SVOs

Summerlot, J., Green, S., & Parker, D. (2009). Student Veterans Organizations.
New Directions for Student Services, (126), 71-79. doi:10.1002/ss.318

This article focuses on the effect that Student Veteran Organizations or SVO’s have on the veteran populations at universities. It details factors to be considered in this transition by campus administrators and faculty. Some of these factors include whether or not the campus climate is supportive, the number of student veterans’ organizations there are on campus, and how effective these communities may be. The authors, all of whom are veterans who have made the transition from military to civilian life, suggest that SVOs are an integral part of any campus life. They can help veterans navigate the bureaucratic pitfalls of the benefits process. They can also lobby on campus and at a local government level. According to the article, this advocacy helped to shape initiatives at college campuses across the country that allowed for ease of readmission after a long deployment. In addition, many SVOs also helped to set up vet specific payment plans. This allowed many veterans to continue their education without the worry of delayed benefit payments. Most importantly, SVOs both past and present provide a social outlet for those who are seeking an environment of common experience. This helps to stem the alienation that veterans can feel amongst fellow students.

Assessment: This article provided insight into the unique student experience felt by many veterans. Advocacy, for whichever cause, is an important ingredient in the whole of academia. This is particularly important for a group that may already feel disenfranchised by campus relations and the difficulty of dealing with the VA. As a drawback, the article often refers back to an SVO based out of the University of Kansas. This might lead the reader to believe that the overall success of these organizations is more limited than the authors would like to think. Furthermore, the article was written by student organizers which demonstrate a potential bias to uphold the effectiveness of these organizations. The article lacked definitive proof that this is a necessary measure to assist veterans transitioning back to student life.

If I derived anything from this article it was where to seek out my sample sources. I believe that campus advocates would be the best conduits for conducting a research survey, as they would be able to help me with response rates, and also to narrow my sample group. The article evoked the notion that student veterans are very interested in bettering the collective. It gives hope that research into their unique situation would be welcome. The article reinforced the notion that approaching a whole community for research is simpler than dealing with individuals.