Slide 1
Sustainable Access: Incorporating Social, Environmental, and Economic Concepts
when Serving Student Veterans
A Roundtable Discussion
AHEAD Conference
Seattle, Washington
July 13, 2011
Slide 2
Goal
Increase awareness, knowledge and an understanding of the fundamental
framework for sustainable educational practices in order to serve student
veterans with disabilities (SVWD).
Objectives
Actively involve participants by guiding and encouraging them to ask questions
and share info about their own practices on campus.
Offer an opportunity for facilitators and participants to learn from each other
through discussion while building critical thinking skills to remove barriers and
solve challenges in order to create sustainable access.
Participants will discover ways to integrate three core concepts sustainability
(social, environmental, and economic) into the framework of their educational
practices to provide access to SVWD.
Slide 3
Format – roundtable discussion (2-part)
Part 1 – Facilitator discussion (approx 60 min)
Part 2 – Participants will provide input on what they are doing on their campus to
create sustainable access for SV/SVWD (approx 30 min)
Facilitators will discuss sustainable educational practices developed on their
campus and their intersections with three core tenets of sustainability:
Social
Environmental
Economic
Slide 4
Core Tenets of Sustainability and their Intersections in Providing Sustainable
Access for Serving Student Veterans with Disabilities
Social
Increase energy efficiency
Increase optimization of effective systems
Encompass successful practices that identify energy losses
Reduce waste
Incorporated the need for accountability and standards
Incorporate a social justice model into its framework by recognizing the diversity
of students who have a distinct need in order to remove barriers and create
access to educational opportunities
Environmental
Encompass “disability as the interaction between person and environment”
Extend supports to both the academic and personal environment of the student
(economic, familial, employment)
Emphasize the pooling of resources and the creation of a sense of community
through partnerships (both on and off-campus)
Emphasize the need to develop collaborations among students and their peers
and others on campus
Emphasize universal design and a holistic approach to working with students
Economic
Promote viability through sustainable, usable, and equitable partnerships that are
proven to be effective in working with students and evaluated/measured for
efficiency and improvement
Promote increased stability for students (through retention, higher graduation
rates)
Ensure a sustainable future (from school to gained knowledge and postgraduation employment)
Slide 5
Merrill Parra
Director of Disability and Veteran Services
Lehman College – CUNY
Bronx, New York
Slide 6
Sandi Patton
Director of Disability Services
Lone Star College System
Houston, Texas
Slide 7
Background
Administrative Support at the top level for serving student veterans
Community College System of 6 Colleges
Covers urban, suburban, and rural areas
70,000 students
2,100 + veterans
Veterans Friendly Institute
In process of establishing efficient means of evaluation military transcripts
Slide 8
Environmental
Veterans’ Affairs Center
Centralized center offering benefits support, counseling, social events, (Harris
County VA Counselor, Veterans Affairs, Vet Center) external services under one
office. Includes study room and computer center for student veterans, with
accessibility included. Business hub for Veterans’ Services.
System-wide Veterans Advisory Committee Includes representatives from :
Disability Services
HR
Faculty
Business Office
Financial Aid
Veteran Affairs
Slide 9
Environmental
Veterans’ Website (ongoing)
Includes online application forms for benefits, links to services, both internal and
external; steps for applying for GI Bill
Veteran Advisor at each campus location
“Mini Veteran Center” at each location (or in process of being established) with
services being pushed out to the mini centers where the student Veterans are
located. Mini Centers are located near Counseling Services and Disability Services
to promote easy referrals and utilization of these services
Slide 10
Social
Each campus has a very active Veterans’ Club, with veteran faculty as advisors
Presentations on Serving Student Veterans’ with Disabilities
Social Activities among all of the clubs, as well as at each individual campus
Spring Fling and Fall Festival booths for awareness and integration into the full
campus community
Special events in honor of Veterans’ Day, Memorial Day, and other holidays
Slide 11
Educational
Expanding Horizons Institute on Learning Differences
Annual conference, includes sessions on PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury
Includes student veteran panel and local resources
Disability Services has provided multiple workshops for Student Services, faculty,
and adjunct faculty on working with student veterans with disabilities
Disability Services has sponsored guest speakers to provide workshops on
working with students with specific disabilities, such as PTSD and/or Traumatic
Brain Injury
Slide 12
Economic
VA Work Study positions provide services in the Veterans’ Affairs Center
Financial Aid has specialists who specialize in VA issues, to help promote smooth
implementation of benefits for student veterans
Slide 13
Patricia Richter
Director of Services
Americans with Disability Act
Kutztown University
Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Slide 14
Environmental
Campus ADA Task Force – Veteran’s Group
Established March 2010 – a collaborative group representing a variety of
university departments working to create a veteran friendly campus with the
ultimate goal of establishing a Veteran’s Center
Slide 15
Environmental (continued)
Developed university Web site: A Guide for the KU Veteran (evolving)
http://www.kutztown.edu/veterans/
Admissions Office began procedure to identify and track Veterans
Admissions is exploring a policy for non-traditional/Veteran students
Mailed recruitment letter to 1500 local Veterans returning from deployment
Developed recruitment brochure for military veterans (April 2010)
Partnered with local VFW Post 560 to offer application fee reimbursement to
accepted student veterans (October 2010)
Slide 16
Environmental (continued)
Army ROTC participates in Benjamin Wiley Partnership Program
Student Affairs graduate student served as intern for veteran’s issues and the task
force
Intern conducted interviews of faculty and staff veterans – to be posted on the
university Web site
Intern presented committee’s accomplishments based on CAS standards
Task Force partnering with local Wounded Warrior group to host a Wounded
Warrior Run at KU for Veteran’s Day
Slide 17
Environmental (continued)
KU was named by Military Advanced Education (Vol 5, Issue 10, Dec 2010) as an
honoree of the 2010 Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities.
KU will be listed as a military friendly school in the 2012 Guide to Military Friendly
Schools (Sept 2011)
Partnerships established with:
Red Cross -view this short clip about one of our students, Jonathan Tompkins, and
veteran advisor who nominated Jon for the Red Cross Award:
http://www.wfmz.com/video/27806593/index.html
Berks County Department of Veteran Affairs
Borough of Kutztown and Maxatawny Township
Disability Rights Network
Harrisburg Army Recruiting Battalion (Kutztown and Lehigh ROTC)
PA CARES
Student Veterans of America
VFW Post 560
Wounded Warriors
Slide 18
Veteran Liaisons in Key Offices
VA Benefits and GI Bill Assistance – Registrar’s Office
Financial Aid Assistance – Complete your FAFSA, Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA),
and Veterans On Line Application (VONAPP) Early!
Academic Credit for Military Experience
Career Planning Assistance
Veteran Transition Counseling
ADA Accommodations for Veterans with Physical Injuries, PTSD, TBI
Army ROTC, Joint Services Military Club, SVA Chapter
KU and Veterans moving forward together!
veterans.kutztown.edu
Slide 19
Social
Established veteran’s club on campus with veteran male and female staff
members serving as advisors
Mission: “The KU Military Club will strive to unite veterans and members of all
military organizations during their transition into college life. Our objectives are
to increase awareness of veteran issues on campus and to provide a social
community and welcoming atmosphere for veterans, current military members,
and their families. We will continue the traditions of leadership, respect, and
integrity by serving as role models within the community.”
Established a Student Veterans of America (SVA) chapter at KU
Veterans focus acknowledged in KU Family Ties publication (Summer 2010)
http://www.kutztown.edu/familyties/FamilyTies_summer10.pdf
Disability Statement on course syllabi includes veterans with injury sustained
through service
Veterans honored with free admission at KU Presents Veterans Day Tribute to
Benny Goodman event (Nov 2010)
Plans in progress to host a Veteran’s Social in Fall 2011 and invite campus
community
Slide 20
Educational
PA Governor Corbet will consider signing the Pennsylvania Compact for Student
Veterans—a memorandum of understanding between the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Institutions of Higher Education
Admissions veteran liaison attended Veteran’s Conference at Montgomery
County Community College
Student intern and Admissions liaison attended Student Veterans of America
Conference and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators
Conference
Disability Services sponsored an educational program on Traumatic Brain Injury
and a Webinar on “Veteran Resource Centers- How They will Impact Your Campus
and Community”
Slide 21
Economic
Financial Resources
VFW Scholarship – ongoing
VA Work Study position in Registrar’s Office (ongoing)
VFW admission application fee reimbursement
Financial Aid Veterans Liaison
Research and exploration of grant possibilities
Slide 22
Jorja Waybrant
Assistant Director
Student Achievement Services
Disability Services
University of North Carolina – Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Slide 23
How do your educational practices promote sustainable access for SV/SVWD?
A social justice model
Recognition of the diversity of each Military Affiliated Student
We take a holistic approach in the provision of our
Our services increase the stability of our student veterans
Promote viability through sustainable, usable, and equitable partnerships
Slide 24
In what ways is your institution/department involved in partnerships (on or offcampus) to serve SV/SVWD?
(The following is not an exhaustive list of our on and off-campus partnerships)
UNCW Military Task Force (university wide partnership)
UNCW Military Advisory Board (The MAB consists of current commanding officers
of local military installations, local educational and political leaders, and UNCW
leaders.)
UNCW Student Veterans Organization
UNC Serves (NC university system partnership – Ann Marie Beall, Admissions)
NC Military and Veterans Partnership (Amy Hector – Seahawk Perch)
AHEAD Veterans with Disability SIG, Coastal Carolina Partnership for Accessible
Recreation, PA CARES (Jorja Waybrant – Disability Services)
NACADA Advising Veterans, Military Students, and families SIG (Lisa Keenan –
Watson School of Education)
Slide 25
UNCW Military Task Force
The UNCW Military Task Force is at the helm of our educational practices for
serving our Military Affiliated Students (MAS)
2003 - founded as an informal group to provide support to MAS
2005 – task force organizes as a formal campus partnership
2005 - establishment of the UNCW Student Veterans Organization
2006 - supports for MAS provided through Seahawk Perch
2007 – establishment of the UNCW Military Advisory Board
Slide 26
UNCW Sustainable Educational Practices for Serving Student Veterans with
Disabilities
Social Intersections:
A social justice model is built into the framework of our services, which
emphasizes the diversity of our military population
Veterans
Active Military
Dependents (including significant others)
We recognize the diversity of each individual Military Affiliated Student (MAS)
who has distinct needs, in order to remove barriers and create access to
educational opportunities
Economically
Socially
Environmentally
The Military Task Force seeks to identify energy losses, reduce waste, increase
energy efficiency and optimization of effective systems
Provides university wide representation
Promotes networking and individual partnerships between campus constituents
Promotes off-campus collaborations
Slide 27
UNCW Sustainable Educational Practices
for Serving Student Veterans with Disabilities
Environmental Intersections:
We emphasize the pooling of resources and a sense of community through
partnerships
Partnerships provide supports and knowledge
Example: Disability Services can seek information to assist a SVWD through
outreach and a variety of constituents
On campus resources
Off-campus resources
AHEAD
AHEAD Veterans with Disabilities SIG members
Listserv
Local VA rep
PA CARES members or other off campus task forces
We emphasize the need to develop collaborations among students, their peers,
and others on campus
Seahawk Perch (supports for MAS)
UNCW Student Veteran Organization
We emphasize a holistic approach that extends to both the academic and
personal environment of the student through a wide range of supports and
networks between campus supports (not an exhaustive list)
Enrollment/Admissions
Registrar
Seahawk Perch
Financial Aid
Student Accounts
Advising – University College
Faculty
Onslow County Extension
Orientation
Student Veterans Organization
Disability Services
University Learning Center
Counseling Services
Student Health Center
Career Services
Dean of Students
Student Recreation Center
Campus Life and Activities
Slide 28
UNCW Sustainable Educational Practices
for Serving Student Veterans with Disabilities
Economic Intersections:
Our educational practices promote viability through sustainable, usable, and
equitable partnerships that have proven to be effective in working with our MAS
UNCW Military Task Force was formed in 2003
Networks developed through the Task Force
Seahawk Perch http://uncw.edu/stuaff/seahawkperch/military.html
Military Affiliated Students
Student Veteran Organization (SVO)
SVO newsletter http://uncw.edu/stuaff/seahawkperch/documents/SVONewsletter4_11.pdf
Transfer Orientation Military pull-out sessions
provide outreach and information to all MAS
provide insight into ADA/Section 504/Disability Services
Web information on the Disability Service Website to support MAS
http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/disability/students_UNCWMilitaryAffiliatedStudents.htm
On-campus resources
Off-campus resources
Educational practices promote increased stability for students as well our
institution (through services that target retention, higher graduation rates)
Educational practices build on strong foundations within the student (through
experiences, maturity, learned leadership)
Slide 29
Brenda York
Director of Disability Services, Re-entry, and Veteran Services
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana
Slide 30
Facilitator contact information:
Merrill Parra, Director of Disability and Veteran Services
Lehman College – CUNY
Email - merrill.parra@Lehman.cuny.edu
Sandi Patton, Director - Disability Services
Lone Star College System
Email - Sandra.L.Patton@lonestar.edu
Patricia Richter, Director of Services - Americans with Disability Act
Kutztown University
Email - richter@kutztown.edu
Jorja Waybrant, Assistant Director Student Achievement Services - Disability
Services
University of North Carolina – Wilmington
Email – waybrantj@uncw.edu
Brenda York, Director of Disability Services, Re-entry, and Veteran Services
Montana State University
Email - byork@montana.edu