Georgetown hosted a group of educators, military personnel and support group representatives for “Serving Those Who Serve,” a two-day conference that examined veterans’ issues in higher education. The ultimate goal, organizers said, is to ensure that all veteran and active duty soldiers who enroll in universities have the tools they need to thrive.

The American Council on Education (ACE) and Georgetown's School of Continuing Studies brought the group together for the June 5-6 event on campus. A panel of student veterans discussed their experiences, triumphs and frustrations of transitioning from the military to college. The summit also heard from two U.S. senators and veterans, Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) on the importance of supporting student veterans.

“We can and must act creatively, comprehensively and responsively to veterans,” said Molly Corbett Broad, ACE president. “We owe it to our country, we owe it to the men and women who have sacrificed for service, and we owe to it ourselves based on our institutional values.”

Panels of student veterans explained that universities often have offices with administrators to offer assistance, but then university registration guidelines may prevent veterans from signing up for classes on time. Or their GI Bill tuition payments may be delayed and the university will not allow a deferment, which could ultimately force the student veteran out of school.

Hagel, along with Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), is sponsoring an updated GI Bill that provides more benefits for student veterans, including the full cost of tuition at public universities and stipends for books, fees and housing.

“These are earned benefits our soldiers should have,” Hagel said, “and there will be consequences if we don’t move these benefits forward.”

Student veterans face a range of issues, from housing concerns to coping with new disabilities. But Hagel, a Vietnam War veteran who was awarded with two Purple Heart medals, said the biggest obstacle might be reintegrating soldiers seamlessly into society.

“Without even recognizing what we’re doing, we separate the military from general society,” he said, noting that only one percent of Americans serve in uniform. “We’ve got to reintegrate soldiers back into the society where they come from. Education does that better than any institution I’m aware of.”

Universities can change attitudes from within recognizing the different perspective and experiences that student veterans bring to campus, he went on.

“You can set the tone to welcome veterans,” he said. “There are so many initiatives that can be taken to help inculcate veterans in institutions – that creates a stronger society and a stronger America.”

Inouye, a World War II veteran who lost his right arm in combat, said America has a debt it can never repay to soldiers and that funding their education is just a small, but necessary, token of thanks. Inouye received the Medal of Honor for his valor and used the GI Bill to fund his education at the University of Hawaii and George Washington University Law School.

“They deserve the best, whatever it costs,” Inouye said. “If we cannot provide for the men and women who have sacrificed for us, then we have no business going to war.”

Navigating a New Campus
As Elizabeth O’Herrin, who recently left the Air National Guard, sees it, there are three areas all universities should address with student veterans: a resource center, housing assistance and orientations. For the latter two, most veterans’ discharge schedules do not match with university schedules, leaving the former soldiers to wonder where they will live and how they will find their way around campus. Holding special sessions and specifically addressing veteran needs will help, she said.

“The biggest help for veterans to stay in school is peer-to-peer support,” O'Herrin, who attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, added. “A resource center is the No. 1 way to connect veterans with each other – just a place where student veterans can meet each other. … It makes a huge difference.”

Faced with navigating higher education alone, some student veterans had begun to start on-campus support groups. That led to a nationwide initiative, Student Veterans of America, of which O’Herrin serves as the executive director. At the summit, representatives encouraged universities to work with the organization to develop targeted plans to aid veterans.

Developing the appropriate services may be daunting for universities, but the alternative – doing nothing – is a disservice, the student panelists said.

Helping student veterans with specific needs can be a challenge. For example, Natasha McKinnon, an Army National Guard veteran wounded in the Middle East, needs to work her full-time course load at North Carolina State University around therapy appointments. Additionally, her injuries required working with the disabled student office to find parking near her classes.

Given the broad range of needs, summit officials said universities’ approaches to veterans must be comprehensive, involving housing, financial aid, counseling services, disability services, admissions and career counseling. A soldier’s transition to the classroom will touch all of these areas – but he or she may be trying to figure it out from the battlefield.

Student Veterans on the Hilltop
Georgetown is proud of the of the role it plays in educating veterans, said University President John J. DeGioia. He outlined during the summit Georgetown’s long history with veterans, dating back more than 200 years. The common thread, he said, is recognition that being a citizen is both an opportunity and responsibility.

“All of our student veterans, our heroes, have certainly embraced that responsibility,” he said. “For the rest of us, it is now our turn. As citizens and as leaders, we must embrace our responsibility – our challenge, charge and call to action – to serve those who have served us so bravely and so well.”

Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies (SCS), serves some of the university’s student veterans. Vincent Kiernan, SCS assistant dean, said the school reaches out to veterans in a number of ways, including recruiting and information sessions at nearby Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Enrolling and supporting veterans is something Kiernan likens back to Georgetown’s core mission and its Jesuit identity.

“(St.) Ignatius (of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus) was actually a war veteran. People don’t tend to remember he created the Jesuits while recovering,” Kiernan said. “Georgetown and the Jesuits have a deep commitment to this issue of student veterans. We also have a mission of helping to form men and women for others, and veterans embody men and women for others more than anyone else.”

-- Lauren Burgoon, Blue & Gray Assistant Editor

(June 7, 2008)