WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Nov. 11, 2015 — In honor of Veterans Day, West Liberty University is pledging increased support for student veterans as part of the state’s 5 Star Challenge’ initiative which launched earlier this fall. The challenge calls on institutions to adopt a set of exemplary standards for supporting student veterans and is a tribute to the military tradition of issuing “challenge coins” to service members who embody the values and standards of their military units.
The coin ceremony will take place at noon, Wednesday, Nov. 11 in the College Union. Interim President Dr. John P. McCullough will be given the challenge coin by WLU student veteran representative Derik Board, a graduate student enrolled in Master of Professional Studies degree program.
Board also earned his bachelor of science at WLU, graduating last May. A resident of West Liberty, W.Va., he served in the United States Air Force.
“On behalf of the entire University, I am pleased to accept this challenge coin,” said McCullough. “It is only fitting that West Liberty University makes this commitment to our student veterans — the very individuals who made a commitment to serve and protect this great nation. We are exceedingly proud of our student veterans and are grateful to each and every veteran for their service on behalf of the United States.”
In accepting the challenge, West Liberty University commits to:
- providing a signed commitment from President McCullough to adopt best practices and standards,
- emphasizing a focus on increasing access and affordability to higher education for student veterans,
- providing increased academic support including priority registration for classes,
- enhancing social networks for veterans on campus,
- encouraging greater collaboration with community organizations working to meet the needs of military service members.
“We are proud to announce that all public four-year undergraduate institutions in West Virginia have accepted the ‘5 Star Challenge,’” Chancellor Dr. Paul Hill of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. “Participation in this effort not only acknowledges a sincere commitment to meeting the unique needs of our student veterans, but also results in real policies that will provide tangible benefits to military service members who are pursuing higher education. By providing student veterans with services such as priority registration and building stronger support networks on campus, we are honoring their service to our country and equipping them with the resources they need to succeed.”
The 5 Star Challenge is a call to action for both West Virginia’s public two-year and four-year institutions and their coordinating agencies to adopt a set of exemplary standards for supporting student veterans. Institutions that accept the challenge will have until Sept. 1, 2016, to implement each of the five tenets (stars) of the challenge.
An initiative of the Office of Veterans Education and Training Programs within the Division of Student Affairs at the WVHEPC and West Virginia Community and Technical College System. In addition to issuing the challenge to campuses, the WVHEPC and WVCTCS are committing to providing more resources to help student veterans navigate the higher education system and find support on campus and in the community.
For more information on WLU’s military student enrollment, please click here or call Veterans GI Bill Coordinator Cheryl Mielke at 304-336-8129.
To view WTOV 9 coverage of the 5 Star Ceremony, please click here.