Faculty and Staff Resources

People who have been part of the military community as service members or family members remain connected to that community after leaving the military environment, even if only through their memories. When news regarding military missions makes headlines, students, faculty or staff with connections to the military may require extra sensitivity as they process those events.

The Office of Military Affairs is here to support all military-affiliated members of the UNCW community. Here are additional resources for students or staff:

• Visit the Counseling Center at UNCW, included with the cost of tuition
• Visit the Vet Center in Jacksonville, North Carolina, free for veterans and caregivers/family members
• Request free, confidential counseling from MilitaryOneSource, up to 12 sessions for help with any challenge
• Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, press 1
• Text a message to the Veterans Crisis Line at 838255
• Chat with a Veterans Crisis Line Responder online; click “chat”
• Contact staff in the Office of Military Affairs (open 8 am-5 pm, M-F, in Veterans Hall 1029; 910.962-2933; militaryaffairs@uncw.edu)

Do you have a military affiliation, either through your own service or that of a spouse or parent? If so, the Office of Military Affairs would like for you to join us for special events throughout the year, such as our Veterans Week celebration or one of our Military Appreciation athletic events; be sure to check the SWOOP newsletter for event listings.

Veteran Employee Support Team (VEST)

Camden Ege, UNCW's Military Affairs Program Coordinator, introduces the Veteran Employee Support Team (VEST).

The Office of Military Affairs offers Campus Green Zone training to all faculty and staff. This workshop provides an introduction to military culture, describes the challenges faced by military-affiliated students as they enter higher education, and discusses ways that UNCW works to recruit and retain these students. Participants will explore ways that they can support military-affiliated students from within their roles at the university.

• Option 1: Individuals may register for the training through the Employee Dare to Learn portal. The two-hour training sessions are usually offered once per semester, in person.
• Option 2: Faculty, staff and pre-service students may enroll to take the Campus Green Zone workshop as a self-paced tutorial in Canvas; select from the list of options on the Self-Directed Learning page.
• Option 3: Departments may schedule training sessions tailored to their interactions with military-affiliated students by emailing Camden Ege.

The Office of Military Affairs received a Friends of UNCW Grant in 2019 to purchase books that help further the ideas discussed in Green Zone training; staff and faculty are welcome to borrow these books any time from the Office of Military Affairs (Veterans Hall 1029).

All military-affiliated students (veterans, active duty service members, National Guard and Reserves service members, military spouses, and military dependents) have access to the Office of Military Affairs, including the lounge, kitchen, and quiet study area in Veterans Hall 1029.

Veterans and those currently serving have access to priority registration, a parking permit discount, and designated parking spaces.

All military-affiliated students have access to the military payment plan through their eBill.

Veterans Affairs Educational Benefits

Military-affiliated students often have questions and concerns about the use of their Veterans Affairs (VA) educational benefits at UNCW. VA benefits may be referred to by chapter or by the name or abbreviation of the name of the benefit. For example, a student might say "I'm using my Chapter 33 benefits" or "I'm using my Post-9/11 GI Bill" to refer to the same program.

At UNCW, VA benefits are handled by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. When a student has a question about their enrollment or their payments, please direct the student to contact the VA-Military Financial Aid Counselors.

Additional information about VA benefits is available on our VA Benefits Resources page.

Veterans Affairs Health Care Appointments/Deployment/Homecomings

Sometimes, military-affiliated students need to be excused from class for a variety of reasons, including appointments at a VA Healthcare Clinic, participation in military drill or training, or participation in a deployment send-off or homecoming.

These are valid reasons to excuse an absence, so please work with these students to grant them flexibility when possible. Students will do their best to inform you ahead of time when they will miss class, and they will provide necessary documentation, although the documentation may be delayed.

Please be aware that VA Healthcare appointments and deployment homecomings are not always scheduled with advance warning, so again, flexibility is key.

Other Resources

The Veterans Administration (VA) provides a Campus Toolkit with useful information on the adjustment processes that student veterans face when entering higher education and suggestions on how to work with student veterans in the classroom.

The PsychArmor Institute offers free online training courses to help people understand military culture and veterans in higher education.

The staff of the Office of Military Affairs is here to support faculty and staff as they interact with our military-affiliated population. Please reach out if you have questions or concerns about how to support our students.

If you have information to share with military-affiliated students, such as upcoming events or research, internship, work study, community service or job opportunities, you may email the details of the event and images for social media to Camden Ege for inclusion in the weekly email. The email goes out on Wednesdays when classes are in session. Faculty and staff are also welcome to receive these emails, please contact Camden Ege to be added.

Additionally, the Office of Military Affairs will gladly help you coordinate research efforts with local military populations. Please remember that public access to military bases is restricted, and any visits to local military installations will require an advance request through the Office of Military Affairs; please contact Camden Ege, the Military Affairs Program Coordinator to coordinate a visit.