Military Community
JULY 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 Honors College
- Military Education Outreach Team and Events
- 3 Tips for Tattoos in the Civilian Workplace
Remembering Nelson Mandela's Birthday - July 18
How to make a LinkedIn Page that Wows Recruiters, According to the Man Who Just Overhauled its Design.
- Get Connected with Military CHAMPS
- Military Transition Resources
- Student Veterans Organization at Ashford
Nationwide Conference Calendar by Month: US Veterans Magazine
- Previous Editions
Ashford University Honors College
Ashford University’s Honors College engages a community of exceptional students in educational opportunities that promote leadership, innovation, global perspective, and civic responsibility. Join Ashford’s best and brightest undergraduate students in the Honors College and be recognized for your academic achievements.
If you are an undergraduate student who has achieved an excellent academic record, you can elevate your degree program by applying for entry into Ashford’s Honors College. The Honors College curriculum adds a prestigious enhancement to your degree by substituting Honors College classes for select General Education and/or elective courses in your degree program. The Honors College is not available to graduate students.
The full Honors College curriculum consists of three lower division courses and three upper division courses for a total of 18 credits. You will have two options for completing Honors requirements: either complete all six courses or complete the three upper division courses. The three lower division courses may replace three courses in your General Education sequence that fulfill the same competencies (Critical Thinking, Civic Responsibility, Intercultural and Global Awareness). The three upper division courses will serve as elective courses.
Learn more and how to apply here.
Military Education Outreach Team and Events
The Military Education Outreach (MEO) Team acts as a liaison between the military education community at Department of Defense (DoD) installations worldwide and the university. The team visits installations to meet with current students, attend education fairs and base graduation recognition ceremonies, and meet with education staff to ensure Ashford students have the support and resources they need to be successful. The general email for the team is
military@ashford.edu.
3 Tips for Tattoos in the Civilian Workplace
Tattoo regulations have changed dramatically in the military sector with many service members using the practice of documenting their service through the ritual of tattoos.
Tattoos often represent time in service, sacrifices made, loss of fallen service members, or covering of a physical scar endured from combat. With the loosening of regulations came the addition of artwork among the military community.
However when time in service comes to an end, how will that impact finding employment in the civilian sector? Find out more about tattoos in the civilian workplace, tattoo-friendly employers, and tips for those who currently have visible tattoos.
http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/career-advice/military-transition/3-tips-for-tattoos-in-the-civilian-workplace.html
Remembering Nelson Mandela's Birthday- July 18
The South African activist and former president Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) helped bring an end to apartheid and was a global advocate for human rights. A member of the African National Congress party beginning in the 1940s, he was a leader of both peaceful protests and armed resistance against the white minority’s oppressive regime in a racially divided South Africa. His actions landed him in prison for nearly three decades and made him the face of the antiapartheid movement both within his country and internationally. Released in 1990, he participated in the eradication of apartheid and in 1994 became the first black president of South Africa, forming a multiethnic government to oversee the country’s transition. After retiring from politics in 1999, he remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice in his own nation and around the world until his death in 2013 at the age of 95.
History.com Staff. (2009). Nelson Mandela. Retrieved May 19, 2017, from http://www.history.com/topics/nelson-mandela
How to make a LinkedIn page that wows recruiters, according to the man who just overhauled its design.
Professional networking site, LinkedIn, revamped its entire user experience in January, and there’s a good chance you’re not using its features to their full potential.
Business Insider spoke with its lead designer to help you out.
Hari Srinivasan, head of identity products at LinkedIn, and his team redesigned the profile with both the user and viewer in mind.
When you learn the basics, you’ll be able to design a page that will stand out to recruiters. And even if you aren’t looking for a new job, refining your page can help you make connections that can take your career to the next level.
With Srinivasan’s guidance, this article will break down how you can easily and quickly make updates to your profile.
Read more at http://www.businessinsider.sg/how-to-best-use-your-linkedin-page-2017-3/#jJG7ZCiejEhJpbSy.99
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.
Learn More about CHAMPS
Military Transition Resources
Military transition is a complicated process. It not only impacts the service member but will also impact the family. There are so many things to consider when making the transition; understanding how to navigate your VA benefits, how to write your resume for a civilian employer, making sure you are financially prepared, and simply adjusting to the culture change of no longer being part of a unit. Regardless of the separation class offered to you on base, there is so much information being thrown at you in a short amount of time, it is understandable if you are not be able to retain everything. It has been described as trying to drink water from a fire hose. Here are some comprehensive resources that can help you before, during, and after your transition.
- Check out Milisource*, a free application for your smart phone that allows you to know what benefits you’ve earned.
- Separation Timeline Checklist for Spouses. The checklist is a guide to assist in pre-separation transition tasks.
- If you’re transitioning out of Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard or retiring, www.military.com helps with featured transition plans. There is an app, too!
- Review your benefits by state.
- Review the Federal Benefits Handbook for Veterans, Dependents, and Survivors.
- Download the 3-page VA 101 Resource Guide.
- Helmets to Hardhats helps military service members successfully transition back into civilian life by offering them the means to secure a quality career in the construction industry.
- Military Transition Organization created a comprehensive transition resource page.
- Military Transitioning Service Members Cheat Sheet covers everything from classes available, resume assistance, mentor programs, among others.
* Please note: Milisource and Defense Mobile are not affiliated with the United States government. The U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Coast have not approved, endorsed, or reviewed this app
Student Veterans Organization at Ashford
The mission of Ashford University’s Student Veteran’s Organization (SVO) is for military and veteran students and alumni to assist active duty and veteran students with their educational goals through mentoring, tutoring, professional networking, and support with their job search. The SVO supports the unique needs of service members and their families, encourages persistence by celebrating accomplishments, and motivates military students and their dependents to achieve personal, professional, and educational goals.
The SVO has been rapidly growing over the past 2 years from just 88 members to more than 615. Join* now and get connected with peers who have walked in your shoes, speak the same language, and share in the challenges you face as a military affiliated student. Share transition advice, find local military affiliated students you didn't know were in your own backyard, and share job postings and career fairs.
With less than 7.3 percent of the American population ever serving in the armed forces
(What Percentage Of Americans Have Served In The Military?
MAR. 19, 2015) this community makes for a small and tight knit community where we rely on our brothers and sisters in arms for support and advice. Join the SVO and start connecting with your fellow student veterans at Ashford!
*Must have a LinkedIn account to join.
What Percentage Of Americans Have Served In The Military?
(MAR. 19, 2015) from https://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/what-percentage-of-americans-have-served-in-the-military/
Nationwide Conference Calendar
* 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.
Citations and URL Image Retrieval
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.
