Today’s episode we are joined by two of our admissions colleagues from Princeton University - Alex Bustin, Senior Associate Dean & Director of Transfer and Military/Veteran Admissions, and Dr. Keith Shaw, Director of Transfer, Veteran, and Non-traditional Student Programs. This rich conversation hones in on Princeton’s support of the veteran population through the admissions process and the time on campus. We talk about understanding the unique circumstances student veterans face during college & meeting them where they’re at in life, designing policies and procedures to help veterans succeed on campus, promoting academic goals through community formation, and more!
Main Topics
- Alex introduction & background (1:08)
- Keith background & introduction of the Emma Bloomberg Center at Princeton (4:51)
- Early evaluation of student veterans, the support they need on campus, and military-friendly vs military-inclusive (6:52)
- Changes over the years for recruiting student veterans (11:39)
- Importance of an individualized approach to connecting with potential applicants (15:27)
- Working with veterans in higher ed when you haven’t served, imposter syndrome among both admissions officers and veteran applicants, trusting shared experiences for improved collaboration (20:35)
- Providing support to student veterans, benefits of co-curricular programs to acclimate new student veterans to campus, creating a social & intellectual community to support one another (24:36)
- Navigating adapting student life policies for veterans, role of student veteran influence and advocacy for policy change, balancing the wide spectrum of student veteran needs on campus (30:22)
- Financially investing in veteran success (38:50)
- Advice for prospective students, current students, and higher ed colleagues (45:03)
Additional Resources
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