Recruiting and Retaining Veteran Students at UTSA

Career Level: Basic-, intermediate-, and advanced-level career services, university relations and recruiting, and business affiliate professionals
Competency: Working with individuals and groups
Fee: FREE (member); FREE (nonmember);

Summary
The presentation, led by Michael Logan from UTSA Veteran and Military Affairs and Courtney Pletcher from UTSA Career Services, focuses on UTSA's strategies for recruiting, retaining, and supporting veteran students. It highlights key initiatives such as veteran-focused recruitment efforts, retention programs like mentoring and flexible academic scheduling, and the creation of a veteran-friendly campus community.

The presentation also addresses the specific needs of women veterans and veterans of color, emphasizing inclusivity. Additionally, it explores key partnerships across campus, research on veteran outcomes, and offers analogies to student-athletes to illustrate the importance of tailored support. Actionable takeaways are provided for institutions looking to improve their veteran student services, with an emphasis on leveraging partnerships and existing resources. The session concludes with a Q&A.

Following this program, you will be able to:
- Understand UTSA's recruitment and retention strategies for veteran students, including outreach efforts and specialized support programs;
- Recognize the importance of building a strong, veteran-friendly community on campus to foster connection and success for veteran students;
- Identify key academic, career, mental health, and financial support systems that veteran students need to transition successfully from military to civilian life;
- Explore tailored strategies for recruiting and supporting women veterans and veterans of color, emphasizing diversity and inclusion;
- Learn about the importance of campus and external partnerships in supporting veteran students, leveraging both internal and community resources; and
- Analyze research data on veteran student outcomes and use it to assess and improve support programs.
Presenters

Courtney Pletcher, Senior Career Consultant, The University of Texas at San Antonio - Career Services
Courtney Pletcher is a senior career consultant at the University Career Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and Gallup-certified Strengths coach. She is also a U.S. Navy veteran who served primarily at Ft. Meade, MD, as a cryptologic technician (CTR) and earned her information dominance warfare pin designation. Having received both her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and Master of Science in clinical mental health counseling from UTSA, she is a proud double UTSA alumna. Her professional interests include design thinking, career development, motivational theories, and solution-focused and strengths-based approaches. Her top five CliftonStrengths are maximizer, intellection, command, input, and self-assurance.

Michael Logan, Senior Director of Veteran and Military Affairs, The University of Texas at San Antonio
Michael Logan, Ph.D., is the senior director of Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). A Texas native and former Marine Corps infantryman, he served two overseas deployments before using the Montgomery GI Bill and Texas Hazlewood exemption to pursue his education while working full time and raising three children. His own experience as a transitioning veteran inspired his career in supporting military-affiliated students. At UTSA, Dr. Logan oversees federal and state benefits for nearly 5,000 students and leads the Center for Military Affiliated Students, which facilitates more than10,000 individual interactions each semester. He also manages the Military Affiliated Collaborative, offering programming, advocacy, and case management. Dr. Logan’s research focuses on student veterans' sense of belonging in college, raising awareness of veteran culture, and improving services for military-affiliated individuals. His work has been presented at national conferences, and he has mentored students with a 100% acceptance rate for presenting their research at national symposia. In 2020, he received the President’s Distinguished Diversity Award for his contributions to defining and promoting veteran culture.