Student service members and veterans tell us they find targeted information to be the most helpful as they navigate a complicated maze of governmental and institutional systems and policies. Not only should the information be direct and to the point, we know that early and regular communication of accurate information is important to academic success (Junco, Heibergert & Loken, 2011; Krumrei-Mancuso, Newton, Kim & Wilcox, 2013).
In addition to the quality of information you provide, how it is provided is important.
“Some communication methods work better than others,” said Stacie Hitt, director of education and employment initiatives at the Military Family Research Institute. “Blogs, postings of articles written by student service members and veterans and academic online communities, like those created with tools like Blackboard™, seem to get the most traffic, and so we can assume are better at reaching students.”
The schools that Hitt’s team works most closely with report having greater success with electronic means such as mass emails, social media and Websites than they have with printed newsletters, flyers, and brochures. To attract readers, some schools included lists of local businesses that offered military discounts and complementary services – another successful tactic.
When designing a communication piece targeted toward student service members and veterans, Hitt recommends staff consider these five related recommendations:
- Clearly identify a contact person on any form of communication.
- Be sure information from a website can be obtained efficiently.
- Be transparent, accurate, and direct.
- Like other students, some student veterans have sensory or cognitive limitations. When providing information on the Web, be sure to adhere to Internet best practices for such students.
- Regularly survey your users to ensure communication remains useful.