December 16, 2024
Early Registration Deadline
January 15, 2025
Regular Registration Deadline
February 10, 2025
Hotel Block Deadline
2025 NASPA Symposium on Military-Connected Students
In-Person Conferences Student Success Veterans Mid-Level Senior Level
February 18 - February 20, 2025 Las Vegas, NV
The 2025 NASPA Symposium on Military-Connected Students is the association’s premiere event designed for student affairs practitioners supporting military-connected students. The symposium is your exclusive opportunity to share evidence-based practices from your campus or organization. Learn from leading researchers in the field and engage with other professionals committed to supporting military-connected students.
This three-day symposium features keynote sessions; research, policy, and best practices presentations; and workshop-style sessions to help campus professionals develop or enhance their programming and services for military-connected students. We invite you to connect with colleagues, participate in engaging sessions, and learn from dynamic plenary sessions.
Presented By
About
Military-connected students comprise a growing population in higher education and are those who enroll in postsecondary education with current or prior service with the military and their dependents. These students are also diverse in terms of demographic characteristics and service backgrounds, placing an important role on student affairs professionals and leaders to develop comprehensive, targeted, and meaningful support services to encompass the needs of these unique students. The Symposium provides professionals and other stakeholders opportunities to share and learn ways to effectively support military-connected students.
Venue
Flamingo Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
All conference activities will take place within the Flamingo Las Vegas.
| Hotel | Room Rate / Night |
|
Flamigno Las Vegas |
$55 - Single/ Double |
Themes and Learning Outcomes
Academic Value for Student Veterans
With increased scrutiny of the return on investment for military and veterans education benefits, institutions must continue to look for innovative ways to leverage the experiences of our students as they seek their degrees and certifications, while also increasing portability for their credentials. Presentations will address topics such as:
- Maximizing their military experience
- In the med and health care field esp
- PME work to coursework
Growth Value for Military Connected Students
Military connected students often struggle with finding their place in the campus community. Being not fully military nor fully civilian while carrying the expectations of both identities (Phillips and Lincoln, 2017), our students need resources that aid them in embracing growth. Presentations will address topics such as:
- Adopting a Growth Mindset
- Self-Esteem and Confidence: Understanding their Own Value
- Military careers into professional language
- Translating Leadership in the Military to Professional Experience
- Strengths-Based Perspective for Viewing Their Experience
- Not Trusting TAP
- Intentional that veteran students are not starting over
- Language is important: ex. Transition vs. Starting ov
Professional Value for Staff Working with Military Connected Students
With decreasing institutional resources and increasing job responsibilities, those who work with military connected students are being asked to “do more with less” while often educating their campus leadership on their true roles in support of our students. As an re-emerging academic and career field, our community must examine our personal and professional value to position our offices and campuses for sustainable futures. Presentations will address topics such as:
- Advancing the academic field of military-connected student services in higher education
- How Institutions and Administration Value the Work Veteran Offices Do
- Student Support Wellbeing: Combating Burnout & Compassion fatigue for those supporting military-connected students
- Trauma-Informed Care & Ally training
- Faculty need training, along with the support services
Call for Programs
The Call for Programs is Open!
The 2025 symposium focuses on best practices, innovative strategies, and current challenges in supporting student veterans' and military-connected students' success.
Submission Criteria Proposals will be evaluated by several program reviewers using the Conference Themes and Learning Outcomes.
The submission deadline is November 4, 2024. Presenters will be notified of their program status by November 26, 2024. All presenters and co-presenters will be expected to cover registration and other related fees associated with attending the symposium. All presenters will be expected to provide an electronic copy of their presentation prior to the event, which will be shared with participants for viewing afterward.
Call for Reviewers
The 2025 NASPA Symposium on Military-Connected Students Planning Committee invites military-connected higher education professionals to help shape the symposium by serving as a program proposal reviewer. Apply today to contribute to this important process designed to ensure that the symposium's content is of the highest quality possible. Reviewer applications are due by November 4, 2024. The program review period will begin on November 5 and conclude on November 18. Each reviewer will be assigned between 5-10 programs to review. Reviewers will thoroughly read the proposal, and offer rankings and written (anonymous) feedback.
Schedule
Below is the 2024 SMCS Schedule for Reference!
Monday, January 29, 2024
- 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration Check-in Open
- 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pre-conference Workshop 1
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
- 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration Check-in Open
- 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sponsor and Exhibitor Tables Open
- 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pre-conference Workshop 2
- 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Symposium Kick-off and Opening Keynote Plenary
- 3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Breakout Sessions I
- 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions 2
- 5:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. Opening Reception & Poster Sessions
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
- 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration Check-in Open
- 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sponsor and Exhibitor Tables Open
- 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Breakfast and VKC Awards Ceremony
- 9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Day 2 Keynote Plenary: Scott Brees
- 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Breakout Sessions 3
- 12:15p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Symposium Break (Lunch on Your Own)
- 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions 4
- 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Breakout Sessions 5
- 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. VKC Knowledge Community Military-connected Town Hall
Thursday, February 1, 2024
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Registration Check-in Open
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Sponsor and Exhibitor Tables Open
- 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Breakfast Buffet
- 8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Closing Plenary
- 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions 6
- 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Breakout Sessions 7
History
The NASPA Symposium on Military-Connected Students started as the Veterans Symposium for Higher Education in 2009 as a one-day program with five presentations and fifty participants. The symposium has grown to a two and half day program with multiple programs and individuals from all around the country.
The symposium was envisioned by Tom Jackson, the vice president for student affairs at the University of Louisville and a military veteran of the USCGR, ARNG, TXSG, and IGR and Frank Mianzo, chief of staff for the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Louisville. It was their desire to host an annual program that focused on issues related to student veterans while bringing together colleagues committee to serving student veterans. With generous assistance of Kathy Snead from the Servicemember Opportunity Colleges and Shirley Hardy, Laura Mercer, and Glenn Gittings from the University of Louisville, the symposium flourished.
Tom Jackson and Frank Mianzo worked with NASPA to ensure the symposium would continue. The Veterans Symposium, now the NASPA Symposium for Military-Connected Students, continues to provide an opportunity who serve military-connected students to come together and talk about program ideas, trends, and current research. NASPA is pleased to continue the rich history started at the University of Louisville.