https://today.iu.edu/live/news/5054-office-for-veterans-and-military-personnel
By IU Indianapolis Today
August 29, 2024
Tyler Cason has been named director of the IU Indianapolis Office for Veterans and Military Personnel in the Division of Enrollment Management, after serving as interim director for several months.
Cason served in the U.S. Army for six years, which included combat tours to Afghanistan and Iraq. He has worked in the Office for Veterans and Military Personnel in various roles since 2018, when he joined as a work-study student, and has a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership.
The office is a centralized place designed for military-connected students to find comprehensive resources. As director, Cason is responsible for ensuring the office maintains compliance with federal, state and institutional regulations.
Supporting students is also a top priority. Cason knows first-hand the uncertainty that military-connected students can feel when applying to and enrolling in college.
“Originally, I didn’t know where to go,” he said. “I knew I had a GI Bill. I knew that existed, but I didn’t know much about how to use it and what to do. When I applied for admission, it was recommended to me that I connect with the Office for Veterans and Military Personnel.”
The office helped Cason bridge the gap between what he didn’t know and resources available to him as a veteran. As the office’s director, one of his goals is to bridge that gap as early as possible.
“A lot of students come to our office stressed about, not only their classes, but their military-related benefits,” he said. “Our office is here to make things as simple for them as possible, so that they can focus on succeeding in the classroom. Reaching students before they’re even students can help in that process.”
The return of the Warrior Transition seminar in the 2025-26 academic year, a program similar to the campus’s Bridge Week for first-year students, is one initiative that aims to provide support early and often.
“The Warrior Transition seminar is a way to provide participating students with an opportunity to refresh on English, math and other things that maybe a traditional student has been doing for the past number of years consistently, that our students tend to have not done for 10 or 20 years,” he said.
Cason also wants to highlight and expand the office’s community engagement efforts, which now include a year-round Toys for Tots donation drive.
“Continuing to reach out and support people in the community is foundational to who I am as a veteran, and the veterans we represent,” he said. “Through those donations, we’re able to provide underprivileged and underserved children with some really awesome gifts. We would love to see campus participation grow.”
Donations can be dropped off anytime during business hours at the Office for Veterans and Military Personnel, located in Suite 268 in the Campus Center. Donors can also contact Cason at tscason@iu.edu to arrange for items to be picked up.
Students can get involved in the community, on campus and beyond through the student veteran organization.
“I didn’t learn nearly as much from being a bystander as I did from being an active participant,” Cason said. “The student veteran organization gave me the opportunity to be part of the Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board. I got to attend legislative meetings at the Statehouse. There are a lot of opportunities to get involved. Don’t be afraid to knock on doors and ask questions.”
When it comes to supporting students, Cason encourages faculty and staff to be active listeners and willing to meet people where they are.
“It’s also helpful to be educated about stereotypes and presumptions,” he said. “Military service is so different for every person. Some people experience a lot of trauma. A lot of folks go through things that they carry with them for the rest of their lives, and they carry it with them into their schooling, unfortunately. I know I did. We are going to bring some of that understanding to our campus partners when we begin offering Green Zone Training in the near future.”
Current and prospective military-connected students can contact the IU Indianapolis Office for Veterans and Military Personnel at gibenefi@iu.edu or 317-278-9163. The office also supports IU Columbus , military@iu.edu, and IU Fort Wayne, fwmil@iu.edu.
