Fifth annual rankings factor in
veteran and military students’ success rates
MURFREESBORO — Middle Tennessee State University has again
been named among the best colleges nationally for supporting student veterans
by the Military Times.
The publication announced its Best
for Vets: Colleges 2015 rankings this week as the nation celebrates Veterans
Day. In their fifth year, the rankings factor in a comprehensive
school-by-school assessment of veteran and military students’ success rates.
Of the top 100 schools ranked,
MTSU was the only Tennessee four-year college to make this year’s list and was
also named to the 2014 list. The Jennings A. Jones College of Business at MTSU
was named a “Best for Vets” business school for 2014 earlier this year.
“MTSU is
thankful for the many veterans who’ve chosen to pursue their college degrees on
our campus,” MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said. “Our faculty and staff will
continue to support them and their families by making resources available to
help them successfully obtain their degrees. And of course, we honor their
service to our country and community.”
“Best for Vets: Colleges 2015 is
an editorially independent news project that evaluates the many factors that
make an organization a good fit for service members, military veterans and
their families,” according to a Military Times release.
MTSU currently has a veterans’
population of just over 1,000, which includes veterans and active duty service
members and their dependents.
MTSU was the first school in
Tennessee with an on-campus representative for VetSuccess, a collaboration
between the university and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide a
place where students with military service can gather to obtain assistance and
peer support.
The university has a standing
Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, which recently worked with the
Information Technology Department to develop an analytical information system
that can provide an on-demand snapshot of the campus veteran community. This
will allow the committee to make data-informed decisions and create programs
and policies tailored specifically for the veteran community on campus.
MTSU representatives are also
deeply involved in the Tennessee Veteran Education Task Force that aims to help
Tennessee become the No. 1 state in the country for veteran educational
achievement and employment. Also active on campus is the student-led veterans
group, Blue Raider American Veteran Organization (BRAVO).
The survey-based “Best for Vets:
Colleges” doesn’t manipulate mainstream research to skew more “veteran,”
according to the Military Times. Editors say the detailed survey requires
schools to “meticulously document a tremendous array of services, special
rules, accommodations and financial incentives” offered to military and veteran
students and to describe many aspects of veteran culture on a campus.
“We factor in what is, to our
knowledge, the most detailed school-by-school data on veteran students’
academic success anywhere, including graduation, retention, persistence and
course completion rates,” said Amanda Miller, editor of Bets for Vets.
Two years ago, only 11 percent of
the hundreds of schools surveyed could provide that level of detail. This year,
that figure is up to 45 percent.
“By recognizing only the schools
that do the most, we believe we’re helping to raise the bar in veteran student
services,” Miller added.
For the full Best for Vets:
Colleges 2015 rankings, go to: www.militarytimes.com/bestforvets-colleges2015.
The Military Times is made up of
the Air Force Times, Army Times, Marine Corps Times and Navy Times. Military
Times’ series of Best for Vets survey-based rankings includes: Colleges, Career
& Technical Colleges, Business Schools, Franchises, Employers and Law
Enforcement.
No comments:
Post a Comment