OAKWOOD ? Military veterans attending Gainesville State College now have a private place to study, kick back, seek help or mingle.
The school has opened its Military Resource Center in Room 119 of the Dunlap-Mathis Building. Tucked away on purpose, the center contrasts with noisier gathering spots on campus, such as the Student Center.
?It?s almost like a safe haven, where they feel comfortable,? said Christy Orr, the college?s adult learning and military outreach coordinator, during an open house at the center Wednesday.
For many veterans, returning to civilian life is difficult.
?In the military, they?re told what to do, how to do it and when to do it,? Orr said. ?Here, you have free rein. We advise them on what to do, but we don?t tell them what to do.?
And some students, particularly those who were deployed to such war zones as Afghanistan or Iraq, are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury.
The center features a private office, where veterans can meet with officials from the Disabled American Veterans and Lawrenceville Vet Center.
?They?re going to be setting up office hours in here to have consultation meetings with our students on VA benefits and the GI Bill,? Orr said. ?If they?re having troubles getting medical or education benefits, they?re going to counsel them on how to get through that.?
The center also features a library with helpful resources, such as information about PTSD and careers. It also has a study area/breakroom, computer lab and a small lounge with satellite TV.
?It?s pretty awesome,? said Alex Patton, a Marine Corps veteran just starting classes at the college. ?They?ve got the adult learning center, but any adult can go in there. It?s easier if you come here. You?re going to find friends who have the same interests.?
Also, ?there?s fewer people, so it?s quieter here,? he said.
Gainesville State, in general, has been stepping up its military outreach since 2011, when the University System of Georgia selected the school to be part of ?Soldiers 2 Scholars,? a program that eases the transition for veterans into college life.
The college also has established the Center for Adult Learners and Military and formed the Military Advisory Council, which comprises faculty, staff and students.
?The duties of this council are to identify the issues our veteran and military students face and to make recommendations for addressing them,? Orr said.
Gainesville State also was recently named to the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Consortium for 2011-2013.
Membership in the consortium affirms ?the commitment to fair, equitable, and effective policies and practices that recognize and deal with the special conditions faced by military students who want to obtain a college education,? according to a Wednesday news release from the college.
Gainesville State has started an initiative this fall to get a firmer grasp of how many students have a military background.
?It?s going to be able to track them as they fill out admissions applications,? Orr said. ?So, right now, the only way we?re able to identify them is through financial aid or if they?re getting military benefits,? and that number is 175, she said.
Source: http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/71745/
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