Veteran Student Support
Services
Presented to:
College of Education
Dr. Nicholas J. Osborne
Office of the Dean of Students
What We Will Cover Today
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Veterans in Higher Education
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General terminology & definitions
Contextual Understanding / Why are veterans in the education spotlight?
Student-Veteran characteristics & needs
Veteran-friendly campus
Veteran Student Support Services
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Mission & Purpose
Community Model
Support and Tips for working with Veterans
Events
UIUC Demographics
Exercise
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What images come to mind when you hear the
word veteran?
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Is there a specific gender you think of?
Race? Ethnicity? Political affiliation?
Age?
Are there any emotions associated with these images?
Where do you get your information concerning
veterans?
 Personal experience? (family member, partner, friend of a friend…)
 Media?
 Other?
Veterans in Higher
Education
BASIC TRAINING
What is the relationship between
Veterans and higher education?
Definitions
GWOT = Global War on Terrorism
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Approx. 2 million personnel have fought in Iraq / Afghan
57% are under age 30
OEF = Operation Enduring Freedom
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began 7 OCT 2001 / Response to 9/11
large theatre of operations / Afghanistan
OIF = Operation Iraqi Freedom
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began 20 MAR 2003 / entirely in Iraq
multinational operation fought entirely in Iraq
Contextual Understanding
► Post
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9/11 GI Bill (Ch. 33) for GWOT Veterans
Congress approved in summer of 2008 / Began Aug. 2009
Covers Tuition/Fees & Monthly Housing Allowance ($1212 / month)
Partially transferrable to dependents
Yellow-Ribbon Program / IVG
► Anticipated
growth of GWOT students, 3-5 yrs.
 WWII GI Bill = By 1949, 7.8 million (of 16 million) Vets pursued higher education
► Higher
Education Veterans Service Act (IL)
 Public colleges/universities with at least 1000 students must have a designated
Veteran Student Services Coordinator
Are we prepared for this group of non-traditional
students? What are their needs?
Transitional Issues
► Military
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Culture (one-half of 1-percent)
“Suck it up & drive on” – “No whining”
Heavily structured
Team oriented
Exposure to life & death situations
► University
Culture
 Feeling “old” / loss of camaraderie & purpose
 Being singularly defined as a “Veteran”
 Possibly being judged or misunderstood
Non-traditional Features
► Veteran
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students are typically:
Older learners
More likely to have dependents
More likely to work while going to school
Employment / Career focused
Often lack academic confidence / break in education
► Needs
 1 in 5 have a documented disability (compared to 1 in 10 non-veteran)
 Gender-specific: over 150,000 women have served in Iraq / Afghanistan / 25% MST
Self-reliant culture / Difficulty asking for help (hegemonic masculinities)
 Loss of community / camaraderie – “I don’t relate to these 18 year-old kids!”
 PTSD, TBI, Wounds resulting in loss of limb(s) = accommodations
 Combat stressors
Veteran Student Support
Services (VSSS)
What does it mean to be veteranfriendly?
Veteran-Friendly Campus
► Programming
Initiatives
 How do we apply what the literature is telling us?
 What does it mean to be Veteran-friendly?
 Starting a new program in Student Affairs (where do I start??!!!)
► Key
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features from the literature:
Identify veterans accurately & communicate regularly
Transitional support / peer-to-peer mentoring (Vet Connect)
Formulate an Advisory Committee
Collaborate – link to internal & external units
Be visible (events, professional dev.)
Create a context – not isolated “events”
Do not view veterans as “damaged”
Be authentic and listen (SVA relationship)
Assessment – is this working? How do we know?
Mission / Purpose of VSSS
► Identify
Veterans, active military, & dependents
(Admissions & OSFA)
► Provide
transitional support / “Boots to Books”
 Have a plan in place prior to arrival on campus (Resource Guide) / Vet Connect
 Link students to appropriate units (DRES, Women’s Resources, LGBT) & external
 Assist with activation / mobilization & National Guard and Reserve trainings
► Serve
as the central unit for Veteran matters
 Serve as a liaison to staff & faculty / professional development
 Coordinate Veteran-specific events (discussion panels, media columns)
Community Model
Support
Units
Visibility
Faculty /
Staff
Veteran Student
Veterans
Support
Services
Student
Org.
Outreach
External
How can I assist?
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Make a referral to VSSS / ask questions / research
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Collaborate with partner units – DRES, Counseling Center,
Women’s Resources Center
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Remember that military / veteran status is only part of a
student’s identity
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Don’t view veterans as “damaged” – veterans bring a
wealth of life & work experience to the classroom and
contribute to the diverse richness of the University
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Be mindful of our words / assumptions / environment
Questions / Comments to AVOID
All for nothing, what a
waste, etc.
► Did you kill anyone?
► Why did you go, if you
knew people would die?
► Are we winning?
► Should we be over there?
► Are you OK (mentally)?
► Do you think you have
PTSD?
► Do you have to go back?
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What was it like? / How
(bad) was it?
► What do you think about
the war / the President?
► Did you see anyone die?
► Talking about why we
shouldn’t be “there”
► Vietnam all over again
► As a woman, you were
probably shielded from the
violence
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Events / Get Involved
► Events
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New VSSS webpage
OEF/OIF Welcome Home Event
September 11th 10-year Ceremony
Daily Illini Veterans Series
Diversity Conference / Veterans Discussion Panel
Orientation / Meet & Greet w/Parkland Veterans
Women’s Resources Center / Veterans Lunch Series
Veterans Day
SVA Research Project
 Student Veteran Lounge
 Veterans Display at the UG Library
 November 10th Recognition Ceremony
(August)
(August)
(September)
(September)
(September 19-20)
(October)
(October)
(November)
(November)
(November ‘12)
(November ‘12)
(November ‘12)
Veterans Recognition
Descriptive Features
Unique Identifiers for Assessing Needs
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387 student-Veterans identified in Spring 2012, 53
dependents
When we help a Veteran to heal,
we help his or her family to heal,
and from there,
the community,
and from there,
our Country.
Readings
► Personal
► Are
Reflection – what emotions came up?
these two pieces related? In what ways?
► Question,
Quote, or Comment
► In
what way(s) can these articles inform our
practice as scholar-practitioners?
 Ex: Linking Veterans to counseling
 Talking about issues that bring-up shame & guilt
Readings
► Humanizing
the data (my work with Veterans)
 San Francisco Zen Center
 Book that triggered a Veteran
► Military
Culture vs. University Culture
 Emphasis on being self-reliant
 Transitions
► Construction
of Masculinities (hegemonic)
Fear of the Feminine
Emotional illiteracy “I’m fine”
Linking to services
Contact
Nicholas J. Osborne
nosborne@illinois.edu
Assistant Dean of Students
Dir., Veterans Support Services
Office of the Dean of Students
217.333.0050
http://veterans.illinois.edu