U. California-Berkeley has been named one of California’s top “military friendly” schools due largely to its efforts in offering both financial and non-financial support services to veterans on campus, according to a recent poll.
On Monday, G.I. Jobs magazine released their annual Military Friendly Schools List, which recognizes the top 15 percent of schools nationwide that are doing the most to support and recognize American veterans as students, according to Matthew Pavelek, a senior editor for the magazine.
“I’m very pleased that the campus has earned this distinction – most of the time when people hear that there are veterans at UC Berkeley, they are surprised,” said Ron Williams, director of veterans services at the campus’s Transfer, Re-entry and Student Parent Center. “It’s great for folks to know that Cal is supportive towards student veterans.”
The campus and city communities have often been characterized as possessing anti-war sentiments. In 2007, when a Marine Corps Recruiting Center opened up on Shattuck Avenue, a series of protests erupted that lasted for more than a year. In January 2008, the Berkeley City Council passed resolutions supporting anti-war protests and criticizing the recruitment center.
But some veterans on campus said they have not felt ostracized or discriminated against.
“UC Berkeley has been extremely supportive of veterans like me,” said Greg Rogoff, a UC Berkeley senior and veteran.
The magazine’s survey polled roughly 7,000 universities, colleges, community colleges and trade schools. Criteria were established to judge the schools by an academic advisory board composed of educators from a variety of universities and organizations. The board assessed each school’s non-financial efforts in success in recruiting and retaining military and veteran students, financial commitment to veterans and academic accreditations.
UC Berkeley – which expects to enroll 285 veterans in the upcoming academic year – met many of the standards set by the magazine, including scholarships and financial support for military students and veterans, scheduling flexibility, additional support through advising and career placement and social outlets such as veteran organizations and clubs.
“(UC Berkeley) recognizes that there is a need to acknowledge the unique situation for military students joining the campus,” Pavelek said. “A lot of times, veterans are not traditional students – To see that the school has gone out of its way to find a way to reach out to them, welcome them home and thank them for their service is really nice.”
He added that the list assists veterans in deciding which universities to attend, enabling them to determine what schools provide support and services that will be best for them.
“The bottom line is that it is a big transition going from being part of a coordinated military unit to going back to school,” Pavelek said. “Knowing that schools have gone out of their way to ensure that veterans take full advantage of benefits is a big relief to students.”
According to Marc Wallis, a veteran who graduated UC Berkeley in May with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, the university reached out to him on his first day on campus. During his Cal Student Orientation, he said he was taken aside and was able to meet other veterans and learn about campus resources available to him, including advising and financial aid.
Aside from assistance at CalSO, Wallis said veterans on campus also benefit from priority registration in choosing their classes. As a transfer student, Wallis needed to take impacted lower division classes to graduate, and priority registration helped him get these necessary classes.
“Priority registration at Cal is (a) great element,” said Blaise Turcotte, a student veteran and UC Berkeley junior, in an e-mail. “At Cal, vets, athletes and disabled students are the only recipients of priority registration. It basically makes it more effective.”
Turcotte said one service that has been very supportive is the campus veteran student group, Cal Veterans Group. The group helps veterans on campus transition to life at UC Berkeley and fosters an “esprit de corps” between student veterans, much like the camaraderie that he encountered in military service, Turcotte said.
“Berkeley is incredibly veteran-friendly,” Wallis said. “I know Cal is known for football and academics, but meeting other veterans, having that (group’s) support and getting help navigating though the bureaucracy at Berkeley was the best part for me.”