A safe zone for veterans: Developing the VET NET Ally program to increase faculty and staff awareness and sensitivity to the needs of military veterans in higher education.

摘要

Given the increased educational benefits of the Post 9/11 G. I. Bill for veterans, and as the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down and the troops come home, the number of military veterans entering colleges and universities is expected to increase. As non-traditional students with significant life experience, often including combat, this population of students may have different needs than traditional college students.;The purpose of this study was to develop, pilot, and evaluate the VET NET Ally program to educate staff and faculty about the needs of military veterans in higher education. Modeled after Safe Zone Ally programs common on college campuses, the VET NET Ally program provided 4-hour training seminars focused on pre- and post-military culture, personal identity issues, and the services available to veterans to assist them in achieving their personal, social, and educational goals. The study provides an outline of the training modules included in the seminar.;This mixed-methods study examined the effects of participation in the VET NET Ally seminar on participants' knowledge of and attitudes towards veterans. Additionally, participants were asked to evaluate and provide feedback on the value and effectiveness of the seminar. The researcher used pre- and post-seminar surveys and a post-seminar course evaluation to collect data. Major findings included positive, though not statistically significant, changes in both attitudes toward and knowledge about military veterans in seminar participants. Additionally, participants evaluated the course very highly and strongly recommended that their peers attend future offerings of the seminar.