Veterans Transition Center

NOTE: The VTC is now known as the Student Veterans Association. Make sure you visit their new website www.umnsva.org for the most up-to-date information about events and contact info. Or visit them on Facebook here.

The Veterans Transition Center (VTC) is a non-partisan student-led Veterans group at the University of MN-Twin Cities started by Comfort for Courage (C4C). We exist to support the veterans of our country's Armed Forces and our main goal is to help student veterans smoothly make the transition from military to civilian life. We provide student veterans with a place where they can meet other student veterans in a friendly atmosphere. Stop by and share your story if you'd like, or hear another veteran's story. The VTC is open to and encourages participation of non-veterans, all students, staff and faculty of the University, as well as neighbors in the community. Veterans do a great job of supporting each other, but it is important to note the support veterans receive from non-veterans and the importance of that support. We want to build an environment on campus that is supportive of and friendly to veterans and making the VTC open to non-veterans is an important part in achieving that goal.

What's in the VTC?
• Couches to relax on
• Computers w/ Internet
• TV with DVD player (and some DVDs)
• Free pop and candy

SPECIAL THANK YOU to AT&T/Operation Homefront for their generous donation of $40,000 in 2008.

The VTC was awarded the Tony Diggs Excellence Award for the Rookie Registered Student Organization (RSO) of the Year for 2007. This award recognizes newer student groups (less than 3 years since inception) who have demonstrated significant success and development in following the mission and goals of their organization.

• FREE Pizza Lunches, Fridays 11:30am-1pm
• Other events (BBQs, happy-hours, camping, etc.)

• Get matched with a Veteran in your field of study
• Opportunity for professional development
• Great networking opportunities
• Reference for scholarships/future employment

The relationship between a mentor and a student provides a learning experience for students outside the classroom where they can experience opportunities in the "real world" (civilian style). Mentoring relationships are intended:

• To be professional in nature.

• To help motivate students to succeed in their transition from the military to an academic environment and on to the civilian working-world.

• To offer an opportunity for professional development, networking and an exchange of ideas between experienced professionals and the next generation of leaders.

If you want to be a mentor to a student veteran, if you want to be matched with a mentor, or if you would like more information about this program, please contact the Officer of Professional Development. You can sign-up anytime of the year to get matched with a mentor.

Website for Veterans at the University of Minnesota - through One Stop Student Services:
http://onestop.umn.edu/onestop/Veterans.html

Veterans Resource Office
Access resources and individualized assistance related to medical benefits, employment, family assistance, transition issues, and additional veterans benefits and programs
Address:
Higher Education Veterans Programs
One Stop Student Services
University of Minnesota
200 Fraser Hall
106 Pleasant St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Phone: 612-625-7620
Fax: 612-625-3002
E-mail: bauer333@umn.edu
Website: http://onestop.umn.edu/onestop/Registration/Veterans_Certification/Veterans_Resource_Office.html

Veterans Certification Office
Learn how to apply for veterans education benefits for new, returning, transfer, and non-degree students. Access procedures related to military activation and return from activation
Address:
One Stop Student Services
University of Minnesota
200 Fraser Hall
106 Pleasant St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Phone: 612-625-8076
Fax: 612-625-3002
Email: veterans@umn.edu
Website: http://onestop.umn.edu/onestop/Registration/Veterans_Certification.html

Warrior To Citizen Campaign
Warrior to Citizen Website:http://publicwork.org/2_wcc.html
Community Dialogue Facilitator Training Guide: Download file
MN Works Together Website:http://minnesotaworkstogether.org/tml

Veterans Movie Night - Iraq: A Student Veteran's Experience
Who: All veterans, University students, staff, faculty, and our friends/neighbors in the community were invited.
What: The VTC offered this exclusive, unbiased movie based on one of our veteran's experiences during his deployment to Iraq. This event was intended to help students understand a bit more about what many student veterans (their peers on campus) have experienced during their deployment(s) to a combat zone. This was also a good way for veterans to learn about the experiences of other veterans. This event was intended to create a sense of community among the veterans on campus and to help bridge the gap between veterans and non-veterans.
When: Wednesday April 16th, 2008, 6:30pm - 9pm
Where: Theater in Coffman Union
Free popcorn & pop were provided.

Grand (re) Opening of the VTC
On March 14th, 2008, we celebrated our new home in Wesbrook Hall with lots of free food, soda, camaraderie, and other fun stuff, including handing out Warrior to Citizen Challenge Coins to all veterans in attendance. See more info about this coin at http://www.vessey5401.org/article/319/warrior-to-citizen.

Picture of the new room:

Pizza Fridays

- Student Veterans Appreciation Day, November 14th, 2007 -

Veterans Speaker Series
When: Thursday November 29th, 7pm
Where: Vincent Hall, Room 16
What: We had two veterans share their experiences from their deployments. This was intended to help students understand a bit more about what student veterans (their peers on campus) have experienced during their time on active duty. This was also a good way for veterans to learn about the experiences of other veterans. This event was intended to create a sense of community among the veterans on campus and to help bridge the gap between veterans and non-veterans.

All pictures are subject to copyright and may not be used without permission of the author and/or the photographer.

Please see the new website listed below for the most up-to-date contact information.

Address:
Veterans Transition Center
302 Wesbrook Hall
77 Pleasant Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Map:

Email: president@umnsva.org
Website: http://www.umnsva.org/
Hours: M-F 8am-5:30pm
Phone: 612-624-2913

Veterans-L@lists.umn.edu - This is an email listserv with occasional updates, opportunities, and Veteran-oriented information. Email it asking to be added if you'd like to get these types of occasional emails.

VTC-List@lists.umn.edu - This is the VTC member listserv which is for VTC members only and is used mainly to tell members about weekly events. If you want to become a member of the VTC, send your name and University x500 id (your university email address) to VTC-List@lists.umn.edu and ask to be added to the VTC member listserv.

On September 16, 2005, the University of Minnesota announced that it would sponsor Comfort for Courage’s proposed Veterans Transition Center on the University’s campus.

“This transition center aims to offer a safe-haven and help curb the disturbingly high drop out rate of veterans who return to school,� said Andy Davis, chairman of Comfort for Courage. “We are excited about this opportunity, because we could feel the influx of veterans returning to school similar to what the country felt after World War II.�

During the fall 2005 semester, Comfort for Courage and the University of Minnesota worked to establish the new transition center in Eddy Hall. Volunteers, many of them student veterans, staff the transition center. The VTC exists mainly as a place for veterans to meet other veterans and develop a new support system. Information about educational and other veteran-related resources is also readily available and shared within the student veteran community.

“A solid education is the foundation for achieving personal goals and successes,� said Jerry Rinehart, the university’s Vice Provost for Student Affairs. “We want to ensure that returning student veterans have the support they need to make the most out of their learning experience. We applaud Comfort for Courage’s forward thinking and compassion for the men and women who serve our country.�

Comfort for Courage is a student-led, non-profit, non-partisan effort to support the nation’s armed services. Since its inception in November 2004, Comfort for Courage has shipped more than seven tons of comfort items to service-men and -women serving overseas. Two University of Minnesota students, Andy Davis and Tony Richter, founded the organization. Andy Davis is a former Army Ranger who served three combat tours in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Tony Richter graduated from the University's Carlson School of Management in 2007.