Ian Gardner, President William Paterson University SVO Guest Blog

When the William Paterson University Office of Veterans Affairs was contacted by OCP to host a screening of the Renaud Brothers film "Warrior Champions", I was immediately excited. As a newly-formed club at WPU, the Student Veterans Organization was in need of some type of event to hold on campus, and a film portraying the achievements of severely wounded veterans seemed like the perfect idea. This was also an opportunity to inform the student population that a Veterans Club had formed on campus, and that veterans issues weren't something debated far away in Washington D.C., but right here in our own classrooms.

A few days before the screening was scheduled we were told that the Renaud brothers and Scott Winkler, one of the veterans featured in the film, would be in attendance. Lynette Butler, WPU Coordinator of Veterans Affairs, contacted the local Marriott Hotel. The Marriott offered to provide a room for Scott Winkler free of charge, as well as pay for dinner at Positano the night before the event. It was at this dinner that I met Wendy and Lauren of OPC. I had heard of their organization through Lynette, but it wasn't until I spoke with them that I understood how beneficial their service was for the veteran community.

In talking to Lauren, I learned ways to boost club membership and meeting attendance. Through Wendy, I learned that there were many other organizations out there like our club that I could contact through their website in order to strengthen the veterans community as a whole. I feel the WPUSVO has gained a valuable friend in our efforts to keep veterans issues at the forefront of political activism.

I was also very impressed by the efforts of the Renaud brothers in shining light on the issues they document. "Warrior Champions" was their third film involving members of the military and the adversity they face on a daily basis. It becomes even more impressive when you watch their footage filmed during battles, and remember that they are there without weapons and that they volunteered to be there.
At the screening they answered questions about the movie and about film making in general, as well as providing personal interviews for a WPU film student who was inspired to enter the film making career by their 2005 documentary "Dope Sick Love."

Scott Winkler is another person I learned from during this experience, but it wasn't the kind of learning you can do in a classroom. He showed me that, in his words, "if you believe, you can achieve," and that's exactly what he has done. After becoming paralyzed in Iraq, Scott transformed his adversity into victory and never let his handicap hold him back. He went to Beijing in 2008 to compete in the Paralympic Games, where he competed in the shot put event. Although he did not win the event, Scott can never be called an under achiever. Through his non-profit organization and through his achievements, he continues to inspire disabled and able-bodied individuals on a daily basis.

On behalf of myself and the WPU Student Veterans Organization, I would like to thank OCP for their support of our organization. I look forward to working with them again in the future, and appreciate the guidance they have provided to us so far.

Ian Gardner
President
Student Veterans Organization
William Paterson University

What is a Servicemember Opportunity College (SOC)?

Hi All,

Since Stockton College recently was awarded membership in SOC, I imagine there's some curiosity as to what EXACTLY that means. It comes as no surprise that higher education, being somewhat of an abuser of acronyms, actually has two SOC issues currently. The first has to do with accounting principles developed under the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation and is far more convoluted than the one we'll be discussing today so save yourself and forget I mentioned it.

Now for SOC - Servicemembers Opportunity College Consortium....

Founded in 1972 with support from the Association of State Colleges and Universities and American Association of Community Colleges, the program seeks to assist servicemembers in their pursuit of a degree in higher education. It is a partnership with some 13 higher education organizations, the Department of Defense, and both the Active and Reserve components of the military. About 1800 institutions are members.

Why it necessary?

Well, soldiers move around a lot and in the 1970's, distance-learning or "online" courses didn't exist. That meant every move (or deployment) necessitated a new application, enrollment, and the dreaded attempts to transfer previously-earned credit. Obviously, all of these actions were cumbersome, frustrating and derogatory to the principle that the sacrifice of our military should be rewarded with the opportunity to earn a degree, not just credits.

Today, a plethora of options exist for our servicemembers that do simplify the process (distance-learning, on-base education centers, etc.), yet the mobility issue remains a substantial challenge for some potential students and a deterrence for others.

So how does the SOC consortium help?

To become a SOC member, institutions must adhere to a set of four criteria which reflect an understanding that servicemember students face some distinct obstacles due the nature of their military commitments. When a school applies to SOC, they agree to simplify processes for: transfer of credit, meeting the residency requirement, accepting military credit, experience and placement tests. In short, it reduces red tape and uses nationally accepted principles that evaluate and accept previous experience and credit as appropriate to the institution but are also flexible and equitable. Generally accepted transfer of credit guidelines have been established by the Joint Statement on the Transfer and Award of Credit, with similar framework for evaluating military experience is based on the ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Education Experience in the Armed Forces. More specific information on SOC guidelines, criteria and membership can be found at: http://www.soc.aascu.org/.

So there you have it....SOC in a nutshell.

With the influx of veterans on a mission to utilize their Post 9-11 GI Bill benefits, more and more institutions will likely seek membership in the SOC consortium which is a great thing for our veterans. To date, four of the nine NJASCU institutions are members, including Kean University, Ramapo College, Thomas Edison State College and Richard Stockton State College.

If your an educator, or a veteran for that matter, the SOC staff regularly hold workshops free-of-charge to create awareness of the Consortium. Check the Operation College Promise website, http://www.operationcollegepromise.com/ website for local offerings.