Back in 2023, we sat down with Columbia University Public Safety for a listening session. We wanted to learn more about how our Public Safety officers were interacting with student veterans on campus. And what we heard was really eye-opening.
We learned that around 10% of our Public Safety officers are veterans themselves, and that nearly 40% of them have a military connection, but many of them still felt unsure about how to engage confidently with veterans.
That one conversation sparked something much bigger. In response to what we learned, we teamed up with Public Safety training staff to co-create Building Capacity for Veteran Narrative—a half-day, in-person training that helps Columbia Public Safety officers:
- Understand the many cultures and experiences tied to military service
- Explore new ways of connecting with veterans through storytelling
- Learn the history of veteran support at Columbia
- Get familiar with resources available on campus
The best part?
This training didn’t just happen once: it’s now part of onboarding for every new Public Safety officer at Columbia, and it has been shared with other departments across the University too.
One officer, a year after completing it, summed it up perfectly: “The training made me more appreciative of who veterans are.”
This is CVTI in action—creating content and resources that make a real impact, right here at Columbia and beyond. Join us in building a campus where veterans aren’t just welcomed—they’re truly understood.
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