Chancellor's Committee on Veteran and Servicemember Success
Rationale
The UW-Whitewater Chancellor’s Committee on Veteran and Servicemember Success (hereafter referred to as “the Committee”) addresses University and community issues related to the educational and transitional experiences of our veteran, servicemember, and military-family member students (hereafter referred to a “military-affiliated students”) and makes recommendations to improve related programs, practices, and policies. The Committee serves as a communication vehicle for all UW-Whitewater faculty and staff who directly, or indirectly, interact with military-affiliated students. The Committee facilitates cooperation between offices involved in supporting students and fosters communication between these offices and others involved in student support and services. The work of the committee will support broader efforts to improve the University culture of inclusion, increase retention and graduation rates, and celebrates the successes and contributions of our military-affiliated students, faculty, and staff.
Function
The Committee is a representative group where issues of importance concerning military-affiliated students are considered and addressed. These include and are not limited to, students’ transition to campus, retention, communication across campus, academic success strategies/interventions, transfer/military credit issues, accommodations, access to health services on and off campus, military absence and active duty policies, and supporting the unique student experience. Additionally, the Committee will provide opportunities for military-affiliated faculty and staff to engage with one another and to share their talents and experiences with the broader campus community. Specifically, the Committee, led by the Coordinator of Veteran and Military Services, will:
- Provide coordination and collaboration of University and external services to support the academic success and a sense of belonging of military-affiliated students
- Maintain oversight of the Veterans and Service Members Lounge in the Andersen Library Building and collaborating with the library director to support the space as a comfortable and safe gathering place for military-affiliated students
- Pursue opportunities and partner with existing programs to provide peer mentor support to military-affiliated students such as the VITAL program
- Grow and maintain partnerships with local organizations that provide support and camaraderie for military-affiliated students and staff
- Develop, pursue, and/or facilitate programs to provide tutoring to military-affiliated students
- Develop and maintain a transitional support network for military-affiliated students
- Collaborate with the First Year Experience Office to provide a robust orientation program that accommodates the unique needs of military-affiliated students and family members
- Maintain awareness and understanding of military transfer credit procedures and provide feedback and support to the Admissions Office regarding military transfer credit policies and procedures
- Engage with Financial Services to understand the financial challenges often faced by military-affiliated students and the accompanying resources and support offered by the institution and other agencies
- Stay abreast of services available through the Center for Students with Disabilities for military-affiliated students and work to counteract the negative perceptions and stereotypes often faced by military-affiliated individuals with disabilities.
- Coordinate with the Dean of Students to address the emotional and mental health need of veterans and servicemembers.
- Receive regular reports from the certifying official with information on numbers of students receiving military education benefits, number of graduates, and relevant changes to state and federal education benefits
- Celebrate the successes of military-affiliated students and staff
- Share the stories of successful students with University Marketing and Communication to highlight the contributions of the military-affiliated Warhawks
- Assist with maintaining and awarding graduation coins and cords and explore new and different ways to extend gratitude and appreciation to student veterans and service members
- Plan and support annual programming to commemorate Veteran’s Day
- Establish a schedule of activities and events that engage all parts of the campus community to show appreciation and support for veterans
- Provide programming that is educational in nature and targeted towards the general student population to grow awareness and knowledge of the contributions of military veterans
- Monitor and provide feedback on the effectiveness of support programs and initiatives
- Establish assessment protocols for programming and services provided to military-affiliated students
- Regularly assess programmatic outcomes and provide recommendations for improvement
- Collaborate with the Admissions Office to develop and implement recruitment strategies targeting local and regional veterans and service members
- Coordinate with University Advancement to grow and support scholarships for military-affiliated students and engage military-affiliated alumni
Additionally, in order to promote high-quality and consistent support to all military-affiliated students, the Committee will facilitate, along with campus partners, training for faculty and staff on the unique needs of this student population.
The Committee will report directly to the Chancellor’s Office, AVC for Student Affairs. Meetings will be held monthly unless more frequent meetings are deemed necessary.
Membership
Chair, Kris McMenamin, Coordinator of Veteran and Military Services
Faculty Representative (Appointed by FS), TBD
Academic Staff representative (Appointed by ASA), TBD
University Staff representative (Appointed by USC), TBD
Advising Council representative, TBD
Center for Students with Disabilities representative, Debbie Reuter
University Health and Counseling Services representative, TBD
Administrative Affairs representative, TBD (typically Financial Services)
Dean of Students representative, Andrew Browning
ROTC representative, SFC Selby
Certifying Official, Amy Moore
Admissions Transfer Coordinator, David Hahn