Orange Door Program Helps Student Veterans Connect With Resources, On-Campus Support

Student veterans looking for transition support can connect to resources through the Orange Door program. These doors, identified on campus with an Orange Door hanger, are the offices of faculty and staff who have volunteered to be student veteran liaisons that can address the issues that often arise in transition. They are resources that provide support and care for academic, behavioral, legal, financial, personal and family issues.

Though student veteran liaisons do not replace a student veteran’s academic advisor, they can help supplement the support and connections student veterans build on campus. “An Orange Door opens up pathways to inclusivity and understanding essential to the values of Syracuse University,” says Ron Novack, executive director of the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA). “These door hangers can help be a catalyst for dialogue and make our student veteran population feel welcome,” says Novack.

For faculty and staff interested in becoming a student veteran liaison, request an orange door tag by emailing vma@syr.edu. The door hangers are provided by the OVMA. Participants are asked to hang the door tags in their offices, departments and buildings as visual signs to student veterans that they are welcome to come in and talk. In addition, student veteran liaisons will be provided military cultural training and a user guide [PDF] to help better understand their role in a veteran’s campus experience.

“This program gives veterans a visual cue that they have found a door that is open to them to discuss their needs,” says Novack. “This campus community makes Syracuse University a better place for student veterans one orange door at a time.”

For more information, visit veterans.syr.edu.