In recognition of the underrepresentation of student veterans among University undergraduates in recent decades, the Diversity Advisory Board is spearheading efforts to attract more veterans and provide them guidance to thrive in a college environment.
The advisory board announced plans to increase the enrollment of undergraduate student veterans and create an organized support system to aid incoming student veterans as they transition from military to civilian life in their annual report released last November. A working subcommittee on veteran affairs, consisting of staff, faculty and student representatives, has been developing its recommendations. Once these are finalized, it will seek advice from the Diversity Advisory Board and the Office of Institutional Diversity on where to issue its findings, said Ricky Gresh, senior director for student engagement and a member of the subcommittee on veteran affairs.
Though the board's dialogue concerning student veterans has been ongoing for several semesters, there has been a flurry of activity in the past three months.
"We're kind of building a train while it's running," Gresh said.
Though the process of finalizing recommendations for the University is ongoing, significant progress has already been made. At the start of the semester, an office for student veterans and ROTC opened on the third floor of J. Walter Wilson, and it will be hiring student workers this semester. The official name of the office has yet to be determined.
The lack of any previous University-sanctioned support system for student veterans is largely because of low undergraduate enrollment of veterans in recent years.
There have only been 11 student veterans since 2004, including those currently enrolled, said Chaney Harrison '11.5, a student veteran who now serves as coordinator for the new office.
Until recently, the University did little to recruit student veterans.
"When I came to Brown in 2007, you couldn't find the word ‘veteran' on the website anywhere. It wasn't until the fall of 2009 that you finally saw any reference to military veterans," Harrison said. "It's an interesting oversight considering we've been at war for 10 years." Harrison is now in the process of developing a University web portal for prospective and current student veterans to navigate the application process and the adjustment to University life.
While the current number of enrolled undergraduate student veterans is in the single digits , Harrison and the board believe that an increase in veteran applications and enrollment will naturally give rise to a more organized transitional support system.
Though the University receives some first-year applications from veterans, the majority of student veterans come to Brown as transfers or through the Resumed Undergraduate Education program, which is designed specifically for students who have been out of school for at least six years, Harrison said.
"The admission process for RUE is more catered to a non-traditional student," said Harrison, who was part of the RUE program. "They're looking at you more in the context of your life."
While the regular admission process is need-blind, RUE is need-aware, disadvantaging applicants seeking financial aid.
"If the RUE program is one of the likely ways to bring veterans in, and we think that's something we want to try to do, the University should look at the fact that RUE applications are not need-blind," said Gresh. "The University is always looking at the changing demographics — the reality is that we have more college-age veterans now than we had a decade ago."
"It's hard to justify creating something for four students," Harrison said. "We have these organizations to support populations that are significant. Support comes with creating a community."
Anita Zimmerman, the advisory board's vice-chair and professor of medical science, stressed the University's commitment to increase veteran enrollment and resources.
"The Diversity Advisory Board is extremely supportive of this effort. I mentioned this initiative in my meeting with the Faculty Executive Committee last term, and they are also in support," she wrote in an email. The Faculty Executive Committee, chaired by Professor of Medical Science Peter Shank, is the small group that represents faculty interests to the administration.
The board expects an update on the subcommittee's progress this Thursday, and recommendations are expected to be announced by the end of the semester.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that a working subcommittee on veteran affairs will present the recommendations it develops to the Corporation, the University's highest governing body. In fact, the subcommittee will seek advice from the Diversity Advisory Board and the Office of Institutional Diversity on where to issue its findings. The Herald regrets the error.
