First director of Military and Veteran Services to be named this week

Southeast Missouri State University made an offer last week to one candidate hoping to fill the new director of Military and Veterans Services position.

Debbie Below, associate vice president for Enrollment Management and Director of Admissions, said Southeast began advertising the position late in the summer.

After conducting phone interviews and having three candidates visit Southeast's campus two weeks ago, Below said they are hoping to announce the name of the first director of Military and Veterans Services later this week.

"It's just time for us to do it," Below said. "We are interested in reaching out and promoting the university to veterans."

All three of the candidates that visited Southeast's campus had previous military experience.

Below said military experience was a preferred but not a completely necessary qualification of candidates for the position.

"We felt like to talk to veterans we had to have a veteran on staff," Below said.

The director of Military and Veterans Services will provide service to veterans and military personnel enrolled at Southeast, including individuals serving on active duty, those serving in the National Guard and reservists.

"Service meaning that when those students have questions about the use of benefits, the procedures to apply for financial aid, the transferability of coursework, where to find certain counseling services or tutorial services," Below said. "This is considered a one-stop shop for those individuals."

Below added that the new director will manage the recruitment of more veterans and military personnel to Southeast's campus, as well as represent the university off campus while recruiting.

It became more apparent the position was needed as the enrollment of veterans and military personnel at Southeast increased.

Below said that due to the decreasing number of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of veterans on college campuses will continue to increase.

"For a certain period of time we do expect that we will see more veterans enrolling on college campuses," Below said. "And some of these individuals have been deployed multiple times. They've provided a great service to their country, and we have a responsibility and an obligation to do the very best we can to help them earn their degree. And that's one of many reasons we recruited this position."

Because veterans and military personnel on campus are mostly non-traditional students, Below said the university hopes the new director also will serve as an advisory role and help veterans organize a more active student veteran organization on campus.

Russ Whitworth is a nursing major at Southeast and an Army veteran. Whitworth said he will demand respect from the new director of Military and Veterans Services.

"I just want somebody to be reachable and give respect where it's due," Whitworth said.

Whitworth attended a veterans' luncheon on Sept. 26. The luncheon was held to inform and discuss the needs of veterans and military personnel at Southeast, as well as the responsibilities of the future director.

After the luncheon, Whitworth said it sounded to him like the purpose behind hiring a director of the new position was to bring more veterans to Southeast, rather than taking care of the ones already here.

Below is confident the position will benefit Southeast.

"I'm pleased that we are planning to reach out to veterans," Below said. "I think that's important because once you've left the military and you have these benefits available to you, if you have the desire and the ability to earn a college degree, we want to let you know what's available. For me, it's an important service that we provide as a public university."