Faculty, staff invited to sign up for veterans and military students awareness training program

The Ohio University Veterans and Military Student Services Center Faculty/Staff Awareness Training Program, known as Landing Zone, is being offered this fall via Microsoft Teams.

Over 300 veteran advocates across OHIO’s campuses have completed the training to date. The Landing Zone training was created to assist individuals who are committed to providing resources and aid to veteran students across campus. 

The program seeks to provide its participants with an understanding of the unique challenges faced by veteran students, GI Bill ® implications on course selection, discussion of PTSD and TBI impacts on learning, and resources to assist this special student population. 

The training is four hours in duration, broken down into four 1-hour blocks, to facilitate college or departmental scheduling. Each training session, named Zones, builds upon each other.

The sessions will run Tuesday during lunch time via Microsoft Teams. The descriptions of each Zone training follows:

• Zone 1: Military 101 — looks at various military terms, rank structure, differences in military culture and academic culture, and dispels common myths about veterans.
• Zone 2: OUr Veterans in Transition — breaks out national veteran student characteristics, Ohio University veteran characteristics, Ohio University student veteran transition experiences, and highlights a veteran student panel question and answers session.
• Zone 3: The GI Bill ® — details the Department of Veterans Affairs’ organizational structure, student veteran success programs, differentiating types of VA educational benefits, and VA regulation implications/challenges for students.
• Zone 4: PTSD/TBI & Resources 4 Vets — provides an understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury effects on student veterans, discussion of potential signs, and how to assist student veterans with each. This zone will also highlight internal and external resources available to veterans, provide web-based assistance, and answer any additional questions regarding student veterans.

The program invites faculty and staff to show their support for veterans by attending these training sessions to help improve understanding of veteran students and enhance their educational experience.

Fall semester 2023 sessions are outlined below. If colleges, departments, or regional campuses would like to schedule specific training dates, please contact Terry St. Peter in the Ohio University Veterans and Military Student Services Center at 1-740-566-VETS (8387). All training times are noon to 1 p.m. It is recommended that participants take the training in order, but they are able to attend as available. Missed Zones can be taken at a later time. 

• Zone 1 – Sept. 12, 2023 MS Teams – 12-1 p.m.
• Zone 2 – Sept. 19, 2023 MS Teams – 12-1 p.m. 
• Zone 3 – Sept. 26, 2023 MS Teams – 12-1 p.m.
• Zone 4 – Oct. 3 , 2023 MS Teams – 12-1 p.m. 

Registration is required in order to receive the professional development pathway credit and the Microsoft Teams link: You can register for the classes at this website.

Faculty and staff will receive credit in the Ohio University Professional Development Pathways (PDP) program as part of the relationship building concentration.