D’Youville’s Phil Pandy Shares National Best Practices for Supporting Military-Connected Students

D’Youville University's commitment to veterans and military-connected students recently took center stage during a national Military Friendly® podcast, where Director of Veteran Student Support and Recruitment Phillip Pandy shared the strategies that have helped establish D’Youville as one of the nation's leading universities for military-connected learners.

Hosted by Military Friendly® Vice President of Membership Kayla Lopez, the podcast explored how colleges and universities can better attract, engage, and retain military-connected students by building authentic relationships rather than relying solely on traditional marketing. Drawing on his 32-year Army career and three years leading D’Youville's veteran initiatives, Pandy emphasized that trust, listening, and community engagement are at the heart of the university's success.

"One of the first things we had to do was understand how military-connected students experience our campus through their own lens," Pandy said. "When students tell you what they need, you have to listen. Sometimes a small change can make a tremendous difference in helping them feel like they belong."

One example Pandy shared was the transformation of D’Youville's Veteran and Military-Aligned Student Support Center. After listening to feedback from a military-connected student who said the space felt more like her parents' military day room than a place for students, the university redesigned it into a modern study and collaboration space created specifically for today's military-connected learners. The student later became president of D’Youville's military student organization, illustrating the impact of giving students a voice in shaping their campus experience.

Throughout the discussion, Pandy highlighted the importance of authentic storytelling, encouraging institutions to showcase real students instead of stock photography and to tell stories that prospective students can genuinely see themselves in.

"They have to see themselves in the story," Pandy said. "Whether it's our social media, brochures, or campus events, we want military-connected students and families to recognize people like themselves and know they belong here."

Pandy also spoke about D’Youville's strong partnerships with organizations including the historic Connecticut Street Armory and the New York National Guard. Rather than approaching those relationships as recruitment opportunities, he explained that the university focuses first on serving the military community through educational workshops, healthcare demonstrations, and collaborative events that provide value before ever discussing enrollment.

That student-first philosophy, he said, is what continues to set D’Youville apart.

"We don't just say we're committed to veterans and military-connected students, we demonstrate it every day," Pandy said. "We know our students, we understand the unique challenges they face, and we work to remove those barriers so they can focus on being successful. That's why they thrive here."

The podcast comes on the heels of D’Youville earning national recognition as one of the country's top Military Friendly® institutions, ranking No. 9 nationally among private doctoral institutions and No. 8 nationally as a Military Spouse Friendly® School. Those distinctions reflect the university's ongoing commitment to creating meaningful support systems for veterans, active-duty service members, military spouses, and military-connected families.