an option and that I was free to change my major any number of times until I found where I fit in. That seemed an acceptable response at first, because I knew there would be basic academic requirements that I must first complete. That as time went by; the explanation that I should naturally be drawn into a particular course of study seemed to make sense. As time has gone by a variety of stresses surfaced instead. To begin with are the simple mechanics behind the application of the G.I. Bill educational benefit. Simply applying to use it requires the declaration of a degree, upfront. While in the process of completing basic academic requirements, this fact proves to be no more than an administrative, technical issue. It does not; however, leave room for the individual to discover inspiration outside of the pre-determined box. Upon later learning that the G.I. Bill only provides that any given course may be taken twice before there are potential financial ramifications only adds to the layers of stress.
- 5. Thinking Bigger and Beyond a Course Creation 5 Another factor that weighed heavily upon my mind was wrestling with the decision to enter the civilian workforce without a degree or to postpone that decision until after college, with a degree in hand. Entering the workforce without a degree and without any sort of personal connections looked as though I would be starting from the bottom. Sure, a potential employer might be convinced that I was possessed of a variety of useful traits such as: effective time- management, discipline, responsibility, and professionalism, because of my military service to name a few; but these traits pale in comparison to actual marketable skills. My experiences outside, and before I entered the college classroom, have also worked against me. Back when I was in cruise-mode, just taking the basics, I took a stab at calculus and physics; mainly because it seemed natural that as a college student I should at least be attempting them. These two courses are but prime examples of courses I feel that when I was closer to being a high school graduate, I likely had a greater aptitude for. However; I have enough experience, I feel, to know the likelihood of ever being in a situation where I would ever have to perform some sort of calculation that would remotely resemble the instruction given in class would be astronomically low. Furthermore, I know that in those bizarre circumstances there is a good chance that alternate methods of locating a solution would be readily available. It seems a sort of madness that begs the necessity of demonstrating basic proficiency, let alone mastery, of a perishable skill I know in advance to be of little to no use to me. The matter of changing my major, until I find one that suits me also proved to be unnerving. I find myself sitting on the edge of the fence as to whether or not, and how strongly I feel, that my military service ought to count for something. While I readily agree that my
- 6. Thinking Bigger and Beyond a Course Creation 6 personal, particular interests might not be represented or easily identified; some portion of my professional experiences ought to be codified, indexed, and represented somewhere in a manner that I should benefit from in the form of providing a basic direction towards what degree and coursework I should take. It is not the case and upon being told that “everyone faces this challenge” when selecting a degree shows a lack of understanding for the veteran’s situation. In 2010 I eventually settled upon political science; thinking that I was going back to active duty status after graduation and without much regard towards the subject matter. Between 2003 and 2010 I had been enrolled at Blinn and deployed to Iraq three separate times; I spent a total of 36 months on the ground and in country, another six months were spent in Kuwait. Another side note to G.I. Bill limitations is that there is no degree plan whose course of study is “transfer to a 4-year institution”. I did not make grades that semester in 2010. I thought perhaps that I would be placed on academic probation; my enrollment in classes for the next semester was cancelled instead. People I spoke to made comments that suggested I had not made grades because I was unable to adjust to the discipline and responsibility that college calls for. I recall that a few individuals remarked that I had enjoyed myself a little too much. I wish that were actually the case. I simply took issue with some of the courses I was taking. A year later, 2011, I completed my Associate Degree at Blinn and thus began my leadership studies. I ended up in leadership because of further inabilities to effectively communicate my military experiences. I accepted leadership on the basis that it was suggested that the military has a lot to do with leadership and that it ought to be a good fit. I do not believe I’ll ever forget one of my first classroom discussions: “Is my (agriculture) degree worthless?”
- 7. Thinking Bigger and Beyond a Course Creation 7 This began a period in which I became increasingly depressed and angry. I contented myself to completing assignments without any sort of extra effort. It seemed a logical response, given I felt that my courses were in no way preparing me for any sort of future or even fit the model of self-improvement. I felt, and still feel, that my course selections have been in large part due to the degree that I choose and that the particulars behind the framework is for the educating of today’s youth. Shortly before I sent that e-mail to Lieutenant General Weber I had borne witness to an instructor let some college kid, for the millionth time, get in front of the class and talk about their summer internship experiences somewhere and that it was a wonderful experience where they earned valuable inputs for their resume and even earned some college credit. That infuriated me to the point that I blew up and had some harsh words for the instructor. To endure courses I feel have no bearing on either my interests nor on probable outcomes in life, for the noble academic pursuit of knowledge, is a farce towards the time I served in uniform; the sweat and sacrifices included. I do still have reason to hope that the future can still be better. As a result of this assignment I have learned that there is a discussion within the academic community on figuring out how to award college credit to veterans by using their military service. It seems that there is a growing awareness that, especially for the newly separated veteran, college is a period of transition. So long as a degree, and the knowledge that backs it, is a type of global currency, educational institutions have an obligation at ensuring that the knowledge it delivers is broadcast amongst the public to the widest scale possible.
- 8. Thinking Bigger and Beyond a Course Creation 8 What do I know now that I wish I had known earlier? The answer to this question is that college does not seem to be prepared nor equipped to handle veteran, adult, non-traditional students in an undergraduate capacity. I have since learned that my military specialty relates to either Supply-Chain Management or Industrial Distribution. I wish that connection had been made earlier. As far as reflection being a key competency for effective leadership is concerned; I agree on that basic principle but question it in terms of academic usage. Past experiences often carry emotional overtones. There are some experiences that I would rather not recall and certainly not share. To have my thoughts analyzed, criticized, and then graded seems counterproductive.