In recent weeks, student veterans have raised their concerns about not being able to register under a time ticket one slot at Longwood University. Army Staff Sergeant/E-6 Shawn White, student veteran, started this discussion in hopes of making a significant change at Longwood University.
Coming into Longwood as a registered sophomore, White may not be able to get the classes he needs in able to finish in time under the post 9/11 GI Bill requirements, a 36-month timetable.
According to White, roughly one third of all of the classes he took before coming to Longwood were accepted.
“My timeline is very short, there’s not a whole lot of room for error without stuff starting to come out of pocket more than it already does,” said White.
With no alternate income, other than the stipend he receives from the post 9/11 GI Bill as a DD214 holder, it is critical for White and other veterans to finish school as soon as possible.
“DD214 is your exit paperwork from the military, that’s what you need to verify that you are a veteran,” said White.
Latrice Pearl, the Asst. Registrar, clarified that less than one percent of Longwood students are DD214 holders, where there are already about 2,000 students on a time ticket one.
Registrar Vikki Levine encourages conversation on this issue, but is not certain that a time ticket one is the solution worth looking into, and thinks the issue can resolved within individual departments.
“This is actually the first time since I’ve been in this seat that this has been brought to my attention,” says Levine. “Students who are on contract with ROTC do receive a time ticket one, and then I think we have to ask the question, what level of priority is there, what are the reasons behind it and probably include the faculty representative and have some conversations.”
White completed his service by age, serving three tours in ten years before he was shot in his left arm in Afghanistan.
White’s ulnar nerve was cut and sheered and his ulna bone, the “funny bone”, needed to be moved completely to his mid forearm, where a rod and plate with six screws go up the length of his arm.
After his injury, White was inspired to take up therapeutic recreation through Longwood’s Health, Athletic Training, Recreation and Kinesiology department.
In an open forum meeting with the Registrar, White had the chance to directly voice his concerns to them.
In regards to his department, he knows he can get the help he needs, but that does not make the registration process any simpler. Registration last Monday proved that to be true when he was not able to get the classes he needed.
"I couldn’t get into three of my rec classes, so that’s three sets of initials that need to be put on there," said White.
According to White, it came down to a department issue, as well, because he needs six signatures on his override paperwork in order to be placed into classes he was unable to get into.
Until he receives these signatures, he has to sign up for three classes he didn’t need so he can remain a full time student.
"Student veterans have a lot of other stuff going on, school is just one avenue where you have residents here who live at Longwood," said White. "You have family life on top of college life and those aspects start to mound together, let alone if someone is dealing with other things that compound on top of that."
Levine was not aware that this process was so difficult and made it clear she would investigate these issues within the department.
"I truly believe in student lead change," says Levine. She encourages White and student veterans to take this issue to faculty senate and propose this change, so it can move up the chain.
In explaining his vision, White stated how this whole situation is a tough one to swallow.
“The ROTC cadets have priority on registration based on what they are going to do, we’ve already done our part, why is that any different,” asked White. “You give priority to a student athlete over a student veteran…we idolize sports athletes over our firemen, our police officers, our nurses, our teachers… over where the rubber meets the road, heroes.”{PULL QUOTE}
The issue of registration brought about many more issues that student veterans struggle with on campus.
White mentioned the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Center is not prepared to offer services to a contemporary student veteran.
"I went in there and they didn't know what to do with me… they're not prepared to deal with the mental health issues that come along with the student veteran population, neither is our resource center," said White. “You’re very much alone on this campus because there’s not many of us, as they’ve already pointed out.”
According to White, Longwood has a large lack of resources for student veterans post graduation, there are almost no options to help them find employment.
“We’re highly employable, but no one is employing us,” said White. “I think one is there is a lack of resources to help facilitate that civilian to military transition to help the civilians understand.”
In hopes of making Longwood a better place, White hopes this will open the student body’s eyes to these concerns.
“I’m hoping that we can truly become that progressive institute, we talk about diversity here as a big thing on Longwood’s campus, you have your smallest most diverse population right there. You want to talk about a population that is tiny, its that one, it should be accepting,” said White. “All the resources that are given out to anyone else that claims that they need help because of diversity, we should be able to access that as well.”
