Rutgers University–Camden has been named a Military Friendly School by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs magazine. Rutgers-Camden has received this honor for the fifth consecutive year. The honor recognizes the university as one of the elite post-secondary schools for student veterans in the nation.
The recognition is a credit to Rutgers–Camden’s Office of Veterans Affairs and its coordinated efforts with departments throughout the campus, says Fred Davis, director of the office.
With the guidance of Fred Davis, director of the Office of Veterans Affairs, Rutgers–Camden has taken several successful measures to help student veterans make a smooth transition from the military to academic life. Every fall, during traditional Welcome Week festivities, the campus hosts a breakout orientation program tailored for new student veterans. Rutgers–Camden also maintains a simple and effective veterans website, which serves as a repository for vital resources and information.
To further accommodate veterans, in November 2009, Rutgers–Camden opened the student veteran lounge, located on the ground floor of the Campus Center. The space has become a popular gathering spot for student veterans to study, talk, and share a sense of camaraderie.
Rutgers–Camden’s Veterans Affairs office has also been a major proponent of the student veterans group at Rutgers–Camden and its goal of encouraging student veteran participation in various clubs and activities on campus. In addition, the office runs a series of field trips, focusing on American and/or military history, which are open to all students.
Student veterans are also eligible to earn the Jeremy Kane Scholarship, funded through the annual Jeremy Kane 5K Memorial Run in Cherry Hill. The award is named in honor of Kane, who was a 22-year-old lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps and a criminal justice major at Rutgers–Camden when he was killed by a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan in January 2010.
Rutgers–Camden will be listed in the 2015 Guide to Military Friendly Schools and profiled on the publisher’s new Schools Matchmaker site.