Social Integration of Student Veterans: The Influence of Interactions with Faculty on Peer-Group Interactions

Abstract

Student veterans are distinct nontraditional students, inasmuch as their transition to campus is twofold. They are not only taking on the role of a student, but also their new lives as civilians. Their relationships with peers can then be strained, as the age, maturity level, and expectations may differ from the traditional-aged college student. Therefore, interactions with faculty members are imperative to help encourage student veterans' peer-group interactions. This quantitative analysis studied peer-group and faculty interactions of 87 veteran undergraduate students in the spring 2020 semester at a regional comprehensive university. Using a linear regression analysis, findings demonstrate that faculty interactions accounted for 23% of the variance in peer-group interactions. Further examination showed there was no statistically significant difference between peer-group and faculty interactions based on gender. Recommendations for practice to support faculty in recognizing the unique needs of student veterans and considerations for further study are offered.

Implementing Green Zone Training into an Athletic Training Curriculum

“…10 The way student veterans interact with their institution of higher learning can present challenges for faculty and administrators who are not familiar with the military culture. 11 College administrations can choose to support military-affiliated students in a myriad of ways, including by offering the Campus Green Zone training program, which is considered a best practice by the American Council on Education. 12 Although the Campus Green Zone concept is not standardized nationally, typically, the Campus Green Zone training workshop is geared toward faculty and frontline administrators who work directly with students in all areas of campus and academic life.…”

Unlearning As Learning? A Critical Analysis of Student Veteran Support at a Veteran-Friendly Campus

“…Scholars repeatedly confirm that faculty/staff are some of the most impactful agents in student veterans' transition into higher education and civilian society (Arminio et al, 2018;Dean et al, 2020), but literature suggests that many student veterans feel misunderstood and often unsupported by their professors (Griffin & Gilbert, 2015;Vacchi & Berger, 2014;Williams-Klotz & Gansemer-Topf, 2017). Several studies have reported that faculty/staff lack critical awareness about student veterans' unique cultural background leading to gaps in understanding related to cultural expectations and values (Cook & Kim, 2009;Lim et al, 2018).…”