ATHENS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Education Chancellor Randy Gardner announced Ohio University would be designated as a Collegiate Purple Star campus on Thursday because of the university’s history of supporting military personnel in high education.
Ohio University is among 33 universities in the state to receive the designation.
“With these Collegiate Purple Star Award designations, servicemembers, veterans and military-connected students are able to pursue higher education knowing that their school has the necessary support system and guidance to help them find their next steps,” DeWine said in his announcement Thursday.
Ohio University President Hugh Sherman thanked the governor and chancellor for the recognition.
“Ohio University is honored to have so many service members studying on our campuses, and we are proud to help them succeed in their studies and their careers,” President Sherman said in a news release. “We are thankful to Gov. DeWine and Chancellor Gardner for embracing military students so that they have the necessary resources to pursue their educational goals.”
Because Ohio is the first state in the nation to award this recognition, Ohio University is among the first universities in the country to be designated as a Collegiate Purple Star campus.
“We are extremely proud to be a part of the inaugural class of Ohio’s Collegiate Purple Star Campuses,” said Terry St. Peter, director of OHIO’s Veterans and Military Student Services Center and a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, in a news release. “Our staff in the Veterans and Military Student Services Center and campus partners are totally invested in providing every manner of support necessary to ensure our military connected students have the resources necessary to be successful.”
In order to meet the criteria universities must have a dedicated military/veteran point of contact, priority registration for veterans and service members and surveys for service members, veterans, spouses and dependents about needs and challenges. The universities must also allow student-led groups and organizations for veterans and service members to be established.
“This designation is particularly rewarding, since the criteria was established by professionals who are working with military connected students in higher education,” St. Peter wrote in a news release. “They are aligned with policies, procedures and efforts that set students up for success.”
In February, Ohio University was recognized as one of the nation’s top military-friendly schools for the 11th consecutive year by Viqtory Media, a veteran-owned company and publisher of G.I. Jobs magazine.
St. Peter said Ohio University consistently ranks as one of the top military schools in the country because of policies that accommodate the rigid schedules of both active service students and veterans.
He said the past year has put the standards to the test and noted it has been difficult for National Guard students who were being deployed to assist with COVID-19 operations in the state.
At Ohio University, the Veterans and Military Student Services Center provides programs and services for student veterans, military personnel and their family members, including:
- A wide variety of social and academic support outlets
- Participation in a military-focused transition seminar
- Priority course registration
- Assistance transitioning from military to academic life
- Assistance with deployment and training issues
- Access to OHIO’s Commuter and Veterans Lounge
- Graduation stoles recognizing their branch of service and rank
For more information about Ohio University’s commitment to military veterans and available academic opportunities, email the Veterans and Military Student Services Center or call them at 740-566-8387.
