Michele Skalicky talks with Missouri State University President Dr. Biff Williams about services for veterans.
We just celebrated Veterans Day a few days ago, so I thought this would be a good time to talk about what Missouri State offers for those who have served or are serving our country. On the actual holiday each year, Missouri State holds a breakfast for veterans and presents the Taps Project, where trumpeters are stationed across campus and play cascading Taps. But I know the university offers several opportunities year round for veterans. First of all, tell me about the Veteran Student Center and what it offers.
Williams: Well, they do an excellent job over there. If you haven't had the opportunity to go over to...(Meyer) Library and go into that space, you need to go over there. Raeleen Ziegler (director of veterans services) — she is just a wonderful advocate for our veterans. And there's a beautiful space over there where they have a computer lab, where they have services, where they can have opportunities to register or get tutoring. They do get priority registration access. We serve probably, looking at our veterans and families and those that are in the services, close to a thousand different individuals on our campus, and so it's a priority for us. We also have the only ROTC program on a college campus in southwest Missouri, which we're really proud of that program. And there's about 300 service members that are using tuition assistance as well. So we do a pretty good job at making sure that our veterans know that there are services for them, and then the support services are just bar none as they come onto our campus."
I've heard one of the things offered through the Veteran Student Center is support from devoted staff members. How important is that for those who have served and are now going to college?
Williams: I think it's important. I think they are transitioning into college life, and just like any of us that we stopped out for a time, that you need to come and get used to the college life and understand where the resources are, and whether they have a need for a writing center or a tutoring center or if they need help with registration or if they need help with obtaining employment on our campus, the Veterans Center allows them to get those services.
What other unique opportunities does Missouri State offer veterans throughout the year?
Williams: Well, we have a number of programs, and we definitely want to get our veterans, just like any of our students, in engaged in all the student activities. And so, whether they're working out at the rec center or whether they're in transferring from some other institution through our transfer center, I think that's important for them but also getting engaged in the theater and also into the athletics and and just making sure that they feel welcome.
And I've heard that you offer a mentorship program for military veterans — student transition liaisons. How can that help a veteran succeed in getting their degree?
Williams: Well, I think just like anyone, we all have questions about what classes we need to take and how do we get through those classes? And I think that mentorship, where someone is reaching out to you and following up with you and asking how classes are going or they sometimes will have a question of, you know, I didn't do too well on that test, what should I do? Well, go see your teacher and talk to the faculty and simple things as that, that are really complex to some students that just don't know how to navigate the university landscape.
And then I know when veterans graduate from Missouri State, they wear special cords. Tell me about that.
Williams: Yes. We try to make sure that they stand out. And each commencement we have them stand up and be recognized. We want to make sure that our service women and men are are being recognized at commencement. And they also have the cord that makes them distinguished from some of the other students. And it gives our other students an opportunity to really reach out to them and thank them for their service.
Why does MSU offer unique programs and services for veterans?
Williams: I think we are all grateful for the freedoms that we enjoy, and I think it's important for us to reach out to those veterans when they come back because it is a transition period, and they've sacrificed so much for us. I think it's a way that we can serve them and help them and and give them an opportunity to obtain a career outside of the military.
And we're going to switch gears now. Missouri State just announced it's going to hold a budget town hall on December 5th. What will you be focusing on specifically during that event?
Williams: I think communication. There's been a lot of questions from faculty and staff as we see the new legislative session that will begin in January, there's always questions of, you know, how did the state do? Where are the revenues? Are there are going to be budget cuts? So we want to be very open with our campus community of where we're at, especially with enrollment. We've made sure everybody knows that our focus is on degree seeking students. But for the last 10 years or so, we've had a decline in degree seeking students and so we have less budget there. So we want to make sure that they're aware of what our budget looks like coming forward. And we've had to freeze some positions and cut some positions. But we want to make sure that we're proactive, that if we do happen to have a budget cut that comes down, that we've had thoughtful conversations about that, that we're communicating that to our campus community so that they're in the know. The worst thing that can happen to a campus is people speculating. And so we want to just keep the communication lines open and just share with them what we're working on and what we might be able to expect in the coming future.
And that's December 5th at 2 p.m. at the Plaster Student Union Theater. And you'll also be zooming that as well. Well, thank you so much for talking to me today.
Williams: Thank you, I appreciate it.
