Competency-based assessment program opens door to second career for Army veteran
Kim Chaudoin | 615.966.6494 |
As a young boy in Iowa City, Jeff Negus always assumed he would grow up one day to become a Hawkeye. And not just any Hawkeye. A fifth-generation University of Iowa Hawkeye.
But somewhere along the way during his senior year of high school, Negus decided to break the family tradition of attending college at Iowa and to instead follow in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps down another path. He enlisted in the U.S. Army.
“I grew up in a college town, and it was just understood in my family that you would go to college,” recalls Negus. “I applied to and was accepted by the University of Iowa among a couple of other institutions. But I was part of a very competitive senior class at my high school, and I just decided that being in the military is what I really wanted to do. Fortunately my brother went to the University of Iowa and saved the fifth-generation legacy for our family!”
For two decades, Negus devoted himself to serving in the military in various capacities. He went through basic training and was a drill instructor at Fort Benning, Ga.; was stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. twice; spent three years in Alaska; was part of the 101st Airborne Division stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky.; and was deployed to Iraq two times and to Afghanistan once. In 2013, SFC Negus retired from military service.
Negus and his wife, Jennifer, and their two young sons, Palmer and Campbell, settled in the Bellevue community in Nashville following his retirement. And Negus was ready to begin a new chapter in his life and embark on a new career.
Finding a civilian job is easy for a well-trained, highly experienced 20-year military veteran, right?
“I thought I would have an easy time finding a job once I retired from the military. I had a lot of leadership experience and skills from that time,” says Negus. “But I would apply for jobs and not even get an interview because there was one thing I did not have — a college degree.”
So, Negus took a job selling cars. He quickly discovered that it was not a job he enjoyed. But, as he says, it was part of the plan that God had in place for him. One day, a customer came to the car lot, and Negus happened to be the salesman who assisted him. It was a meeting that did not result in a sale for the day, but it did result in a major life change for Negus.
“This guy named Jay Saar came on the lot one day looking for a car,” says Negus. “We started talking, and I found that we were both veterans. He told me that he went to Lipscomb University and started telling me about the university’s Yellow Ribbon program. It was exactly what I needed right when I needed it.”
Unbeknownst to Negus or Saar, their wives happened to meet each other at a neighborhood park a few weeks earlier. As the two men continued to talk at the car lot, Saar’s wife made the connection that she had met Negus’ wife, Jennifer, and their two sons at the park.
“I am a person of faith and that was just another indication that this is the path I was supposed to follow,” says Negus.
In October 2013, Negus began the journey to a college degree.
“Lipscomb’s Yellow Ribbon program allows me to get my degree free, and the fact that it’s a Christian institution is just that much better,” he says. “I knew I could speak freely about my faith there. It also has a great reputation in Nashville and the surrounding community.”
Negus said Lipscomb’s Veteran Services Program, under the leadership of April Herrington and her predecessor, Jim Humphrey, has made a big impact on his success in college. The program, staffed by veterans, is available at any time to assist with those educational challenges and pathways that are unique to a student veteran.
“Not only is the Yellow Ribbon program of great value to me because of the educational benefit I receive, but the Veteran Services Program has been a life-saver for me. I would be lost without them. They’re great,” says Negus, who is majoring in organizational leadership with an emphasis on business.
Lipscomb University offers a variety of programs and services for veterans. Veterans who qualify for 100 percent of the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are able to earn, through the Yellow Ribbon Program, an undergraduate degree or a graduate business degree — a Master of Business Administration, Master of Accountancy or Master of Human Resources — tuition free.
Last year, Negus’ experience got even better when Lipscomb launched its competency-based education program that evaluates attributes such as life and professional experiences, as well as personal and behavioral skills, for performance goals, programs and outcomes to count for college credit.
Through Lipscomb’s Competency Assessment and Development Center, the CORE (Customized, Outcome-based, Relevant, Evaluation) program measures 15 competencies on a badge system. Depending on the level of proficiency demonstrated by an individual in those competencies, college credits may be awarded. CORE competency credits may then be applied toward a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership or any other adult degree offering.
“The military gave me a lot of leadership and management skills through my experiences. I received 30 credit hours as a result of going through the CORE assessment,” he says. “That is huge. There is only one credit that I didn’t get. So for the cost of basically one class, I received about a year’s worth of college credit.”
Negus also had accumulated 24 college credit hours during his tenure in the military.
“So I’m really getting a four-year degree in two years,” he says proudly. “As a result, I’ll still have several years of eligibility left on my Yellow Ribbon GI Bill benefits (at the time of graduation), so I may use those toward getting a master’s degree. It’s amazing. What a gift. A college degree is the key that opens the door to everything.”
Helping students achieve their educational goals is a primary focus of Lipscomb’s competency-based education program.
“This program is designed to help adult learners get a jump start on finishing college by giving them an opportunity to earn credit for their life and professional experiences,” says Nina Morel, interim dean of the College of Professional Studies. “It recognizes and honors where you’ve been in life and can be used to help take you where you want to go next in life. Numerous studies show that those who have a college degree are more likely to have greater job opportunities, to have a higher earning potential and to be satisfied with their jobs and their lives among many other benefits. This program helps individuals achieve goals such as these and more.”
Negus said being older than many of his traditional undergraduate student classmates is a benefit.
“It gives me perspective,” he admits. “When I have a difficult assignment or have a big paper to write, I just think back to some of my hardest days in the military and some of my experiences there and realize that what I have in front of me isn’t that hard.”
Negus said he encourages others who haven’t completed their degree to go back to school and do it.
“I highly recommend this path to others,” he says. “Lipscomb’s quality and reputation will continue to grow as more adult students come through. Lipscomb is great. I love it!”
For more information about Lipscomb University’s competency-based education program and CORE assessment center, visit www.lipscomb.edu/professionalstudies/core-assessment. For information about Lipscomb’s Veteran Services Program, visit veterans.lipscomb.edu.