Kent State’s Center for Adult and Veteran Services is receiving an honor from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators as the outstanding undergraduate program for adult learners for the first time. 

This is happening at the annual NASPA’s conference for CAVS members all around the United States and Kent State’s CAVS will be honored on the last day of the conference. 

Kent State’s CAVS has been selected for this award by the Adult Learners and Students with Children Knowledge Community, a group within the NASPA.

Kent State’s program was selected because it successfully demonstrates the four principles of NASPA: integrity, innovation, inclusion, and inquiry. 

The program not only demonstrates these principles, but they also strive to include support for the growing student population. NASPA has recognized these characteristics of the Kent State CAVS program and values the work they are doing. 

Joshua Rider, the interim assistant dean of students and the director of CAVS, will be honored at the event on March 31 in Austin, Texas, along with three of his colleagues: Sarah Helmick, the associate director, Scott Crawford, the program coordinator and VA certifying official and Lanika Mutsach, a graduate assistant.

Rider will make a presentation that will be specifically aimed toward building programs for students who are parents and provide support systems. Multiple other presentations will be going on at this time as well; students can choose which presentation to attend. 

“They [NASPA] aren’t really looking at just the team, they’re looking for the work that’s being produced,” Rider said. “They’re looking at the programs, the services, the impact that the program produces for the students here; our veterans, our service members, our parenting students, our non-traditional student population.” 

Members in CAVS are successfully making a change in the lives of students, as they encourage them to strive to be the best, challenge one another and help each other grow both physically and mentally. 

Watching the outcome that is being produced and seeing the growth becomes crucial when it comes to deciding how successful the CAVS program is. NASPA is not just looking at people’s resumes to determine who the winner is, but they want to see change and values being presented. At Kent State, the CAVS program is dedicated to challenging its members and presenting them with a diverse and high impact student experience. 

Bridget Lin covers ROTC and military. Contact her at [email protected].