Wright State University earns Collegiate Purple Star renewal for support of military-connected students, veterans

Wright State University has once again been recognized as a Collegiate Purple Star campus by the Ohio Department of Higher Education for its commitment to supporting military-connected students and veterans.

The Collegiate Purple Star designation highlights Ohio colleges and universities that go above and beyond to create supportive environments for military-affiliated students. Wright State was among the first group of institutions to receive the designation when the program was launched in 2022 and continues to build on that foundation.

Seth Gordon, Ph.D., director of Wright State’s Veteran and Military Center, said the recognition is especially meaningful because Ohio colleges and universities helped shape the Collegiate Purple Star program.

“To earn it we must detail all of the ways that we support veterans and military-connected students and their family members,” Gordon said. “That we are earning recognition from our peers means that we are walking the talk of being actively engaged in making sure Wright State is a space that welcomes military-connected students and makes sure they feel like they belong here.”

At the heart of Wright State’s efforts is the Veteran and Military Center, a dedicated space that offers support, transition services and a welcoming community for military-connected students and veterans. Each semester, more than 500 students utilize GI Bill benefits through the center.

In the years since Wright State first earned the Purple Star designation, the university has expanded its support of military-affiliated students.

The Veteran and Military Center launched the Veteran Student Champion program, which trains faculty, staff and students to effectively support and engage with veterans and military-connected students. In 20223, the center opened the Captain Shawn L. English Champions Garden in memory of Shawn English, a Wright State Army ROTC graduate who was killed in Iraq in 2006. In the Spring Semester, it hosted a monthly discussion series exploring themes of art and war, which it hopes to repeat next spring.

The center also collaborates with organizations such as the Dayton-Wright chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, which hosts its monthly meetings at Wright State and provides students with free access to networking and career development opportunities in the defense industry.

Gordon said the Veteran and Military Center also aims to expand its Military Community Advocates program with support from the National Veterans Leadership Foundation.

“Our overarching goal is to meet the needs of military-connected students and make sure they feel satisfied and supported,” Gordon said. “The VMC contributes to a feeling of belonging by creating an environment of trust and connectedness for our students. We want to be genuinely military friendly in both designation and deed.”

Wright State supports military-affiliated students through a range of services and resources, including:

• Flexible scheduling and online learning options
• Credit for prior military training and experience
• Priority registration
• A robust support network of peers and staff
• Financial assistance through scholarships, including the new Active Duty Military Undergraduate Scholarship and the WPAFB Graduate School Scholarship