Move Beyond “Veteran Friendly” Rhetoric – On-Demand Training

Implement Systemic Initiatives to Embrace Military Culture and Foster a Supportive Community for Veterans and Military-affiliated Students

Has your institution moved beyond "veteran friendly" rhetoric?

Systematic initiatives and intentional partnerships that embrace the military culture and meet the unique needs of veterans and military-affiliated students need to be in place in order for these students to truly succeed. It’s about much more than ‘talking the talk’.

Our expert presenters share the support strategies and initiatives — such as the successful Green Zone — they have implemented on their campus. These programs have moved them beyond talking the talk to walking the talk. They are meeting and exceeding the unique academic, social and career goals of their veterans and military-affiliated students — and so can you.

Foster an understanding and appreciation of the unique challenges faced by military-affiliated students and use them as a catalyst for positive change on your campus. Establish effective working relationships that produce positive, successful academic, career development and employment outcomes.

Topics Covered

As a result of this webinar, you will be able to:

• Create innovative programs and support services that will attract veterans and military-affiliated students to your campus — establish an inclusive atmosphere that successfully transitions veterans to your campus, enables them to adapt to the academic environment, engage in the campus community and persist through to graduation.
• Build successful strategies and campus-wide partnerships to offer advising, counseling, tutoring and career education for veterans — help your military-affiliated and veteran students overcome a sense of isolation by establishing effective working relationships that produce positive, successful academic, career development and employment outcomes.
• Equip those front-line faculty and staff members who interface with veteran students regularly with the proper training they need to understand and embrace the military culture — ensure tailored, culturally competent academic advising, career services and campus counseling to support military-affiliated students without perpetuating stigmas or stereotypes.
• Identify effective methods to meet the unique academic, social and career goals of your student veteran population — foster a collaborative approach to service this growing population to ensure they succeed as students and as professionals in the work force.
• Capitalize on military-affiliated students’ training and experience to enhance the campus community and their civilian counterparts’ academic and social experiences — build an affinity and loyalty to your campus and uphold the mission and values of your institution.

Presenters

Melanie Nelson currently serves as a Military Student Services Specialist at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) in the Office of Military Affairs. She began her professional career as a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy.
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Joanna DeMott is currently the Military Liaison and Program Coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) in the Office of Military Affairs.
Click here for full bio.