Supporting Veterans Through College
• Understand the
veteran
• Use institutional
strengths
• Look for
opportunities to
improve services
• Use veteran
positive traits and
skills to good
advantage
Veterans are not
all created equal
Some veterans
may not relate
very well to the
average "peer"
Pre-Forum Survey Review
Question 1
Other: Work with FAU student Veterans and Disabled American Veterans State of FL
Survey Review: Questions 2 & 3
Survey Review: Question 4
In the context of Veteran issues that most closely surround transitioning to
college, please rank these issues in order of importance, with 1 being the
highest and 8 being the lowest importance
1.
2.
3.
4.
Military Credit Transfer
Education Benefits
On Campus Veteran Services
On-Campus Sensitivity
toward/from veterans
5.
6.
7.
8.
Program Portability between
colleges for Active Duty students
Veteran College Attainment
Career Development
Military friendly curriculum
5.47
5.75
Career
Development
Military friendly
curriculum
On Campus
Veteran Services
5.17
Veteran College
Attainment
Education Benefits
Program Portability
between colleges
for Active Duty
students
3.42
4.56
4.75
On-Campus
Sensitivity
toward/from
veterans
3.25
3.64
Military Credit
Transfer
Transition to College Issues
Survey Review: Question 5
In the context of Veteran issues that surround their Health and Welfare, please rank
these issues in order of importance, with 1 being the highest and 8 being the lowest
importance
1. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)
2. Mental Health Counseling
3. Veteran Disabilities
4. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
5. Housing/Homelessness
6. Women Veterans issues
7. Minority Veterans issues
8. LGBT Veteran Issues
6.69
LGBT Veteran
Issues
5.89
Minority
Veterans
issues
5.23
Women
Veterans
issues
4.46
Housing/Home
lessness
Mental Health
Counseling
4.4
Traumatic
Brain Injury
(TBI)
2.71
4.11
Veteran
Disabilities
2.51
Post-traumatic
Stress Disorder
(PTSD)
Health and Welfare Issues
Mental Health Counseling
Sensitivity toward/from
veterans
PTSD
Career Development
Employment
TBI
Military friendly curriculum
Education Benefits
Military Credit Transfer
Women Veterans issues
Housing/homelessness
Program Portability for
Active Duty Students
Minority Veterans issues
Veteran College Attainment
LGBT Veteran Issues
Survey Review: Question 6
Of the areas listed above, you have expertise in (list all that apply):
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Survey Review: Question 7
Agree or Disagree
We should see more Vets returning to school and possibly they will be the largest subpopulation entering universities. If so we will encounter more students with visible physical
disabilities and unseen health issues and generally a new unique set of needs versus past
populations-say in the past 20-30 years.
Survey Review: Question 8
Agree or Disagree
1. We are just beginning to address serving this population to a greater extent too early to tell
2. I think above options aren't valid options for myself. For instance some VA & University programs are
exceptional while others are terribly inadequate...So maybe I should select "disagree".
Survey Review: Question 9
If you could synthesize two or three of the most important issues
facing veterans into a single, coherent message for people to consider,
what would that message be?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
…It is the government's responsibility to provide [veterans] with the best medical care, mental health
counseling, educational and career opportunities on their return to ensure a smooth transition...
Even though many veterans have experienced difficult and/or traumatic events, they're people just like
you & me.
...[veterans have] limited access to overall health services, including mental health… "acceptable"
providers are limited and waiting lists are long.
…education promises need to be kept. Training to help skills won in the military transfer into civilian life is
important.
Issues that are not on the surface such as TBI and PTSD
Do not focus on PTSD... Smothering is not helping.
…a strong academic foundation and … a timely graduation.
Sensitivity to their needs…facilitate the enrollment process and orientation and course selection as it
begins before they set foot on the college campus
There are skills and knowledge that veterans possess that are not considered transferable - nor are they
being properly merited...
Be prepared for culture shock and new challenges!
The difficulty coming out of a regimented environment where everything follows a very streamlined
format to an environment of individualism…
…help[ing] Vets transition or reintegrate to where they want to be … means making non-Vets
aware/sensitive to that population's needs and how to assist them...
Survey Review: Question 10
Do you think society and institutions are doing a good job or a bad job at
fulfilling the terms of your message? What should be done to improve this?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
… provide Empathy Training.
Improvement can be made through promoting awareness in the community.
I think an adequate job is being done by society and a good job is being done by FAU (or at
least we are headed in that direction). We need to continue working on improving our
services.
Offer the help, if vets want it they will come.
Society is reactive rather than proactive…
A unified message needs to be created and advocated across institutions, organizations and
communities...
Little known about challenges facing veterans returning to colleges and few services available
presently
They are trying to do and are doing a fairly good job but need to be educated in how to do it
better.
…we are not providing veterans … with adequate resources. For example, the VA is
underfunded.
During new employee orientation is any time spent addressing the needs of …vets or FAU's
Mission as it relates to them? Is the issue addressed in departmental "retreats" or staff
meetings?