Military Outreach: Strategies for Serving Our Veterans Mark Eister Director of Military Outreach February 2, 2015

Mark Eister US Army (Ret) Director of Military Outreach Georgia Perimeter College Combat tour in Afghanistan, with Military Service across the US and in Germany Austria Switzerland France Italy Netherlands Denmark Belgium Czech Republic Slovenia South Korea Hungary England Luxembourg Poland China

“Military Friendly” Everybody’s doing it...

Agenda   Military/Veteran Profile   Transition Challenges   VA Benefits   Trends   Veteran Statistics   Best Practices/Services Offered   Q & A

Why Are We Here? GPC Student Veteran Navy Combat Medic Purple Heart PTSD/TBI Wounded Warrior Leader DAV (Disabled American Vets) Jarrad Turner

Who is a Student Veteran?   Student Veterans are a diverse group:   From all branches of the military   Range in age, race/ethnicity, and gender   Have served during times of war and peace   Have different educational goals   More likely to have families

Who is a Student Veteran?   Student Veterans have unique challenges:   Transitioning from combat to classroom   Moving into a less structured environment   Some, but not all, have PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), etc.   Challenges navigating VA benefits process   Have never attended college or have been out of school for a long time

Military Experience   Separation from family or loved ones   Most are leaving home for the first time   Separation from extended family and close friends   Separation from boyfriends and girlfriends   May be assigned to a base in a different part of the country or world   Adjustments to new climates and culture

Transition Strengths   Veterans transitioning out of the military onto college campuses bring a unique perspective   Military training   Life experience   Expansive world view   Skills taught in the military help students to be successful   Leadership   Discipline/Motivation   Time Management   Work Ethic   Stress Management

Transition Challenges   Being an older student   Freshman 24+ years old with 18 year old classmates   Alienation   Veterans may find it difficult to integrate on campus due to their different life experiences   Insensitivity of some classmates, faculty, and others on campus when discussing military and war   Veterans may have different views or may feel attacked when asked about their experiences

Veteran Transition Challenges   Potential transition barriers to success   Difficulty translating military skills into a new profession   Difficulty changing focus from military to civilian   Schools attempting to decipher transfer credits from military training and multiple colleges/universities   Difficulty navigating the application, enrollment and registration process   Difficulty using GI Bill and other VA benefits

Student Veterans with Disabilities   23% to 31% of Veterans of OIF/OEF have PTSD symptoms and 20% have mild TBIs. Some of these veterans are on our campuses.   New Disability   Unaware of available services   May not want to identify as having a disability due to stigma, pride, etc.

Transition Difficulties   Things to understand about student veterans in the classroom:   Some may...   Have difficulty relating to classmates   Find loud noises to be disturbing   Become anxious with changes in the classroom   Have excessive absences   Have PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) or TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)

Veteran Benefits Student Veterans are using a variety of VA educational benefits Post 9/11 GI Bill Selected Reserve GI Bill Active Duty Montgomery GI Bill National Call to Service Program Reserve Educational Assistance (REAP) Survivors & Dependents Assistance (DEA) Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)

Veteran Stats   Georgia has over 800,000 Veterans   Wars ending in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to raise this number, plus...   Planned military drawdown will bring even more veterans to our campuses

Student Veterans at Georgia Perimeter College   One of the largest veteran populations in University System of Georgia   800+ student veterans receiving VA educational benefits (Spring Semester, 2015)   Hundreds more attend GPC who are not receiving VA benefits   (Military drawdown) + (end of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) = many more veterans on campuses

Strategies for Being More Military Friendly   Senior Leadership Involvement and Support   MOC (Military Outreach Center)   Military Scholarships   SVA (Student Veterans Association)   Green Zone   MVP (Mentoring Veterans Program)   Early Alert Advising   Free Tutoring   Inter-departmental Collaboration/Cooperation   Local Organizational Support

Military Outreach Center   Veterans Lounge, Computer Lab, Library, Study Area, Kitchenette, Conference/Training Room, Advisement Offices, SVA (Student Veterans Association)   Staffed full-time by military veterans   Provides services to active military, veterans and their families in the following areas: Financial Aid Academic Advising VA Benefits Information Disability Accommodations Personal Counseling Services Peer-to-Peer Support and Mentoring Referral to State and Federal Resources

Military Outreach Center Mark Eister and Chris Noerjadi with MOC Donations Computers, free printing, free snacks and drinks, lounge area, TV/DVD, study area, advisement offices, conference and meeting area.

MOC Art

MOC Resource Booths  Located on all five GPC Campuses  Staffed by VA Work-Study students

GPC Military Scholarships   Marcus Foundation Military Scholarship (10)   Military Outreach Scholarship   VFW Post Scholarship   Remington Youngblood/Change4Georgia Scholarship   AVVBA (Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association) Scholarship   American Legion Post 66 Scholarship   COL Robert E. Rogan Scholarship

SVA Student Veterans Association An approved chapter of the national organization Student Veterans of America. Student-led, college-wide organization providing veterans the opportunity to meet together to study, relax, plan events and perform community service.

Green Zone (Staff & Faculty Training Program) MVP (Mentoring Veterans Program) CAV (Calling All Veterans) GPC ‘Home Grown’ Programs

Things to Remember   Military and Veteran students are a unique population with diverse experiences and challenges.   There are numerous ways to help student veterans, just as there are for other student populations.   Senior leadership support is critical to truly becoming a Military Friendly School!

Military Outreach Center Mark Eister, MOC Director John Douglas, MOC Coordinator Chris Noerjadi, Military Student Advocate Hours: Monday – Friday, 8am-5pm Phone: