thedrifter
12-10-06, 07:49 AM
Wanted: More veterans in college
By: JOE BECK - Staff Writer
CAMP PENDLETON ---- A roadside bomb in Iraq that mutilated Marine Sgt. Matt Zbeibc's right hand, the one he uses for writing, hasn't stopped him from obtaining notes during classroom lectures at Palomar College.
The college provides Zbeibc with a note-taking service and more time to take tests, two options that have made it practical for him to overcome his physical impairments in the classroom.
"Everybody has been very helpful," Zbeibc said of the willingness of Palomar administrators and faculty to adapt to his injury.
The assistance Palomar offers to Zbeibc is an example of the kind of effort Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants all California public colleges and universities to make under Troops to College, an initiative launched in April. The goal is to make it easier for veterans and active-duty military members to attend college by reducing the barriers ---- physical, financial and social ---- they would otherwise face.
Officials involved with Troops to College said the state's interest in helping veterans goes beyond a desire to show appreciation for their service.
The state counts 175,000 active-duty military members and 20,000 others in the Air National Guard and Army National Guard.
Maj. Michael Lehnert, who oversees the operation of six Marine installations on the West Coast from his headquarters in Camp Pendleton, said the Marines have about 40 percent of their combat power concentrated in Southern California, but most Marines return to their home states at the end of their enlistments.
"These are U.S. citizens with a remarkable potential for future utility to the state, the kind of people you want to keep in the state," Lehnert said.
"It's amazing how many people say, 'Gee, these are really smart people,' " Lehnert said of service members. "They are smart, they are morally straight, they have great initiative and they're self-starters."
Lehnert helped found Troops to College, along with Bucky Peterson, a retired Marine general who is now vice president for development at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park. Lehnert said he and Peterson concluded that "certain artificial barriers'' were discouraging many people in the military from going to college.
They sought and received support from Schwarzenegger for a cooperative campaign involving the military; the state university systems, California State University and the University of California; community colleges; and state agencies serving veterans and students.
Some colleges have been working for many years to make themselves more veteran-friendly. Palomar has been offering classes at Camp Pendleton since 1974, said Janet Hoffman, a Palomar counselor who maintains an office on the base. The college currently offers about 30 eight-week classes on the base to more than 700 students, compared with 10 classes in 1990, Hoffman said.
"I would say we're ahead of the curve," she said about the goals set for Troops to College.
Officials at the California State University system have established a list of goals for their campuses as part of Troops to College. The list includes establishing veterans support groups on campus, visiting each nearby base regularly and improving opportunities for online communication with veterans.
Cal State San Marcos has taken several steps in response to the Troops to College program since last spring, said Vicki Hernandez, the school's veterans coordinator. One of the steps is an evaluation that lets veterans know in advance what classes they will need to take to meet requirements for their major and for graduation, she said.
"This is something schools in the past have not done," said Hernandez, who estimated that the college enrolls about 200 veterans, plus 100 of their dependents.
The military eases the financial burden on those going to college through the GI Bill and other tuition assistance. But Lehnert said many members of the military are eager to begin earning income that only a full-time job can provide after their enlistment ends.
Others hesitate to enroll in college because "they come from a background in which college is not normally considered," he said.
The paperwork involved with applying and enrolling can be discouraging, especially to members of the military who are busy with training and overseas deployments, said William Higgins, who enrolled in Palomar in 2005 after retiring as a corporal from the Marines.
Higgins, a friend of Zbeibc's, also served in Iraq, where a grenade blew up his right arm. He is majoring in accounting and English, and hopes to eventually become a lawyer. Higgins said members of the infantry find it especially hard to carve out time for school during their enlistments.
"Your four years are going to be spent sitting in a hole while noninfantry guys have plenty of time to go to school," he said.
Higgins cited California's weather and a desire to enter school immediately at nearby Palomar as the main reasons he decided not to return to his home state of Washington. Palomar's military-friendly policies also helped make up his mind.
"They were extremely friendly, and they did everything they could to expedite my enrollment," Higgins said.
Contact staff writer Joe Beck at (760) 740-3516 or jbeck@nctimes.com.
Ellie
By: JOE BECK - Staff Writer
CAMP PENDLETON ---- A roadside bomb in Iraq that mutilated Marine Sgt. Matt Zbeibc's right hand, the one he uses for writing, hasn't stopped him from obtaining notes during classroom lectures at Palomar College.
The college provides Zbeibc with a note-taking service and more time to take tests, two options that have made it practical for him to overcome his physical impairments in the classroom.
"Everybody has been very helpful," Zbeibc said of the willingness of Palomar administrators and faculty to adapt to his injury.
The assistance Palomar offers to Zbeibc is an example of the kind of effort Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants all California public colleges and universities to make under Troops to College, an initiative launched in April. The goal is to make it easier for veterans and active-duty military members to attend college by reducing the barriers ---- physical, financial and social ---- they would otherwise face.
Officials involved with Troops to College said the state's interest in helping veterans goes beyond a desire to show appreciation for their service.
The state counts 175,000 active-duty military members and 20,000 others in the Air National Guard and Army National Guard.
Maj. Michael Lehnert, who oversees the operation of six Marine installations on the West Coast from his headquarters in Camp Pendleton, said the Marines have about 40 percent of their combat power concentrated in Southern California, but most Marines return to their home states at the end of their enlistments.
"These are U.S. citizens with a remarkable potential for future utility to the state, the kind of people you want to keep in the state," Lehnert said.
"It's amazing how many people say, 'Gee, these are really smart people,' " Lehnert said of service members. "They are smart, they are morally straight, they have great initiative and they're self-starters."
Lehnert helped found Troops to College, along with Bucky Peterson, a retired Marine general who is now vice president for development at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park. Lehnert said he and Peterson concluded that "certain artificial barriers'' were discouraging many people in the military from going to college.
They sought and received support from Schwarzenegger for a cooperative campaign involving the military; the state university systems, California State University and the University of California; community colleges; and state agencies serving veterans and students.
Some colleges have been working for many years to make themselves more veteran-friendly. Palomar has been offering classes at Camp Pendleton since 1974, said Janet Hoffman, a Palomar counselor who maintains an office on the base. The college currently offers about 30 eight-week classes on the base to more than 700 students, compared with 10 classes in 1990, Hoffman said.
"I would say we're ahead of the curve," she said about the goals set for Troops to College.
Officials at the California State University system have established a list of goals for their campuses as part of Troops to College. The list includes establishing veterans support groups on campus, visiting each nearby base regularly and improving opportunities for online communication with veterans.
Cal State San Marcos has taken several steps in response to the Troops to College program since last spring, said Vicki Hernandez, the school's veterans coordinator. One of the steps is an evaluation that lets veterans know in advance what classes they will need to take to meet requirements for their major and for graduation, she said.
"This is something schools in the past have not done," said Hernandez, who estimated that the college enrolls about 200 veterans, plus 100 of their dependents.
The military eases the financial burden on those going to college through the GI Bill and other tuition assistance. But Lehnert said many members of the military are eager to begin earning income that only a full-time job can provide after their enlistment ends.
Others hesitate to enroll in college because "they come from a background in which college is not normally considered," he said.
The paperwork involved with applying and enrolling can be discouraging, especially to members of the military who are busy with training and overseas deployments, said William Higgins, who enrolled in Palomar in 2005 after retiring as a corporal from the Marines.
Higgins, a friend of Zbeibc's, also served in Iraq, where a grenade blew up his right arm. He is majoring in accounting and English, and hopes to eventually become a lawyer. Higgins said members of the infantry find it especially hard to carve out time for school during their enlistments.
"Your four years are going to be spent sitting in a hole while noninfantry guys have plenty of time to go to school," he said.
Higgins cited California's weather and a desire to enter school immediately at nearby Palomar as the main reasons he decided not to return to his home state of Washington. Palomar's military-friendly policies also helped make up his mind.
"They were extremely friendly, and they did everything they could to expedite my enrollment," Higgins said.
Contact staff writer Joe Beck at (760) 740-3516 or jbeck@nctimes.com.
Ellie