The Q-List:  A Faculty Fellows Research Agenda for the Profession 

Returning Student Veterans

Within the very near future, it is estimated, some 250,000 U.S. veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be returning to civilian life, some intending to re-enter the work force and many taking advantage of recent legislation (Post-9/11 GI Bill) to pursue further education. Significant numbers will do so with both physical and psychological injuries. As an urgent moral and practical imperative, post secondary institutions must gear-up to respond to this new wave of students with effective programs and services.  Exemplar questions might include:

1. What are the characteristics of returning veterans on our campuses? By institutional type?
2. What previous experiences with formal education do these students bring with them as they prepare to re-enter the system?
3. What institutional or organizational barriers and challenges exist for those who come with physical and psychological injuries?
4. What programs are already in place and what practices best serve these students' needs?
5. What relevance do their transferable leadership skills and experiences have for the institutional goals of student engagement?