
October 2, 2023
Call for Programs Submission Deadline
November 20, 2023
Early Bird Registration Deadline
January 8, 2024
Regular Registration Deadline
January 8, 2024
Hotel Block Deadline
2024 NASPA Symposium on Military-Connected Students
In-Person Conferences Student Success Veterans Mid-Level Senior Level
January 30 - February 1, 2024 Louisville, Kentucky
The 2024 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

More information on how to make a reservation in the hotel room block is coming soon!
Join us at the Omni Louisville Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.
The hotel room block cutoff date is January 8, 2024, or until the block is filled.
Address
400 S 2nd Street, Louisville, Kentucky, 40202
- Phone
- (502) 313-6664
Registration
Registration for the 2024 Symposium is now Open!
Registration as a member is based on individual membership status at the time of the event. If your current membership will expire prior to the event, you will have the option to renew at the time of registration to receive the member rate.
If you are not a current member and are employed by a college or university that is an institutional member, you can join as a professional affiliate member for $80. If your institution is NOT a member, you can join as an associate affiliate member for $250. Both membership types provide access to the individual member rate for the event. Please visit the membership section of the NASPA website to learn more about membership types and benefits. We hope you’ll consider joining today!
Registration Fees
Early Registration Deadline: November 20, 2023 |
Regular Registration Deadline: January 8, 2024 |
Late Registration After January 8, 2024 |
|
Member Rate | $495 | $575 | $650 |
Non-Member Rate | $695 | $775 | $850 |
NASPA Student Member | $225 | $275 | $350 |
If you are experiencing financial hardship, you may qualify for a NASPA Foundation Membership Scholarship or NASPA Foundation Professional Development Access Scholarship, which can be used for this event.
For a comprehensive listing of NASPA registration policies, please visit this page.
Call for Programs
The Call for Programs is Open!
The 2024 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.
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Unifying the voice of military-connected student services in higher education
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Overcoming historical barriers to student veteran access and success
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Instituting an inclusive culture for diverse military-connected student populations and identities
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Challenging the deficit model and changing the narrative of the student veteran experience to highlight veteran strengths and contributions to higher education.
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Bridging military-connected student services with outside resources by fostering connections with campus, local, state, and national resources.
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Identifying recruitment and retention trends facing military-connected students and higher education
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Addressing declining enrollments in higher education within the military-connected and traditional student populations
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Focusing outreach to veterans and military-connected students to offset traditional student declining enrollments in higher education.
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Developing and implementing higher education institutional policies which promote military-connected student success
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Maintaining an authentic student-first philosophy while intentionally expanding the student veteran and military-connected student populations on campus.
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Growing professional opportunities within military-connected student support in higher education in the 21st century
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Promoting higher education as a viable career path for military-connected students
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Developing pipelines and pathways for veterans to work in higher education
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Evolving your role in the field of military-connected student support and within higher education
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Advancing the academic field of military-connected student services in higher education
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Expanding knowledge and research in the field of military-connected student studies
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Encouraging emerging and established scholars in the field of military-connected studies
The submission deadline is now October 2, 2023. Presenters will be notified of their program status in October 2023. 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 to view afterwards.
Additional Call for Programs Information
Successful Proposals:
Successful proposals should include:
- Lengthy description about session content that you will present.
- Relationship of the program to the conference themes outlined on the website.
- Identification of the program format (e.g., lecture, panel, debate) including methods for participant involvement (e.g., discussion, effective practice sharing, case study analysis).
- Evidence of the conceptual foundation for proposal content including ways the program content is grounded in research, relevant experience, a cogent model, or appropriate theory.
- Integration of equity, inclusion, and social justice for identified subpopulations (students of color, LGBTQIA+ students, international students, students with ability differences, undocumented students, etc.) or at a systems level (e.g. colonization, racial oppression and trauma, restrictive statewide policy for trans students' rights, etc.).
General Proposal Writing Tips:
Looking for tips on writing an effective general NASPA proposal? See sample submissions and formatting tips in our Program Submission Guidelines.
SMCS: Call for Reviewers
The 2024 NASPA Symposium on Military-Connected Students Planning Committee invites military-connected higher education professionals to help shape 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 October 2, 2023. The program review period will begin on October 3 and conclude on October 9, 2023. 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 at a Glance
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
Featured Speakers
Sponsors
We're excited to collaborate with like-minded individuals and organizations to support our military-connected community.
The 2024 NASPA Symposium on Military-Connected Students is now live! Click here to view exhibitor and sponorship offerings and pricing for 2024. Please connect with Fred Comparato, Senior Director of Corporate Development, with any questions regarding exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities.
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.