Jeremy Glasstetter Hired to Lead Veterans’ Center at Excelsior College

Jeremy Glasstetter Hired to Lead Veterans’ Center at Excelsior College

By Mike Lesczinski, Excelsior Life News Staff--

The Center for Military Education (CME) at Excelsior College today announced the hiring of Jeremy Glasstetter to lead the College’s Lt. Col. Bryant A. Murray Veterans Center, an online, array of services to meet the needs of former members of America’s armed forces. Glasstetter, a U.S. Army veteran of both Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom, served previously as a military & veterans program advisor for Baker College (Michigan).

[AUDIO: Glasstetter discusses higher education transition challenges for returning veterans]

The Center offers resources and support for both academic and life needs to the more than 4,000 veterans currently enrolled in the college. Working within the Center for Military Education, Glasstetter will develop and advance services available to veterans, promote increased use of veteran benefits, enhance communication to veterans and related organizations, serve as an advocate for veterans issues, and work toward unit and college strategic planning goals related to the center.

“Jeremy served our country with distinction on two fronts and has dedicated his post-military career to helping his fellow servicemembers transition back to the civilian world,” said Sue Dewan, executive director of the Center for Military Education at Excelsior, which in addition to its veterans population, also counts more than 10,000 active duty military personnel among its 36,000 currently enrolled students. “His experience and commitment to nontraditional higher education for adults and, more specifically, military service members and veterans, make him a valuable addition to Excelsior. We are thrilled to have him on board.”

Raised in Flint, Michigan, Glasstetter enlisted in the U.S. Army as an avionics, armament, electrician and helicopter mechanic less than one month after the attacks on September 11th. In 2004, he proudly deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2007, he deployed once again, this time to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Honorably discharged from activity duty, he returned home to serve in the Michigan National Guard and began his studies at the University of Michigan-Flint.

While at UM, Glasstetter founded the Student Veterans of America – Flint Chapter (SVA-FC); eventually he was elected the 3rd President of the national organization. During his undergraduate studies Glasstetter also helped orchestrate, with the help of the University of Michigan Board of Regents and others, the creation of the university’s first Student Veterans Resource Center. One of the few in the nation at that time, the center offered returning military veterans a place to work and congregate during their transition home.

In August 2011, Jeremy graduated with his Bachelors of Business Administration Degree from the University of Michigan and in May, 2013 will earn his Masters of Business Administration in Leadership degree from Baker College Center for Graduate Studies.

Jeremy, married with a young son, resides in Clifton Park, NY.

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Transition Challenges for Veterans Returning to School: Interview with Jeremy Glasstetter, Director, Lt. Col. Bryant A. Murray Veterans’ Center

Transition Challenges for Veterans Returning to School: Interview with Jeremy Glasstetter, Director, Lt. Col. Bryant A. Murray Veterans’ Center

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Listen to the full interview with Jeremy Glastetter below.

Jeremy Glasstetter, director of the Lt. Col. Bryant A. Murray Veteran Center at Excelsior College, joins Excelsior Life to discuss contemporary challenges experienced by veterans seeking out a higher education. A U.S. Army veteran of both Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Glasstetter previously served as the third National President of the Student Veterans of America.

Excelsior Life and Glasstetter chat on a range of issues, including the different experiences of modern veterans compared to those of the past, his vision for Excelsior’s veteran center and new services every institution of higher education needs to explore. Glasstetter also talks about his personal experiences transitioning out of military service.

Podcast Outline (Time: Topic)

1:15 What are the unique transitional challenges facing today’s returning veterans?
3:49 Is there a generational difference in veterans challenges?
6:40 Are institutions of higher education doing enough to help veterans?
7:59 What new services should every school rollout?
9:45 Glasstetter’s vision for the Excelsior’s Lt. Col. Bryant A. Murray Veteran Center
12:19 “Driven to service…forever a veteran”
14:00 Glasstetter’s personal experience transitioning out of the U.S. Army
17:00 The one action every veteran must take upon leaving military service

(Please help support the show by leaving an iTunes review!)

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Veteran's Advocate Brockton Hunter to speak in Santa Barbara

Posted by Ari Morguelan on Wed, Oct 31, 2012

Fielding Graduate University is proud to host Brockton D. Hunter, a nationally recognized expert on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) impacts on combat veterans, as he presents “Echoes of War: The Combat Veteran in the Criminal Justice System” on Thursday, November 15th from 5:00pm-6:30pm at the Santa Barbara Jury Assembly Room in Santa Barbara, 1108 Santa Barbara Street. The public is invited to attend this free presentation, made possible by an Emerging Needs Grant from the Fund for Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara County Superior Court.

Mr. Hunter is an attorney and former Army Scout who is recognized throughout the United States for his work on behalf of veterans in criminal courts. He drafted Minnesota’s landmark Veterans Sentencing legislation and has consulted for the Obama Presidential Transition Team, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

PTSD is recognized as a common side-effect of war: 20% of the 2.6 million Americans returning home from service in Afghanistan and Iraq are expected to suffer from its effects. Mr. Hunter will discuss the history of PTSD including ties to criminal behavior and lessons to be learned by those involved in the administration of criminal justice.  He will also examine how criminal charges serve as an opportunity to identify and assist troubled veterans, enabling them to return to their communities as assets instead of liabilities.

Veterans Treatment Courts are gaining national recognition as a tool to help identify and treat PTSD in combat veterans.  A local effort, led by the Honorable George Eskin, with support from Fielding Graduate University’s Institute for Social Innovation and other community stakeholders, is working to develop and implement the best approach to supporting Santa Barbara County veterans while protecting public safety.

The Institute for Social Innovation partnered with the Santa Barbara County Superior Court, Santa Barbara Women Lawyers, Santa Barbara County Bar Association, and the Common Ground Santa Barbara Homeless Advocacy Project to sponsor this event.  1.5 hours of MCLE Substance Abuse credit are available to attendees. Please email sbwl.admin@gmail.com for information on MCLE credit.

For more details about the event, please contact:
James Kyriaco Jr, MPA, Project Manager, Institute for Social Innovation
Phone: (805) 898-2906                              
Email: jkyriaco@fielding.edu

 **Please click here for flyer**

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Flagler SIFE wants to help Veterans Farm ‘Get on the Shelf’ of Walmart

March 6, 2012

Flagler College’s Students in Free Enterprise team is working on a project to change the lives of disabled combat vets by landing a veteran-made product on the shelves of every Walmart store.

SIFE has teamed up with Jacksonville’s Veterans Farm, an organization that helps disabled combat veterans get back into society through the use of horticulture therapy. The farm grows datil peppers and blueberries that carry the Veterans Farm label.

SIFE’s goal is to win Walmart’s “Get on the Shelf” contest. The competition lets the public vote on products not carried by Walmart. Three winners will be able to sell on Walmart.com, and the grand prize winner could end up on actual shelves of stores.

“Our mission is to win that Walmart competition,” said SIFE adviser Barry Sand. “If we do, it will bring jobs to war veterans all over the country.”

The farm teaches disabled combat veterans skills to help them overcome their physical and mental barriers while also getting jobs. It was started by Sgt. Adam Burke, an OIF/OEF combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient who was wounded in battle during a 15-month tour in Iraq.

“When I returned I noticed that many of my fellow veterans were finding it tougher coming home than leaving for combat,” Burke said. “With more and more vets returning home, the problem is only growing. With this in mind, I started Veterans Farm.”

Through a 6-month fellowship program, veterans learn how to grow organic fruits and vegetables that will provide them with the resources to go out and start their own farms, or to work for larger farming organizations.

The farm teamed with Keith Bailey, owner and CEO of Dr. Datil Food Products to produce the Veterans Farm Datil Salt, and Flagler students helped redesign the product’s labels, produced a commercial and developed a campaign to win Walmart’s “Get on the Shelf” competition.

Flagler SIFE is asking the public to support veterans by going online and voting for Veterans Farm. Voting for the contest is from March 7 through April 3. To view the video and vote, go to http://www.getontheshelf.com/product/4970/Veterans-Farm-Datil-Pepp.

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Veteran's Advocate Brockton Hunter to speak in Santa Barbara

Posted by Ari Morguelan on Wed, Oct 31, 2012

Fielding Graduate University is proud to host Brockton D. Hunter, a nationally recognized expert on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) impacts on combat veterans, as he presents “Echoes of War: The Combat Veteran in the Criminal Justice System” on Thursday, November 15th from 5:00pm-6:30pm at the Santa Barbara Jury Assembly Room in Santa Barbara, 1108 Santa Barbara Street. The public is invited to attend this free presentation, made possible by an Emerging Needs Grant from the Fund for Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara County Superior Court.

Mr. Hunter is an attorney and former Army Scout who is recognized throughout the United States for his work on behalf of veterans in criminal courts. He drafted Minnesota’s landmark Veterans Sentencing legislation and has consulted for the Obama Presidential Transition Team, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

PTSD is recognized as a common side-effect of war: 20% of the 2.6 million Americans returning home from service in Afghanistan and Iraq are expected to suffer from its effects. Mr. Hunter will discuss the history of PTSD including ties to criminal behavior and lessons to be learned by those involved in the administration of criminal justice.  He will also examine how criminal charges serve as an opportunity to identify and assist troubled veterans, enabling them to return to their communities as assets instead of liabilities.

Veterans Treatment Courts are gaining national recognition as a tool to help identify and treat PTSD in combat veterans.  A local effort, led by the Honorable George Eskin, with support from Fielding Graduate University’s Institute for Social Innovation and other community stakeholders, is working to develop and implement the best approach to supporting Santa Barbara County veterans while protecting public safety.

The Institute for Social Innovation partnered with the Santa Barbara County Superior Court, Santa Barbara Women Lawyers, Santa Barbara County Bar Association, and the Common Ground Santa Barbara Homeless Advocacy Project to sponsor this event.  1.5 hours of MCLE Substance Abuse credit are available to attendees. Please email sbwl.admin@gmail.com for information on MCLE credit.

For more details about the event, please contact:
James Kyriaco Jr, MPA, Project Manager, Institute for Social Innovation
Phone: (805) 898-2906                              
Email: jkyriaco@fielding.edu

 **Please click here for flyer**

News Archive

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Many Veterans Unsure How to Demonstrate Skills Employers Want

Many Veterans Unsure How to Demonstrate Skills Employers Want

By Mike Lesczinski, Excelsior Life News Staff--

For recent college graduates, looking ahead to the future can elicit both excitement and anxiety. A degree is one signal for an employer that an individual is ready for a career or, in the case of a post-traditional adult learner, prepared for advancement.

But what are the skills and qualities employers are looking for in candidates?

“Ultimately employers are looking for the soft skills - communication, planning, decision making, teamwork, as well as computer,” said Maribeth Gunner, career services coordinator at Excelsior College.

According to National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) Job Outlook 2013 survey the top two traits include “ability to verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization” and “ability to work within a team structure.” Other top traits include the ability to make decisions; process information; and, demonstrate the ability to plan, organize and prioritize work.

For veterans however, especially those recently returned from abroad, concerns surrounding securing civilian employment are exacerbated by trouble communicating their skill sets.

“Many veterans are finding it increasingly difficult to find work because they aren’t able to articulate their skill sets to potential employers during the interview process,” said Gunner. “Others are not even aware that the many skills they have amassed through their military service are in high demand.” In addition to experience in cutting edge technology, veterans understand the value of teamwork, flexibility, accountability and leadership, she went on to explain.

For instance, an air traffic controller in the military has developed specific skills within the context of the position. One set includes work-content skills specific to only that position, such as how to utilize the navigation equipment to direct a plane to a safe landing. However, these controllers have also developed other marketable skills during their career that are considered “transferable” such as the ability to problem-solve and communicate effectively.

It’s these skills that veterans need to identify and highlight when developing their resumes and preparing for job interviews.

“Online career assessment tools are a great place to start,” says Gunner. “Do you work well in teams? Have you demonstrated dedication and integrity? These are the types of important skills that veterans need to take inventory of now and continuously refer back to and update as others are developed.”

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Department of Arizona, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Partners with Excelsior College to Provide Pathway to College Degree

Albany, New York (January 14, 2013) – The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Arizona has signed an education agreement with Excelsior College that will allow VFW members and their spouses/domestic partners to pursue undergraduate or graduate degrees for reduced tuition and fees.

The new statewide partnership builds toward a national VFW objective aimed at drawing younger veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan seeking educational opportunity.

“The state of Arizona VFW is very proud to have entered into this partnership with Excelsior College,” said State Commander Michael Ferguson, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Arizona. “This is another example on how the VFW is looking to reach out to all veterans, especially our younger vets just getting out of the military. We’re hoping they will take advantage of this opportunity to earn a degree and advance their skills. We believe our veterans and their spouses have earned it for their sacrifice.”

“Since our founding more than four decades ago, Excelsior has strived to serve the military and veterans communities both at home and abroad,” said Excelsior College President John F. Ebersole. “Arizona is home to more than a half-million veterans, with more coming home soon enough, as drawdowns continue and more of our brave servicemembers return from battle. This partnership will help to provide a pathway for these returning men and women to seek out a higher education.”

Arizona is home to approximately 557,000 veterans with the number expected to grow as servicemembers return to Arizona from overseas missions over the coming years. The Department of Arizona VFW currently counts 25,560 members among its 77 posts.

Excelsior, a regionally accredited nonprofit distance learning college based in Albany, New York, has a long and successful history serving the veteran community that began with its founding in 1971. In addition to broad online programming, Excelsior is also home to Excelsior College® Examinations, an extensive credit-by-examination program that provides an additional pathway to affordable degree completion.

Among the more than 37,000 currently enrolled students, over 14,000 count themselves as active-duty or of veteran status. And of the more than 5,200 Excelsior graduates in the 2011-2012 academic year, 34 percent were members of the U.S. military.

The College offers an extensive range of academic support programs and services tailored to veterans, including career counseling, financial counseling on veteran benefits, and an online veteran center with vet to vet mentorship. Many financial aid and academic advisors are veterans themselves.

In addition, Excelsior accepts prior military training in the form of academic transfer credit based on recommendations from the American Council on Education's Military Evaluations Program. Each year, Excelsior accepts approximately 50,000 military training program credits toward completion of undergraduate degree programs.

Under the agreement, veterans may enroll in degree programs from any of Excelsior’s schools: Business and Technology, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts, and Nursing.

Excelsior College's other education credentials include:

• G.I. Jobs has named Excelsior a top military-friendly school the past four years and Military Advanced Education has recognized Excelsior College the past five years. For the third year in a row Excelsior College has been named a “Best for Vets” college by Military Times Edge magazine.
• Excelsior's course, "Success Strategies for Military and Veterans" earned the 2010-2011 Innovation Award from the Center for Transforming Student Services (CENTSS). The course provides college and career orientation to veterans and military members and teaches transition strategies for those entering the civilian workforce after a military career.
• Excelsior is a recipient of the Council of College and Military Educators' (CCME) Institutional Award.
• Excelsior's military academic advising team includes veterans who are uniquely attuned to the unique needs of military students, veterans and their spouses.
• Center for Military Education (CME) Executive Director Susan Dewan is the recipient of the 2011 William E. Kennedy Award from the Council of College and Military Educators (CCME), which recognizes leadership in providing higher education programs to personnel at U.S. military installations.
• Excelsior President Ebersole is a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who served in Vietnam and received the Secretary of the Army Public Service Award in 2010 for his leadership in contributing to the Army's educational mission.

For more information on joining the VFW in Arizona, visit the membership information page. For more information about the Arizona VFW educational partnership with Excelsior College visit either the VFW partnership or Excelsior College partnership page, email veterans@excelsior.edu or call 888-647-2388.

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Excelsior
Excelsior College http://www.excelsior.edu is a regionally accredited, nonprofit distance learning institution that focuses on removing obstacles to the educational goals of adult learners. Founded in 1971 and located in Albany, NY, Excelsior is a proven leader in the assessment and validation of student knowledge. It offers more efficient and affordable access to degree completion through multiple avenues: its own online courses and college-level proficiency examinations, and the acceptance in transfer of credit from other colleges and universities as well as recognized corporate and military training programs. Excelsior College is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Arizona
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is a nonprofit veterans' service organization composed of combat veterans and those who currently serve on active duty or in the Guard and Reserves. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is the nation's largest organization of war veterans and is one of its oldest veterans' organizations. With 2.1 million members located in 7,700 VFW Posts worldwide, the VFW and its Auxiliaries are dedicated to "honor the dead by helping the living" through veterans service, legislative initiatives, youth scholarships, Buddy Poppy, and national military service programs. Annually, the VFW and its Auxiliaries contribute more than 11 million hours of community service to the nation. For more information or to join, visit the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Arizona’s website.

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Flagler SIFE wants to help Veterans Farm ‘Get on the Shelf’ of Walmart

March 6, 2012

Flagler College’s Students in Free Enterprise team is working on a project to change the lives of disabled combat vets by landing a veteran-made product on the shelves of every Walmart store.

SIFE has teamed up with Jacksonville’s Veterans Farm, an organization that helps disabled combat veterans get back into society through the use of horticulture therapy. The farm grows datil peppers and blueberries that carry the Veterans Farm label.

SIFE’s goal is to win Walmart’s “Get on the Shelf” contest. The competition lets the public vote on products not carried by Walmart. Three winners will be able to sell on Walmart.com, and the grand prize winner could end up on actual shelves of stores.

“Our mission is to win that Walmart competition,” said SIFE adviser Barry Sand. “If we do, it will bring jobs to war veterans all over the country.”

The farm teaches disabled combat veterans skills to help them overcome their physical and mental barriers while also getting jobs. It was started by Sgt. Adam Burke, an OIF/OEF combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient who was wounded in battle during a 15-month tour in Iraq.

“When I returned I noticed that many of my fellow veterans were finding it tougher coming home than leaving for combat,” Burke said. “With more and more vets returning home, the problem is only growing. With this in mind, I started Veterans Farm.”

Through a 6-month fellowship program, veterans learn how to grow organic fruits and vegetables that will provide them with the resources to go out and start their own farms, or to work for larger farming organizations.

The farm teamed with Keith Bailey, owner and CEO of Dr. Datil Food Products to produce the Veterans Farm Datil Salt, and Flagler students helped redesign the product’s labels, produced a commercial and developed a campaign to win Walmart’s “Get on the Shelf” competition.

Flagler SIFE is asking the public to support veterans by going online and voting for Veterans Farm. Voting for the contest is from March 7 through April 3. To view the video and vote, go to http://www.getontheshelf.com/product/4970/Veterans-Farm-Datil-Pepp.

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Becker Community Veterans Speak at Veterans Day Ceremony

Published on Monday, November 12th, 2012

Veterans Day is a time in which we acknowledge those men and women who serve and have served our country as members of the military. They uphold the American way of life and have risked much so that we can enjoy the safety and security that much of the world still struggles to achieve.

To honor the veterans among the Becker College community as well as the approximately 23.2 million veterans who have also served our country, the College commemorated Veterans Day with a ceremony on Monday, November 12, at 11:00 a.m., on the Worcester Campus quad.

The program included words from members of our community who have served their country–Chris Lizotte ’15, Dean Hickey ’83, and Professor John Deitrick–a reading of the names of our faculty, staff, and students who have served, and attendees were led by .

Banners, in addition to 100 American flags, were placed on each campus, and red, white, and blue ribbon pins were distributed at College dining halls.

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