Talking Stick - November/December 2014 - 61

connection to the campus community.
Webster's student veteran organization,
through the support of the student
government, promotes and supports
community outreach initiatives, such as
the "Welcome Home Warrior Summit"
and "Webster Field Days," which bring
visibility and awareness to military
personnel and reach out to involve the
community of St. Louis.
One successful program at Ohio
State is the etiquette dinner facilitated
by the career counseling and support
services office. Because corporate
and individual donations support
the Veterans House, residents have
various opportunities to interact with
donors, and etiquette dinners provide
opportunities for them to become
familiar and practiced in different
dining and social protocols. What the
residents learn from the dinners makes
interacting with these friends more
stress-free. "Whether donors are just
stopping in at the house from time to
time or visiting with the students in
more formal settings, the students have
a higher level of comfort and confidence
with those interactions," Steinbacher
says.
The Veterans House connected
Hostetter with the Veteran Community
Advocate Program, a donor-funded
initiative that places upper-division
student veterans in different campus
offices. "I'm the VCA [Veteran
Community Advocate] for the Ohio
State Disability Services Office, and I
love it," Hostetter says. "The office is
really in tune to the needs of veterans,
and I think overall it's a fantastic
program." The program also serves
as an important way to disseminate
information. "Students work in that
department and generally complete a
major project for them, but they also
help get the word out to other veterans
about that office," says Steinbacher.
At Cypress Hall at the University of
Florida, the focus on serving students
with mobility impairments will drive
some of the residence life staff's
programming efforts. In addition to

offering 24-hour desk service, they will
focus their programs on health and
wellness promotion, an instructional
kitchen for inclusive snack and meal
preparation, and repair and refurbish
stations for occupational aids. Student
veterans also benefit from programs
in graduate and family housing, which
include spouses and children and offer
such activities as fitness classes, cooking
and gardening programs, and inclusive
cultural celebrations. Initially, for Mark
Hinz, a student veteran, his decision
to attend the University of Florida was
solidified by the availability of space in
graduate and family housing and the
convenience to school and work. After
two years, he greatly appreciates the
international community and sense of
safety that surrounds his family. "We
don't have extended family near us, and
in many ways, neighbors within our
community have become our family."

Training for Those
Who Work with
veterans
Working with those with disabilities
must, at its core, center on sensitivity,
compassion, and respect. Many student
veterans live with physical disabilities,
and the terminology used to address
this topic can create a significant barrier.
As O'Herrin relates, many veterans
identify with the word "wounded" but
not "disabled," and this may be "because
their disability was acquired later in life
or because their injuries are invisible or
undiagnosed." Additionally, if a veteran
has not gone through the VA's formal
disability rating process, he or she may
not identify with the term, and even if
a veteran "may have documentation
proving eligibility for accommodations
or assistive devices, the terminology
may be confusing and he or she may
not seek assistance." Staff working
with veterans should also consider that
veterans may have injuries that were
not sustained in combat, and "this
may be a point of self-consciousness or
even shame for some." Presentations

and webinars on combat-related
injuries and disorders are available via
Operation College Promise, a non-profit
educational initiative for faculty, staff,
and others interested in learning more
about supporting wounded warriors.
Housing professionals have always
been adaptive to the unique needs of
any and all residents. We are committed
partners when it comes to seeking to
understand them, advocating for and
ultimately meeting student needs. This
generation of student veterans brings
unique mindsets, skillsets, and assets
to college and university campuses, and
housing professionals must continue to
find innovative and diverse ways to meet
their housing needs and make campus
living an attractive and viable option. As
John Buck, associate dean of students
and director of housing and residential
life at Webster, emphasizes, "As
dedicated student affairs professionals,
we need to consider beyond our
'classical' training to truly understand
what the needs are for each student
veteran." And as Steinbacher notes,
the rewards are shared: Both residents
and staff enjoy rich experiences when
student veterans live on campus. "After
25 years in residence life, this is really
new and fresh for me. It keeps me
learning, and I love that." tS

Mary C. Jordan

is an academic initiatives
specialist in the Department
of Housing and Residence
Education at the University of
Florida in Gainesville.

Lisa Colacicco

is the director of housing for
residence life and education.

Diekow

November + December 2014

61
Talking Stick - November/December 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - November/December 2014
