Newly appointed Director of Veterans Services Keith Glindemann recently announced that the Columbia College Ousley Family Veterans Services Center has received the Centers of Excellence for Veterans Student Success grant valued at more than $285,000. Columbia College is one of only 15 institutions in the country to receive the grant, which was given by the U.S. Department of Education.
“As a country and a college we have a responsibility to support those who answered the call to defend this great nation,” Glindemann said. “This grant will help us to continue a proud Columbia College tradition of supporting the education of our service members.”
This grant will primarily be utilized to create a virtualized Veterans Service Center to increase communication and provide resources to all of Columbia College’s military and veteran students and their family members throughout the country. Glindemann and his staff will also implement a veteran peer mentoring network within the college to connect veterans with veteran mentors. The mentors will assist transitioning servicemembers in acclimating to the higher education environment and encourage their academic success. The grant will also support ongoing faculty and staff training that focuses on understanding the challenges that their military and veteran students face and how to identify a student in crisis and ensure they have access to proper resources.
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If you would like to make a gift to support a veteran student, please visit ChooseCC.org/Ousley today. With your gift, Columbia College can continue its tradition of being military friendly and impact more students.