Southeastern Council on Military Education 2016 SECOME Symposium October 25-27 Savannah Georgia Serving Military-Affiliated Students: A Holistic Approach SECOME, a 501c3 non-profit organization, and a Council of College and Military Educators’ State Advisory Council on Military Education, is a strong coalition of educational institutions, corporations and military organizations that provides programs, services and support for the improvement of educational opportunities for veterans, uniformed service members, and their families, as well as Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel within the states of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. MISSION: To promote, support and deliver quality educational and professional opportunities and practices within all branches of the Armed Forces by providing innovative and ethical provisions for higher educational institutions, government and state entities. VISION STATEMENT: To further the excellence of the military- affiliated student through an organization that facilitates opportunity for developing and supporting quality educational institutions and organizations within North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Statement of Purpose: The Southeastern Council on Military Education delivers key competency to state and federal organizations and institutions of higher learning to support the needs of the military- affiliated student. Dear Colleagues, On behalf of our growing membership and the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Council on Military Education, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2016 SECOME Symposium. The time to meet and collaborate could not be more vital given the recent roles that state and government agencies have played in which institutions of higher learning support active duty service members, veterans and their families. While just in the last year there has been much uncertainty within the military education realm, SECOME is approaching it as an opportunity. This year’s symposium, Serving Military-Affiliated Students: A Holistic Approach, has something for everyone! We will hear directly from the source, and hopefully receive clarification and proper direction from the Department of Defense so that we can meet its goals in properly educating the Armed Forces. In addition, our prestigious speakers and knowledgeable panelists will provide integral information to better serve the military-affiliated community. I would like to encourage you to take advantage of this event, and network with friends and colleagues. Together we can truly serve this nation’s finest Heroes, and make our member states the leaders in providing higher education to military-affiliated students. Thank you for supporting SECOME. Sincerely, Ashley Adamovage SECOME President 2015-2016 SECOME Board of Directors The Board of Directors support the work of SECOME, and provide mission-based leadership and strategic governance. Appropriate in- volvement of the Board is both critical and expected. Ashley Adamovage Mik Williams President GA Board Member University of North Carolina American Public University Wilmington System Amanda Parkstone Jason Norton Vice President SC Board Member Veterans Upward Bound - TRiO Southern Wesleyan Programs University Denny Powers Jeff Netznik Secretary NC Board Member Coastal Carolina University East Carolina University Alison Hansen David Vacchi Treasurer Board Member Thomas Edison State College University of North Caroli- na Charlotte * We’d like to thank our Members at Large: Jennifer Coffey, Greg Nance 2016 Scholarship Recipients This year’s scholarship response was the largest the organization has ever seen! In addition to the scholarship, all student recipients were offered a free-night stay at this year’s conference location, the Hilton Savannah Desoto, as well as a gift card to help with travel expenses to participate on the 2016 Student Panel. Nayib Bryan, awarded $1000 (Active Duty) Central Carolina Community College, North Carolina Associates of Science Alexis Pointer, awarded $1000 (Active Duty) American Military University, Georgia Bachelors in Emergency and Disaster Management (BA) 2016 Student Panelist Roselin Rodriguez-Pinto, awarded $1000 (Veteran) Fayetteville State University, North Carolina Bachelors of Social Work Julia Trevino, awarded $1000 (Spouse) University Maryland University College, Georgia Masters in Cybersecurity Amanda Yeackley, awarded $1000 (Veteran) American Military University, Georgia Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science David Chrisinger, Keynote Speaker David Chrisinger is a the veteran experience Communication and Veteran throughout American history and Transition Specialist who believes regularly features stories written everyone has a story to tell and by veterans of the wars in Iraq that it’s imperative each of these and Afghanistan. stories is told in a way that leads David also teaches Introductory to connection and understanding. Public Policy Writing to graduate To that end, he teaches a veteran students in the Master of Public reintegration course at the Policy program in the Bloomberg University of Wisconsin-Stevens School of Public Health at Johns point to help his students tell Hopkins University, and serves as their stories of war and coming a Senior Communication home. Specialist at the U.S. Government He also edited a collection of Accountability Office, where essays, See Me for Who I he helps write informative and Am, that brings together 20 persuasive policy reports for the young student veterans working United States Congress. to bridge the cultural gap that divides them from the American people they fought to protect. In 2016 Keynote Address addition, he founded and Bridging the Divide: Finding manages a website, Stronger at the Broken Places, that examines Ways to Help Military- Connected Students Feel at Home Guest Speakers and Panelists Dr. George “Bill” Ayers, LCSW Mental Health Needs of Veteran Students: The University Responsibility Dawn Bilodeau, Chief for Discussing DoD MOU, NCO Closures, Department of Defense ESO Responsibilities, and a Q&A Voluntary Education session Dr. Grey Edwards, ESO United States Army Panelist C. David Ellard, ESO Panelist United States Marine Corps Alison Hansen, Associate Military Spouse Education Initiative Director SMSgt William Harmon, ESO Air National Guard Panelist Sue Jackson, Director of Federal & State Governments and Market Development, Military Credentialing Bodies Partner for Pearson VUE Advancement, Transition and Portability Success John Kamin, Education National Veterans Employment & Director Education Division SMSgt Eric Keys, ESO Panelist United States Air Force Reserve Wendy Lang, Director, Operation College Promise: Operation College Promise Supporting the Transition and Post- secondary Advancement of Student Veterans. Jerome Marshall, Atlanta VA Education Benefits & VA Work RPO Chief Education Liaison Study Officer Guest Speakers and Panelists Jani McGee, Military OneSource Military OneSource State Consultant Michael Midura, ACME Liaison CCME & ACME Updates CW4 George Millsaps, Ed.D, ESO North Carolina National Guard Panelist Ilario Pantano, Senior Director Syracuse University, Institute for of Community Services Veterans and Military Families Amanda Parkstone, Director of Veterans Upward Bound Program Veterans Upward Bound Taheesha Quarells, Director of DANTES/DSST Communication and Outreach Michele Spires, Director of American Council on Education Military Programs Dr. Joe Wescott, Legislative Role of the SAA as it Pertains to Director National Association of Higher Education SAAs Gregg White, ESO Panelist United States Navy Jonathan Woods, Deputy DoD Voluntary Education Programs Gordy Yowell, ESO Panelist United States Coast Guard Breakout Session I - Wednesday Option A: Mental Health Needs of Veteran Students: The University Responsibility As the number of Veterans of the War on Terror attending institutions of higher education increases, so does the requirement for services to this population. Many of these Veterans have mental health needs and issues which must be addressed, if not accommodated by the institution. This presentation will address faculty and staff responsibility for identification of such needs as well as the development of partnerships between institutions and service providers to assure that these veterans may obtain maximum benefit from their education experience. Option B: Operation College Promise: Supporting the Transition and Postsecondary Advancement of Student Veterans Operation College Promise (OCP) is a national policy, research and education program based in Trenton, New Jersey, which supports the transition and postsecondary advancement of our nation's veterans. Originating in 2008 as a web-based resource, the project was founded by the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU) in 2008 to centralize transition information for servicemembers on a comprehensive website. In 2009, OCP was one of only 20 applicants awarded an ACE/Walmart Foundation "Success for Veterans" grant. Today, the project has partner institutions across the nation and has established a National Advisory Council (NAC) to support its rapidly broader national mission. Breakout Session II - Wednesday Option A: MyCAA/SECO Overview The Department of Defense established the Spouse Education Career Opportunities program to provide education and career guidance to military spouses worldwide, offering comprehensive resources and tools related to career exploration, education,