GiveAHand APPENDIX

APPENDIX A: FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE AND AUDIO

Good afternoon and thank you for taking the time to join our discussion of the
Syracuse University Student Veterans Organization. My name is Kelsey Lewis
and I will be the moderator for todays session. Assisting me is my fellow
researchers: Andrew Martini, Maya Perry, Amy Hahn, and Evelyn Burgess. This
focus group is in affiliation with Dr. Joon Soo LimS Public Relations Research
course for the Newhouse Bateman Teams. The purpose of todays discussion is
to gather insight on the perceptions and experiences of student veterans at
Syracuse University. Please keep in mind that there are no right or wrong
answers, only different points of view. None of the following responses will be
disclosed, as all questions and answers will be used solely as data in a larger
research analysis. We will be tape recording this session in order to ensure that
all of your answers are accounted for. If you choose to opt out of todays
session, please do so now.
Opening: Please state your name, hometown, position/length of service in the
military, and how long youve attended Syracuse University.
Introduction: Have you ever been to the Veterans Resource Center at Syracuse
University?
Probe: How often do you visit the Veterans Resource Center at Syracuse
University?
Transition: What are your main reasons for going to the Veterans Resource
Center at Syracuse University?
Key: Have you had any previous positive or negative experiences with the
Veterans Resource Center at Syracuse University? Was there an
amenity/service offered that was particularly helpful or was there ever a time
where you felt like you werent being adequately helped?
Probe: How did this experience affect your perception/attitude towards the
Syracuse University Student Veterans Organization (SVO)?
Probe: What are some adjectives you would use to describe the SVO?
Transition: In general, what services do you believe are most helpful in regards

to successfully acquiring a college degree?

Key: Are you fully aware of the academic and financial benefits offered by the GI
Bill and the SVO specifically?
Probe: How easy or difficult would you say it is to access this information?
Probe: Does the current availability of support networks influence how
frequently you utilize these services?
Key: Does the location of the Veterans Resource Center affect your decision to
use their facilities?
Probe: Is it close to where you currently reside? Do you live on or off campus?
Probe: Does your place of residence affect your involvement in other university
related activities?
Key: Have you ever attended any of the SVOs events, including the Syracuse
University Veterans Ball and the inaugural student veteran networking event?
Probe: How have these events contributed to your educational experience here
at Syracuse University?
Probe: Would you say that there are more educational events available to you
as opposed to social events?
Key: Are you aware of the VetSuccess on Campus program offered by the
Department of Veterans Affairs at SU?
Probe: If so, which counseling services are most beneficial to you?
Transition: Overall, would you say that Syracuse University has been successful
in offering/ implementing a variety of veteran related programs?
Key: Syracuse University was recently awarded Chapter of the Month by the
Student Veterans of America this past September. Would you say that Syracuse
University was deserving of this award or not? Please explain your reasoning.
Probe: How does this portrayal of the SVO fit with your current perceptions of
the organization?
Probe: Does this award make you want to engage in more activities/events
offered by the SVO?

Key: What do you feel the SVO could improve upon?

Probe: On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being not important at all, 5 being extremely
important), how important is each issue to you?
Probe: What do you think are the strengths of the SVO?
Key: Are you involved in any other Syracuse University related activities, such as
sports teams, student run organizations, Greek life, etc.?
Probe: If so, which ones and how would you describe your interactions with
non-veteran students when participating in these activities?
Transition: Aside from extra curricular activities, what do you think affects your
interactions with non- veteran students?
Key: The awareness of student veterans on campus is relatively low, is this
something of importance to you?
Probe: How has this lack of awareness affected you and/or your relationships
with other students and faculty members?
Key: As a student veteran, do you feel as though youre at an advantage or
disadvantage compared to other students when it comes to your academic
performance in classes?
Probe: Have you had any past experiences where a student or faculty member
positively or negatively affected your in-class performance?
Probe: Have these experiences affected your desire to engage with the general
student body?
Key: How would you describe the differences (if any) between your relationships
with veteran students versus non-veteran students?
Probe: Do you feel that there is a lack of integration between yourself and nonveteran students?
Probe: Do you feel that integration with the general student body is a major
factor in having a high- quality college experience?
Summary: (Kelsey will summarize the key points made in our discussion.)Final
Question: Was there anything not mentioned in this conversation that anyone
feels the need to discus at this time?

Closing: Thank you so much for your time, we greatly appreciate it. Your
participation in this discussion has been extremely valuable to our research
analysis.
Focus Group 1 Notes (hyperlinked) Focus Group 2 Notes (hyperlinked)

APPENDIX B: IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH JORDAN ROBINSON,

PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT VETERANS ORGANIZATION AT
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Question 1: How would you describe the Student Veterans Organization at
Syracuse University? Jordan: SVO at SU is basically a community of vets and
dependents. Employees and family members who all come together to network
socialize and support each other. Its a strong support system, along with the
IVMF and OVMA Vet resource center.
Question 2: How did you become president?Jordan: When transitioning out
of the military I knew I wanted to be involved. I heard Syracuse was very vet
friendly and then I became the public affairs officer here, in which I managed
social media and planned events. This past April I was elected president. I now
act as a liaison between administration and students; I bridge the gap. Im the
front-runner for the organization, or a representative. I do interviews, Im
responsible for edits to our constitution, I do event planning, social media
management, but I do have a PR guy share that responsibility with me.
Question 3: How did you hear SU was vet friendly?Jordan: Were a school
thats part of a program called the marine leadership program, where the
agreement with the school is that you get preference for acceptance. Thats how
I got into Newhouse. I was TRF, but now Im a public diplomacy grad student.
Question 4: How do you feel your service and your veteran status has
changed your educational experience at SU?Jordan:I found the transition to
becoming a student my first semester difficult because of the age gap and I
didnt know anyone. It was hard to relate with people who havent been through
experiences but I made friends through vets. I felt academically prepared
because I was more disciplined, more focus, and wanted a degree more than
most other people.
Question 5:What would you say the strengths are of the SVO at SU?Jordan:
The camaraderie here and the sense of brotherhood/sisterhood between all the
branches. Its like a family here. SVO is good for linking resources on campus

and bringing people here.

Question 6: What would you say the weaknesses are of the SVO at
SU?Jordan: Its hard to get active participation, there are a lot of people who
are interested and show up to a meeting or two but when volunteer activities
happen, we have a hard time getting real numbers. People have families and
other lives already established, so theyre not as flexible with schedules. Also
people often want to dissociate from service.
Question 7: Where do student veterans typically live?Jordan: They typically
live off campus in apartments or houses.
Question 8: What is the relationship between the SVO and ROTC, if
any?Jordan: The two are fairly separate, although we work together for different
events such as the Veterans Day ceremony and a wreath ceremony. We
collaborate on different events but were looking to work with them more.
Question 9: If you could change anything about the relationship between
veterans on campus and the student body/faculty, what would you
change?Jordan: I would change the level of awareness for student vets,
through non-vets. Maybe start some kind of freshman orientation training, like
adding a part to orientation about understanding there are vets in classroom,
understanding vet issues and dialogue such as war. Sometimes people are
insensitive to those subjects.
Question 10: What is the difference between the SVO and the IVMF?Jordan:
The SVO is a club, whereas other organizations are support systems. We do
resource processing, dispersing of the GI Bill, handle monetary issues, look at
veteran success on campus, and we provide tutoring. The IVMF is just internal
and the OVMA blanket encompasses everyone for internal and external issues.
Question 11: Is there anything you would like to add about the SVO that you
have not included already?Jordan: Weve developed an app, designed by
Charles Pruce. Its a one-stop resource for chatting, resources, different
branches of service, and a newsfeed with upcoming events. Its really useful but
we only about 70 users right now, whereas we have around 300 student
vets.Any supporter of a vet is a friend to us, if we have an event that is vet
specific, well annotate it. We should push out more or put blurb in there about
inviting non-vets, how do we approach non-vets to get them involved? What
would they be interested in?

APPENDIX C: PRE-CAMPAIGN SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE &

RESULTS

APPENDIX D: POST-CAMPAIGN SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE &

RESULTS

APPENDIX E: #GIVEAHAND CAMPAIGN SOCIAL MEDIA

ANALYTICS Facebook Analytics

Twitter Analytics

APPENDIX F: #GIVEAHAND CAMPAIGN INFOGRAPHICS

APPENDIX G: #GIVEAHAND CAMPAIGN NEWS RELEASE

Give A Hand Campaign
Syracuse University, 900 South Crouse Ave, Syracuse, NY 13244
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Maya Perry Phone: 301-404-1237 Email: maperr01@syr.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWHOUSE STUDENTS CREATING BIG HAND IN HONOR OF STUDENT
VETERANS SYRACUSE, NY., February 25, 2016 Five students who attend
Syracuse Universitys S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications have launched
a campaign to encourage the inclusiveness of student veterans on Syracuse
Universitys campus. An aspect of this campaign will be to create a big hand made up
of students and on the campus quad.Evelyn Burgess, Amy Hahn, Kelsey Lewis,
Ashley Matousek and Maya Perry have taken on the task of implementing the Give A
Hand campaign that will run from February 15, 2016 to March 15, 2016. It was
launched in response to the continuously growing number of student veterans who are
seeking a higher education and need support transitioning into the college
atmosphere.The Give A Hand campaigns goals are to increase support and
engagement with student veterans among campus and community members, increase
awareness of Student Veterans of America and the Student Veterans Organization
related programs among student veterans and other stakeholders and to increase
knowledge of higher education and employment opportunities among student veterans
and their families.The campaign will consist of various activities and events that will
engage non-veteran with student veterans. These activities and events will take place
during #GiveAHand week, from February 29 to March 4, where students will be able to
participate by buying #GiveAHand dog tags, taking the Give A Hand pledge, signing
Give A Hand hand-cutouts and being a part of the giant Give A Hand picture taken on
the campus quad.For more information please visit www.sugiveahand.weebly.com
Give A Hand campaignOur mission is to encourage inclusiveness and togetherness of
student veterans on Syracuse Universitys campus through education, fellowship, and
support.
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APPENDIX H: GANTT CHART

APPENDIX I: BUDGET