UNCG is establishing a Military, Veterans and Families Task Force to make recommendations designed to facilitate the enrollment and the success of UNCG students who are active duty members of the military, military veterans and military dependents.
The task force was announced today by UNCG Chancellor Linda P. Brady, who was involved earlier in her career as a civilian analyst at both the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State. Task Force members will include UNCG students, faculty, and staff as well as members of the local community. Members will be selected based on their roles as existing and potential providers and recipients of military and veteran services.
“The establishment of a military, veterans and families advisory task force is consistent with the University’s mission to be a learner-centered, accessible and inclusive community,” Brady said. “As the voice for the hundreds of veterans, members of the military and their families who are members of the UNCG community, the task force will help ensure UNCG is a place that those who have served their country and those currently serving are proud to call home.”
The task force will gather information about the services available for veterans, active military personnel and their families at UNCG. It will review current academic and support services in place for veterans, military personnel and their families and make recommendations for ways to improve and expand such services. The task force will also work to reduce barriers within the University to provide more effective services and a more military-friendly environment.
“Through this effort, UNCG has an opportunity to increase access and support for academic success to this diverse, talented and academically prepared group of students who can offer a global perspective to the traditional academic setting,” Brady said. “The taskforce will also be responsible for recommending whether or not a permanent Military, Veterans, and Families Advisory Committee should be established at UNCG.”
This fall, UNCG reported 384 students who used veterans benefits, placing it fourth in benefits usage in the UNC System, behind East Carolina, UNC Chapel Hill, and Fayetteville State. While UNCG currently collects data on students using veterans benefits, the task force will help strengthen UNCG’s ability to identify all veterans/military personnel at the University, including those who may be faculty or staff.
Other data pointing to the need for a task force to examine the situation of veterans on the UNCG campus show that:
• North Carolina has the third-largest active duty military population in the country and an increase is expected as more servicemembers are relocated to bases in the state. It also has the highest percentage of the total active duty military, National Guard, and Reserve personnel of any state.
• According to UNC SERVES (Systemwide Evaluation and Recommendation for Veteran Education and Services), North Carolina has 116,073 active duty personnel as of October 2010. When National Guard and Reserve populations are added, the total swells to 138,615.
• Two representatives from UNCG are serving on the UNC SERVES working group. UNC SERVES is a system-wide initiative designed to improve access, retention and graduation rates for military affiliated students on UNC campuses.
• Most of the active duty military, Reserve and National Guard have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom and approximately 36,000 veterans currently live in Guilford County.
• Due to the recent influx of veterans returning from these two wars seeking higher education, many colleges and universities throughout the country are working to ensure positive campus environments for veterans. Nationally, 270,666 students used the new veterans benefits in 2009-10.
Programs are already in place at UNCG to assist veterans, active duty military and their families. Three of them are:
• The VETS program is hosted by the Dean of Students Office, seeks to assist veterans with their transition to UNCG by providing resources to help support veterans’ success.
• The Veteran’s Ally program links a veteran with a faculty or staff member to be a source of support and networking for those with questions about campus and community resources.
• The Military and Veterans Expo, hosted on September 7, 2010, was the first of its kind on a UNC system campus. It featured collaboration between UNCG and the office of U.S. Senator Kay Hagan; a panel on education, jobs, and workforce development; and a resource fair for veterans, active duty military and their families that featured representatives from over 40 different government agencies and nonprofits. There are plans to make it an annual event.
“At UNCG we have a long history of supporting our veterans, members of the military, and their families,” Brady said. “In 1945, faculty at UNCG, then known as ‘Woman’s College,’ established a veterans education committee to meet the needs of women war veterans returning from service.
“Today, our commitment to supporting veterans, service members, and their families is as strong as ever before. We are currently working with faculty, staff, and students, including those who are in the military or are veterans, to examine issues that affect veterans and other military personnel as students or employees of our University. We aim to ensure UNCG is a place where veterans, members of the military, and their families feel welcomed and have the opportunity to thrive.”
(Link to Original Press Release)