2014 annual veterans conference responding to student...

2014 Annual Veterans Conference

RESPONDING TO STUDENT DIVERSITY: UNDERSTANDING SERVICE-MEMBERS

March 19th, 2014University of Hawai‘i at MānoaCampus Center Ballroom

SPECIAL APPRECIATION Thank you to all contributors and supporters of this conference. A special thank you to all the student veterans, service-members, and reservists for your time in service and for your influence in the planning of this conference.

Thank you to University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Office of Student Affairs and Office of Veteran Support Services (OVSS) for hosting and sponsoring this conference.

Thank you to all conference presenters for sharing your knowledge and expertise.

Thank you to the Student Veterans Organization (SVO) at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa for their participation and efforts in planning.

Appreciation is given to the Hawai‘i Alliance of Student Veterans (HASV), and especially James Cavin for his work in reaching out to organizations, programs, resources, and employers to be present.

We are grateful to Kelli Nakama and other UH System Certifying Officials for connecting us to student veterans.

Thank you to the Joint Color Guard of the Army and Air Force ROTC for the presentation of the colors.

Thank you to the Supportive Education for Returning Veterans and Servicemembers (SERVS) committee for their continued interest in veterans issues and support.

Last but not least, thank you to all the volunteers who made the implementation of this conference possible.

Conference Planning Committee Katherine LiConference Coordinator, OVSS, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Kathleen NormandinAcademic Advisor, Colleges of Arts and Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Lei WakayamaProgram Specialist, Outreach College, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Csaba HutoczkiVet Success Counselor, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and Leeward Community College


CONFERENCE AT-A-GLANCE

Time Location Agenda Item07:15 - 08:00 CC Ballroom Registration Check-in

08:00 - 08:30 CC Ballroom Welcome and Opening Remarks

08:30 - 09:00 CC Ballroom UH System Task Force Executive Summary

09:00 - 10:00 CC Ballroom Keynote AddressSpeaker: John Schupp

10:00 - 11:00 CC Ballroom Veteran Panel

11:05 - 12:00 Concurrent Session I

CC Ballroom Best Practices in Student Affairs for Veteran Success

Executive Dining Hall Teaching Student Veterans

Dining Hall 203B Service Members Opportunity Colleges

Dining Hall 203C Increasing Student Participation in STEM

12:00 - 13:00 CC Ballroom Lunch Presentation: Integrating Veterans into Campus CultureSpeakers: Michael Marks and John Schupp

13:05 - 14:00 Concurrent Session II

CC Ballroom Best Practices for Faculty for Veteran Success

Executive Dining Hall Post-Traumatic Stress

Dining Hall 203B VetSuccess on Campus

Dining Hall 203C Student Veteran Readjustment

14:00 - 15:00 Concurrent Session III

CC Ballroom Trauma-Informed Classroom

Executive Dining Hall Issues and Concerns of Female Veterans

Dining Hall 203B GI Benefits Overview and Education Updates

Dining Hall 203C Veteran Suicide Rates

15:00 CC Ballroom Closing Remarks

CAMPUS CENTER MAPS

John SchuppKeynote Speaker

Dr. John Schupp, who has spent 20-years as a chemistry professor, is the National Director of the Next Great Generation and creator of the SERV (Supportive Education for the Returning Veteran) program. He is the award recipient of $100,000 from Wal-Mart award recipient, as well as the FIPSE grant creator “Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success.” In 2010 he authored the comprehensive report “Ohio Student Veteran Enrollment” for the Ohio Board of Regents.

Dr. Schupp has spoken to over 200 campuses nationwide in person, reached over 300 campuses via webinars, and provided Veteran Resource Centers Business plans to over 100 campuses Nationwide. He has been honored as Ohio Veteran Advocate of the Year by the Vietnam Veterans of America, and as the recipient of the Department of Defense Zachary Fisher “Humanitarian of the Year” award. His name is on a plaque in the Pentagon honoring his work with veterans.

Dr. Schupp will discuss why embracing this era of veterans is essential to the country. He will show how the country responds years later when the veterans of an era are welcomed or overlooked. Learn the 3 fundamental characteristics that veterans possess and the majority of civilians do not.

UH System Task-ForceFrom Press Conference with Secretary Shinseki: “We owe all of our veterans a path to a high-quality degree that will help them find rewarding employment. But just as importantly, we owe it to Hawai‘i as well. Veterans have a wealth of talent and expertise to share if we are successful in providing them with higher education experiences that enable them to obtain great jobs and thrive in our communities.” All UH campuses already provide some level of support services for veterans. At its ten campuses, UH currently enrolls over 2400 veterans, who comprise over 4% of the UH student body.

Task force charge: To provide recommendations that improve veteran access to UH and the success of student veterans. While not every campus is represented on the Task Force, the Task Force is responsible for reaching out to all campuses and representing the interests and concerns of the entire UH System and veterans throughout the State. Similarly, key offices like IRAO can provide support with data. Suggested Task Force actions include the following:1. Survey and catalog current capabilities and practices of UH and our campuses relative to best

practices and available programs, particularly noting the new “8 Keys to Success” developed by the US Veterans Administration and Dept of Ed;

2. Work with our veteran students and recent veteran graduates to understand barriers to their enrollment and success (including tuition policies), their use of UH services, and the impacts of UH services on their success;

3. Identify ongoing systemwide approaches to collecting and utilizing data to inform the extent and success of veterans' participation at UH;

4. Provide recommendations for priority actions across the UH System and campuses that will improve the educational access and success of our veteran students; and

5. Identify changes in federal policy that would support increased access and success for student veterans that UH can recommend to federal officials and our Congressional Delegation.

Student Affairs Best Practices for Military and Veteran Student SuccessKasey Wilson - Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Military Campus Programs, HPULocation: CC Ballroom Kasey Wilson, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs for HPU’s Military Campus Programs, will share best practices for effective advising of military and veterans students. Assistant Dean Wilson will also explain the term by term degree plan requirements incorporated within the DOD Memorandum of Understanding and provide a sample of the degree plan template used at HPU.

Teaching Student Veterans Christine Hansen - Enrollment Advisor, Columbia College Location: Executive Dining HallTeaching Student Veterans requires a distinct approach entailing flexibility, respect, and awareness of the nuances of transition from military to civilian life. Civilian education may be unfamiliar to a vet, and thus educators teaching to a veteran population would ideally bridge two worlds, assisting the vet in what is arguably a part of the transition process.

Service Members Opportunity Colleges (SOC)William Lowe - Education Services Officer, USCG Base HonoluluLocation: Dining Hall 203BA review of available services from Service Members Opportunity Colleges (SOC) will be discussed: SOC Principles, Membership, SOC Criteria, Transfer of Credit, Academic Residency Requirements, Crediting Learning from Military Training and Experience, Crediting Extra-Institutional Learning and SOC Institutional Operating Guidelines.

Increasing Students with Disabilities Participation in STEM fields through the Pacific Alliance ProjectLiisa Uyehara - Pacific AllianceLocation: Dining Hall 203CThe Pacific Alliance Project is funded by the National Science Foundation that supports postsecondary students with disabilities (SWD) in STEM fields. SWD, including Veterans, are provided various supports by the Communities of Practice members and project staff to successfully progress through the critical junctures of college to employment.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS I 11:05 - 12:00

Integrating Veterans Into Campus Culture Michael Marks - Lead Psychologist, Assistant Clinical Professor, University of ArizonaJohn Schupp - Director, The Next Great GenerationLocation: CC BallroomIn this session participants will learn about the successful program for integrating student veterans into college life. The session will cover the development of the Supportive Education for Returning Veterans (SERV) courses, which are a cohort based, learner-centered curriculum with courses ranging from the 9 credit “Scholars in Camo” course, the 3 credit “Transitional Resiliency” course and the 1 credit “Resiliency Orientation.” Participants will understand the importance of including the veteran community as schools begin to develop programs for their returning veterans.

LUNCH 12:00 - 13:00

Best Practices for Faculty in Supporting Military and Veteran SuccessJustin Vance - Interim Dean, Assistant Professor of History, Military Campus Programs, HPULocation: CC BallroomDr. Justin Vance who is a Full-time faculty member, past Associate Dean (Academics), and current Interim Dean of HPU’s Military Campus Programs shares proven approaches faculty should use in the classroom to support veteran and service-member success emphasizing flexibility with academic integrity and tapping into the strengths of veteran and military students.

Post-Traumatic StressChristopher Slavens - Transition Patient Advocate, VAPIHCS Location: Executive Dining Hall Discussion on combat stress injuries.

VetSuccess on CampusCsaba Hutoczki - VA Vocational Rehab Counselor, UHM/LCCGwen Dang - VA Vocational Rehab Counselor, HPULocation: Dining Hall 203BBrief historical information on the VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC) initiative. Information on the various VA educational benefits available. The role of the VSOC counselor on campus in assisting faculty, staff and the school with: 1) understanding veterans benefits & veteran issues, 2) coordinating informational training through VA or community resources, 3) as liaison between the VA beneficiary (veteran, service-member, spouse, dependent) to address educational issues that may hinder success in school.

Student Veteran ReadjustmentPatrick DeBusca - Family Therapist, Bereavement and Readjustment Counselor, Honolulu Vet CenterLocation: Dining Hall 203CInformation will be provided about general readjustment issues common to student veterans, local and national VA resources to support student veterans, specific information about Vet Center services and some time for Q&A.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS II 13:05 - 14:00

CONCURRENT SESSIONS III 14:05 - 15:00

Trauma-Informed ClassroomGenie Joseph - Creator of Act Resilient, and instructor, Chaminade University Location: CC BallroomStress interferes with and reduces the effectiveness of the learning environment. This workshop will help teachers to identify students under high stress, as well as present whole-brain teaching methods to engage students more fully, and to help veterans making the transition to the classroom. Creating a “trauma informed” classroom is rewarding for students and teachers. Genie Joseph teaches at Chaminade University, is an Army Family Team Building Instructor, and an American Red Cross volunteer at Tripler Army Medical Center.

Issues and Concerns of Female VeteransAnnette M. Andrus-Keough - Retired First SergeantLocation: Executive Dining HallDiscussion on the issues & concerns of women veterans.

GI Benefits Overview and Education updatesBrittany Garcia - Education Liaison Representative, Department of Veteran Affairs Regional OfficeLocation: Dining Hall 203BThis session will provide general information on eligibility and payments for VA Education Benefits offered to Veterans and their eligible dependents. There will also be discussion of recent updates such as, VRAP and VAONCE; and common school official concerns such as prior credit, and school responsibilities. Open for Q&A.

Veteran Suicide RatesJohn Schupp - National Director, the Next Great GenerationLocation: Dining Hall 203CDr. Schupp will share his data on suicide rates over the past 160 years, from the Civil War to present day and the many variables that have impacted these rates. The information provides an insight into what worked before and how it can be duplicated.

UPCOMING EVENTS


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