{"id":34221,"date":"2014-11-09T07:00:19","date_gmt":"2014-11-09T11:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=34221"},"modified":"2018-02-02T13:49:25","modified_gmt":"2018-02-02T18:49:25","slug":"defining-military-friendly-wright-state-to-open-new-veteran-and-military-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2014\/11\/09\/defining-military-friendly-wright-state-to-open-new-veteran-and-military-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Defining military friendly: Wright State opens new Veteran and Military Center"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>

The rock facade of the Veteran and Military Center will feature five bronze medallions \u2014 one for each of the five branches of the U.S. armed services.<\/p><\/div>\n

Tasked with designing the new Wright State University Veteran and Military Center<\/a> (VMC), Seth Gordon hosted an intense design and planning activity known as a charette last spring. Determined to get invaluable feedback from the people who knew what they needed best, Gordon included 27 veterans in the activity. He wanted the space to reflect both the university\u2019s military friendly reputation as well as the critical needs of a unique population of students. But what would they want?<\/p>\n

The answer now lies at the intersection of Allyn and Millett Halls on Wright State\u2019s Dayton Campus. The stone fa\u00e7ade and large bronze medallions \u2014 which represent each branch of the U.S. armed services when completed \u2014 create an unmistakable atmosphere that has changed the face of the corridor in which it resides.<\/p>\n

Designed to be service friendly and support driven, while\u00a0providing space that\u2019s hands-off and separate from the general population and VMC administration, the new center has a wow factor that\u2019s off the charts.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The 1,800-square-foot student center features a space for both collaborative and independent study.<\/p><\/div>\n

The center was officially opened Nov. 13.<\/p>\n

When asked what this new center says to them, students said:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt says that Wright State cares.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt says Wright State is putting forth the effort to take care of veteran and military students.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt says thank you for your service.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt says this is a place for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

With 4,500 square feet and about 1,800 feet dedicated specifically for a student center, the VMC was designed to be a space where veteran and military students could efficiently get the support they needed to process their benefits but also relax and study in a place where they could mix with fellow veterans.<\/p>\n

The VMC\u2019s student center features key card entry for off-hours access, collaborative group study\/work space, quiet rooms, huddle rooms, a dedicated room for work on the Veterans Voices Project, a lounge modeled after USO lounges and day rooms used by the military and a kitchenette.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The lounge was modeled after USO lounges and day rooms used by the military.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe most perfect thing in the world in my line of work is connecting one veteran with another that didn\u2019t previously know each other. And in this space, veterans will see and meet other veterans,\u201d said Gordon, director of the Veteran and Military Center.<\/p>\n

Gordon said none of this would have been possible if it weren\u2019t for two students who started a petition for a better, more appropriate space for veteran and military students.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur main focus was to get a one-stop shop for veterans to deal with their benefits, a place to relax, a place to get away from the crowds, a place that was for us,\u201d said Anthony Hinojosa, a senior who helped start the petition and also served 10\u00a0years in the Navy supporting Navy Special Warfare Operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe Wright State is the best place for veteran and military students. The faculty have always been helpful and understanding. The benefits processing and support here has been streamlined and is just top notch. And now we have this beautiful space.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wright State, which has been dubbed military friendly for five consecutive years by G.I. Jobs and Military Advanced Education, serves about 750 veterans or military-connected students \u2014 service members, Guard\/Reserve members and military dependents.<\/p>\n

\"Complimentary<\/a>

Complimentary coffee, water and refrigeration are available to students in the kitchenette.<\/p><\/div>\n

The university offers an array of resources to help those students transition to campus and was recently praised by an independent auditor of military benefits processing as being \u201cthe best of the big schools.\u201d Wright State\u00a0awards educational credits for military training and experience and has designed courses open only to veteran and military students. It also delivers high-quality career services to best express military experience and helps veterans connect with other students through campus events and student clubs.<\/p>\n

Wright State is engaged in a $150 million fundraising campaign<\/a> that promises to further elevate the school\u2019s prominence by expanding scholarships, attracting more top-flight faculty and supporting construction of state-of-the-art facilities. Led by Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks and Amanda Wright Lane, great grandniece of university namesakes Wilbur and Orville Wright, more than $107 million has been raised so far. Both are outspoken supporters of veterans and military service men and women.<\/p>\n

Amanda Watkins, associate director of the VMC, has been attached to the center since 2006. She believes the new space is a reflection of the culture and commitment to veterans that she and others have exemplified through the years at Wright State.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother graduated from Wright State on the G.I. Bill, and I try and see every student that walks in here needing help with benefits or anything else like my brother and how I would want him treated. I think that\u2019s the attitude that\u2019s made Wright State legitimately military friendly,\u201d said Watkins.<\/p>\n

The average age of a veteran student at Wright State is 30. They epitomize the term nontraditional and require unique support because of their unique experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne percent of the U.S. population serves in the armed forces and a fraction of that percentage serve in combat. This is a population that is trained to be selfless and can distrust large bureaucracies,\u201d said Gordon. \u201cThey must be treated differently than the average teenage freshman for them to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gordon said his goal was to create a sense of belonging, a space that would make veteran and military students feel like “they want me here.”<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one of the best facilities in Ohio hands down. But this is not only about the space. Our resources coupled with this space easily put us up with the front of the pack in Ohio in regards to serving veteran and military students,\u201d said Gordon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like Wright State to be a model for how you support this population,\u201d said Gordon. \u201cWe can be the leader who leads by actions and not just talking about it. This new center will be a vessel for many great things that will happen here.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Designed to be service friendly and support driven, but provide space that\u2019s hands-off and separate from the general population and VMC administration, the new center has a wow factor that\u2019s off the charts. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":34229,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[729,2038,2043,725,747,2039,715,719],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-around-campus","category-campus-growth","category-facilities-planning","category-home-news-sidebar","category-liberal-arts","category-military-veterans","category-news","category-special-categories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34221"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34318,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34221\/revisions\/34318"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}