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Post University
David Renza
Assistant director of military admissions
Post University
David J. Renza is the assistant director of military admissions and an adjunct instructor at Post University in Waterbury, Conn. A veteran of the Army National Guard, Renza served as a combat medic retention NCO. He holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. Renza is an advocate for veterans’ benefits and an avid writer in his free time. His first book, Military Education Benefits for College: A Comprehensive Guide for Military Members, Veterans and Their Dependents, was published by Savas Beatie in 2010 and was co-authored with LTC (Ret.) Ed Lizotte, director of military programs at Post University. He also authors a blog, The Most Powerful Weapon, that discusses military and veteran student issues.
Your LinkedIn profile mentions that you are both an assistant director of military admissions and a military enrollment advisor at Post University. What are your responsibilities in these two positions?
Currently, I am the assistant director of military admissions; the previous position was from before I was the AD. However, I still work in the capacity of my former position registering military students and evaluating military courses for credits while managing my team of military enrollment counselors and helping to grow the military program at Post University.
What makes Post University a good choice for active duty military?
The active duty military student requires a quality degree at an affordable price that can be obtained quickly and is flexible to the ever-changing life of an active service member. Our school fits these needs in a quality institution with rigorous academic standards and can be paid wholly through federal tuition assistance. Our program includes books and student fees in the cost of tuition.
Finally, the active military student wants a school that understands the dramatic twists and turns the lives of military students can take. We not only have a number of veterans like myself on staff and employees still serving in the reserves, but we also have a university that is dedicated helping military students as well. Being awarded a top Military Friendly School from G.I. Jobs speaks volumes to our success in that endeavor, as does being chosen as the official school for the United States Army Recruiting Command and Navy Recruiting Orientation Unit.
How does the registration process work?
When a student applies to our school, the admissions counselor begins to help them through a process designed to find out the student’s needs and to make sure our school is right for the student. They work with the admissions counselor first who will obtain and evaluate any military transcripts, and if needed will also have an academic advisor help with any transfer credits from another university.
The student is then presented with an intent form featuring their first class(es) if they are in agreement with the evaluation and are prepared to start. Some students can’t start right away, or determine that attending school is not a priority or an option at that time, and that’s fine. We are here to help the student; my team is dedicated to making sure the student has the tools to flourish and complete their degree or certification.
After they are registered by the the military enrollment counselor, they then work with their tuition planner and counselor to start classes and work out payment options, to include tuition assistance, GI Bill, and financial aid. They will then continue to work with an academic advisor and tuition planner assigned to them for the remainder of their academic careers with Post University.
Do online students have the liberty of registering for their own courses or are their courses chosen for them?
Students who participate online have a degree program they need to follow, obtaining their degree based on our regional accreditation standards. There are also some higher-level courses in degree areas that aren’t available each term due to demand, and also pre-requisite requirements, as well. Beyond that, there is a considerable amount of autonomy for the military student to map their own education. If they need assistance or guidance, they can always refer to their academic advisor for assistance. But if a course is available and they have taken the prerequisites, they can take the courses when they choose.
What do military students need to know before enrolling?
Be ready from two perspectives: Be ready with your paperwork, to include copies of your college transcripts from other institutions, verification of service records and have your tuition assistance/GI Bill/financial aid paperwork at least started, if not completely ready. It makes the process much smoother and easier for the student and the admissions counselor.
Also, be ready for the college experience. Some of our students haven’t been in school for a while and many of them are even coming to college for the first time. Our accelerated degree courses are based off the same curriculum as our courses taught on campus, but in an accelerated online format. The academic rigor is there, and students need to be aware of that. Military students can also fall into the trap of thinking that success on the battlefield translates instantly into success in the classroom, and this is of course not always the case. It involves a different method of thinking, researching and analyzing and that requires some adjustment.
What are the admission requirements for students?
Our students are required to have a 2.0 GPA if they are transferring in credits from another institution. We require a minimum of a high school diploma or a GED for admission, but the majority of our military students have the minimum of 12 credits transferred in from military experience required for matriculation. If this is the case, they are not required to produce the official high school diploma or GED.
What are the main concerns that you hear about from military students?
Many of our students are concerned about potential deployments or increases of their military duties causing difficulties in school. This, of course, is a reality of the times we are living in. We work with students on an individual basis to resolve any difficulties due to sudden deployments, etc., to ensure they can continue towards their educational goals or return as soon as their military obligations have been lowered to a level that allows them to be successful.
A lot of them are also much more aware of the need to enhance their civilian job prospects after leaving the service. A high percentage of our students are senior enlisted personnel who used to be guaranteed a great career post-service just based on their military careers in any number of professions. The shift away from a factory-based job market has meant technology and business degrees have pretty much been requirements for career growth. Military experience alone no longer ensures a good career post-military, and many of our students are aware of this. For those who are moving up the ranks, they are quickly realizing that a degree is fast becoming a requirement for promotion within the service, as well, so their degree can also help the student while they are still in the service.
When it comes to online education, what makes Post one of the best online colleges?
We are dedicated to the full support of our men and women in the armed forces and providing our online students with an organic and rigorous classroom experience that replicates the campus classroom experience in an online format. We pride ourselves on guiding the student from the moment they apply until they receive their degree in hand. There is no greater joy than finally meeting a student you helped register travel a far distance to get their degree at graduation ceremonies. It’s a rewarding experience for me to see a student’s education goals come to fruition, and I know it’s one, each and every faculty member and employee at our institution takes great pride in.
