Overview

The Veterans Services office on college campuses is an essential service that we must offer to our student veterans to help them transition to academic life and feel welcome on campus.  This webinar will include discussion of student veteran enrollment changes from Fall 2008, Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 for both community colleges and universities, aka, the impact of the new GI Bill.  The speaker will also address what your campus needs to do to keep this demographic, who have guaranteed federal dollars, on your campus.  In addition, participants will learn what the resource center needs in terms of space and equipment, what type of personnel is needed, and how to get your community involved in funding the resource center.

Participants will walk step-by-step through a series of planning, design and implementation steps that, if followed, can lead to the creation of a quality veterans office. They will also learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of the office and move forward with maintenance and growth activities.

Objectives

• Discuss why it is essential to have a veterans services office on campus
• Explore the types of services a quality office should offer
• Learn how to recruit, train and retain office staff
• Discover the financial impact on your campus and your community
• Learn how it can impact the lives of student veterans as well as their families

Who should attend?

• Student Veterans
• Academic Advisors
• Student services staff and directors
• Department heads
• Educational benefits certifying officials
• School psychologists and/or counselors
• Personnel in the enrollment office and student activities

Who is the speaker?

Dr. John Schupp founded the SERV Program, a two-semester program at Cleveland State University designed just for veterans.  These two semesters are just what the veterans needed to increase the freshmen retention graduation rates.  Under his direction, the program helps veterans apply for GI bill benefits and offers veterans-only classes that help ease the transition back into the classroom for many veterans who have not been in a classroom for years. He works with the veterans to navigate VA issues and offers a veteran-to-veteran mentoring program.  The Sunday New York Times, the National Public radio, all the armed forces media, and the Chronicle of Higher Education have taken an interest in SERV.  John Schupp loses no chance to spread the word at conferences and conventions around the country, as he continues to remind us of our responsibility to those who've served.