Veteran Transition Publishing

Supporting Military – Connected Students in Higher Education

What makes Veteran Transition Publishing different from all the resources out there for veterans?

We realize there is a lot to choose from but not all programs or resources deliver the same value. VTP is designed to be specific to your own individual needs. Some of our clients have already established veterans programs and are looking at ways to enhance them. Others are just starting out and require more guidance. Core services we offer include books, a training program that includes comprehensive modules, and individual consultation.

 

I’ve already been working with student veterans for several years.  What makes VTP unique?

To be effective, programs have to grow and expand based on the needs of their students. Having a successful program is wonderful…but you have to sustain it and continue to pay attention to detail. VTP offers solutions for assessing your program and to forecast reachable goals and action points that must be strategically in place.

Who Do I Contact for with Questions?

Veteran Transition Publishing is unique in that our entire team of authors and leadership work outside of the organization. We not only write and talk about student veteran success, but we also live it every day. That being said, our team is dedicated to responding to every inquiry – usually in less than one business day. In addition, Joanna Arndt, our Transition Provider, is available to field many of our calls and emails. She can be reached at Info@VeteranTransitionPublishing.com or feel free to submit your request online.

How to Use Our Products?

Camouflage to Campus Course

The course, and supplemental materials, are meant to be an ever expanding and developing resource for higher education professionals looking to create and enhance campus programming that support their student veteran population. More important, it is meant to be a community where ideas, concepts, and challenges are shared. Our private Linkedin group is the perfect venue to be an active participant in these discussions, but to also review past discussions and resources.

Publications

The Life During College: The Veteran’s Guide to Success and Camo to Career: The Veteran’s Guide to Career Success are currently being used in more than 400 programs across the country. In many cases, programs will purchase a few copies to have available in their Student Veteran Centers on campus. Other programs are using them as:
* Orientation gift to incoming or graduating students
* Recruitment materials, where the books are customized to the school and used as promotional tools
* Licensed content for the program’s website or made available as an online course
* Course textbook for a first year experience or senior year transition program
* Supplement for a one-day/multi-day event
* Resource for faculty and staff

Speaking & Coaching

Our team is available to conduct a wide-range of speaking programs related to student veterans. We are available for:
* Industry conference programs, both as key note speakers and break out training programs
* Campus programs, including student facing events, as well as faculty and staff training

These programs can be live events, or for a low cost alternative, our team can also perform these remotely via internet-based broadcasting services. Contact us to discuss your upcoming event.

Our team is also available to provide coaching services. Often having someone guide you through the process, evaluate your progress, as well as hold you accountable, can make the difference. If you are looking to invest in yourself and your program, contact us to learn how we can help.

What is Camouflage to Campus?

The Camouflage to Campus program is a comprehensive source for higher education professionals that want to create an effective and authentic military-friendly program. It includes a series of modules (detailed below), that are offered online and self-paced, along with supplemental webinars, and a Field Guide. In addition, the program is supported with a Knowledge Base and private LinkedIn group.

How Can This Program Help Me

This module will discuss the following topics:

  • Common obstacles to watch out for
  • It’s time to invest
  • Build a team
  • Chart where you want to go
  • I’m a civilian. How can I effectively work with veterans?

Purpose, Mission & Goals

This module will discuss the following topics:

  • What is your purpose?
  • What is your mission?
  • What are your goals?
  • Development, integration and promotion
  • Getting buy in

Who Are Military-Connected Students?

This module will address the following topics:

  • Types of military-connected students
  • Unique and nontraditional characteristics
  • Enrollment trends
  • Capturing data
  • Benefits $$$
  • Tracking veteran enrollment
  • Making contact prior to the start of classes and connecting to a network
  • Chartering where they’re enrolled

Military Culture and the Veteran Mindset

This module will include the following sections:

  • Overview of military culture and college culture
  • Attending college as a veteran
  • Strengths that veterans bring to college
  • Barriers veterans encounter
  • Summary
  • Case study

Connecting with the Veterans on Your Campus

This module will explore the following topics:

  • Communication – Having a single point of contact and a designated space
  • Partnering with student veterans – Case study

Student Veteran Organizations

This module will provide the following:

  • Explain the basic ground rules for creating a Student Veteran Organization
  • Identify the necessary tools and structure of the SVO
  • Outline the benefits of partnering with an SVO
  • Discuss the significance of listening

Strategic Partnerships

In this module we will discuss the significance of establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships, including:

  • Veterans Committee/Task Force
  • Designated points of contact
  • Community veterans’ organizations
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Veterans helping veterans
  • Synergy

Faculty and Staff Training

This module will include the following sections:

  • The significance of Veteran Ally training and how it works
  • The structure of the Veteran Ally training
  • Student veteran input and collaboration
  • What to emphasize and what to be cautious of
  • Lessons learned

Activities & Events

This module will explore the following topics:

  • Student Veteran Orientation
  • Military holidays
  • Military history and culture displays
  • Discussion panels
  • Awards & recognition events
  • Retreats

Veteran Transition Course

This module will provide the following:

  • The purpose of the course
  • Structure
  • Curriculum: books, community, activities, and sample syllabus.
  • Getting buy-in from higher administration
  • Lessons learned

Money Matters - Funding, Sponsors & Donors

In this module we will discuss the significance of establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships, including:

  • Veterans Committee/Task Force
  • Designated points of contact
  • Community veterans’ organizations
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Veterans helping veterans
  • Synergy

Preparing Student Veterans for a Successful Career

This module will include the following sections:

  • The significance of Veteran Ally training and how it works
  • The structure of the Veteran Ally training
  • Student veteran input and collaboration
  • What to emphasize and what to be cautious of
  • Lessons learned

Assessing Your Veterans Program

This module will explore the following topics:

  • The evaluation mindset
  • The evaluation cycle – the 5-Step Logical Model
  • How to build alliances

Next Steps - Putting It All Together

This module will provide the following:

  • The purpose of the course
  • Structure
  • Curriculum: books, community, activities, and sample syllabus.
  • Getting buy-in from higher administration
  • Lessons learned

How We Can Help

In this module we will discuss how we can further assist with:

  • Connecting with your military-connected students
  • Essential components of a successful veterans program
  • Designing an orientation and task force
  • First-Year Experience course for military populations
  • Veteran Ally training for faculty and staff
  • Career readiness for military-connected students
  • Effective assessment of veterans program

How does the Camouflage to Campus online course work?

Watch this short video where Terry Arndt, President of Veteran Transition Publishing, shows how to access the Camouflage to Campus online course (and supplemental resources) and what is included.

Can I Just Use the Field Guide?

The Field Guide is meant to be a supplement to the Camouflage to Campus online course and video series.  It is a workbook to reinforce the materials covered within the course. A copy of the Field Guide is provided with the purchase of the Camouflage to Campus course. However, the Field Guide is a great addition to an existing program looking to enhance and evaluate their current offerings.  If you do purchase the Field Guide and wish to add the online course, contact us within 30 days of purchase and we will apply the price of the Field Guide to the purchase of the Camouflage to Campus course.

Who Are Your Clients?

Today, its difficult to find a student veteran center on any college campus that doesn’t have at least a copy of our publications in their resource center. In fact, with the addition of our publications available online, we have tens of thousands of users. We have one client distributes our publications through their online campus to 5500 student veterans and active military students. We also have numerous clients that customize their publications as a unique gift for their incoming student veterans. In addition, we have employers that are using the Camo to Campus publication as a recruitment tool for student veterans. And then we have a growing list of clients that are using our online course service to share our content with their students.

Our Camouflage to Campus professional development training program was released in early 2017. The number of members continues to grow as knowledge of this resource is introduced at various industry trade shows, conferences, events, and through social media. Our users are active and engaged taking advantage of the full scope of resources available.

To learn more about our current customers or if you’d like to speak to a current client, please contact us.

Who Are The Authors?

Each of the individuals below contributed to the development of Camouflage to Campus for one primary reason – to ensure the success of our nation’s student veteran population. Every member continues to contribute countless hours to ensure those serving our military-connected students in higher education have the information, tools, and resources necessary to provide an effective and authentically military-friendly program.

Dr. Nicholas J. Osborne

Nick is a former readjustment therapist for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. He completed eight years’ service while working in various intelligence and law enforcement capacities and was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant (O-3). He holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of California at Davis and has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and books on topics related to veterans and higher education. He is currently the Director of the Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Patricia K.Y. Starks

Patricia is an Air Force veteran who is currently a graduate student with the Social Work Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Patricia worked on communication systems in her Air Force career, as part of a Combat Communications Squadron and a Joint Communication Support Element. She is currently in the Air National Guard out of Peoria, Illinois and works at the Chez Family Foundation Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education as the Career Services Coordinator and social media strategist. Additionally, Patricia is the President of Illini Veterans, a  chapter of Student Veterans of America at the University of Illinois.

Dr. Dustin D. Lange

Dustin has a Doctorate in Community Health with a specialization in vocational rehabilitation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He spent eight years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps, where he did three deployments throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, while assigned to 2nd Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Company (FAST Co), Marine Security Force Battalion and Landing Force Sixth Fleet, 2nd Marine Division. He is the Associate Director of the Chez Family Foundation Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education at Illinois.

Jamie Richards

Jamie serves as Purdue University’s Coordinator for Veteran and Military Programs and the Director of their Veterans Success Center. Previously he served as the Veterans Coordinator and School Certifying Official at Ivy Tech Community College. He has a BA in Creative Writing from Purdue University and an MA in Strategic Leadership from American Military University. Jamie served six years’ active duty during the Cold War on submarines and fourteen years in the reserves as a Seabee including an Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment.

And…

headshotTerry J. Arndt

Terry Arndt, President of Veteran Transition Publishing, is an author, publisher, nationally recognized public speaker, coach, and consultant. Over the past 17 years, Terry has worked in the higher education market. He has co-authored several publications on Student Veteran success, as well as conducted education and training programs to assist civilian educators better serve this population of students.  Terry earned his MBA from the University of Florida.