University News

WIU: 2014 Military Friendly School

September 11, 2013

Share |
Printer friendly version

MACOMB, IL – For the fifth consecutive year, Western Illinois University has been named a "Military Friendly School" and will again be featured in the "G.I. Jobs Guide to Military Friendly Schools," among other Victory Media publications.

According to Victory Media, the 2014 Military Friendly Schools list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America's military service members, veterans and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus. The list of Military Friendly Schools, which features 1,868 institutions, was compiled through research and a data-driven survey of more than 12,000 VA-approved schools nationwide.

"Western's commitment to student-veterans is a part of our history and our institutional mission. We are pleased that G.I. Jobs recognized Western Illinois University for the fourth consecutive year, and that our student-veterans have given us high marks for the services our University provides," said WIU President Jack Thomas.

WIU student-veterans surveyed ranked Western in the following categories (out of a possible four points): veteran resources (3.8), school resources (3.7), faculty (3.8), school environment (3.8) and career services (3.4).

According to Rick Carter, executive director of the School of Distance Learning, International Studies and Outreach, the University provides numerous on-campus resources for veterans and military personnel, as well as the flexibility of academic program offerings, including online courses and the Bachelor of Arts in General Studies (BGS; formerly called the Board of Trustees Bachelor of Arts) degree program.

The University's Veterans Resource Center (the Wright Residence at 333 N. Ward St.) provides streamlined services and resources in a centralized location to ensure that all veterans, guard members, reservists and active duty personnel receive individual assistance with any question or concern they may encounter. The center also sponsors a series of group seminars/workshops each year based on the current needs of its military student population.

Kathy Meyers, assistant director of the Veterans Resource Center, added that the center strives to promote the value of peer mentoring among its groups of veterans and active military personnel, and various campus and community partnerships have been established with Western's Veterans Resource Center. Students gain direct access to a comprehensive array of services such as VA benefits, financial assistance, disability resources, health care, career development and personal wellness.

Veterans Resources also partners with the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) to sponsor a service center on the WIU-Macomb campus each month. In addition, the WIU-Quad Cities campus has a partnership agreement with the Rock Island (IL) Arsenal (RIA), which allows current – and potential – college students interested in completing college proficiency exams to complete them at the Arsenal.

For more information on services and support for veterans and active duty personnel, visit wiu.edu/student_services/veterans.



Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing