Priority Registration Request

Date: April 19, 2016

To: Jonathan Helm and the Task Force on Priority Registration
Sponsors: Jessica Alford, VA Coordinator; Dr. Janet Bagby, VETS Coordinator; and Dr. Sinda
Vanderpool, Associate Vice Provost
Student Population: Student Veterans
Estimated number of students to receive priority: 100 undergraduate students
Type of priority requested: First day concurrent with student athletes, faculty and staff
dependents, and students with disabilities
Justification for Request in light of Baylors principles on enrollment priority:
Baylor University is poised to become one of the leading military-embracing private universities
nationally. President and Chancellor Ken Starr has publically stated and expressed his desire for
Baylor University to be one of the leading private universities embracing its student veteran
population. Baylor University continues to display significant institutional support for veterans
demonstrated by:

For the 2014-2015 school year, Baylor University voluntarily contributed an estimated
$914,000 toward VA recipients tuition and fees under the Yellow Ribbon program.
Baylor was selected as No. 60 in Best Colleges for Veterans by U.S. News & World
Report based on our Yellow Ribbon participation.
University Advisement is hiring a full time VETS (Veteran Educational & Transition
Services) Program Manager.
Parking & Transportation Services provides free parking permits to veterans with a
labeled disabled veteran license plate.
Athletics will often supply limited tickets to athletic events, e.g. football, to veterans and
their families.
During Commencement, Baylor President and Chancellor Ken Starr gives special
recognition to our student veterans.
A Veterans lounge and office will be allocated for this group of students, beginning in
August 2017 (part of the Paul L. Foster renovations beginning May 2016).
Baylor now has a chapter of SALUTE, a national honor society for veterans. Over 1/3 of
Baylors student veterans were eligible to become members in the chapters inaugural
year.

Baylor already grants priority registration to certain groups; that precedent is set. Consider the
groups currently getting priority registration: student athletes, faculty and staff dependents, and
students with disabilities. Clearly students with disabilities need additional support, but do
dependents of faculty and staff have a greater claim to this status than our veterans? Do student
1

athletes have greater claim to this status than our veterans? Our position is veterans have at least
as strong a claim to this benefit, if not stronger.
The Priority Registration Task Force has the opportunity to Be the Standard, reinforce Judge
Starrs sentiments, and uphold Baylor Universitys vision in Pro Futuris to develop and
implement a plan to enhance outreach efforts to and recruitment of members of diverse groups
that are underrepresented among faculty, staff, and students by offering priority registration to
our student veteran/service members.
Consider the following:

Texas Tech, West Virginia, and Iowa State offer priority registration for student veterans.
Oklahoma State and Texas Christian Universitys certifying officials are considering
priority registration for veterans pending Baylor Universitys decision.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, a key to veterans success is being able
to utilize a uniform set of data tools to collect and track information on veterans,
including demographics, retention, and degree completion. (U.S. Department of
Education 1). Veterans are a self-reported demographic. Baylor could better account for
veterans who are not using educational benefits by allowing priority registration.

To further address the reservations expressed by the Priority Registration Task Force in regards
to our previous request:
1. Students who are not student veterans may face the same issues as student veterans with
regard to families.

For the 2015-2016 school year 34% of the confirmed, reported student veterans
claimed at least one dependent on their FAFSA when compared to less than 1% of
the general undergraduate population who claimed the same. (Chart 1)
Student veterans represent a distinct group of adult learners on a traditionally aged
campus. The average age of a student veteran is 29 while the average age of all
Baylor students is 20.

2. Those completing an academic program for which that is the case may receive priority
through other priority groups.

Currently, there are 2 confirmed, reported student veterans using priority

registration through other means; i.e. OALA and Athletics. (Chart 2 on
addendum)

3. The number of seats available in a class is a zero-sum game. In other words, providing
priority to one group will cost someone who is not in the priority to lose a seat.

76 reported student veterans are currently majoring in 52 different degree

programs, which will greatly limit any negative impact to the general student
population for seat availability. (Chart 4 on addendum)
Time ticketing slots are limited to 300 students. There are approximately a total of
350 students for 2 slots designated for the first day priority registration group.
Adding an estimated 100 students will evenly split the 2 designated slots and will
not add an extra day or time ticket slot to the priority registration process.
As for the current groups receiving priority registrationstudent athletes, faculty
and staff dependents, and students with disabilitiesthere are good reasons to
give them priority over other students. There is a clear precedent for giving
priority registration for special groups.
If there were an absolute cap on priority registrationwhich there is notthen it
would make more sense for veterans to get this benefit than, say, student athletes.

4. The committee recognized that there is a clear mechanism through the Office of Access
and Learning Accommodation (OALA) for these students to receive accommodations.

In order to receive services/priority registration under OALA, a student must have

a documented disability and it must meet the priority registration criteria.
The VAs national average to complete a disability claim is 186.4 days or 6.2
months. Wacos average processing time is 190.6 days or 6.33 months (Veterans
1). So even if student veterans could gain access through OALAwhich they
cannot just in virtue of being student veteransthere would be reason to expedite
the process.
Once a veteran files an appeal it could increase the length of time to process up to
400+ days or 13.3 months. Keep in mind the majority of the student veterans are
transfer students (Maffucci 3).

5. The request is largely based on student veterans past commitment to representing our
country.
Without a doubt, it is true that Baylors student veterans deserve our honor and respect.
Accolades for current student veterans include:

Two current student veterans are Purple Heart recipients (Refer to cited work for
definition).
One current student veteran was awarded the Combat Action Badge (Refer to
cited work for definition).
One current student veteran was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon (Refer to
cited work for definition).

And, please consider:

3

There is clear precedent at Baylor for honoring past service and achievement.
Baylor University recognizes past military achievements very prominently. The
university itself is named after Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor in part because of
his military service during the War of 1812.
Baylor University honors service members through lampposts located around
campus. Many of the lampposts represent those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Baylor University honors its two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients
located on Fountain Mall (Refer to cited work for definition).
The statue in Fountain Mall to the deceased athletes is in recognition of their past
achievements.
Buildings on campus are frequently named in honor of the deceased in order to
recognize their past achievements and service.
Grades are awarded at the end of the semester for past achievement.
The objection is ultimately irrelevant to the justification given, since Baylor has
already demonstrated clear commitment to honoring student veterans.

We do make this request in part because of veterans past commitment to our country, but this
reason is combined with veterans status as a vulnerable, adult learning population at Baylor. As
described above, relative to other Baylor students, veterans:

Are more likely to commute to campus;

Are more likely to be much older;
Are more likely to be supporting a family;
Are more likely to have eligible dependents; and
Need to access to health services from the VA where average waiting time for care is
excessive.

We ask that the Task Force on Priority Registration keep in mind that the reason for this
vulnerable, adult learning status in the case of veterans is because of the decision that each
student made to sacrifice for our country. These noble men and women chose to delay their
education in order to volunteer to serve and protect our freedom, one of which is religion. We ask
that the Task Force recall that there is no draft in the United States. Less than 1% now serve on
the behalf of 99% of the U.S. population (By the Numbers: Todays Military 1). These
courageous men and women voluntarily joined our armed forces. Asking to be acknowledged for
their past service and supported in their current trials is not in their nature.
These humble student veterans do not consider themselves heroes for they consider those who
did not return home the real heroes. In the words of John F. Kennedy, As we express our
gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by
them. In case of priority registration for student veterans, Baylor University has the opportunity
to set the standard as a military-embracing private university.
Works Cited
"By the Numbers: Today's Military." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 03 July 2011.
4

Maffucci, Jackie, Ph.D. "House Veterans Affairs Committee Hearing Focuses on VA Appeals
Process Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)." Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of
America. IAVA, 04 Feb. 2015. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
U.S. Department of Education, "8 Keys to Veterans' Success Sites." 8 Keys to Veterans' Success
Sites. n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, "Veterans Benefits Administration Reports." ASPIRE -.
Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
Congressional Medal of Honor - The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action
against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services
of the United States. Generally presented to its recipient by the President of the United States of
America in the name of Congress.
Purple of Heart - The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the armed forces of the U.S. who
are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy while serving. It is specifically a
combat decoration.
Combat Action Badge - The Combat Action Badge provides special recognition to soldiers who
personally engage the enemy, or are engaged by the enemy during combat operations.
Combat Action Ribbon The Combat Action Ribbon is awarded to soldiers who participated in a
ground or surface combat fire-fight or action during which he/she was under enemy fire and
his/her performance was satisfactory.