Conference at UH Focused on Veterans Resource Centers

As thousands of veterans continue to return home to Texas each year eager to take advantage of the GI bill, the need for veterans' resources on college and university campuses continues to grow. The University of Houston's Veterans' Services Office is a model for providing such resources to returning veterans, and it aims to show other colleges and universities how to replicate its success.

The UH Veterans' Services Office caters to the needs of more than 1,200 veterans on the university campus. The office provides assistance with the admissions process, referrals for credit evaluation of military training, referrals for Veterans Affairs health benefits, and assistance with transition and adjustment to civilian life.

On June 18, the office will partner with other agencies, including the Texas Veterans Commission, the Texas Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors, the Veterans Collegiate Society and the Advisory Board Company to host a seminar designed to address the ins and outs of creating and operating a successful veterans' resource center.

The seminar will run from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and will feature a variety of speakers, including Adrienne Draper, a senior analyst in higher education research with The Advisory Board Company; Rissa Potter, the executive director for the Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors; and Connie Jacksits, the director of the Veterans Education Program with the Texas Veterans Commission. It will cover such topics as how to structure veterans' support programs on campus, the criteria for a "military friendly" university, and how to get other departments to work together in support of veterans.

"While each department is knowledgeable of its work related to veterans, a more centralized concept of services and resources is preferable to maximize success for the veteran and his or her spouse and dependents," said Allen Grundy, director of the UH Veterans' Services Office.

The seminar will help participants learn to create greater dialogue among different campus entities on how best to serve "this non-traditional student population we call ‘veterans,'" Grundy said.

WHAT:	Cooperative Support for Veterans' Resource Centers Seminar
WHO:	University of Houston Veterans' Services Office Veterans Collegiate Society, Texas Veterans Commission, Texas Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors The Advisory Board Company
WHEN:	10 a.m. - 3:45 p.m., Thursday, June 18
WHERE:	University Center, Houston Room

For more information, or to review the agenda, visit http://www.uh.edu/veterans/news-events/index.php.