Veterans on Campus: Seize the Opportunity
James H. McCormick
Chancellor, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
May 21, 2009

When the new GI bill takes effect in August 2009, colleges and universities across the country can expect an influx of veterans on their campuses. As the parent of two sons who served in the military—including one who fought in Desert Storm—I am familiar with the challenges many veterans face when they return to civilian life.

To ensure successful reintegration of veterans, colleges and universities should recognize that these students and their families have unique needs that must be addressed thoughtfully.

For the last few years, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system has worked closely with the Minnesota National Guard and the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs to identify veterans’ needs and build upon what we already had in place at our 32 colleges and universities.

Currently, we serve about 60 percent of veterans involved in higher education in Minnesota. Our aim has been to create a holistic and integrated approach to meeting veterans’ needs. We want to make sure these students feel fully welcomed, served, and involved in campus life.

Support for our initiative came readily from the governor, legislature, board of trustees, and colleagues at our 54 campuses. I believe this is because we learned as a country—and took to heart—some important and painful lessons experienced by many Vietnam War veterans.

At the same time, advancing this initiative has not been easy. To do right by veterans, we needed a culture change on our campuses. Faculty, staff, and other students had to recognize that veteran students were not necessarily like other students. To create buy-in, we began training sessions for presidents, other high-level managers, and faculty and staff throughout the system in 2006.

We started the initiative by asking ourselves, “What will it take to have veteran-friendly campuses?” Many pieces had to be put in place. With the vision of Minnesota National Guard Adjutant General Larry W. Shellito, a former president at one of our colleges, and others in the Minnesota National Guard and Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Clark Dyrud, we developed basic concepts and directions. To strengthen our collaboration, a military liaison, Captain Daniel Price, works full time in the system office.

Each of the 32 presidents also had to decide that upgrading programs and services was a priority. They had to find space and resources. All of them bought into the initiative, though the level of programming typically depends on the number of veterans on their campuses.

Without a doubt, the presidents’ commitment, along with Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs campus representatives, has made the biggest difference. Within two years, our colleges and universities went from having two veterans’ centers on campuses to 47, which are backed up by a strong statewide network. Also, the call center for Minnesota Online, the system’s portal for online programs, has specialists trained to assist service members, many of whom take online courses even while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The system office also secured a $1 million grant to develop a systematic approach to granting credit for prior military learning and experience, to design a life-planning tool for veterans, and to expand our training and education partnership with the Minnesota National Guard and the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. This grant was in partnership with the Minnesota Departments of Veterans Affairs, Employment and Economic Development, and the Minnesota National Guard. The collaboration coordinates services for career exploration, training, and education of Minnesotans returning from active duty.

My staff also works with soldiers and their families before, during, and after deployment. My staff members have told me they have been inspired—often moved—by shaking the hand of each returning veteran in reintegration sessions. We have been a little surprised that almost 80 percent of returning service men and women have indicated interest in higher education.

Though we have made substantial progress in developing veteran-friendly campuses, we know we must move our services to an even higher level. Currently, we are working to create a structure that more easily applies credit for the skills and military coursework to degrees on our campuses. Recently, we began to explore how to build a better network of mental health services for our students, our soldiers, and our veterans.

I am proud of the progress the system has made in such a short time, but more significantly, I am proud that we can assist these men and women and their families in reclaiming their civilian lives and following their dreams.