The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate whether students who engage with the Veteran Services Department understand their VA educational benefits, know how to access available support resources, recognize their responsibilities for maintaining benefits, and comply with required enrollment verification processes. The assessment will identify knowledge gaps and guide improvements to advising, outreach, workshops, and communication strategies to support student success and reduce benefit-related errors.
Veteran students rely on accurate information to effectively use their educational benefits while remaining compliant with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and institutional requirements. Through student advising interactions, recurring questions, and compliance trends, the department has identified the need to better assess student understanding of:
- Individual education benefit eligibility and coverage.
- Campus and VA resources available for assistance.
- Academic and financial responsibilities associated with benefit usage.
- Monthly enrollment verification requirements (when applicable).
Misunderstanding these requirements can result in delayed payments, loss of benefits, financial debt to the VA or the institution, and have negative impacts on academic progress. Assessing student knowledge will allow the department to proactively address these issues and improve student outcomes.
The Veteran Services Department will implement the following assessment practices:
- Administer a student learning outcomes survey to veteran students receiving VA educational benefits.
- Assess four primary learning outcomes:
- Understanding of individual education benefits.
- Ability to identify appropriate campus and VA support resources.
- Awareness of responsibilities and risks associated with benefit usage.
- Understanding of enrollment verification requirements.
- Review common advising questions and recurring student concerns to identify trends.
- Review instances of benefit-related debts or payment issues resulting from enrollment changes or noncompliance.
- Use assessment findings to improve orientation materials, advising sessions, workshops, printed materials, and electronic communications.
Survey responses and departmental data will be analyzed to determine the percentage of students who demonstrate confidence and understanding in each Student Learning Outcome. Results will be compared across assessment cycles to identify improvements or ongoing areas of concern.
The department will examine:
- Student understanding of their education benefit type, coverage, and remaining entitlement.
- Student awareness of campus Veteran Services, School Certifying Officials (SCOs), and VA resources.
- Student knowledge regarding satisfactory academic progress requirements and the financial consequences of dropping or withdrawing from classes.
- Student understanding and completion of monthly enrollment verification requirements.
- Trends in advising appointments, compliance issues, and benefit-related debts.
Improvement will be measured by increased positive survey responses, fewer recurring advising issues, improved compliance rates, and reductions in preventable benefit-related errors.
The Veteran Services Department developed this Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan to evaluate students' understanding of VA educational benefits, available support resources, benefit responsibilities, and enrollment verification requirements. Assessment methods include student surveys, advising practices, compliance monitoring, and review of benefit-related issues. Results will be used to identify knowledge gaps, improve advising and communication strategies, strengthen educational programming, and reduce preventable financial and academic consequences for veteran students. This continuous assessment process supports institutional effectiveness while promoting student success and responsible use of VA educational benefits.
| Attachment | Size |
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| Department Student Learning Outcomes | 16.98 KB |