Increasing the sense of belonging and services for veteran students

Lauren Dinse; Vahid Motevalli

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publication Date: June 22, 2025
Start Date: June 22, 2025
End Date: August 15, 2025
Conference Session: Military and Veterans Division (MVD) 1 - Access and Integration
Tagged Division: Military and Veterans Division (MVD)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 14
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/56788

Paper Authors

biography

Lauren Dinse Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, The Capital College

visit author page

Lauren Dinse has served as the Associate Director of Student Aid and Veterans Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg for over seven years, with more than 15 years of experience in higher education. She is also a doctoral candidate at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, pursuing a degree in Administration and Leadership Studies. Lauren holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, both from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her work in higher education, she has experience supporting veterans in a mental health capacity, having worked for several years in inpatient drug and alcohol treatment centers.

visit author page

biography

Vahid Motevalli Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, The Capital College

visit author page

Authorship: Lauren R. Dinse and Vahid Motevalli
Ms. Lauren R. Dinse is the Associate Director of Student Aid & Veterans Affairs
Dr. Vahid Motevalli is the Quentin Berg Chair and Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

At Penn State Harrisburg, veterans and military personnel constitute between 3-6% of student enrollment. About 26% of these students are enrolled in engineering majors and another 8% are enrolled in other STEM fields. To serve this population with intentionality and purpose, as well as enhance student success, we find it essential to explore the social and academic gaps for our students, and what types of programming could best address those needs. Past and current surveys of this student body have proven to be effective due to a higher than usual response rate. Questions assessed a range of topics, including recruitment pathways, experiences with a variety of student services, desire for veteran-specific programming/services, and perceptions regarding the campus’s veteran-friendliness. The survey finding pointed out that most veteran students did not recognize many student services applied to them since they considered themselves a separate, more non-traditional group of students.

Results from a 2019 survey showed that most students (79%) enrolled in the college through reputation. Of the respondents, only 3% attended a recruitment-specific event, such as an open house. Veteran students showed a strong awareness of the services on campus, with three specific offices being overwhelmingly utilized (financial aid, advising, and veterans affairs) while others were utilized minimally. Additionally, the majority of respondents answered affirmatively that the campus was veteran-friendly (92%), but several respondents identified areas for growth, such as more veteran-specific programming, affinity groups, services specific to veteran students, and a better understanding of military culture, and what their service means within a broader campus context. An updated survey was disseminated at the beginning of the spring 2025 semester. Similar to the 2019 survey, the majority of respondents enrolled in the college through reputation (85%), as opposed to attending a recruitment-specific event. Regarding academic and social support resources, awareness and satisfaction remained high, but utilization of said services was relatively low at 41%. Additionally, no statistically significant relationships were found between student’s major and levels of satisfaction with academic support or social support. Results from this survey will build on the work noted above to provide more concrete information needed to support veteran and military students, particularly in engineering and STEM fields. Findings from this study will help guide programming and outreach efforts targeted at closing socialization gaps for our veteran students.

Citation
Format

Dinse, L., & Motevalli, V. (2025, June), Increasing the sense of belonging and services for veteran students Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/56788

TY - CPAPER
AB - At Penn State Harrisburg, veterans and military personnel constitute between 3-6% of student enrollment. About 26% of these students are enrolled in engineering majors and another 8% are enrolled in other STEM fields. To serve this population with intentionality and purpose, as well as enhance student success, we find it essential to explore the social and academic gaps for our students, and what types of programming could best address those needs. Past and current surveys of this student body have proven to be effective due to a higher than usual response rate. Questions assessed a range of topics, including recruitment pathways, experiences with a variety of student services, desire for veteran-specific programming/services, and perceptions regarding the campus’s veteran-friendliness. The survey finding pointed out that most veteran students did not recognize many student services applied to them since they considered themselves a separate, more non-traditional group of students.

Results from a 2019 survey showed that most students (79%) enrolled in the college through reputation. Of the respondents, only 3% attended a recruitment-specific event, such as an open house. Veteran students showed a strong awareness of the services on campus, with three specific offices being overwhelmingly utilized (financial aid, advising, and veterans affairs) while others were utilized minimally. Additionally, the majority of respondents answered affirmatively that the campus was veteran-friendly (92%), but several respondents identified areas for growth, such as more veteran-specific programming, affinity groups, services specific to veteran students, and a better understanding of military culture, and what their service means within a broader campus context.
An updated survey was disseminated at the beginning of the spring 2025 semester. Similar to the 2019 survey, the majority of respondents enrolled in the college through reputation (85%), as opposed to attending a recruitment-specific event. Regarding academic and social support resources, awareness and satisfaction remained high, but utilization of said services was relatively low at 41%. Additionally, no statistically significant relationships were found between student’s major and levels of satisfaction with academic support or social support. Results from this survey will build on the work noted above to provide more concrete information needed to support veteran and military students, particularly in engineering and STEM fields. Findings from this study will help guide programming and outreach efforts targeted at closing socialization gaps for our veteran students.

AU - Lauren Dinse
AU - Vahid Motevalli
CY - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DA - 2025/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Increasing the sense of belonging and services for veteran students
UR - https://peer.asee.org/56788
ER -