Ukrainian Educators Visit FSU To Learn About Serving Military Veterans Through Universities and Community Colleges
Tallahassee, FL – In early August 2024, FSU’s Ukraine Task Force welcomed nine senior higher education leaders from Ukraine. Eight members of these groups were alumni of two U.S. Department of State-sponsored Community College Administrator Program (CCAP) implemented in 2016 and 2018. The programs were administered by Florida State University’s Learning Systems Institute (LSI) in partnership with Santa Fe College.
The CCAP is a program of study for administrators from post-secondary vocational and technical institutions in foreign countries to see how institutions meet the local workforce demand of their communities through innovative educational programs.
This year’s visit had a different purpose. Thanks in part to funding from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and framed by Russia’s war on Ukraine, these participants came to Florida State to learn how universities and community colleges can serve military veterans, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations.
The Ukrainian delegation spent 10 days meeting with senior administrators, deans, professors and FSU and Santa Fe College (SF) staff. Their engagement included meetings with FSU President Richard McCullough and FSU Provost Jim Clark, as well as SF President Paul Broadie II and SF Provost Nate Southerland.
FSU President Richard McCullough and FSU Provost James Clark met with the Ukrainian higher education leaders
Santa Fe College President Paul Broadie II with the Ukrainian higher education leaders.
“We had a terrific meeting with the president and vice president of FSU,” said Dr. Svitlana Kretovych, representing the Office of the President of Ukraine. “We discussed our problems and how Florida State University could help us. It was really impressive.”
“We had the opportunity to meet with the president of Florida State and also the provost,” said Roman Dadak, Acting Head of the Association of Colleges and Director Technological College of the National Forestry University of Ukraine. “It was a great honor to have this meeting.”
The group visited FSU’s Student Veterans Center (SVC) and SF’s Office of Veterans and Military Success Services. The conversations will help Ukrainian higher education officials determine the best way to serve the over one million active-duty military members who are currently fighting to defend their country from Russian aggression.
“One of the biggest challenges this country will face is how to serve military veterans, most of whom can only be demobilized now if they have acquired a major physical injury such as the loss of a limb,” said Dr. Vilma Fuentes, program director of the Ukraine Task Force. “FSU and Santa Fe College, the two institutions that implemented the CCAP, have much to share. They have distinguished themselves in the state and nation for the high level of service they provide to American veterans.”
The SVC provides programs and services designed to enhance the retention, graduation and career-placement rates of student veterans, active-military students and veteran/military dependents.
Santa Fe Office of Veterans and Military Success Services visit.
FSU’s Student Veterans Center visit.
“The creation of a veteran center is needed in Ukraine because of the war with Russia,” said Dr. Kretovych. “After the war, it will be very important in the process of rebuilding Ukraine.”
Other key meetings centered on mental health and serving students with disabilities. Dr. Angi Yoder-Maia, Director of the Resilience Institute for Strength and Empowerment at FSU, held a session on healing-centered education. The group visited the FSU Career Center, and on their final day in Tallahassee, they met with Amber Wagner, Assistant Dean and Director of the Office of Accessibility Services, who hosted the group.
The group met with Dr. Jeffrey Garis at Florida State's Career Center.
Dr. Angi Yoder-Maia, Director of the Resilience Institute for Strength and Empowerment at FSU, working with the Ukrainian group.
“Another very important experience we had was about serving people and students with disabilities,” said Dadak. “FSU has a lot of different programs, and your spaces are even adapted for students with disabilities. Unfortunately, we do not have such tools and programs and spaces with inclusiveness and access for students with disabilities”.
“All of the faculty hosts we met tried to explain everything in more detail for us because they understood that this knowledge is so important for us now,” said Dr. Kretovych.
This summer, the Ukraine Task Force hosted 15 Ukrainian educators who came to Tallahassee to build connections with FSU faculty and staff for long-term collaboration in joint research, shared pedagogy, course development and publication.
“It was my first time on this continent, as well as my first time in the United States,” said Dadak. “My experience of what was being delivered this week was incredible.”
The Ukrainian delegation also explored various short-term certificate programs offered at FSU and SF that can be used to quickly retrain internally displaced people, military veterans and adults with disabilities. FSU’s emergency management, entrepreneurship, visual disabilities and hospitality programs were among those featured during the ten-day visit.
“We used our time at Florida State to gather very important knowledge for Ukraine,” said Dr. Hanna Shchutska, director of the Kyiv College of Light Industry. “We will work together and build educational programs. We hope the future will bring peace and greatness.”
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