(This is a sample blog post, copied over from SubStack. When Candace has the design nailed down, we can likely import all the existing articles at once, using a WordPress plugin.)
Why This Month Matters
A key theme throughout the conversation was momentum: strengthening the CMVF3C’s national presence, expanding membership, and prioritizing practical tools that institutions can use to build consistent, military, veteran, and family-connected supports.
Why this matters now:
As interest grows nationally in military and veteran-friendly campus capacity, the Consortium’s ability to mobilize practical resources — and connect institutions to CAF and VAC partners — is becoming increasingly important to scaling progress across regions.
Key Highlights & Updates
- Cannexus Conference presence and momentum:
CMVF3C and partners participated in the Cannexus Conference (January 27–29, Ottawa), engaging career development practitioners and allied partners and increasing visibility for military and veteran-connected learner needs and supports. - Recognition of longstanding leadership in this space:
Meeting reflections highlighted the significance of Cannexus as a milestone event — including recognition of long-term contributions to bridging post-secondary systems, career practitioners, CAF/VAC partners, and military-connected learners. - Membership growth and engagement:
Participants welcomed new members and noted continued interest from institutions encountering CMVF3C through national outreach and events. - Working group priorities clarified:
CMVF3C confirmed three active working groups focused on:- Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) and articulation,
- Institutional readiness supports (shifting focus from “academic success” to “institutional success”), and
- Knowledge mobilization through improved toolkits and a strengthened hub.
- Funding update and next phase planning:
CMVF3C confirmed continued short-term support through CAF MINDS and VAC funding streams, alongside new multi-year funding approved through VAC’s Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund — with scope adjustments required due to lower-than-requested amounts.
What We Heard This Month
Participants who attended Cannexus highlighted the value of co-locating with CAF Transition Group and other partners, and the “conference within the conference” effect — where informal conversations and introductions drove practical collaboration and future planning.
Several reflections stood out:
- A strong appetite among career development professionals for military and veteran-specific tools and knowledge.
- Increased interest from post-secondary institutions encountering CMVF3C for the first time and asking how to join.
- The value of having CAF, VAC-adjacent practitioners, and PSIs in the same space to answer questions, clarify pathways, and strengthen shared understanding.
A recurring theme was that large-scale convenings create visibility — but that institutions also need practical, accessible tools to support individuals navigating education and transition pathways.
University of Regina Showcase: Early Steps Toward a Military and Veteran Friendly Campus
A showcase from the University of Regina provided a grounded example of how institutions can begin this work even with limited capacity.
Early steps included:
- Using a student fieldwork placement to develop an initial report and roadmap (short, medium, and long-term goals).
- Creating a dedicated institutional webpage by consolidating existing supports already available on campus and making them visible through a military-connected lens.
- Building a student self-declaration process, including integration into the admissions workflow to improve identification of military-connected learners over time.
- Conducting early transfer credit “triangulation” using military records and existing transfer documentation to reduce unnecessary coursework and support learner mobility.
- Advancing institutional commitment through Guiding Principles sign-on, supported by clear internal framing and leadership engagement.
- Planning outreach and information events with recruitment and local partners to connect military-connected learners and families with institutional supports and CAF/VAC-related resources.
Discussion reinforced that small early wins — especially around visibility, identification, and internal partnerships — create momentum and can help embed this work institutionally rather than relying on single champions.
Building Sustainable Institutional Commitment
Participants emphasized the importance of moving beyond individual champions to ensure supports become part of institutional structures.
This included discussion of:
- Ensuring leadership-level understanding and buy-in before formal commitments are signed.
- Creating systems that persist through staff turnover.
- Building shared, accessible tools and processes that institutions can adopt and adapt.
Key Takeaways
- National convenings are creating visibility and momentum, but institutions need practical tools to translate interest into action.
- Early progress is possible even in low-capacity settings when institutions focus on visibility, identification, and internal partnerships.
- Sustainable military and veteran-friendly campus work depends on institutional commitment and embedded processes, not single champions.
- CMVF3C’s next phase requires continued coordination across partners, supported by scalable knowledge mobilization assets.
CMVF3C’s Role in This Work
Looking Ahead
- Upcoming survey and engagement inputs:
CMVF3C will be circulating a survey to help prioritize what members most need from the Consortium, ensuring future outputs reflect institutional realities and capacity. - Governance and participation requirements:
In alignment with VAC funding requirements, partners can anticipate receiving consent and conflict-of-interest documentation for participation and knowledge mobilization activities. - Future convening (dates to follow):
Early planning discussions began for a spring convening window, with further details to be shared as scheduling and alignment across partner events is confirmed.
Call to Action | How You Can Engage
- Encourage your institution to sign the CMVF3C Guiding Principles (if not already completed),
- Complete or update the National Resource Directory (NRD) to improve national visibility for military and veteran-friendly campus supports,
- Share tools, templates, and examples that could be included in a national knowledge mobilization toolkit,
- Join the CMVF3C LinkedIn group to share initiatives, opportunities, and updates across the community.
If this work is happening on your campus or in your organization, we want to hear from you!
Additional Information
This update is intended for sharing within your institution and professional networks.