Dr. Wayne Taylor

In Dr. Wayne Taylor’s Office of Veterans Success at the University of South Florida, all students are greeted with, “Welcome home, how can we help you?” when they enter the office rather than “Hello, are you a veteran?” or “Hello, are you a family member of a veteran?” to avoid the impression that students are being judged the moment they enter the space, to care for students as individuals, as well as to effect a cultural change on campus. As many educational institutions have done, Dr. Taylor has expanded the population his office serves to all military-connected students, including:

• current service members,

• former service members,

  • either of the above category’s children,

  • siblings, or

  • spouses;

• as well as those serving in or connected to those who serve in the National Guard or Reserves.

He reports that many individuals in this population are reluctant to self-identify because they (a) do not see the benefits of doing so; (b) may have had negative experiences associated with military service; (c) are redefining themselves in their college career beyond “student veteran” or “veteran’s family member;” or (d) simply perceive that there is a stigma if they were to do so.

To overcome these barriers, the University of South Florida now allows all military-connected students early-registration status for classes; has built a much larger, student-centered space where military-connected students can study, eat, relax, obtain writing assistance or tutoring, and/or use the computer lab; and holds events to create a sense of community between various stakeholders on campus by hosting lunch & learns, or events such as Lego-building, holding monthly potlucks, or other family-friendly events.

Military-connected student participation in these events as well as any contact in their offices is tracked using Microsoft Lists so that any employee in their office can assist with follow-up or resolution of student concerns. Military-connected students may be eligible for early-registration. Office counselors can also provide assistance with food-insecurity, housing-insecurity, or physical health and mental health challenges.