VCU Programs Help Military Students Transition to College Life

By Mike Porter

With nearly 800 students at Virginia Commonwealth University receiving veterans’ benefits, VCU’s Military Student Services  has increased efforts to serve military students and family members. A year ago, on Veterans Day 2010, Martha Lou Green Ed.D., was designated special assistant to the provost for student veteran support.

“The Military Student Services office is a place for military students to come for help,” Green said. “We are an advocate for VCU’s military students and help them deal with the unique issues they face.”

Unlike other students, military students may need additional flexibility to make up tests and homework because they miss classes for required military training. Or they may need to abruptly withdraw from all of their classes because they’ve been deployed. At times, education benefits may be delivered after a tuition bill is due.  And some student veterans struggle to cope with the differences between structured military life and the relative freedom of higher education.    

As part of the effort to reassure military students that help is readily available, VCU has developed and promoted a Green Zone program, which identifies faculty and staff volunteers throughout the university who have received special training and are knowledgeable about issues facing military students and the resources available to help them. 

After their Green Zone training, faculty and staff volunteers display a special Green Zone sticker outside of their office spaces to let others know they are available to provide information and support to military students. Volunteers who are veterans themselves receive an enhanced sticker that also reads "I am a veteran." Nearly 400 faculty and staff identify themselves as veterans.

VCU has also developed a “priority registration” effort for military students and family members, allowing those who receive veterans’ benefits to register for class before registration opens for the general undergraduate student population.

Last spring, the university began holding special breakout sessions for military students during orientation, offering detailed information about how to access their benefits.  Each student veteran was also provided with an information guide.

And beginning in fall of 2012, admission applications will ask whether the applicant is a veteran or receiving veterans’ benefits, which will help VCU identify veterans.

In June, VCU was recognized as a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Consortium, created to recognize and support current and former military students and their families who want to pursue a college education. The designation allows VCU to offer educational programs on military bases.