Military Community
August 2017-Ashford University Newsletter
Military Development and Engagement
The Military Community Newsletter at Ashford University was created for you to learn about and share community events, resources, and key topics relevant to service members, veterans, and their families nationwide. Please contact Ashford's Military Development and Engagement Specialist if you have questions or additional resources you would like to share with your fellow military community.
IN THIS ISSUE
- Ashford University Women's Week
- Military Education Outreach Team and Events
- Academic Accommodations at Ashford
- Ashford University has partnered with Sophia Learning
CBS RADIO Presents ConnectingVets.com
20 Tips to Make Your Resume Stand Out - Lida Citroën
- Get Connected with Military CHAMPS
- Military Resources at Ashford
- Military Alumni Spotlight: Krysta Yost
Nationwide Conference Calendar by Month: US Veterans Magazine
- Previous Editions
Ashford University Women's Week August 22-25, 2017
Ashford University’s Women’s Week will celebrate the contributions of women, promote professional development, raise gender equality issues, and promote growth opportunities for diversity in the workplace.
The four-day conference will be held virtually and on site and will include guest speakers in the San Diego and Denver office locations. Themes of this event will include women leading women, diversity in the workplace, teaching from a gender perspective, balancing work and life commitments, and more! Mark your calendars now!
· Dates: August 22 – August 25, 2017
· Location: Virtual Offerings, San Diego, and Denver
· Invited Audience: All staff and faculty team members, AU students, and alumni
This event will be offered live from San Diego and Denver, as well as via webinar.
Agenda and save the dates will be available:
Faculty/ Staff: Insite and CETL
Students: Save the Date
Questions or comments: WomensWeek@Ashford.edu
Military Education Outreach Team and Events
Academic Accommodations at Ashford
Students are responsible for disclosing disability information and requesting accommodations, in accordance with University requirements. Students who need assistance, even on a temporary basis, are encouraged to utilize the services available through the Office of Student Access and Wellness.
Accommodations and services available to students who qualify include:
- Disability-related advocacy and advising
- Course textbooks provided in electronic format
- Course audio content and related activities provided in accessible format (captioned videos, transcripts, or live remote captioning)
- Authorization of note taker or scribe for student coursework
- Additional time to complete quizzes, exams and assessments
- Additional time to complete assignments, projects and papers
- Tutoring services
- Community referral and liaison
If you have a disability that warrants a particular accommodation not listed above, contact access@ashford.edu to discuss this request with our professional staff.
What kinds of disabilities are served?
- Permanently visually impaired (legally blind, with progressive vision loss, etc.)
- Deaf or hard of hearing
- Psychological or psychiatric disorders (bipolar, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), personality disorders, schizophrenia, etc.)
- Learning disabilities
- Acquired or traumatic brain injuries, epilepsy
- Autism, Asperger's Syndrome
- Mobility (including paraplegia, quadriplegia, post-polio, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy or atrophy, spina bifida, etc.)
- Other (including cancer, diabetes, ADD / ADHD, etc.)
If you have a disability that you feel would qualify you for accommodation, or if you need assistance in determining if you may qualify, please contact access@ashford.edu.
Ashford University has partnered with Sophia Learning
Ashford University has partnered with Sophia Learning, a national provider of self-paced, online college courses that Ashford students may use to add applicable transfer credits. Sophia courses are evaluated by The American Council on Education (ACE). Sophia Learning courses are currently accessible online anytime, from any device. Students can reference the transfer guide on the Ashford University website for credit recommendations. The average time for students to complete a Sophia course is 17 hours. With competency-based education, students are applying their life experience and previously learned material to the courses, allowing them to finish faster.
Neat! How Does this New Partnership Work?
Currently enrolled students interested in taking Sophia Learning coursework and transferring earned credits to Ashford University can visit the Sophia and Ashford University partner web page.
When students use this page to register for courses, Sophia will automatically send an official transcript to Ashford University when the student completes the course. There is no cost to the student for the official transcripts from Sophia.
Here are some important details about Sophia coursework:
· Students pay a flat fee for each course; there are no additional subscription or course material fees;
· Sophia offers promo codes and special pricing frequently; check the partner page for current promos!
· Each time a student completes a course, that student will receive an email with a promo code for $50 off the next course.
· The following Sophia Learning courses are free for Ashford students:
o Developing Effective Teams (1 elective credit), and
o Foundations of Statistics (2 general education credits)
Please consult with your Academic Advisor prior to enrolling in any courses to ensure the transferability of the course and discuss how these credits can be applied to your degree.
Sophia Learning is not a college and therefore does not offer academic programs, award degrees, or accept federal financial aid as payment for courses.
CBS RADIO Presents ConnectingVets.com
“Connecting Vets is a nationwide, multi-media digital portal connecting military veterans to information we need to thrive” (http://connectingvets.com/2017/06/05/about-us/). This resource links military veterans and their families to relevant information, resources, solutions and each other. The content will be produced and presented by fellow vets and cover such important topics as health and fitness, employment and entrepreneurialism, education, finance, and issues particularly impacting female veterans and veterans’ families.
The featured programming will be divided into News, Transition, Wellness, Get Help, and Lifestyle. Within each category, a variety of long and short-form original news reports and curated pieces will air; the reporting will be conducted and hosted by the staff of “CBS RADIO Presents ConnectingVets.com ... Connecting Vets Every Day,” all of whom are veterans themselves or the spouse or child of a veteran.
Find out more here: https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/166382/cbs-radio-launches-connecting-vets-program
20 Tips to Make Your Resume Stand Out- Lida Citroën
Lida Citroën, a branding expert based in Denver, has made a career of helping people and companies create new or enhanced identities.
Read her latest article "20 Tips to Make Your Resume Stand Out" on Military.com.
Lida is passionate about helping veterans learn how to compete for careers in the civilian sector. A TEDx Speaker, Lida presents her unique personal branding training programs across the U.S., at military installations and events, serves on the Board of Directors of NAVSO, volunteers with ESGR, and has produced numerous programs and materials to help military veterans successfully transition after service. If you have a transition question Lida can help answer, email her at LidaCitroen@lida360.com. She is also the author of the best-selling book, "Your Next Mission: A personal branding guide for the military-to-civilian transition," available at www.YourNextMissionBook.com and on Amazon.
CONNECT WITH MILITARY CHAMPS
We at Ashford understand the challenges of being a military affiliated student while pursuing higher education. We have developed a roadmap dedicated to addressing those unique needs. It is our goal to pair up military students with military peer navigators so there is common ground and cultural understanding.
Deployments, frequent moves, and field exercises can all be distracting when you are attending classes. Connect with a Mentor who can help navigate those overwhelming waters, provide resources, tips, and personal experience to help you be as successful as possible while also building a relationship with another peer.
Military Resources at Ashford
Military Aulmni Spotlight: Krysta Yost
Krysta Yost has been the definition of an inspiring and resilient student at Ashford University. Krysta’s outstanding academic standing resulted in her induction into SALUTE, the only national honor society recognizing and honoring the service and scholastic achievements of student veterans. She was also inducted into Golden Key, an international honor society that recognizes academic achievement among the top 15% of their college class based on GPA. Due to her outstanding academic achievements she was also inducted into Alpha Sigma Lambda (ASL), an honor society which partners with colleges and universities to celebrate the scholarship and leadership of adult students in higher education. ASL is devoted to the advancement of scholarship and recognition of nontraditional students continuing their education.
Aside from her academic achievements Krysta was also a member of Sigma Epsilon Kappa which is a social society that embraces the unified goal of giving hope to women seeking non-traditional education to promote philanthropy, education, and personal growth in female learners and the women in their lives; exemplify integrity, leadership, perseverance, academic excellence, and equality; and impart of the benefits of Panhellenic traditions amongst online students and university students. Krysta’s servitude did not stop there as she also became a certified CHAMPS Peer Mentor at Ashford, setting the example and encouraging new or struggling students to reach their full potential by walking them through the 7 Milestone program which has proven to increase student retention and persistence at a 12% rate higher than students who did not complete the program. Krysta’s relentless devotion to Ashford University’s mentorship program has provided many students with the skills they need to achieve their full potential.
Krysta was also a vital member of Ashford University’s Student Veterans Organization (SVO). The SVO is for military and veteran students and alumni to assist active duty and veteran students with their educational goals through mentoring, guidance, professional networking, and support with their job search and military transition into higher education and onto their next career. As the Vice President of the SVO from May 2016 to May 2017, Krysta assisted the President in deciding the direction of the organization and its goals, planning, and execution. She created templates for approving and disapproving memberships, as well as managed a LinkedIn profile of over 600 members. She also aided in setting up and leading volunteer opportunities to support local communities. Her determination to aid military members and their families both personally and professionally were vital to the growth of the SVO. When Krysta graduated in May of 2017, she was the guest speaker at the Military Appreciation Event held the day before commencement. There she shared her personal story and the impact the university has had in her own growth and development while pursuing her degree.
As the staff advisor that oversees the SVO, and as the Military Development and Engagement Specialist at Ashford University, I have never been more proud of a student with whom I have worked so closely. As a veteran myself, I know the personal, professional, and educational challenges Krysta overcame to find the success she held in her hand that day she walked across the stage all came at a cost, but she always did it with a smile. She continues to motivate other students at the university as a proud Ashford Alum. She is currently waiting for her acceptance letter form Ashford's sister school University of the Rockies to start her Doctoral program in Organizational Development and Leadership.
- Stephanie Kinman
Nationwide Conference Calendar
Previous Editions
* The newsletter may contain now or in the future links to other websites, such as links to military charities, discounts or offers, or other third parties that may provide services or products to you. These links and this information is being provided to you for your convenience and as a resource. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, the content of, or any other actions of such other websites or their owners or operators, information they may collect or information they may share. Further, the inclusion of an organization on this newsletter does not indicate an endorsement of such organization (or of any religious or political point of view promoted by such organization) by Ashford University or its affiliates.
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About the Editor
Stephanie Kinman is the Military Development and Engagement Specialist at Ashford. She served six years as a Navy Corpsman with two of those years attached to a Marine unit. She is well versed in understanding the unique challenges military students face. She achieved her undergraduate degree in Psychology from University of Phoenix and her MSW with a focus on Military and Veteran Populations from University of Southern California.
Stephanie is dedicated to the military student population and brings her education, social work background and personal experience, both in the military and in the classroom, to provide resources, community events, and pathways for students to connect outside of the classroom.
Email: stephanie.kinman@ashford.edu
Website: http://www.ashford.edu/military/military_resources.htm
Location: 8620 Spectrum Center Blvd, San Diego, CA 92123, United States