Event Will Evaluate Student-Veteran Issues, Raise Awareness of Resources Availabilt for Student-Veterans

In an effort to foster a deeper understanding of the issues faced by student-veterans and identify ways to better serve them at Florida State University, the Florida State Veterans Center and the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs will host the inaugural Seminole Veteran Benefits Expo, a broad gathering of faculty, staff, students and student-veterans, as well as providers of resources for veterans.

The first-of-its-kind event at Florida State — part of the university’s effort to become the nation’s most veteran-friendly campus — will take place:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30

8:30 A.M. – 2 P.M.

AUGUSTUS B. TURNBULL III FLORIDA STATE CONFERENCE CENTER

555 W. PENSACOLA ST.

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.

“The Seminole Veteran Benefits Expo is exciting because it will bring together so many stakeholders under one roof,” said Air Force Col. Billy Francis, director of the Florida State Veterans Center. “We hope that by the end of this event we will be able to put our ideas into action as early as the upcoming fall semester to empower student-veterans at Florida State by easing their transition from military to student life, increasing their retention rates and boosting their post-enrollment employment.”

The event will be divided into two parts.

Dialogues
Francis and FloridaState University President Eric J. Barron will lead off a set of invitation-only dialogues (open to the news media) with opening remarks at 8:30 a.m. The dialogues, which will be facilitated by Florida State faculty members, will continue until noon. The first will focus on easing the “military to college” transition of student-veterans. The second will focus on improving student-veteran retention rates.

“The purpose of the dialogues is to create a forum for healthy conversations, which will help the university prioritize the actions it needs to take to improve the experiences of our student-veterans,” Francis said.

Veterans-resource exhibition
A veterans-resource exhibition, which is open to the public — especially local veterans and their families — takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will feature representatives from university offices and local, state and federal agencies that provide various services and assistance to veterans.

The event is being presented with support from the offices of the President, Student Affairs, University Relations, Admissions and Undergraduate Studies, as well as the Florida State College of Medicine.

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CONTACT: Col. Billy Francis
(850) 645-9866; wfrancis@admin.fsu.edu

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