Georgia Southern receives national recognition for support of Military-Connected Students

January 26, 2017

Justin Williams, military advocate coordinator, works with a fellow student in the Military and Veteran Student Center to get better connected with TEAM EAGLE.

Georgia Southern University has been named a Top School in the 2017 Military Advanced Education & Transition (MAE&T) research study, and has also been given the Military Friendly Designation (MFD) with a gold ranking from Victory Media. This is the fifth consecutive year that Georgia Southern has been named a Military Friendly institution.

“I am very proud of these national recognitions for Georgia Southern University,” said Lt. Col. (Ret.) William Roberts, associate Dean of Students for Military Affairs and director of the Military and Veteran Student Center (MVSC). “We have established a very strong on and off campus Military and Veteran Success Network which we call TEAM EAGLE. These recognitions are a reflection of the great work of our TEAM EAGLE partners in supporting our military, veterans and their family members. We are here for all of our military-connected students and their success is our business.”

Supporting our military and veteran students has long been a focus at Georgia Southern.

“I am so proud of Col. Roberts for his strong leadership and passion for supporting our student veterans,” said Teresa Thompson, Ph.D., vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. “I have long admired his deep commitment to our military students and families and was so grateful to have him accept this role as director of our Student Veterans Center. In Colonel Roberts previous role, he set the foundation for our nationally recognized ROTC program and I knew he would bring this same devotion to building a first-class Student Veterans Center. He is a great example of the many staff at Georgia Southern who go above and beyond to help our students be successful.”

MAE&T is the first publication to publish a list evaluating best practices in military education and strives to help give servicemen and women the resources to choose the best college. The Top School recognition is evaluated by consideration of campus military culture, financial assistance, flexibility, general support, online support and on-campus support. To read more about this designation, visit http://mae.kmimediagroup.com/.

The MFD 2017 title is assessed through the evaluation of both public data and proprietary data about each University through a survey. The survey evaluates institutions based on student retention, graduation rates, job placement, loan repayment and loan default rates.This is the first year that Victory Media has further refined their list by designating levels of the award. Georgia Southern earned the highest ranking, gold, in this year’s listing at http://militaryfriendly.com/schools/.

“The fact that Georgia Southern has been highlighted for the great things that it has done is truly an honor for those who have been involved,” said Justin Williams, coordinator for the Military and Veteran Student Center. “We at the Center have worked, and will continue to work hard, to ensure that the University we love is a place where other student veterans can call home in the future.

“TEAM EAGLE has done an excellent job of supporting all of our military-connected students,” Williams continued. “We encourage all of these students to get connected to TEAM EAGLE which means getting information and direction to the wide array of services provided by the network. This on and off campus network of support provides them with the direction and assistance that they may need to be successful here at Georgia Southern. It is our goal that this network will take them all the way from the admissions process to graduation and employment.”

Allysa Turner, who serves as the president of the Student Veterans Association, as a Military Student Advocate in the MVSC and as an Eagle Battalion cadet, expressed her pride and commitment to the University’s military services.

“Making these lists reaffirms what our military and veteran students already experience from day one of stepping onto Georgia Southern University’s campus,” said Turner. “They are recognized for their service to our country and assisted every step of the way as they transition into the college life. Our Student Veterans Association is dedicated to continuing Southern’s support outside the classroom and will always strive to provide our members with a place of camaraderie and fellowship.”

In addition to supporting more than 2,100 military-connected students,Georgia Southern opened a Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) at City Campus in downtown Statesboro after receiving a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), bringing the total number of VBOCs to 19 nationwide. The VBOC’s mission is to empower veteran entrepreneurship by assisting veterans, service members and military spouses in establishing small businesses.

Georgia Southern also continues to lead the way through the Army ROTC Eagle Battalion, the winner of three MacArthur Awards confirming their status as one of the premier ROTC programs in the nation. The University recently opened the doors for the new Military Science building, which provides state-of-the-art classrooms and training spaces for the Eagle Battalion.

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers more than 125 degree programs serving 20,674 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered and hands-on approach to education. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.