March 10, 2014
Business college ranks among ‘best’ for veterans
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s College of Business today (March 10) is earning national recognition for providing exceptional educational opportunities and a culture that benefits student military veterans.
In the March issue available online and on newsstands this week, Military Times ranks the business college 24th in the nation in its second “Best for Vets: Business Schools 2014” rankings. In November, the magazine ranked SIU Carbondale eighth in the nation among 86 four-year institutions in the publication’s 2014 rankings of the “120 Best Colleges for Vets.”
Chancellor Rita Cheng said the ranking is emblematic of the university’s commitment in assisting student military veterans and active duty military students.
“This recognition of the College of Business is another example of the continuing efforts by our faculty and staff to ensure that students have the available resources to help them realize their true educational and career potential,” she said.
SIU is among the top 64 business schools listed in the magazine. About 140 institutions responded.
Amanda Miller, the magazine’s editor, said the project evaluates “the many factors that make an institution a good fit for military veterans.” Those include academic quality, outcomes and policies, school culture, student support and cost.
A look at the magazine’s rankings is available here.
Graduate school and online offerings, the types of business degrees offered, the financial amount of military assistance available and staff assistance given to military veterans and students are among the nearly 80 questions business schools responded to. Also considered when formulating the rankings was the 2013 university survey, along with statistics from the U.S. Department of Education that include graduation and retention rates, student-to-faculty ratio and the ratio of full- and part-time faculty.
SIU has a strong commitment in providing educational services to veterans and active-duty military personnel.
In November, U.S. News and World Report ranked SIU 46th in the nation in its inaugural “Best National Universities for Veterans” listings. The rankings include numerically ranked schools in the 2014 edition of the “U.S. News Best Colleges” that meet criteria that include: belonging to the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Consortium; certified for the GI Bill, and participating in the “Yellow Ribbon Program.”
Last fall, the university announced its partnership with Hope For The Warriors, a national non-profit organization, to enhance educational support services for post-9/11 student veterans. SIU is providing office space; marking the first time Hope For The Warriors has a presence on a university campus to assist those veterans and their families. On March 22, there will be a Hope for the Warriors inaugural 5K run and 1 mile run/walk that begins at the old beach house off Douglas Drive and finishes at the boat house pavilion. Funds raised will support Hope for the Warriors programs throughout the country.
The Veterans Services office offers assistance to all student veterans, and SIU also recently expanded services with the addition of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL) program staff and GI Bill enrollment certification. SIU is one of more than 250 universities and colleges across the United States implementing a national eight-step program introduced recently by the Obama administration designed to help veterans achieve their education and employment goals.
Military Advanced Education magazine also recognizes SIU Carbondale as one of the nation’s 2014 top military-friendly colleges and universities. This the seventh year the university earned the distinction.