Methodist University has always been proud of its commitment to serving the military community, but that commitment has strengthened over the past few years since MU President Stanley T. Wearden announced at his inauguration that enhancing services for military students would be one of his administration’s goals.
Methodist University has always been proud of its commitment to serving the military community, but that commitment has strengthened over the past few years since MU President Stanley T. Wearden announced at his inauguration that enhancing services for military students would be one of his administration’s goals.
A new Transfer Services department has enabled active-duty soldiers, veterans, spouses, and dependents to transfer more credits into MU by revising policies to accept more credit from prior institutions, as well as converting military service to academic credit. The addition of 100% online degree programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels has presented new opportunities for veterans and many others to begin or continue their higher education.
Most recently, a new department has been formed – Military & Veteran Services – that brings services for active-duty, veterans, and military dependents under one umbrella for the first time.
MU has a thriving population of 263 veteran students who coordinate with Director Randy Smith ’05, who has been at MU for nearly 20 years. He assists veteran students with applying for admission and financial aid, class registration, and certifying them for Veterans Education Benefits. All academic programs at MU are eligible for these benefits, but it takes a skilled advisor to work with veteran students, as only the courses required for their major can be approved for benefits.
Joining Smith in the department as coordinator of Military & Veteran Services is Rocio Serna ’18, most recently a professional academic advisor in the One Stop, an on-campus hub that provides all students with academic support, and academic and career advising. Both Smith and Serna are U.S. Army veterans.
“We have combined certifying official services and overall military outreach and programs in the department,” said Serna. “We have a ‘USO’ like environment, and the new location makes it easier for student veterans to have a place that they can go to during the day for studying or just relaxing.”
In addition to the veterans benefits for academic study, veteran students are able to enjoy a few additional perks, including free access to select Google Certificate programs; a student organization, Student Veterans of America (SVA); an honor society for veterans and family members, Chi Delta Chi (XΔX); and a Student Veterans Center, which has recently moved from North Hall to the lower level of Berns Student Center and been refurbished courtesy of a gift from the H.M. & Pearl Kyle Foundation (see more detail about the gift at the end of story).
At the Center, student veterans can study, get support from their peers, or relax between classes in a location convenient to the Green & Gold Dining Hall and other student services.
Another new benefit, announced in June, is MU’s partnership with GoVA to bring 35 free memberships to their online financial education and wellness platform. This is available to Methodist University ROTC cadets, active duty, and veteran students.
For Military & Veteran Services (and all Monarchs) the week of Veterans Day becomes “Veterans Week” at MU, as events honoring veterans fill the campus calendar. These events range from the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial beneath the flagpole outside Horner Administration Building to a CIRCUIT chapel service that salutes veteran students for their contributions to campus and country.
“At MU, we are proud of all veterans who have served our country, and these events not only encourage the MU campus to honor and remember our heroes, but also help our veterans feel valued and appreciated,” Smith said.
Although the University is closed on Veterans Day, a “Step-Up Challenge” has become a new tradition, raising awareness about the problem of veteran suicide. The event is a 1,000-stairstep challenge known as the “Chad 1000x Workout” in honor of Navy Seal Chad Wilkinson, who took his life in 2018. The next Step-Up Challenge will be Nov. 11, 2024.
“We strive to provide an environment where we can step up to pay respect to our military and raise awareness in hopes of preventing future veteran suicides,” said event coordinator Dr. Amanda Ransom, assistant professor of Physical Therapy.
In March, MU achieved the prestigious “Gold” status as a Military Friendly® School for 2024-25, in recognition of its effort to enhance policies and degree programs that meet the needs of military students and their families. Each fall, MU can be found on “Military Times” Best for Vets list, highlighting its excellence in serving veteran students. Schools must document and report services, special rules, accommodations, financial incentives offered to students with military ties, and other aspects of veteran culture on campus to be so honored.
A Foundational Difference
In February 2022, the H.M. and Pearl Kyle Foundation established the Ingram Cannon Parmley Annual Scholarship at Methodist University, honoring the former faculty member and Dean of Men in the 1960s. Parmley held a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School and Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. The scholarship is open to any full-time undergraduate sophomore, junior, or senior with a cumulative 2.5 GPA or better. One of the Foundation’s trustees, James H. Kyle III, lives in Fayetteville with his wife, Edwina, and he communicated to the Foundation’s board that Methodist University was “doing important work for our veterans,” according to a December 2022 letter from the Foundation to MU President Stanley T. Wearden. That letter was sent with a $15,000 gift from the Foundation to Methodist University, earmarked specifically for purchasing new furniture and furnishings for the Student Veteran Center. The Foundation is based in Florence, South Carolina, and donates primarily to church-related organizations and hospices.