Jorja Waybrant
Assistant Director Student Achievement Services
Disability Services
University of North Carolina – Wilmington
The following is a synopsis (but not an exhaustive list) of the services provided at UNCW
How do your educational practices promote sustainable access for SV/SVWD?
1) A social justice model is built into the framework of our services
2) We recognize of the diversity of each individual Military Affiliated Student (MAS)
3) We take a holistic approach in the provision of our services and supports
4) Our services increase the stability of our student veterans
5) We promote viability through sustainable, usable, and equitable partnerships
In what ways is your institution involved in partnerships (on or off-campus) 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 (to advise our university on issues that affect military
personnel and their families and to raise awareness about military connections at
UNCW and in the community of Southeastern NC. 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, PA CARES, Coastal Carolina Partnership for
Accessible Recreation (Jorja Waybrant – Disability Services)
 NACADA Advising Veterans, Military Students, and families SIG (Lisa Keenan –
Watson School of Education)
UNCW Military Task Force

The UNCW Military Task Force is at the helm of our educational practices for serving
UNCW’s MAS
o 2003 - founded as an informal group to provide support to MAS
o 2005 – task force organizes as a campus partnership
o 2005 - establishment of the UNCW Student Veterans Organization
o 2005 - supports for MAS provided through Seahawk Perch
o 2007 – establishment of the UNCW Military Advisory Board
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. This population of students on campus is
referred to as Military Affiliated Students, which encompasses:
o Veterans
o Active Military
o 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. We acknowledge the spectrum of diversity, which includes a variety
of demographics and encompasses a variety of considerations:
o Economically
o Socially
o Environmentally

The Military Task Force seeks to identify energy losses, reduce waste, increase
energy efficiency and the optimization of effective systems
o The Task Force provides university wide representation
 UNCW Academic Affairs
 Faculty
 University College - Academic Advising
 Office of Diversity and Inclusion
 Dean - College of Arts and Sciences
 School of Nursing - Academic Advising
 Associate Dean - Watson School of Education
 UNCW Student Affairs
 Vice Chancellor for SA
 Associate Vice Chancellor for SA
 Seahawk Perch
 Counseling Center
 Disability Services
 Student Health Center
 Career Center
 UNCW Business Affairs
 Admissions
 Registrar
 Financial Aid
 Student Accounts
 Auxiliary Services (Transportation/Dining)
 Office of General Counsel
 Randall Library
 Onslow County Extension
 Student Veteran Organization
o Promotes networking and individual partnerships between campus constituents
o Promotes off-campus collaborations
Environmental Intersections:

We emphasize the pooling of resources and a sense of community through
partnerships
o Partnerships provide supports and knowledge to
 Students
 Staff
 Faculty
 Our community liaisons
o 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
 other off-campus task forces

We emphasize the development of collaborations among students, their peers, and
others on campus
o Seahawk Perch (supports for MAS)
o UNCW Student Veteran Organization
 Get Involved. Come Hang Out.
 Join our Facebook page
 listserv
 www.uncw.edu/svo
 Military Networking Program
 Faculty Mentoring
 On and Off Campus Events
 Community Service
 Meetings: 1x a month-Wednesdays
 Members are linked with student organizations

Activities are offered through Discovery Outdoor Center (kayak trips,
climbing wall) and intramural sport programs
o Other campus activities or organizations

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
o Enrollment/Admissions
http://uncw.edu/admissions/military.html
o Financial Aid
http://uncw.edu/finaid/veterans.htm
o Seahawk Perch
http://uncw.edu/stuaff/seahawkperch/military.html
o Student Veterans Organization
http://uncw.edu/stuaff/seahawkperch/svo.html
o Onslow County Extension
http://uncw.edu/extension/UNCW-ExtensionDistanceEducation-CalendarEvents.html
o
Orientation
http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/transitions/orientation-transfer-schedule.htm
o
Faculty support
http://www.uncw.edu/swk/documents/StrengthswebpageVeteranscourses.pdf
o Disability Services
http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/disability/students_UNCWMilitaryAffiliatedStudents.htm
o Advising
o University Learning Center
o Counseling Center
o Student Health Center
o Career Center
o Campus Life and Activities
o Student Recreation Center
Economic intersections:

Our educational practices promote viability through sustainable, usable, and
equitable partnerships that have proven to be effective in working with our MAS
o UNCW Military Task Force was formed prior to the increase of MAS due to the
Post-9/11 GI Bill
o Networks developed through the Task Force have created
 Greater awareness on campus about the needs of our MAs/SVWD
 Greater knowledge among the Task Force constituents
 Professional development of UNCW staff and faculty
 Services and supports that aid all students on campus
 Services and supports that can extend across time as the numbers of
MAS fluctuate either up or down over the years to come
 Economically efficient services - see the following examples:
 Seahawk Perch
 Military Affiliated Students
 Student Veteran Organization (SVO)
 SVO newsletter
 Transfer Orientation Military pull-out sessions
 Provide outreach and information to all MAS
 SVO representatives
 Financial Aid rep
 Counseling Center rep
 Disability Services rep
o provide insight into ADA/Section 504/Disability Services
o Web information on the Disability Service Website to
support MAS
 Re on-campus resources
 Re off-campus resources
o Educational practices promote increased stability for students (through services
that target retention, higher graduation rates)
 Advisor for MAS – available through University College
 Tutoring and other academic support – available through ULC
 Military Affiliates Network – available through Counseling Center
 Networks and links between all offices on campus to support our MAS
o Educational practices build on strong foundations within the student (through
their experiences, maturity, learned leadership)
 Career Center
 Resume building
 Internships
 Career Fairs
 Graduate School counseling
Additional Information/links:
UNCW Named Among Top Military Friendly Schools
For the second year in a row, UNCW was named by G.I. Jobs Magazine as one of the top
Military Friendly schools in the nation. See story coverage in the Star News Online
UNCW Magazine Spring 2010 Issue
Cover Story UNCW EMBRACES VETERANS AS STUDENTS featuring UNCW student and Marine
Corps veteran, Allison Westpfahl
Article in Examiner.com re “UNCW’s growing veterans population”
http://www.examiner.com/veterans-affairs-in-national/unc-wilmington-s-growing-veteran-population
UNCW Student Veteran Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 1
http://uncw.edu/stuaff/seahawkperch/documents/SVONewsletter4_11.pdf
Volume 1, Issue 2
http://uncw.edu/stuaff/seahawkperch/documents/SVONewsletter5_11.pdf
A variety of courses/workshops offered thru UNCW School of Social Work – for more
information visit http://www.uncw.edu/swk/strengths.html:
Prevention and Post-Traumatic Growth: Combat Stress/PTSD/Severe Traumatic Injury,
For Practitioners, Families Members and Veterans
Workshop, held March 11, 2011 at UNCW
The Stress of Combat and War Zone Conditions: A Strengths-Based Approach
http://www.uncw.edu/swk/documents/StrengthswebpageVeteranscourses.pdf