Syracuse University’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA) is rolling out Azimuth Check, a new coaching program that connects student veterans and military-connected undergraduates with a dedicated Pathfinder Coach from the start of their academic journey through graduation.

The program, developed with the national nonprofit InsideTrack, sits within OVMA’s Resiliency Program (ORP). Pathfinder Coaches reach out regularly to help students work through academic, financial, personal and professional challenges; connect them with campus resources and build the resiliency and self-advocacy skills that keep students on track toward their degree.

The name “Azimuth Check” comes from a familiar military practice. An azimuth provides direction, while an azimuth check ensures that an individual or team remains oriented toward its intended destination. The new program applies that same principle to higher education by helping students clarify their goals, navigate challenges and remain on course toward degree completion. Likewise, dedicated coaches are called Pathfinders because they provide student veterans and military-connected students with the navigational aids to stay on course and achieve a successful transition into higher education.

“Transition from military service to higher education for the first time can be a daunting task for veterans and currently serving service members. At Syracuse University, our responsibility extends beyond helping veteran and military-connected students enroll,” says retired U.S. Army Col. Ron Novack, OVMA’s executive director. “We want every student to feel supported, connected and positioned to succeed from the moment they arrive through graduation and beyond. Azimuth Check represents another important investment in the whole student experience and strengthens our commitment to making Syracuse University the ‘Best Place for Veterans.’”

Students paired with a coach get a single, consistent point of contact who understands what it’s like to balance coursework with military obligations, family responsibilities or a full-time job. Coaches help students identify priorities, build a plan and strengthen skills such as time management, motivation and problem-solving. When a student needs more specialized help, coaches connect them with the right office on campus.

Azimuth Check will not replace academic advisers, counselors or financial aid staff. Instead, it gives students someone to check in with regularly, someone who can help catch a small problem before it grows into a reason to leave school.

Azimuth Check builds on the work of the OVMA Resiliency Program, created to support the overall well-being of Syracuse’s veteran and military-connected students. ORP offers personalized, nonclinical support to help students navigate university and community resources, working from the idea that a student’s path to graduation depends on more than grades. Belonging, personal well-being, family circumstances, financial stability and a willingness to ask for help all play a part.

“Student veterans and military-connected students arrive at Syracuse with tremendous strengths, including leadership, adaptability, discipline and a commitment to something larger than themselves,” says U.S. Air Force veteran Kenneth Marfilius ‘07, associate director of the OVMA Resiliency Program, faculty director of online programs and strategic initiatives in the School of Education and associate teaching professor of social work. “At the same time, they may be balancing school with work, family, military service or the transition to civilian life. Azimuth Check gives students someone who will consistently reach out, listen, and help them navigate the path ahead. This is proactive support designed to strengthen resiliency, persistence and connection while ensuring students know they do not have to manage every challenge alone.”

InsideTrack, the program’s coaching partner, is a national nonprofit that works with colleges across the country to provide personalized, evidence-based coaching aimed at strengthening student engagement, persistence and completion. Its coaches rely on regular, individual conversations to help students recognize barriers, build on their strengths and follow through on their goals.

Azimuth Check adds to a support network that already includes OVMA, the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, as well as academic, career and health resources across campus. It is another way for the university to reach students early, stay connected and help them feel like they belong, not just at Syracuse, but on the path to their degree.

For more than a century, Syracuse has stood by the people who serve and their families. Azimuth Check carries that commitment forward, giving students a personal guide, a steady point of contact and a chance to periodically check their direction as they work toward their goals.

“At its core, this initiative is about making sure our students know that someone is in their corner,” Novack says. “That level of sustained, personal support is central to who we are and why Syracuse University continues to set the standard as the ‘Best Place for Veterans.’”

For more information on this impactful program, and other mental health resources available to student veterans and military-connected students, please visit the OVMA Resiliency Program.