| CLEVELAND UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES PROGRAM FOR STUDENT-VETERANS |
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2008—This semester Cleveland State University, with the help and support of AMVETS, launched the Supportive Education for the Returning Veterans (SERV) program to address the unique academic needs of student-veterans.
“These veterans are the next generation of leaders,” said John Schupp, SERV’s founder and a chemistry professor at the university. “They have volunteered to serve and they represent everything that makes America great. We owe it to this country to see that they have all of the opportunities for success.”
SERV is a comprehensive program at CSU that provides exclusive classes for student-veterans, as well as a forum for them to learn about benefits such as the G.I. Bill and other veteran-specific topics. This spring, SERV launched its veteran-centric learning communities, opened a permanent booth in the CSU student center, and started to work extensively with the university’s Army ROTC Battalion.
Schupp, inspired by a student who served in Kosovo, knew that faculty support would be difficult to muster, so he sought the help of AMVETS. His idea caught the attention of AMVETS National Cmdr. John P. “J.P.” Brown III, who supports SERV’s proactive approach to reintegrating veterans into scholastic programs.
“Often times it’s difficult for a vet to return to school,” Brown said. “Vets are older than most of their peers and college is so vastly different from military life. SERV helps show vets that the long-term benefits are well worth the effort.”
AMVETS has long been a proponent of veterans’ education. AMVETS provides thousands of dollars in scholarships to veterans and their families each year through partnerships with DeVry University and the University of Phoenix. AMVETS National Service Foundation has also funded veterans’ scholarships over the years totaling more than $2 million.
AMVETS is currently working with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges to investigate “best practices” for student-veteran services.
The three groups recently formed a core team with the goal of surveying many of the nation’s top colleges and universities about programs provided for veterans. From this survey, the team hopes that many institutions of higher learning will adopt comprehensive programs similar to SERV.
About AMVETS:
A leader since 1944 in preserving the freedoms secured by America’s armed forces, AMVETS provides support for veterans and the active military in procuring their earned entitlements, as well as community services that enhance the quality of life for this nation’s citizens. AMVETS is one of the largest congressionally-chartered veterans’ service organizations in the United States, and includes members from each branch of the military, including the National Guard and Reserves. To learn more visit www.amvets.org.
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