James Schmeling

The National Veteran Education Success Tracker (NVEST) Project is the first comprehensive in-depth study of the academic success of the modern student veteran using the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Past research into previous versions of the GI Bill have shown academic success for veterans, however they were limited in scope, methodology, and timeliness. More recent data collection (performed after 2010) that occurred before the NVEST Project was limited by methodology, a lack of collection capability… Show more

The National Veteran Education Success Tracker (NVEST) Project is the first comprehensive in-depth study of the academic success of the modern student veteran using the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Past research into previous versions of the GI Bill have shown academic success for veterans, however they were limited in scope, methodology, and timeliness. More recent data collection (performed after 2010) that occurred before the NVEST Project was limited by methodology, a lack of collection capability, and reliable data. The NVEST Project sought to answer two simple questions: How well do student veterans who used the Post-9/11 GI Bill between August 2009 and December 2013 perform in post-secondary education and is the Post-9/11 GI Bill worth taxpayers’ continued support?

What the NVEST Project demonstrates is that today’s student veterans, using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, perform better than their peers and that federal investment in higher education through this program is producing demonstrable results. Through analyzing nearly one million individual veteran records, the NVEST Project demonstrates that student veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill are more likely to graduate. Student veterans prefer to attend public or nonprofit schools while seeking academically rigorous degrees in the fields of business, the health professions, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In the first six years, the Post-9/11 GI Bill has funded nearly 450,000 post-secondary degrees or certificates and—at current funding levels—will pay for approximately 100,000
degrees each subsequent year.

The NVEST Project Report that follows will demonstrate the compelling public need for continued research by showcasing a review of past research, the project’s methodology, and the academic success outcomes of those using the Post-9/11 GI Bill compared to their peers. Show less

Military veterans, National Guard members, and reserve service members have employment protections—including disability-related protections—under several national laws. These laws include the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

This report contains findings generated by a May 2013 Summit to address causes and solutions to women veteran homelessness

Principal authors of the report are Nicholas J. Armstrong, M.P.A., Ph.D. candidate (INSCT) and Dr. J. Michael Haynie, Ph.D. (IVMF). Contributing authors include Daniel Savage, M.P.P. (IVMF); James Schmeling, J.D. (IVMF); William Banks, J.D., M.A. (INSCT); and VADM (Ret.) Robert Murrett, M.A. (INSCT). The aim of this publication is to cultivate meaningful and substantive discourse related to national policy impacting the post-service life course of the men and women who have worn the cloth of… Show more

Principal authors of the report are Nicholas J. Armstrong, M.P.A., Ph.D. candidate (INSCT) and Dr. J. Michael Haynie, Ph.D. (IVMF). Contributing authors include Daniel Savage, M.P.P. (IVMF); James Schmeling, J.D. (IVMF); William Banks, J.D., M.A. (INSCT); and VADM (Ret.) Robert Murrett, M.A. (INSCT). The aim of this publication is to cultivate meaningful and substantive discourse related to national policy impacting the post-service life course of the men and women who have worn the cloth of this nation in military service. Specifically, this publication develops the case and foundational logic to support action toward crafting a National Veterans Strategy. The central premise and finding of this publication is that developing, articulating, and institutionalizing a National Veterans Strategy is necessary to serve important social, economic and security objectives, and is also consistent with the inherent social contract that defines the relationship between the nation and its veterans. Show less

Institute for Veterans and Military Families is the author. Writing and research by J. Michael Haynie, Mirza Tihic, Rosalinda Maury, Jaime Winne Alvarez, Ellie Komanecky, and James Schmeling. The “Guide to Leading Policies, Practices & Resources: Supporting the Employment of Veterans and Military Families” was developed from an employer-centric perspective, and is designed to offer a broad but focused view of the issues, challenges, and opportunities represented by the employment of military… Show more

Institute for Veterans and Military Families is the author. Writing and research by J. Michael Haynie, Mirza Tihic, Rosalinda Maury, Jaime Winne Alvarez, Ellie Komanecky, and James Schmeling. The “Guide to Leading Policies, Practices & Resources: Supporting the Employment of Veterans and Military Families” was developed from an employer-centric perspective, and is designed to offer a broad but focused view of the issues, challenges, and opportunities represented by the employment of military veterans. Put simply, the goal of this publication is to leverage state-of-the-art research and practice to increase employment opportunities for veterans. Show less

I served as project director for this NCD publication, NCD is the author. This report comprehensively reviews the issues integral to the employment of people with disabilities. It has two broad aims: a) to summarize the existing knowledge regarding the employment of people with disabilities in a series of short issue briefs and b) to present new information on the perspectives of employers, people with disabilities, and disability specialists on the key barriers to and facilitators of… Show more

I served as project director for this NCD publication, NCD is the author. This report comprehensively reviews the issues integral to the employment of people with disabilities. It has two broad aims: a) to summarize the existing knowledge regarding the employment of people with disabilities in a series of short issue briefs and b) to present new information on the perspectives of employers, people with disabilities, and disability specialists on the key barriers to and facilitators of employment. Show less

Schmeling, J., Schartz, H.A., Morris, M. & Blanck, P. This article describes findings pertaining to the economic independence of people with disabilities from the 2004 National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.)/Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities. The 2004 N.O.D./Harris Survey is based on information from a random sampling of 1038 adults with disabilities and 988 adults without disabilities. Economic independence is central to improving the quality of life for persons living with… Show more

Schmeling, J., Schartz, H.A., Morris, M. & Blanck, P. This article describes findings pertaining to the economic independence of people with disabilities from the 2004 National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.)/Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities. The 2004 N.O.D./Harris Survey is based on information from a random sampling of 1038 adults with disabilities and 988 adults without disabilities. Economic independence is central to improving the quality of life for persons living with disabilities. It involves being employed, leveraging tax incentives, the ability to accumulate assets, including through use of financial institutions, and opportunities for home ownership. Major findings include that sampled people with and without disabilities own homes at similar rates overall, that people with disabilities are more likely to be asset poor, have fewer relationships with financial institutions, have lower rates of usage of savings accounts, have lower rates of ownership of stocks and bonds, have lower rates of holding IDAs, and make less use of the home mortgage tax deduction. The importance of asset accumulation and home ownership strategies are discussed as a means to improve economic independence, self-determination, and inclusion into society of persons with disabilities. Show less

Klein, D., Schmeling, J. & Blanck, P. This article explores factors important in the study and examination of corporate culture and change. The particular focus is on the technological methods used to conduct a study of accessible technology and corporate culture at Microsoft Corporation. Reasons for particular approaches are explained. Advantages and challenges of emerging technologies that store and retrieve information in the study of corporate culture are reviewed. Copyright © 2005 John… Show more

Klein, D., Schmeling, J. & Blanck, P. This article explores factors important in the study and examination of corporate culture and change. The particular focus is on the technological methods used to conduct a study of accessible technology and corporate culture at Microsoft Corporation. Reasons for particular approaches are explained. Advantages and challenges of emerging technologies that store and retrieve information in the study of corporate culture are reviewed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Show less

Ball, P., Monaco, G., Schmeling, J., Schartz, H.A., & Blanck, P. To investigate the inclusion of people with disabilities in the diversity policies of the most successful businesses in the United States, we examined the publicly available workforce and supplier diversity policies of the top 100 companies on Fortune Magazine's 2003 list of the 500 most profitable companies in the nation. The majority of these companies have extensive information about their diversity policies and practices… Show more

Ball, P., Monaco, G., Schmeling, J., Schartz, H.A., & Blanck, P. To investigate the inclusion of people with disabilities in the diversity policies of the most successful businesses in the United States, we examined the publicly available workforce and supplier diversity policies of the top 100 companies on Fortune Magazine's 2003 list of the 500 most profitable companies in the nation. The majority of these companies have extensive information about their diversity policies and practices available on their corporate website. The information was used to categorize the policies into those that include people with disabilities, do not define diversity, and enumerate what is meant by diversity (e.g. in terms of race or gender) but do not expressly mention disability. In addition, we looked beyond the diversity policies to information available on corporate websites relating to a variety of diversity initiatives. Findings suggest that the majority of the companies that top the Fortune 500 list have developed and implemented diversity policies. Of these, 42% have diversity policies that include people with disabilities in the definition of a diverse workforce. Furthermore, 47% of companies with workplace diversity policies discuss diversity in a way that neither expressly includes nor excludes people with disabilities. Far fewer (15%) supplier diversity policies include disability in the definition of diversity, but a significant number of companies use criteria that allow a business owner with a disability to benefit from the company's supplier diversity program. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Show less

Peter Blanck, Ann Wilichowski & James Schmeling. In this Article, we examine courtroom access for individuals with disabilities, particularly as enhanced by the use of technology. In Part I, we describe elements of disability civil rights law and policy as a framework for the discussion. Part II presents the legal bases for courtroom access for persons with disabilities, primarily as reflected in Title II of the ADA. Part III describes technologies available to enhance access to the courts… Show more

Peter Blanck, Ann Wilichowski & James Schmeling. In this Article, we examine courtroom access for individuals with disabilities, particularly as enhanced by the use of technology. In Part I, we describe elements of disability civil rights law and policy as a framework for the discussion. Part II presents the legal bases for courtroom access for persons with disabilities, primarily as reflected in Title II of the ADA. Part III describes technologies available to enhance access to the courts for persons with disabilities. Lastly, in Part IV, we conclude with thoughts about the growing use of accessible courtroom technology for individuals with disabilities. Show less

Blanck, P., Sandler, L.A., Schmeling, J., & Schartz, H.A. The present Article is the first in a series exploring one point in the continuum of employment activities of persons with disabilities—self-employment and entre-preneurial activity. The investigation examines how self-employment expands employment opportunities and improves quality of life for people with disabilities in Iowa. The goals of this initial study are three-fold:
1. to foster a meaningful and productive dialogue about… Show more

Blanck, P., Sandler, L.A., Schmeling, J., & Schartz, H.A. The present Article is the first in a series exploring one point in the continuum of employment activities of persons with disabilities—self-employment and entre-preneurial activity. The investigation examines how self-employment expands employment opportunities and improves quality of life for people with disabilities in Iowa. The goals of this initial study are three-fold:
1. to foster a meaningful and productive dialogue about self-employment and entrepreneurship of persons with disabilities;
2. to thereby raise awareness about entrepreneurs with disabilities’ work capabilities, qualifications, and value to the American economy; and,
3. to enhance effective and fair implementation of public and private initiatives that promote entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Show less