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Thursday, April 6 • 2:30pm - 4:00pm
UW Preparedness to Address Student Veteran Needs

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Introduction: It is estimated that by 2020 more than 5 million of the service members who served after 9/11 will have transitioned out of the military (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2013). The college setting is the new frontline for many veterans (Zinger & Cohen, 2010). Currently, there is no data addressing staff and faculty perception of what Student Veteran (SV) needs are or barriers the University of Wyoming (UW) faces when addressing those needs. The overall goal of this research study is to assess how prepared UW is to address SV needs. Methodology: A cross-sectional convenience sample was recruited to capture individuals who may provide knowledge of how UW is addressing student veteran needs. A total of 114 faculty & staff members and 77 SVs (N=180) completed the anonymous survey. Results: Initial analyses indicate: both groups agree that training for faculty and staff on the SV population is an area of utmost need. Both groups identified space for the Veteran Services Center as an issue. There is also agreement that lack of transition assistance is a barrier.  Social acculturation is an area that SVs identified as a need whereas staff and faculty did not. Discussion & Implications: The results show that UW is supportive of SVs, but there are still barriers. The lack of understanding of the SV population is one of the greatest barriers that SVs face on campuses (Parks, Walker & Smith, 2015).  America’s veterans are driven to success and that drive does not end when they leave the military. They want to continue to be productive and accomplish their goals in a new way and for many; higher education is their new battleground.


Speakers

Thursday April 6, 2017 2:30pm - 4:00pm MDT
Union 3rd Floor Hallway