The purpose of this study was to describe and explain Veteran students’ perspectives on academic success as they enter or reenter the university setting. Recent research applied to Veteran students has focused on social integration and to a lesser extent on academic integration and student success. For this qualitative study grounded in social constructivism, the primary method of data collection was the recording, transcription, and analysis of oral interviews with 11 Veteran students. The findings were aligned to the theoretical framework which was adapted from Tinto’s Conditions for Student Success (2012). The results contribute to the current body of scholarly literature that highlights positive attributes that Veteran students possess including leadership skills, maturity, and acquired skills related to global and cultural awareness, and motivation. Other findings include the effectiveness of having specific programming efforts for Veteran students. As for research implications for practice, the results of this study suggest that Veteran students are not necessarily familiar with support services offered. They prefer face-to-face program delivery and may need assistance with meeting University requirements such as providing immunization records, establishing in-state residency, providing sufficient documentation for receiving support services, and options if benefits eligibility run out prior to graduation. Results also reaffirm that colleges and universities need to continue to develop and improve conditions that are known to promote student success for Veteran students.

Cette thèse étudie la représentation de l’accueil et de la réinsertion des vétérans du Viêt-nam dans deux quotidiens américains de qualité, le New York Times et le Washington Post, de 1966 à 1978. La comparaison entre les deux journaux est complétée par les analyses de deux hebdomadaires, The Nation et Newsweek, et d’un bimensuel, la National Review, qui balayent toute la gamme des points de vue sur le sujet. Deux périodes peuvent être distinguées : de 1966 à 1970, la réintégration des anciens combattants semble être facile, selon les publications. De 1971 à 1978, la couverture médiatique s’intensifie dans un premier temps, du fait des difficultés de réinsertion que les Vietvets rencontrent et osent enfin exprimer avec force ; la presse paraît ensuite se désintéresser progressivement d’eux. L’évolution, dans les journaux, de la représentation des vétérans et de leur réinsertion reflète l’évolution de la société et de l’économie américaines. Si les deux quotidiens s’adressent, a priori, à des lectorats voisins, les réalités qu’ils choisissent de montrer, en les déformant suivant leur biais idéologique, divergent souvent. Il s’agit également de voir dans quelle mesure leurs représentations ont pu aider la réinsertion des anciens combattants ou, au contraire, la rendre plus délicate. / This thesis studies the reception and the reintegration in society of Vietnam war veterans as they are represented in two American dailies, The New York Times and The Washington Post. To this comparison between the two newspapers are added the analyses of two weeklies, The Nation and Newsweek, and a bimonthly, National Review, which provide a complete range of the various point of views on the subject. Two periods stand out: from 1966 to 1970, the reintegration of the former soldiers seemed to be easy, according to the newspapers. From 1971 to 1978, the coverage by the media first intensified owing to the difficulties of reintegration that the Vietvets faced and dared to voice loudly for the first time; the press then appeared to progressively lose interest in them. The evolution, in the newpapers, of the representation of the veterans and of their reintegration mirrored the evolution of American society and economy. If both dailies a priori addressed the same kind of readers, the reality that they chose to present and distort through their ideological bias often differed. The thesis also tries to show how their representations may have helped or hindered the reintegration of Vietvets in society.