Student Veterans’ Participation in High-Impact Practices: Veterans’ Experiences at Three Institutions of Higher Education in Southeastern North Carolina

Abstract

This qualitative study explores student veteran engagement in educational practices the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) identifies as High-Impact Practices (HIPs). This is a result of a university-wide systematic study on how to enhance equitably HIPs for all students at the authors’ institution, later broadening to encompass three institutions in North Carolina of varying size and mission: (a) Mid-sized Regional University (MRU), a comprehensive regional university; (b) State Community College (SCC), a two-year public institution located within 10 miles of USS; and (c) Salisbury College, a small, private liberal arts college. Fourteen student veterans were interviewed about their perceptions of and participation in HIPs. Three themes emerged: mission-orientation, competing priorities, and marketing to student veteran populations. Although contextualized within the state of North Carolina, implications and recommendations from the current study provide meaningful insights for both practice and research on student veteran populations.