UNI Recognized as a Military-Friendly University; Student Veterans Respond

Thanks to the endeavors of University of Northern Iowa staff and students, UNI has been selected as a military-friendly university in Military Advanced Education's 2013 Guide to Military Friendly Colleges & Universities. The magazine serves as a resource for students interested in attending military-friendly community colleges, universities, online universities and other institutions of higher education.

Jennifer Suchan, assistant registrar and coordinator of veteran student services at UNI said the publication sends out a national survey and compares the different responses from institutions. Based on the responses, Military Advanced Education (MAE) determines which universities, “come up ahead of the others,” Suchan said.

MAE takes different things into consideration when judging a college, including how many people are dedicated to assisting the military and veteran student population, policies at the university and how the university finances, Suchan said.

Suchan believes the new hiring of a full-time military and veteran student services coordinator, Julia Heuer, and the start-up of a Military and Veteran Student Services Center may assist with enrollment at UNI.

“It will be a positive impact on enrollment, just because we'll definitely have increases in (military students) as we have a reduction in forces, and as more veterans and military population make use of that GI Bill,” Suchan said. “So I think having that recognition and having that military-friendly designation, and being able to point to a center coordinator — I think those are all selling points.”

However, things have not always been smooth for military students at UNI, according to Darin Adams, a senior criminology major at UNI who served four years and seven months as an infantryman and also went on to join the Army Reserve. Adams said his experience at UNI has been “fine” but he knows of complications that have occurred for other UNI military students.

“For me personally, I haven't had any issues, but I know of other vets who have had issues getting their benefits paid,” Adams said.

Adams said some UNI military students have faced complications trying to get their benefits processed with the School Certifying Official: a person who processes the benefits for veterans. Adams said this can cause major fiscal problems for students, especially if they have to pay for things like mortgages.

“What's more important? Having a veteran at UNI or having them at a school that processes benefits properly?” Adams said.

Adams also brought up previous policy issues that occurred in the fall semester, regarding a military student who filed a grievance because he was not allowed to make-up a test due to Guard duties. The case was resolved and his grades were not effected.

“The Army Reserve and the National Guard are not things that are new, so I have no idea why the University of Northern Iowa hasn't had such a policy,” Adams said.

However, Adams would recommend that prospective military students attend UNI because, “it's a good school.”

Other veterans, like 49-year-old Mike Finley, said their experience at UNI has been positive. 

Finley served in the U.S. Army for 26 years, working as a military policeman before retiring in 2009. He decided to pursue higher education and has been a student at the UNI for four years.

"I think UNI is really a nice campus that provides the right kind of atmosphere and structure that a veteran can use to meet their goals and get to a point where they can reach a graduate level and move on to bigger and better things,” Finley said.

Finley also believes the student population is a positive factor at UNI.

“I'm an older person, so transitioning to spending more time with 20 year olds when you're almost 50 can be a challenge for anyone,” Finley said. “I think bringing military people on campus brings a different dimension to the classroom, and I think the young people in the classroom help us in rejoining the world, so to speak.”

Overall, Suchan said that she believes UNI will be recognized as a military-friendly university once again next year, thanks to the Military and Veteran Student Services Center, support from administration and staff, and the hiring of a full-time coordinator.

“Our new coordinator Julia Hewitt will be starting Jan 23. so we'll have a professional staff member dedicating 100 percent of their time to this population. It will only increase the initiatives we're doing in moving them forward,” Suchan said.