In honor of Veterans Day, Concord University is pledging increased support for student veterans as part of the State’s “5 Star Challenge” initiative which launched earlier this fall. The Challenge, which calls on institutions to adopt a set of exemplary standards for supporting student veterans, is a tribute to the military tradition of issuing “challenge coins” to service members who embody the values and standards of their military units.
Concord University will hold a “5 Star Challenge” commitment ceremony as part of its annual Veterans Appreciation Ceremony on Monday, Nov. 9. The program will begin at noon in the Wilkes Family Chapel located in University Point on the Athens campus.
Concord holds the Veterans Appreciation Ceremony each year to salute the contributions and sacrifices of U.S. military veterans and service personnel. The event is open to the general public and all veterans are encouraged to attend.
The “5 Star Challenge” is an initiative of the Office of Veterans Education and Training Programs within the Division of Student Affairs at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) and the West Virginia Community and Technical College System (WVCTCS).
Special guests for the ceremony include Dr. Paul Hill, Chancellor of the Commission, and L.G. Corder, Director of Veterans Education and Training with the Commission and the WVCTCS.
Recognition of Concord University’s 2015 Veterans Advocate of the Year David Moore and Outstanding Student Veteran Advocate Richard Woods will also be part of the ceremony. Moore is a Concord alumnus and former student veteran. Woods is currently enrolled at Concord.
In accepting the “5 Star Challenge” Concord University has committed to 1) providing a signed commitment from President Kendra Boggess to adopt best practices and standards, 2) emphasizing a focus on increasing access and affordability to higher education for student veterans, 3) providing increased academic support including priority registration for classes, 4) enhancing social networks for veterans on campus, and 5) encouraging greater collaboration with community organizations working to meet the needs of military service members. A detailed outline of the Challenge can be found at www.cfwv.com, the state’s free college and career-planning website.
Lisa Spencer, Concord University’s veterans certifying official, said that for Concord, accepting the “5 Star Challenge” is a new emphasis on the University’s rich tradition of offering a veteran friendly campus and assisting veterans, military personnel and their families in the pursuit of higher education.
“We are proud to announce that all public four-year undergraduate institutions in West Virginia have accepted the ‘5 Star Challenge,’” Dr. Hill said. “Their participation in this effort not only acknowledges a sincere commitment to meeting the unique needs of our student veterans, but also results in real policies that will provide tangible benefits to military service members who are pursuing higher education. By providing student veterans with services such as priority registration and building stronger support networks on campus, we are honoring their service to our country and equipping them with the resources they need to succeed.”
In addition to issuing the challenge to campuses, the Commission and WVCTCS are committing to providing more resources to help student veterans navigate the higher education system and find support on campus and in the community.
For additional information contact Lisa Spencer at lspencer@concord.edu or 304-384-5339.
