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Campus Review
July 7, 2014
Page 8
Faculty and Undergrad Student Present
Research at Prestigious Research Conference
by Samantha Watson
Veterans Turn to Tina Lake for
Transition Assistance… and More
by Amanda Parham
During April 2014 Sundee Proctor, a
Clayton State University undergraduate
secondary education student, and Dr. Mari
Roberts, assistant professor of Teacher
Education, attended and presented at the
National Conference on Undergraduate
Research (NCUR) at the University of
Kentucky, Lexington.
During the conference, Proctor presented
a paper entitled, Bread and Circuses? The
Short and Long-Term Influence of “The
Diversity Course.” The idea for the
research originated in Dr. Roberts’
Exploring Sociocultural Perspectives of
Diversity Class during the 2011 school
year.
“In this course, we attempt to answer the
question, ‘how can equity and excellence
in education be
achieved in a soci-
ety in which, his-
torically, the dom-
inant culture has
determined their
meaning?’ through
analysis, reflec-
tion, and close
examination
of
systemic inequities,” comments Roberts.
The research was started in order to
understand the effect of classes like these
on participating students, what they take
away from these classes, and how they
apply them to their own classes.
Roberts explains that Proctor’s help has
been invaluable, “Sundee was actually a
very active member of the 2011 course.
So, when she found out about the
research, she volunteered to assist and
continues to do so through the Clayton
State Honors Program.”
Clayton State University’s Undergraduate
Research Committee Grant, offered out of
the Provost’s office, made their atten-
dance possible. The grant’s purpose is to
encourage faculty members to engage in
active research that addresses the needs of
the community with undergraduate stu-
dents. The grant covered all of the trips
expenses for both of the researchers.
Georgia has 778,000 veterans living in the
state. Within Clayton County alone, there
are more than 22,000 military veterans.
Over the next three years, it is estimated
that about 50,000 service members will be
returning to Georgia.
Upon their return from active duty, many
will be seeking employment or making
the decision to pursue a higher education.
Tina Lake, Clayton State University’s
Veterans Resource Center coordinator
since December 2012, wants all active
military and veterans to consider reaching
out to the Veterans Resource Center
(VRC) for assistance in making the transi-
tion from military life to campus life.
“The admissions process does not have to
be daunting. We are here to help navigate
through the steps and will continue to pro-
vide support throughout to ensure a seam-
less transition from military life to cam-
pus life,” Lake states.
Clayton State’s VRC is a centralized
venue that offers information on the serv-
ices and programs available on campus
and in the local community to assist in the
success of military-affiliated students.
The center is also used by students as a
place to relax or study in between classes
and provides an opportunity to network
with other former service members.
Additional ways students can network
with one another are through meet and
greets and team-building events hosted by
the VRC.
Clayton State also has a Student Veterans
Association (SVA), a chapter of the
Student Veterans of America. The student
organization meets once a month in the
VRC to build camaraderie, discuss con-
cerns,
plan
fundraisers
and
community/campus service events like the
on campus Veteran’s Day ceremony.
Lake shares, “I have been fortunate to wit-
ness the power of veterans connecting with
other veterans and supporting one another
through challenges. I think that is an impor-
tant function of the VRC — giving our mil-
itary-affiliated students the opportunity to
build the camaraderie they often miss when
they leave military service.”
Lake works closely with other campus
departments to provide services and pro-
grams for approximately 500 military-
affiliated students who attend Clayton
State.
“It is truly a team effort amongst universi-
ty departments,” Lake adds.
Some of the programs offered include:
Counseling and Psychological Services
recently-established
S.E.R.V.E,
(a
Supportive and Encouraging Resource for
Veteran Empowerment), a group that
offers a supportive and confidential envi-
ronment for female veterans to share their
experiences and empower each other to
succeed; the Department of Career
Services provides student veterans with
resume assistance, interview skills, and
veteran-specific employment workshops;
the Center for Academic Success offers
one-on-one customized academic coach-
ing in the Veterans Resource Center and
provides tutors and learning support; the
Proctor
Veterans, cont’d., p. 21