1. 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This past academic school year has seen the largest influx of student veterans to the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill since the conclusion of World War II. In response to this sudden and major addition to UNC-
Chapel Hill’s student body, the university has updated its diversity statement to reinforce its commitment to the
accommodation and inclusivity efforts made on behalf of this newly prominent public.
The2016UNC-ChapelHillBatemanteamchosetofocusitscampaignoncontributingtotheuniversity’smovement
towards inclusivity—an effort that we found to be central to the desires of the student veteran community itself.
At the forefront of UNC-Chapel Hill’s student veteran community is the university chapter of Student Veterans
of America (SVA), the Carolina Veterans Organization (CVO). It became increasingly clear through our every
interaction with members of CVO that they all maintained one common assertion: “We are students first.”
The Student First campaign was created to facilitate student veteran interaction with traditional students in a
way that allowed CVO members to present their military backgrounds in conjunction with their lives as normal
college students, instead of allowing the former to eclipse the identity of the organization.
To do this, the Student First campaign focused on hosting events that would appeal to any and every UNC-
Chapel Hill student: free coffee, Bojangles, puppies and joining together to celebrate the community-wide hatred
of our sports rival, Duke.
The success of these events further provided the Student First campaign with the opportunity to disrupt the
“broken veteran” narrative that often surrounds interactions with student veterans and can make both parties
uncomfortable when engaging in further conversation. We concluded that the most effective way to disrupt this
pervasive manner of thinking was through facilitating firsthand interactions with our student veterans.
Creating opportunities for members of CVO to engage traditional students in casual conversation proved to be an
invaluable tool in both negating the broken veteran narrative as well as creating a new narrative that highlighted
that our student veterans are, foremost, students—complete with hopes, worries, and collegiate needs familiar to
all UNC-Chapel Hill students.
“No one told me not to take ECON 101 with that professor.”
-Ian, UNC Student Veteran
RESEARCH
Secondary Research
Articles and statistics that address the concerns and non-concerns of student veterans
attending traditional universities. (Appendix 4)
The Stigma
The Department of Veteran Affairs indicates that roughly 30% of returning veterans are compensated through
federal disability as having Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Humphrey, n.d.). However, it remains the case
that Hollywood and other mass media vehicles disproportionately characterize veterans as suffering from such
trauma and consequently unfit to reintegrate into civilian life. These inaccurate depictions of veterans have
even made appearances in the fashion industry. The non-military affiliated brand Dysfunctional Veterans is
printing shirts bearing slogans such as “leave me alone” and consequently encouraging a distasteful perception
that has upset members of the veteran community (Dysfunctional Veterans). Some veterans have taken to
2. 2
social media to express their opposition to this dialogue and claim that “leave me alone” is the last thing
veterans are thinking. “I truly cannot think of a better way to spread the stereotype that we are dangerous”
(Eberly, 2015).
The Age Gap
While the typical age for traditional students is 18-22 years old, the VA suggests that only 15% of student
veterans fall within this age range. More commonly, student veterans range from 24 to 40 years old at the time
of their enrollment (Educational Attainment, 2006). Student veterans tend to have very different collegiate
experiences than those of traditional students primarily due to their military backgrounds (Horton, 2012).
Instead of new cell phones and block parties, many student veterans are much more concerned with bills,
spouses, children and other priorities. Consequently it is often the case that student veterans feel isolated while
attending universities because of the age gap.
The Classroom
Smaller classes can have a greater appeal to student veterans because they provide more opportunities to
develop personal relationships with their professors (Zaja, 2015). The same student veterans credited SVA with
having a profound impact on their experiences as college students by creating a community of student veterans
on campus.
The G.I. Bill
According to recent statistics provided by vets.gov, 344 out of 416 student veterans currently attending UNC-
Chapel Hill are receiving GI Bill benefits. Student veterans at UNC-Chapel Hill have a retention rate of 100% in
comparison to the national average of 67% for traditional students (Bill Comparison Tool, n.d.).
Primary Research
In our primary research we conducted a total of 21 interviews with faculty, traditional students
and student veterans; attended CVO meetings regularly to understand the organization’s
mission; held one focus group with traditional students; and participated in a student veteran
awareness training program to broaden our understanding of both the client’s needs as well as
the current climate surrounding the student veteran experience at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Carolina Veterans Organization Meetings
CVO set aside time in weekly meetings for us to have one-on-one interviews with members. We attended
nine weekly CVO meetings and were able to build relationships with its members and learn about their lives
as student veterans. The main issues facing CVO are the lack of awareness among the UNC-Chapel Hill
community, connecting with other students and fundraising. Age has been a barrier in interacting with their
traditional classmates, though they want to be perceived as students just like everyone else. We also observed
that CVO is a tight knit group with strong leadership but a lack of outreach connectability.
Interviews
We conducted 21 interviews and have summarized our findings from each population in the lists below.
Individual Student Veterans (Appendix 5A)
We met with three student veterans in CVO who were from different military branches to learn about
their experiences at UNC-Chapel Hill and in the military. We recorded one of the interviews and, with his
permission, posted it on YouTube. We learned that student veterans are proud of their experiences and
do not want to hide their service, but that they also do not necessarily want to be thanked or have people
make assumptions about them because of it. They said the media is a powerful source of these assumptions,
3. 3
especially those surrounding PTSD. They noted difficulties transitioning from the military to college due to the
new dynamic it played with their families and the less-structured lifestyle, though they also said dorms and
dining halls were comparable to military life.
Traditional Students (Appendix 5B)
Most students we interviewed did not know basic facts about the military and those who did learned it mainly
from friends or family. Although each student noted that student veterans had a much different experience
from their own, they believed student veterans still enjoy the same things as they do, such as going out with
friends or doing basic hobbies. Only one of the 12 interviewed knew about the CVO.
Faculty (Appendix 5C)
We talked to faculty with a variety of experience with the military and military-affiliated students. We found
that professors went about teaching these students in very different ways- some tailored assignments to match
the higher-level of maturity of student veterans, while others believed that changing their teaching style would
be “insulting” to the student. All professors noted that student veterans tend to stick out in the classroom.
Student Veteran Assistance Coordinator (Appendix 5D)
Amber Mathwig, a 10-year Navy veteran, was hired by UNC-Chapel Hill this academic year to act as a voice
for student veterans and help with their transition to the university setting. She identified a major issue facing
student veterans is people talking about veterans as if they are not in the room. The common image of veterans
held by non-military-affiliated individuals is white, male, aggressive, conservative and around 25-30 years of
age. These assumptions have made the military affiliation a barrier for some student veterans. She highlighted
that student veterans are foremost students and go through the same struggles as traditional students, such as
finding parking on campus or getting into classes. This perspective helped frame the message of our Student
First campaign. She noted that CVO has been a positive experience for the student veteran population.
Focus Group (Appendix 5E)
We conducted a pre-campaign focus group with seven traditional students. None of the students had heard
of CVO and only one had heard about the Green Zone training offered for student veteran awareness. The
common perception of student veterans was that they were smart, disciplined and motivated in the classroom,
but that they could be hard to relate with to due to the age gap.
Green Zone Training Program (Appendix 5F)
Our team completed UNC-Chapel Hill’s three-hour Green Zone training, which is designed to help both
students and faculty to learn more about the transition from military to civilian student life. It had recently
been updated by the Student Veteran Assistance Coordinator to address more relevant challenges affecting
student veterans. Three key takeaways were: 1) UNC-Chapel Hill student veterans are highly motivated and
doing well academically; 2) their experience is unique as they oftentimes are coping with survivor guilt,
navigating a less-structured environment and dealing with the assumptions of others; and 3) that the primary
issues they face in college are identical to those of traditional students.
KEY PUBLICS
Primary:
Traditional UNC-Chapel Hill students
Secondary:
Faculty and other veterans within the UNC-Chapel Hill community
4. 4
Challenge:
In our interviews with current CVO members, we found that many of the student veterans had initially felt the
desire to actively avoid any military associated groups on campus.
Opportunity:
Rather than highlight the CVO’s military association, we chose instead to focus on the student part of being a
student veteran. This led us to organize all of our events to reflect that the members of the CVO are foremost
college students. As a result, CVO members were able to present their military backgrounds in conjunction with
their lives as normal college students instead of allowing the former to eclipse the identity of the organization.
Challenge:
Due to the media-driven narrative of the “broken veteran,” there is often an underlying air of uncertainty
surrounding interactions with student veterans that can make both parties uncomfortable in engaging in
further conversation.
Opportunity:
We concluded that the most-effective way to address this pervasive viewpoint was to counter such exaggerated
portrayals by creating a series of videos that allowed our student veterans to directly address both the
inaccuracy and insensitivity of the “broken veteran” narrative. We also focused all of our events on emphasizing
firsthand interaction with our student veterans. Facilitating this interaction proved to be an invaluable tool in
both disrupting these stigmas as well as reinforcing our campaign’s overall message that our student veterans
are, foremost, students, with interests, hobbies and the collegiate needs familiar to all students at UNC-Chapel
Hill.
Challenge:
Our implementation period fell during one of the busiest times of the semester between midterms and students
leaving for spring break.
Opportunity:
To take advantage of this hectic atmosphere, we chose to host three events in the busiest places on campus
and to offer free coffee, doughnuts, and 5-hour energy shots to those students preparing for midterms. We
encouraged students to have their coffees at one of the tables we had provided and to engage the CVO members
in conversation. Many traditional students sat in conversation with members of the CVO for up to thirty
minutes at a time.
Challenge:
To protect the privacy of student veterans entering UNC-Chapel Hill, veteran status cannot be shared publicy.
Opportunity:
It became all the more rewarding and indicative of our success at outreach on campus when student veterans
not associated with CVO would willingly offer up this information and inquire further about how to get
involved with CVO.
CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
GOAL
To create and provide opportunities for CVO student veterans and traditional students to
interact in a manner that focuses on finding unity in their experiences as UNC-Chapel Hill
students rather than highlighting their differences.
5. 5
We chose Student First as our campaign message
because it embodies the key messages in a succinct yet meaningful way and can be used as a
hashtag, promotional tagline and logo.
Objective 1:
Increase the number of structured interactions from two last fall to five events this spring, introduce the new
campaign message, Student First, and attain event-specific participation objectives.
Strategy 1:
Create and promote social events that resonate with students and encourage one-on-one interactions be-
tween student veterans and their traditional student peers.
Tactic 1: Pets with Vets (Appendix 6A)
Nothing brings people together quite like puppies! Partner with two community organizations that help train
puppies to be service dogs and host this event in “The Pit,” a popular campus gathering place. The cute canines
will be a great catalyst to promote interaction among student veterans and traditional students, while also help-
ing the pets develop their social skills. We hope to reach 100 people through this event.
Tactic 2 : BoTime Tailgate (Appendix 6B)
Host a tailgating event by the Old Well (a high traffic, landmark spot on campus) to kick off the UNC-Duke
rivalry basketball game. Invite CVO members to chat with visitors, ranging from students and faculty to
families and locals walking through campus. Featured one of UNC-Chapel Hill students’ favorite meals,
Bojangles chicken and fixins’, as well as games and performances by three a cappella groups. We hope to reach
120 people through this event.
Tactic 3: Two “Pit Sit” Information Sessions (Appendix 6C)
Host information sessions in the main hub of student activity to allow us to share CVO’s key messages and en-
courage informal conversations between student veterans and traditional students. We hope to reach 100 each
day through these events.
KEY MESSAGES
1. Carolina Veterans Organization is a nonprofit group of student veterans at UNC-Chapel
Hill who served in the military prior to starting their academic careers. They participate
in service projects, fellowship and fundraising.
2. Student veterans enjoy the same things as traditional students (i.e., coffee, sports
rivalries) and also share the same concerns (i.e., what classes to take, parking, where to
hang out).
3. Although they have had unique experiences, not all student veterans were wounded
physically or emotionally during their military service.
CAMPAIGN MESSAGE
OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES & TACTICS
6. 6
Strategy 2:
Create and promote social events that permit group interactions with CVO members and traditional
students as well as between CVO members and faculty.
Tactic 1: Coffee with a Veteran (Appendix 6D)
Since coffee is a staple of the college experience, create a Coffee with a Veteran event in the Student Union
to encourage students to sit down and get to know members of CVO. Partner with the UNC Panhellenic
Council to encourage members of a traditional student community to have conversations with CVO members.
Provide scripted questions to help traditional students start conversations, as well as everyone’s favorites: free
Starbucks coffee and Krispy Kreme doughnuts. We hope to reach 70 people through this event.
Tactic 2: Q&A Panel (Appendix 6E)
Host a Q&A Panel with five members and one alumna of CVO. Use personal invitations to invite faculty,
students and members of the community to hear from the student veteran panelists about their educational
and military experiences, and why they see themselves as students first. We hope to reach at least five UNC-
Chapel Hill faculty members through this event.
Strategy 3:
Create YouTube and social media communication that will build awareness among the target publics.
Tactic 1: Social Media Campaign (Appendix 6F)
Engage our targeted audiences on social media and give a voice to the Student First brand through posts about
our events, mission and current student concerns. We hope to gain 100 likes and followers on each platform.
Tactic 2: Buzzfeed-Inspired Student Veteran Video (Appendix 6G)
Create a YouTube video that asks traditional students how much they know about the military and intercut
responses from CVO members to challenge the assumptions made by non-military affiliated students and in-
crease awareness of student veterans and CVO. We hope to reach 100 views on this video.
Objective 2:
Increase CVO’s fundraising initiative to help them raise $300 by March 15, 2016.
Strategy 1:
Incorporate fundraising into student-related events.
Tactic 1: Benefit Night (Appendix 6H)
Host a benefit night at a well-known, local restaurant that is popular among the student body. Invite students,
faculty and the community to enjoy great food and drink specials. Benefit nights are very popular among stu-
dent groups on campus and are a well-known way to raise money for organizations. All proceeds will go directly
into CVO community service projects funds.
Tactic 2: Raffle (Appendix 6I)
Incorporate a raffle into the tailgating event with giveaways that are most attractive to UNC-Chapel Hill
students such as: local restaurant gift cards and a basketball signed by UNC-Chapel Hill alum and NBA star
Antawn Jamison. Sell tickets during the event and presell to students and faculty who cannot attend the event
but would still like to donate to help CVO fund their community service projects.
7. 7
OBJECTIVE 1: EXCEEDED
Increased the number of structured interactions from two last fall to five events this spring and introduced the
new campaign, Student First.
Our first strategy to hold two meet-and-greets, a Q&A panel, promotion on campus grounds,
a social media campaign, and our fact-or-fiction video successfully encouraged one-on-one
interactions between student veterans and their traditional peers.
Tactic 1: The Pets with Vets event, hosted in “The Pit,” included five dogs from EENP, a local community
organization, and Helping Paws, a student group on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus, to inspire traditional student
interactions with members of CVO. We had about 120 traditional students and faculty attend the event,
exceeding our goal of 100.
Tactic 2: The BoTime Tailgate event used Bojangles food, sports, music and the popular UNC-Duke
basketball game to bring CVO members, faculty, students and families together as one big community. About
175 people attend our event, exceeding our goal of 120.
Tactic 3: Our “Pit-Sit” Information Sessions exceeded our goal of 100 people and drew about 250
participants through informal conversations between student veterans and traditional students to capture their
interest in the Student First campaign.
Our second strategy encouraged group interactions between CVO members and two UNC-
Chapel Hill student groups, one local community group, traditional students and faculty.
Tactic 1: The Coffee with a Veteran event, in partnership with UNC-Chapel Hill’s Panhellenic Council,
used free coffee and doughnuts to attract 150 attendees, exceeding our goal of 70.
Tactic 2: The Q&A Panel was promoted through personal invitations to faculty and traditional students
and drew six faculty members and four traditional students. This exceeded our goal of five faculty members in
attendance.
Our third strategy allowed us to use multiple forms of media, like YouTube videos and social
media, to build awareness to our target publics.
Tactic 1: Our Social Media Campaign, aimed for 100 likes and followers per platform on the Student First
accounts and gained 120 on Facebook and 160 on Instagram.
Tactic 2: Our Buzzfeed-Inspired Student Veteran Video received 497 views which surpassed our goal
of 100.
OBJECTIVE 2: EXCEEDED
Exceeded our fundraising goal of $300 and helped raise $901 to support CVO’s community service projects.
Our strategy to infuse fundraising opportunities into our awareness events proved to be highly
successful.
Tactic 1: Our Benefit Night invited our target publics and community to enjoy food and drink specials that
helped to raise $580, with all proceeds going to CVO for its service projects.
Tactic 2: The Raffle at our BoTime Tailgate raised $321 ($1 for 1 ticket, $3 for 5 tickets) exceeding our goal of
$200.
EVALUATION
8. 8
Thanks to the support of many local donors, our campaign was a financial success. (Appendix 1)
The Student First campaign succeeded in its goal of creating opportunities for CVO members and traditional
students to interact in a way that focused on their commonalities as students rather than their differences.
Through six student-oriented events, the Student First campaign bridged the gap between the UNC-Chapel
Hill chapter of SVA and traditional students by bonding over things that all college students enjoy such as free
coffee, tailgating and puppies. We were able to facilitate meaningful one-on-one conversations that challenged
common misperceptions non-military affiliated people may have about the military, while raising awareness of
the UNC-Chapel Hill student veteran population and the campus organization, CVO.
Impact
Student First addressed the SVA campaign goals that were most relevant to our UNC-Chapel Hill chapter
during a time when the presence of student veterans is at an all-time high on our campus. Student First
is helping to change the narrative of the “broken veteran” by showing that most UNC-Chapel Hill student
veterans do not struggle in the ways that their traditional counterparts may assume and that they are students
navigating college just like everyone else. Through the intentional, casual style of our programming, traditional
UNC-Chapel Hill students engaged with CVO and learned more about the military experience as well as the
goals of CVO as an organization. Student First also raised community awareness by igniting relationships
between CVO and popular restaurants, nonprofits and the local Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Longevity
The Student First campaign provides a brand that will resonate in the Carolina community beyond March 15.
The image of student veterans as students first will live on through CVO’s partnerships such as that with UNC-
Chapel Hill Panhellenic Council, which has expressed interest in making “Coffee with a Veteran” an annual
event. Student First also strengthened CVO’s fundraising and social media skillset to help make the success of
this organization sustainable. By highlighting similarities, Student First has created a long-lasting narrative of
unity amongst each member of the diverse Carolina community.
MEDIA COVERAGE
BUDGET
CONCLUSION
We successfully pitched the Student First campaign message to UNC-Chapel Hill’s student broadcast show,
“Carolina Week.” The executive producer and reporter came to both Coffee with a Veteran and Pets with Vets to
shoot footage of CVO members interacting with traditional students. The story is set to run in April.
$839
$101
$54
$131
$12
$44
Out-of-Pocket Expenses In-Kind Donations
Raffle
Promotion
Event
Total: $187 Total: $994
9. A9
APPENDIX
Name: Item(s): Cost: Category:
Micah (2) coffee $25.00 Event
Micah poster board $3.00 Promotion
Payton foam board $16.00 Promotion
Payton ketchup/trashba $7.00 Event
Elizabeth water bottles/coo $6.00 Event
Elizabeth poster board $3.00 Promotion
Elizabeth Raffle tickets $12.00 Raffle
Elizabeth coffee supplies $10.00 Event
Elizabeth plates/forks $7.00 Event
Lauren decorations $76.00 Event
Prof. Boynton thank you cards $22.00 Promotion
Prof. Boynton shipping $50.00 -
Total: $237.00
Left to spend: $63.00
Bateman Finances - Out-of-pocket
1: Finance Appendix
Donor: Item(s): Amount: Category:
School of Media &
Journalism Bojangles for pre-game picnic $463.00 Event
School of Media &
Journalism
Krispy Kreme donuts for Coffee
with a Veteran $66.00 Event
Krispy Kreme
4 dozen donuts for Coffee with a
Veteran $32.00 Event
Starbucks 2 coffee boxes $28.00 Event
Carolina Coffee Shop Gift Card $15.00 Raffle
Ben and Jerry's Gift Cards $20.00 Raffle
Spankys Restaurant Gift cards $20.00 Raffle
School of Media &
Journalism Flyers $54.00 Promotion
Prof. Boynton Gift Card $10.00 Raffle
R&R Grill Gift card $30.00 Raffle
Starbucks coffee (~100 people) $100.00 Event
5-Hour Energy 100 5-hour energies $150.00 Event
4 our Fans community &
public relations firm
basketball autographed by
UNC/NBA star Antawn Jamison $6.00 Raffle
Total in-kind donations $994.00
Left to receive: $6.00
Bateman Finances - In-Kind
10. A10
April 3, 2016
Jeneen Garcia
Executive Director
PRSA
33 Maiden Lane, 11th
Floor
New York, NY 10038
Dear Ms. Garcia:
I am writing to affirm that I have reviewed the campaign evaluation by the Carolina PRSSA Bateman
Team and confirm that only the evaluative data available from February 15, 2016 to March 15, 2016
were factored into the results.
Account management (passwords and logins) for the Instagram and Twitter accounts created by the
Carolina PRSSA Bateman Team for Carolina Veterans Organization have been transitioned to the CVO
leadership so that they may continue to use these resources to build their brand recognition and
organizational membership. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts created exclusively for the
Student First campaign events have been deactivated. The last posts appeared March 5 on Twitter,
March 8 on Instagram and March 9 on Facebook. Please note that the campaign efforts were truncated
because of the start of the University’s spring break.
An evaluation survey was distributed March 10 and only results received by March 15 are included in
the report.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact me at 919/843-8342 or by email at
lboynton@email.unc.edu.
Sincerely,
Lois A. Boynton
Lois A. Boynton
Associate Professor
Carolina PRSSA Co-Adviser
Bateman Team Academic Adviser
2: Faculty Advisor Review Letter Appendix
11. A11
3: Glossary Appendix
Bojangles: A southern fast food restaurant known for their “famous sweet ice tea,” fried chicken and “fixins.”
Bojangles’ sweet tea is the official tea of the Carolina Panthers. “It’s Bo Time” is the company’s catchphrase that
all residents of the southeast know and love.
Buzzfeed: A well-known news source website by many traditional college students and Facebook users.
The site’s content features quizzes on topics such as: “Which Harry Potter character you might be” and light-
hearted videos explaining DIYs or things the average person wouldn’t know.
CVO: Carolina Veterans’ Organization; UNC-Chapel Hill’s local chapter of Student Veterans of America.
The Pit: A high-traffic area on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus where many events are held.
Traditional Student: A 18-21 year-old college student who became a first year immediately following
their high school graduation. Our research (and own knowledge as traditional students) found that those at
UNC-Chapel Hill usually live on campus at the beginning of their college career, enjoy coffee, sweets, local
restaurants’ food and Carolina Basketball.
Pit Sit: Setting up a display table in “The Pit” to promote organizations and events. Any student group is
allowed to do this as long as they are registered through the Student Union.
Safe Zone Training: The Safe Zone training is a symbola university effort increase awareness and acceptance
of diverse communities with respect to sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. This training
is sponsored by LGBTQ community.
12. A12
4: Secondary Research Appendices
Dysfunctional Veterans. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from https://www.dysfunctionalveterans.com/
Eberly, B. (2015, February 24). “Dysfunctional Veterans” slogan counterproductive, promotes negative
stereotypes regarding veterans. The BG News. Retrieved December 21, 2015, from http://www.bgnews.
com/forum/dysfunctional-veterans-slogan-counterproductive-promotes-negative-stereotypes-regarding-
veterans/article_14fdcd66-bca3-11e4-ac20-3f236c60d658.html
Horton, A. (2012, August 28). Lonely men on campus: Student veterans struggle to fit in. The Atlantic.
Retrieved December 19, 2015, from http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/08/lonely-men-
on-campus-student-veterans-struggle-to-fit-in/261628/
Humphrey, J. (n.d.). Getting student veterans off the sidelines. Military.com. Retrieved December 19, 2015,
from http://www.military.com/education/getting-veteran-students-off-the-sidelines.html
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2011, January). Educational Attainment of Veterans: 2000 to 2009.
Retrieved December 21, 2015, from http://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/SpecialReports/education_FINAL.
pdf
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Bill Comparison
Tool. Retrieved January 22, 2016, from https://www.vets.gov/gi-bill-comparison-tool/institutions/
profile?military_status=veteran&spouse_active_duty=no&gi_bill_chapter=33&cumulative_
service=1.0&enlistment_service=3&consecutive_service=0.8&elig_for_post_gi_bill=no&number_
of_dependents=0&online_classes=no&source=home&institution_search=11906133&facility_
code=11906133&
Zaja, M. (2015, November 19). Veterans’ Day at Le Moyne: Student veterans discuss their experience. The
Dolphin. Retrieved December 21, 2015, from http://thedolphinlmc.com/news-features/2015/11/19/
veterans-day-at-le-moyne-student-veterans-discuss-their-experience/#sthash.SYJ0FlKS.DLVy2LvN.dpbs
13. A13
CVO SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
• Associated with the Student Veterans America, which consequently provides funding and promotion on
a national level.
• There is an established student veteran organization on campus.
• UNC-Chapel Hill has recently hired leadership resources for student veterans.
• UNC-Chapel Hill has updated its diversity statement to include veterans, which indicates a great
willingness to promote an inclusive and accommodating environment on campus for student veterans.
• Has a standing relationship with the local American Legion.
Weaknesses:
• Carolina Veterans Organization was established in 2013 making it a very recent addition to UNC-
Chapel Hill’s campus community.
• Membership is small with about 40 members total on the organization’s roster and about 15 members
regularly attending meetings and actively participating in events.
• There is not a designated space on campus for student veterans to come together as a community.
• There is a need for more UNC-Chapel Hill faculty members to attend Green Zone training.
• There is no designated individual responsible for the organization’s public relations efforts.
• Has virtually no presence online.
Opportunities:
• A Veteran Resource Center is currently in the works to be made available for both student veterans and
traditional students to come together in an inclusive space.
• To brand Carolina Veterans Organization as a student community rather than an exclusive club for
veterans.
• Promote Green Zone training amongst UNC-Chapel Hill faculty members and modify it to better
accommodate the availability of professors.
• Conduct a social media campaign to promote events and aid connection with traditional students on
campus.
• Combine outreach efforts with any of the hundreds of other organizations on campus that have
complimenting causes.
• Provide the organization with resources that enable it to successfully continue the methods of outreach
initiated through our campaign.
Threats:
• Having an overly emphasized military association can be intimidating both to traditional students as
well as to non-associated student veterans.
• Competition with other groups on campus to find an established space.
• Traditionally veteran associated holidays tend to already have competing events.
• Often times student veterans will actively avoid military-focused groups.
14. A14
5: Primary Research Appendices
5A. Individual Student Veteran Interviews
Interview questions for student veterans:
1. Intro: Name, here you’re from, year, major.
2. What is your military background?
3. What brought you to Carolina?
4. Hobbies/interests?
5. Post-graduation plans?
6. How did you get interested in that area of study?
7. Was there a specific event in your life that inspired you to want to go into that profession?
8. How did you find out about CVO?
9. What is your favorite thing about CVO?
10. One piece of advice for student vet thinking about coming to UNC
11. Why did you decide to go into the military and how do you feel looking back on that decision?
12. How do dorms compare to barracks?
13. Which dining hall has better food?
14. What role does your military background play in your identity?
15. What was your specific job while you were serving?
16. How do the skills that you learned working in this position transfer back to your civilian life?
Link to YouTube video of one interview that was posted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVEo-
WOfOnXQ
Screenshots and analytics from YouTube video:
15. A15
5B. Traditional Student Interviews
Interview questions with correct answers for traditional students’ interviews:
Q: What do you think bootcamp is like?
A: Almost everything about boot camp in movies is wrong. The heart of military life isn’t killing bad guys, it’s
uniform inspections, learning military history, and physical training in non-combative environments.
Q: True or False- All Air Force vets have flown a plane at least once.
A: False!- Only officers can be pilots who make up a small percentage of the Air Force family.
Q: Are military members are always on call?
A:True!- This is why on your scheduled off days, you cannot travel further than 8 hours away.
Q:True or false? All military members are issued weapons.
A:False!- This is only true in combat environments, in which case, your weapon can never leave your body
Q: True or False? All service members have a top secret security clearance
A: False!- Every service member must have at least a secret clearance, but only certain jobs require extensive
background checks to obtain the highest level clearance.
Q: What does ASVAB stand for?
A: The ASVAB measures 4 domains: Verbal, Math, Science & Technical and Spatial. The areas in which you
perform best usually determine your job options. Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
Q: What do vets do for fun?
A: What everyone else does!
Q: What’s the difference between Navy and the Marines?
A: In the US, the Marines are part of the Navy. The Navy is the seagoing part of the US military. They man the
ships, and submarines, and fly the jets from aircraft carriers. The marines were originally soldiers specially
trained for ship to ship combat back in the days of sailing ships.
Q: What does CVO stand for?
A: Carolina Veterans Organization
Link to YouTube video that compiled portions of each interview: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=wF7rIV4gXT8
Screenshots and analytics from YouTube video:
16. A16
Waiver that all video participants signed:
I understand that I am granting permission to the videotape and recording as part of a class
project and that the videotape and recording may be published on the internet or in some other
form or fashion. I hereby grant my absolute complete permission and authority for the use of
these recordings. I do hereby for myself and for my heirs and assigns release, acquit, and forever
discharge the UNC students: Payton Collier, Micah Stubbs, Elizabeth Stegall, Lauren Dixon, and
Pambu Kali of and from any and all claims, actions, or causes of action arising from or related to
the videotape recording to which I consent. I certify that I am of sound mind and body and fully
capable and authorized to enter into this agreement which I do of my own free will and volition.
This permission and release may only be revoked in writing signed by me.
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________
17. A17
5C. Faculty Interviews
Chris Roush
Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor
Director, Carolina Business News Initiative
Bateman Team: What’s the first word that comes to mind when you hear the words student veteran?
Roush: Mature, know what they want out of life, hardworking.
B.T: Have you ever had a Student Veteran in your class?
R: Yes. In my Business in the Media class, Business Reporting and Economics Reporting class.
B.T: How did you know?
R: I sat down with him when he was re-enrolling. They tend to stand out, older, different perspective on life
and the world.
B.T: Do you teach differently when you know you have a student veteran in your class?
R: No, they would be insulted if I did that.
B.T: What are some challenges you’ve run into?
R: None.
B.T: What challenges do you see student veterans face versus traditional students?
R: They don’t feel part of the community. They don’t fit in.
B.T: Have you participated in Green Zone training? Why or why not?
R: No.
B.T: Have you heard of Carolina Veterans Organization?
R: I read an article about them in the Daily Tar Heel [UNC-Chapel Hill student newspaper].
B.T: What resources do you think should be added for student veterans and professors of student veterans?
R: Give them a place to meet and hangout with other veterans.
Lois A. Boynton
Associate Professor
Carolina PRSSA Co-Adviser
Bateman Team: What’s your name?
Boynton: Lois Boynton
B.T: What do you teach?
B: I teach public relations writing and media ethics
B.T: What’s the first word that comes to mind when you hear the words student veteran?
B: Someone who is older than traditional student, non-traditional, guys
B.T: Have you ever had a Student Veteran in your class?
B: Yes
B.T: How did you know?
18. A18
B: They both told me. One was early in the semester and one was later on when we’re doing an assignment that
was based on never having a full time job.
B.T: Do you teach differently when you know you have a student veteran in your class?
B: I don’t teach differently. I take into consideration the assignments. I have other classes with non-traditional
students and I teach each the same but have conversations that make sure it is age appropriate or experience
appropriate.
B.T: What challenges do you see student veterans face versus traditional students?
B: Being older it is harder to fit in because they have had a couple of years of professional experience. There is a
disconnect.
B.T: Have you participated in Green Zone training? Why or why not?
B: No I never heard of it. I knew about safe zone, another training on campus.
B.T: What resources do you think should be added for student veterans and professors of student veterans?
B: For student veterans it is the type of advising troubleshoots like having their experience count as class credit.
Career services, making sure there is something set up for vets, taking different approaches to internships,
especially for vets with families. Also, knowing what questions to ask about student veterans for faculty, having
resources. And in classes, making sure to not single anyone out.
5D. Interview with Student Veteran Assistance Coordinator
Link to YouTube video of interview with Ms. Amber Mathwig: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Gicl7gjZhuE
Screenshots from video:
5E. Focus Group
Transcript:
Focus group
7 participants (one came half-way through)
Feb. 9, 2016
36 mins 49 secs
Bateman Team: Raise your hand if you know what CVO stands for.
Zero participants raised their hands
19. A19
B.T: CVO stands for Carolina Veterans Organization. They are the group of veterans that are on Carolina’s
campus. Raise your hand if you knew that we had student veterans.
5 out 6 participants knew that we had student veterans.
B.T: So we do have student veterans. Have any of you ever had a class with student veteran?
One participant (Participant A) knew she had a class with a student veteran
B.T: What class?
Participant A: I think it was a business class.
B.T: Did you ever get a chance to talk to him?
Participant A: Yeah he talked about how they had been over seas. They were stationed I forget where. They
came back to get their education for free, which I think is pretty cool.
Participant B: I didn’t but my boyfriend had a class with one and he said he was like almost in his 30s, and he
is a PWAD (Peace War and Defense) and Political Science major and he was just saying how it was interesting
having him in his classes.
B.T: What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think student veteran?
Participant B: The first thing I think of when I think veteran is an old person. That’s what interesting when
you hear student veteran, I just don’t think about it often. I just think of old guys who fought in the war. When
I think of student veteran I think of probably someone who is coming back to start their career for the first time
and that is going to be at a different maturity level than freshman.
B.T: Is that similar to what you guys would say? (asking the rest of the participants)
Participant C: Yeah and my first thought when I hear student veteran first I think of a young person who is a
veteran and that’s like whoa, they’re probably older.
B.T: If you had to guess how old would you say the average student veteran on our campus is? Everyone give
me a number.
Participant D: 25
Participant E: 28
Participant A: Yeah I’d say about 28
Participant F: I’d say about 35
Participant G: Yeah I’d say about 28
B.T: It actually varies. How are student veterans perceived by Carolina community? For those of you who
weren’t totally aware that we had student veterans how does that kind of make you feel that they are on cam-
pus?
Participant D: It’s a good thing and it means we’re accepting.
B.T: Accepting in what way?
Participant D: Like I feel like people would support veterans coming back to school to get their education.
Participant B: I think that maybe college students wouldn’t be able to relate to them because I think that
veterans have probably gone through a lot so like when my boyfriend was telling me about the guy who he met
in his class the first thing I thought was that it must be weird for him to be interacting with freshman.
B.T: So that brings an interesting point how do you guys think the student veteran experience might be differ-
ent a traditional student experience? What do you think are the main differences between what they are doing
here and what you are doing here?
20. A20
Participant C: I think it is maturity level. All and all I don’t know if the age is high or not but I would assume
it would be and being a veteran obviously they have had some kind of training and dealt with something where
as most college kids have not. So I think maturity definitely stands out.
B.T: What do you guys think? (address the rest of the participants)
Participant G: You know already having gone out in the real world and coming back with more of a purpose
than I think a lot of people our age may have come to college with. A lot of people as 18-year-old freshman
come to college because it’s the next step but I feel like student veterans coming back is more of a, I don’t know,
they might value what they’re doing more.
Participant A: Yeah just pulling from those things I think that the mindset is definitely different of a veteran
probably coming back and being in school but at the same time the person coming from high school they’ve
been used to being in classrooms for a long time and they’re just continuing that whereas for a veteran it is a
huge transition to go back to school so it would be hard.
Participant B: I was going to say on a discipline level I think they might have better grasp of that just because
they have been in the army or whatever branch they were in. Maybe academically they might be tough, I kinda
feel like it might be hard for them to break back into the school mindset.
B.T: Have you guys ever heard of Green Zone training? Do you know what that is?
Participant G had heard of Green Zone training
B.T: Have you ever heard of Safe Zone training? (An awareness and sensitivity training for the LGBTIQA com-
munity)
All participants had heard of Safe Zone training.
B.T: Green Zone and Safe Zone are different trainings on campus that are through the Office of Dean of Stu-
dents. They are essentially like workshops about how to efficiently interact with different groups of people on
campus. Green Zone is specifically for student veterans and it teaches and highlights some of the common
misconceptions people have and brainstorming ways you can relate to them.
B.T. to Participant G: How did you hear about Green Zone training?
Participant G: I am an R.A. (resident assistant) and I was required to do it.
B.T. to Participant G: So you were required to do it?
Participant G: All R.A.s are required to pick a certain training session during mid-year training. So there is
Safe Zone, One Act and several other ones that you can choose from.
B.T. to Participant G: How many of the R.A.s would you say chose to take Green Zone?
Participant G: This year was the first year they did Green Zone I think, it’s very new at UNC, I would say
there was probably 15 people that did it this year.
B.T: Based on what we were just talking about the experiences of a student veteran and a traditional student
on campus what do you guys think are some similarities? Do you think there are any similarities between the
experiences? Or is it just they are that much older and it really just is a completely different experience for
them?
Participant D: I think in general terms academic wise everyone goes through that experience as a student but
then again you have to remember they have been out in the real-world and have more purpose but you’re in the
same classroom you get the same experience as far as the teachers.
Participant E: I think their experience at the university is the same. All of us come to the university and it’s
so different there are so many more ideas in this area than we have ever experienced before in our lives and
21. A21
I think that it’s the same for basically anyone who has not lived in a city or something and especially coming
from the military where they have certain orders to follow
Participant A: I think people have to transition, obviously it’s a lot and a bigger transition for soldiers but is
still like adjusting to the new environment.
B.T: What is your impression of the military? What do you know military life in general or the armed forces?
Participant G: One of my closest friends of 13 years, she actually went into the Army right after high school.
She went to basic training and she wrote me a letter and it was like emotional and I felt like I went through this
whole thing with her emotionally and now she’s in the Army. So I don’t know a whole lot about it but that’s ba-
sically the extent to my knowledge is hearing what she said and talked about and she is really happy. According
to her, basic is like insanely, like the hardest thing she’s ever done so I got that impression of it but also she is
so satisfied with her position in life and what she is doing so I got that aspect of it too.
B.T. to Participant G: Why did she join the military?
Participant G: So we had this really good ROTC program in high school and that was a lot of it. She did it for
four years and got really into it. Part of it was the financial security and another huge component of it was she
believed in doing something for the thought of doing something for your country.
Participant B: I always thought in terms of the military, I’ve always respected that, like damn, I could never
do that. And as far as I know about it just what we see on the news and also on an emotional level you always
see those sweet videos about the guy or mom or dad in the Army comes back to surprise their kids, so that kind
of stuff too. But I definitely know about ROTC because it is really interesting at my high school you never heard
much about ROTC or the kids in ROTC they weren’t like the football player or cool kids, which I remember in
high school thinking that was kind of weird and messed up because it is respected but the kids that are consid-
ered cool were like the people on the football team so I think that is an interesting point. But I remember seeing
recruits at the high school all the time trying to get ROTC members to join the Army.
*Participant H arrived late.
B.T. to Participant H: What do you know about the military? What is your relationship to it, if any?
Participant H: I guess there is a lot more to it but just the service alone when I think military I think people
in combat which I guess is just a small percentage of the people who are in the military and I don’t really have
any close, personal connections with anyone in the military. My grandfather was in WWII but that’s kinda it. I
did have a class with a veteran last semester. He was in my English class and I talked to him briefly and he was
in combat. Often times, he would when it was necessary he would bring past experiences from his time abroad
which I thought was cool it gave more context.
B.T. to Participant H: Did it find it a weird or interesting experience him being in your English class? How
do you think from his perspective that experience was?
Participant H: I think he enjoyed it. The thing I couldn’t get over was that he on the ball about everything.
He was probably the brightest kid in the class. I’m not saying that is unusual but I don’t know it was interesting
to me because the kid was so bright and I mean I guess he is older, like 30 or early 30s or whatever, and it was
a little weird because he would bring up his wife and kids which is not usual for college but I enjoyed taking a
class with him he was a really good presence.
B.T: Why do you feel he might have been more invested in the class? Why are student veterans perceived to be
more into school?
Participant A: I think they value it more.
Participant B: I think they’ve been through a lot and it ties back to maturity level. When you are coming out
of high school, for a person college is the next step, you don’t value it but if you have gone through something
22. A22
like fighting in combat and you realize how valuable an education is you are going to take it more seriously.
Participant E: And going off of that the discipline level is just so high by being in the military. You are taught
to be very disciplined and organized which are really good skills for going back to school. And through the
military experience, at least through my perception of it, you have some main goals. You are very goal focused I
think, in a positive way and I think for school the same would hold true. Your goal is to do well so that you can
get into the career you want.
B.T: How do you think career goals tie into people going into the military? Why do you think the average per-
son enlists?
Participant D: I think that main reason why people join the military, two reasons: are either that they have fam-
ily in service, like one of their parents served or someone they are related to, and they join for that reason like
a sense of duty maybe. And I also think a lot of people do it because maybe they couldn’t afford to go to college
and maybe that’s why they would go into the military for a few years and then come back and get their educa-
tion.
Participant H: I think that culture might also have something do with it. Because I feel like, aren’t the majori-
ty of people who are in the military from the South? So I think that plays something into it. Like the community
is more invested in it and you get more of a sense of pride if you come from a small town.
B.T: How do you think knowing that they have done something honorable plays into your interaction with
veterans on campus?
Participant B: I think it is kind of like they are a very respected person, you can’t really be yourself. Even
when I see people walking around if they are in ROTC I kinda feel like they have been through something or are
going through something that I haven’t.
B.T: Do you guys feel like you have to say “thank you” when you encounter a veteran?
Participant G: I think that, I’m like oh my gosh I have to say this, but a lot of times I don’t know the person,
unless I’m like speaking to them, if I just see them I think that but I don’t go up to them even I think about it
and I’m like say it, say it, say it, I just don’t. But I feel the desire to.
B.T: Why do you think it is that we feel that way? How does our culture make us feel like that is something that
we have to do?
Participant C: Well now that the military is voluntary it is not like everyone has to do it so the people that do
it are keeping us from needing the draft.
Participant E: Yeah that’s what I would say honestly.
B.T: If you were veteran and someone said that to you five times a day how do you think that would make you
feel? What do you think that is like for student veterans to be in class and constantly have people say that the
second they found out?
Participant B: I would obviously be appreciative but sometimes if it was happening five times a day I would
wish they could look beyond being a veteran.
Participant H: I think a major thing is especially when you see people, when you thank a veteran on a very
surface level, they begin to resent you but if you are just saying about there’s one story about a group of vet-
erans who weren’t to the Super Bowl to be honored for killing some terrorist or something and it is so ironic
because it is them coming to be celebrated for this service but there is also so much commercial stuff like a big
performance by Beyonce and they get to go up and eat with the Clubhouse members at the Cowboys Stadium
but it is all really confusing, like they were just on the ground and to not knowing if they were going to live
another day to going to being treated like royalty is kind of like, it is just very satirical about how we celebrate
veterans.
B.T: What have you seen about military service in the media?
23. A23
Participant G: My experience media wise is pretty stereotypical, American Sniper, Saving Private Ryan both
great movies and that’s pretty much my impression of the combat side. And in real life I have this close friend
but based on what she tells me I have these images in my mind and obviously it’s not as spectacular and intense
as the combat in American Sniper it is more a job and a clinical thing but it is also very impressive to me, I’m
always in awe when she talks about it. I also have a great-uncle who was a Flying Tiger in WWII and he died
and that was like a huge thing and up until the present was a huge deal in my family. My aunt is actually writ-
ing a book about him and it’s this big thing. I think about that sometimes.
Participant A: I think it is very propoganda heavy. That is kinda negative but I think it is interesting because
you see stuff in the news about different attacks and stuff but what you really don’t see is behind-the-scenes on
the bases and stuff. I think we as citizens are so uneducated and so unaware, that may be me stereotyping be-
cause I am so unaware, but I think there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that we aren’t aware, specifically
with the current war we have going on right now.
5F. Green Zone Training
What we learned:
We learned that most student veterans had never been in combat during the time they served. Many
actually joined for the benefits of travel and a free education. We also found that survivor’s guilt is a real thing
and many student veterans do not want to be thanked by people who do not know them or their experiences
while serving. Since education is something that these students value, we found that academic success at UNC-
Chapel Hill was not a concern for the student veterans on our campus--especially since there is an abundance
of resources for this at our school. The same went for career building--student veterans at UNC-Chapel Hill
were not having difficulty finding jobs post-graduation. Their unique circumstance of already having held a
full-time job better prepared them for job hunting compared to their traditional student peers.
UNC-Chapel Hill’s Office of the Dean of Students houses a team of veteran-support administrators.
Aside from the Student Veteran Resource Coordinator, Amber Mathwig, there is a dedicated faculty member
to help student veterans with all GI Bill-related questions and concerns. As a result, they are well-equipped to
maximize their benefits and therefore focus instead on other aspects of their transition. For example, some of
them had difficulty shifting to a less structured lifestyle than what they were accustomed to in the military.
Later in the program, we did an exercise that highlighted some of the similarities between basic training
and preparing for their first year of college. This solidified our theme that focused on student veterans as
students first, who worry about the same things and go through similar experiences as traditional students do,
such as grades, parking on campus, etc.
The quality of the new program has been highly regarded by student veterans and has been offered by
Mathwig to different campus groups and individuals. Unfortunately, since Green Zone training is three hours,
faculty attendance has been low to this point. Graduate students, many of whom serve as teaching assistants or
will become faculty, have been the largest population to attend.
The following appendices are a few of the slides from Green Zone training to further exemplify what we
learned.
28. A28
6: Objectives, Strategies & Tactics Appendices
6A. Pets with Vets: February 19, 2016 noon-2 p.m.
As the kickoff event of our campaign, this was definitely a highlight. February 19 was a perfect and
beautiful sunny day at Carolina. While we were set up, from noon to 2 p.m., people were out and about on their
way to and from class. We set up a table, brought the puppies out and the people flocked! Our awesome CVO
members had the opportunity to really branch out and meet or interact with over 100 UNC-Chapel Hill tradi-
tional students and faculty members.
One of the best parts about this event was the ability to partner with the local community organization
Eyes Ears Nose and Paws (EENP), which trains service dogs, and Helping Paws, UNC-Chapel Hill’s student
group that helps socialize animals that currently live in the pound. With such great missions, the two groups
were the perfect partners for this event.
Many students took photos or snapchats with the dogs and student veterans. This was a perfect way
to remind them that we too were on social media and gain a few followers! We had a great time chasing dogs
through “The Pit” and getting to know lots of students.
Photos:
31. A31
6B. BoTime Tailgate: March 5, 2016 12-3 p.m.
This event provided an opportunity for CVO student veterans and traditional students to gather and
get excited for the Duke-UNC rivalry basketball game while simultaneously reinforcing our overall goal of
encouraging interaction between student veterans and traditional students. The event featured games, such as
corn hole, Bojangles chicken, biscuits, fries and sweet tea and performances by three popular student a cappella
groups.
The event was held near the Old Well, one of the most iconic spots on our campus, which allowed CVO
members to be able to interact with passing visitors, such as a group of high school students attending a public
speaking competition and a veteran father who was taking his two sons to a lacrosse game, in addition to
traditional students coming to the event and on campus.
Over 175 people attended the event and approximately 50 percent of attendees stayed at least 20-30
minutes to enjoy their meal and engage in conversation. Approximately 25 percent of attendees remained at
the event until the raffle drawing at 2 p.m.
We raised $321 selling raffle tickets. Prizes included nine gift cards to popular local restaurants and a
basketball autographed by UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus and NBA great, Antawn Jamison.
37. A37
6C. “Pit Sit” Information Sessions March 7 & 8, 2016, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
A “Pit Sit” is a time when campus groups and organizations publicize their respective events at display
tables in a high-traffic area on campus called “The Pit”.
For our first “Pit Sit” event, we reserved a table in the center of “The Pit”, which is the most visible and
central location on campus. For our second day, we reserved a table in the Student Union, t most popular in-
door hangout spot on campus in the center of campus. We had two posters located on the front of our table
each day. One poster was to advertise CVO as a student veteran organization and the second was to display
all of CVO’s social media handles. We wanted to ensure that the CVO’s social media handles were easily
distinguishable to students passing by to encourage online interest of CVO.
To encourage students to engage with us we gave away free Starbucks coffee and 5-Hour Energy Drinks.
We gave away 100 cups of coffee on the first day and 108 5-Hour Energies the second day.
In addition to advertising the CVO name, we also encouraged people to follow CVO on their social
media platforms so that they would be able to stay up-to-date on their upcoming events and projects.
Photos:
6D. Coffee with a Veteran: February 25, 2015 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
We hosted Coffee with a Veteran in Student Union and offered free Krispy Kreme doughnuts and
Starbucks coffee to students to encourage them have a conversation with a member of CVO.
We offered conversation starters so any student could participate, even if they did not have a specific question
in mind.
Questions included: “How has your experience at the university been?”, “How do you feel your past
experiences are positively/negatively affecting your studies?”, “ Do you feel like you are missing out on any
information or college experiences as a non-traditional student?” We received these questions from Amber
Mathwig, the Student Veteran Assistance Coordinator.
We also partnered with the UNC Panhellenic Council, which encouraged members from all 12 of its
38. A38
chapters to come to the event. We reached out to their VP of Community Outreach via email and she presented
it to the executive board. We explained how we wanted to change the narrative and introduce the Student First
brand and that their partnership would help us tremendously. We knew this would be a great partnership for
CVO because two of our team members of members of the Panhellenic community.
After the event, two traditional students sent text message to a Bateman team member asking how they
could get more involved with CVO.
We had over 150 people attend, 99 of those being Panhellenic members. Some students stayed for up to
an hour talking to different members of CVO and asking about their experiences.
We also had a chance to promote our Q&A Panel, taking place later that night at the event.
Photos:
40. A40
6E. Q&A Panel: February 25, 2016 6:30 p.m.
We had a panel of five CVO members and one CVO alumna. We invited faculty members and
traditional students using personal invitations to come to enjoy a more formal setting to be able to ask any
questions they had about student veterans, the military or the educational experience. The floor was open for
questions the entire time, per request of CVO members. They did not want to have any prompt questions or a
discussion leader because they felt it was crucial that participants be able to ask any question that they wanted.
Throughout the panel, CVO reinforced all the key messages of Student First.
We had 10 participants the event, four students and six faculty members. Two of the students who
attended had learned about the event at Coffee with a Veteran earlier that day.
Photos:
41. A41
6F. Social Media Campaign
We generated the #StudentFirst hashtag to connect all of our social media posts on Instagram and
Facebook and to continue reinforcing the Student First brand.
To advertise our social media we put all of our social media handles and hashtags on the flyers that were
posted around campus.
Our Student First social media pages gained 158 followers on Instagram and 120 likes on
Facebook.
In addition to our campaign pages, we created updated Instagram and Twitter accounts for CVO.
They had previously had accounts but never used them and no longer had the passwords. We created the new
accounts and discussed with CVO the best types of posts to gain attention and communicate messages properly.
On March 15, 2016 we handed down the username and passwords to another student group who is going to
help them maintain their social media presence.
Gaining followers on social media was important to our campaign because this is the way traditional
students can stay up-to-date about CVO news and events. Most organizations on campus use social media as
their main platform on communication with students, therefore, it is imperative that CVO start utilizing these
platforms as well.
Screenshots of our posts:
57. A57
6G. Buzzfeed-Inspired Student Veteran Video
Our Buzzfeed-Inspired Student Veteran Video was designed to increase awareness about the military,
its members, and the Student First campaign. Two Bateman team members went around “The Pit” and asked a
random selection of traditional students questions about the military and student veterans. The we had student
veterans respond with the correct answers on the video.
The video also publicized the Student First campaign by displaying the logo, mission and social media
handles at the end. We shared this video on the Student First Facebook page and YouTube. We received almost
500 views on this video.
See AINSERT for more.
6H. Benefit Night at Linda’s Restaurant: March 3, 2016 7:30 p.m.
We held a benefit night at a popular, local restaurant to raise money and help promote the Student First
brand. We made sure to hold the event at a restaurant rather than a bar or pub because we wanted to make
sure all-ages were able to attend since our campaign focuses on connecting CVO members with all traditional
students.
The event offered drink and food specials and half of the sales of the specials items went to CVO. The
event raised $580 for CVO’s service project fund.
Promotional Flyer:
58. A58
6I. Raffle
As one of our fundraising tactics, we organized a raffle that included nine area-restaurant gift cards and
a signed basketball by UNC- Chapel Hill alumnus and NBA star Antawn Jamison. Tickets were sold for 1 for
$1.00 and 5 for $3.00. The Bateman team pre-sold raffle tickets to students and faculty who could not attend
the event and also sold tickets at the event. We raised $321 and all ticket sales went to directly benefit CVO’s
service project fund.
Photos:
59. A59
7: Student First Campaign Calendar of Events Appendix
Student First Campaign February 15 – March 15
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat
February 15 16 17 18 19 20
Start
Student First
Campaign!
Pets with Vets!
In The Pit
Noon2 p.m.
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Coffee with a
Veteran
10 a.m.noon
Student Union
Q&A
6:307:30 p.m.
Freedom Forum
Room, Carroll
Hall
28 29 March 1 2 3 4 5
Benefit Night at
Linda’s
Start time: 7:30
p.m.
BoTime
Tailgate
Noon 3 p.m.
McCorkle Place
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Pit Sit
10 a.m.2 p.m.
Pit Sit
10 a.m.2 p.m.
Spring break
begins!
13 14 15
Student First
Campaign Ends!
60. A60
8: About Us (Brief Summary of the UNC-Chapel Hill Bateman Team) Appendix
Elizabeth Stegall
UNC-Chapel Hill, 2017
Majors: Media and Journalism (PR Concentration) and Political Science
Hometown: Waxhaw, NC
As the incoming vice president of PRSSA, Elizabeth never misses a beat. Following graduation she plans to
work in a PR firm close to home so she can be with her awesome and supportive family.
Payton Collier
UNC-Chapel Hill, 2017
Majors: Media and Journalism (PR Concentration) and Political Science
Hometown: Wrightsville Beach, NC
Payton is currently writing her honors thesis on free speech in the higher education system. When she is not
in the library or Carroll Hall, she can be found working as an advertising account executive at the university
newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel. She enjoys watching The Mindy Project and painting.
Lauren Dixon
UNC-Chapel Hill, 2017
Major: Media and Journalism (PR Concentration) and Comparative Literature
Hometown: Boiling Springs, NC
Lauren likes to pass her time analyzing film and talking politics. She is a highly impressive writer with a desire
to help people tell their stories. She enjoys all kinds of southern comfort food and pita chips with hummus.
Pambu Kali
UNC-Chapel Hill, 2018
Major: Public Policy
Homewtown: Charlotte, NC
Pambu enjoys reading various genres, dreaming of owning a pet and practicing her makeup skills on her
friends. After graduation, Pambu knows she wishes to make changes in the world by creating policies and may
possibly attend beauty school just for the fun of it.
Micah Stubbs
UNC-Chapel Hill, 2018
Major: Media and Journalism (PR Concentration) and Communication Studies
Hometown: Charlotte, NC.
She is interested in working in the entertainment industry upon graduation and is interning at a production
company in LA this summer to learn more about producing film and television.
Dr. Lois Boynton
UNC-Chapel Hill PRSSA Faculty Advisor
As an associate professor in the School of Media and Journalism Dr. Boynton teaches ethics across
the curriculum classes and public relations courses for undergraduate and graduate students.
Marshele Carter
Bateman Team Professional Advisor
Ms. Carter, author, motivational speaker and teacher, has served as an advocate for veterans’ issues at
the national level, speaking to Congress, helath councils and other organizations on behalf of Combat
veterans and their families.
