The NVRC is a one-of-a-kind educational facility. The dozens of local, regional, and national organizations based there are expected to serve over 40,000 veterans and their families every year. While preserving its responsiveness to the needs of those visitors, the NVRC is charged as well with leveraging its prominent location on the historic Syracuse University campus to welcome students and the community at large. The arrangement reflects the thoughtful resolution of those demands.

Housing the Institute for Veterans and Military Families and a range of allied organizations, the NVRC provides meeting areas and classrooms, offices, and generous spaces for public gathering. A dedicated gallery hosts relevant exhibitions by and about veterans. Careful elevator placement and select use of ramps ensures accessibility to all.

Syracuse University has a unique legacy of welcoming and serving returning military women and men. While other schools waived tuition as part of the GI Bill, in 1944 Syracuse suspended admissions requirements as well, welcoming all applicants. As a result, the number of veterans attending swelled in the years following World War II, nearly doubling enrollment at the school and even driving the growth of the city as a whole. A variety of veteran-focused programs, services, and study centers were established on campus over the decades—for the first time finding a common home within the NVRC.