EUGENE, Ore. -- (Nov. 5, 2009) -- As a parent who lives every day with worry for a son in harm's way as a member of the Navy's special forces, Dennis Munroe wants to offer his assistance to military veterans who might be getting back into or just starting their education studies at the University of Oregon.
Munroe is one of 50 UO faculty and staff who have joined the Veteran Friendly Listener Program, a program introduced this fall to identify a network of allies that support UO student veterans in the pursuit of their college degree. Coordinated by the UO Nontraditional Student Programs and the Veteran and Family Student Association (VFSA), the idea stemmed from a brainstorming session last year.
"A work group proposed the idea of creating a resource where veterans could find information about how deployment factors into graduation and career paths, personal relationships, degree progress and other things that might be unique for many of us," said Jason Alves, a Navy veteran, 2008-2009 director of the VFSA and UO senior majoring in political science.
With the Veteran Friendly Listener Program, UO has developed a network of 50 faculty and staff who can be resources for veteran students to seek out for information and conversation on topics related to academics, post graduation planning, transitions and their veteran student experience.
According to organizer Gretchen Jewett, veterans can feel disconnected from the campus community because they have had such a different life experience than many other students, faculty and staff.
For Lisa Gilman, professor of English and Folklore, becoming a Veteran Friendly Listener was a connection to her academic pursuit. She is currently conducting research about the role of music in war, specifically to military service men and women in Iraq. She interviews veterans for insight about how music expresses identity, connects them with loved ones back home, and provides motivation and escapism in war.
In connecting with veterans, she became aware of how many student veterans are on campus and views it as an important consideration for faculty colleagues. "Many faculty members don't know the student veterans' situations and backgrounds and could have a better understanding of where they are coming from and what their goals are," said Gilman.
The university and the VFSA student group are reaching out to all UO students who access education benefits from Veterans Affairs and social event to educate veterans and families about this additional resource available to them. Easy to find with visible stickers on office doors and via the web directory, the listeners have varied backgrounds and reasons for participating in the program.
"My father was an Air Force veteran and my son has spent the past 10 years in the Navy, so I feel strongly about being available for veterans and helping to connect them with the right people on campus to assist with any needs," said Munroe.
In addition to the Veteran Friendly Listener Program resources, UO's Office of Veteran Affairs provides eligible student veterans, reservists and dependents with educational benefits as regulated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs., A veterans service officer also has recently been located on the UO campus to provide assistance to students seeking VA benefits that are non-education related.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 62 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact: Julie Brown, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu
Source: Gretchen Jewett, 541-346-1123, gjewett@uoregon.edu
Link: Veteran Friendly Listener Program, http://studentlife.uoregon.edu/vfl.aspx
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